Your Creative Push (Youngman Brown)
Explore every episode of Your Creative Push
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 14 Jan 2019 | 320: The fear is a message (w/ Marie-Noëlle Wurm) | 01:01:56 | |
Marie-Noëlle Wurm is a multidisciplinary French-American-German artist & illustrator who paints, draws, sculpts, creates puppets, lives at night and loves chocolate. Her paintings are often filled with whimsical creatures that seem lost, floating in undefinable worlds that are colorful and strange. She is also a top Skillshare instructor where she shares her skills, tools, tips and tricks. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/320 In this episode, Marie-Noëlle discusses:-Getting her degrees in biology, English literature and film, and puppet theater. -How Sandrine Gaudet’s class broke down all of her walls that had been keeping her from drawing and painting in a serious way. -How literally anything can be a source of inspiration. -The way in which seeing your art simply as information can take some of the pressure off of yourself. -The importance of seeing all creativity as an experiment. -Why she has a particular distaste for the word ‘talent.’ -Why a fixed mindset is so detrimental to human beings. -Her attempt to create a space where people can reconnect with the natural world and ask themselves questions. -What it is like to receive feedback on how others interpret her art. -How she got involved in Skillshare and eventually became a top Skillshare instructor. -How she deals with her creative fears, blocks and resistances. -How the more you create of something takes the pressure off each individual thing that you create. -Treating yourself with more compassion when you are afraid or blocked. -Distracting the self-critical part of her brain with podcasts. -Her “Project Mossweaver” and the importance of juicy goals. -Predicting potential resistances and writing down solutions so that you are immediately ready to deal with them in the most effective way possible. Marie-Noëlle's Final Push will inspire you to recognize your fear as a message that is telling you the importance of the thing that is scaring you! Quotes:“I have an issue with the word ‘talent.’ I think that it’s a huge block to a lot of people’s creativity.” “That class is the one that really changed my trajectory in a profound way.” “Anything can be a source of inspiration. And I really believe that. Literally, anything.” “It’s more about experimenting. And that’s at the root of how to overcome fear that’s linked to creativity. See it as an experiment. If you see it as that, then you learn a lot and you also have fun.” “There’s nothing more detrimental to us as human beings than a fixed mindset.” “If you cultivate curiosity, then it’s only going to bring you to interesting places.” “Cultivating self-compassion is a huge part of overcoming fear or self-doubt.” “The fear is a message and it’s telling you that the thing that is scaring you is super-important.” Links mentioned:Unleash Your Creativity: Draw Without Fear in 5 Simple Exercises (Marie-Noëlle's Skillshare) Derren Brown on The Joe Rogan Experience describing hypnotizing a guy who wanted to fight Life (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit A Tale for the Time Being: A Novel by Ruth Ozeki Hevesh5: The Amazing Triple Spiral (15,000 Dominoes) Connect with Marie-Noëlle:Website / Skillshare / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube / Patreon On the next episode:Lily Hevesh : Website / YouTube Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 01 Jun 2016 | 101: Find your TRUE VOICE (w/ Joanna Sternberg) | 00:29:51 | |
Joanna Sternberg is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist living in New York City. She primarily plays the double bass, but also plays electric bass, guitar, and piano. Joanna sings and writes songs, and regularly performs her original music. She plays folk, country, blues, rock, ragtime, classical, gospel, funk, rhythm and blues, klezmer, and jazz (ranging from the style of the 1920's to the present day.) Joanna is also currently in a band called "Fraydele" as well as a talented visual artist.
In this episode, Joanna discusses:-How and why she chooses to write, sing, and play so many different styles of music. -That the inspiration for the songs usually comes from personal experiences that she needs to get out into the world. -Her band "Fraydele" that plays music that her grandmother, Fraydele Oysher, sang in the Yiddish Theater. -How it is sometimes necessary to take a break and "fill the tank." -How drawing and visual art is less draining and taxing on her than songwriting. -How she has only been singing for two years (which is one of the most shocking things that Youngman Brown has learned on the show). -When she first started to sing, how she sang in a lower voice because she thought it would be harder for people to make fun of. -Her advice for everyone to get singing lessons to have someone help them find their voice. -The importance of being able to have someone to help you with honest feedback, but who will also be supportive. -Her struggles with self-image. -How performing the songs aren't nerve-wracking to her, and how she is grateful that she doesn't write complicated lyrics. -Even though her songs have a very specific meaning to her, how music and art are a way for people to communicate universal truths to one another. -How she uses calendars to help her balance her time. -Joanna's upcoming residency at Sunny's Bar on June 2, June 9, and June 16, 2016. -Her biggest inspirations, Roz Chast and Randy Newman. Joanna's Final Push will inspire you to pursue your creative passions and put it out there because you never know who it might affect.Quotes:"Not to be cheesy, but I just really feel the music I play. So it didn't really take that much learning as opposed to just doing it and having fun." "It usually is just something in my life I need to get out." "It was definitely something I always wanted to do but I just never thought I could." "Find people you trust who could help you. Because it's hard to do it all alone." "Sometimes I'm proud that I can take stuff in my life that's negative and write a song about it." Links mentioned:Dr. Katz Professional Therapist (YouTube) Connect with Joanna:Website / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook / Art / Art Facebook | |||
| 16 Jan 2017 | 188: Trick yourself with FAKE DEADLINES (and get ice cream) (w/ Kelly Killagain) | 00:37:22 | |
Kelly Killagain is a South Jersey-based tattoo and fine artist specializing in line and dotwork. Among the many things that Kelly draws, tattoos, and sculpts, she focuses closely on the various relationships between humans and animals and how they can be used to understand human psychology.
In this episode, Kelly discusses:-Attempting to balance two different creative passions, and at the same time attempting to balance personal work and commissioned work. -Her advice for pushing past the feelings of not wanting to get the work done in the limited time that you do have for your personal work. -The importance of remembering that even a creative session in which you don’t produce something tangible is not a waste. -The power of deadlines, even if it takes tricking yourself with “fake deadlines.” -Setting a timer and going at your work for that full time, distraction free. -Her fascination for the interaction that humans have with animals. -The difference between dog people and cat people. -How one of her doodles turned into her senior thesis. -How sculpting something can make something “real.” -Overcoming self-doubt and other insecurities. -The role that society plays in keeping people away from a creative path. -The difficulty that creative people sometimes have in defining themselves to others. -How she balances her time, especially recently by giving herself a “day off.” Kelly's Final Push to just do it, and to remember how much you will regret NOT doing the thing that you are most passionate about. Quotes:“Not only artists, but I think all human beings right now are struggling with not being motivated to do anything because we are attached to our devices. Everything is so instant. You want something, you get it.” “That 48-hour grind before a deadline – I am so productive.” “I think artists, designers, and creative people of all sorts are extremely important to society and to our own culture. We are keeping a record of our culture. We are recording history with everything we do and informing and enriching our lives.” Links mentioned:Neil Gaiman – Commencement Speech at the University of the Arts 2012 Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon Connect with Kelly:Website / Instagram / Behance / Tumblr / 777Tattoos | |||
| 19 Nov 2018 | 313: Expanding your IMMENSE CREATIVE UNIVERSE (w/ Jordan Hill) | 00:48:10 | |
Jordan Hill is an illustrator and storyteller with a focus on characters and connections. She is the creator of The World of Immensum, which was born around seven years ago when an idea for a book series took on a mind of its own. Every short story, novel or illustration she creates take place in the same universe, with their placement in that universe depending on the planet, location on that planet, the time period it takes place in, or even the particular sub-timeline/alternate universe it is a part of. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jordanhill In this episode, Jordan discusses:-Her creativity from a very young age. -How she navigated the “in-between” of being equally left and right-brained but wanting to fully pursue art. -The negative experience she had of paying for college classes but not receiving an education. -How she was able to double down on NaNoWriMo while she was also taking college courses and holding a job. -How she always feels happier and more fulfilled when she is creating and exercising. -The story of how The World of Immensum came to be. -Embracing her joy for comic book style art. -The way in which our interests, our past and our previous styles all come together to create our unique voice, which can’t be copied. -Constraints versus an entire imaginary universe with multiple realities. -How ideas often come in great numbers as you are creating. -The importance of writing down all of your ideas. -Her goal of trying new things and putting herself out there. Jordan's Final Push will inspire you to be comfortable with being bad at the things that you like. You WILL get better as long as you keep doing it! Quotes:“For some reason I just got it into my brain that I couldn’t do art as my career.” “I had this moment where I just thought, Why am I paying money for them to give me a grade when I could just buy the book and teach myself?” “When I thought that I might not be able to do it, I put every ounce of my spare energy and free time into it.” “Art is basically a culmination of your entire life presented in a physical object.” “The funny thing about art is that the more you make, the more ideas you have.” “Just because an idea isn’t necessarily relevant now, it doesn’t mean it won’t be later.” “Find what you love to do and let yourself be bad at it. Eventually you will progress and you will get better.” Connect with Jordan:Website / Pinterest / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter On the next episode:Adam Wilber : Website / Penn & Teller: Fool Us Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 19 May 2016 | 093: You woke up today. NOW WHAT? (w/ Donna Kater) | 00:39:51 | |
Donna Kater is known as a master in the art of reinventing oneself, particularly after a life-changing event. She is dedicated to helping people survive, come alive, and thrive! She shares practical tips about how to heal your past so that you can move toward a brighter future. She has created two online video courses and has a book coming out in June entitled, “I’m Still Alive, Now What?” How to Survive and Thrive after a Life-Changing Event. She has reinvented herself several times. She has had professional careers as a college and career counselor, small business owner, and acupuncturist. She has professional degrees in Psychology, Counseling and Oriental Medicine.
In this episode, Donna discusses:-Some of the many changes she has gone through in her life that got her to the point she is at now. -A quote by W. H. Murray that made her spring in to action. -The fact that you don't need to know exactly how you are going to get to a certain goal or change -- the important thing is to start. -How whenever you can get in touch with the core of who you really are, you begin to see what you are really meant to do, like a conversation with the Universe. -Her recommendation to do some kind of meditation to get in touch with your core. -How she got the inspiration for the title of her book, "I'm Still Alive, Now What?" -The power that comes from simply taking baby steps on the path to making a change. -The moment that she decided to change her life for the better, and the ability to look within herself to ask, "Now What?" -A big change she made in her life when she decided to become an acupuncturist. -How it is never too late to make a change in your life. -The power of saying things out loud. -Taking 100% responsibility for your life from now on. -The importance of having good mentors. Donna's Final Push will inspire you to realize that it is never too late to reinvent yourself! Quotes:"Once you move, then there's a chance for the universe to move back toward you. If you don't move at all, nothing happens." "When I really connect in with that soul of me, I also realize that it's not just me thinking about the Universe, the Universe is thinking about me, and what kind of dream wants to be manifested through me." "What's the thing that you can commit to doing today that will move you toward that dream?" "When your body hears you say something, it really goes into your subconscious." Connect with Donna: | |||
| 25 Apr 2016 | 075: DON'T LIMIT YOURSELF from anything you want to create (w/ Yliana Paolini) | 00:33:50 | |
Yliana Paolini is a constant doubter, doubting from herself to the universe itself. She is an artist from Luxembourg who likes to create, but doesn’t see herself as a GREAT artist, just somebody who is willing to go beyond her comfortable zone to get more of what she loves, which is passion itself.
In this episode, Yliana discusses:-How doubt is something that is prevalent with creative people and how it never seems to go away. -A bit of history in her tattooing career and why she decided to go into music. -How her tattoos are for pleasing other people, but her art and music is for pleasing herself. -How she feels after just releasing her first EP. -How she had to find a balance between the tattoo artistry and the music. -Her advice for anyone who already defines themselves in one particular field of art or creativity that is thinking about trying a completely different form of art. -How the main thing that held her back and still does to some extent is her ignorance in knowing what she wanted. -How her ego held her back from pursuing music because of the imagined limitations it placed on her. -The fear that people have to jump into something unknown, but how we should all do it anyway. -How simply thinking positively isn't enough -- you have to take action. -Working on and mastering her EP with a Grammy winner. -How doing art and tattooing gives her balance and a form of meditation, which leads to peace of mind. Yliana's Final Push will inspire you to understand that it is YOU who decides what to do with your life.
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| 25 Jun 2018 | 294: What is in your creative stars? (w/ Aliza Einhorn) | 00:42:26 | |
Aliza Einhorn is a writer, an astrologer and a tarot reader. Her first book, The Little Book of Saturn, is a smart, friendly introduction to the astrological Saturn. It is a book for curious readers who know there is more to astrology than their sun signs. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/alizaeinhorn In this episode, Aliza discusses:-How her first book ended up not being a poetry book even though she thought it would. -Why she stopped writing poems while in her thirties. -Identity and whether or not we can define ourselves by something we no longer do (or haven’t done for a while). -A crash course of Tarot and how it can help people with their creative blocks. -Having a dual-identity, where one-half of you is focused on a day job and making money while the other half is focused on your creative passion and doing what you truly love. -How astrology is a tool for self-awareness and self-discovery. -The validation that creative people can get when they are (finally) told that they might be meant to do the thing that they’ve always known that they are supposed to do. -Why Saturn is so important. -Working with Tom Hart and the Sequential Artists Workshop. -How creating art and finding your audience is like internet dating. -The experience of writing and publishing her first book. Aliza's Final Push will inspire you to keep going, and be willing to move into a new creative passion! Quotes:“I remember thinking ‘I’m not going to write anything anymore unless it is directly related to my income, which I want now to be astrology.’” “It’s not one-size-fits-all. You can create your work and create your life. You just have to do it. You can’t wait for someone else to do it for you.” “People are afraid. They’re afraid of others seeing their insides.” “If you don’t expose yourself, people aren’t going to care.” Links mentioned:Youngman Brown's astrology reading The Little Book of Saturn: Astrological Gifts, Challenges, and Returns by Aliza Einhorn Tom Hart on Your Creative Push Astrology and Tarot Readings by Aliza Connect with Aliza:Website / Facebook / Patreon / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 01 Feb 2016 | 013: Art is not black & white (Yuko Shimizu Part 1) | 00:26:18 | |
Yuko Shimizu is a Japanese illustrator based in New York City and instructor at School of Visual Arts. Newsweek Japan has chosen Yuko as one of “100 Japanese People The World Respects in 2009. You may have seen her work on The Gap T-shirts, Pepsi cans, VISA billboards, Microsoft and Target ads, as well as on the book covers of Penguin, Scholastic, DC Comics, and on the pages of NY Times, Time, Rolling Stone, New Yorker and in many other publications over last ten years. To hear Part 2 of the interview, click here. In this episode, Yuko discusses:-Her "mid-life crisis" at the age of 22 and how she decided to go to art school after 11 years of work. -How it took hitting rock bottom to inspire her to finally make a shift and go to school. -How she was able to make it work money-wise when she made the change. -The process of leaving Japan to study in the United States and how she made it work for four years. -How there is a transition period between a hobby and a career in art and there are no set rules as to how long it should last. -How turning 30 was a catalyst for her to stop and reevaluate the path she was on. -How she always felt inferior to people who went to art school and ended up going to art school because she knew she would always have that insecurity. -How a 2-week gap in work as a freelancer can make you feel like it is the end of your career. -How applying to art school in the United States before the internet was not easy, having to wake up in the middle of the night.
Quotes:"When things are really bad, that triggers you to make decisions." "It's not black and white. You don't need to be doing this full time." "I wanted to try out my passion before it gets too late." "The worry never goes away." "Art school means a lot of money. And living in New York means more money on top." "I'm 30. I'm not a kid anymore. Do I want to be here? And my answer was 'no.'"
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/yuko | |||
| 07 Apr 2016 | 063: What is your SINGLE SENTENCE? (David Talley Part 1) | 00:34:51 | |
David Talley is an internationally recognized photographer, director, and producer operating out of Portland, OR. His works exhibit the darkest moment before an explosion of light, a story broken, but changed for the better, and the ability to transform the present problem in to a prospering future. David is the founder and creative director of the world's largest photographic collaboration event, Concept Collaboration. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/davidtalley In this episode, David discusses:-How his personality doesn't lend well with a normal job where he is told what to do. -How many people are afraid of making money with their creative talents because they love it so much and don't want that love to disappear. -His "single sentence" and how it applies to his creativity as well as his life in general. -How if you want bad things to turn around, you have to seek out your "explosion of light." -How his creativity was nurtured from a very young age. -An important first experience photographing a sunrise in Hawaii. -How many potentially creative people are idealistic so they never go out and create that first thing to get the ball rolling. -How lack of structure as well as lack of deadlines holds many people (including David) back from actually creating work. -How beginning a 365-day challenge gave him the structure and framework to actually take photographs and strive to get better, which actually began his career. -How it is impossible not to grow when you do something every single day. -The moment when he realized that he didn't have an answer for why he takes photographs and the way he found an answer, which ultimately led to his single sentence. -One of his worst moments, when all of his camera gear was stolen, and how he was able to look at the situation from above to realize that in six months, everything would be much better. -The power that comes from being able to step outside of situations and attempting to determine exactly what is going on and how your single sentence fits into it. Quotes:"I don't know if it's like this for other creative artists, but I have a problem with authority and I don' want to be told what to do." "I was afraid of making money with my creative talents for a really long time." "At the end of the day, if you're not failing in your art and learning, you're not growing." "The sentence itself is the guidepost for everything I do and everything I create in terms of art and in terms of life." "I'm just snapping photos and framing these images and I'm just dying inside. Like this is the best thing ever. I love this so much." "I think the biggest thing that holds creative people back is a lack of structure and lack of a deadline." "The first part was take a photo every single day for a year and the second part was try to get better every single day. With that, I found my calling as a photographer." "As creatives, we love the idea of things, and we hate the idea of hard work. We need to combine the two into one so that we can get stuff done." Links mentioned:"The Single Sentence" by David Talley (David's ebook!) Connect with David:Website / Facebook / Instagram
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| 19 Jun 2019 | In Defense of Sabbaticals (Best of YCP: Karan Bajaj) | 00:34:10 | |
Karan Bajaj is a #1 bestselling Indian novelist with more than 200,000 copies of his novels in print, both optioned into major films. Karan's first worldwide novel, The Yoga of Max's Discontent was inspired by Karan's one year sabbatical traveling from Europe to India by road and learning yoga and meditation in the Himalayas. Karan has also worked in senior executive roles at companies like Procter & Gamble and the Boston Consulting Group and was named among Ad Age's "Top 40 Under 40 executives" in the US. In this episode, Karan discusses:-The "4, 1, 4" rule and how it helped him to thrive, not only in his career, but in his life. -His "conscious goal-lessness" during his time off, especially when he is so driven during his working years. -His advice for someone who struggles to get to the point of realizing that they are already equipped for life and don't need to concentrate so hard on improvement. -The idea of taking mind- or self-dissolving vacations, where you actually try to change and better yourself as a person as opposed to simply going to a new location. -How he kick-started my meditation practice with a 10 day silent vipassana retreat and how a vipassana retreat is actually quite accessible for anyone who is interested in trying it (it's free!) -How his 10-day silent retreat helped him to see that he had been in a constant mode of wanting, or feeling as if he was lacking something instead of living in the moment. -His one year sabbatical and how he spent the time. -How living extremely simply for a long period of time helps you to realize that you really don't need much in your everyday life to survive and it helps to make you stronger when facing tough situations. -The benefits that his retreat gave to his creativity. -His suggestion to always start with concentration-based meditation approaches. -What to do when other thoughts begin to creep into your consciousness while you are meditating. -The joy and inspiration that comes from seeing yourself on a hero's journey. Even if you don't reach the goal, the act of trying is a success. -How art fixes the world for him. Karan's Final Push will inspire you to SHUN COMFORT for a period of time in order to be a happier and more creative person in the long term. Quotes:"What I have learned through this period is that my sabbatical year has to be almost the complete antithesis of my working years." "I'm always shunning this idea that I have to constantly be better than who I am." "I just try to operate with this idea that I am complete and I have enough depth to tap into, versus wanting to be more than I am." "You can't help but to be different after those ten days." "It's not like some instant moment of enlightenment. You start understanding the endlessness of our thought waves." "I almost feel that every artist is creating out of a sense that this world is incomplete and they need to create a more complete and idealized version. Art fixes the world for me." Links mentioned:The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj "My 4,1,4 rule, or why you shouldn't feel the pressure to become an entrepreneur" (From Karan's blog) Your Creative Push Ep. 2: Approach the first brush stroke with ENERGY (w/ Karl Mårtens) Connect with Karan: | |||
| 23 Sep 2016 | 150: It’s the PROCESS that matters, NOT the RESULT (Martin Wittfooth Part 1) | 00:28:24 | |
Martin Wittfooth is an illustrator and fine artist living in New York City. His surreal oil paintings are much more than simply depictions of animals – they are emotional self-portraits that demand to be seen as a timestamp of our place here on Earth – where we have come from and more importantly where we are going. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/150 In this episode, Martin discusses:-What he attempts to accomplish with his paintings. -How his style has developed over time and the experience of looking back at his old work. -One of his earliest creative memories when he realized that his art could cause a reaction in people. -How he sees his paintings as “emotional self-portraits.” -His fascination with the way that the human species communicates with one another on many different levels. -How young adults have to make decisions on what they want to do for the rest of their lives at too early of an age. -The difficulty of trying to find a marriage between painting and the business of painting. -How we live in a time where the knowledge and advice is out there on the internet… we just need to know where to look and how to ask for it. -The importance of enjoying the act of your creative endeavor rather than the results of it.
Quotes:“Through drawing, all the sudden people took interest in what I was doing.” “I’m trying to get myself somehow trapped on the canvas but in a way that isn’t the predictable image of me.” “If it stops feeling like play, then it’s probably not worth doing.” Links mentioned:The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna The Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast -- Episode 137 with Martin Wittfooth Connect with Martin: | |||
| 23 Feb 2016 | 030: Swing the bat! Figure it out THROUGH ACTION (w/ Brett Gajda) | 00:37:47 | |
Brett Gajda has launched two multi-million dollar businesses, studied with some of the world’s leading self-development teachers, visited 40 countries, released an album, starred in a stage musical, got married, escaped from Alcatraz, became a father, and he currently trains and coaches professionals at Fortune 1000 companies globally. He is also the host of "Where There's Smoke" -- an amazing self-help podcast that is one of the major inspirations for Youngman Brown to start "Your Creative Push."
In this episode, Brett discusses:-A recent review of his podcast "Where There's Smoke" that defined it as "genre-defying" and how that sentiment struck a chord with him. -The concept of "The Gap" (introduced by Ira Glass) and how to get over it. -How the only way to get to the level you want to be at with your art is to actually put the time and work into the craft that you want to master. -His advice for moving past the fact that the first thing that you create is not very good. -How there isn't a single person in the world that just started walking without taking a first step (usually falling right after). -How setting a long-term goal of not paying attention to short-term results really helped him to continue. -The importance of talking to people who have been through the journey you want to go on. -How working for other people and helping to tell their stories made it clear to him that he wanted to tell his story. He just needed to find the medium. -How he tried many times to figure out how to get his voice out in the world, but it still didn't feel right... but at least he was trying. -How one of the themes of "Where There's Smoke" is the idea that you just have to put in the work. -Let the journey to the top of the mountain be the most important part of your trip to the top of the mountain... not your few moments standing on the top. -How his best moments are those where he actually creates something. -If you have multiple ideas, to put all of your fuel into making one of them launch. -Even if your #1 goal is to do something like write a novel, there might be smaller goals that you should accomplish first. -How creativity is in EVERYTHING you do. Brett's Final Push will inspire you to NOT HATE YOURSELF right before you die because you didn't do it.
