Peter Moore: What Are You Waiting for Permission to Create?
From Think Outside the Lines by Shawn Feeney
May 13, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
Peter Moore discusses his journey from magazine editor to independent creator and the importance of creating without seeking permission.
Peter Moore spent thirty years catching a wave. As a top editor at Playboy and Men's Health, he interviewed presidents, shaped some of the most widely read magazines in the country, and ghostwrote three New York Times bestsellers — none of them under his name. He was very good at speaking in other people's voices. Then the wave carried him to shore, the tide went out, and the silence arrived. What followed wasn't a crisis. It was, eventually, a calling. Today Peter is a writer, cartoonist, NPR commentator, and Substack creator with 16,000 subscribers — blending humor, illustration, and sharp cultural observation into a body of work that is entirely, unmistakably his. He got there by taking an art class in Pennsylvania, putting rabbits and foxes on a landscape painting, and following the laugh. This is a conversation about the seeds you plant before you know what you're cultivating — and what becomes possible when you finally stop asking for permission. Connect with Peter: 🌐 petermoore.substack.com In this episode, we explore: How Peter rode a wave of magazine publishing for thirty years — and what the silence felt like when it finally ended Why being laid off from Men's Health…
People in this episode
Host: Shawn Feeney
Guest: Peter Moore
Topics covered
- creativity
- personal growth
- writing
- career transitions
- self-discovery
Keywords
- creativity
- writing
- career change
- self-improvement
- personal development
- humor
- illustration
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Playboy, Men's Health, NPR, Substack
Books & works: New York Times bestsellers
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