WEBVTT - Second Cup: Feed your mind

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to feed your mind. Just like our bodies,

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<v Speaker 1>our minds need varied nourishment if we are going to

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<v Speaker 1>produce our best work. I have been thinking about how

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<v Speaker 1>I feed my mind since I interviewed Mary Laura Philpott

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<v Speaker 1>for my other podcast, Best of Both Worlds. Mary Laura

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<v Speaker 1>is the author of the memoirs I Miss You When

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<v Speaker 1>I Blink and more recently, Bomb Shelter. As I learned

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<v Speaker 1>from our interview, Mary Laura is not only a prolific writer,

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<v Speaker 1>but also an avid reader. Mary Laura spends her morning's writing,

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<v Speaker 1>but by early afternoon, even though it's still the workday,

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<v Speaker 1>she says, my brain can't write. Instead of spending the

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<v Speaker 1>afternoon writing and rewriting the same sentence or aimlessly deleting emails,

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<v Speaker 1>Mary Laura's practice is to read with a pencil in hand.

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<v Speaker 1>She reads broadly, not just essays about family life like

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<v Speaker 1>she's known for writing, but also biographies, poetry, thrillers, anything.

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<v Speaker 1>As she reads, she makes notes about what other writers

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<v Speaker 1>are doing well and how their craft sparks ideas about

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<v Speaker 1>what she could do in her own writing. Mary Laura explained,

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<v Speaker 1>when my brain can't be actively producing, it can at

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<v Speaker 1>least be sort of passively absorbing things that make me

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<v Speaker 1>better at my job. What a smart practice. Even the

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<v Speaker 1>most productive of writers can't write all the time, and

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to produce rich, creative, interesting work, writers

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<v Speaker 1>need to study the work of others. Plus, reading is fun,

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<v Speaker 1>which is a relevant motivation too. Just as Mary Laura

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<v Speaker 1>is a writer who reads, other people would be wise

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<v Speaker 1>to consume what they aim to produce as well. Listen

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<v Speaker 1>to podcasts if you're a podcaster, play video games if

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<v Speaker 1>you're a game designer. Go shopping if you're a buyer

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<v Speaker 1>for a gift shop. Enjoy others' work just as you

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<v Speaker 1>hope that people will enjoy yours, and, like Mary Laura,

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<v Speaker 1>reading with a pencil in hand, pay attention to others craft.

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<v Speaker 1>What makes the podcast or game compelling or what makes

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<v Speaker 1>the shop inviting? Are there elements of others work that

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<v Speaker 1>prompt you to explore ideas for your own work In

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<v Speaker 1>addition to consuming what you aim to produce, consume broadly too.

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<v Speaker 1>Ideas not directly related to your craft can still enhance

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<v Speaker 1>your work. While I write nonfiction about productivity and time.

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<v Speaker 1>I love reading classic literature and The Economist, in addition

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<v Speaker 1>to my colleague self improvement books. If you write professionally,

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<v Speaker 1>you'll get ideas from all sorts of writing that strengthen

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<v Speaker 1>your own writing. But even if you don't write for

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<v Speaker 1>a living, reading is a great way to take in

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<v Speaker 1>new ideas. Reading broadens our thinking, and you don't need

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<v Speaker 1>to stop there. See art, go to the theater, travel,

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<v Speaker 1>talk with interesting people, engage your mind and your senses.

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<v Speaker 1>When you nourish yourself, you nourish your work. Even when

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<v Speaker 1>you are not actively producing. You can still fuel your

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<v Speaker 1>professional work by seeking out interesting material. As you absorb it,

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<v Speaker 1>you can see where it takes you. How do you

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<v Speaker 1>feed your mind? I'd love to hear about it. You

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<v Speaker 1>can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E. The number four then Breakfast pod. You

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<v Speaker 1>can also shoot me an email at before Breakfast podcast

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<v Speaker 1>at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spilled out

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<v Speaker 1>with all the letters, thanks so much. Should I look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production

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<v Speaker 1>of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.