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
Jake Parker is an illustrator who has worked for 15 years on everything from animated films to comics to picture books. He is the creator of the Missile Mouse graphic novel series published by Scholastic, and he has worked for Blue Sky Studios, creating sets and environments for feature films like Horton Hears a Who, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Rio, and Epic. He now freelances out of his home studio in Utah.
Full
shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jakeparker
In this episode, Jake discusses:
-A bit about his personal life and what he is currently up to.
-Why he started SVS School, who his target audience is, and what you can learn there.
-Some of his earlier memories of drawing.
-How his parents and teachers were very supportive as well as his friend's mom, who was a painter.
-How doubt, comparing himself to others, time restraints, and over-committing to things are the main things that sometimes hold him back.
-How sometimes he compares himself to other people who are doing other careers and making lots of money, but then he remembers the freedom and joy that drawing gives him.
-How he gets through negative thoughts and battles through his resistance.
-The influence that both his wife and God play in his life, especially when he feels lost or discouraged.
-One of his hardest moments creatively, which actually came as a result of accomplishing one of his lifelong goals.
-An e-mail that completely changed his perspective when he was feeling like Missile Mouse was not having an impact.
-If you are taking on a large personal project, making sure that you create an appropriate balance with all of the other things that are important in your life, such as family, friends, and work.
-Making a large project into a marathon, not a sprint, and chipping away at it.
-The importance of rewarding yourself as you reach milestones.
-Finding a way to create accountability with self-imposed projects.
-How he balances his time, by making sure that everyone knows what is expected of them and being able to be flexible.
Jake's Final Push will inspire you to COMPLETE
SOMETHING, even if it isn't perfect.
Quotes:
"For this little artist kid, there was all this opportunity and I just ate it up."
"If I faced any resistance then and now, it's always been self-imposed."
"I think being an artist as your career choice is probably the hardest thing you can do to make money."
"Yea. I could be sitting there on the beach, thinking, Man, I wish I was drawing."
"Life is hard enough as it is with everything that people are doing, and I'm happy to provide a place for someone to escape to when they need. And that's what keeps me going."
"It doesn't work to have accountability to yourself. Because yourself knows all your excuses and sees the validity in them and will give you a pass."
"You need a final product, you don't need a project."
Links mentioned:
Society of Visual Storytelling (SVS School)
You Need a Product, Not a Project e041 (Jake's YouTube channel)
Connect with Jake:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / YouTube / Tumblr / Store /
Blanca is an artist from the Bronx, New York, but currently residing in Clarksville, Tennessee. She is a RAW Artist and a member of DAC (downtown artist co-op) and she received a BA in Art Studios with a concentration in painting at the University of South Carolina. And she will be showcasing her work as a vendor at three different events during the month of June.
Full
shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/blanca
In this episode, Blanca discusses:
-What RAW is and how she became a part of it.
-How organizations like RAW allow artists to spread their wings and show their work in other cities and towns without as much risk.
-The Downtown Artist Co-Op and how she became a part of that.
-The start of her educational journey in interior design, with a program that let her down.
-The next leg of her journey attempting to become a teacher.
-Another barrier that showed up that held her back from being a teacher, but how she was able to pivot in a new direction.
-Her plans to open her own gallery.
-Her advice to anyone who doesn't have the time or can't afford to go to college to be an artist.
-All of the free resources available to everyone, like the library and the Internet.
-How when she was working three jobs, she was unable to "love" her studio because she was too tired.
-Her decision to take her life into her own hands and go get a job having to do with art that she loved.
-Her constant desire to ask, "What's next?" after accomplishing a goal.
Blanca's Final Push will inspire you to embrace
rejection and know that you can keep trying, even if you have to
pivot.
Quotes:
"The program let me down."
"I've noticed that a lot of people make you feel silly when you think of going to college to be an artist."
"It's so weird when you try to actually tell a person that you want to be an artist."
"With all these dilemmas in my choices in school, it really affected who I was as an artist."
"This is a beautiful blessing and gift that you have. If you know how to make art, do it and don't let anyone tell you not to."
"If you are an artist, say 'I am an artist.' Don't say 'I'm an aspiring artist' or 'I do this on the side.'"
"Stay self-motivated, even if nobody believes in you."
"I was totally lost. Just making money and surviving."
"If I hadn't taken all those tiny little baby steps, I wouldn't be here. And I'm happy here."
Links mentioned:
"How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul" by Caroll Michaels
Connect with Blanca:
Website / Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Shop
Alex Hofeldt is a high school science teacher from Illinois and is the creator and host of Beautiful Dust Specks, a podcast designed to show the world the wonder and motivation in Science.
In this episode, Alex discusses:
-How spending money on the podcast helped to motivate him to keep doing it.
-The value that can come from scaring yourself a little bit every day.
-How like a cell, you adapt to the situation you find yourself in, and how the people around you can oftentimes bring you down.
-How creative people can resonate with each other because they realize how we need to help lift each other up.
-The importance of holding onto the people that do resonate with what you are attempting to do, and ignoring the haters.
-How 28/30 students can be completely enthralled with what he is teaching, but he will only be paying attention to the one or two that aren't paying attention.
-How his most "astounding fact" is how the deeper and deeper you go into science, the more you see how EVERYTHING is connected.
Alex's Final Push will inspire you to move inch by
inch and remain DYNAMIC!
Quotes:
"There's no greater time to be creative. Period."
"For me the fear of not doing it outweighed the fear of doing it."
"I think regrets have some power that you can muster and you can wield it for good if you don't let it bog you down."
"Just do it wholeheartedly. Whatever it is you're going to do in life, just dive into it."
"Scare yourself. Try to do something every day that's just a little freaky."
"If you move inch by inch, increment by increment, moment for moment towards a goal, you are moving. You are dynamic."
"You have infinite possibilities, no matter what anyone tells you. These cells that make up me, Michael Jordan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, are all the same cells, just put in different environments. So go find your environment. Seek it out. Search for it vehemently. Aggressively go after the things that make you smile."
Links mentioned:
Are You a Miracle? On the Probability of Your Being Born (Huffington Post)
The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God by Carl Sagan
The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance by Steven Kotler
We Are Here: The Pale Blue Dot (YouTube)
The Most Astounding Fact - Neil deGrasse Tyson (YouTube)
Connect with Alex:
Alex Hofeldt is a high school science teacher from Illinois and is the creator and host of Beautiful Dust Specks, a podcast designed to show the world the wonder and motivation in Science.
Full
shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/alexhofeldt
In this episode, Alex discusses:
-How he became interested in podcasts and podcasting.
-Some of the fears that held him back from initially starting "Beautiful Dust Specks."
-The students that really encouraged him to create the podcast.
-How one of his missions is to be a better teacher than his bad teachers growing up.
-How the Hubble Ultra Deep Field Image inspired him to go on a rant which led to a yearly speech he makes in his school.
-The inspiration that comes from being his kids favorite teacher.
-Trying your hardest to ignore the haters and embrace the lovers.
-How humans are the only creature in the animal kingdom to have creativity.
-Flow state and the science behind it.
-How everyone has their creative muse or their creative bug, even if it differs from "traditional" art forms.
Quotes:
"The older and older I get, the more and more I dig it, so I just decided to throw that out into the ether and see what goes down."
"I just got out of my own way finally."
"I want science to be a part of people's lives and maybe I'm a conduit for it."
"Part of being a human is running with whatever creative experience you want to get through. If something speaks to you, make it happen."
"One of the best things about being a human is creativity."
"I think that everyone has their Muse if they're willing to look for it."
"What singularity are you going to start? What are you going to kick into motion just to see what happens?"
