Pascal Campion is a prolific French-American artist, illustrator, concept designer, character designer and animator whose clients include: Dreamworks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Disney Feature, Disney Toons, Cartoon Network, Hulu, and PBS.
Passionately inspired by his wife and kids, he is best known to his tens of thousands of fans and followers for “Sketch of the Day”, a ritual of drawing a new image first thing in the morning from his home studio in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/pascal2
-How he started his "Sketch of the Day" project.
-His advice to anyone struggling to do the work every day, to take it one step at a time.
-How if you are impatient with your art, it is something that you can work on with your daily practice.
-The importance of finishing a drawing, because your brain starts to recognize the beginning, middle, and end of creating a piece of art, and if you don't finish the piece, you don't recognize those landmarks.
-How as you create art and get better, your goals change as you continue to learn more and more.
-How many of his less-favorite pieces end up being more popular than the ones he loves the most.
-How you can compare yourself to other talented artists, but they might be comparing themselves to you as well.
-His advice for people who might be afraid to draw or paint everyday scenes.
-A story about the time he watched a duck for 20 minutes.
-How when you are younger you want to be someone else, but as you get older you grow to accept who you are.
-How hard it is when you are young (or even older) and you are told to “be yourself,” when you don’t know exactly who you are.
-The beauty of being able to recognize that you are changing as an artist and a human being.
-Being able to let go of things you are good at for the sake of progressing, especially if those things found success.
-What it is like for him to get into the “zone,” and how it is like deep-sea diving.
-When he gets into a flow state, how it feels as if he is a conduit for something else, and how he is just there to help it along.
-The importance of staying physically fit and the relationship that it can have with your art and creativity.
"I have a hard time doing an image without telling a story."
"After a few minutes, I have this nervous energy where I just want to get to the end really quickly."
"Patience and the amount of time that you can sit down and draw is something that you can work on. It's like running. It's like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the better you get at it."
"If you don't finish a drawing, you don't get those landmarks in your head."
"If you actually put yourself through the paces of finishing a drawing, your brain is going to create a grid: This is the beginning, this is the middle, and this is the end. You'll have an idea of the trip that you're going to be taken on."
"Always finish your drawing. The more you finish, the more you understand the whole process and the easier it is to get it done. If you keep starting and not finishing your drawings, you will never get the map in your head of the amount of work it takes to get a drawing done."
"I get incredible pleasure from creating images. Even if they are bad, the actual process of it is fun to me."
"As long as you enjoy it, it's going to show in the drawing."
"When I turned 30, things got a whole lot easier in my life because I wasn't trying to become something else anymore."
“The more you keep saying you’re going to do something when you have time, the less likely you are to do it.”
“There’s no better time than NOW to do what you want to do.”
“The ME of ten years ago would not do the same drawings as me now, even if we were at the same technical level.
“My best days of drawing are often when I’ve done a lot of physical exercise.”
Website / Shop / Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr / Twitter
Matt Madden : Website / Facebook
Amber Kane is an educator, textile designer, entrepreneur, and stellar day dreamer. She received her Art Education degree from Messiah College, and earned her masters in Creativity Studies from Union Institute and University.
She taught high school Art for 8 years in the public school system, while running her textile design business on the side. While teaching she learned that our schools are teaching creativity and dreams right out of our students, while developing an obsession for empty standards.
In 2015, she resigned from her public school position. She now teaches online AP Art and Art History courses for PA Homeschoolers, works part time at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and creates one-0f-a-kind textiles.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/amberkane
-Her first years working as a teacher, and the pushback that she was getting from the school.
-Her decision to quit her teaching job and move into an abandoned home.
-The early process of getting settled in the new situation that she had “flung herself into.”
-Her realization that she needed a safe space to process the last eight years of her life.
-How her textile design business started.
-The power in being a teacher and a working artist.
-How she is still surprised that she was able to convince her husband to move into their “Freedom House.”
-How she wrote herself termination letters in order to reassure herself that she couldn’t be fired for her ideas.
-How she reestablished her reasons for being an art teacher at the beginning of each school year.
-The power in telling other people your plans, even before you are fully convinced that you are capable of executing those plans.
-How she created The Unstandardized Standard.
“I think it’s actually been within the last six months that I started to feel comfortable using my voice again.”
“I realized that I could not get my daily actions to line up with my ‘Why’ anymore and that was a clear signal that I needed to get out of there.”
