The Creative Boom Podcast From New York to 'Now What?': Starting Over on Your Own Terms, with Adam J. Kurtz
Apr 12, 2026
Adam J. Kurtz, artist, author and designer known for candid work about anxiety and creative life. He talks about leaving New York for Hawaii and how place reshaped his identity. Conversations cover burnout, slowing down, starting the Small Kind Gift shop, and the motivation behind his new guided journal Now What?. The tone is funny, honest and quietly reassuring.
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Try The Move Before You Regret It
- Try moving or taking an extended trip if you've been thinking about it; you'll regret not trying more than failing briefly.
- Adam suggests testing a change even as a long vacation to avoid deathbed regrets about never trying.
Work Evolved As Life Did After The Move
- Adam's work stayed rooted in personal dispatches but the content matured after moving and aging into more grounded, self-aware themes.
- He deliberately sought meaning: bought a house, a dog, and began antidepressants to address what needed changing.
Start With One Small Thing To Improve Wellbeing
- Do small, practical things to boost day-to-day wellbeing when rebuilding: get a pet, address mental health, and create routines.
- Adam credits his dog and antidepressant with making joy easier to access and simplifying life.