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| 13 Feb 2017 | 195: JUMP! Get in OVER YOUR HEAD (w/ Matt Kohr) | 00:50:43 | |
Matt Kohr is a concept artist in the game industry and has worked at Motiga Games, Vicious Cycle Software, and Hi-Rez Studios. He is also the creator of the digital painting resource CtrlPaint.com.
In this episode, Matt discusses:-How his path was much less linear than it might seem on paper, and more of jumping in and getting in over his head and figuring it out as he went. -The idea of setting a major goal and working towards it every day, and then being okay if the goal changes over time. -The difficulty that he sometimes has identifying as a teacher. -The value of communication. -How learning to digitally paint for beginners can be difficult even though there is a lot of free information and tutorials out there. It’s a matter of where to start and in what order to consume things. -Using your frustration for something that isn’t working as permission for you to do it yourself. -How sometimes ignorance is bliss, and how sometimes it is better to not know how long and difficult a pursuit really will be. -The approach that he takes with Ctrl+Paint to make the scary goal of learning to paint much more manageable for beginners. -How beginner painters are in much more danger than intermediate painters. -The idea of being working for someone else towards a goal that isn’t yours and that you don’t have complete control over. -Maintaining focus on a central thesis that you set out for yourself and working towards it on a daily basis. -Pewdiepie as an example of a rare case of personality overcoming an original thesis. -His advice for people with no followers or few followers. -The power in having a small, loyal following. -The danger in using the amount of likes you get as a test for whether or not something was a terrible idea. -His hesitancy to post his latest personal work online and why he chose to do it. -Some of the day-to-day struggles of running Ctrl+Paint. -How hard it is to start something and to get that momentum rolling. Matt's Final Push will inspire you to just jump in and do it, even if you don’t have all the pieces lined up yet! Quotes:“It was really a series of me being overconfident and jumping into something, getting in over my head and then scrambling to make it work over and over and over.” “Have one really strong goal and work towards it, but don’t expect to actually hit that precise thing. Art is so unpredictable and things are changing. It’s okay if that goal changes, because whatever it changes to could also be really exciting.” “I’m not by any means the best painter, but I have been the most annoyed audience member.” “That sense that something is wrong in the world and you could do it better is a really good feeling to act on. Because you’ve got the taste. Follow that hunch.” “I think the beginner is in the most danger.” “If you have a small audience that is dedicated to whatever you’re putting out into the world, you can totally make it work financially.” “I think there really is something to having a vision and sticking to it and not overly relying on the popular feedback immediately.” Links mentioned:Connect with Matt:Website / LinkedIn / Twitter / ArtStation On the next episode: | |||
| 22 Jan 2016 | 005: The world doesn't care that you START, they care that you FINISH (w/ Justin Gray) | 00:40:34 | |
Justin Gray is an artist and writer who has worked with top tier comic book publishers, video game developers as well as animation and film studios on a wide variety of properties. Think: DC Comics, Jonah Hex. When he’s not helping serve the needs of some of the most recognizable entertainment companies on the planet, he also self-publishes novels and graphic novels. Justin is currently a part of the Paper Films team.
In this episode, Justin discusses:-How he approaches adaptations. -How he works with Jimmy Palmiotti and others. -How he came about creating the ending of Abbadon. -He breaks Youngman's heart, informing him there won't be an Issue 2 of Abbadon. -Knowing when to push your idea and when to concede to a better one. -The role that comic books played in his development. -His decision to pivot into creative writing. -His take on DC and Marvel and where comics are heading. -How he feels about self publishing and what it brings to the artistic world. -How no matter how much skill someone has, the person who puts the most time into their craft is the one that is going to be the most successful. -To make sure that you convey everything that is inside your head into the work. -Great advice about filling in the gaps for your readers. -How he goes through phases of consumption of favorite artists and other aspects of life, and how that is healthy. Justin's Final Push encourages you to FINISH what you START, no matter what.Quotes:"You're not going to encounter instant success, and everyone is not going to like your work. You have to have thick skin if you want to use things like the internet." "There's no feeling like that place you're in where time becomes irrelevant and you're so engrossed in what you're doing." "The world doesn't care that you started. They care that you finished." | |||
| 13 Apr 2017 | 211: DON'T TRY (w/ Brian Abbott aka High Poets Society) | 00:52:26 | |
Brian Abbott is a Boston-based writer who has found his stronghold in the world of social media under the moniker of High Poets Society. His poetry is most recognized for its mesmerizing rhyme scheme and clever wordplay. Brian has recently published his first book, titled “High Poets Society.”
In this episode, Brian discusses:-His history of writing and how he used to hide it from the world, only showing it to his girlfriends. -Using the identity of High Poets Society as a way to give him the courage to post and show a different side of himself that most people in the “real world” don’t get to see. -How your own perceived prediction of what people are going to think about you and your creative passion is always much worse than their actual reaction. -How the validation from the masses helps him to gain the confidence to talk about his poetry and to share it. -The initial experience of amassing a large following on Instagram. -How the number of followers you have has nothing to do with the talent that you have. -The importance of writing ideas down the moment you get them. -His method for organizing his ideas in Evernote. -His mantra, “ambiguity and continuity,” and how he embraces the fact that his writing will take on a new meaning to every person that reads it. -His admiration for Charles Bukowski’s advice: “Don’t try.” -How he pushes through his laziness when he has things he needs to get done. -The importance of deadlines, even if they are self-imposed. -The experience of seeing his poems on Instagram in comparison to seeing them in the book. -The story of how he quit his job on a whim. -How not everything will be a success, as evidenced by his failed food blog. -His advice for gaining followers on Instagram: use 30 hashtags, be consistent, take advantage of demographics, and make friends in the community and reach out to other people. Brian's Final Push will remind you, "Don't try." Quotes:“For a long time in those thirteen years, I hid my craft away. I didn’t really show people or try to publish it anywhere.” “It’s tough to open up.” “I think the validation from the masses helps me get the confidence to talk about it and share it.” “The numbers have nothing to do with the actual talent.” “Thoughts would come into my head and I would lose them. Those are poems and thoughts that are gone forever.” “When I’m writing, I like to tell myself ambiguity and continuity. Those are the two matras I yell to myself in my head while I’m writing.” “Love is universal. It doesn’t have any constraints or rules to it. You love who you love.” “I can’t control what I write, but I can control what I post.” “Those deadlines light a fire under my ass and says Okay, make a decision. Stop messing around a pull the trigger.” “It’s definitely a choice. And especially in this world where money and your status in society means a lot, it’s tough to give up what you worked for and live that starving artist life.” “If you told me three years ago that a couple million people a week are going to read my poems I’d curl up in a ball and die.” Links mentioned:youusedtobemuchmoremuchier on Instagram Connect with Brian:Website / Facebook / Instagram On the next episode:Caves and Clouds : Website | |||
| 04 Feb 2016 | 016: Snowballing your creativity (DTM Part 1) | 00:38:06 | |
Daniel Flores aka DTM aka Da Creative Genius, is not just a man of many names, but a man of many talents. These talents include graphic design, drawing, painting, and tattoos. Daniel also hosts the Art is King podcast, where he interviews other artists about their craft.
In this episode, DTM discusses: -Why he started the "Art is King" podcast and what it brings to his life. -How putting a microphone in front of someone is a great way to get them to talk to you. -His creative origins, and his journey until today. -How he kept true to the things that he wanted to draw, however it came to him. -How he came to find an community of artists in Atlanta. -How he didn't have the support for his art from an early age. -Drawing sessions with other artists. -His advice to individuals with TONS of different creative ideas who hasn't started any of them yet. -How you should follow artists that you want to become like.
Quotes: "That passion that nags at you when you're not doing it. That's Art." "You always feel like you're falling short, I don't know. I feel that way. I have those doubts in my mind even though I've been a professional artist for twenty years." "Get out of the house. Go somewhere. Be around other artists." "Find the real people who care and are passionate about that same thing that you are about. You need that." "If you really want it, you'll find the time."
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/16 | |||
| 29 Aug 2016 | 141: Find your UNERRING DETERMINATION! (w/ Linda Blondheim) | 00:27:07 | |
Linda Blondheim is a landscape painter whose mission is to visually record the rural, agricultural lands and trees of her beloved Florida. She believes that painters are stewards of our history and culture, who record the experiences and lives of their own time. Her legacy as a painter is to leave a visual record of the beauty of rural Florida.
In this episode, Linda discusses:-Why she loves Florida so much and why she makes it the central theme for her art. -One of her first creative moments. -The initial support and encouragement that she received from her parents in terms of artistic expression, and then their resistance when she announced that she wanted to do it as a career. -Some of the things that held her back as an artist, including being legally blind in one eye. -Some of her tips for artists in terms of thriving financially as an artist. -The importance of understanding your collectors. -The mistake that many new artists make of trying to hang out where all the other artists are hanging out. -Her best and worst moments as an artist. -The importance of letting go of your ego as an artist. -Her formula for balancing her time. Linda's Final Push will inspire you to find your self-confidence and self-discipline! Quotes:“At thirteen, my dad made a studio for me in the attic where I dreamed of being a famous artist.” “My dad wanted me to be an attorney. It didn’t work out well for him.” “I didn’t really come to understand painting until I was in my forties.” “There has to be an authenticity about being an artist. It is very important that you believe in what you paint, that you live it, and that you understand it.” Connect with Linda: | |||
| 04 Mar 2019 | 327: Hustle + Hustle + Hustle = Opportunity (w/ Vanessa Vakharia) | 01:10:24 | |
Vanessa Vakharia is the Founder and CEO of The Math Guru, a boutique math and science tutoring studio in Toronto with a unique approach that works - like actually! She is also the co-founder of Goodnight, Sunrise, an indie-rock-and-roll-superfun-party band based in Toronto, Canada. Vanessa is also the author of Math Hacks, which is designed for kids (and their parents) struggling with math anxiety and looking for a new approach to homework, studying, tests and marks. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/327 In this episode, Vanessa discusses:-How her life started when she failed math twice. -The way in which we define ourselves as “good” or “bad” at something and then live that narrative. -How her tutoring organically grew into The Math Guru. -How the focus should be in doing something new, creative and enjoyable as opposed to profitable. -The power in outsourcing. -Her realization that taking the time to get to one of her pursuits must come from one of her other endeavors. -Taking a Time Inventory. -Her lifelong dream of becoming a singer and the stumbling blocks along the way. -How one man called her “the worst singer he had ever heard,” and how she took it as a positive. -Growing immune to rejection and how that allows her to try for crazier opportunities. -How anything is possible, but getting small examples of that for yourself as proof. -Her take on the experience of opening for Bon Jovi and all of the synchronicities involved. -The story behind her book, Math Hacks. Vanessa's Final Push will inspire you to hustle as hard as you can so that you can take full advantage of your lucky moments. Quotes:“Where I am today started with this grand failure.” “It takes a lot for someone who is ambitious to realize that part of what needs to happen is slowing down a little, but also being creative and outsourcing.” “I’ve always liked being underestimated because it gives me the opportunity to surprise them later.” “It’s all about mindset. Cultivate a mind that is a hotbed for creative magic because it’s so full of possibility.” “None of the things associated with failure are as bad and scary as never trying to achieve your dreams. That’s the scariest thing.” “The hustle is in your control. The luck isn’t. You’re trying to get to that perfect pinnacle where the two meet and you’ve done everything you can to take advantage of the lucky moment.” Links mentioned:Math Hacks: Cool Tips + Less Stress = Better Marks by Vanessa Vakharia The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight Jia Jiang: What I learned from 100 days of rejection | TED Talk Connect with Vanessa:The Math Guru / Instagram / Spotify / iTunes On the next episode:Andrew Tischler : Website / YouTube / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 26 Mar 2018 | 283: Who are you to HIDE YOUR LIGHT? (w/ Cindy Hohman) | 00:52:04 | |
Cindy Hohman is the creator of The Art Marketing Project, which helps independent artists by teaching marketing and promotion skills so you can do what you love and make a living with your art. Her goal is to make art and creativity a viable, sustainable, and profitable career path. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/cindyhohman In this episode, Cindy discusses:-Her background working at the Art Students League of Denver and the Denver Art Museum. -How and why she started the Art Marketing Project. -Why it is so important to develop a marketing plan and not just do what everybody else is doing. -The importance of keeping track of your numbers and analytics. -How to know when to quit your attempt at a particular social media tactic. -Building a brand for yourself that you choose, and then finding your ideal buyers. -Whether or not you should create a new identity if you plan on doing a different type of creative work. -How to push past the icky feeling that comes with marketing and self-promotion. -Being a hedgehog. -Having a strong website and also making sure you make it clear that your work is for sale. -Not being afraid to make real-world connections. -Disney’s rule for selling art and how it is never too early to start selling your art. -More information about her new course. Cindy's Final Push will encourage you to not be afraid to market your own work and to know your ideal buyer! Quotes:“Without a marketing plan, you can easily get caught in the shiny object syndrome.” “Marketing is hard, but you should enjoy a good part of what you’re doing with it.” “Your ideal buyer is for you to choose, not for your past buyers to tell you.” “Don’t try to be acceptable and pleasant to everybody. What you do should hit right to the core of who it’s meant for.” “You don’t even have to have your website up and completely functional and perfectly done to sell your work.” “Sharing your work is great. Being clear that it is for sale is even better.” Links mentioned:Art Marketing Project goodies for YCP listeners Connect with Cindy:Website / Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn / Pinterest On the next episode:Kan Muftic : Website / Facebook Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 05 Jul 2016 | 116: Get UNCOMFORTABLE and GO WITH YOUR FEAR! (w/ Roxanne Charles) | 00:31:06 | |
Roxanne Charles is a mixed media artist of Strait Salish and European descent. She is an active and proud member of Semiahmoo First Nation in Surrey, British Columbia where she promotes art, language, and culture. Roxanne is a contemporary story teller whose goal is to touch, move, and inspire others through her work. She works with a wide range of media. Her work often explores a variety of themes such as spirituality, identity, hybridity, the environment, urbanization and various forms of structural violence. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/roxanne In this episode, Roxanne discusses:-Her artistic history and how she got to the point she was at today. -The moment that she realized that she could get back into art as a potential career. -How she uses art as a tool to engage in conversations with people. -Some of the issues that she tries to use her art to start the conversation, such as colonization and the displacement of women. -How creating an art community allows the art to be seen and touched by so many more people, so that it can evoke more conversation and communication. -How she is often very hard on herself and that makes her to not want to share it (and how to get over that fear). -The power that comes in just starting a project. -How her worst moment and her best moment went hand in hand at her graduation project. -Her 10 foot tall transformation figure. -The weaving group that she created and the benefits that come from being in a group like that. -How it is therapeutic to work on art with other people. -Her advice for anyone who wants to get involved with artistic groups or communities. -How most of her inspiration comes from nature and the outdoors. Roxanne's Final Push will inspire you to share what is really on your mind and what you really feel, because there are people out there that can gain something from your creativity! Quotes:"I have always liked art and enjoyed creating things, however it wasn't a path that I believed I could pursue." "Conceptual art is a way that you can engage the public in a lot of the things that you care about. So for me it has become more about advocacy than the actual process of art. I find that I use it as a tool to interact and inspire others and engage in conversations that people might not typically have." "I don't think the answers lie within myself, but they lie within someone who doesn't know they exist." "I try not to preach or protest, but provoke questions that would engage people in offering up their own ideas, rather than asserting my own." "I tend to be really hard on myself so nothing is ever good enough. Sometimes that prevents me from wanting to share it." "Every opportunity that I have to start something, I start it, and then try to take the time to continue it. It's not a race. It's about enjoying the process of creating and trying not to be too hard on myself." "When I'm able to start creating it, I'm ten steps ahead of where I would have been if I just contemplated not doing it or not having enough time." "I think failures are the best. It's the best way to learn, to have things stick with you, and to discover new things that you wouldn't have considered possible before." "I constantly challenge myself to do things I'm not comfortable with." "I find that personal and human interaction is a good way to engage the public. There's things that you can't say through a sculpture or a painting or a vase." "I don't believe that art should be just visual. It should be more experiential." "Your ideas are valid. There are people that want to know what you have to say and want to see what you have to create." Connect with Roxanne: | |||
| 20 Jun 2016 | 110: WIN THE DAY with your creativity! (w/ Picolo) | 00:26:24 | |
Picolo is a traditional and digital freelance illustrator based in Brazil. He took the internet by storm with his 365 Days of Doodles project, in which he blessed the internet with a new complex and detailed drawing every day for a year. He used that success to build an incredible following on DeviantArt, Instagram, & Facebook, where he continues to generously open up his sketchbook as well as his words of advice for defeating procrastination.
In this episode, Picolo discusses:-His self-taught artistic past and how comics, anime, and manga. -What inspired him to start his 365 Days of Doodles project in 2014. -How being able to draw every day comes down to having the right mindset. -How the first month of a long-term goal can often be the hardest one, but once you get past that initial period, it becomes much easier to do it every day. -The first step is hardest for him is breaking the ice and sitting down to put them on paper. -How you can start out with “doodles” and then get more complex as you continue to grow as an artist and challenge yourself. -The power that comes from setting a longer-term goal with your art. -How carrying a sketchbook can change your mindset, but also give you an opportunity to get all of your ideas down. -How ideas might not make sense when you first put them in your sketchbook, but it is still important to get them down and flesh them out at a later time. -What it’s like to have such a large following on Instagram. -Why it’s important for him to continue create challenges and projects for himself and his fans. -How he is always amazed by the amount of people that join his challenges. -How he has defeated procrastination, but he still struggles with putting things down on paper and getting started. -How he starts out by working on the things that are boring and mundane for him (like backgrounds), and then moving on to the fun things. -His favorite drawings, “What I Think, What I Say,” and one of the first drawings of Icarus and the Sun. Picolo's Final Push will teach you to find what inspires you and what triggers your own creativity. Quotes:“I used to draw one drawing every month or so.” “One of my new years resolutions was to draw every day of the year.” “I think it’s about mindset. I was always waiting for some inspiration to come. For me, it was okay to draw only when I felt inspired. And that’s not okay. You can wait for a month. You have to make it a part of your life. That’s why I started drawing every day.” “I felt strange if I didn’t draw something on a particular day. It felt like it was a lost day.” “What really helped me was committing to a long-term project. It doesn’t have to be a year-long project. A month is totally fine.” “Sometimes it’s just a silly concept. Just write it down and leave it there for a month or two, and then it comes back like a big masterpiece.” “It’s important for me to learn, improve, and create something new in the process.” “It’s so much fun to watch these kinds of challenges develop. It always blows out of proportion. I never expect the amount of people that join.” “I try to tackle the most challenging stuff, the most boring stuff first when I’m at the peak of my energy. Then, I move to stuff that I naturally love to do, and it’s easier that way.” “Whenever I get this connection using my drawings, then I just won the day.” “It doesn’t have to take long. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You just have to draw something. Create something.” “Don’t wait for some magic source of inspiration to come. You have to chase after your own source of inspiration. Art is all about self-knowledge, so it’s your job to find what inspires you and what triggers your own creativity.” Links mentioned:Discworld by Terry Pratchett Neil Gaiman 2012 Commencement Speech "Make Good Art" (YouTube) Amanda Palmer Commencement Speech "The Fraud Police" (YouTube) Connect with Picolo:DeviantArt / Patreon / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter | |||
| 23 Jul 2018 | 298: LOOSEN UP and your art will too (w/ Koosje Koene) | 00:55:10 | |
Koosje Koene is an artist, teacher and co-founder of Sketchbook Skool. She has studied graphic design and worked as an award-winning photographer but it was her passion for drawing and painting that became her lifelong mission. Her enthusiasm as an illustrator inspired her to share her learnings online and became the basis for Sketchbook Skool today. Koosje lives in Amsterdam. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/koosje In this episode, Koosje discusses:-How she was encouraged from a young age to pursue her creative passions. -Her entry and exit from the world of photography. -How she became interested in drawing. -How a dull job can actually make you more creative. -The experience of creating her own first courses and then meeting Danny Gregory. -The importance of community for creative individuals (and how Sketchbook Skool’s community differs from others). -How Draw Tip Tuesday started and how she has been able to stay so consistent for six years. -How creating Sketchbook Skool and creating instructional videos has changed the way she makes and thinks about art. -Some of her own creative resistances and how she gets past them. -How to trick your inner critic. -How to be able to determine whether you need to move onto a different creative realm or whether you are simply in a funk. -How she manages her time. Koosje's Final Push will remind you to make your creative habit a part of your EVERY DAY! Quotes:“I realized that I was making things because people were telling me to make them instead of making things that I wanted to make.” “Every time a course comes out I learn so many things, and that really has made my art evolve very quickly.” “I loosened up as a person so my art also loosened up.” “If you want to be creative, make it a habit.” Links mentioned:Sketchbook Skool (Use offer code SBSPUSH to get 10% off!) Danny Gregory on Your Creative Push Ep. 293 Connect with Koosje:Website / Facebook / YouTube / Instagram / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 01 Oct 2018 | 306: Softly conquer the world! (w/ Cat Rabbit) | 00:57:31 | |
Cat Rabbit is a Melbourne-based textile artist and designer. She makes plush sculptural works of my imagined characters and the worlds they might live in. She also makes books for children and other fantastical artworks with her collaborator Isobel Knowles under the name Soft Stories. She have worked and collaborated with clients such as NGV, Soludos, Lunch Lady Magazine, Frankie Magazine, Odd Pears and Bakedown Cakery, and has work in permanent collections at Loreto Mandeville Junior Library and Melbourne Girls Grammar School. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/306 In this episode, Cat discusses:-The roundabout way in which the thing that she was doing on the side became her career. -How she had to carve her own path and take the “scenic route.” -The advantages and disadvantages of being the first to market. -How she figured out how to price her work. -Re-purposing her pieces so that they can more effectively work for her. -How and why she first started making her creations. -How her process has evolved over time (and continues to evolve). -The value in not having expectations for the end result. -Embracing mistakes and imperfections. -Getting inspiration from the real world. -How she prioritizes her time for learning new skills or working on big projects (while still getting to her daily work). -Dealing with self-doubt and the balance of having too much or too little confidence in your work. -Her early negative and positive experiences on Instagram. -How she deals with trolls and negative comments. -Collaborating with Isobel Knowles for Soft Stories. -Setting “play dates” with other creative people. Cat's Final Push will inspire you to treat your creativity like a friend and it will take you places! Quotes:“I was just making small crafty projects on the side and then they ended up taking over my life, I suppose.” “It seemed like the Universe just wanted me to make stuff.” “I had to chisel this little path myself, and I didn’t really know I was doing it at first.” “Giving lots of different access points to your work is a good thing to work out.” “I purposely don’t have expectations because then it’s easier to embrace what comes out.” Links mentioned:Connect with Cat:Website / Big Cartel / Instagram / Twitter / Tumblr On the next episode:Sophie Gamand : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 08 Dec 2016 | 177: Bringing memories BACK TO LIFE (w/ Vic Lee) | 00:44:38 | |
Vic Lee is a wordsmith, a mapmaker, a typographer, a ragamuffin and freestyler. He has spent 20 years as a professional graphic designer freelancing across London and has worked on major branding, interior and retail design projects with some of the leading design agencies in the world. In this episode, Vic discusses:-The path that he took to get him to the point he is at now in his creative career. -The importance of history, especially when it has to do with your specific neighborhood. -The notion of nostalgia and the role that it plays in the art that we want to make as well as the art that we want to buy. -How he starts one of his larger commissions and how little planning goes into them. -The confidence he gains from huge companies giving him complete creative control. -A story when he got lost in “the zone.” -How he approaches a big job with a panicked mindset, and then slowly relaxes. -How we all start out as children not worrying about what people will think, but lose that carefree attitude over time. -What a blank wall looks like to him. -Dealing with the “quiet moments” in between work. -Using black and white. Vic's Final Push will inspire you to BE NICE TO EVERYONE YOU MEET! Quotes:“It’s not just about illustration. It’s about bringing memories back to life.” “My work is very different things to different people. And to me that is very important because I don’t want it to be one thing to one person. I want it to evoke a different memory or feeling for every person that sees what I do.” “Don’t think too much. Just do it and see what happens. The worst that you can do is fail, and the best you can do is succeed.” “If you fail, you can just paint over it.” “That wall that nobody used to look at suddenly becomes everyone’s friend.”
