Nathan Carson aka “Streetarthustle” is a talented artist who has taken fate into his own hands by being creative on his own terms, vowing to fulfill all of his creative desires and never do anything he doesn’t want to again. He is documenting this journey for all to see via his Periscope account, allowing other people to be inspired as well as learn from his mistakes.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/100
In this episode, Nathan discusses:
-A story about what happened directly after the last time he was on the show, back in Episode 54.
-His two new assistants and what they have done for his life.
-How a mushroom trip helped him to get the courage to hire an assistant.
-How he has had to make some tough decisions about blocking certain followers on Periscope.
-How using e-mail has become a slow way of communicating, whereas Periscope is instant.
-How Facebook is a monolithic code structure that they can't build on top of.
-His thoughts on how Periscope is like the eyes of an infant artificial intelligence.
-What it is like to be a part of a "Periscope family" that is connected by the Internet, all while circumnavigating the actual physical world.
-His advice to anyone who might be nervous to start a Periscope channel.
-How Periscope is almost like performance art, and how the people that are commissioning him to paint get to help choose colors and thus pushing him and his art.
-His new Patreon page and how it will be utilized.
-How important podcasts have been in his life.
Nathan's Final Push will inspire you to do what you love no matter how stupid it might seem or feel, and to allow your loves to die if that is what feels right.
Quotes:
"What you don't realize is that when you want to be an artist, you immediately become the janitor, secretary, payroll, shipping, receiving. Everything."
"I went on a mushroom trip and found the courage to hire one of the assistants that I had been interviewing all week."
"The message of my show has become, The universe wants you to be alive. So you just choose happiness."
"My broader theory is that this is the eyes of an infant artificial intelligence. I think it is literally that important."
"The thing that you constantly need to realign yourself with if you're going to make it as an artist is that it has to be about love."
"The path of least resistance for you as an artist will always be the path of greatest joy."
"Do exactly what you love no matter how stupid that feels."
"I'm just gonna do what I love and trust that the Universe will sustain me."
"Follow your love. Follow your love. Follow your love."
Links mentioned:
Your Creative Push Episode 54 with Nathan Carson
Connect with Nathan:
Streetarthustle / Periscope / Instagram / Patreon
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 :)
Daniel is an art blogger, art critic, and the creator of The Daniel Rolnik Gallery, a brick and mortar store that showcases original art and prints collected from his adventures across the United States of America. On his road trips, Daniel discovers unique works of art that he brings back to his ever-evolving gallery.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danielrolnik
In this episode, Daniel discusses:
-How and why he started the The Daniel Rolnik Gallery.
-How he found the courage to start the gallery instead of thinking about it for too long.
-How both creative and non-creative people spend too much time thinking about what can go right and what can go wrong, when what they should be doing is just diving in and trying.
-How falling down doesn't actually hurt as bad as you might imagine, just like when you were riding a bike.
-The musician Charles Bradley, who got discovered when he was 62.
-The story of how he first found a love for art and saw what it was truly capable of.
-How he makes everything in the gallery portable so that he can rearrange it every single day to make it a fresh experience.
-How he is on the road every Sunday and Monday to find new things for the gallery.
-His advice for artists who have never sold a piece of art, or haven't even considered it.
-The idea of pricing low to get the ball rolling.
-Some of his favorite artists to show, including Alden Marin and John Kilduff, with his cardboard pinball machine.
-The idea behind Record Club and how it can bring a sense of community to the artists that come for it.
-Details about The Jew and the Lotus Podcast that he does with his friend, Eric Nakamura.
-The idea of destroying the ego, as suggested by his friend, Turtle Wayne.
-The importance of patience if you are trying to sell a piece of art and how it takes the right person at the right time.
-How artists sometimes forget that you don't need to get the most expensive materials and equipment... you just need to create.
-How his father is one of his greatest inspirations because he never complains, but instead just gets done what needs to get done.
Daniel's Final Push will inspire you to realize that you are EPIC and can do anything you want!
Quotes:
"I wanted to make art affordable and accessible to everyone. I wanted it to be easy and fun when you go in and not cold like the White-Wallians keep it with their white walls and cold vibe. I wanted to make the complete opposite."
"Art and creativity is the greatest thing in the world and I want to be able to get to as many people as possible. It's the way to disrupt your culture. It's the way to make a space yours. It's a way to showcase your own personality."
"The more you do it, and the more you love to do it, you'll develop a style and be able to share your passion with others in a was you're not conscious of."