Links mentioned:
Are You a Miracle? On the Probability of Your Being Born (Huffington Post)
The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God by Carl Sagan
The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance by Steven Kotler
We Are Here: The Pale Blue Dot (YouTube)
The Most Astounding Fact - Neil deGrasse Tyson (YouTube)
Connect with Alex:
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.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/yliana
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.
Quotes:
"Music is the way I can express myself in the best way."
"Music for me is my healing tool."
"I think I found myself some sort of balance."
"First of all you need to believe that you can do it."
"We all have a different way of learning. We all grow in a different rhythm."
"Just let that little light from the end of the tunnel shine through and guide you to create something."
Links mentioned:
"How Music Works" by David Byrne
"Who I Am" by Pete Townshend
Connect with Yliana:
Website / Facebook / Crutz / Crutz on iTunes
Pierre is a concept artist born in Paris and currently living in Montreal, Canada. He worked in the video game industry for five years before switching to animation. And after eight years in the industry as a concept artist, his goal is to explore and propose a wide range of possibility in creating universes.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/peah
In this episode, Pierre discusses:
-His personal projects and how he finds the time and motivation to get them done while still maintaining his job.
-The importance of finishing a project, and how it is much more difficult to finish something than to start it.
-How he got started with his project "Smokey Town," and how it is evolving.
-How he was contacted by Daniela Fischer and how they were able to collaborate.
-The fact that nobody will know that you might need help in a specific area unless you put yourself out there and ask for help.
-How something you might perceive as a "failure" might really be some other success in disguise that leads you somewhere else.
-His background that led him to want to create universes.
-Setting a timer for five minutes to help motivate him to do work and to take some of the pressure off.
-How drawing and painting is like a sport, because it is in daily practice and training that you can progress and get better.
-A difficult time when he developed a rare disease, and how it made him realize what he wanted to be spending his time on.
-How your worst moments often times end up becoming your best moments.
-How he loves art because of the range of creativity that it can allow, both intuitive and cerebral.
Quotes:
"I think the key with personal projects is to find something you really love to do."
"Starting something is good, but finishing it is better."
"You can tell stories in still illustration in only one picture."
"It's like a sport. You have to practice it on a daily basis to get better."
"I really see drawing and painting as a sport. It's in the daily practice that you see big changes."
"The love of drawing gave me strength and confidence."
"Finding a subject you love is the most important thing."
"I learned from this episode to be confident with my art and not to worry too much about things that don't matter that much. Because what matters is what you love and that is the only thing to be focused on."
"Failing and success is exactly the same thing as long as you learn from it."
"When I struggle with my art, I see it as a way to learn more than a failure."
"What I love about art is that you can go to all of those places with a pencil."
Links mentioned:
Connect with Pierre:
Carrington Schaeffer is a writer of creepy children's fiction and a member of the all-girl vintage vocal jazz quartet, The Tonettes. She is also the host of the podcast “Honestly, Dear Listener,” which is a podcast that aims to seek answers to the question of why so many of us let fear and insecurity keep us from creating.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/carrington
In this episode, Carrington discusses:
-Her reason for starting her podcast, "Honestly, Dear Listener."
-How she is a mom who needs to have her own creative pursuits, or else she ends up getting frustrated.
-The importance of giving up on perfectionism and control of what other people perceive of you.
-How being honest and open about your struggles allows for true art and expression to thrive.
-How celebrating the small victories is more important than the grand gestures.
-Her intention for publishing her actual voice memos in her podcast, and how scary it can be to put the "owchies" out there.
-The notion of addressing editor/fear that tells you to not do certain things in a kind way, so that it will "take a nap" and leave you alone.
-A transformative experience during a piece of performance art that she performed without a plan.
-Some of the other things that hold her back, including the fear of people pitying her as well as the fear of failure.
-Redefining what failure is, so that you can celebrate the small victories as they come.
-The importance of getting out of your own way.
Carrington's Final Push will inspire you to tell your inner critic and fear to TAKE A NAP!
Quotes:
"I started the podcast because I needed an outlet."
