Creating When the World Feels Like It’s Falling Apart with Melissa Dinwiddie

Have you ever sat down to do your work and wondered… how does any of this matter right now?

That question shaped this conversation.

Before creativity consultant and author Melissa Dinwiddie and I even hit record, we found ourselves talking about something that didn’t fit neatly into a typical interview. With so much happening in the world, it can feel strangely difficult to focus on the work we care about — especially work related to creativity, play, and innovation.

Melissa is the author of the new book Innovation at Work, which explores how experimentation, curiosity, and small creative risks can help teams generate ideas and solve problems. But in this conversation, we go deeper than business or leadership.

We talk about what it means to keep creating when the world feels heavy.

In this episode we explore:

• why fear and uncertainty often shut down creativity
  • how perfectionism keeps people from starting anything at all
  • the surprising power of small creative experiments
  • why joy and creativity can actually be forms of resistance
  • and how community and connection help us stay engaged instead of shutting down

Melissa also shares a personal story about rediscovering her own creativity after years of feeling blocked — and how a simple 15-minute daily practice changed everything.

If you’ve been feeling the tension between wanting to contribute something meaningful and feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, you’re not alone.

This conversation is a reminder that play and creativity aren’t escapism — they’re fuel.

 

🌻 If you’re feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about this episode on social media and tag me @latebloomerliving.

 

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