Curiosity killed the cat, they say—usually when they wish you’d stop asking questions.

Now you can feel that curiosity trying to get your attention, saying,

“Remember me? Can I come back? Please?”

Once upon a time, your curiosity was the key to your world. Then you started to feel like it was wrong to want to explore—and something inside you died.

All day, you think about what you’d like to do when you get home. Then you get there, sit down, and can’t bring yourself to begin. You miss getting absorbed in something you love, but you and your interests are getting lost at the bottom of the list after you handle the demands of your job, your family, and the house.

Exhaustion and obligations aren’t the only obstacles, either. You remember how much you loved writing stories, singing, or figuring something out just to see if you could—but now every attempt feels like a test. An idea catches your attention, and before you even think about doing something with it, you stop because you’re sure you won’t be good enough.

You want room for something nobody needs from you. Something you don’t have to justify, sell, or get right.

It may scare you, or feel silly. Only kids act, or dance, or play around with paint—kids and “Artists.” What gives you the right? Who gets to say that you should write music or a novel? More importantly, who gets to say that you don’t? YOU. And only you.

That voice knows it’s your turn to create, no matter how crazy it may sound. It’s time to say, “So what?” and do it anyway.

You didn’t lose your creative spark. You were taught to leave it behind.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you, because most people don’t even dare to notice: creativity is a fundamental part of being human. It belongs to the mathematician, the software engineer, the person improvising dinner, and the person singing in the car.

You don’t have to produce a masterpiece—or anything anyone else will ever see—for your creativity to matter. When the things you love keep getting dismissed as unimportant, it’s easy to start believing you’re unimportant, too. But you matter, and your creativity matters because it’s part of you.

Hi! I’m Nancy Norbeck, creativity expert, Messy Muse Mentor, and creator and host of the Follow Your Curiosity podcast. I’m also a novelist, singer, and former teacher who knows the despair of losing your creative way.

I developed the Restorative Creativity Framework™ to help people reconnect with themselves through curiosity, creativity, and play. Its six areas of practice—Humanity, Integrity, Play, Presence, Reconnection, and Community—inform how we work together.

Together, we follow your curiosity to explore what you miss, what lights you up, what makes you curious, and what keeps getting in the way. There’s room to experiment and change your mind. You are the expert on your own life; my job is to listen, offer perspective, and help you discover possibilities you can actually use.

Explore the Restorative Creativity Framework™

Your curiosity has been trying to tell you something

Let’s hear what it has to say.

If you’d like support finding your way back to all the things that make you feel vibrant and alive, let’s talk about what you’re missing and whether working together feels like a good fit.

Curiosity may have killed the cat… but satisfaction brought it back.

Book a call

About Me

Most people know me as your Messy Muse Mentor and host of the Follow Your Curiosity podcast. What you may not know…

Work With Me

I offer interactive workshops for schools and other organizations, and programs for individuals. Find out more below: For individuals: Follow Your Curiosity…