Connect with Vic: | |||
| 20 Jan 2016 | 001: Be the SKETCHER, not the non-sketcher (w/ Chris Riddell) | 00:34:07 | |
Artist Chris Riddell is a prolific writer and illustrator whose work is familiar to both children and adults. He is known especially for his distinctive line drawings with their clever caricature, fascinating detail and often enchanting fantasy elements. In addition to his children's books, Chris is a renowned political cartoonist whose work appears in The Observer, The Literary Review and The New Statesman. Chris is also the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, which is awarded once every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field. In this episode, Chris discusses:-Why he loves working for different age groups and how the contrast affects his creativity in a positive way. His final push is a simple, but powerful idea, that literally any human being can implement.
Quotes:"Drawing is a meditation." "We are in a golden age of visual art and we should all be talking about it a lot, and carry on sharing the artwork we do." "Grab a coat, get out the front door and go. Walk into a creative journey." "Make a mark on the page. And then make another one. And another one. And another one. That's the way you start." "Start with a lowly ambition. Start with making things look beautiful on a page and see where it takes you." | |||
| 28 Nov 2016 | 175: DIVE INTO THE UNKNOWN (w/ Sarah Kreuz) | 00:29:43 | |
Sarah Kreuz is the host of the Art of the Unknown Podcast, a travel and spirituality podcast about traveling inwards, outwards & onwards. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/175 In this episode, Sarah discusses:-How the Art of the Unknown Podcast was born when she decided that she needed to dive into something creative without worrying about the outcome. -Some of the things that held her back from initially creating the podcast and continuing to create and share it. -Where she is physically as well as spiritually.
-Her advice for people who might be scared of stepping into the unknown. -How she started eating fish after being a vegetarian for 16 years. -The importance of just trying something new, even if you are going to be bad at it. -The power of one positive comment from someone you trust about your creativity. -One of her toughest creative moments in her “den of sorrow.” -The painful experience of having creativity inside of you, but not knowing the way it is supposed to come out. -Not feeling guilty about creating for yourself, first and foremost. -How her throat chakra is finally open! Sarah's Final Push will encourage you to accept the fact that you are going to be scared and just go for it! Quotes:“I just want to dive into something creative and not really care about the outcome. Just see where it goes.” “It’s turning into a healing process more than anything else.” “I never used to consider myself a creative person. I just didn’t think I could do it. I shut myself off completely to even going in that direction.” “I felt like there was something that I wanted to create and I really knew there was something inside of me wanting to come out, but I just didn’t know what it was.” “I’ve given myself permission to make whatever the hell I want.” “It has given me a sense of confidence, that who I am, what I have to say, what I have to think, and how I feel is worthy of having space in the world.” Links mentioned:“Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert Connect with Sarah: | |||
| 11 May 2017 | 218: How to create art in a BIG, DEPRESSING, SCARY WORLD | 00:37:41 | |
Are you upset with who the country chose to be the President of the United States? Does watching the News make you scared? Are you spending all of your time getting into political debates? Do things like poverty, global warming, inequality, and potential war make you want to curl up into a ball and hide? When the world around us seems too big, too depressing, and too scary, creative people can sometimes go into hibernation mode. Long lulls in our creative output come when we get sucked into all of the problems that the world faces. Most of them just seem too big for us to try to face, so we simply don't do anything. But it is our duty as creative people to battle these problems by changing culture at its source. Us. In this episode, we listen back to previous guests who have also been overwhelmed by the scary world that they live in and who have battled back to make a positive change. Youngman will try to make you realize that you don't have to have an enormous audience to make a change with your voice. By contributing to the conversation with your art, you can change the world.
Links mentioned:YCP Episode 210 with Thomas Dodd YCP Episode 213 with Martha Beck YCP Episode 109 with Eyoälha Baker YCP Episode 170 with Peter Draw YCP Episode 86 with Cinzia Angelini YCP Episode 92 with R.M. Kavanaugh | |||
| 02 Mar 2020 | 343: What art school doesn't teach you (w/ Emilija Angelovska) | 00:57:22 | |
Emilija Angelovska (born in Macedonia, living in the Netherlands) is an artist, educator, and change agent. She is fascinated with the popularity of community art projects and does a deep dive into creative communities in her Back to the Drawing Board podcast. Emilija has shown her work in galleries in Amsterdam, Calgary and Edmonton, Alongside her artistic and research practice she holds professional experience from the Smithsonian Institution and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016 she was the recipient of the Kathleen & Russell Lane Canadian Art Award. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/343 In this episode, Emilija discusses:-How she started her podcast as a result of having lost her creative community and wanting to make a new one. -The ways that community informs the individual and the individual informs the community. -Her advice for anyone looking to build a creative community. -How art and life are so closely intertwined. -The importance of surrounding yourself with individuals who might challenge your worldviews and experiences. -The elitism of art galleries. -How to create for the sake of creating. -What she has learned from the people that she has interviewed on her podcast. -Seeing teachers and professors as peers with individual opinions and tastes. -Why it is crucial to have diverse individuals in your creative community. -The symptom of quantity over quality caused by social media. -Learning to not take what other people say about her work too seriously. -Why adults should always be learning and exploring. -The importance of sometimes doing absolutely nothing. -Her love of books and why it’s fun to wreck them. Emilija's Final Push will remind you to keep learning, exploring and creating! Quotes:“Living a creative life is often times a lonely activity.” “It’s very difficult to learn anything or to go anywhere if you are only communicating with people that have the same types of beliefs as yourself.” “Whether you get bored and a new idea comes up or you are completely exhausted and your body simply needs time to settle, those moments of just doing nothing are really important.” Links mentioned:Back to the Drawing Board Podcast things that art school did not teach me Connect with Emilija:On the next episode:Daniel José Older : Website / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 13 Jul 2020 | 363: Don't be satisfied with the world that's offered to you (w/ Will Terry) | 01:15:49 | |
Will Terry is a freelance illustrator and children’s book illustrator who shares his 23 years of experience on his YouTube channel and his blog. He also co-owns SVS Learn and co-hosts the 3 Points Perspective Podcast with Jake Parker and Lee White. Will has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his new book, What They Don't Teach In Art School: An illustrator's guide to making money in the real world. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/363 In this episode, Will discusses:-How his students always resonated with his discussion about marketing. -Not being able to draw after his wife passed away. -How writing his book brought creativity, productivity and fulfillment back into his life. -How opportunities for artists are now everywhere, but they are just harder to see. -Why going down the “normal route” of life is actually the more frightening option. -How ideas like Little Heroes can come out of nowhere. -What creatives can learn from GoPro. -Why creative people need to embrace their problem-solving skills. -How to find the balance of making money and creating the art that you want to create. -How he needed to get sick of his own work in order to step up the quality of his art. -Identifying your motives for creating art. -Why he only takes on projects that he can fall in love with. -How to say no to family members or friends who want you to create art for them. -Seth Godin’s advice to create art that changes people emotionally. -Using your audience as a testing ground. Will's Final Push will inspire you to make as much art as you can so that your mind can be changed and you can create the art that you want to create! Quotes:“I’ve always had an affinity for helping illustrators make money with their art.” “The hard thing for artists is to actually see the opportunities where they are.” “Create for yourself and be as selfish as possible. Create the thing that you want and you can’t find in the world. Create it because you want one.” “Don’t be satisfied with the world that is offered to you.” Links mentioned:Will Terry: Give yourself permission to MAKE YOUR OWN DREAM HAPPEN (YCP Episode 176) Piper Thibodeau: Something new, THOUSANDS of days in a row (YCP Episode 345) Inside The Business of Illustration by Steven Heller Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin Connect with Will:Website / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 09 Feb 2017 | 194: You only FAIL when you STOP TRYING (w/ Amanda Stalter) | 00:39:37 | |
Amanda Stalter is self-taught artist from southern California. She began creating art in the spring of 2014 and shortly thereafter began exhibiting her work in local galleries. Now residing in Brooklyn, New York, Amanda has been featured in magazines, Books, and exhibited her work in both national and international galleries.
In this episode, Amanda discusses:-What set her on the path of becoming a visual artist. -The inspiration that can be gained from people who have already walked down the difficult path of a creative career. -Why she went down the path of a musician for so long. -Some of the initial fears that she had upon making the jump to be a painter. -Dealing with aspirations of grandeur. -Handling lack of support from people that are closest to you. -The importance of taking “baby steps” to achieve your audacious goals. -Her best and worst moments as a creative person. -How being a workaholic means that you have to turn down fun activities (and also have to remember to eat food). -How music influences her more than people might know. -The inspiration that she gained from J.K. Rowling. -How you are only failing when you stop trying. Amanda's Final Push will make you realize that you can let go of your fear of failure.
Quotes:“I really felt like I was treading water half the time.” “That’s when I realized that everything I wanted to be was completely tangible.” “The thing that’s the best to me is waking up every day and knowing that I get to do what I’m fully passionate about for a living and I get to spend all the time in the world really devoting myself to what makes me happy.” “There’s no rule book for being a creative person.” “If you’re not happy, you’re doing it wrong. Period.” “Art, in all its forms, is kind of like a rebellion. So looking for guidelines is silly.” “It shouldn’t be called ‘failure.’ I think it should be called ‘attempts.’ I don’t think you’re ever really failing until you stop trying.” “Your own internal fear is so much worse than what other people are going to think.” Links mentioned:Devotchka - Till The End of Time [YouTube] La Bodega Gallery Renovation [GoFundMe] Pencil Kings Episode 128 with Cat Rose Your Creative Push Episode 172 with Cat Rose Your Creative Push Episode 102 with Mitch Bowler Connect with Amanda:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode:Matt Kohr : Website / Ctrl+Paint | |||
| 19 Aug 2016 | 137: Do the thing that you CAN'T NOT DO! (w/ Paul Ollinger) | 00:32:22 | |
Paul Ollinger is a graduate of Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He was one of the first 250 employees of Facebook where he served as VP of Sales for the Western United States. In between he spent two years performing stand-up comedy full-time in Los Angeles, CA, opening for some of the biggest names in the business. Today Paul writes, performs comedy and speaks widely on work, wealth and purpose. Specifically, he uses humor to help others with their work lives and sales quotas. His first book, You Should Totally Get an MBA: A Comedian’s Guide to Top U.S. Business Schools When he’s not working, Paul is playing golf, binge watching Netflix or checking Who’s Viewed Your Profile on LinkedIn. He lives in Atlanta, GA with his beautiful wife, two wonderful children and French bulldog, Colonel Tom Parker.
In this episode, Paul discusses:-How he handles binge-watching Netflix and still finds time for productivity. -How the only people who should write a book are the people who can’t not write a book because all of the time, money, and dedication they require. -The story of what occurred in his life to inspire him to write “You Should Totally Get an MBA.” -What people can expect to get out of the book, and what he learned in writing it. -Some of the resistances that he faced while writing the book. -The massive distraction that can come from social media. -Self-doubt and how hard it is to continue to create when it seems as if nobody out there cares about what you are creating. -How he got more excited and focused about his book as the final product came into tighter focus. -The importance of figuring out the thing that you can’t not do and just doing it. -The importance of stating your intentions so that you can find fellow travelers who are excited to help you out. Paul's Final Push will inspire you to start now, no matter how little time you have, and to not wait for some ambiguous date in the future!Quotes:“I really try to make sure I get in an hour or two of work before my kids wake up every morning. Because once they’re up, the day is full of landmines on the calendar that can keep you from actually focusing and getting that work done.” “The best thing I got from the job was the realization that I wouldn’t be happy unless I really gave my creative aspirations, my desire to write a book, and really do comedy a full swing.” “My inability to not write a book is what led to writing that book.” “Snark doesn’t scale.” “It’s so hard to believe that what you’re doing is worthwhile when nobody out there is demanding that you do it.” “It’s really all about the incremental progress you can make on any given day.” “I didn’t know what the value of what I was working on was. All I know is that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. And I know that because I can’t go do anything else and feel good about it.” “Stating what you’re doing and stating your commitment to your mission helps you find fellow travelers. “Don’t wait until some ambiguous date in the future to start.” Links mentioned:You Should Totally Get an MBA: A Comedian's Guide to Top U.S. Business Schools by Paul Ollinger Connect with Paul: | |||
| 07 Aug 2017 | 241: Find your gift and then give it away! (w/ Andy J. Pizza) | 01:07:07 | |
Andy J. Miller is an American full time freelance illustrator with a background in graphic design, currently living and working in Columbus, OH. Andy was born in Indiana, went to middle school in Western New York, to high school in Indiana, and to the University of Huddersfield in the United Kingdom. He teaches a self promotion for illustrators class to senior level students at the Columbus College of Art & Design. He is most known for his side projects and books; The Indie Rock Coloring Book, the collaborative Color Me _____ exhibit with Andrew Neyer, the daily drawing project NOD and his Creative Pep Talk Podcast. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/andyjpizza In this episode, Andy discusses:-Where the “pizza” part of his name came from and how he has embraced it as a part of his identity. -His history as an illustrator and how the Creative Pep Talk Podcast started. -The value of teaching and mentorship, no matter how much experience you have. -The importance of thinking! -Dealing with critics. -The purpose of his recent “Creative Destiny” series on Creative Pep Talk. -The hero’s journey and the role that it can play in any type of creative career that you have. -Finding your gift and then giving it away. -How, like in Harry Potter, sometimes our own worst enemy is living inside of ourselves. -How political correctness sometimes holds people back from creating because they don’t want to make a mistake and then get attacked for it. -Thinking about 11 dimensions and how our intuition might be tuned into a higher frequency that our animal instincts might be trying to protect us from. -The idea of “gut churn” and forcing yourself to sit in the uncomfortable unknown. Andy's Final Push will encourage you to stop looking for shortcuts and start looking for “sure-cuts.” Quotes:“You can reinvent yourself, and you don’t have to be owned by the person that you used to be.” “I got obsessed with this idea of drawing invisible things.” “I found teaching to be the ultimate growth hack because when you have to systematically boil down your truths, all the sudden they become so much more potent in your own life.” “What is the true, unique cocktail that you have going on inside of you? What is that work that just explodes and radiates from your very being?” “All I’m looking for in my creative career is to find my gift and to find who needs it.” “You need to be willing to make mistakes. Always have the best intentions but don’t stop yourself before you get started.” “In my own experience, the biggest breakthroughs come from sitting in that uncomfortable place.” “Quit trying to go viral. Quit trying to have overnight success. Quit looking for shortcuts. And just get on the journey.” Links mentioned:Jad Abumrad: Embrace the "Gut Churn" of the Creative Process Deep Work: Rules for Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport Connect with Andy:Creative Pep Talk:Website / Soundcloud / iTunes On the next episode:Matthew Quick : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 18 Mar 2019 | 329: Speak up, Stand out, Stay CREATIVE (w/ Johnny Anomaly) | 01:06:52 | |
Johnny Anomaly is a spoken word poet, author and public speaker who has been entertaining audiences with the emotionally charged storytelling of his life for the past six years. He is also the creator and host of The Creative Coping Podcast, where he and his guests discuss the trauma that has acted as a catalyst for their creativity. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/329 In this episode, Johnny discusses:-How he turned to writing and spoken word poetry after the loss of his son. -How your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt. -The way in which his motive changed from wanting to be a rock star to wanting to help other people realize that they are not alone in their difficult situations. -Getting past the denial phase. -The importance of producing finished work with the tools that you have. -Dealing with procrastination. -His process of creating a spoken word poem. -How he used ten song titles as the basis for his first album, Inspired by Tragedy. -The art of sublimation. -Personifying pain. -Why he started the Creative Coping Podcast. -Having an alias. -The experience of interviewing his wife and daughter. -How easy Anchor makes it to podcast. Johnny's Final Push will encourage you to stop making excuses and remember to speak up, stand out and stay creative!Quotes:“There’s a lot of healing involved with being able to say what I want to say.” “I was saying things that probably shouldn’t be said in front of an audience, but I felt that was the way I had to grieve and get things out.” “You have to personify that pain. Give that pain a face.” “I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t able to express myself in my writing or in my performance poetry. Oh my gosh. I’d probably kill someone, man.” “As insignificant or insecure as you may feel, just remember that you have a voice and you are worth being heard.” Links mentioned:Dare To Be Different with Nevaeh LeBoeuf Marriage & Mental Health with Jammie LaBoeuf YCP Ep. 325 w/ Alisa Kennedy Jones Connect with Johnny:Creative Coping Podcast / iTunes / Spotify / Soundcloud / Instagram On the next episode:John Wentz : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 14 Oct 2016 | 161: Show up and create EVERY DAY (w/ Stephanie Halligan) | 00:32:55 | |
Stephanie Halligan is a cartoonist and the “art and soul” behind Arttoself.com, where she delivers a daily dose of doodles and notes of inspiration to her subscribers’ inboxes. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/161 In this episode, Stephanie discusses:-How Art to Self came to be and what it means to her. -The importance of putting work in on a daily basis and giving yourself goals and deadlines for that. -The notion of making work that you need to see, that will help you out on your daily grind, and how that will most likely resonate with others. -Her six-year old mega-fan! -How it’s not just her cartoons and notes that inspire people, but also the fact that she shows up every day to do it. -Some of her daily resistances that hold her back from putting in the work. -Understanding that creative blocks and self-doubt will always be there, so just recognizing its presence can help to diffuse it. -“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield and how it helped to inspire her to create daily content via Art to Self. -The importance of creating personal work as early in the day as possible, when the resistance isn’t as strong. -Taking E-mail and social media apps off of her phone. -Taking motivation from the perseverance of people like Jim Henson. Stephanie's Final Push will help you to realize that it’s okay if you have found yourself in an artistic break – all you have to do is start again today! Quotes:“Show up and create. On the days when fear is kicking your butt, show up and create. On days when you feel on top of the world, show up and create.” “If I let fear, emotional doubt, and worry stop me from drawing, I probably would only draw ten days out of 365 every year. So it was important for me to be held accountable for that work.” “It’s amazing how sometimes those lowest moments can produce the best art.” “It’s okay if you’ve stopped. It’s okay if you’re not doing the thing that’s been bubbling up in you for so long that you know you should be doing or that you really want to do. It’s okay that you’re not there. But how about tomorrow?” Links mentioned:Stephanie's Creative Confidence Guide The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones Connect with Stephanie: | |||
| 26 Oct 2017 | 262: Dreaming beyond your dreams (w/ Carrie Waller) | 00:38:00 | |
Carrie Waller is a watercolor artist working in a realistic, detailed style. With a background in Interior Design and her studies in Graphic design as well as her time spent living in Europe and Asia have influenced her as an artist. Her unique works are bold, vibrant and dramatic. She is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, Louisiana Watercolor Society and the Mid-Southern Watercolorists. She teaches workshops and private classes. Carrie is also a co-host and contributor for the Artists Helping Artists #1 blog radio art podcast. In this episode, Carrie discusses:-How she maintained a creative life with a husband in the Air Force. -How the movie Julie & Juliet gave her the inspiration to start a blog in which she would do a painting a week. -Listening to the Artists Helping Artists Podcast and how she eventually became involved as a cohost. -Taking a watercolor workshop with Paul Jackson. -The importance of having accountability partners or groups and her own personal group, WAM. -How traveling has influenced her art. -How she balances her time with being a wife, a mother, and an artist. -Dealing with self-doubt. -What Artists Helping Artists is all about and what people can get from it. -Being brave and reaching out to other creatives that you want to connect with. Carrie's Final Push will inspire you to reach even further than your wildest dreams! Quotes:“It’s this friendship and this professional group that has made all the difference in my life. They keep me focused.” “I move so often that I have to reinvent this community for myself.” “I have a clear goal and a clear idea of where I want to be so that keeps me motivated and moving.” Links mentioned:Carol Carter on Your Creative Push Justin Hopkins on Your Creative Push Connect with Carrie:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest On the next episode:NOH / WAVE : Justin Hopkins / Artist Decoded by Yoshino Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 02 Mar 2016 | 037: Use TIME to your ADVANTAGE (w/ Nick Gentry) | 00:31:00 | |
Nick Gentry is an artist from London who paints on recycled and obsolete technological materials such as floppy discs, 35mm film negatives, VHS cassettes, and X-ray prints. In doing so, he creates a conversation between digital and analog processes.
In this episode, Nick discusses:-What the canvas of technological materials says to the viewer. -How he finds charm in the materials that have already had a life. -Where he actually obtains the floppy discs and VHS tapes to use for his art. -How he uses ambiguity and pulling many different pieces together in order for the viewer to make their own interpretations about the art and what it means to them. -The first time he made this type of art as an experiment, and how he left his work in the street to be picked up for free. -His predictions for the future of technology and his hope that we don't get lost. -How he tries to suspend his judgment while making art, so that if a piece isn't going particularly well, he can abandon it and move on. -How we should learn from children and how they enjoy drawing and painting without thinking about if something is right or wrong. -His advice for people who might be scared to share their work. -The importance of being attached to your art while you are working on it, but then detaching yourself from it as soon as it leaves your studio (and that is where the daily practice comes in, because you can immediately move on to the next thing). -His advice for people who have a difficult time moving onto the next thing. -How being able to move on to the next thing also allows you to not linger on failures. -How he draws inspiration from everything around him, especially nature. Nick's Final Push will inspire you to be unique.
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| 08 Jun 2020 | 358: Rejectomancy, Resolutions & Random Number Generators (w/ Mur Lafferty) | 00:54:05 | |
Mur Lafferty is the author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Hugo and Nebula nominated novel Six Wakes, The Shambling Guides series, and several self pubbed novels and novellas, including the award winning Afterlife series. She is also the host of the Hugo-winning podcast Ditch Diggers, and the long-running I Should Be Writing. She is the recipient of the John Campbell Award for best new writer, the Manly Wade Wellman Award, the Best Fancast Hugo Award, and joined the Podcast Hall of Fame in 2015, its inaugural year. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/358 In this episode, Mur discusses:-Why she started her podcast, I Should Be Writing. -Rejectomancy and over-analyzing what a rejection might mean. -Why she doesn’t read comments or reviews. -Dealing with the self-doubt bully. -Trusting yourself and trusting “the people in the basement.” -The way in which your creative resolutions never have an ultimate failure or success – they are ways of life. -Getting more “experience points” for failing than succeeding. -Not just setting one goal, but multiple specific goals. -“The Magic Spreadsheet” and gamifying daily word counts. -The experience of writing Solo: A Star Wars Story. -How she gets past difficult moments in writing. -How her creative life didn’t start until she started taking care of her mental health. -Dealing with depression as a writer. -Taking up the violin as a hobby. -How she uses a random number generator to help guide her on which task to do next. Mur’s Final Push will remind you of the only rule in writing or any other creative pursuit: DON’T QUIT! Quotes:“We’re always ruder to ourselves than we are to anyone we love.” “What can you accomplish today? Don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t worry about yesterday. You can’t fix either of those. One is not broken and the other is unreachable.” “Often times if I try to force my brain to think up new story, it will flatly refuse.” “If you think you need to suffer to create art, I wonder why your art is more important than your wellbeing.” Links mentioned:Solo: A Star Wars Story by Mur Lafferty The Secrets: The podcast for serious writers! Connect with Mur:On the next episode:Kasey Golden : YouTube / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 15 May 2017 | 219: If you have dedication, YOU WILL FIND A WAY (w/ Benjamin Hardman) | 00:39:59 | |
Benjamin Hardman is an Australian photographer residing in Iceland. He works to blend digital media with fixed aesthetic principles through textural contrasts and natural obscurities within the landscape. Channeling between portrayals of stark wilderness and refined conceptual pieces, his work encapsulates the seasonal change that grips Iceland throughout the year.
In this episode, Benjamin discusses:-How he went from Accounting in Australia to becoming a professional photographer in Iceland. -Some of the difficulties and adjustments that he had to make in moving to a completely new climate and culture. -How he made the move to Iceland much more stable by spending a year saving money and working on his photography. -His advice to have a well-thought-out plan before jumping into a big life change. -How his photographic style has changed since moving to Iceland. -Progressing and looking at the closer details. -The adventures that he takes people on, specifically “Odyssey.” -His YouTube channel, specifically the drone videos. -The awe-inspiring event of seeing the Aurora Borealis. -How he attempts to keep himself motivated. -How he looks back at his old work to see if there are any “gems” that he hadn’t noticed before and what that does for his creative process. -The idea of posting new work alongside old work. -Trying to put your work together in groups to find trends or consistencies, even if you are just making an exhibition for yourself. -The Icelandic Nature Conservation Association. -How he balances his time with the many things he has to do as a professional photographer. -His advice for amateur freelancers who want to reach out to people for work. -Being down when he spends a lot of time on a particular photo and is still not happy about the results (and how he shares it anyway). Benjamin's Final Push will inspire you to explore every aspect of your craft so that you can understand it as a whole! Quotes:“I had no idea that this place would just completely change my whole perception of life.” “If you have enough dedication, you will find a way. If you’re that passionate about doing something, it will be possible somehow.” “I basically quit everything and went for it.” “It’s okay to miss a crazy photo in one spot to go get a new, never-before-seen mediocre photo of something else. “I try my best to stay motivated but when you’re your own boss, it can get hard.” “If you’re just an authentic individual with a great plan, you’re going to go pretty far.” “A photo can change so dramatically from where it started to where it ended and well beyond what I thought it would be.” “Imagine the world of photography if everyone was pushing the barriers for themselves and doing things that maybe they’re not fully comfortable with but really pushing it. I think we’d have a way more diverse industry of people.” Links mentioned:One of Benjamin's Drone Videos Icelandic Nature Conservation Association Connect with Benjamin:Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube On the next episode: | |||
| 22 Jan 2018 | 275: LESS IS MORE (w/ Paul Adshead) | 00:57:34 | |
Paul Adshead is a Hat Wearer, Beard Owner, Crazy Golf Enthusiast, and Peanut Butter Fan. On the rare occasions he's not Paul also uses old, out of date film in even older antique cameras to attempt to capture the past as he attends and photographs World War, Victorian and American Civil War events. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/pauladshead In this episode, Paul discusses:-How he never studied photography or take creative courses academically -How he has made his transitions slowly. -How his work is dark and cinematic, and how most clients don’t want that. -The different types of “darkness” in his work. -The thought and planning that goes into his shoots. -How he likes to leave things to people’s imaginations. -The power of brevity. -His love for history and the way that he tries to recreate it in his art. -Using antique cameras and what that does for his process and mindset. -How he uses his Instagram descriptions to help to add value to his pieces and to give the viewer additional information. -The relationship that he has with his own Resistances. -Having multiple projects going at once. -Using Parkison’s Law to his advantage. Paul's Final Push will make you realize that life is just a numbers game so keep putting yourself out there as often as possible! Quotes:“I personally never like to compromise my style.” “For me, people’s imaginations is better than any creative out there.” “I just find the past more interesting than the present.” “The second you set a date, everything falls into line and the job gets done.” “The more you do anything, the more chance it will have a positive effect on your life.” Links mentioned:The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind by Richard Wiseman Connect with Paul:On the next episode:Amber Kane : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 29 Feb 2016 | 035: Be prepared to POUNCE on your lucky breaks (w/ Marc Allante) | 00:29:29 | |
Marc is an artist whose work is inspired in both form and style by western and eastern influences. He was born in Hong Kong, but has also lived in Sydney and London. He merges traditional Chinese inks with European watercolour and pen techniques in a contemporary style. He is self-taught, and utilizes many different techniques and subject matters to expand his work. Marc also runs the blog www.redinkstone.com – a website dedicated to helping aspiring artists achieve successful and sustainable careers in the art world.
In this episode, Marc discusses:-How his art career was jump started when his friend posted one of his pieces on Reddit and the thread went viral. -How he utilized that "break" to make another post on Reddit, showcasing pieces of art he did throughout his childhood and life, and how that post went even more viral. -How he worked in financial risk at that time, and art was a hobby for him until that point. -The tough times that he was going through at the moment, with his mother being diagnosed with terminal cancer. -How he calculated whether or not he could quit his job before he jumped into being a full-time artist. -What it has been like in his first year as a full-time artist. -His advice to people with full-time jobs who want to still do their creative passion: dedicate some time every day, and you will see improvement and results. -The importance of developing a style with which you can differentiate yourself from other artists. -There are always valuable lessons to be learned in trying something new. -How art school has many things that it can teach you, but in today's world you can find out how to draw or paint in any style for free on the internet (or do anything creative, really). -About why he started redinkstone.com and how it can help expose artists to information about effectively marketing your work via social media, understanding contracts, and so much more. Marc's Final Push will inspire you to dedicate whatever free time you can find to furthering your realization of your dream.
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| 04 May 2020 | 353: How to stream your art on Twitch (w/ Mioree) | 01:03:37 | |
Mioree is a digital artist and illustrator who specializes in stylized character illustrations. She is also a partnered Twitch streamer who livestreams her art while explaining her methods and thought process to inspire and interact with her growing community. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/mioree In this episode, Mioree discusses:-How she started as an artist on Twitch. -The differences between Deviantart and Instagram. -Her advice for artists who want to start on Twitch and how to stream when there will be crickets at first. -Twitch in comparison to Instagram Live, Facebook Live or any other streaming platform. -How helpful it is to consolidate your ambiguous thoughts into words as you go through your process of making art. -Dealing with burnout, perfectionism, imposter syndrome and being too hard on herself. -How streaming can cure art block. -The value in spending time to create systems to better your mental health as an artist. -Setting ridiculously easy daily goals for yourself. -Using neuroplasticity to start new habits and wean off of your bad habits. -Using time tracking apps and devices such as Habitica and Timeular. -Being deliberate about what entertainment she consumes. -How she deals with perfectionism and negative inner dialogue. -Flipping her canvas and looking at her art in a different way when she gets stuck. -Where she goes for inspiration. Mioree's Final Push will remind you to not be too eager to label yourself. Quotes:“I try to dispel my doubts and think about a younger version of me.” “I never understood my process. I almost felt like it was instinctual before. Now I feel as if it has some reason and I can detect patterns, which is always helpful for improvement.” “I don’t want to wake up later in life, not having had a choice in where my life went.” Links mentioned:YCP Ep 342: If it exists, then you've done it right (w/ Dan Berry) Connect with Mioree:Twitch / Instagram / DeviantArt / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 08 May 2017 | 217: Abandon your SAFE ART BUBBLE (w/ Shane Madden) | 01:13:48 | |
Shane Madden is an award winning illustrator and cover artist from Toronto, Canada. He has illustrated for books, magazines, and games including NY Times best sellers. He participates in workshops, online communities, and he teaches illustration at a college level. He is also the founder of the Illustration Lighthouse.
In this episode, Shane discusses:-His experience in going to art school and being initially overwhelmed. -Technical illustration and what that means. -The false idea of the “Field of Dreams” art career, where if you build it, they will come. -Building a portfolio around the type of work that you want to do, and taking the confusion away from the art directors that will be looking at your portfolio. -How someone like James Jean’s portfolio isn’t something you should try to emulate if you are looking for work, as he is simply showcasing his work. -His advice to not try to do multiple things at once, but instead start with the first thing you want to get going and then add on as you become competent. -The power of having your own website and the dangers of people wandering somewhere else when you send them to your profile on social media sites. -The idea of investing in your art career, even if that means spending money to take a trip with interviews lined up. -Putting something in your portfolio that you are able to comfortably talk about so that you will appear knowledgeable. -The three different types of artists and how they develop an audience and make money. -How many different kinds of jobs that are available to artists that you might never have thought about before. -His advice for artists who haven’t made a cent from their work to start making money. -To not work for free – to at least get something from your time and talent (and publicity doesn’t count). -His math formula for determining if your time is better spent looking for creative work than working at an unrelated job. -How your resume doesn’t matter at all, all that matters is your portfolio. -More about Illustration Lighthouse and what people can expect from it. Shane's Final Push will inspire you to leave your safe ART BUBBLE and put yourself out there to start pushing your art career forward! Quotes:“You really don’t need any social media to get commercial work. The viability of putting your time into social media isn’t as good as you pounding the pavement and finding the right people to hire you for the type of work that you want to do.” “You need to make sure that those five images say exactly what it is that you do and the kind of work that you want to do. Get that in front of the people that are looking for that specific work. Basically magic happens at that point.” “What do you want to do first? Because if you try to do thirty things at a time, you are going to fail at thirty things. Try to get some success with one thing that you want to do and then start adding things on top of it.” “Make sure that the work that is in your portfolio actually fits that market that you’re looking for.” “You have to make yourself stand out. The best way to do that is to find out what it is that makes you different, what it is that you do that makes you special and amplify that.” “I always think of myself as an art mercenary. Whoever wants to slam down the bag of money, I will be more than happy to fulfill what they’re looking for.” “Go where no one else is going. Don’t try to storm the gates with the other thousands of people. Try to knock on the side door and get yourself in that way and differentiate yourself.” Links mentioned:Connect with Shane:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter Head to the Facebook group to join the discussion about building your portfolio and making money. | |||
| 13 Apr 2016 | 067: BEFRIEND your blocks so you can TRANSCEND them (Philip Ruddy Part 1) | 00:29:24 | |
Philip Ruddy is a Los Angeles-based depth psychotherapist, who previously spent fifteen years as a writer, producer and development executive in Hollywood. He now works with writers, artists and performers, helping them explore and transcend creative blocks, anxiety, depression, and the unique stressors of the film and television industry. He can be reached via his website ActivelyImagine.com.
In this episode, Philip discusses:-His journey getting to the point he is now as a depth psychotherapist. -His explanation of what depth psychology is. -How he is able to tap into his experience as a development executive, screenwriter, and a short story writer in order to understand what other creative people are going through. -How writer's block is a personal thing that differs for every person that he works with. -The notion of befriending your creative blocks. -The idea of Active Imagination. -How we imagine the harshest of critics will judge our work, but in reality, if someone doesn't like your work, they typically just move on. -The traumatic effect that negative comments from teachers can have, especially at an early age. -The importance of seeking out a tribe and a group of peers, and not necessarily rely on the influences that your school district had as art teachers. -Creating a new persona. -The interplay that happens between your persona and your "true self," both positive and negative.
Quotes:"What's the personal myth that you are leading your life by?" "Writer's block is something that you're probably going to wrestle with for many years to come if you don't make a decision to focus on it now and come up with some ways to navigate it." "Befriend it so that you can transcend it." "The idea is not just to exterminate this writer's block but to engage it in dialogue. I actually mean that quite literally." "Write out a dialogue with this writer's block and see what it has to say." "Writer's block is often an unexpressed part of ourselves that wants to be heard, so if you actually give it some time and engage it, it will often tell you what it wants of you." "We're often far worse critics than the real flesh-and-blood critics that we encounter." "The first creative act is reinventing yourself. Creating your new self as an artist." "To reinvent ourselves, to become who we are destined to be, takes an incredible amount of strength."
Links mentioned:"The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron "The Red Book" by Carl Jung "Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up" by James Hollis "An Evening with Ray Bradbury - 2001" (YouTube) "The Hero's Journey... For Writers, Artists & Performers" (from Philip's blog)
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| 15 Mar 2016 | 046: GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION to create your ideas (w/ Adonna Khare) | 00:30:54 | |
Adonna Khare is an artist mainly focused on large-scale pencil drawings. Her work has been collected by prestigious public and private collections throughout the world. And in 2012 she won the world’s largest art competition, ArtPrize, competing against over 1500 artists from around the world. She has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, NPR, The Huffington Post, Daily Mail, Juxtapoz Magazine, and Mashable, just to name a few.
In this episode, Adonna discusses:-How she got to the point of drawing such large-scale drawings. -How much of her progress comes from permission. Permission from a professor and permission to go bigger, and permission from herself to create large environments. -Her advice for people who brush off "big ideas" -- to instead give themselves permission to do them. -How she has many ideas stew in her mind, jockeying for position, and when she sits in front of the paper, that is when one in particular comes to the front to say "I am ready." -Why it can helpful to work on large and small projects at the same time, because when the bigger projects start to lose steam, she can work things out while working on the smaller projects. -How her daughter has helped her to become more productive with her time, as she has much less of it to spare. -The role that animals play in her art and how they are more than just animals. -The story behind her "screaming bear." -How each piece is like a diary, where she knows her exact situation in life at the moment she was drawing it, but on the flip side, how each piece can bring personal meaning to each person who views it. Adonna's Final Push will help you understand that it is okay to give something up in order to create something you want to see in the world.
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| 11 May 2020 | 354: The Evolve Artist Program Review (w/ Mitch Bowler) | 00:55:27 | |
Mitch Bowler is the founder of Pencil Kings and cofounder of The Evolve Artist Program. He is an expert in remote art production, having spent a decade building AAA Art Studios in Shanghai, China. Through Evolve, he is realizing his dream to make serious art education accessible and affordable worldwide. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/354 In this episode, Mitch discusses:-What he’s been up to in the four years since he was last on the show. -Some of the log jams that he encountered in his creative journey. -Why he is so willing to help other people in their creative pursuits. -An introduction to the Evolve Artist Program. -How typical art schools cost too much money and take too much time, yet a “YouTube education” lacks direction, a roadmap, or guaranteed results. -How Evolve Artist guarantees that someone at any level of art ability will create professional work by the end of the program. -How long it takes the average student to finish the coursework. -The guarantee that each student will get professional results, but there is no ceiling to how far they can take their new skills. -The type of one-on-one feedback that students get from their instructor. -What Evolve students can expect in terms of turning in assignments and receiving the included materials and supplies. -The fast turnaround time of two or three hours for instructor feedback. Mitch’s Final Push will encourage you to look back at the progress that you made in the last year and weigh that against the place you want to be a year from now. Quotes:“When you help other people, it creates new future possibilities.” “Everyone gets phenomenal results with Evolve, but there’s room for you to push things even higher.” “Our goal for each student is that they are improving about five percent with each assignment.” “As a student, you’re expected to make mistakes and it’s okay to make mistakes. In fact, if you weren’t making mistakes, something is probably strange.” Links mentioned:The Evolve Artist Program (Exclusive 10% Discount) Youngman on the Pencil Kings Podcast Episode 200 Mitch’s 1st appearance on Your Creative Push On the next episode:Piper Talladay : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 25 Feb 2016 | 032: PAY. YOUR. DUES. (Jon Contino Part 2) | 00:31:38 | |
Jon is an artist and graphic designer from New York. His designs, typography, and illustrations have graced magazine covers, t-shirts, album jackets, murals, food trucks, movie posters, websites, and national ad campaigns, just to name a few. He’s the Founder & Creative Director of Contino Brand menswear and accessories company, as well as Co-Founder & Creative Director of CXXVI Clothing Company. Full Shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/31 In this episode, Jon discusses:-The experience of designing for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition 2015. -What it is like to have your fingerprints on something that is massive in scale. -How he handled the offer of being able to do body painting on the swimsuit models. -Working for top-secret projects and the difficulty it brings to the creative process. -How he handles his work based on his love for it, not based on his love for sleep. -How time vanishes when you are doing something you love. -What art and creativity brings to his life. -How he makes every effort to make his design to be his best effort. -About how lucky breaks happen for everyone, its just up to you to make it catch. -How you have to trudge through so much as a creative person. Quotes:"There's no excuse. If you want to do it, you just do it. Because if you don't do it, you're gonna be on your deathbed one day and you're gonna wish that you were able to do it and the only person you can blame is yourself." "If YOU don't do it, SOMEBODY ELSE will." "If you want something so bad that you just have to do it, you do it, and you don't have to hear it from anybody. "I think there's three important words to remember as a creative person. Pay. Your. Dues." Links discussed:Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2015 Connect with Jon: | |||
| 18 Sep 2017 | 252: Plant your seed of curiosity (w/ Amanda Giacomini) | 00:31:00 | |
Amanda Giacomini has dedicated her life to uplifting people and creating more beauty in the world through yoga and art. From teaching yoga at the White House to presenting at some of the biggest yoga festivals, conferences and Asian Art museums in the world, Amanda infuses the ancient teachings with creativity and joy. Her journey in yoga began in 1994, and she continues to study with many great Indian and Western masters. In 2001, along with her husband, MC YOGI, she founded Yoga Toes Studio in Point Reyes, CA. She has been featured in Yoga International, Origins, Marin Magazine, Happiness + Wellbeing as well as appearing the cover of Yoga Journal and Mantra Magazine. As an artist, she created an award winning series of children’s books, called Mo's Nose, that feature her beloved rescued pit bull, Mo, as the main character. She has a catalog of paintings inspired by her yoga and spiritual practice. Currently she is working on a project to paint 10,000 Buddhas. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/10000buddhas In this episode, Amanda discusses:-The story of how her massive 10,000 Buddhas project started. -How committing to a large project helped to creatively anchor herself down and thus get to a flow state more easily. -How her painting is similar to rehearsing for a dance performance, where she doesn’t have to think about the movements after doing it so often. -The experience of completing her ten-thousandth Buddha. -Her practice of yoga and how it relates to her art. -How she has now developed (and embraced) a new identity of “10,000 Buddhas.” -How she avoided repetition by changing the scale, medium, and colors. -Her creative relationship with her husband, MC Yogi. -Some of the synchronistic things that have happened in her creative life. -How she used to start projects and never finish them, and her advice for people who might struggle with a similar experience. -How a creative journey is a cyclical one, with many ups and downs. Amanda's Final Push will remind you that your creativity is an integral part to you having a well-rounded life. Quotes:“It started with a little seed of curiosity.” “I think there was something about committing to a big project and a big number that helped me get to that flow state.” “I had tears of joy that day that I made a commitment to the goal and I had kept it.” “That sense of curiosity is important to me as an artist.” Links mentioned:Youngman Brown on The Pawprint Podcast Connect with Amanda:Website / Facebook / Instagram On the next episode:Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 26 Dec 2016 | 182: PAINT YOUR OWN REALITY (w/ Nyki Way) | 00:30:10 | |
Nyki Way is a San Francisco Bay Area illustrator who was born in Boulder, Colorado. She is inspired by nature, civil rights, psychology, and emotion. In her art therapy blog, “Painting Your Own Reality,” she offers a glimpse into her struggles with depression and psychosis as well as her new appreciation for life to help others to transform their lives into the exact life they want. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/nykiway In this episode, Nyki discusses:-Her creative upbringing. -The fear of not succeeding or not being “good enough.” -Her mental health struggles and how she has been balancing that with pushing herself as an artist. -Using drugs as a means of escape, but finding that art could be equally useful as a coping mechanism. -Her contemplation of suicide and her eventual relocation. -The intention of her blog to connect with people who might feel alone the way she did, so that they can see that they are not the only ones going through it. -The incredible benefits she has seen in her life due to therapy. -How art school gave her the skills to finally execute what she was thinking. -How she is too trusting in people and that occasionally leads her to getting scammed. -How to protect yourself with contracts. -Her formula for balancing her time between commissions, personal work, and school. -What art and creativity brings to her life. -Her fascination with her new “toy,” Super Sculpee. -How the everyday things in life usually inspire her much more than going to galleries or looking at other artists. -Westworld! Nyki's Final Push will inspire you to be who you are, because nobody is going to be you for you! Quotes:“I have this big fear of not being ‘good enough’ and not having a fan base.” “I think a lot of artists have this darker side that actually prevents them from putting out their best work because they have that fear and that self-doubt.” “You can’t just go about life not asking for what you need. Because if you don’t, nobody is going to give it to you.” “All the sudden the world opened up and I could paint everything in my brain. I finally had the skills to execute what I was thinking.” "If you have to do anything in this world, just keep creating and expressing yourself as much as you can. Even if you feel like you have nothing to share or nothing to say. Just share it and be who you are." "Be who you are because nobody is going to be you for you." Links mentioned:Painting Your Own Reality (Nyki's art therapy blog) Connect with Nyki: | |||
| 01 Apr 2019 | 330: Turn your list UPSIDE DOWN (w/ John Wentz) | 00:58:55 | |
John Wentz is a contemporary painter whose work is an exploration of process and technique. Working within the classical idiom of the human figure, his goal is to reduce and simplify the image to it’s core fundamentals: composition, color, and mark making. John was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has had 3 solo exhibitions in San Francisco and numerous group exhibitions both nationally and internationally. His works have appeared in many publications and have won multiple awards. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/johnwentz In this episode, John discusses:-How he landed in fine art after his foray in illustration. -How a Gerhard Richter exhibition changed his life and remapped his brain. -Art being about discovery and experimentation. -The power that comes from disconnecting in order to do some soul-searching. -Cave paintings and how we have always been creating art, and even risking our lives to do so. -How he has struck a balance from his former lifestyle of a donut a day and being disconnected from friends and family. -How he picks his subjects and how he paints them. -How he was taught that he should never paint anybody that he knows, and why he is rebelling. -Why he purposely doesn’t analyze certain aspects of his process in order to maintain some of the magic. -Why and how he started creating his assemblages of his art, photography and reclaimed items. -The story behind his series, “Navigation Unknown.” -How he chooses which ideas to move forward on. -The dark ways in which social media platforms are controlling your creative process. -Dealing with anxiety. -Turning your list of priorities upside down so that you get to your creative passion before all of your other “needs.” -His new course at the NOH/WAVE Academy. -The differences between living in Paris and the United States. John's Final Push will encourage you to do the thing that you need like oxygen… and remind you … DON’T BE A DICK! Quotes:“For me, making art is about discovery and experimentation.” “Just unplug and take time for yourself. It’s okay to not be connected.” “There are certain aspects of my process that I don’t analyze too much because I want to keep that unknown to it.” “Making it is only fifty percent. The other fifty percent is getting it in front of an audience and creating a dialogue.” “On paper, being a painter is the worst business plan imaginable.” “The people that I end up working with and being friends with are great people to be around and they ignite something inside of me.” Links mentioned:John's course on NOH/WAVE/ACADEMY Connect with John:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode:Suzanne Clay : Website / Goodreads Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 05 Oct 2016 | 156: Be a BUSY MOCKINGBIRD (w/ Mica Angela Hendricks) | 00:42:49 | |
Mica Angela Hendricks is a professional illustrator who works primarily in ballpoint pen and acrylics. She travels the world with her military husband and her talented 7-year old daughter, Myla, with whom she collaborates for A Busy Mockingbird. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/156 In this episode, Mica discusses:-How she began drawing with her daughter. -How her daughter has developed as an artist and how they now collaborate with ideas. -The idea of being on equal ground with her daughter in terms of creative control. -Trying not to get too discouraged by the talented artists and creatives that inspire you. -Some of the many ways that she gets through creative blocks. -Her advice for people who have trouble letting go of their creative control. -A practice in collaboration of letting your followers or fans help to decide what you are going to draw. -The friendliness and helpfulness of the people on Instagram. -The value you can provide by posting either works in progress or “mistakes,” to show that it isn’t just as easy as creating something wonderful from start to finish. -How Myla doesn’t care what other people think about her work and how we should all strive to reach that same freedom. -Dealing with negative feedback. -Dealing with dry spells and having to deal with the ebb and flow. -How the name “Busy Mockingbird” came to be. -How we all need both relaxation time as well as physically active time in our daily lives. -The idea of “going on an adventure” with kids as a form of meditation. -The story behind her book, “Share With Me.” Mica's Final Push will inspire you to keep trying every single day and to always continue to learn. Quotes:“I like to let her have control. It prepares her for when she’s older to be able to have the confidence to know that her ideas are valid.” “I told her one time that she inspired me and she was kind of surprised by that.” “Who cares, you know? I’m drawing what I like and if you don’t like it, there’s a little button up there that says ‘unfollow.’” “You get dry spells. You get this time where everything just comes out like crap.” “If you have to draw a hundred bad drawings to get to the good one to get you back into it, then you better start doing it.” “Knowing that you’re going to have that ebb and flow is necessary to functioning properly as an artist. You have to know that it’s going to come back and it’s not gone forever.” “I feel lazy if I’m watching TV. If I watch TV I have a sketchbook in front of me.” “If you enjoy doing something, you’ll get better at it in time. You just have to keep trying and keep learning. Never ever ever stop learning.” Links mentioned:Connect with Mica: | |||
| 22 Feb 2016 | 029: Get off your TUSH and DO IT! (w/ Ronnie Allen) | 00:36:29 | |
Writer Ronnie Allen is a New York City native, born and bred in Brooklyn, New York, where she was a teacher in the New York City Department of Education for 33 years. In the early 90s she began a journey into holistic healing and alternative therapies and completed her PhD in Parapsychic Sciences in 2001. Along the way, she has picked up many certifications. She is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner as well as a crystal therapist, Reiki practitioner, metaphysician, dream analyst, and Tarot Master Instructor.
In this episode, Ronnie discusses:-How she got into Reiki and crystals and how they enter her writing. -Her series of books, "The Sign Behind the Crime." -How she uses her readers to choose which book in the series that she writes next. -There is so much more that a writer can do aside from simply writing. -The importance of giving yourself deadlines. -Her first creative moments, learning how to get her characters on paper. -How readers and writers both want to go on a journey with the writing. -How people need to get over their fear of writing their fantasies or extremes, because a reader won't want to fly away with them if they are stuck in the mundane. -How getting into "deep POV" can allow you to flow, and to allow your characters to really take over. -Her worst creative moment when a teacher embarrassed her in front of her class, and how it inspired her to prove him wrong. -The importance of paying attention to someone else's suggestions on your work... to change it if it resonates with you, but to leave it alone if it doesn't. -If you are looking to publish, the importance of paying attention to what a publisher wants. -Write out baby steps to get what you want. If you can't write a manuscript for a novel, write short stories. -You have to make sacrifices for your passions. Ronnie's Final Push will inspire you to just get started in finding your passion and taking baby steps.
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| 17 Mar 2016 | 048: You'll never know if YOU CAN FLY if you don't jump off the cliff (w/ Tai Taeoalii) | 00:31:15 | |
Tai Taeoalii is an amazing artist who uses ballpoint pen to create surreal pieces of art intended to stimulate the viewer’s mind and evoke honest emotion. Tai has recently taken his art “on the road,” using the time that he is not busy creating to tour the U.S. at various art galleries, museums, and art fairs. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/tai In this episode, Tai discusses:-His creative origins, doodling in class with a ballpoint pen, until selling his work on Ebay. -How he is now 38, but only really discovered who he is and his style 6 or 7 years ago. -How at art festivals and art fairs, you get to talk to the people buying your work and you get to get feedback from them. -How he starts a piece with an idea, and doesn't think much from that point on until the piece is done. -Listening to music helps him tap into his subconscious, much like doodling while on the phone. -The difficulty he experiences in attempting to do commission work, and why he doesn't do it anymore. -What it is like to be an artist on the road and how it makes him a better person and a better artist. -Why he makes his artwork affordable. -The process of making timelapse videos of him making a piece, and how they are like an out-of-body experience. But setting them up takes some of the spontaneity out of drawing. -His method for writing ideas down on his phone, then being alone to flesh it out onto paper, and then shading when he is at his shows, when he is able to multi-task. -How he obtains his Bic pens. Tai's Final Push will inspire you to be honest, be passionate, and to work hard.
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| 22 Dec 2016 | 181: Don’t let FOMO hold you back (w/ Dan Lydersen) | 00:42:16 | |
Dan Lydersen is a painter who draws influence from a variety of contemporary and historical sources, from the Renaissance to modern cinema, literature, and popular culture. Both theatrical and satirical, comical and somber, the paintings pose a view of humanity that is steeped in the existential turmoil that lies between materiality and spirituality, where society trudges persistently forward into the future while the human search for meaning and purpose as mortal animals remains unresolved.
In this episode, Dan discusses:-The influence that his mother and theater had on him as a creative person. -His balance between tragedy and comedy that he has found in his paintings. -The lack of authenticity that comes when you are doing things that you think other people want to see rather than what you want to make. -The importance of not being too influenced by your teachers or predecessors. -How you can use older styles to say something about newer ideas. -The notion of using a two-dimensional rectangle to capture a moment in time. -How spending a lot of time on something and then throwing it away is actually a good habit. -His process of coming to an idea and then planning it out before starting the actual painting. -Some of the moments of self-doubt that he deals with and how he gets through them. -The advantage that we have in modern times to be able to create whatever we want without needing permission from anyone else. -Why he doesn’t spend much time or energy on social media. -The idea of FOMO (fear of missing out) and how it can sometimes overwhelm you into doing nothing at all. -How a piece of his art randomly became a Japanese meme. Dan's Final Push will inspire you to get to work first. The creativity will come. Quotes:“I’m a very silly person but a very serious person at the same time, so I don’t put a separation between tragedy and comedy. They’re one in the same.” “I’ve gotten into a groove of being able to say what I want to say through visual art.” “I think I was trying to make paintings that I thought the art world wanted to see or wanted an artist to make and not paintings that I really wanted to make. There was a lack of authenticity in them.” “It’s dangerous to be too precious with your art and to think, I’ve invested all this time and energy to this; it must be carried through." “I wouldn’t say that ideas come to me. It’s more like I come to the ideas.” “Ideas don’t just come to you like a light bulb turning on. You have to work at them.” “I’m a pretty logical person and it’s kind of hard to attach logic to art because it doesn’t necessarily function logically.” “It’s a big world. If you get your work out there, there’s going to be people who see the world in the same way you do and appreciate your art.” “You tend to focus more on other people’s achievements than your own.” “It’s a matter of numbers. You’re perceiving this unified body of other people doing all of these amazing things versus you, as one person, doing what you’re doing. And even if you’re doing something great, it will never amount to the sum of what everybody else is doing.” “At this point I feel like me and my work are indistinguishable. If you take my art out of the equation, I don’t really know what’s left of me.” “Creativity and art aren’t cause and effect, they’re more like a feedback loop. Creativity feeds the art and then the art feeds the creativity and it’s all one body. “Just get working and the creativity will come.” “It’s faulty reasoning to assume that you’re creative or inspired and then you make artwork. It’s more the reverse. You start making artwork and then that leads you to feel inspired or creative.” Links mentioned:The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker Connect with Dan: | |||
| 06 Jun 2016 | 103: WHO YOU ARE leads to what you're going to make (w/ Edward Westerhuis) | 00:35:53 | |
Edward Westerhuis is a multidisciplinary artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. His work moves between visual art, video, and performance--often collaborating with other artists and working within the community. He creates imaginative worlds that play with an epic sense of scale, forming allegories that reflect the places he lives. Whether he's making sci-fi cardboard puppet shows, or music videos with giant dancing cats, Edward uses humour to create the unexpected and to carve out space for new perspectives. Edward has presented his work across Canada, from coast to coast, including the Yukon Arts Centre, the Banff Centre, and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
In this episode, Edward discusses:-How he got started down the creative path that got him to the point he is at now. -How he came up with the idea for his "Double Cat" video. -The deeper meaning behind the "Double Cat" video. -His Tedx talk and the differences that performance art brings to the creation process. -The hilarious story of one of his first creative moments. -The creative lull that came into his life when he moved back home from school and how he got past it. -The power that comes with mapping your creativity out to find out what works for you. -Moving around, taking a walk, or doing some "lighter" creative work in order to clear your head when you need it. -The idea of taking the pressure off of yourself by not worrying about the final product. -One of his lowest moments, when he attended a film festival while in a creative drought and feeling like an imposter. -The way he got out of his drought by working as Sook-Yin Lee's Director's Assistant. -How Sook-Yin Lee was a role model for him and gave him the courage to be able to move between disciplines and art forms. -How he likes when art can bring people together to form new types of interaction around the artwork. -What art and creativity bring to his life. Edward's Final Push will inspire you to find ways to shut out the anxiety of being overwhelmed by your creative end goal. Quotes:"Over time, I've been able to recognize my own process and see how you develop an idea from a glimpse of an image to a fully thought-out project." "It was this slow-burning idea that was just creeping over time." "When I work on a desk, I can't have anything on my desk except for what I'm working on that very moment because I get way too distracted." "You're always trying to remove the anxiety from your process. You don't want to be anxious while working because then you just get suffocated." "When I'm making art now, I really think about my audience. I think about creating opportunities that exist outside the artwork itself." "I really love the opportunities for the face-to-face social interaction that can happen around artwork." "One of the reasons why I love collaborating so much is because I can see people on a much deeper level. We are able to build a communication that is very specific to an art piece but also has reverberations beyond that on a human-to-human level." "Don't make it so big. Make it small and make it an opportunity to learn about who you are." "Find ways to shut out the anxiety of being overwhelmed by that end goal." "Allow yourself to explore and embrace not knowing where you're going."
Links mentioned:"The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life" by Twyla Tharp "Letters to a Young Poet" by Rainer Maria Rilke “Your Elusive Creative Genius” – Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk Your Creative Push Episode 082: Interview with Li Chen of Extra Ordinary Comics Connect with Edward: | |||
| 27 Jun 2017 | 230: The view from your art (w/ Lori Richmond) | 00:42:15 | |
Lori Richmond is a corporate creative director turned picture book maker. She is the author-illustrator of Pax and Blue and Bunny’s Staycation, coming in 2018. She is also the illustrator of A Hop is Up and several other picture books. Lori is also a runner, and she documents her race training by drawing what she sees on her runs, in the same amount of time as each run via the hashtag #ViewFromMyRun. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/loririchmond In this episode, Lori discusses:-How she started with her illustration and picture book making as a hobby and then slowly transitioned into making it her job. -Her advice to not quit your job before you know that you can make money from your “side hustle” and also that you would actually enjoy doing it. -The story of how Pax and Blue came to be. -Being observant of the world around you and maintaining a childlike wonder. -How and why she started running. -How she was struck with the idea for #ViewFromMyRun -The overwhelming positive response she got from the running community that encouraged her to continue #ViewFromMyRun. -Getting picked up by Runner’s World and making friends with running legend Hal Higdon. -The reasons why she limits the time she spends on each image to the time she spent on her run. -The many benefits of using a timer. -Some of the lessons she has learned from running. -How your creative habit doesn’t have to be a daily one, because that often puts too much pressure on yourself. -Friends Work Here and why it is valuable for her to surround herself with likeminded, driven, creative individuals. Lori's Final Push will make you realize that the only thing holding you back from taking that first step is yourself. Quotes:“As artists, we need to be observers and listeners.” “It was just like a lightning-strike moment – I should paint it, but let me see if I can paint it in the same amount of time that I’m doing this run.” “I’ll put it on Instagram, and Instagram will be my accountability partner.” “It was just so funny how all these things wound up coming out of this side project.” “I was noticing so many overlaps between running and making art.” “It’s more of a visual journal of my runs and my training for these races. If I leave one out because I don’t like the drawing, it’s almost like I’m not respecting the run.” “You are only one decision away from starting that thing that you’re thinking about. The only thing holding you back is yourself.” Links mentioned:Connect with Lori:On the next episode:Dani Ives : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 11 Dec 2017 | 269: Seek out those THIN SPACES (w/ Shayla Maddox) | 01:10:55 | |
Shayla Maddox is an artist who uses Light as her medium, along with acrylic, sand, salt, crushed glass, sea shells, garnet, quartz, candle wax, and even cinnamon to create what she calls "light reactive paintings." These paintings change appearance throughout the day, season, and year, and also react into the UV spectrum so that they continue to glow into the night. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/shaylamaddox In this episode, Shayla discusses:-How she decided to make one painting while she was an actress, and how she never looked back. -Her decision to stop showing at traditional galleries and start throwing her own. -Some of the things that surprised her when she decided to throw her own shows. -Her advice for anyone thinking about throwing their own show. -How she started with her “light reactive paintings.” -How she is intentionally experimental in her art and always trying to find new materials and new ways to create in order to challenge herself and keep her feeling uncomfortable. -Her interest in exploring the intersection between science and spirituality and “thin spaces.” -Some of the frustrations that she encounters when trying to share her work on the internet. -Her experience with Patreon and how it has encouraged and enabled her to communicate with her audience in a new way. -The idea of throwing your hat over the fence and then figuring out how to get it. -Her experience of becoming sick and taking a break from her art (and how she got through it). -Attending Patrecon and what she learned there. -The value in following people in other genres and other art forms and gaining inspiration from them. Shayla's Final Push will inspire you to redefine your notion of success! Quotes:“I found that the shows that I was throwing for myself were far and away more successful than the shows that the galleries were throwing for me.” “I loved being my own director and I loved being in charge of my creative vision for my own shows.” “I’m intentionally experimental in my art and I don’t like to master anything.” “Go completely nuts. When you have that opportunity when nobody is watching you, you can do anything.” “The difference between successful artists and unsuccessful artists is that the successful ones just keep going. If you stop, you’ve guaranteed that you failed.” Links mentioned:The Long Game Part III: Painting in the Dark by Adam Westbrook Gwenn Seemel on Your Creative Push Connect with Shayla:On the next episode:Gwenn Seemel: Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 25 May 2017 | 222: The Penny Drop Moment (w/ Mike Kus) | 00:53:17 | |
Mike is a UK based designer specializing in Web/UI Design, Graphic Design, Branding, Illustration & Photography. He has a worldwide client roster and his work is regularly featured in design related publications. Mike is also a regular speaker at design & tech conferences.
In this episode, Mike discusses:-How he feels as if he was predisposed to become a designer from a young age. -Working as a graphic designer for The Body Shop. -His entrance into the world of web design. -The story of his creative block while trying to design for Carsonified and the “penny drop moment” that cracked the block. -The strategy he employs to avoid creative blocks and to get to the thesis of what he is going to create for a company. -Developing a “single sentence” that encompasses what a company is all about and what his design will attempt to portray. -Being a black sheep in the face of trends. -How he attempts to create a unique identity for each of the companies that he works with. -How the layout of a website is unimportant in comparison to the content. -How his interest in photography was reawakened with the emergence of Instagram and the accessibility of his phone’s camera. -The importance of not having an agenda for your creative passions and just doing them because you want to do them. -A lesson he learned from being in a band about not listening to people who try to influence you to change one way or another. -A story of putting off writing an article about productivity. Mike's Final Push will inspire you to never back down! Quotes:“Creativity is the last thing that computers will steal from us.” “There’s not even a point in doing design if you’re not trying to be a black sheep.” “My belief is that everyone I work with is unique and has a unique story to tell.” “I don’t feel that layout is much of an issue. It’s really the content of the website that’s up for grabs.” “For me it was more about capturing a moment.” “Because it was simple, because it was in my pocket, I started getting into taking pictures again.” “I started using Instagram on the day it came out.” “Doing work for companies mixed in with my personal works brings more variety to the pictures I take and the locations I end up in because of it.” “Just starting to do it and seeing what happens is much more important than trying to have an agenda.” “Just to know that when you’re going through a period of lack of motivation and you’re not being productive, you’re not the only one. Just knowing that other people are in the same boat is sort of comforting.” Connect with Mike:Website / Instagram / Twitter / Dribble On the next episode:Blake McFarland : Website / Instagram Share your work and join the discussion on the Facebook group! | |||
| 12 Feb 2018 | 277: Constraints, Limitations & Persistence (w/ Matt Madden) | 00:54:45 | |
Matt Madden is a cartoonist and teacher best known for his book 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style (Penguin), a comics adaptation of Raymond Queneau’s Exercises in Style. In addition to his personal work he has written two textbooks with his wife, Jessica Abel, Drawing Words & Writing Pictures and Mastering Comics, (First Second). Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/matmadden In this episode, Matt discusses:-How he got a later start with art and cartoons. -How he discovered Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau and he instantly knew he wanted to do something similar with cartoons. -Oubapo. -How giving yourself rules or constraints can help you to get past the fear of the blank page. -How he has come to terms with certain limitations of his own creative process and pace. -Some actionable advice for anyone wanting to implement some limitations or constraints in their own work. -His advice for people who might feel as if they got into their creative passion too late and are “behind pace.” Matt's Final Push will inspire you to have persistence and doggedness with your art! Quotes:“I rarely have that terror of the blank page.” “It’s a very slow moving thing and a long time before I get that gratification of finishing a project.” “You have to be careful what you draw in those panels because you are condemning your characters to relive that scenario eternally.” Links mentioned:99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style by Matt Madden J.S. Bach - Crab Canon on a Mobius Strip Jessica Abel on Your Creative Push Episode 179 Connect with Matt:Website / Facebook / Tumblr / Twitter / Blog On the next episode:Jeff Leisawitz : Website What blocks do you run into with your art? Do you knowingly submit your art to any constraints? Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 03 Apr 2018 | 284: Self-Doubt, Mindfulness & Netflix (w/ Kan Muftic) | 01:01:10 | |
Kan Muftic is a London-based Animation Director and Concept Artist, who has worked on projects like Annihilation, Godzilla and Guardians of the Galaxy. He is also the animation director for the Netflix and Channel 4 show, Kiss Me First. Kan's first book, Figure Drawing for Concept Artists is a comprehensive guide for learning figure drawing techniques to aid every concept artist's skill set. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/kanmuftic In this episode, Kan discusses:-His early desire to be a zoologist and his decision to become an artist instead. -Discovering concept art and how he knew he had to pursue it as a new career and passion. -The terrifying decision to leave the stability of his current work in order to learn a new way of approaching art. -How your interest is the thing that will lead you to success because it will ensure your motivation to keep learning and working hard. -Having to push past the fact that actors and writers are given directorial roles without question, while traditional artists are doubted. -How he approached the idea of being the leader of a creative team for Kiss Me First. -Dealing with moments of extreme self-doubt. -His practice of mindfulness and how it helped to get him through his rigorous 2-year project. -Neuroplasticity. -How he was also able to complete a book during the busiest two years of his life. -Realizing the value of being able to communicate through drawing. -Speaking with Ridley Scott. -His approach to the uncanny valley. -The experience of working with Netflix and what surprised him the most about the company. Kan's Final Push will encourage you to not run away from your fear, but instead to work with it! Quotes:“It was just a thing that I had to do and it felt completely right. I’ve only had that with concept art and when I met my wife.” “I realized eventually that the only thing that matters is to do what you really really really want to do and that life takes care of the rest somehow.” “Listen to that quiet, deep guttural voice inside of you.” “I had levels of self-doubt that I didn’t even know I had.” “The ability to communicate through drawing is absolutely invaluable.” Links mentioned:Figure Drawing for Concept Artists by Kan Muftic Connect with Kan:Website / Facebook / Instagram On the next episode:Amy Dresner : Website / Facebook How do you practice mindfulness? Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 14 Aug 2017 | 243: Leave the GATEKEEPERS in your wake (w/ Drew Brophy) | 01:13:43 | |
Drew Brophy has been a professional artist for over 25 years. He says of his profession, “It’s my job to make things look cool.” A life-long surfer and world traveler, Drew’s career exploded in the late 1990’s when he began painting his edgy artwork onto surfboards. Drew’s love of surfing has led him down a path of studying weather, its effect on waves, and how the sun influences earth. This has all led to a deep interest in physics and how it all interconnects. He has studied physics extensively and it has influenced his artwork. As such, his distinctive art style has evolved to include sacred geometry in an effort to decode the knowledge that ancient civilizations left for us. Drew wants to share with the world the message that everything is energy and we are all connected. He strives to create art images that help people understand the true meaning of life; that life is meant to be enjoyed. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/drewbrophy In this episode, Drew discusses:-How he felt as if he didn’t fit in at school, but how the surfing community brought him in. -Being a talented surfer and being able to travel the world, and then coming home and feeling like a loser because nobody understood. -Feeling devastation and anger when a guidance counselor told him that he wouldn’t have a future as an artist or a surfer. -A synchronistic event that led him to moving to Hawaii for his perfect job of painting surfboards. -The experience of jumping on a flight and showing up to Hawaii. -Using Posca paint pens even though nobody else was. -Being smart enough to say yes to opportunities and then learn along the way. -The value in something being done rather than perfect. -Connecting with Matt Biolos and how that sent his career into a completely new trajectory. -Trusting your instincts that what you’re doing is better than what the gatekeepers say. -The contribution that his wife, Maria, has made to their creative journey, and how all of the lessons in her book, Art Money & Success, are lessons that they learned themselves. -The trouble that many artists face when attempting to define themselves as artists or explain what it means to be a professional artist. -The origin of his motto, “It’s my job to make things look cool.” -The importance of choosing your words wisely when telling people that you are an artist or a creative person, because that is the way that you will make connections and get work. -His studying of ancient civilizations and sacred geometry and how they all cared so much more about arts and nature. -His interest in weather, solar dynamics, planetary physics, and sacred geometry. -The importance of being authentic and creating things that you are interested in (and diving deep into them). Drew's Final Push will inspire you to go after the thing that makes you happy! Quotes:“I was really a square peg in school. I think a lot of artists feel that way.” “I just said to him, point blank, ‘Dad, if I don’t go, nothing great is ever going to happen to me.’ And I knew it.” “I went from Nowhere, South Carolina to Ground Zero for Surfing Madness.” “I decided right there and then that I was going to become the best surfboard artist in the world.” “You literally can create your life. I wish that schools would teach you that.” “As an artist, I’m making the rules.” “Every time you’re out in public, you need to be training people on who you are. And it’s very important that you choose your words wisely.” “It’s almost like right-brained people used to rule the world, and now left-brained people rule the world.” “I think the world would be a much better, prettier place if people would step out of their left brain and create every day and unleash it on the world. Everybody has it.” “I never really set out to be an artist. All I set out to do was to be happy. Strive for that.” Links mentioned:Maria Brophy on Your Creative Push Connect with Drew:Website / Instagram / Store / Facebook / Twitter
Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 15 Jun 2017 | 227: Stop listening to your excuses (w/ Yellena James) | 00:35:34 | |
Yellena James is an artist who uses pens, inks, markers and acrylics to combine complex abstract forms into dazzling images which take on lives of their own. Her colorful arrangements of organic shapes and tangled lines are at once floral and alien, organic and sci-fi She has participated in shows around the U.S. and overseas including solo exhibitions at Giant Robot, the Here Gallery, and the Hijinks Gallery and she has done illustration work for Anthropologie, Crate and Barrell, Relativity Media and many others. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/yellena In this episode, Yellena discusses:-Growing up in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. -How she developed her creativity despite the conflict that was happening all around her. -Her family’s move to Florida and where she went from there. -How she started doing pen and ink work in her sketchbooks because she didn’t have studio space. -Her decision to post her work on Etsy and where that led her. -How bloggers began to notice her work and how that enabled her to be in shows and obtain illustration gigs. -How many of her jobs seem to come out of nowhere and at the perfect time, but how that all comes from her work being out there. -Her advice to put all of your work out there and to reach out to bloggers. -Letting go of your internal dialogue that constantly asks if you are going in the right direction. -How she balances her time. -Her new book, Star, Branch, Spiral, Fan. Yellena's Final Push will inspire you to stop listening to your excuses and start listening to your own heart. Quotes:“It was kind of intense art-learning and I was very fortunate to be in that environment even though everything outside was very hectic.” “It felt almost like somebody knew when I would finish one job and something else would come along.” “Put it out there. Make sure people know about you.” “I think if you work really hard and put your whole soul into it, you’ll eventually get to the point that you’re really happy with your work.” “Don’t listen to your excuses because they are lying to you and they’re not worth listening to. You’ve got to follow your own heart.” Links mentioned:Star, Branch, Spiral, Fan: Learn to Draw from Nature's Perfect Design Structures by Yellena James Connect with Yellena:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter On the next episode:Tyler Thrasher : Website / Instagram / Soundcloud Share what you've created this week in the Facebook group! | |||
| 27 Jan 2016 | 009: Nervousness is just EXCITEMENT (Angela Treat Lyon Part 2) | 00:24:35 | |
If you missed Part 1 with artist Angela Treat Lyon, click here. Angela Treat Lyon is a prolific sculptor, painter, and writer who lives and works in Hawaii. She is an EFT trainer and practitioner, as well as the host of Dreamers Radio, found at IDareYouRadio.com. She is the author of many books such as Change Your Mind with EFT, as well as a new series of coloring books called Mandalas for Meditative Coloring. In this episode, Angela discusses:-The strategy of writing down why you're not doing your creative job and writing down three tiny things that you can do to get the ball rolling. -Being nervous is just the same energy as feeling excitement. -How everything we do in life is art, and how we should approach everything we do with joy. -How she stopped making plans for art except for asking "What's next?" -Her inspiration for drawing her own coloring books for adults. -How coloring is a form of meditation, connecting you to your quiet place. Quotes:"If somebody is afraid, they just have to hunker down and do it anyway." "Life is all about being. It's not about doing, it's not about having. It's about being." "It makes my cells sing when I carve."