Links mentioned:
Connect with Daniel:
Marta Bevacqua aka Moth Art is an Italian photographer based in Paris. She is mainly a fashion photographer but she continually works on her own personal artistic projects, which range in varied fields of photography, but almost always concentrating on people. And not just people, but emotive models in natural environments, which offer a wonderful merging of the beauty of the natural world with the beauty of humanity.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/marta
In this episode, Marta discusses:
-How she attempts to allow the viewers of her photographs to tell their own story -- one that could change depending on the mood of the viewer.
-How she got her start with photography.
-The influence that nature had on her photography.
-How she just started taking pictures for fun, and how it slowly progressed into what she did for a living.
-Her advice to take your time, especially when you are in nature.
-How she chose the name "Moth Art."
-How one of her hardest moments came when she decided that she wanted to make photography her job, yet she had no contacts and no prospects.
-If you are just starting out, that you should say "Yes" to almost every opportunity that comes your way, even if it doesn't fit exactly into what you are trying to do.
-By saying "Yes" to many different opportunities, you can develop your taste and also learn what you love to do and what you hate to do.
-How difficult it was to move to Paris without having any contacts or knowing how to speak French.
-Why she chose to live in Paris as opposed to Milan, London, or New York City.
-How you don't have to be confined to one geographic location, and how she feels free to move wherever she wants in the world now that she has already moved once.
-How when things started to click for her in Paris and life was going well, she saw a positive change in her photography.
-What photography and creativity brings to her life.
Marta's Final Push will inspire you to go for your passions, and never, NEVER give up!
Quotes:
"What I try to do with my photography is tell stories that everyone can imagine."
"The more you understand about light, the more you will be able to take good shots."
"Once you move the first time, it's so easy to move again."
"Never give up. Never. If you really want to do it, you can do it."
"Changing the world may be difficult, but not just realizing your dream."
Links mentioned:
"The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman
Connect with Marta:
Jeff Tocci was born in the foothills of the Adirondacks, next to a frozen lake, exactly at midnight 36 years ago. He is currently thawing out in Brooklyn. His work focuses on social commentary through representational, narrative work, often utilizing satire and humor to explore social and economic topics in a direct way. Though the subject matter changes, his intention remains the same. He aims to call attention to the facets of our culture, that remain unexamined, misunderstood, or under appreciated.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jefftocci
In this episode, Jeff discusses:
-How his main form of Resistance is finding free time to be able to work on his art.
-If your passion is art and you make money another way, you have to find a job that you can make as much money as you can in as little time as possible so that you have more time for your passion.
-His advice to hang on to ideas that you might have when you are not available (or motivated enough) to put them into creation.
-How he has had some ideas in his head for over a decade, and how to determine when it is the right time to bring one of them into existence.
-How he is able to better express himself and his opinions/views of the world through his visual work than he can by any other means.
-One of his earliest creative memories.
-How many things in his life have come and gone, but art has always been there.
-If you don't have too lofty of goals monetarily, then you can't really go wrong with art.
-How creative passions are just like exercise, and you have to keep working or else you get out of shape.
-How time slows down and your experiences are enriched when you travel to new places.
-Technology and the way that it affects our lives and our creativity.
-His greatest inspiration, his mentor, Robert Cenedella.
-His upcoming show as well as his plans for the rest of the year.
Jeff's Final Push will inspire you to be the person that DOES instead of the person that TALKS ABOUT DOING!
Quotes:
"You can't really set a specific time during the day for inspiration."
"I just go on intuition with pretty much everything in my life. It kind of presents itself. You just have to get out of the way and let it happen."
"You really just have to be a conduit for the ideas to express themselves."
"People have a greater response to my visual work than anything I'm going to say, so it's kind of a no-brainer."
Links mentioned:
Your Creative Push Episode 13: Interview with Yuko Shimizu
Connect with Jeff:
Michael Broom is a talented concept designer who has worked on such films as Wolverine: Origins, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Stephen King’s “The Mist,” and Cabin in the Woods, just to name a few. He “cut his teeth” doing comic book illustration and caricatures at Walt Disney World.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/michaelbroom
In this episode, Michael discusses:
-How he became interested in some of the "scarier" things like monsters at an early age.
-How he came to be a caricature artist in Disney World and what that was like.
-The gig that brought him out to Los Angeles and the steps he took once he was there.
-How he feels fortunate to have been able to continue his creative career (instead of waiting tables), and credits that fact to the client base that he grew.
-The disappointment of one of his first "big" projects -- a Super Bowl commercial (that never aired).
-While maintaining a full-time job, how he is able to find the time and motivation to work on his new book.
-How the thought of doing his book felt like a Herculean effort before he started, but it was just a matter of starting and taking one piece at a time.
