Each month, we like to ask our speakers to tell us a little more about their creative lives and what keeps them inspired. Please read our exchange with this month’s speaker, Laura Khalil, and join us tomorrow morning at 8:30 at PLAYGROUND DETROIT to hear Laura talk about being courageous. 

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here?Detroit is such a unique city for creatives because people can actually afford to live here and pursue their creative endeavors at the same time. In many other cities, San Francisco being a great example, residents are so consumed with making next month’s rent payment that there’s very little energy left at the end of the day to be creative.I love meeting people from all walks of life. There is so much talent and diverse career paths in Detroit. It’s really special.What is your favorite project you’ve ever worked on? What would be your dream project?My favorite project has to be performing in the Vagina Monologues. My dream project would be traveling around the country, telling stories from my life that inspire women to accept their bodies and selves exactly as they are. If I could teach people anything, let your freak flag fly. Your greatest gift to the world is to be yourself and express your talents. You don’t need to change for anyone else.What do you do when you feel creatively stuck?Go for a walk. Movement is really important. We need to get out of our heads. I’ve also found the Kaizen method extremely helpful. Kaizen talks about taking trivially small steps towards achieving a goal. So small that they do not trigger a fear response in the brain, which keeps us stuck. For example, instead of saying, “I’m going to write five chapters in my book this month,” tell yourself, “All I need to do today is write two sentences today.” You’ll find yourself going above and beyond the goals your set for yourself. Who is another creative person / organization in Detroit that we need to know about? I love what Amy Sacka (@amysacka) is doing with photography. She did a beautiful series on Belle Isle last summer and has a real gift for capturing the essence of whatever she points her lens at. 

Favorite animated gif? Miss Piggy is my rock.