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/angelatreatlyon2 | |||
| 18 Nov 2016 | 172: How to THRIVE as a CREATIVE INTROVERT (w/ Cat Rose) | 00:31:54 | |
Cat Rose is on a mission to help other creatives to get over their fears of self-promotion and to get their work seen and shared. She does this through 1-to-1 coaching and an online members community called the League of Creative Introverts. It's a safe, quiet space for creatives to share their work openly, learn from others and get all the support they need on their journey. Cat, first of all thank you for coming on the show, I wanted to let you start out by expounding upon that intro and really getting into what your kind-of personal mission is and what your mission is with the League of Creative Introverts. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/172 In this episode, Cat discusses:-How The League of Creative Introverts started and her mission behind it. -How many creative introverts might be comfortable creating their work, but sharing and promoting it is very difficult for them to do. -Some of the “icky subjects” that she helps people to think about. -The value of being able to commiserate and work through problems with other people and to realize that you aren’t alone with your creative shyness. -Why people squirm so much at the thought of self-promotion. -The power in finding your niche. -Understanding the different types of fear and realizing that the fear of self-promotion isn’t the same fear of potential death. -The difference between “dipping your toes” and “diving in.” -Dealing with the fact that you are going to not be good at something when you first start. -The gulf that sometimes exists between our “online self” and our “real self.” -Dealing with the inner critic and imposter syndrome.” -Reasons why you might not be reaching your creative goals. -Breaking your goals down into daily metrics and then evaluating yourself on a 1-5 scale. Cat's Final Push will inspire to realize that ACTUALLY, YOU CAN!
Quotes:“Doing the work wasn’t actually the biggest struggle. It was getting people to see it.” “Your audience finds you in a way.” “It’s really hard for our ego to take the fact that we are going to suck when we first start something. Can I take that initial “sucking” for the long-term benefit of actually being pretty good at something?” “It takes a lot of guts to say what we are or what we aspire to be. Because that inner critic is saying to us, ‘who are you to say that you’re an artist?’ or ‘Prove it.’” “Remember that people like Tom Hanks and Neil Gaiman still claim to have imposter syndrome. So that really reassures me that if they still have that then my inner critic means nothing.” “Actually, you can.” Links mentioned:The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron 7 reasons why you might not be reaching your creative goals Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin Connect with Cat: | |||
| 04 Sep 2017 | 249: ROUTINE IS EVERYTHING (w/ Rob DiTeodoro) | 00:46:48 | |
Rob DiTeodoro is an artist who manages to find a way to balance his time between his art, his family, and his full-time job. He bears his soul with his vibrant and psychedelic style, and his work ethic sets him apart from someone who is merely trying to make a hobby out of their art. Rob is soon turning his art into his full-time profession. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/robd In this episode, Rob discusses:-A signifying moment of painting a “D.” -The frustration that can come as a result of “The Gap.” -The fixed mindset versus the growth mindset. -AICT: Ass In Chair Time. -His family’s decision to get rid of the TV and all of the time that he found as a result. -How he makes time for himself in the morning by waking up at 4AM and working for three hours before work every single day. -The importance of a morning routine and also setting things up for yourself the night before. -How he balances his time between his art, his job, and his family. -Quitting drinking and anything else that wasn’t helpful in his pursuit to become an artist. -Dealing with imposter syndrome. -His advice to have multiple pieces going at the same time so that you always have something that you can dive into. -How his style began to develop when he started drawing on pieces of paper that he could just throw out if he didn’t like it. -His advice to not bring an eraser to your sketchbook because the sketchbook is meant for you to screw up. -How he uses binaural beats to get him in a proper mood to create. -The role the psychedelics have played in his art and his life. Rob's Final Push will remind you to not have any expectations for your creativity and to just play around!Quotes:“I could draw, but I still never felt like I was an artist. Like it was a trick or something.” “Time’s running out. You shouldn’t be looking to kill it.” “Little by little, a little becomes a lot.” “Routine is everything.” “I’ve got too many ideas to spend more than a week on one of them.” Links mentioned:“The Gap” by Ira Glass Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work by Steven Pressfield The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer Terence McKenna: "Nature Loves Courage" Connect with Rob:On the next episode:Martin Thomas Smyczek II : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 27 Mar 2017 | 206: EVOLVE! (w/ Julian Calor) | 00:38:36 | |
Julian Calor is a Dutch wunderkind with talent that exceeds beyond his years. At just 22-years-old, Julian has already set the scene alight with his unique sense of melody and chord progressions that have continued to send his presence surging forward. Sending his early demos into Revealed Recordings, the sound of Julian has since shot through the stratosphere, his #3 Beatport smash ‘Typhoon’ garnering millions of stream plays online and capturing the attention of those that matter. With Revealed label boss Hardwell being a supporter of his from the start, it seemed only fitting that the World #1 DJ offered him the chance to construct a spellbinding debut album titled ‘Evolve’ that presents itself as a release of eclectic beauty.
In this episode, Julian discusses:-How he first started to create music. -How he experimented with sounds until it eventually started to sound like music. -When he knew it was the right time to send demos out to labels, including Revealed. -How he doesn’t even like his friends to hear his music until he feels it is ready. -His evolution from hip-hop to house to the new sound that he has now created. -How his style is based more upon feeling rather than rhythm, tempo, or beats, and how he wants to maintain that feeling throughout the rest of his career. -How he creates an interesting sound that he has never heard before and then finds a way to work it into a track. -His experiment of letting his fans decide which drafts of tracks he would further develop into songs. -What it is like for him to perform live. -How he balances his time between all of the many projects he has going on. -INVOLVE and how it has morphed into a new entity that allows him permission to freely experiment. -The support that Hardwell and Revealed gives him in pursuing a new style. -Some of the daily Resistances that he encounters. -How he motivates himself when he needs it. Julian's Final Push will inspire you to not focus on the final product, but instead on the process. Quotes:“All my life, I wanted to do something creative.” “It’s all about balance. It’s okay to have a cheat day, but remember to wake up early the next day and do your thing.” “As a maker of art, you must relax and not think too much about what the output is going to be. When you’re thinking too much about output, it will destroy the creative flow.” Links mentioned:Connect with Julian:Website / Soundcloud / YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode:Derek Rodenbeck : Website / Instagram What music do you listen to while you are doing your creative work? Join that discussion at the Facebook group! | |||
| 24 Nov 2016 | 174: Cut your big projects IN HALF (w/ Aimée Rolin Hoover) | 00:42:18 | |
Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Aimée Rolin Hoover currently lives/works in southern California. Her paintings hang in collections all over the world, from the U.S. and Canada, to Europe and South America.
In this episode, Aimée discusses:-How she got into pet portraiture and how her art has evolved since then. -The importance of being open to trying out new things with your art. -How she achieved such great satisfaction from the positive reactions of her clients, but how she eventually had to concentrate on her own satisfaction. -Ali Cavanaugh and making “micro evolutions” in your artwork. -The importance of continuing to grow and evolve as an artist or creative person. -The origins of her new Fly Mask series. -The joy that comes from having a breakthrough after long periods of trial and error. -Her “30 Paintings in 30 Days” Challenge and the numerous positive outcomes of it. -The power in committing to do something in public and how it holds you accountable. -The various Resistances that she has to face and how she handles them. -The trick of cutting your big tasks and projects in halves until they are in manageable chunks that you aren’t intimidated to take on. -The way that she attempts to battle perfectionism. -Her upcoming show at Abend Gallery. Aimée's Final Push will inspire you to take time every day to do the thing that brings you joy! Quotes:“I think it’s so important to grow as an artist and I kind of forgot about it for ten years.” “I got really happy, really fast with that work.” “I was really feeling equally incredibly inspired and completely fed up with my work.” “And so I thought this is kind of the next phase of work for me. I want to continue to move away from what I know and go towards what I don’t know and see what happens.” “If it brings you joy, it’s just worth it to take a little time every day and do it.” Links mentioned:2016 "26 Annual Holiday Miniatures" Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO (December, 2016) YCP Episode 123 with Ali Cavanaugh Connect with Aimée: | |||
| 20 Jan 2016 | 002: Approach the first brush stroke with ENERGY (w/ Karl Mårtens) | 00:36:10 | |
Karl is a painter from Sweden with a special interest in nature… specifically birds. Karl’s style comes from his interest for the forms of meditation found in Zen Buddhism, and he believes that the first brushstroke is the most important. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/2 In this episode, Karl discusses:-How zen calligraphy helped to make him understand how he was trying to control his life. -How so many years of looking at birds allows him to paint them by memory. -How the practice of kyudo affects his painting. -Karl takes Youngman through a meditation exercise. -Why thinking too much about how the painting is supposed to look like can interfere with the actual painting of it. -The theory that the first brush stroke is the most important. -To approach the first brush stroke (or any first creative action) full of energy. -To not worry about what other people think about your work. -To embrace "happy accidents," and see where they take you. -How art is a (safe) battle ground for him to overcome his fears. Karl's Final Push will inspire you to create from your heart. Quotes:"If you have the knowledge of how to paint, if you paint with the image faded in your mind, then your intuition will paint for you." "As soon as you start thinking about how it ought to be, you limit yourself." "If you paint with your heart, you will paint something beautiful." "I don't do it for the art. It is a practice ground for overcoming my fears." "The only advice I can give is believe in what you're doing, and just do it. Don't be concerned with comparisons."
Resources mentioned:Karl's early Inspiration: Karl's more recent inspiration:
Myiamoto Musashi aka Niten Dōraku -- Japanese (1584-1645) Legendary swordsman retired to become a master painter, poet and writer
Shih-T'ao -- Chinese, The wholistic paint stroke (1642-1707)
Nakahara Nantembo -- Japanese, Zen monk (1839-1925)
Master Chao Shao-an (1905-1998)
Olle Skagerfors - Swedish (1920-1997)
From Karl: Skagerfors's work was very instrumental in my daring to change my way of painting. I saw a show in Stockholm, and his simple painting of an enamel pitcher changed my life. (image attached) He was, unfortunately an alchohoic and had serious psychiatric problems which made him give up his painting for a long time. After several years he started again by painting this pitcher. It's a magnificent masterpiece and inspired me to "start all over".
Connect with Karl: | |||
| 14 Sep 2020 | 367: Your Art and The Beholder's Share (w/ Yana Zorina) | 00:50:59 | |
Yana Zorina, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist with a lifelong passion for the arts. In her scientific career, Yana has always been attracted to microscopy as a means to take a closer look at the beautiful structures that compose the mammalian brain. In her microscopy-inspired artwork, she uses her neuroscientist training to accurately recreate scientific images into 3D-beaded renderings of cellular structures to bring the beauty of scientific research to a wider audience. In viewing beads as analogs of pixels observed on a screen, Yana turns microscopy on its head by transforming ultra-thin optical sections into 3D structures. Beyond being passionate about the breathtaking beauty of microscopy images, Yana uses them to serve a greater purpose of communicating science to a wider audience and initiating conversations on difficult topics, such as neurological conditions. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/367 In this episode, Yana discusses:-How she got into both art and neuroscience. -Her realization that she needed to bring art back into her life after many years of pursuing neuroscience and raising a family. -Finding alone time both in art and science. -Some of the resistances she faced of turning her art into a business. -Having to be creative in terms of putting out content on social media when her projects take her several months to complete. -Letting go of the fear of not being 100% scientifically accurate in her art. -The Beholder’s Share. -How art can be a bridge to communicate what is going on within the scientific community to those outside of it. -Finding connection in the SciArt community. -How she schedules her day and how she chooses which idea to move forward with. Yana's Final Push will inspire you to go for your ideas no matter how “out there” they may seem! Quotes:“I’d rather be dealing with test tubes than with people.” “I became a wife, a mother, a scientist, and I had the sense that the true me was somehow missing.” “I’m not ready to give up the pipette.” “I enjoy the process of making my art. It is meditative and it is meticulous work that allows me to escape from daily life.” “No matter how crazy you think your idea is, no matter how crazy it may seem at first, just go for it.” Connect with Yana:Website / Etsy / Instagram / Patreon / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 21 Sep 2017 | 253: You don't create artwork, YOU BEGET IT (w/ Chrilz) | 01:12:41 | |
Chrilz is a contemporary artist whose work focuses on human nature -- our experiences, our relationships, and our emotions. Everything Chrilz creates is in a Neo-Figurative Expressionist style that uses the human form as its vessel. Through color, line, geometry, and realizm, he is constantly seeking to visually express this severely emotional, dynamic life. Every pieces is both formal and conceptual in a very intentional way, all of which serving the ultimate goal of expression. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/chrilz In this episode, Chrilz discusses:-His experience at college and determining which path he wanted to devote his time and energy towards. -Getting together with Michelle Tanguay and what that did for his outlook on a creative life. -What to do when you don’t have a creative framework in your life. -His grandmother’s advice that you need to stop saying you want to become an artist and just say that you are an artist. -Being inspired by the talented artists in the Detroit area. -How you can simply “cold call” someone you look up to. -How he is so intentional with his art. -How artists don’t create artwork, they beget it because it is such a big part of you. -Finding contentment from creating something honest that pleases you, not someone else. -How he developed his style. -Being conscious of what he is doing and what he is saying with his art. -The importance of writing down ideas for later exploration. -His writing and his “conceptual statements” that go along with his pieces, and how he is often unsure of whether they come from himself, his art, or the figure in his art. Chrilz' Final Push will force you to ask yourself 'Who am I? What am I doing? and Why am I doing it?' Quotes:“Keep doing it if it’s bringing you that joy and you still feel that passion for it.” “If you put it off until tomorrow, it’s never going to happen.” “Be honest with yourself. Be honest with the artist that was built within you.” “As an artist, you don’t create artwork, you beget artwork. It is such a large piece of you.” “Make something honest and then put it out there.” Links mentioned:Connect with Chrilz:Website / Instagram / Art Prize On the next episode:Noah Bradley: Website Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 29 Jul 2016 | 128: Keep trying until you find your GOLD! (w/ Laurita Mazapán) | 00:28:11 | |
Laurita Mazapán is a body artist and photographer who paints her body and the body of others to create an inner portrait of people where feelings and emotions are represented. She uses body painting to represent the person within the body and to represent a moment that will disappear tomorrow. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/laurita In this episode, Laurita discusses:-How art is a way for her to release stress and cope with life. -How she got into painting on bodies as a progression from her photography. -The difference between painting on her own body and on someone else's body. -Her emotions when she has to wash away the body paint. -The story of one of her first creative moments. -How she didn't think her first body painting was very good, but still had that feeling of "finding gold." -How she changed the theme of her artwork, but because of the opinions of other people, she went back to painting the things they suggested (and lost her motivation to paint for ten years). -One of her worst moments, when someone offered her an opportunity that he never followed through on. -Just because one opportunity goes away, it doesn't mean that another opportunity is right around the corner. -How she doesn't necessarily have a formula for balancing her time, but instead takes the inspiration as it comes, whether fast or slow. -How her greatest inspiration is nature, psychology, and art therapy. Laurita's Final Push will inspire you to create with your heart and to always keep going! Quotes:"For me, art is a way of living." "Little by little, I began realizing that the body painting was the main character of the photographs." "I just found gold. I came across something that changed my life." "For me, art is a need." "After studying psychology and art therapy, I am able to explore myself." "Keep going. Always keep going."
Connect with Laurita: | |||
| 26 Nov 2018 | 314: The MAGIC FORMULA for your creativity (w/ Adam Wilber) | 00:56:14 | |
Adam Wilber is a world-class magician, author, inventor, and keynote speaker who believes that creativity isn't a finite personality feature -- it's a skill that EVERYONE can master with the right mindset. As a keynote speaker and creative thinking workshop leader, Adam engages, challenges, and inspires audiences with the promise that everyone can learn how to be creative and his five books define the magic formula of creativity and are the must-have manuals for anyone that wants to improve their creative quotient. Upgraded magic tricks and brand-new illusions skyrocketed Adam’s career as a professional magician. The never-before-seen inventions and illusions were highlighted on national television shows, including Penn & Teller, and in front of thousands of awestruck audiences at private and corporate events. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/adamwilber In this episode, Adam discusses:-How creativity saved his life. -The response he got about a magic trick pertaining to creativity that set him on a new course. -How he fooled Penn & Teller on “Fool Us.” -The role that creativity plays on his life. -The way he handles imposter syndrome. -How the tide has changed in terms of companies getting behind creativity as a focal point in their long-term vision. -Becoming an author. -How he goes about developing a new magic trick, specifically looking at his trick, “Decibel.” -How he feels about other magicians using his tricks. Adam's Final Push will challenge you to find that thing that has been a constant in your life and put your heart and soul into it. Quotes:“They say once you start doing what you’re supposed to do and what you’re passionate about, that’s when you become successful.” “Your expectations are never as bad as the reality of the situation.” “That’s where magic lives. It lives in the mind of a spectator.” “If you have that one thing that’s been with you your entire life -- you’ve always wanted to do it, you’ve always tinkered, you’ve always dabbled -- then that’s it. That’s the thing you need to put your heart and soul into.” Links mentioned:Penn & Teller: Fool Us // Adam Wilber Totally Baffles Them! Aimée Hoover on "Between Worlds" Aimée Hoover on Your Creative Push Ep. 174 Connect with Adam:Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube On the next episode:Aimée Hoover : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 05 Dec 2017 | 268: Always fight, work hard and PUSH FORWARD (w/ Freddy Negrete) | 00:46:27 | |
Legendary tattoo artist Freddy Negrete is best known for pioneering the black-and-gray tattoo style, honed while serving time in a series of correctional facilities during a youth mired in abuse, gang life, and drug addiction. Freddy was honored with the Tattoo Artist of the Year Award in 1980 and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Body Art Expo in 2007 and his new book, Smile Now, Cry Later recounts his story. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/freddynegrete In this episode, Freddy discusses:-How he was a “troubled youth” and involved in gangs and incarceration. -How the Chicano subculture influenced him from a young age. -His experience at Youth Authority and then at Tamarack. -Working with Good Time Charlie, Jack Rudy, and Ed Hardy and how they influenced his mindset and his art. -How he approached his tattooing career after incarceration. -The experience of winning the Tattoo Artist of the Year Award in 1980. -The mindset of trying to get better with every single piece you create. -Some of the harder times that he went through and learning from the mistakes that he made. -Coming back to the tattoo scene with a new focus. -His renewed commitment to be teachable in all the things that he had missed out on. -How rehab changed his life. -The way in which meditation helped him to maintain focus with his art. -The experience of meeting Steve Jones and writing his new book, Smile Now, Cry Later. Freddy's Final Push will inspire you to push past your obstacles… they are supposed to be there! Quotes:“Ed Hardy’s objective, which became our objective, was to get the world to see that tattooing was a form of art.” “I came back with this new focus, and I realized that things had really changed.” “That was the commitment that I made. To be teachable.” “It’s almost like a new beginning for me.” “Nothing comes easy. Everything requires hard work and determination.” “Always fight. Always work hard. And always push forward.” Links mentioned:Connect with Freddy:On the next episode:Shayla Maddox : Website / Instagram / Patreon Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 06 Apr 2017 | 209: Love your ideas with ALL YOUR BUTT! (w/ Marty Bruckner) | 00:46:40 | |
Marty is the creator of the blog Spaghetti Toes, which has been featured on sites such as the Huffington Post, The Today Show, Buzzfeed, and the Daily Mail. His first book, I Love You with All My Butt: An Illustrated Book of Big Thoughts from Little Kids comes out on April 4th, 2017.
In this episode, Marty discusses:-The very moment that sparked the idea for Spaghetti Toes. -His feature in Pleated Jeans and how that helped to spark his journey. -The importance of the name, Spaghetti Toes. -The actual process of creating an image once a quote has been uttered into existence. -The story of when he tried to push Harper into saying something profound for International Women’s Day. -The process of creating the book I Love You With All my Butt and working with Workman Publishing. -His advice to walk away from a project when you are experiencing a creative block. -Some of his other strategies for overcoming creative blocks. -The creative help that he is able to find from his wife and daughter. -Dealing with not seeing his family while thing were taking off with Spaghetti Toes. -His advice for deciding to stick with a current project or to abandon it. -How he balances his time with all of the various projects he has going on. -The importance of realizing how good you have it. Marty's Final Push will inspire you to start something, because you never know where it will take you! Quotes:“I’ve been so lucky my whole life that I create and do artwork all day every day.” “I thought, I have to do something to make this work.” “I think perspective is so important.” Links mentioned:I Love You With All My Butt by Martin Bruckner Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein Harp and Squirrel Designs on Etsy Connect with Marty:
Head to the Facebook group to share what you've been working on this week! | |||
| 21 Aug 2017 | 245: Do everything with EXCELLENCE (w/ Joby Harris) | 00:58:04 | |
Joby Harris has worked for the past 20 years as a designer & artist in the film, television, music, print, theme park & aerospace industries. He now works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a Visual Strategist. All in all, he tends to operate more like a kitchen than a drive-thru. He aims to create work that triggers peoples imaginations so what they imagine does most of the creating. His work has traveled to Comicon, the TED Conference, the Super Bowl & to space. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jobyharris In this episode, Joby discusses:-Some of his earliest creative moments, including his 21-book series, “What Ninjas Can Do.” -Being willing to wear many different creative hats along his journey and how that all added up to him being a well-rounded creative person. -The opportunity he created for himself to work with a local special effects artist. -The importance of teaching, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with likeminded creative peers. -The story of the exoplanet posters for JPL. -How he didn’t think that many people were going to see the exoplanet posters, yet he still pulled an all-nighter to create them with excellence. -How he responded to the posters going viral. -Giving your audience as much possibility to put themselves into your art as you can, so that they are able to tell their own story through your creativity. -How outer space and space exploration can help to bring people together, especially if the arts are involved. -How he realized that he is actually more creative in the morning, whereas he used to think he was a night owl. -The importance of being a voracious reader. Joby's Final Push will inspire you to leave people better off than before they met you! Quotes:“You don’t have to really teach anything, you just get people around each other and they naturally elevate themselves.” “Whatever I do, I’m going to do it with excellence.” “These were real worlds that could exist and people imagined themselves there and they had the NASA meatball stamp on it. So I think it was kind of lightning in a bottle.” “It’s the thing that you do, that you don’t think anyone’s going to see, and that’s going to be what launches you.” “I’m stoked that NASA and JPL are really investing in the arts as much as science, technology, engineering and math.” “Arts are a powerful weapon to inspire people and to get them looking away from each other, looking away from themselves, and getting them looking up to something that we can unite and work towards as humans. Because this is all we’ve got, this planet.” “Like space, there’s a momentum that will naturally take you to the top. And it’s quick, so you better be ready.” Links mentioned:Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal and Ryan Hoover George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones Connect with Joby:On the next episode:Nikki Rae : Website / Twitter / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 29 Mar 2016 | 056: Bring that STRANGE, WEIRD VOICE out from inside of you! (w/ Bill Carman) | 00:30:50 | |
Bill Carman has worked as a designer, illustrator, and art director at universities, ad agencies, publishers, and large corporations. Since graduating with a BFA in visual communication/illustration and an MFA in painting he has always free-lanced and exhibited with ongoing national gallery representation in New York City, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. Bill is currently a professor, teaching illustration and drawing, and his new book, “Imagery From the Bird’s Home: The Art of Bill Carman” is currently available from Flesk Publications.
In this episode, Bill discusses:-His career path that brought him to the Boise State. -How he has always done his "weird" stuff on the side. -How teaching changed everything for him, not just for the financial stability, but because he was able to surround himself with a creative environment. -For people who are thinking of starting to build a side career, how they have to ask themselves if they really want to do it and have to deal with the amounts of time and solitude that it requires. -That doing your art for fame is a misguided goal. -How all it takes to call yourself an artist is putting in the time and actively working towards becoming better. -How you have to make sure that you fill yourself up as much as you are letting your stuff out through your art. -How you can learn how to do virtually anything on the Internet and how easy it is to connect with other artists of potential clients. -Where his unique style came from and how he developed it. -How he worries about tutorials because of copycats that don't have a voice of their own. -The concept of carrying a sketchbook (or even just using your phone) and getting in the habit of continually working on your craft whenever you can find the time. -The story behind his book. Bill's Final Push will make you realize that you CAN do your art every day, and you can even turn it into your sole means of income.
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| 14 Mar 2016 | 045: Hip Hop, Hollywood, and how to CARVE YOUR OWN LANE (w/ Adam Gaines) | 00:34:32 | |
Adam Gaines was a Staff Writer on NBC's drama State of Affairs and his work on the FX drama The Bridge included co-writing the penultimate episode of the second (and final) season. He published the eBook Mixtape, a collection of one-act plays available as a free download on iBooks, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. And most recently released a sequel called Fire Sale, available on the same platforms. On the feature side, his script Negative is currently in production. Directed by Joshua Caldwell and starring Katia Winter, Simon Quarterman, and Sebastian Roche. And he’s set to make his feature directorial debut on the indie Prepaid, which he also wrote.
In this episode, Adam discusses:-One of his first creative moments, in his creation of "R-Man." -Some of the things that held him back from creating. -How doubt begins to creep into ones creative life and how to get through it by trusting your instincts. -His advice for writers or anyone else who want to try their hand in writing screenplays or scripts. -The value in reading the scripts of your favorite movies (and your least favorite). -The hardest moment for him creatively in moving to Los Angeles for the first time. -Having to throw out his old work and redefine himself once he arrived in LA. -Attempting to find a balance between finding a job to make money and working on his craft. -One of his best moments, when the day job and the dream job finally met for the first time as a staff writer. -"Mixtape" and why he created it and put it out into the world for free. -The unexpected benefits of putting your work out for free that you might have never expected. -His formula for managing his time. -The importance of turning off the Wi-Fi so that you can concentrate on being creative without distractions like deadline.com. Adam's Final Push will inspire you to jump on the bus!
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| 08 Oct 2018 | 307: The Easy/Difficult/Important FIRST STEP (w/ Sophie Gamand) | 01:12:37 | |
Sophie Gamand is a French award-winning photographer and animal advocate living and working in New York. Since 2010, she has been focusing on dogs and our relationship with them. Sophie travels around the U.S. photographing shelter dogs for free, to help bring awareness to their fate, and help them get adopted. Her most known series are Wet Dog and Flower Power, Pit Bulls of the Revolution. She has won several prestigious photography awards for her work (including a Sony World Photography Award in 2014), as well as advocacy awards for her dedication to animal rescue and adoption. Sophie's work has been published in the press worldwide, online and in print (Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Oprah Magazine, ....). Her first book, Wet Dog, came out in October 2015. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/sophiegamand In this episode, Sophie discusses:-How her overly critical father killed a lot of her creative drives. -Her time spent in Art Law, opera singing, and creating a photography magazine. -Moving to New York and starting with a clean slate. -Deciding to tackle the thing that scared her the most – taking photographs of strangers. -Her visit to a vet clinic and the photography of a bulldog that was the catalyst for her new body of work. -The way in which we come full-circle back to the things we were interested in as children. -The question of where she would be had she been encouraged to do exactly what she loved. -Learning to ignore the destructive voices in your head, yet still trust the kind voices. -How she was mauled by a dog when she was younger and how she confronted that fear. -The bad reputation that Pit bulls have and how she is attempting to change that with Pit Bull Flower Power. -Being rejected by publishers for her book despite the enormous amount of traction that it received on social media. -Using Kickstarter to fund Pit Bull Flower Power. -The power of social media, especially for female artists. -How working with shelter dogs has affected her creative process. -The other creative outlets that her photography lets her tap into such as writing and making flower crowns. -Being frustrated with feeling like she doesn’t belong in a specific type of creative box. -The importance of that easy/difficult first step. -Taking a step back and getting perspective of the impact of your creative contribution. -The positives and negatives of the goalposts constantly moving for creative individuals. Sophie's Final Push will remind you to be kind to yourself and realize that all of those little steps you are taking are actually brining you towards something wonderful! Quotes:“I had a clean slate and all the room to spread my wings and figure out what am I going to do now? Who am I going to be? That was scary as hell but also very exciting.” “The Universe just handed this to me on a silver platter with a little bow on it and I chickened out and walked away.” “We should trust our inner child more when it comes to our creative process. As children, we know where our truth is.” “It was shattering to spend all those months being rejected when I thought this was going to be a walk in the park.” “As a creative, especially when I am in a darker mode, I cry and I think why can’t I know what I want to be?” “That first step is the easiest, most difficult and most important step.” “Art is about harnessing our fears.” Links mentioned:Pit Bull Flower Power by Sophie Gamand Sophie Gamand on the Pawprint podcast (talking about Frida) Youngman Brown on the Pawprint podcast Sophie's exhibit at The Invisible Dog Art Center Connect with Sophie:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode:Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 13 Jun 2016 | 106: OPEN UP YOUR MIND to a different orientation (Noah Harley Part 1) | 00:29:56 | |
Noah is a songwriter and member of the band, The Horse-Eyed Men with his brother, Dylan. They play original disgruntled Americana and country music. Raised by musical humans in a former candy store outside of Providence R.I., their music mixes spaghetti-western themes with cabaret, ragtime, and post-partum punk. Grave Country, their latest record, was recorded in Copenhagen on a grant from the Danish Arts Council in the summer of 2013.
In this episode, Noah discusses:-How The Horse-Eyed Men came to be. -The creative relationship he shares with his brother, Dylan. -The role that humor and storytelling plays in his songs. -How humor can often unlock things in people that you wouldn't normally be able to tap into. -The role that travel plays in his life. -A strategy that he uses to help him to "shake up" his orientation and to see the world in different ways. -Another trick that he uses to find new ways to explain the same thing. -How all writing is is "ass in chair." -How creating a large piece of work should be taken piece by piece. -How you can look back at the things you create and remember what mood you were in when you made it or what the weather was like on that day. Noah's Final Push will inspire you to start small and start steady! Quotes:"For me, humor is a quick way to the heart." "Storytelling is an important element of my songs. I'm always looking where something begins, where it goes to, and where it ends." "You can really tell as a performer when you surprise someone and they are surprised by their own laughter." "Traveling can be a really good thing to open up different paths of thinking and different parts of yourself." "We're just a weird combination of organic molecules and experiences and memories and the thing doesn't last too long. And it's mysterious. We don't know where it comes from and we don't know where it's going." "It's so easy to get tunnel vision and rely on a pattern that we had yesterday or the day before or the week before and not open up." "I think that with creativity, it's a kind of muscle. It's a practice. There are concrete small things you can do on a daily basis to open up that capacity within you." "Inspiration is like a candle that burns quickly." "All writing is is ass in chair." Links mentioned:Terence McKenna - "Nobody Is Smarter Than You Are" (YouTube) Your Creative Push Episode 77: You're IMPOSSIBLY RARE. So DO SOMETHING! (Alex Hofeldt Part 2) Connect with Noah: | |||
| 08 Apr 2016 | 064: "Someday" is a dangerous word. START TODAY! (David Talley Part 2) | 00:35:11 | |
David Talley is an internationally recognized photographer, director, and producer operating out of Portland, OR. His works exhibit the darkest moment before an explosion of light, a story broken, but changed for the better, and the ability to transform the present problem in to a prospering future. David is the founder and creative director of the world's largest photographic collaboration event, Concept Collaboration. If you missed Part 1, click here to listen!
In this episode, David discusses:-How sharing your single sentence with people that you care about allows them to hold you accountable for the things that you believe in. -How more than art, he wants to be able to help people. -How he balances his time, working hard and then playing hard, along with the concept of sabbath. -The importance of having some "zest" to your life. -The Pareto principle and how it applies to him and other artists. -His greatest inspirations: God, J.J. Abrams and Gregory Crewdson. -The origins of Concept Collaboration and how it helped many artists and photographers to work together and share resources. -His ebook "The Single Sentence" and how it breaks down the process of developing your own single sentence and helped many people find vision and focus in their own creativity. David's Final Push will inspire you to START TODAY, and create something every day for the next 30 days!
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| 23 Jan 2017 | 190: Your Creative Exorcism (w/ Courtney Brooke Hall) | 00:43:49 | |
Courtney Brooke is a photographer and conceptual artist who explores the ties of the feminine to nature and spirituality through the lens of nostalgia. Her works focus on the concrete questions that grapple with our existence and by emphasizing aesthetics, she creates work through the labor-intensive processes as a personal exorcism ritual.
In this episode, Courtney discusses:-What she means when she says that her art and photography is like a personal exorcism. -How she ended up sharing her photographic work and building an audience accidentally. -How her Instagram started as a personal account, and then eventually she started sharing her work on there. -The importance of having your own website or your own “domain” where you make the rules. -The notion of separate identities as an artist and as a person. -Having an “elevator pitch” prepared so that you can describe to people what it is that you do. -The importance of being selfish and making sure to get back to personal work that you care about. -Her view on what it is to be a human being. -Dealing with negative feedback. -Some of the Resistances that she has had to deal with in her creative career. -The hesitancy to be a subject in her own photographs. -Being a “copycat” of other artists and then also dealing with your own “copycats.” Courtney's Final Push will inspire you to not hesitate and reevaluate the things that you are spending your time on every single day. Quotes:“When I am creating an image, it is like I am exercising out of myself all of that toxic energy. Creating is therapeutic for me.” “There’s a lot of work that I just don’t post online. It’s not for everyone, it’s just for me. I’m real selfish sometimes.” “For me, being human is being in touch with nature. Being in touch with my own frailty and my own fragility. Being in touch then is empowering, knowing that death is on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, telling me to live at every second.” “Do it because it’s going to make you feel better. Because I promise it’s going to make you sleep better at night.” “Stop doing it for other people. Do it because you’re curious about it. Do it because you’re interested in it. Even if you don’t show it to anyone and stick it in a box underneath your bed. It’s still there, it still passed through you, and it was cathartic.” Connect with Courtney: | |||
| 26 Jan 2017 | 191: DETOX with your creative passion (w/ Victor Mosquera) | 00:45:45 | |
Victor Mosquera is a concept artist working in the entertainment industry. He currently works at Ubisoft Toronto and his list of clients include companies such as Universal Music, Tor Books, Orbit Books, Volta and One pixel brush. In this episode, Victor discusses:-How he forged his own path, even though becoming an artist in Colombia is difficult. -The experience of learning from Nicolás Uribe. -The idea of building your own tribe, learning from the people around you, and finding new opportunities along the way. -Working with Seven Lions for his album art. -How his style developed. -How important his personal work is for him to detox. -Having a “fuck it” mentality when it comes to creating your own personal work and wondering what other people are going to think. -How sometimes it is okay to be the “master of none,” and to just experiment with new things – you never know what doorways will open up to you. -The difference between having a carefree attitude and an attitude without cares. -Becoming obsessed with art and working all night long, but having to be careful with that the older that he gets. -How he balances his time and how the limited amount of time that he has also influences his changing style. -The difference between making art and posting it to social media just to stay relevant and making measurable goals for yourself. -Making a physical product and giving it away as a gift if nobody buys it. Victor's Final Push will inspire you to use the energy that you have right now – you won’t have it forever! Quotes:“The important thing is to start doing it. Once you’re doing it, you can learn from your mistakes and improve on top of that.” “I don’t think you choose a style. I think it’s a reflection of how you see life and how you see your work, and it happens organically.” “For me, my personal work is like a detox.” Links mentioned:The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield Connect with Victor:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Tumblr / DeviantArt | |||
| 12 Apr 2016 | 066: FORGE YOUR OWN PATH -- others will follow in your footsteps (w/ Brooke Shaden) | 00:34:26 | |
Brooke Shaden is a fine art photographer, author, and motivational speaker from Lancaster, PA. She grew up near the "Amish Country" until attending Temple University. Brooke was photographically born in December 2008 after graduating from Temple with bachelor degrees in film and English. Self portraiture for her is not autobiographical in nature. Instead, she places herself within environments she wishes to explore, where secrets are exposed, impossibilities are tested, and life is questioned in eras beyond our own. Brooke works to capture fantastic realities within her photographic frame. By using painterly techniques as well as the square format, traditional photographic properties are replaced by otherworldly elements.Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/brookeshaden In this episode, Brooke discusses:-How photography felt like a rebirth for her because it was one of the first things that she considered herself “good at.” -The story of the first time she picked up the camera and started with self-portraiture. -How she has always loved writing and her reason for starting her blog “Promoting Passion.” -Her reason for starting her YouTube channel despite her extreme fear of public speaking. -How she doesn’t like working in teams if she can avoid it. -How she is able to balance her time and produce all of the content that she is able to put out in her various mediums. -The importance of knowing your business so that you can focus solely on the things you love and want to produce and say “no” to things that don’t fit that. -The story behind “Phoenix.” -The story behind “Capturing Inspiration.” -The many factors that contributed into her starting self-portraiture. -How she feels like "The Falling of Autumn Darkness" entirely captures her essence. -One of the things that holds her back is wanting to create images that are darker in nature and fearing the backlash that might come from doing so. -How she has recently decided to slow down her creative pace to make work that will take her longer but will be more creatively fulfilling. -A creatively fulfilling moment in Iceland where she was able to really push herself. -How it's okay if who you think you want to be ends up not being who you become, especially when it comes to art. Brooke's Final Push will inspire you to ignore others and forge your own path!
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| 17 Aug 2016 | 136: The Endless Grid (w/ J.A.W. Cooper) | 00:31:48 | |
J.A.W. Cooper is a talented artist who was born in England but was raised all over the globe in countries such as Ireland, Sweden and Kenya. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California where she creates her fine art and works as a freelance Art Director for Print/Motion/Advertising companies, a print designer for fashion companies, and an illustrator for advertising. In this episode, J.A.W. Cooper discusses:-Where she gets her inspiration for her unique style. -Her upbringing travelling around the world. -One of her earliest creative moments in which she learned about repetition in order to get better at drawing. -Her advice for anyone who might be older and is afraid to start something new because they are afraid that they are going to be bad at it. -How it is almost a gift to be dissatisfied with your work because it means that you are able to see where you can continue to grow. -Fear and the balance of having enough of it to keep you sharp, but not too much to paralyze you. -How the only thing you can really be proud of are the steps you take to improve your art from piece to piece. -The idea of keeping a specific kind of “self-analysis” journal to get a better sense of your interests as an artist. -How she balances “work-work” with her passion projects and personal art. -The power in creating deadlines for her to complete her personal work in the form of solo shows and gallery shows. -What art and creativity brings to her life. -Her love for Alan Watts recordings and nature. Cooper's Final Push will inspire you to be okay with your dissatisfaction and to keep going down that endless grid! Quotes:“It’s okay to feel like your work isn’t living up to your expectations. It’s okay to feel the fear that you’re a big phony and everyone’s going to find out.” “Dissatisfaction is a factor of you knowing that you have a greater potential and you’re just not quite reaching it.” “For your whole career, you will feel forever dissatisfied and you kind of have to be grateful for it because the dissatisfaction drives you to continue to grow. The moment that you’re happy with your work is the moment that you stagnate and stop learning and pushing. So you almost never want to feel pleased and satisfied.” “The main way that I get through fear is just to keep making work, and to keep challenging myself to make different work.” “I didn’t imagine it would be so wonderful.” Links mentioned:Connect with J.A.W. Cooper: | |||
| 29 May 2017 | 223: STRIKE OUT your creative blocks (w/ Blake McFarland) | 00:31:12 | |
Blake McFarland is a recycled materials artist who uses recycled rubber tires to create amazing lifelike sculptures of tire animals. In addition to his tire sculptures, Blake is a painter and he also creates murals out of recycled wine corks. Blake is also a pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
In this episode, Blake discusses:-Having two identities as a baseball player and an artist and how he balances those two worlds. -How the baseball offseason provides months of time that he can fully devote to his art. -The type of art (and planning) he does during the baseball season. -How he started as an acrylic painter and sold his very first piece. -How Goodyear reached out to him to make sculptures for the Cotton Bowl. -His method for deciding what specific type of art to do in a particular day. -The initial resistance of people not understanding what he meant when he told them he wanted to create tire sculptures, and his decision to create it to show them. -How he used the negative result of having to get shoulder surgery to get positive results in his art career. -What art and creativity brings to his life. -The story behind his recycled cork art. Blake's Final Push will inspire you to make use of your down time to be productive and make something that will last forever! Quotes:“I had basically eighteen days to finish two larger-than-life sculptures which would normally take me up to two months to create.” “I’m not a guy that likes a lot of downtime, and I always think that if I’m watching TV I could be doing something else more productive, so that’s when I do the majority of my artwork.” “When I told my wife I wanted to make a tire sculpture, she just kind of laughed at me.” “Take whatever bad thing comes at you, and channel it into something positive.” “When you’re writing or doing art, you’re not thinking about anything but the task at hand, and that’s what you need to get your mind off of other things.”
Connect with Blake:Website / Facebook / Instagram On the next episode:Marta Nael : Facebook / Instagram Join the discussion on the Facebook group! | |||
| 27 Jun 2016 | 113: ADMIRE, don't COMPARE (w/ Xin Li) | 00:25:03 | |
Xin Li is a twenty-one-year-old photographer living in Bergen, Norway who likes to chase light. She has been interested in photography all of her life and believes that photography is not just important to document the beauty that she sees around her, but to also tell stories with her work.
In this episode, Xin discusses:-How she got her initial interest in photography and the journey that she took to get to the place that she is now. -How she gets very emotionally attached to her photographs because they often come from her own feelings. -How photography (and all forms of art) can be used as a way to get your emotions out, and in that way it can be a form of therapy. -What it was like when she first started sharing her photos on social media. -How she sometimes struggles with comparing herself to other photographers, and how important it is to admire instead of compare. -A time when she was in a creative limbo, not taking pictures (and how she got out of it). -That it is perfectly okay to take a break from your art, and that breaks, whether long or short, don't signify that you're not an artist anymore. -How some of her best moments are when she receives admiration for her work. -One of her favorite photographs. -How the internet and social media helped to give her confidence, as nobody in her town was out taking photographs the way she was. -How she has scheduled days in her calendar that are strictly made for photography. Xin's Final Push will inspire you to ignore the followers and "likes," and to remember to do your art for yourself! Quotes:"Throughout the years, I used a lot of disposable cameras." "For me, photography has always been a creative and emotional outlet." "I like to document my life and things that I see, sure. But I also want to tell stories with my work." "I feel very emotionally attached to most of the photos that I take, because the inspiration of it often comes from my own feelings." "I started taking photos every time I was feeling down, and it worked like therapy for me." "I felt really exposed, but it felt good because people saw me for my work and not the other things." "Don't compare yourself to other people. Look up to them instead. Admire their work and maybe it will inspire you and push you to create something yourself." "If you feel like you need a break from your art, whether it's a day or a month to think and to feel, that's okay. You don't stop being an artist just because of that." "Always remember that you are doing this for yourself, not to compete with others." Links mentioned:"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer Connect with Xin: | |||
| 16 Feb 2016 | 025: Share what inspires you... AND GROW! (w/ Baber Afzal) | 00:29:02 | |
Baber Afzal is an award-winning fine art photographer and film maker based in Dubai who specialises in creating surrealistic Worlds. His work has been published in several internationally renowned books and magazines. A New York Film Academy alumni from Universal Studios, he also enriched his cinematography and video editing skills while working with renowned production houses in Hollywood, CA.
