3: The Shark and the Book: Burnout, Subconscious Magic, and the Creative Process

What if the right book shows up when you need it most?
What if your creative project is a portal—not just for what you already know, but for the truth that hasn’t surfaced yet?

In today’s episode of Wrecked by Art, I’m telling one of my absolute favorite stories from writing my memoir, Art Is About Being Whole. It’s the story of how a single line in a novel spoke to something raw and true in me—and how it led me to sharks, to Jaws, and to the most exhilarating chapter I’ve ever written.

This episode is about: (the book links below are affiliate links)

• Burnout and the compulsive overworking that kept me from feeling

• A line from Remarkably Bright Creatures that stopped me mid-breath

• Sharks that must keep swimming or else they’ll die (just like I thought I had to)

• The power of metaphor when it arrives in perfect timing

• Why the Jaws movie poster turned out to be the exact artwork I needed

• How your subconscious—and maybe the universe too—is always gathering creative material for you

• And the lesson I’ve learned again and again: you don’t get clarity by pushing. You get clarity by staying in the fog.

If you heard last week’s episode about Dorothea Tanning’s Tempest in Yellow, you’ll feel the connection here. That same fog. That same surrender. That same creative magic.

There’s also a little spoiler in this episode about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet—a book I tried to read for years but only cracked open at the exact moment I was ready. And something life-changing happened. I’ll tell you that story soon.

For now, I hope this episode inspires you to begin the thing you’ve been putting off. Start the book. Make the art. Begin, and keep showing up—even when it’s messy. Even when you’re unsure.

Because the shark metaphor will come. The magic will come.
But only if you make space for it.

Cindy

P.S. I have a brand new creative program launching in September—coaching, coworking, and magical midwifery for your big idea. If you want to be supported through the fog and into the fire, stay tuned (or hit reply if you already know you’re in). And if you want 1:1 support in the meantime, I’m here for that too.