303. Harnessing Creative Flow: Steven Puri’s Journey from Hollywood to Tech

In this episode of Creative Chats, host Mike Brennan speaks with Steven Puri about his journey through the creative process, from his early experiences in high school to his work in the film industry and his transition into tech with the Sukha Project. They discuss the importance of tenacity over talent, the role of luck and opportunity, and the significance of intention in daily practices. Steven shares insights on overcoming procrastination and the value of surrounding oneself with the right people to foster creativity.

3 Key Takeaways:

🎨 Foster Creative Environments – Steven highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and environments to cultivate creativity, whether you’re mopping floors in Spielberg’s office or running your own project.

🎨 Progress Over Perfection – The real predictor of success isn’t raw talent, but tenacity. Steven shares his personal experiences with setbacks and explains how consistently showing up and learning from failure is what drives long-term growth.

🎨 Intentional Focus Leads to Flow – Success hinges on regularly setting intentions and breaking goals into manageable pieces. Steven discusses practical strategies, including how his Sukha platform leverages science-backed tools to overcome procrastination and build momentum in creative work.

Episode Highlights:

• Steven’s first creative spark as a teen reporter and the importance of communicating within constraints

• Behind the scenes in Hollywood: learning how true creative problem-solving happens on high-pressure film sets

• The “other thing effect” and why creative breakthroughs often arise when juggling multiple projects

• Why Steven left a dream job in Hollywood for the world of tech startups—and what he learned from failure

• Building Sukha: how to defeat digital distractions and get your best work into the world

Links and Resources:

• Steven Puri & The Sukha Project: thesukha.co

• Email Steven directly: [email protected]

• Books/Resources referenced:

  • “The Net and the Butterfly” by Olivia Fox and Judah Pollack

  • “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

  • “Deep Work” by Cal Newport

Free Resources & Community:

• Mike Brennan’s Creative Resources & Daily Creative Habit Journal: mikebrennan.me

 

Inspired by Steven’s story? 

Subscribe to Creative Chats and leave us a review! Your feedback helps creative voices get heard. Ready to jumpstart your own creative journey? Explore resources, join our Facebook community, or take your next step with the Daily Creative Habit Membership at mikebrennan.me. And don’t forget—creativity thrives when you set your intentions and surround yourself with the right people. Keep creating!