From Rock Bottom to Reinvention Queen
Gemma James' Unstructured Creative Process
Hey, welcome to Methods—the series where we explore the creative habits of fellow Substack writers.
This week, we are featuring Gemma James.
Her Substack podcast, Muse Yourself, explores the art of reinvention at any life stage, turning hardship into meaning, and boldly stepping into authenticity—without apology.
The podcast emerged from her own crossroads moment—finding herself unexpectedly widowed and jobless at age 30, sitting among boxes in a one-bedroom apartment asking "How the fuck did I end up here?"
Six years later, she's transformed that rock-bottom moment into a mission helping women rewrite their stories and reclaim their power.
In this interview, Gemma shares her insights on creating something amazing from life's unexpected turns, her approach to storytelling that makes others feel less alone, and how she helps women become their own muse instead of looking outside themselves for answers.
Enjoy!
Know someone with a unique creative process? Drop their name in the comments—I’d love to feature them!
Embracing Flexibility
If there's one thing I've learned over the last few years, it's that regardless of how much I'd love to have a really structured creative routine I can plan my day around, that just doesn't work for me!
I generally feel more creative in the morning but outside of that - there are no rules.
I find it really depends on what I'm doing in the moment. When I'm trying to force an idea because I really need a podcast episode or a blog article, that's when they're least likely to come. But when I'm just focusing on living my life, traveling, doing things that bring me joy, the ideas start to flow when I'm least expecting them and I'll get a burst of creativity.
I'm always stopping to write things in my notes app before I forget them!
Morning Coffee and Exercise
I absolutely have to have my morning coffee - that's a non-negotiable!
Making a really nice coffee while listening to a favorite podcast or reading is my morning routine that I keep with me wherever I'm traveling - it helps wherever I am feel a little more like home and gets me in the relaxed headspace I need to be in before I can start creating.
Exercise and getting outside are also really important for me. Ideally, I'll be able to get a workout in before I start work; otherwise, I'll fit one in in the afternoon and use it as a pick-me-up when I start to get that afternoon slump - this needs to happen every day or I really notice the effects on my creativity.
I also get a lot of ideas while walking in nature, so I try and do that every day at some point depending where I am.
Essential Tools for Creativity
A gorgeous notebook! I absolutely have to handwrite everything when I'm working on my ideas - I don't know why, but my ideas just don't flow in the same way if I sit down in front of my screen and just type.1
Getting into journaling has been huge for me. Sometimes I dump so much stuff on the page that I didn't even know was in my brain, then I end up unexpectedly getting a whole podcast episode out of it!2
Influences
The first podcast I ever listened to was by the author Cara Alwill, and it was 100% what started my love of podcasts - I didn't even know they were a thing before that! So she's definitely been one of my big inspirations, and it's been incredible to see how she's grown her show so much over the years. I met her recently at an event in New York, and she was every bit as wonderful in real life!
Outside of that, Lori Harder and Lindsey Schwartz are both big inspirations and have been for years - incredible women building platforms to support other women!
Importance of Travel
I'm a big believer that my environment is the most important factor for my creativity, and seeing the world, having new experiences, meeting incredible people and just enjoying life, thinking about how I can bring the fun to everything I do, puts me in more of a creative flow than anything else ever will.
For me it's all about seeing new places and meeting and talking to incredible inspiring people, having meaningful conversations and sharing stories - this is why I love podcasting so much. I honestly never feel more creatively alive than when I'm having meaningful conversations with people who have a story to share, and there's no bigger honor than someone trusting me enough to help them share it.
Trusting the Creative Process
I've definitely become more relaxed about it and more forgiving of myself on the days where it just isn't happening.3
I've learned to trust my past experiences and know that it's just a cycle - if I'm not feeling it right now, it's not worth beating myself up over; forcing it never helps.
The best thing I can do is give myself permission to walk away and know that the ideas will come when they're ready. Inspiration never comes when I'm sitting in front of a screen trying to force it!
Prioritizing Self-Care for Creative Success
I believe that the people and things I'm surrounding myself with, as well as the way I'm taking care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually, have the biggest impact on my work and anything I'm creating, so I always make these my number one priority and then I know everything else will fall into place.4
Thanks, Gemma!
Check out Her podcast, Muse Yourself hosted right here on Substack.
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Susan Sontag - Writng By Hand
Sontag usually writes by hand on a low marble table in the living room. Small theme notebooks are filled with notes for her novel in progress, “In America.” An old book on Chopin sits atop a history of table manners. The room is lit by a lovely Fortuny lamp, or a replica of one. Piranesi prints decorate the wall (architectural prints are one of her passions).
For Sontag, writing wasn’t just about putting words on paper. It was about exploring ideas deeply, no matter where they took her. She believed in slowing down, following her thoughts, and letting her environment spark her imagination.
Joan Didion's Thoughts on Journaling
Joan Didion's essay "On Keeping a Notebook" explores the deeply personal nature of keeping notebooks, arguing that their true purpose isn't to record facts but to preserve fragments of our past selves. She suggests that notebook-keepers are a unique breed—often anxious, solitary individuals with an early sense of loss—who write not to document objective truth but to maintain a dialogue with their former selves. Didion emphasizes that while we might pretend our notebooks are about observing others, they ultimately reveal the "implacable I" at the center of our personal narratives.
Vincent van Gogh On Trusting The Process
In an 1882 letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh describes his intuitive approach to painting—sitting before nature, trusting his instincts, and attempting to capture what he sees even when unsure of the "proper" technique. Van Gogh emphasizes that while his untrained process might result in "indecipherable" work with "errors or gaps," it allows him to maintain a raw, authentic connection to his subject matter rather than falling into conventional patterns.
Reminds me of Richard Hugo quote:
“In truth, the writer’s problems are usually psychological, like everyone else’s.”
― The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing