Do you ever find yourself a little mumblemouthed? Or do you go to the dictionary to look up a word, only to get sidetracked when other, more interesting words catch your eye? If so, you share Phil Cousineau’s dynamic relationship with words. For him they’re playthings, enchantresses, magical sounds that can stir your heart, and mementos that tell fascinating stories about the lives of the ancestors who created them. The way we use them has more power than we may realize.

In this interview, you’ll hear stories of the long journeys Cousineau’s favorite words have taken to find their way into our lives, and the provocative nuances hidden in the origins of others. You’ll even find clues to how you can stop procrastinating, and finally finish that novel you’ve been working on, if only you can find the words.

Phil Cousineau is a writer, teacher, editor, scholar, documentary filmmaker, and storyteller. He lectures on a broad range of topics including mythology, beauty, travel, sports, and creativity. He has written or co-written fifteen documentaries, is host of the television series Global Spirit, and author of more than 25 nonfiction books including The Hero’s Journey: The World of Joseph Campbell, Stoking the Creative Fires, The Oldest Story in the World: A Mosaic of Meditations on the Secret Strength of Stories, and Wordcatcher: An Odyssey into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words.