“If it feels really hard but you still want it, then that needs to be the thing that you put all of your focus and energy into getting.”
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter
Paul Adshead is a Hat Wearer, Beard Owner, Crazy Golf Enthusiast, and Peanut Butter Fan. On the rare occasions he's not
doing photography, he loves being outdoors, blind drawing, eating carrot cake and people watching.
Paul also uses old, out of date film in even older antique cameras to attempt to capture the past as he attends and photographs World War, Victorian and American Civil War events.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/pauladshead
-How he never studied photography or take creative courses academically
-How he has made his transitions slowly.
-How his work is dark and cinematic, and how most clients don’t want that.
-The different types of “darkness” in his work.
-The thought and planning that goes into his shoots.
-How he likes to leave things to people’s imaginations.
-The power of brevity.
-His love for history and the way that he tries to recreate it in his art.
-Using antique cameras and what that does for his process and mindset.
-How he uses his Instagram descriptions to help to add value to his pieces and to give the viewer additional information.
-The relationship that he has with his own Resistances.
-Having multiple projects going at once.
-Using Parkison’s Law to his advantage.
“I personally never like to compromise my style.”
“For me, people’s imaginations is better than any creative out there.”
“I just find the past more interesting than the present.”
“The second you set a date, everything falls into line and the job gets done.”
“The more you do anything, the more chance it will have a positive effect on your life.”
The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind by Richard Wiseman
Amber Kane : Website / Instagram
Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of four books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, and Herding Tigers) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.
Todd is also the host of The Accidental Creative Podcast, which has delivered weekly tips and ideas for staying prolific, brilliant, and healthy since 2005.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/toddhenry
-How the pressure to be creative all day at our jobs can wear and tear at us.
-His discovery in The Accidental Creative that successful people all share many of the same habits and qualities.
-His FRESH method for finding and solving your problems quickly, and managing your relationships, energy, stimuli, and hours.
-The importance of saying “no” to things that you know will drain your energy from the more important things that you intend to create.
-The power of secret work and private victories.
-His advice for people who are starting to consider turning their side hustle into their “main” hustle.
-His new book, Herding Tigers.
“We’re not wired to produce creatively like machines.”
“Which of these good things in my life needs to go away so that something better can be born?”
“What do I need to prune from my life so that I have the energy I need to be able to focus on the more important stuff that I’m tasked with?”
“Cover bands don’t change the world. You have to find your own unique voice if you want to thrive.”
Herding Tigers: Be the Leader That Creative People Need by Todd Henry
The Accidental Creative Podcast
Website / Books / Facebook / Twitter / Podcast
Paul Adshead : Website / Instagram
Born in Brittany (France) in 1976. Virginie Ropars’s figures are in between sculpture, fashion design and illustration, building up visions full of wonders
Virginie's work is shown throughout Europe in art galleries and art shows and also in United States and Russia.
Her work has been featured in many magazines and publications. Her dimensional interpretation of Brom's main character Jack, in The Plucker novel won the Spectrum 19 Gold Award (in 2012), she also received the Spectrum 20 Gold Award (in 2013) for one of her personal work, Acanthophis III.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/virginie
-Working in the video game industry and then shifting to make her own personal work.
-How she considers her first doll to be “monstrous.”
-Her process for deciding which sculpture to make.
-How long each of her sculptures takes and the process that goes into making them.
-Where she gets her inspiration.
-The struggle of having to finish a project when you actually want to be working on something else.
-How excitement for a creative pursuit or project typically translates into the quality of the work.
-Her daily routine and the importance of thinking.
-The danger of repeating yourself instead of innovating if you aren’t constantly feeding yourself with other inspirations.
“It is a lot of experimenting, and I quite like that.”
“It can be very misty how inspiration works.”
“The more excited you are about what you do, the better the work is.”
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Todd Henry : Website / Accidental Creative Podcast
Dave Roberts is an artist out of Las Vegas, NV who makes fine art using the Etch A Sketch. He draws landscapes, architecture, portraits and more, preserving all of his work.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/daveroberts
-His artistic history and how he first started using an Etch A Sketch.
-Finding out that other people were using the Etch A Sketch to make art and then learning from them.
-Developing a method for preserving his art.
-Coming up with a goal to be featured in a gallery.
-Entering (and not winning) a Red Robin contest for a gift card.
-Trying to not get lost in your own negative thoughts.
-Creating accountability by telling people about your goals.
