What if you didn't actually lose your childhood imagination, but simply stopped giving yourself permission to use it?
Welcome to Follow Your Curiosity! In this episode, I'm joined by Haitian-born poet, educator, publisher, and cultural curator Enzo Silon Surin. Enzo is the author of American Scapegoat and When My Body Was a Clenched Fist, the founder of Central Square Press, and an instructor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Together, we explore why adults tend to define their creativity away, how modern technology tricks us into consuming other people's lives instead of living our own, and how viewing the world through a "poetic lens" can transform the way we ask questions.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The Dentist Chair Epiphany: Why adults do not lose their imagination, and how we confuse adult responsibility with a lack of creative spark.
- Consuming vs. Creating: Why we spend hours watching people on screens when we could be having real-world experiences ourselves.
- The Virtual World Shift: How algorithms and social media comment sections simulate connection while distancing us from reality.
- Tricking the Inner Critic: Why intentionally making "bad art" bypasses perfectionism and opens the door to genuine play.
- The Ultimate Reward: How sharing authentic, imperfect creative work helps others feel seen and understood.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Welcome to Follow Your Curiosity
1:41 - Making kites in Haiti and childhood creativity
3:45 - The dentist debate: Do adults really lose their imagination?
13:58 - Consuming vs. creating: Why we watch others on screens
26:03 - Is technology warping our sense of reality?
37:35 - Poetry as a lens to ask deeper questions
45:29 - Writing "bad" art to trick your inner critic
51:03 - The real reward of art: Helping people feel seen
I’m Nancy Norbeck, your Messy Muse Mentor. I help people feel alive again through curiosity and play.
Get Your Takeaways and Join the Community:
- Send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour: Join the Creativity Circle
- Learn more about Enzo Silon Surin and his work in the show notes!
Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.
Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.
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