-His advice to look at what the next month is going to look like, instead of looking too far down the line.
-How he has begun surrounding himself with talented people, and how that has inspired him to start wanting to create a project of his own.
-How he wants to be the artistic version of Steph Curry or Michael Jordan, just putting in the practice every day.
-How he didn't have a backup plan with his artistic career.
Michael's Final Push will inspire you to keep going in spite of any rejections you may receive.
Quotes:
"It really helped me artistically, just to be able to work under pressure."
"After doing that for a while I really got confident in drawing and working around crowds and having high pressure stuff."
"It doesn't matter how much you put into something, it just matters that you put something into it."
"When I first started it, it really felt like I was looking at a mountain and somebody handed me a spoon and just said 'Just move this mountain over there.'"
"With the internet, all things are possible."
"I think you just gotta keep going with it. What's really inside of you? There's a point past inspiration to commitment."
"A lot of people can't look past the next year or they can't see past the pain. It's hard work."
Links mentioned:
"Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time" by Brian Tracy
Connect with Michael:
Skoddie is an experimental musician whose style spans multiple genres, but always focuses on atmosphere and mood. After a 6 year hiatus, they rediscovered their creative voice and released two albums and one EP in 2015. Today, Skoddie continues to produce music, and is also a founding member of the Unredacted online art collective.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/skoddie
In this episode, Skoddie discusses:
-Details about the new Unredacted online art collective, including why they started it.
-How there isn't anything on DeviantArt with a specific female and queer vibe, and how that is one of the goals for Unredacted.
-The importance of getting things started and letting them grow organically.
-Their history and first experiences with music.
-The scientific audio analysis techniques that they used to begin creating experimental music.
-How, like Jackson Pollock, Skoddie has intention behind what might seem to be unintentional music.
-Creating all of the music, and then the review process where they listen to the music and determine whether or not it moves them.
-How many artists and creative people feel as if their artwork is scarce, and how it doesn't have to be that way.
-How artists make their best work when nobody has heard of them, and the power that can come from tricking your brain into thinking that nobody will ever see what you are making.
-The importance of being able to ride the rollercoaster that is being a creative person.
-One of their hardest times when attempting to start a Kickstarter campaign that fell short of the goal.
-The importance of learning from your failures.
-One of the main goals of Unredacted to be able to showcase queer artists and focus on their artistic talent and voice instead of their queerness (like traditional media does).
-Their plans to potentially take over late-night television advertisements and fill it with art!
Skoddie's Final Push will inspire you to FINISH YOUR WORK (so it can be around for the rest of time).
Quotes:
"If you do all this planning but you don't actually get anything off the ground, you've got nothing."
"I got back into it in the least musical way possible."
"As long as I have some type of artistic vision behind it, I remain passionate about it."
"Just make stuff. Make a ton of stuff and let it be bad. In that sea of bad, you'll find some wonderful gems."
"I just feel like every time I fail, it makes me more savvy."
"Creating content is a much higher priority than building an audience."
"We all want to say we're going to quit our day jobs and be cool art people. And that's fantastic. But we don't make the art to feed ourselves. We like to eat and we like to make art."
"There are a good amount of female artists out there but there are very few queer artists. And the few that there are are upheld for their queerness but not as much for their artistic talents."
"We all have a stack of unfinished work but it's really special to be able to say, 'Hey, I made this. This is going to be here for the rest of time.'"
Links mentioned:
Unredacted Online Art Collective
Theory of Obscurity: A Film about The Residents
Connect with Skoddie:
Kalon is a software engineer living in Washington. He paints and draws purely for fun in his spare time. He believes art should be enjoyable, and should be more about the experience than the outcome.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/kalon
In this episode, Kalon discusses:
-What his average day looks like and when he is able to get to his art, having a full-time job.
-How he picked up drawing back in elementary school, drawing "TV show stuff."
-The differences between drawing from a source and drawing from imagination.
-How copying the styles of your favorite artists can help you to understand the methods of what makes their art great.
-How he took a great deal of time off in his college years.
-His great surprise when he found out that other people shared art on Instagram and other social media platforms.
-The different types of art that he does, depending on the mood that he is in.
-Some of the creative hurdles that artists, musicians, and other creative people have to face.
-How he keeps a "secret sketchbook," to take some of the pressure off of himself while he draws.
-The danger that comes from comparing yourself too much with other great artists (Hint: Don't hold your sketchbook up next to great artist's work).
-How sometimes you need to take an "art fast."
-How creativity comes in waves, and to try to hold on as long as you can when it strikes you.