"I'm a mom who really needs to have her own pursuits and identity that is separate from the mom title. And I have found that if I don't honor that part of myself, I get really, really frustrated and I'm actually a worse mom."
"I think the thing that I've had to learn is to be gentle with myself."
"I'm happy when I can sit down and write a paragraph. To me, that is winning. And that is to be celebrated."
"It doesn't have to be perfect. It just matters that you start."
"Everyone has the editor that screams 'DON'T DO IT, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THINK YOU ARE AN IDIOT!'"
"Some of our most transformative art comes from spontaneity and is generated by saying 'Fear, thanks but no thanks. Take a nap.'"
"Because of the fear of failure, there's no room for experimentation, which is huge in art and creating art."
"It's almost like you get in your own way and you need to step out of your own way to be able to get the gift that's within you out."
Links mentioned:
Connect with Carrington:
Clay Cook began his creative career in the music industry, and after 10 years, his passion had leaned towards photography, cinematography and graphic design.
Constantly collaborating with fresh designers, national models, filmmakers and other photographers, Clay has built a reputable name as an award-winning internationally published photographer and filmmaker, specializing in editorial and advertising photography.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/claycook
In this episode, Clay discusses:
-How he got started with photography, transitioning from his music career.
-The importance of having a good logo and good flyers for bands, as perception is reality.
-His suggestion for any creative person who is looking to dabble in other creative fields as well as the field they are already pursuing.
-How "playing around" or investigating other creative pursuits can really help to prevent burnout.
-How the pre-production elements that come into play end up taking so much time away from the actual act of taking photographs.
-The parties that he threw when he was just starting out, where he would shoot his friends on a cloth background.
-How the impressive quality of images that he was able to capture with the DLSR got him excited to keep shooting.
-When he started "going for it" with photography, he wasn't completely sure of the exact path he would be taking, only that he would find a way to be successful.
-His advice to just keep shooting, because the more you shoot, the more you fail. And we learn by failing.
-The importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone, because if you are comfortable, you are most likely not growing.
-How he used to immerse himself in YouTube videos and tutorials in order to learn everything he could about photography.
-How to balance a job that you hate with your creative passion.
-His unwavering desire to be his own boss and the sacrifices that came with making that decision a reality.
Clay's Final Push will inspire you to be obsessed with your work and never give up.
Quotes:
"Perception is reality in the music business."
"The beauty in creativity is that it covers a whole wide umbrella of different topics."
"For me, photography was just as fulfilling and rewarding as music was."
"I think you have to stick to your passion, but dabbling in those other areas doesn't hurt at all. And it will only improve your self-satisfaction."
"I spend more time in a pre-production state than I do in a production state or a post-process production state."
"I would throw parties just to shoot friends on a cloth background in my little office that was a 5x5 room. It was almost a closet that I was sticking these people in and photographing them."
"I didn't care who I shot or what I shot. It was just so exciting for me."
"The biggest piece of advice I can give to someone just starting out in photography is just to shoot. Because the more you shoot, the more you're going to fail, and the more you fail, the more you're going to learn."
"You have to really be obsessed with your craft."
"I always want to be outside of my comfort zone."
"I've seen a lot of photographers get worse over the years because of the fact that they never truly step outside their comfort zone."
Connect with Clay:
Website / Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube
Suzanna is a painter who lives and works in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where her husband, daughter and dog hang out on the first floor, while she, her paintings, and her cats exist on the second floor. Sometimes they get mixed up, but they all survive with just a few minor scratches.
Suzanna believes that beauty is oxygen. We don’t need to worship it, but to deny it’s vital importance is naïve. Life is sometimes hard, but it is always, always beautiful and her painting is the purest expression of the beauty that exists within her.
http://yourcreativepush.com/suzanna
In this episode, Suzanna discusses:
-Her earliest memories of being creative.
-The time her mother posed the question to her: "What is happiness to you?"
-How happiness for her, is working and staying busy creating.