-His decision to achieve his goals despite the fact that all of his previous excuses were still a part of his life.
-Building resiliency by getting knocked down and getting back up again.
-The experience of seeing his dream of being in a gallery come to fruition.
“If things don’t go your way are you going to start tearing yourself down and be your own stumbling block?”
“I hate to say it, but art became this thing that I used to do.”
“Attitude is everything.”
Jordan Peterson - The Curse of Creativity
Website / Facebook / Instagram
Virginie Ropars : Website / Instagram
Daniel Reyes is an award-winning TV producer with nearly 2-decades of experience. Daniel has worked with NBC, FOX Sports, ESPN, DAYSTAR and SYFY networks in the past. The shows he has created have aired on the local, national and international level. Recently, he was in development on a program for HGTV.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danielreyes
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier
Dave Roberts : Website / Instagram
Gwenn is a full-time artist, portraitist, and free-culture advocate. Her beautiful, unique portraits as well as all of her other work is intentionally free from copyright.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/gwennreturns
-Making political art and tapping into the power of anger.
-Attempting to make art for an anti-audience.
-Being aware and cautious of scams in the art world.
-Her tips for promotion and social media.
-The power of taking photographs of yourself doing the work and documenting the act of doing the work.
-Her promotional calendar and the importance of posting something every day.
-How your surroundings and your physical setting affects your art and how you see the world.
-Her advice to people who find themselves disappointed when a potential opportunity doesn’t work out.
-Discrimination in the art world.
“I believe that a truly successful artwork is one that people feel belongs to them more than maybe to you.”
“Location affects us, but it doesn’t have to rule us.”
“You are this new, completely unique thing in the world. Never forget it.”
How to avoid art scams (from Gwenn's blog)
Your Creative Push Episode 26 w/ Gwenn Seemel
Gwenn’s article about discrimination
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Patreon
Daniel Reyes : Website
Shayla Maddox is an artist who uses Light as her medium, along with acrylic, sand, salt, crushed glass, sea shells, garnet, quartz, candle wax, and even cinnamon to create what she calls "light reactive paintings." These paintings change appearance throughout the day, season, and year, and also react into the UV spectrum so that they continue to glow into the night.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/shaylamaddox
-How she decided to make one painting while she was an actress, and how she never looked back.
-Her decision to stop showing at traditional galleries and start throwing her own.
-Some of the things that surprised her when she decided to throw her own shows.
-Her advice for anyone thinking about throwing their own show.
-How she started with her “light reactive paintings.”
-How she is intentionally experimental in her art and always trying to find new materials and new ways to create in order to challenge herself and keep her feeling uncomfortable.
-Her interest in exploring the intersection between science and spirituality and “thin spaces.”
-Some of the frustrations that she encounters when trying to share her work on the internet.
-Her experience with Patreon and how it has encouraged and enabled her to communicate with her audience in a new way.
-The idea of throwing your hat over the fence and then figuring out how to get it.
-Her experience of becoming sick and taking a break from her art (and how she got through it).
-Attending Patrecon and what she learned there.
-The value in following people in other genres and other art forms and gaining inspiration from them.
“I found that the shows that I was throwing for myself were far and away more successful than the shows that the galleries were throwing for me.”
“I loved being my own director and I loved being in charge of my creative vision for my own shows.”
“I’m intentionally experimental in my art and I don’t like to master anything.”
“Go completely nuts. When you have that opportunity when nobody is watching you, you can do anything.”
“The difference between successful artists and unsuccessful artists is that the successful ones just keep going. If you stop, you’ve guaranteed that you failed.”
The Long Game Part III: Painting in the Dark by Adam Westbrook
Gwenn Seemel on Your Creative Push
Gwenn Seemel: Website / Instagram
Legendary tattoo artist Freddy Negrete is best known for pioneering the black-and-gray tattoo style, honed while serving time in a series of correctional facilities during a youth mired in abuse, gang life, and drug addiction.
Freddy was honored with the Tattoo Artist of the Year Award in 1980 and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Body Art Expo in 2007 and his new book, Smile Now, Cry Later recounts his story.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/freddynegrete
-How he was a “troubled youth” and involved in gangs and incarceration.
-How the Chicano subculture influenced him from a young age.
-His experience at Youth Authority and then at Tamarack.
-Working with Good Time Charlie, Jack Rudy, and Ed Hardy and how they influenced his mindset and his art.