-How your artistic eye can "level up," which is a good thing, but inevitably means that you will think your older art isn't as good.
-How in Computer Science, there is just one solution, but in art, there isn't one correct way to do things.
Kalon's Final Push will inspire you to just keep creating!
Quotes:
"When it comes to digital painting, I kind of just slab on paint until it looks right."
"With art, there's a lot of little hurdles that we have to face. There's always these random creative blocks that we get."
"I keep a secret sketchbook. I say, 'I'm not going to share anything in this sketchbook. This is only for me.'"
"We're individuals. So we can all have different voices."
"We all start somewhere. The important thing is that you keep going."
"It gives me a voice. I can share my thoughts in a visual way. And I think that's the most appealing thing in art."
Links mentioned:
Connect with Kalon:
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.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/donnakater
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:
RM Kavanagh is a painter from Ireland who is fascinated and influenced by the dissolving nature of life and the engagement of the inner mechanics of the human structure. “As an artist I delve into the areas in life which are uncomfortable to ponder and I create those ideas on canvas leaving an everlasting stain on the viewer’s mind.”
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/rm
In this episode, RM discusses:
-The story behind the financial crash in Ireland that led to him creating "Groundhog Day" and "Comfortably Numb."
-His reason for using a perspective from underneath the table in "Comfortably Numb."
-Why the "gray areas" in life are important for him to capture in his art.
-How young artists have so many different types of art to choose, that it can often be very confusing to decide what path you want to go down.
-How he has struggled for years with "bad technical skills" and how he has had many good ideas that he didn't want to "waste."
-The value in studying the masters of your creative field to see how they created their work, so that you can take elements and incorporate it into your own.
-His advice to other artists who might not have the technical skills yet.
-A look into his past to see how he first got into painting.
-When there are obstacles in your path, just find a way around them.
-His advice to make as many connections as possible and to put yourself out there as much as you can.
-How rejection could indicate that what you are doing is simply ahead of its time.
-Details about his new show in 2017.
-How he balances his time, especially with the pressure of an upcoming show and a wife and children.
RM's Final Push will inspire you to obsess over your craft to be as unique as you possibly can!
Quotes:
"I think we sweep a lot that goes on under the carpet to protect ourselves as human beings."
"If you hit your fears head on, you become a stronger person."
"I like to capture the moment that people are not focusing on."
"I needed to experience all these types of art to see what direction I wanted to go down."
"I have a lot of good ideas, and I didn't want to waste them on bad technical practice."
"I'd live with an idea for at least a year or so, and if that idea stays within my mind, I know it is a strong idea to pursue."
"You have to strip back everything to the bare bone and try to build it back up again."
"I always find that when an obstacle is put in front of me, it makes me try harder to overcome it."
"You'll get rejected. Everybody gets rejected and that's something you have to become familiar with. Just embrace it because it never ends throughout your career."
"You don't have to be the best. You just have to be unique."
"Every hour you're not honing your craft is a step further away from your passions."
"I would paint some paintings in my head before I would paint them. And then it's easier to paint them because the job is half done because I'd figure out some of the technical problems."
Links mentioned:
Twilight: Photographs by Gregory Crewdson
Connect with RM:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Casey is an accomplished Director and Producer in film & TV, but she is now dedicating her life to inspire entrepreneurial mothers to live their dream while sneaking ice cream behind her children’s back. And to do this, she has created a new podcast, “Women With Balls… In the Air.”
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/casey
In this episode, Casey discusses:
-How she got her start as a PA at Nickelodeon in New York City, but she realized quickly that she wanted to be in the field rather than stuck in an office.
-Why she started her podcast, "Women With Balls ... In the Air."
-How she wanted to be a dancer, but then realized that she might be better at something else, which is what drove her to TV & Film.
-One of her best creative moments when she was sick and had to finish a project for class, but still enjoyed doing it (and got an A).
-How she got to shadow Martin Scorsese and how even he is vulnerable and needs self-reassurance.
-One of her most unenjoyable times in her career when she sold out.
-One of her best moments, when she was able to direct for the first time.
-How she loves to learn and then teach others what she has learned.
-The beautiful affirmation that she often receives that show her that she has made the right decision and that she is going down the correct path.
Casey's Final Push will make you realize that you are the only person in the entire world that can express your unique idea and story.
Quotes:
"It was one of those defining moments. 'This is what I have to do.'"
"We're all creatives together and we all have fears. That never stops."
"I think everyone should sell out just once in their career because it teaches you so many lessons."
"I learn and then I teach. I learn and then I teach. I learn and then I teach."
"Motherhood is really difficult if you're already living your dream."