-Her slow shift into becoming an artist, as her original dream was to be a dancer.
-How everything she had been building in her life disappeared, but how great she actually felt about it after getting over the shock.
-How you can "hack life" more as you get older and how she would never want to go back to her 20's or 30's.
-How there are legitimate things in life that we have to do that can get in the way of our creative pursuits, but too often we use them as our excuse.
-The idea that the subconscious mind is an elephant and the conscious mind is an ant, and no matter how determined the ant might be, it can not move the elephant.
-The importance of aligning the conscious and subconscious parts of your brain so it isn't like trying to push an elephant.
-How it is difficult to be in a vulnerable place with your art for multiple hours a day.
-How she teaches the same technical skills to her students, but some of them flourish while others get caught up in the excuses.
-How many of us continue to be uncomfortable in our life situations until it hurts too much.
Suzanna's Final Push will inspire you to be kind to yourself and JUST START!
Quotes:
"I feel that I almost subconsciously took myself to that place where everything had to be ruined so I could start over again."
"Painting is hard. It is really hard."
"'How can I go paint? There's nothing for dinner!' And you're thinking about that at ten in the morning."
"'I don't have time' is the worst of myths."
Links mentioned:
"Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert
"Your Elusive Creative Genius" - Elizabeth Gilbert's TED Talk
"The Art of Asking" by Amanda Palmer
How to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind to Get What You Want w/ Dr. Cathy Collautt (YouTube)
"RESOLVED: 13 Solutions for LIFE" by Orrin Woodward
Connect with Suzanna:
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Ron has stood at the crossroads where so many musicians find themselves – at the intersection of record label and independence. In an ever-evolving industry filled with rejection and compromise, he has plotted a new course for his music to reach loyal listeners, taking the industry-road-less-traveled in exchange for the ultimate payback, a league of devoted fans the world over (and I am one of them).
He has sold over 2 million singles to date, he averages 15 million spins a MONTH on Pandora, and his songs have been streamed over 120 million times. His songs have been featured on “The Voice,” “Vampire Diaries,” 90210” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”
His latest album “Ron Pope & the Nighthawks,” is available everywhere music is sold.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/ronpope
In this episode, Ron discusses:
-His creative origins and how he got to the point he is today as a songwriter and musician.
-His involvement at the inception of “The District.”
-How he writes such a large quantity of songs because he knows that not all of them will be good enough to make a record.
-The belief that if you want to be a songwriter, you just have to sit down, shut up, and write songs.
-How he doesn’t really believe in writer’s block. It is just accepting that some of the stuff you write will be garbage.
-The importance of working harder than everyone else if you want to excel to the highest level of your creative field.
-One of the times that he was having a very difficult time writing a song, and then all of the sudden he was struck with the song in its entirety.
-How doing the hard work every day and getting used to what the work feels like puts you in a better position to capture inspiration and put it into its “physical” form, even in just one take.
-The role that music played in his life when he was younger to make him feel more connected and less alone.
-The profound connection that comes when people play his music during special events.
-How his song "I Do Not Love You" played a special role in Youngman Brown's life as his first dance at his wedding.
-How art is subjective and it doesn’t matter what the artist thinks about it once the viewer or listener has given it his or her own meaning.
-How hard it is to comprehend large numbers of listenership, and the power that comes from one-on-one connections.
-What he has been up to creating and touring his new album Ron Pope & the Nighthawks.
Ron's Final Push will inspire you to choose to do the thing you love
Quotes:
“That songwriting circle was really the difference for me. If I hadn’t joined that group, I don’t know if I would have been able to become a professional songwriter.”
“I just feel like I’m not good enough to sit down and write ten songs and have all ten of those songs be bangers and have that be the record.”
“For my last album, Ron Pope and the Nighthawks I wrote 150 songs. We recorded 40 of them or so to get to the 11 that we have on the record.”
“Really almost everything is like this. If you want to do it, and you want to do it at a high level, you’re going to have to work harder than everybody else.”
“It was like I got hit by lightning. It was into my brain immediately. The song in my bones just existed. The whole thing. The melody, the lyrics, the chords, the whole thing.”
“You put yourself in a much better position to have chance favor you if you do the right kind of work.”
“It made me excited when I stumbled upon music that made me feel something. It made me feel much less alone.”
“I very rarely share the stories behind my songs because I want you to take them home and make them your stories.”
“It’s still a really powerful feeling to know that whatever you’re creating is a part of people’s lives.”
“For me it’s the singular achievement of my life as an artist.”
“You’re going to have to work hard on something eventually whether it’s something you choose or something that people make you do, so if you have to pick, you might as well work hard at something that you love.”
"It's worth it to work hard on things that you love."
Links mentioned:
Connect with Ron:
Website / iTunes / Spotify / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube
Andrew Salgado is a Canadian figurative painter who lives and works in London and has exhibited his work around the world. His paintings are large-scale and incorporate elements of abstraction and symbolic meaning. He is featured in books, is the subject of a documentary (Storytelling), and his work will be displayed at his latest exhibit, The Fool Makes a Joke at Midnight, which will be in New York City from May 7-28.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/andrewsalgado
In this episode, Andrew discusses:
-How he fell victim to the clutches of London.
-How he incorporates things around his studio and from his life into his artwork and anything that is around him is "fair game."
-How he approaches his paintings in a fluid fashion and being as flexible as possible.
-The importance of having fun when you paint and to enjoy the creative process.
-The dangers that can come when you try to emulate your favorite artists too closely and how it can start holding back your personal style.
-The fact that art is a marathon not a sprint and how young artists expect too much too soon.
-How every artist's definition of success is different and what his personal idea of success is.
-How money, or the promise of money, almost always affects an artist's creativity.
-The idea of a debut being an experience in which you reveal your art for the first time.
-The power that comes from seeing art in person.
-How he has a trusted few people that he will show his work to, because otherwise too many opinions can derail his creative process and make him think too much.
-How attempting to make the perfect piece of art is a beautiful thing to do, despite it being a futile pursuit of perfection.
-Bjork as an artist.
-The significance of the title of his latest gallery, The Fool Makes a Joke at Midnight.
-The power of social media, but the disservice that it does for viewing art.
-How figurative painters are treated as though they haven't evolved to a higher understanding of aesthetics like abstract painters do, and how angry it makes him.
-How the beauty of art happens when you really push yourself outside of what is comfortable.
Andrew's Final Push will inspire you to work twice as hard and worry half as much!
Quotes:
"I think of myself as a scientist tinkering about in a laboratory."
"If it's in the studio, it's fair game and it can end up in a painting or it can end up inspiring a painting."
"I let the paintings take me on a ride as opposed to getting frustrated when they aren't going the way I want them to go."
"As soon as I started letting the paintings tell me what direction they wanted to go, I became stronger."
"Whatever you need to do to make yourself a stronger artist -- go for it."
"The more we experiment and nurture our processes and don't feel bad about our processes, we can reach higher levels of painterly transcendence."
"Art is about process, and it is a lifelong process."
"People can make casual comments that can really unhinge the creative process."
"As artist, we totally know when that painting isn't sitting right."
"What I am trying to do with my work is learn how to reevaluate the figure through the language of abstraction."
"I'm trying to make my works challenging for myself to create them and I'm trying to make my works challenging for my viewer to receive them."
"If you think you know what you're doing with too much conviction, you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough."
Links mentioned:
The Fool Makes a Joke at Midnight (Andrew's exhibition)
Connect with Andrew:
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.
If you missed Part 1, you can listen here.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/philipruddy2
In this episode, Philip discusses:
-The importance of his clients being sober when coming in for treatment so that they aren't "unconscious" during the process.
-Why creative people rely on drugs or alcohol to subdue their minds from the constant thoughts, and healthier ways for them to disengage.
