Episode 116: Getting Out of Your Own Way with Creativity Coach Bonnie Garvin

“It’s all about getting out of your own way.”

Well. Isn’t that the truest thing anyone’s ever said?

If there were a degree in getting in my own way, I’d have a double Ph.D. with honors, a tassel and a commemorative mug. I am so good at overthinking, second-guessing, perfectionism-ing (yes, that’s a word now), and generally making things harder than they need to be. And I know I’m not alone.

That’s why this episode is so special.

When I connected with today’s guest, Bonnie Garvin—a screenwriter, teacher, and creativity coach—I knew immediately I’d found a kindred spirit with a mission to bring people back to their creative selves.

Bonnie’s journey into writing wasn’t linear or obvious, and her experiences navigating

Hollywood have given her a ton of insight into what it really means to live and breathe creativity.

And she’s super honest and funny about her experiences, and she just has the best vibe! You’ll definitely love her.

We talk about:

• Why so many of us bury our creative spark—and how to dig it back up

• How writing and storytelling can reconnect us to who we really are

• The power of just enjoying the creative process without chasing outside approval

• Why success looks different for everyone (and why that’s a good thing)

• And how to finally stop letting self-doubt call the shots

This convo felt like the creative pep talk I didn’t know I needed. If you’re feeling stuck, hesitant, or unsure if your creativity still “counts,” I promise this episode will remind you: it does. You do.

And it’s time to get writing (or painting, or dancing, or building that weird little project that makes you happy).

Key Takeaways:

• Creativity shows up when you stop trying to do it “right.”

• You don’t need permission to call yourself a writer—or a creative.

• Reconnecting with your inner child can lead to big creative breakthroughs.

• Your voice matters—and no one else can tell your story the way you can.

• Joy is a perfectly valid creative goal (actually, it’s the best one).

So grab your notebook, your coffee, or your favorite fuzzy blanket, and settle in for this feel- good, soul-nourishing conversation with the one and only Bonnie Garvin.

🎧 Press play—and let’s get out of our own damn way.

About Bonnie:

Bonnie Garvin has written and produced movies for television and film in the United States in Europe. In addition to writing for the three major American broadcast networks, she’s worked for Showtime, Lifetime and USA, as well. Her first feature, The Killing Yard, was optioned by Warner Brothers, and later made as film for Showtime. It garnered several award nominations including an Edgar for Best Written Television/Miniseries. Bonnie received a special Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association, the largest professional legal organization in the world, for her “accurate portrayal of the criminal justice system.” She’s a produced playwright and her personal essays appear in three book anthologies. Bonnie's Storytelling Lab embodies her philosophy that we’re born writers. She specializes in getting you out of your own way.

Bonnie’s enabled and empowered hundreds of writers around the globe. In addition to creating her international online Storytelling Lab, she’s a professor at the University of Southern California in the School of Cinema Arts where she’s taught screenwriting for two decades.

Connect with Bonnie: https://substack.com/@storytellinglab

Website: https://www.storytellinglab.online/about

Connect with Liz:

Instagram: @lizmugavero

Website: cateconte.com

🎧 Like what you hea