"There is no one that is going to give you a chance. You have to go out there and get the chance yourself."
Links mentioned:
Women With Balls... In the Air (iTunes)
Connect with Casey:
Ashley Elliott has done her art her entire life and has always wanted to be an artist, just never kept up with it -- until she started painting regularly in 2013, when her father became fatally sick and she needed a way to release what was going on inside of her. She started taking her work to Philadelphia and never stopped. And today she is recognized as a Philadelphia artist.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/ashleyelliott
In this episode, Ashley discusses:
-The appeal of Philadelphia and why she keeps going back
-The allure of chasing the rabbit down the rabbit hole and seeing where your art ends up taking you.
-Some of the synchronicities that she has experienced and how they make her feel.
-How artists don’t choose what they draw, but the art chooses them… and for her it is people.
-One of her first moments in sixth grade when a teacher inspired her to keep pursuing her talents as an artist
-How she always tries to encourage people to do whatever they want to do because life is too short.
-How you’re more insane to think that you can’t do something.
-How things can get a bit more difficult when money gets involved with your art, but how to effectively handle that.
-How her art is always evolving and teaching her about herself.
-Even when she paints other people, it is like she is painting a piece of herself and what she is feeling.
-How important it is to take time to do art for yourself, even when your art is a business.
-One of her best moments, during her first RAW Artists show, and seeing people appreciating and admiring her work.
-How achieving your dreams is often as easy as saying “Yes, I am going to do this” and then doing it.
-Her opinion on RAW Artists and how it can be a great way for new artists to “come out.”
Ashley's Final Push will inspire you to believe that you can do it with all of your heart and soul, and then just go for it.
Quotes:
“Coming from a really small town I wanted to take my art to a bigger city.”
“Every artist has their own thing that they paint or draw or sculpt and it’s almost like they didn’t choose it – it chose them.”
“When you start believing in your art, it will keep evolving and it will start getting people’s attention and it will start shining through.”
“Whether you’re gonna let it out of you or not, you’re an artist. If you let it out, it’s going to evolve. It’s going to take you places. It’s going to create magic in your life.”
“I wanted to know, deep down inside, how my art made other people feel.”
“The coolest thing ever is to watch other people look at your art and feel something completely different than what you felt when you made it.”
“I think that a lot of artists do that – they take a lot of bad things and turn it into something great.”
“You won’t even have to try. It will keep taking you places as long as you just say ”Yes” and believe in it.”
Connect with Ashley:
Ben Lopez is an artist/illustrator/tattooer from Melbourne, Australia, who creates amazing, visionary work.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/benlopez
In this episode, Ben discusses:
-How he tries not to define himself as an artist.
-How psychedelics have helped to inspire him and shape his art.
-How he tries to let his art do the talking for him, and how he tries to tap into all of his experiences and put it into the art.
-How he had already made the decision in high school to make art for the rest of his life.
-The importance of finding your own style so that someone can recognize a piece as yours, just by looking at it.
-How an injury changed his trajectory as an artist.
-How he wishes he had more time for his personal art.
-His plan to come to the United States to do some tattooing/traveling.
-What Instagram and social media in general has done for his art and for his career.
-How art and creativity has brought him out of a lot of dark places and it constantly brings him happiness and a sense of purpose.
Quotes:
"I tattoo pretty much full time but I don't really like to be labeled as tattoo artist."
"I just started doodling in all my books and pretty much failed school because I drew on everything and hated everything else."
"I look at it now definitely as a blessing in disguise."
"I do have a struggle and that is balancing what I want to do and what I have to do."
"When I'm really happy and the client is really happy, that is when I love tattooing."
"I want to be better all the time, and that is what's driving me."
"I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for social media."
Connect with Ben:
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Tess Alley is the author of The Divinity Bureau and a Finance Manager for Vacasa Vacation Rentals. She spends most of her days writing and crunching numbers; but when she isn't, she can be found playing 'Resistance' and fulfilling the wanderlust that comes with working for a vacation rental company. Her debut book, The Divinity Bureau, is available now for pre-order.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/tessalley
In this episode, Tess discusses:
-The difference between being a finance manager as a full-time job and a writer on the side.
-Her earliest memories of being creative, and how Harry Potter helped to inspire her creativity.
-How she got the inspiration to write The Divinity Bureau.
-The things that hold her back the most from being creative on a daily basis.
-How you have to sometimes do the "cha-cha" and take steps forwards and backwards to advance your position.
-The importance of scheduling programs like Google Calendar to keep you creative pursuits as a part of your daily schedule and at the top of your mind.
-All about her new book The Divinity Bureau.