-An extremely disheartening experience that he went through in the past, which helps him to relate to his clients today.
-The journey that he took after having his original screenplay taken, which led him to becoming a psychotherapist.
-His masters thesis on transcending writer's block based on Active Imagination.
-The concept of the "wounded healer."
-His advice for someone who wants to open a dialogue with his or her blocks.
-How the subconscious part of your psyche that will hold you back from doing work will often have insights that your conscious mind isn't aware of.
-The importance of creating a friendly and welcoming dialogue with your block and treating it like a guest in your house.
Philip's Final Push will inspire you to go forth on your Hero's Journey!
Quotes:
"I found that after that experience, I really began to shut down as a writer."
"I just looked around and I thought I have found my tribe."
"Going into film production is kind of like the French Foreign Legion. You can literally work 24/7. That job is never over."
"I went through it myself -- that is why I'm able to help others."
"Sometimes the most effective healers are the ones that have been injured themselves."
"Don't invite your critic in while you're creating."
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)
Connect with Philip:
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.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/philipruddy
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)
Connect with Philip:
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!
Quotes:
“It was quickly evident that photography would morph into the thing that I would continue to pursue.”
“I could just pretend that my camera was a friend standing in front of me and sharing my insights, my failures, my successes – anything I had going on at the moment and do that really vulnerably.
“I think the moment that we accept our weaknesses and turn them into strengths, then we have control over those things.
"To me, self-portraiture is the best way of expressing who I am and being able to do that in the most genuine way while keeping control of the whole creative situation."
"Art is the best way of understanding yourself and the better we understand ourselves the more fulfilled our lives can be."
"Every single time I put pen to paper or I pull out my camera, it's that question of "Who am I now? Who do I want to be? And how will I portray that? And that is the biggest gift."
"It's fine if who you think you want to be turns out to not be true."
"Whatever you feel you need to be doing in your life, do it. Forge your own path and let others follow in your footsteps."
Links mentioned:
-Promoting Passion Convention!
Connect with Brooke:
Jessie is an award-winning blogger, screenwriter, and freelancer who just published her first novel DEAD RINGER. She also created and runs the monthly storytelling series, Sunday Night Sex Talks, which features racy tales by real people and offers a No Boys Allowed as well as a Co-Ed version of the show.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jessierosen
In this episode, Jessie discusses:
-Her background before she got into all of her varied creative pursuits.
-How and why she started Sunday Night Sex Talk and the differences between the Co-Ed and No Boys Allowed versions of the show.
-How she still gets nervous about having a sex talk show
-The "vow of silence" that all of the people at the show agree to take.
-How many of the first shows were only attended by a handful of people and how she was able to power through that discouragement.
-Her suggestion to people who are starting out with a very small audience, to ask people for help.
-The power in asking for specific help and knowing what to ask when reaching out to others for assistance.
-How she started her blog because she wasn't given any assignments and still wanted to create a body of work so that she might be given a chance once people saw that she could write.
-Her inspiration for writing "Dead Ringer" and the challenges that it presented to her.
-One of her useful tactics to get more things done, by purposefully giving herself less time to finish a project so that she doesn't try to make it too perfect.
-Her strategy for balancing her day as well as her time in general.
-How putting too much pressure on yourself ends up leading to zero productivity.
-How working on more than one project at one time is not necessarily a bad thing, as you can flip flop and remain fresh.
Jessie's Final Push will inspire you to spend the small amount of time NOW so that an EXPLOSION of ideas might be sprouted.
Quotes:
"I'm still nervous to have a sex talk show."
"We would have shows where there were five people in the audience."
"It does take time, and also really believing in it."
"I try to make the blog about coming of age at every age."
"I was just a girl who wanted a byline and nobody would offer that opportunity
"Blogging has been this way for me to consistently develop and find and re-find my voice. Because my blog writing is as pure me as it gets."
Links mentioned:
"Dead Ringer" by Jessie Rosen
"Daily Ritual: How Artists Work" on Amazon