Episode 80: Grant Oliphant

Grant Oliphant, author and CEO of the Conrad Prebys Foundation, has both proof and hands-on experience with how the arts and literature can positively transform a city. It all starts with storytelling. In this episode of The Written Scene, Grant discusses reintegrating writing back into a life without taking his current work for granted, making more time for writing and being kind with yourself about it, the lonely journey of being a writer, telling stories within jobs you don't like or aren't aligned with, why nuance and subtlety are important in storytelling, the evolution of poetry and language as a whole, rethinking how the artist life could be without the starving part, defining our own level of success while never really knowing the value of our work, what the arts and nature does for self-agency and mental health, the impact of community-wide storytelling, why artists and authors are the catalyst for positive change for any city or town, and surprisingly a lot more. Please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene wherever you listen to podcasts. We also have a once-a-month newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Music: Addis Ababa