-How some ideas can linger for a while before they are finally ready to be put out into the world.
-How the first step is always the most difficult, but you have to just take it and push through the vulnerability.
-The story behind the quotes on her Instagram page.
-How creativity and stories like the Harry Potter series are able to create a connection between people who love them.
Tess's Final Push will help you to realize that you have the same amount of hours in the day as all of your greatest heroes, so use them wisely!!!
Quotes:
"I was so focused on survival that I thought I had to give up on my lifelong dream."
"I think if you're a creative type, you actually have a physical need to create."
"In the end, the book ended up being a giant mesh of everything I've learned."
"I think I cried a little bit when I first saw it on Amazon."
"Even just writing a mediocre book is still a lot of work."
"I think the rewards definitely outweigh the fear."
Links mentioned:
"The Divinity Bureau" by Tess Alley
Connect with Tess:
Stephen is a singer/songwriter who has just released his first album, "Sincerely." In his own words: "My album is a story of triumph, of letting go of all the uncertainty in my head and learning to walk the path of my own heart. “Sincerely” is about realizing how much better this world would be if we all loved ourselves, if we weren’t afraid of being vulnerable and honest. It doesn’t matter who’s president or what technology we invent or what extremists we destroy, the only thing I know is this: There will never be peace if we do not all love ourselves."
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/stephen
In this episode, Stephen discusses:
-A bit about his background and how he came to find himself in Los Angeles.
-How he was the first student of the music school at the University of Miami who also played a Division 1 sport.
-The promise he made to himself at a young age that he would only pursue the things he was passionate about.
-How it's not like doing work, when you are spending time working on things that you love. It's like you get to play.
-The journey that his song "Bullet Train" took him on and the fact that he almost didn't release it.
-How he only started singing three years before the release of this, his first album.
-How you need to think with the heart more than the head, because the head will give you countless excuses why you shouldn't do something for the sake of self-preservation.
-A game he plays with his friend called "Fear Stretching."
-How we are so scared of offending people or not being accepted that we live in a shell, and the more we practice stretching out our fears, the more quickly we can advance to better versions of ourselves.
-The fact that rejection is often times empowering because you can just be yourself without having to worry about other people's approval.
-The tremendous role that his management team at Th3rd Brain has played on his career so far.
-The message of his album Sincerely -- a call to action to make a difference as well as the self-discovery that happened in his life.
-How we distract ourselves with things like The Kardashians because we are afraid of what we are going to find if we look in the mirror too long.
-His music videos for "Crossfire" and "Start a Fire."
-How he has many resistances, but the main one is self-doubt.
Stephen's Final Push will inspire you to DANCE AROUND WITH THE TAMBOURINE!
Quotes:
"Something that has really done a lot of good for me is a promise I made to myself when I was really young that I would really only try to do the things that I really wanted to do."
"Talent is just intense passion discovered at an early age."
"When you put a lot of time into something that you really love, it's not work. It's like you're having fun. You're playing with it."
"I think it was a massive amount of insecurity. I never imagined myself being a singer. I never even sang in the shower."
"If I would ever sing along to a song, I would put on a joking singing voice, because I was scared that people would laugh at my singing voice, like my true expression."
"You've just gotta put yourself out there. It's less a confidence and moreso a carelessness."
"The worst that can happen is not nearly as bad as you think."
"It's the "no's" that help us grow because we realize that the consequence of being rejected is nothing. In fact, the consequence of being rejected a lot of the times is empowerment because you feel more free. You feel like you don't need other people's approval to be yourself."
"The things that we're supposed to do that are going to help us the most are the things that we resist doing the most.
Links mentioned:
"Sincerely" on iTunes / Soundcloud
"Crossfire" by Stephen Official Music Video
"Bullet Train" by Stephen
Connect with Stephen:
Website / Spotify / Soundcloud / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
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:
Stef Azevedo is a nature-trippin' self-taught artist from Seattle, Washington, who has been gracing the internet with her beautiful art for the past thirteen years.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/stef
In this episode, Stef discusses:
-The role that nature plays in her life and how it helps her to recharge and find inspiration.
-How she used to draw all over her homework, and how a teacher suggested to her parents that they get her more involved in art.
-Her realization that she could create and share art at the age of 14, when she found a site where people shared Sailor Moon fan art.
-How there was a period of time in her twenties when she explored other avenues and didn't draw for three or four years, but she ultimately came back when she realized that there was nothing else she wanted to do more.
-How she handled the transition of quitting her full-time job and not having as much money.
-How her break from art led to sadness, but going out on hikes and exploring reinvigorated her creativity.
