Curiosity, Creative Confidence & Becoming the Main Character with Anna Howard

What happens when you stop waiting to be “ready” and start trusting your curiosity? Denise sits down with podcast host, editor, and creative strategist Anna Howard, the creator of Wild Geese, a podcast inspired by Mary Oliver’s iconic poem and the liberating idea that you do not have to be good to begin. Anna’s work centers on curiosity as a creative force. After years working behind the scenes producing and editing podcasts, she stepped out of the shadows and launched Wild Geese, growing it from zero to over 170,000 listeners in under a year by rejecting rigid marketing rules and building from self-trust instead. Together, Denise and Anna explore what it means to become the main character of your creative life, why being a beginner is essential to growth, and how learning, creativity, and success actually unfold outside traditional systems. This conversation dives into: Why you don’t hate learning, you hate school The courage it takes to step out of “shadow artist” roles and claim your voice Letting go of perfectionism and allowing yourself to be bad at first How curiosity fuels creativity more than strategy or productivity The difference between artist timelines and marketing timelines Creative process as digital gardening, research, and synthesis Trusting when an idea is ready and when it needs more time Why nurturing ideas is as powerful as inventing new ones How podcasting and long-form thinking reshape how we learn and live Anna also shares her behind-the-scenes creative process, from researching as leisure to connecting disparate ideas over time, and why giving your work space to mature often leads to deeper, more sustainable success. This episode is for creatives, thinkers, podcasters, writers, and anyone who feels pressure to rush, monetize, or perfect their ideas before they’ve had time to breathe. New episodes of Too Much every Monday. 📍 Follow the podcast: @toomuchwithdlh 💫 Follow Denise: @deniselovehewett 🎙 Follow Anna: @wildgeesepod and @iamannacorinne on youtube 📨 Questions, reflections, or submissions: [email protected]