The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
Episode 835: Creating While Caring with Donn King
Host: Joanna Penn
Guest: Donn King (author, professor, pastor, podcast host)
Date: November 3, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Joanna Penn speaks with Donn King about the realities of creating while caring: how to maintain creativity, particularly writing, when you are a primary caregiver. Donn shares his personal experience of caring for his daughter with a rare disability, discusses why standard productivity advice often fails caregivers, and outlines practical and emotional strategies to keep creating, even during the most challenging seasons of life.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Donn King's Writing Journey
- Early Career: Writing from age 12, newspaper discipline ("You can't wait on the Muse – you've got a 3 o'clock deadline every day." [16:44])
- Career Highlights: Editor for early electronic magazines, co-authored textbooks, wrote for business and local publications, copywriting for Walmart and Sam's Club.
- Creative Block & Rediscovery: Experienced a decade-long period of not writing, attributed to depression from neglecting his creative core.
- “I thought I wasn’t writing because I was depressed. It turned out I was depressed because I wasn’t writing.” [19:47]
- Return to Writing: A friend's encouragement led him to write again, effectively “opening the floodgates.”
2. The Realities of Full-Time Caregiving
- Daughter’s Condition: Rare chromosomal disorder; high medical needs, including tracheostomy, continuous feeding, frequent medication, and severe mobility impairment ([20:31], [27:33]).
- Care Responsibilities: For years, averaged 40–50 hours/week caregiving on top of full-time teaching job. Spent 108 out of 168 weekly hours in direct care.
- Impact on Life: Creative dreams often deferred or disrupted by unpredictable care needs.
- “Hannah has taught us to make your plans, but hold them lightly because they’re going to change.” [30:34]
3. Why Write This Book?
- Prompted by Experience: Recognized the need for a book centered on creativity and caregiving after a conversation with Joanna Penn ([21:12]).
- Widespread Relevance: Estimated 50 million unpaid caregivers in the U.S. alone; many creatives find themselves in this sudden, transformative role.
4. Why Standard Productivity Tips Fail Caregivers
- Unrealistic Advice: Blocked time, sacred writing spaces, and “write every day” don’t work for most caregivers ([27:33]).
- Unpredictability: Schedules are out of one's control, making routine-based productivity unattainable.
- Perfectionism: Let go of best practices; focus on progress, not perfection or typical publishing/marketing standards.
- “If I wait until I’ve got everything lined up for that, I’m never going to get a book out.” [31:16]
5. Emotional Landscape: Fatigue, Guilt, and Hope
- Emotional Toll: “Emotional fatigue dulls hope. It whispers, ‘Why bother?’” [41:07]
- Strategies for Coping:
- Recognize that feeling heard matters.
- Success should be defined by what you can control, not external metrics (sales, launch success).
- "Focus your success measures on what you can control, not only is good advice for every writer, but especially for people like caregivers who have so much of their lives that they don't have that sense of control." [33:57]
6. Practical Productivity Tips for Caregivers
- Embrace Interruption: Learn to work amid constant interruptions.
- Capture Ideas: Keep a notebook, phone, or use dictation apps like “Say & Go” to record fleeting thoughts ([35:42]).
- Use Technology: Portable keyboards, laptops for on-the-go writing. AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT - nicknamed “Lizzy” by Donn) can help organize and review manuscripts ([52:58]).
- Breadcrumbs for Continuity: Use notes (like square brackets) to mark unfinished sections for easy pickup after interruptions ([39:41]).
- Let Go of Guilt: Accept help and take breaks for personal well-being.
- “You’ve got to let go of the guilt of thinking I need to be with that person all the time.” [38:46]
7. On Meaning, Nihilism, and Creating in Difficult Times
- World Fatigue: Recognizes global emotional exhaustion and the struggle to find meaning.
- Mindfulness: Draws on Eastern philosophy – “chop wood, carry water” – focusing on small, attainable contributions ([42:11]).
- Impact: Every act of creativity counts—be it fiction as escape or nonfiction as support.
- “Through our books…we are emphasizing that as humans, we have more in common than we have differences.” [47:10]
8. Life Changes: Transitioning Away from Primary Care
- Daughter’s New Home: Recently moved Hannah into a specialized care facility—a major adjustment bringing both relief and complicated emotions ([48:22]).
- Routine Restored: For the first time in 22 years, Donn can block out creative time and return to earlier writing practices ([52:48]).
- Advice to Others: Don’t feel guilty about seeking full-time care; do what's best for the whole family.
9. The Importance of Community and Connection
- Podcasting: The Alignment Show arose from a desire to explore realignment in life; podcasting creates both community and personal satisfaction ([54:39]).
- Isolation & Caregiving: Virtual communities and creative projects can mitigate isolation and provide encouragement ([58:07]).
- Caregiver Health: Stresses the importance of self-care; caregivers often put their own health last.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "I thought I wasn’t writing because I was depressed. It turned out I was depressed because I wasn’t writing." — Donn King [19:47]
- “Make your plans, but hold them lightly because they’re going to change.” — Donn King [30:34]
- "Focus your success measures on what you can control…especially for people like caregivers who have so much of their lives that they don't have that sense of control." — Donn King [33:57]
- "Emotional fatigue dulls hope. It whispers, why bother? It convinces you that what you have to say has already been said or that even if you manage to get the words out, they won't matter." — Joanna Penn quoting Donn King [41:07]
- “We are emphasizing that as humans, we have more in common than we have differences.” — Donn King [47:10]
- “Don’t feel guilty if you realize that you just cannot keep up the care. Do your best. Find the best care that you can get.” — Donn King [51:05]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Donn King’s Writing Background: [16:33 – 20:13]
- Caregiving Story & Family Context: [20:30 – 27:33]
- Productivity Myths for Caregivers: [27:33 – 30:33]
- Letting Go of Perfection and Deadlines: [30:33 – 32:27]
- Defining Success When Life is Unpredictable: [32:27 – 34:36]
- Practical Tools & Idea Capture: [35:42 – 40:56]
- On Emotional Fatigue and Finding Purpose: [41:07 – 46:59]
- Writing as Universal Connection: [47:03 – 48:22]
- Transition to Care Facility, Emotions and Writing Routine: [48:22 – 54:10]
- Creativity, Podcasting, and Building Community: [54:22 – 58:07]
- Caregivers and Health/Resilience: [58:07 – 59:24]
Where to Find Donn King
- Website: donnking.com (Donn with 2 Ns)
- Podcast: thealignmentshow.com
- Books: donnking.com/books
- Book discussed: donnking.com/creatingwhilecaring
- LinkTree: linktr.ee/donking
- Active on: LinkedIn
Conclusion & Takeaways
If you are (or may become) a caregiver, Donn’s story and practical advice provide validation, empathy, and concrete survival strategies. The episode challenges conventional creative productivity wisdom and underlines the importance of self-compassion, connection, and redefining creative success within the unpredictable limits of caregiving. Both hosts emphasize that despite hardship, creativity matters—sometimes most of all.
“When we write our stories…we are emphasizing that as humans, we have more in common than we have differences. Yes, there are those things that divide us, but…all those differences disappear and we just all have more in common than we have differences. And through our writing…that’s a real service that we provide to people in times of hopelessness.” — Donn King [47:10]