In this episode, Baber discusses:-How he started with photography and the journey that got him to his place today. -The struggle of Dubai having less photography work than a place like Los Angeles. -The definition of fine art photography, and what it means to him. -His online tutorials and workshops, which show how each image is processed uniquely. -How promoting other artists on his own page led to him gaining an incremental following on his own page. -How to can gain followers on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media by doing the same type of sharing. -Just because you are sharing other people's work on Facebook, it doesn't mean that it will take away from your own. -Facebook is designed in a way that your reach will die if you don't post anything for a week or two. Baber's Final Push will inspire you to experiment and always continue to learn.
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| 29 May 2016 | RESET! Changes to the show & requesting help | 00:20:37 | |
Just an episode for me to tell you: 1) How much I love you and this podcast. 2) Changes to the schedule of the show. 3) A request to support the show's new Patreon page. 4) How much I love you and this podcast again :)
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| 17 Feb 2016 | 026: You ARE special and you ARE allowed to do this (Gwenn Seemel Part 1) | 00:25:46 | |
Gwenn is a full-time artist, portraitist, and free-culture advocate. Her beautiful, unique portraits as well as all of her other work is intentionally free from copyright.
In this episode, Gwenn discusses:-How her personal, creative, and professional life merge all into one. -The pros and cons of separating your personal and creative life. -Her battle with endometriosis and the story behind “Crime Against Nature.” -How things like homosexuality within nature are much more prevalent than is reported scientifically, and how things like dressing flamboyantly, not having offspring, and having multiple sexual partners can be connected to animals. -The origins of her decision to free all of her work from copyright. -How creativity and copyright go hand in hand. -How she got over the question of “am I special enough and why do I think I am allowed to do this?” and how focusing on portraiture helped her to put that specialness onto them. -The importance of showing your work and connecting with other people, because it adds responsibility and accountability. -Art can be self-expression or communication, and the differences between the two types of people, and how she tries to move between those two things. -How marketing can be a creative outlet. -One of her first creative moments and how a compliment from her brother (during intergalactic travels) really inspired her. -How sometimes all it takes is just that ONE compliment from someone who gets it to keep you going. -What it is like to make a portrait for someone and then give it to them. Quotes:“The work is what’s valuable to the world and it should be done in the best way possible.” “I am the only one who can do it anyway, so I might as well completely release it into the world and have it be used.” “Creativity is about taking elements from the world around you and from inside of you and mixing that all up and making something of it.” “Anytime you take risks, you’re going to have this crippling self-doubt sometimes.”
Resources mentioned:Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz & Kathryn Bowers What It Is by Lynda Barry Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity by Lawrence Lessig “Rip, A Remix Manifesto” (movie) All About Love by Bell Hooks Give And Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant The Myth of Choice: Personal Responsibility in a World of Limits by Kent Greenfield Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights by Kenji Yoshino Connect with Gwenn:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Uncopyright / Patreon
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| 17 Jul 2017 | 236: How to get past your fear of a BLANK CANVAS (w/ David Zinn) | 00:55:14 | |
David is a freelance illustrator and street artist from Ann Arbor, Michigan, specializing in small-scale, improvised and (mostly) light-hearted chalk art. Most of these drawings (most notably "Sluggo") have appeared on sidewalks in Ann Arbor and elsewhere in Michigan, but some have surfaced as far away as subway platforms in Manhattan and construction debris in the Sonoran Desert. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/davidzinn In this episode, David discusses:-How he prefers to label himself as a “someone who draws stuff” or a “compulsive doodler.” -How his drawing stemmed from shyness as a great way to avoid eye contact with other people. -The way in which his street art stems from his fear of a blank canvas. -How a blank canvas stops people like him because of the infinite possibilities that it offers, and how he needs to constrain those possibilities in order to get started. -His disappointment with the way that people assume that being an artist means being something separate that they are not capable of. -The art brain and the science brain. -How he has noticed that people are either more frightened by the idea of drawing from life or by the idea of drawing from imagination, and nothing in between. -How people often think that they are not artists because they are unable to do one particular thing, even though they are very skilled at doing something different. -The way in which parents make their children take piano lessons, yet don’t expect them to become a concert pianist. -How his light-hearted subject matter typically comes to the surface because he is having a bad day. -Why he doesn’t watch people’s reactions to his street art. -His advice for people who are afraid of the blank canvas. -The way in which your creative path was laughably obvious to you in hindsight. David's Final Push will inspire you to JUST MOVE! As long as you are moving, then you are succeeding in life.Quotes:“Eventually people start to get to that point where they aren’t happy with their own abilities and that blank page becomes really intimidating.” “Now I have no time for doing useful illustration because I spend all my time drawing on the sidewalk.” “I’m on a campaign to hopefully get people to stop using the word ‘artist’ as a career designation.” “I think that’s where a lot of people fall off the map of having faith in their own art, is not respecting the fact that what works for you, works for you, and that deserves indulgence and respect.” “We have this strange belief that your art has to be the primary thing in your life in order for you to do it. It has to consume you or else you have no business messing with it at all.” “It’s a lot like playing connect the dots, except you have an infinite amount of dots.” “The power of art in your own life, whether it’s your job, or your hobby, or just the thing you do while your hands are feeling itchy while you’re on the phone, is to leave the world different than the way you found it.” “From what I’ve observed and what I’ve experienced, you don’t find your thing. Your thing finds you.” “The narrower your expectations, the more things you can be disappointed in.” “As long as you are moving, you are succeeding in life.” Links mentioned:Connect with David:Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Tumblr On the next episode:Zaria Forman : Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 22 Mar 2016 | 051: BE HUMBLE and LISTEN to what your art tells you (w/ Carol Carter) | 00:28:05 | |
Carol Carter is a painter from St. Louis, Missouri who works primarily in large-scale watercolors and acrylics. She has been featured in books by RotoVision Press and was voted best St. Louis Artist by The Riverfront Times in September, 2000. In 2002 her work was chosen for the cover of New American Painting. Carol also shares her watercolor techniques in workshops throughout the year and throughout the country.
In this episode, Carol discusses:-How it took her about ten years to develop her style and find her own voice. -Her advice to people who are struggling to find their own style or voice. -How you have to love your art and you also have to be willing to spend time with self-examination. -The process of creating the painting and how there is always one point where she is dissatisfied with it, but then finds a way to solve it. -How in the beginning of the painting until the middle, you tell the painting what you know, and from the middle until the end, the painting teaches you what you don't understand. And this requires you to be humble and ready to learn. -How what you learn from one painting translates into the next one, and so on from painting to painting, year to year. -How a blue shape that kept coming back in her early abstract paintings was the key to her changing her path as an artist into a narrative, figurative artist. -How artists sometimes think they need certain accolades, training, or notoriety in order to paint what they want, when in fact the only thing they need to do is start. -How courage sometimes holds her back, and how important it is to be courageous in the studio. -How a difficult time in her life caused her to try to work it out in the studio with her art until she decided that she didn't have to "paint through" the ugly chapter. -How life's struggles and pains deepen us as creative individuals. -How she paints a portrait of her son every year for as long as she lives, and how she is the only artist in history to accomplish such a feat. -Her formula for balancing her time. -What art and creativity brings to her life. Carol's Final Push will inspire you to PAINT THROUGH THE RESISTANCE!
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| 29 May 2018 | 291: Be UNPREDICTABLE and make yourself UNCOMFORTABLE (w/ Shayne Taylor) | 00:47:51 | |
Shayne Taylor is an illustrator, designer and maker originally from Detroit, but now making her home in Chicago, Illinois. She attended The College for Creative Studies in Detroit and worked a variety of jobs in illustration, design and restoration before becoming a full-time freelance illustrator and designer. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/shaynetaylor In this episode, Shayne discusses:-The game-changing realization that she could actually make a living from her creativity. -How things changed when she took Illustration at The College for Creative Studies in Detroit. -Her decision to move to Chicago and her early experiences there. -Doing craft shows and DIY trunk shows and how they can help you to make not just sales but connections. -Why we struggle to call ourselves artists and instead define ourselves by what we do to make money. -How to handle our parents not understanding what we do creatively. -Restoring vintage circus posters. -Unpredictability and how it plays a role in her art as well as the projects that she takes on. -How she handles self-doubt and expectations of others. -Finding ways to make yourself uncomfortable, because that is where the growth comes from (and you always feel better after). -How she started using wood as a canvas. -A quote from Ed Catmull that inspired her to quit and go full-time freelance: “Always take a chance on better, even if it seems frightening.” Shayne's Final Push will motivate you to create something or do something different every single day! Quotes:“The idea of drawing and telling my story without having to talk was the best thing in the world.” “When you put yourself into a new atmosphere, you become different.” “If someone doesn’t like it, it’s not the end of the world. It’s just one person and you’re never going to please everybody.” “It’s interesting to try to explain what you to do people who have absolutely no clue what you do. It feels like you’re making something up.” “The unpredictability is a huge part of being creative.” “You learn so much when you make yourself do things that you don’t necessarily like doing.” Links mentioned:Youngman on The Kick in the Creatives Podcast Connect with Shayne:Website / Etsy / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode:Carson Ellis : Website / Instagram / Facebook Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 10 May 2016 | 086: Do what's DEAR TO YOUR HEART and others will follow (w/ Cinzia Angelini) | 00:29:36 | |
Cinzia Angelini is a veteran story artist, animator and director with more than 20 years working in the animation industry. She has worked both in 2D as well as CG and is currently a story artist for Illumination Pictures. She has worked on films such as The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, and Spider-Man 2. Her latest project is titled, Mila.
In this episode, Cinzia discusses:-A bit about her professional background and how she got to the point she now finds herself in her career. -The inspiration behind Mila. -How she attributes the team of 250 people from 25 countries wanting to work on Mila because of its powerful theme. -How animation artists typically work on happier projects intended to make children laugh, but the chance to work on such a strongly themed project made many of them want to jump on it. -Some of the challenges that come from working with a large team from all over the world in a virtual environment. -How she is happy that she was somewhat ignorant of how tough such a large project would be. -How if you think too much about the potential consequence of trying something, you will lose the momentum and not even try. -The power that comes from a visual representation of what you are trying to accomplish. -The advantages of being able to multitask. -How she gets through the daily struggles of being tired and worn out. -How people can support the creation of Mila through the Indiegogo campaign. -Her recommendation for anyone thinking about it, to direct even a short production because of how much you learn. -The importance of surrounding yourself with people who have the skills that you don't have. Cinzia's Final Push will inspire you to pick a subject that is personal to you, and others will follow! Quotes:"If it wasn't for the theme, I wouldn't have had this reaction from the artists." "My father usually tells me I am like a warrior, so I have a little bit of that attitude of, 'Let's just do it and we will figure it out as we go.'" "I would do it a gazillion times over, even if it is so much work." Links mentioned:Connect with Cinzia: | |||
| 24 Feb 2016 | 031: Creativity doesn't have a finish line (Jon Contino Part 1) | 00:33:53 | |
Jon is an artist and graphic designer from New York. His designs, typography, and illustrations have graced magazine covers, t-shirts, album jackets, murals, food trucks, movie posters, websites, and national ad campaigns, just to name a few. He’s the Founder & Creative Director of Contino Brand menswear and accessories company, as well as Co-Founder & Creative Director of CXXVI Clothing Company. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/joncontino In this episode, Jon discusses:-How his love and ability for design drives him. -The difference between being a creative director and a young designer. -The origins of his confidence and the journey it has taken. -The importance of a "nothing to lose" attitude. -His worst moment as a designer, and the importance of going through it. -To not get too excited about things like interviews with Playboy. -How it is a constant push, and almost addiction, for creative people to constantly want more. -How LETTING GO of what he thought a designer was supposed to be allowed him to become the designer that he always was. -How growing up in New York City (Manhatten in particular) and his love for minimalism helped to shape his design and what defined him. -The importance of hand-drawing. -About being influenced by other art and how it can (and should) seep into your own work. -How you'll never get to the level of your favorite artist -- you'll be different no matter what. -What to do when you get an idea in the middle of the night.
Quotes:"I think that as a creative person, if there is a finish line, you're done being a creative person." "The second I started to actually do what I felt was me, that's when I couldn't get enough."
Links discussed:Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2015
Connect with Jon: | |||
| 06 May 2016 | 084: Have creative GOALS instead of creative WISHES (w/ Sergio Lopez) | 00:27:58 | |
Sergio Lopez aka The Main Loop is a North Bay Area based fine artist who specializes in oil landscapes, contemporary nude figures, plein air paintings, and charcoal drawings. He has won multiple awards and has been featured in Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose, Spectrum, Bluecanvas, as well as many online publications. He is also the co-founder of the North Bay Plein Air Painters group and has been helping organize monthly paint-outs since 2009.
In this episode, Sergio discusses:-How he got into the plein air scene and the differences between painting outdoors and painting in the studio. -How he tries to only paint something that he is seeing with his own eyes or has seen before, as he doesn't trust photos to accurately portray the subject matter. -How his goal is to keep as little distance as possible from himself and his paintings so as to get the most accurate representation of what he sees and feels. -How and why he started the North Bay Plein Air Painters group. -His advice for anyone interested in trying out plein air painting. -Some of his earliest memories of being creative. -How he often gets bored of what he has been spending a lot of time doing, and that is usually when he switches up his medium to keep things fresh. -Some of the struggles that come from being a full-time fine artist. -How he knows that he works better at night, so he shifts his schedule to work with that. -The power of turning off the Wi-Fi. Sergio's Final Push will inspire you to figure out WHY you want to be an artist. Quotes:"All the lessons that you learn from intensely observing something, you can do that from any subject you want to work from." "Even now when I paint from photos, I almost never paint from something that I haven't painted yet before." "For me, the goal is to have something that feels like I was there or I am still standing there and getting that feeling that I remember." "If you're a person who paints in the studio and never has gone out, I'd say you're missing out on a lot." "When I got to school I quickly realized that I was in the wrong department." "It took a while to get to a certain sort of rhythm." "Find out why you want to do art. As soon as you figure out why, it's a lot easier to focus your energy and resources on how to do it because you'll have a goal to strive for. Without that road map, it is more of a wish than a goal." Links mentioned:-Contemporary Figuration Exhibit at Abend Gallery -North Bay Plein Air Painters group -Harvey Dunn: Illustrator and Painter of the Pioneer West by Walt Reed and Roger Reed Connect with Sergio:Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter
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| 01 Jan 2018 | 272: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING (w/ Dave Roberts) | 00:52:04 | |
Dave Roberts is an artist out of Las Vegas, NV who makes fine art using the Etch A Sketch. He draws landscapes, architecture, portraits and more, preserving all of his work. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/daveroberts In this episode, Dave discusses:-His artistic history and how he first started using an Etch A Sketch. -Finding out that other people were using the Etch A Sketch to make art and then learning from them. -Developing a method for preserving his art. -Coming up with a goal to be featured in a gallery. -Entering (and not winning) a Red Robin contest for a gift card. -Trying to not get lost in your own negative thoughts. -Creating accountability by telling people about your goals. -His decision to achieve his goals despite the fact that all of his previous excuses were still a part of his life. -Building resiliency by getting knocked down and getting back up again. -The experience of seeing his dream of being in a gallery come to fruition. Dave's Final Push will remind you that attitude is everything! Quotes:“If things don’t go your way are you going to start tearing yourself down and be your own stumbling block?” “I hate to say it, but art became this thing that I used to do.” “Attitude is everything.” Links mentioned:Jordan Peterson - The Curse of Creativity Connect with Dave:Website / Facebook / Instagram On the next episode:Virginie Ropars : Website / Instagram What's your New Year's Resolution or #Cramuary goal? Join the discussion in the Facebook group! | |||
| 28 Mar 2016 | 055: Haters gonna hate, so whatever... CREATE!!!! (w/ Joel Robison) | 00:30:46 | |
Joel is a 31 conceptual and fine art photographer from Canada, currently living in the United Kingdom. He has been creating and sharing his conceptual portraiture work for the last 7 years, and his interest in storytelling and self-expression through art is what motivates him to create and share his work with people around the world. Through his photography workshops, he has instructed over 200 students in 7 countries to build their creative portfolios and also set up a photography business and social media presence. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/joel In this episode, Joel discusses:-How he fell into photography as a hobby and then went along for the ride in the last seven years. -His experience working for Coca-Cola and FIFA for the Wold Cup Trophy tour, and how he got to fly around the world taking photographs of celebrities and football players. -How when he started taking his conceptual photographs, it was like a secret hobby. -The reason why he is the subject of many of his photographs. -How self-portraiture was and still is very therapeutic for him and has taught him so much about himself that he might not have learned any other way. -How he, like Youngman Brown, gets flustered when someone watches him doing work or when he thinks about the amount of people that see his work. -His advice for artists or creative people who freeze up when they think about the number of people who are looking at their work. -How important it is to find your specific audience. -To find your voice that is different than everyone else. -To utilize social media to communicate back and forth with your audience as opposed to just at them. -One of this earliest memories as a kid when he wanted to be an animator for Disney. -How an experiment with an image of him being lifted up by balloons brought him back to the feelings of excitement he had when he was creating as a kid. -His recommendation of doing a 365-day project, not only to force you to do the work, but to create bad work and understand why you think it is bad. -How to deal with the imaginary naysayers. -How opening yourself up emotionally can allow your viewers/listeners/readers to tap into themselves in a way that they never imagined. Quotes:"It was never my goal when I started to turn it into a business." "I just try to enjoy what I have in the moment and share it with the people around me." "It just changed my whole life." "I could never have dreamed up a better job." "When I first started taking photos it was like a secret hobby of mine." "It's almost like a secret identity." "You have to do it for yourself before anyone else. You can make the most amazing cake in the whole-wide-world, and you can give it to ten people and they might just hate chocolate cake. There's nothing you could have done any different. You're just giving it to the wrong crowd of people." "Social media can never be a great barometer for talent." "Find what voice you have that is different from everyone else." "If I do this every day, I have no option but to get better somehow." Links mentioned:Create Your Self - A Creative Work Book by Joel Robison Connect with Joel:
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| 15 Feb 2016 | 024: You never know where your SELF-MOTIVATION will lead (w/ Mikey Burton) | 00:25:52 | |
Mikey Burton is a part time designer and a part time illustrator—which adds up to a full time Designy Illustrator. He’s been working professionally for about 10 years. He’s done a lot of work in that time for clients such as Converse, ESPN, Target, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and Esquire, among others. Mikey spent his formative years and earned a masters degree from the great Kent State University in Ohio. Mikey, tell me what I missed there, and maybe give us a peek into your personal life. In this episode, Mikey discusses:-His campaign for Converse and the challenge that it presented to him. -How he gets the courage to take on challenges that might initially scare him. -His first self-motivated work, and how it would yield actual work. -The goal of Barrel Body was to lose weight, but it led to new and interesting client work instead. -How defining your style is a lifelong journey. -The importance of being critical of your own work. -How sometimes your creative life and your "life" life hit a crossroads at the same time. -How we are visually over-saturated sometimes with visually inspiring material. -Working from home is never as easy as people think. -How knowing yourself and your work habits is extremely important, especially if you are your own boss. -His greatest inspiration is his father and the work ethic that he continues to have. Mikey's Final Push will inspire you to JUST START, even if it is in just small amounts each day!
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| 10 Aug 2016 | 133: Remember your intuition; Forget your mean teachers (w/ Youngman Brown) | 00:16:23 | |
Youngman Brown is angry. Angry enough to go solo in this episode to try to get you to forget those negative comments you received about your creative outlet that have kept you from really pursuing it with confidence. This episode is all about remembering your unique taste and forgetting any harsh criticisms that you might still be holding onto. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/133 In this episode:-We hear Ronnie Allen (from Episode 29) tell us about a teacher who publicly ridiculed her writing abilities and how it stuck with her throughout her entire career. -JT Ellison (from Episode 53) recounts her thesis advisor telling her that she will never make it as a writer, which caused her to not write for eight years. -Christina Bothwell (from Episode 131) shares how her parents told her that she was not good enough to make it as an artist. -Youngman Brown shares what gave him the confidence to start to take writing seriously. -Laura Baumeister (from Episode 129) offers her opinion that you have to be your own motivation if you don't have a supportive teacher or mentor. -We discuss the idea of feeling what is right and wrong with your art and how that intuition is your signal that you have a unique voice. -We discover that your unique style is correct for you, so it doesn't matter if one of your teachers, parents, or peers deems it to be "incorrect" -- it simply doesn't match their style. -We remember that it is important to still determine the areas in which you genuinely need to improve, while making sure to never let go of your unique voice and style. Quotes:"Progress comes from practice." "You need to keep grinding. You need to keep practicing. You need to keep fucking up. But you always need to stay true to yourself, and what feels right to you." "Pursuing your creative passion is what life is all about."
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| 18 Feb 2016 | 027: Stew in the SELF-LOVE for what you do! (Gwenn Seemel Part 2) | 00:23:53 | |
Gwenn is a full-time artist, portraitist, and free-culture advocate. Her beautiful, unique portraits as well as all of her other work is intentionally free from copyright.
In this episode, Gwenn discusses:-How she deals with what she calls “the stupids,” when everything you do seems to be bad. -How some of her best moments come when she completes a project, whatever it may be. -Art and creativity bring her the desire and ability to be in this world. -How she is inspired by everyone around her, especially the people who she makes portraits for. -To reframe the way you think about mistakes and actually embrace them. -If you are viewing something as a mistake, it means that you are evolving and not remaining stagnant. Gwenn's Final Push will inspire you to embrace the mistake, because the mistake is evidence that you did the thing in the first place.
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| 25 Jan 2016 | 007: Be a Sponge! Listen and collaborate! (w/ Strange Talk) | 00:35:47 | |
Stephen Docker and Gerrard Sidhu are two amazing musicians who, together, make up the electronic duo from Melbourne, Australia known as Strange Talk. In this episode, Strange Talk discusses:-Their recent changes in from four members to two -How getting back to their electronic roots and their new EP feels like being home. -Stephen and Gerrard each tell us one of their first creative moments growing up. -How artists are always tweaking things, and how having a trusted second opinion is incredibly valuable. -How motivation is sometimes hard to find, especially when trying to rebrand and refocus. -How Strange Talk's new management team has allowed them to focus solely on the music. -Their best advice for being able to get through blocks in creativity and writing music. -The importance of getting to a new location or taking a break when creativity won't come to you. -How the internet has opened up the doors for so many new artists to work with others for collaborations. -What art and creativity bring to their lives. -How being a sponge and being able to absorb things that other people are saying about your work is important. Strange Talk's Final Push encourages you to go home and just get started! Quotes:"If you wake up and you're not in a creative mood, you've gotta find a way to get into a creative mood and write." "All of the stars are finally aligned for us." "Stop what you're doing. Go for a walk, go to the gym, go catch up with mates. When you're in that head space, nothing good comes out of it." "People out there that aren't sure how to go about it, but have so many great crazy ideas, it's about introducing yourself on this huge world wide web and trying to create opportunities to collaborate and work with artists that can help see that same vision." "Without needing to get a manager or a label or a publisher, you can do so much by yourself at the moment. You just have to have the want and the drive." "It's like getting up and brushing your teeth and eating. We get up and we listen to music and we write music or we do something with music. It's who we are." "It's not just about starting, but see it through. If you want to do it, you have to apply yourself, you have to sacrifice things, you have to commit yourself to it. Otherwise what's the point?"
Music in this episode: "Something's Bout to Change" and "Painted in Gold" by Strange Talk
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/strangetalk | |||
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/joanna