-How he approached his tattooing career after incarceration.
-The experience of winning the Tattoo Artist of the Year Award in 1980.
-The mindset of trying to get better with every single piece you create.
-Some of the harder times that he went through and learning from the mistakes that he made.
-Coming back to the tattoo scene with a new focus.
-His renewed commitment to be teachable in all the things that he had missed out on.
-How rehab changed his life.
-The way in which meditation helped him to maintain focus with his art.
-The experience of meeting Steve Jones and writing his new book, Smile Now, Cry Later.
“Ed Hardy’s objective, which became our objective, was to get the world to see that tattooing was a form of art.”
“I came back with this new focus, and I realized that things had really changed.”
“That was the commitment that I made. To be teachable.”
“It’s almost like a new beginning for me.”
“Nothing comes easy. Everything requires hard work and determination.”
“Always fight. Always work hard. And always push forward.”
Shayla Maddox : Website / Instagram / Patreon
Academy Award winner Matthew W. Mungle is regarded as one of Hollywood's premier make-up special effects artists. With over 200 film and television projects to his credit, Matthew has earned accolades and recognition as one of the industry's top masters of makeup effects illusion.
He has been nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Makeup, winning in 1992 for Bram Stoker's Dracula. He has also received 26 Emmy nominations, winning 6. In addition to Dracula, he has also received Oscar nominations for his work on Schindler's List, Ghosts of Mississippi, and Albert Nobbs.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/matthewmungle
-How he initially became interested in makeup effects and some of his initial inspirations including movies and Richard Corson’s Stage Makeup.
-The experience of moving to Los Angeles and his early work in film.
-A walk-through of many of his films including The Guardian, Edward Scissorhands, and What About Bob?
-His experience in working with Tim Burton and Frank Oz.
-His Academy Award win for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and his nominations for Ghosts of Mississippi, Schindler’s List, and Albert Nobbs.
-His advice to young people who are considering getting into makeup effects.
-How he took on the “Oscar Curse.”
-The change that occurred in his work and career after he stopped working from home.
-Learning to delegate.
-His advice to always find a way to learn from your mistakes.
-Maintaining a professional relationship with actors and actresses.
-What he’s up to now, including helping James Glavan with the new edition of Richard Corson’s Stage Makeup.
“I never started my career out thinking ‘I’m going to win an Academy Award.’ I just did it because I love this profession.”
“If you really love what you do, you’re going to be successful. Because you point yourself in that direction and it’s a positive thing in your life.”
“60% is working with people, listening, being kind, and doing your job. And 40% is your talent.”
“I had to learn to let go of some of my idiosyncrasies and demands of myself and put that onto others.”
Freddy Negrete: Instagram / Book
Hannah Faith Yata is half Japanese and was born and raised in a small town in Georgia. She grew up with a deep love of nature and animals passed down by the beautiful surroundings in the country and her mother.
In her paintings, Yata seeks to interweave the parallels of the unconscious with the struggle of the natural environment and how it relates to views regarding the body of the woman and that of nature.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/hannahyata
-Her early career as she worked other jobs while doing her own work in her free time.
-Doing work for B.o.B.
-The role that nature (and human interference) plays in her pieces.
-Her process and the amount of planning that goes into her pieces.
-Magic and synchronicity.
-How you often get rewarded for going after the thing you’ve always dreamed of going after.
-The difference between commissions and personal work and striking a balance between them.
-The importance of surrounding yourself with other likeminded creative individuals.
-Learning from her husband, Jean Pierre Arboleda’s experiences.
-Some of the creative resistances that she faces.
-Not getting too caught up in what other people are doing, but keeping your head down and doing your own best work.
-How to bridge the gap between lack of skill and taste.
“You never want to put yourself in a place that you can’t do your own work.”
“I can’t tell you how many people asked me, ‘Why are you going to college for art? This is a waste of a degree.”
“I feel like half the time you are making things, you’re in a frustrated state.”
“Do your best work. Don’t look at anybody else. Keep doing what you feel is comfortable and right for yourself.”
“I did a lot of work and I sucked at a lot of it, but I kept making it and learning from those mistakes.”
“I really believe in creative people and I think that the world needs more of them.”
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Martin Wittfooth on Your Creative Push
Stuart Holland on Your Creative Push
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Matthew Mungle : Website / IMDb
Nikki Rae is an independent author who lives in New Jersey. She explores human nature through fiction, concentrating on making the imaginary as real as possible. Her genres of choice are mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/nikkirae
-How she started writing when she was 14 and homebound after breaking her leg and having nothing else to do.
-The frustrating and fruitless experience of querying her first novel out to publishers for five years.
-The differences between indie publishing and traditional publishing.
-How independent publishing takes away the gatekeepers.
-Being able to interact with and get feedback from her audience as she is writing.
-Getting burnt out.
-Her strategy of writing for half of the year and promoting for the other half.
-How everyone struggles with imposter syndrome… even Neil Gaiman.
-How she battles her inner editor through word sprints.
“I feel like when I was querying the story, I was asking for permission for my story to be real to people. The more I did it, the more I hated the idea of other people being in charge of what I wanted to put into the world.”
“It’s like two-parts writing and a-million-parts promoting.”
“Rejection isn’t an excuse to not put a book out there anymore.”
“Any creative person that’s good at what they do hates half of what they do.”
“Your world is in your head, and it’s up to you to make it real.”
Metamorphosis Editing Services
Kelly Killagain on Your Creative Push
The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer
Website / Books / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Hannah Yata : Website / Instagram
Megan Carty is a New England-based artist who makes cheerful abstract floral paintings that are uplifting and color-drenched for people who have a flair for bold statements and tailored style.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/megancarty
-How she always knew that she wanted to be an artist or an art teacher when she grew up.
-The seed that was planted in her at a young age to seek praise or to do what her teacher liked rather than what she wanted to create.
-The dangers of comparing yourself to others.
-Some of the trials and tribulations she went through after college, including sexism, 9/11, depression, layoffs, breakups, and struggling to find the right fit career-wise.
-Being appreciative of the negative experiences while you don’t know what brings you joy, because they inform you of what does bring you joy.
-Getting involved with Etsy and the double-edged sword of being able to do anything, but also getting frozen by being able to do anything.
-The important decision to not wait until you reach Point B to be happy, but to attempt to experience happiness today and throughout your entire journey.
-How following your joy leads to finding more joy (and also spreading it to others).
-How she battles negative thoughts and even depression.
-How wishing on a star is a skill we have as children that we gradually lose.
-How artists need to take their creative “medicine” or else they start to feel ill.
-Donald Trump in relation to creativity.
“I just let all of the roadblocks overcome me.”
“I was on the wrong path and I was doing all the wrong things. Everything had to blow up in order for me to get on the right path.”
“I had lost the sense of joy of creating.”
“What is it I want to make, and what is it that makes me the most happy while I’m making it?”
“If you have a creative passion that you’re not pursuing, chances are you’re feeling a little bit negative and sad about it.”
“There’s nothing that can stop me except for my own thoughts.”
“If it’s tickling your heart, then that’s the right thing. Do more of that.”
Matthew Miller on Your Creative Push
Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks
Paul Selig on The Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Justin Hopkins is a talented artist, originally from Mukilteo, Washington.
Yoshino is a photographer, director, and the creator and host of the Artist Decoded podcast.
Together, they created NOH / WAVE, a multidisciplinary creative group located in Los Angeles, Ca.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreatvepush.com/nohwave
-How Yoshino got into photography and what inspired him to start Artist Decoded.
-How Justin and Yoshino met and how they were able to see how they both had similar creative mindsets.
-The importance of recognizing individuals and opportunities that come up for you that are in line with your own philosophies.
-Finding a tribe (or building your own).
-What NOH/WAVE means and what they are attempting to do with it.
-How they are balancing their own personal work while attempting to run this large project.
-Learning that everyone goes through insecurities and other creative blocks at all points in their career.
-Trying to find a way to maintain creative honesty.
-Being adaptable and not becoming a caricature of yourself by doing the same thing over and over again.
“We just realized it’s better together rather than competing against each other.”
“There’s something that happens when you push towards something that you feel you are meant to be doing with as much energy and passion as you can. Things will just start happening.”
“By understanding other people’s creativity, I can understand myself even further.”
“Be honest with yourself and be able to adapt and evolve with the process.”
Justin Hopkins on Your Creative Push
Justin's Website / Justin's Instagram / Yoshino's Website / Yoshino's Instagram
Megan Carty : Website / Instagram
Carrie Waller is a watercolor artist working in a realistic, detailed style. With a background in Interior Design and her studies in Graphic design as well as her time spent living in Europe and Asia have influenced her as an artist. Her unique works are bold, vibrant and dramatic.
She is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, Louisiana Watercolor Society and the Mid-Southern Watercolorists. She teaches workshops and private classes.
Carrie is also a co-host and contributor for the Artists Helping Artists #1 blog radio art podcast.
-How she maintained a creative life with a husband in the Air Force.
-How the movie Julie & Juliet gave her the inspiration to start a blog in which she would do a painting a week.
-Listening to the Artists Helping Artists Podcast and how she eventually became involved as a cohost.
-Taking a watercolor workshop with Paul Jackson.
-The importance of having accountability partners or groups and her own personal group, WAM.
-How traveling has influenced her art.
-How she balances her time with being a wife, a mother, and an artist.
-Dealing with self-doubt.
-What Artists Helping Artists is all about and what people can get from it.
-Being brave and reaching out to other creatives that you want to connect with.
“It’s this friendship and this professional group that has made all the difference in my life. They keep me focused.”
“I move so often that I have to reinvent this community for myself.”
“I have a clear goal and a clear idea of where I want to be so that keeps me motivated and moving.”
Carol Carter on Your Creative Push
Justin Hopkins on Your Creative Push
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest
NOH / WAVE : Justin Hopkins / Artist Decoded by Yoshino
She also writes non-fiction for authors and is the creator of The Creative Penn, which offers information and inspiration on writing, self-publishing, book marketing and how to make a living with your writing through articles, podcast episodes, videos, books and courses.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/joannapenn
-How she felt spiritually empty and creatively dead from her job, yet stuck in the “golden handcuffs” of a job that pays the bills.
-The importance of taking action after you have determined what you want out of life.
-Determining the things that you are going to give up in order to achieve your dreams.
-The experience of writing her first book.
-How she used to think that the only thing worth writing was something that would win an award.
-Doing NaNoWriMo for the first time and how it changed her life.
-Her take on getting ideas.
-Her advice for anyone who is considering doing NaNoWriMo.
-How something good can come out of a writing challenge, even if you fall short of your initial goal.
-Being able to meet other people who are doing NaNoWriMo.
-Some of the struggles she initially had with dictation and her advice for writers who want to try it.
-How your first draft is like producing a block of marble, and the later drafts allow you to chisel away at it to make a sculpture.
-Self-censorship and fear of judgment.
“If you set your mind to it and then take action, you can live the life of your dreams.”
“There are lots of ways to get information and ideas. You just have to tune into the things that are most interesting to you.”
“The temptation for creative people is to do those practical things. It’s much easier to maintain your website or blog or do social media than it is to sit down and do something new.”
“Take that creative push and go create! Make the time and do it because you can absolutely change your life.”
On Writing My First Novel -- The Creative Penn
Website / The Creative Penn / Books / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Carrie Waller : Website / Instagram
Amarilys Henderson is a watercolor illustrator who graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. After mostly working in illustration and painting commissions, she started to paint for the sake of her own sanity. By letting go of the finished product, she began creating "Watercolor Devos" -- a way for her to combine her watercolors with her Christian Devotions.
Amarilys is also a successful and popular instructor on Skillshare.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/amarilys
-Getting back to her art after having her first child and having no expectations from anyone as to what that art should be.
-How she combined her time with watercolor with her time with her Christian devotion to create Watercolor Devos.
-How she initially told herself that she wouldn’t show her new creations to anyone.
-Starting her Etsy shop and her blog.
-Getting started on Skillshare and winning the teacher challenge.
-Her advice for anyone wanting to start their own courses on Skillshare.
-Her advice for anyone wanting to take Skillshare classes to be strategic with what classes they want to take and to also share their projects.
-Some of the resistances that hold her back, such as putting her face to her art/teaching.
-How she balances her time by noticing the rhythm of her week and having lunch with herself on Fridays to recap how things went.
“It makes sense to take what you’re really passionate about and simmer in it with whatever your creative with.”
“I just start painting where I’m at, and then I’m able to think deeper and receive anything else that is going to take me further.”
“You don’t know what you’re good at until you try it.”
“The greatest question you can ask yourself is what makes my heart jump up and what is connecting me to what I really am and what I was made for?”
Website / Skillshare / Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn
Joanna Penn : Website / Facebook / Twitter
Even Mehl Amundsen is an illustrator and artist out of Copenhagen. He is originally from Norway, where he was able to specialize in visual art before living and working in England, Prague, and California, where he worked for such companies as Blizzard Entertainment, Games Workshop, and Volta.
Even is currently a full-time freelancer and is soon releasing his TEGN Book 1, the first of three in the series.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/even
-Going to school in Norway and being able to specialize in visual art.
-Traveling and working in England, Prague, California, and Copenhagen.
-His advice to be aware that your mindset might be incorrect.
-Working a little bit, always.
-How he eased into a drawing-a-day challenge and what it did for his art and his creative production.
-How he purposely sacrificed some of his social life during that year-long challenge in order to find the time each day.
-Why it is important to sometimes be self-centered when it comes to your creative life.
-Letting ideas percolate until they are ready to be put onto paper.
-Allowing ideas to come to you from your life experiences.
-Getting offered a job at Blizzard Entertainment, working there, and what made him want to leave.
-Dealing with the pressures of other people wanting you to do something that you know isn’t the right fit for you.
-His upcoming TEGN Book 1.
-How he lacks a ruthlessness when it comes to working with clients.
-His advice for young artists.
“I never sit down with the express intent of Alright, it’s drawing time, let’s come up with something to do.”
“The drawing process doesn’t start when the pencil meets paper. It starts when I have an idea that I want to put down on paper.”
“Whenever you see something that appeals to you aesthetically, make a note of it, try to figure out why you like it, try to figure out what aspect of it pleases you, and then figure out how you can use that for the creation of your own ideas.”
“The quickest way to get quicker is to slow down. To make choices deliberately and with forethought and intent.”
Artstation / Facebook / Instagram
Amarilys Henderson : Website / Instagram
Bill Logan is an artist who left his career as a commercial illustrator to devote himself to fine art, with a particular focus on drawing, bronze casting, woodwork, and the creation of very intricate sculpture. He has participated in over 2 dozen group and juried shows, 4 solo exhibitions, and has enjoyed a very well received New York debut.
He is also a passionate writer, writing articles about fly fishing and fly tying in the United States, Japan, and Great Britain.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/billlogan
-Switching back and forth between multiple creative disciplines.
-How he has enough ideas and things that he wants to create to last him for 500 years.
-Trying to go in one creative direction, but also trying to take all of the interesting side trips at the same time.
-Looking back on work that isn’t even that old and having the feeling that it is, in fact, old.
-Those rare moments of creative “genius” that seem to come from somewhere else and trusting that they will continue to come through dedication and determination.
-The difficult task of not judging what you are doing.
-Saving your old work.
-The importance of the encouragement of the people that he loves, like his wife and his sister.
-How he balances his time.
-The beauty of “stop days.”
-Some of his experimentation with drawing blind or drawing with his left hand.
-The importance of realizing that your art is at your mercy, you are not at your art’s.
“Sometimes the best work happens when you’ve been so damn stubborn that you haven’t walked away.”
“It’s just dedication. It’s just stubborn determination.”
“There was a period in my life where I tried very hard not to be an artist, but I couldn’t do it. To feel right and whole and as much like me as I needed to be, I couldn’t walk away from art making.”
“If you’re not making judgments or decisions, then what is directing you? How do you move?”
“Do what feels right in the moment, and then allow yourself a whole lot of time after that moment before you decide whether what you did was right.”
“How do you be what you want to be, and also be what you have to be?”
Bird by Bird: some Instructions on Writing and Life by Annie Lamott
Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross King
Even Mehl Amundsen : Artstation / Instagram
Scott Listfield is known for his paintings featuring a lone exploratory astronaut lost in a landscape cluttered with pop culture icons, corporate logos, and tongue-in-cheek science fiction references. Scott grew up in Boston, MA and studied art at Dartmouth College. After some time spent living abroad, Scott returned to America and, shortly before the real life, non-movie version of the year 2001, began painting astronauts and, sometimes, dinosaurs.
Scott has been profiled in Juxtapoz, Wired Magazine, the Boston Globe, New American Paintings, and on at least one local television station. He has exhibited his work in Los Angeles, London, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Miami, Montreal, Boston, just to name a few.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/scottlistfield
-How he wanted to be an astronaut as a child, and how that would later (greatly) influence his art.
-High school art class, and how it took him some time to realize that college art classes could be similar.
-The experience of travelling abroad and not feeling at home, and how that feeling remained with him after he returned to America.
-Watching Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and how that influenced him to use an astronaut as his protagonist.
-How he could have never expected the astronaut paintings to last as his subject matter for so long.
-How and when inspiration strikes him.
-The obligation that he sometimes feels to cover current political issues.
-The importance of getting out of your everyday routine if you are lacking inspiration.
-His daily struggle of not having enough time in the day to do everything he wants to do.
-How he was nervous about running out of ideas once he became a full time artist (but found the opposite to be true).
-His advice for balancing a full-time job with your own personal artwork.
-Building a routine out of your creative passion.
-The amazing tool of the internet and social media.
“I felt like I had been tossed into the deep end of American pop culture and I didn’t feel at home or comfortable.”
“There’s this idea of artistic inspiration. The artist is usually wearing a beret with a pipe in their hands, staring at a blank canvas, saying ‘Aha!’ And that is never the case for me.”
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Tumblr
Bill Logan : Website
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Just a quick one today, asking you to please consider donating what you spend on one cup of coffee, once a month.
So much of my time, effort, and money is required to keep this show going, and it is starting to really add up. And with sponsorship not yet panning out, I need your help in order to keep up the quality and quantity of episodes that you are used to.
If the podcast has helped you to get to your creative passions, please consider becoming a Patron.
It will go a long way to helping out the show, and it will make me love you more than I already do.
Thank you so much for your support, and thank you even more for getting to your creative passion every single day and making the world a better place!
<3 Youngman
Glen Phillips is an American songwriter, lyricist, singer and guitarist, who is best known as the singer and songwriter of the alternative rock group, Toad the Wet Sprocket.
This episode features songs from Glen's latest solo album, Swallowed by the New, which is available everywhere music is sold (and links below).
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/glenphillips
-The story of how Toad the Wet Sprocket started.
-How he originally wanted to be a teacher and didn’t think that he had the ego or the thick skin to be a professional performer.
-His thoughts on religion, spirituality, and his desire to reclaim the word “God” for himself.
-The importance of being grateful.
-The singing circles that he is taking a part of and the sense of community that it has brought to his life.
-His take on the purpose of music and how it is not about one person singing and everyone else listening.
-His attempt to be vulnerable and share his pains so that it can act as a tool for other people.
-How he felt miserable for years in the role of provider that he put upon himself.
“In some ways it’s everybody’s dream and it’s everybody’s nightmare because you’re getting up there and bearing your soul in front of people and allowing them to judge you.”
“Life gives you the coursework you need, not the coursework you choose.”
“I just feel a great compulsion to give thanks.”
“Everyone came in here, ready to wake up and the music is serving as this solvent to take away all this stuff that’s secreted over everyone’s soul and kind of free them up for a moment.”
“Music is not about being the star. It’s about sharing and losing yourself in the song and ceasing to exist for a moment and realizing that you are a part of something larger.”
“The happiest people I know are the hardest working.”
Swallowed by the New [iTunes] [Amazon] [Physical]
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Scott Listfield : Website / Instagram
Jake 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/jakeparkeragain
-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.
"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."
Society of Visual Storytelling (SVS School)
You Need a Product, Not a Project e041 (Jake's YouTube channel)
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / YouTube / Tumblr / Store
Glen Phillips : Website
Shawny Sheldon is an artist who is inspired by nature and quirky whimsical stuff.
She forged a path for herself as a high school art teacher, and she has been teaching for twenty five years. She is also the creator of Lily the Hedgehog.
Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/shawny
-Her poor eyesight as a child and how it affected her as an artist.
-Some of her other early influences like her father, water, New York City, and the great masters.
-The experience of going to California.
-The decision she made when faced with the choice between the commercial route and teaching.
-Her decision to forge forward with her goals, even when people told her that she couldn’t find a job as an art teacher.
-The influence that teachers and professors have and why they shouldn’t be discouraging.
-The fears that she had in starting her Instagram account and participating in Inktober.
-Creating Lily the Hedghog, and how she became a symbol of strength.
-Learning to let go of perfect.
-Her creative relationship with her son.
-Some of the most important messages she attempts to teach her students, not just about art, but about life.
“I was just set in my way that this was what I was going to do. And I did it!”
“If you are supposed to be doing something, you can feel it in your body.”
“Teachers have great power. And they can abuse it.”
“When things don’t go right in your life, it’s actually a new opportunity for you to reinvent something or for you to be better at something.”
“Perfectionism is not about being meticulous. It’s about fear.”
“You woke up in the morning. You’re here. You have a gift. You have the gift of today.”