-Her upcoming solo show on June 10, 2016 at Crimson Graphics Studio in Tacoma, Washington.
-Why she chooses to mostly draw women figures.
-How she balances her time with the many things going on in her artistic life.
-What she does on days when the creative juices are not flowing.
-How fun it is to see the way other people interpret her art.
Stef's Final Push will inspire you to be patient with yourself as you approach your art!
Quotes:
"I would always draw all over my homework and I'd get in trouble for it."
"I did go through a period in my twenties where I did not draw at all for three or four years."
"I weened off of working full time to work full-time on my art."
"I always try to make my women look really strong and confident in my work. They've got it. They're good. They're holding it down."
"Everything takes time. And if you put that time in, you will reap those benefits."
Connect with Stef:
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.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/themainloop
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
Hailing from New Zealand, Li Chen is the creator of Extra Ordinary Comics (or Exocomics) which is a weekly slice-of-life webcomic based on her life with her partner Jordan, and her cat Shoelace. With her fun and quirky comics, she has gained a steady following of fans and supporters and has published three collections of her work.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/li2
In this episode, Li discusses:
-All of the advantages that formats like Patreon and Kickstarter offer to artists and creative people as opposed to the "old way" where he power was in the hands of the few.
-How she sometimes goes through periods of creative burnout where she hates everything that she does.
-How she handles the stress and agony that comes from bouts of creative burnout.
-Her most triumphant creative moment, and even that had its stressful moments.
-Her favorite comic thus far, "Fast and Curious."
-How art and creativity allow her to communicate with the world in a way that she wouldn't be able to otherwise.
-One of her drawings of Comic Li being chased by a goose that really united her fans in a hatred for geese.
-How she enjoys capturing little moments, especially ones that can be universally understood.
Li's Final Push will inspire you to use your finite time on Earth
Quotes:
"Every now and then I get creative burnout, where I go through this period where I just hate all of my work and I feel like my best work is behind me."
"Creative burnout is not something you can just lie in bed, drink lots of fluids, and just get over."
"Every time I finish something, there's a bit of creative triumph."
"I really like capturing little moments."
Links mentioned:
-Yotsubato! Vol. 1 (Amazon)
Connect with Li:
Website / Store / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon
Hailing from New Zealand, Li Chen is the creator of Extra Ordinary Comics (or Exocomics) which is a weekly slice-of-life webcomic based on her life with her partner Jordan, and her cat Shoelace. With her fun and quirky comics, she has gained a steady following of fans and supporters and has published three collections of her work.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/li
In this episode, Li discusses:
-How many children love to draw but eventually lose their passion, but she just kept going.
-How and why she started Extra Ordinary Comics.
-Patreon and Kickstarter and how they helped her to release her collections.
-The notion of authority figures that we envision as the gatekeepers that hold us back from doing what we want to do.
-How she still sometimes feels like an imposter who just found herself in this situation.
-How her style has changed over the years and how looking back at the older comics sometimes makes her cringe.
-How she is grateful that, when she was starting out, she was somewhat ignorant to the amount of improvement that she would undergo in the next few years.
-Her process of creating a comic and how long it takes her.
-How she likes to go to a local park in order to get ideas, and how she sometimes has to trick her brain into thinking it is not there to do work.
-The inspiration and knowledge that we can learn from children.
-What it's like to have Jordan in her corner.
-Her initial hesitancy to start a Patreon campaign and what it has been like for her since starting it.
Quotes:
"I always thought that I'd have to wait until someone with authority would contact me about it."
"It was a really amazing and challenging year of my life, going from never doing anything like that before to having published two books and then actually going to a library and seeing them."
"The idea of just quitting my day job without knowing what's coming next was very scary."
"I think the thing that has always held me back is my mindset about the so-called "authority figures" or people that can tell me that I can do the thing that I want to do."
"When I look at my old comics it makes me cringe."
"If I knew then how bad I think it would be now, I don't think that I would have continued. I definitely had a very nice force-field of stupid protecting me."
"For my whole career, I definitely want to look back at my work and cringe, because it can only mean that I am progressing."
Links mentioned:
-Yotsubato! Vol. 1 (Amazon)
Connect with Li:
Karan Bajaj is a #1 bestselling Indiannovelist with more than 200,000 copies of his novels in print, bothoptioned into major films. Karan'sfirst worldwide novel, The Yoga of Max's Discontent, will be bepublished by Random House on May3rd' 2016. The book was inspired by Karan's one year sabbatical traveling from Europe toIndia by road and learning yoga and meditation in theHimalayas. Karan hasalso worked in senior executive roles at companies like Procter& Gamble and the Boston Consulting Group and was named among AdAge's "Top 40 Under 40 executives" in the US.
Fullshownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/karan
In this episode, Karan discusses:
-The "4, 1, 4" rule and how it helped him to thrive, not only inhis career, but in his life.
-His "conscious goal-lessness" during his time off, especiallywhen he is so driven during his working years.
-His advice for someone who struggles to get to the point ofrealizing that they are already equipped for life and don't need toconcentrate so hard on improvement.
-The idea of taking mind- or self-dissolving vacations, whereyou actually try to change and better yourself as a person asopposed to simply going to a new location.
-How he kick-started my meditation practice with a 10 day silentvipassana retreat and how a vipassana retreat is actually quiteaccessible for anyone who is interested in trying it (it'sfree!)
-How his 10-day silent retreat helped him to see that he hadbeen in a constant mode of wanting, or feeling as if hewas 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 youto realize that you really don't need much in your everyday life tosurvive and it helps to make you stronger when facing toughsituations.
-The benefits that his retreat gave to his creativity.
-His suggestion to always start with concentration-basedmeditation approaches.
-What to do when other thoughts begin to creep into yourconsciousness while you are meditating.
-The joy and inspiration that comes from seeing yourself on ahero's journey. Even if you don't reach the goal, the act oftrying is a success.
-How art fixes the world for him.
Karan's Final Push will inspire you to SHUN
COMFORTfor a period of time in order to be a happier and more
creativeperson in the long term.
Quotes:
"What I have learned through this period is that my sabbaticalyear has to be almost the complete antithesis of my workingyears."
"I'm always shunning this idea that I have to constantly bebetter than who I am."
"I just try to operate with this idea that I am complete and Ihave enough depth to tap into, versus wanting to be more than Iam."
"You can't help but to be different after those ten days."
"It's not like some instant moment of enlightenment. Youstart understanding the endlessness of our thought waves."
"I almost feel that every artist is creating out of a sense thatthis world is incomplete and they need to create a more completeand idealized version. Art fixes the world for me."
Links mentioned:
TheYoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj
"My 4,1,4 rule, or why you shouldn't feel thepressure to become an entrepreneur" (From Karan's blog)
Your Creative Push Ep. 2: Approach the first brushstroke with ENERGY (w/ Karl Mårtens)
Connect with Karan:
Emily is a humble illustrator currently wandering Brooklyn. She was featured in CMYK Magazine as an up and coming illustrator once, and she thinks that was pretty cool. But these days she has been hiding in small venues and drawing the musicians playing there, in attempt to grow roots in the artists community. She posts the drawings on Instagram under the name Narkolator, which is a meaningless made-up word that she should probably change soon.
Full
shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/emilynew
In this episode, Emily discusses:
-How she got started drawing musicians during their live performances.
-How putting the drawings on Instagram led to many unexpected connections.
-How other bars liked her images on Instagram, which led to more venues for her to check out.
-Her advice for people who might like to keep their drawings to themselves instead of sharing them on Instagram or trying to sell them on Etsy.
-How her drawings of musicians is sustainable for her, and she doesn't need to have a gimmicky thing like drawing Queequeg for 31 straight days.
-The fact that the things that you post on Instagram don't have to be fully armed with hashtags. They can just be things that you want to selectively share.
-How people quickly notice when you are creating art for other people instead of a self-serving agenda.
-How drawing at the Jalopy is like a form of weekly therapy for her.
-The "trades" that she has gotten for her art, even if the trade is as simple as a communication with her favorite artists.
-How easy it is to tell when someone is starting something in an attempt to make money.
-The value in "planting seeds."
-What art and creativity brings to her life.
-The importance of being a person of value to other people.
Emily's Final Push will help you to realize that
your artwork is a lens.
Quotes:
"You just have to find that one specific thing that's very sustainable."
"It's very sustainable for me to do this thing. It's just had a lot of impact on my life, but it's something that I would do naturally."
"There have been times where I draw something and then I post it on Instagram but maybe it's not for everybody in the world to find."
"It's almost like therapy to me. I don't have to think about anything in the world right now. I don't have to think about my job where I actually punch in. I can just sit here and just draw what I see."
"My more successful drawings have been because everything has been coming from just the truth that happened in that instance."
"The payoff for me is that I can say 'Hello' to my favorite musicians every week."
"When I decided to start living for other people, that's where my artistic voice started coming from."
"I realized I'm going to make art anyway. It's just a natural tendency. But if I work on my relationships, maybe it's not so artistic, but art seems to come from it anyway.
Connect with Emily:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr