Chasing Creative

Join us in this last episode of Season 1 as we chat all about creative breaks, setting goals for yourself even during the slow seasons, and strategies for handling your online life when you're actively avoiding the online world. Whether you're a brand new listener or have been with us from the beginning, we can't thank you enough for joining us in the conversation here on Chasing Creative!

Click here to sign up to be notified when Season 2 launches. (We promise we won't spam you with emails all summer---we're on a break, too!)

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Edgar

Unroll.me

Inbox Pause

Boomerang for Gmail

“Don't Carpe Diem” post by Momastery

Coffee + Crumbs blog

Tip from Abbie: Listen to podcasts and/or audiobooks at 1.5 speed

How and Why to Clean Out Your TBR List on Ashley's blog, and the original post that inspired the cleanout, How to Spring Clean Your Goodreads TBR Pile from BookRiot

Coffee + Crumbs podcast (Start with the episode about potty training!)

Freakonomics (Abbie recommends the episodes about the gender pay gap and the economics of sleep.)

Lazy Genius podcast with Kendra Adachi

#Createlounge podcast with Kayla Hollatz

Hope*Writers podcast

Uniquely Woman podcast

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Euphoria by Lily King

“It’s kind of crazy that we have goals for our break.” --- Abbie

“I don’t know that I’ve given myself a true creative break since I started blogging in 2014.” --- Abbie

“I feel this desperation to enjoy the summer and I get really resentful of things that take me away from that. I try to drop as many projects as I can that I can’t do outside.” --- Ashley

“There’s just these tiny little things that distract you from the things that are actually important to you.” --- Ashley

“Think of one thing that distracts you and figure out how you can turn off that one thing for a little bit.” --- Ashley

“Reading isn’t supposed to be essential. It’s supposed to be fun.” --- Abbie

Website: www.brookseditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Website: www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Aliza Latta is a twenty-one-year-old writer, storyteller, artist, and hand letterer. She is a huge fan of both courage and ice cream, and we like how she thinks. We chatted with Aliza about her art, where she gathers her inspiration, why she chose not to go to college, and how choosing her own creative path has helped her find her passion.

Here’s where to find Aliza:

Website: www.alizanaomi.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/alizalatta

Instagram: www.instagram.com/alizalatta

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/choosebrave

Facebook: www.facebook.com/alizalattawriter

Here’s where to find Ashley:

Website: https://www.BrooksEditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Here’s where to find Abbigail:

Website: https://www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Mini Book Club:

The Passion of Mary Margaret by Lisa Samson

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Room by Emma Donoghue

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Caine

Resources in this Episode:

Boomerang from Google

Inbox Pause for Gmail

Quotes from this Episode:

“It helps when you love it, because then it doesn’t feel like work.” - Aliza

On Blogging: “I don’t know what my tagline would be. We’re always growing, and I want my blog to be a representation of that.” - Aliza

“I feel like as I get better at the business side of thing, I step back and think ‘You are not doing anything creative’.” - Ashley

“It can be a hard struggle between being the responsible business-y individual and also creating things that you want to look back on.” - Abbigail

“I am a very all in person.” - Aliza

“I am really, really happy with the choices that I have made.” - Aliza

“There’s no one success metric for everyone.” - Abbigail

“I’m often trying to figure out why I feel certain things.” - Aliza

“I realized that the only reason I would accept this book deal was to say that I had a book deal…. It was this tangible thing that showed my worth. That’s not a good enough reason.” - Aliza

“If there is one thing we are learning from this conversation is that there is no balance, anywhere, in life. There is just a lot of give and take and lot of different season and you just have to go with it and do whatever is in front of you at the moment.” - Ashley

“I worked, I saved, and I went.” - Aliza

“It’s always awesome when you can find the place or the ritual where you are like 'OK, now I can be creative.' ” - Ashley

Sarah Woolworth is the blogger behind Wisconsin from Scratch and a cofounder of Wisconsin Whisk, a collective of Wisconsin-based food bloggers. Sarah is a former engineer turned culinarian. We're excited to chat with her about finding her creative passion as an adult, starting a collective with other bloggers, managing a schedule filled with several creative projects and a young baby, and where she finds her cooking inspiration.

Website: http://wisconsinfromscratch.com/

Twitter: twitter.com/wifromscratch

Instagram: instagram.com/wifromscratch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinFromScratch/

WI Whisk Website: http://wiwhisk.com/

Website: www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Website: www.brookseditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Trello

Asana

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

*A Series of Unfortunate Events* by Lemony Snicket

An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee

Will It Fly by Pat Flynn

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Euphoria by Lily King

“I did the big scary thing: I took a leap and left my engineering job

“Cooking was a creative outlet when I was in this world of things

“I still have [cooking] disasters. I don’t think you ever grow out of

On managing a schedule with a baby: “Coming to terms with the fact

“Some days won’t be

“Cooking does help me feel more like a normal person [after having a

“Starting to do a CSA helped me get more creative with cooking.” ---

Stephanie is a freelance graphic designer with a passion for all things creative. Since graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015, she’s worked for numerous businesses, bloggers, and other creatives, bringing brands and web designs to life, and has even freelanced for dream clients like Target. On weekends you can find her with her cameras, and while she loves design, her true loves in life are her family and stuffed-crust pizza. She believes that creativity is essential for living a full life and that everyone is creative - and we agree. We couldn’t wait to speak with Steph about being a work at home mom, choosing graphic design over radiology, and being married to someone just as creative as she is.

Here’s where to find Steph:

Website: https://www.behance.net/schammer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imstephhammer

Instagram: http://instagram.com/imstephhammer

Here’s where to find Ashley:

Website: https://www.BrooksEditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Here’s where to find Abbigail:

Website: https://www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Mini Book Club:

On Being a Photographer by David Hurne and Bill Jay

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Elegantissima: The Design and Typography of Louise Fili

In Progress by Jessica Hische

Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

Quotes from this Episode:

“I like to think that I am more of a creative person before a person that has a specialty. It makes me feel like I can do anything.” - Steph

“I still ask Santa for art supplies.” - Steph

“I remember being so happy that I had made something and it had made me happy, and that someone else also found joy from it.” - Steph

“I just wanted to create and share with people and improve their lives.” - Steph

“It was so hard, but it was so worth it. I loved what I was doing… I remember sitting back and thinking, if I could do this for the rest of my life, I would be so set.” - Steph

“It’s not always going to be rainbows and butterflies, but if it’s the thing you love doing you are going to take the good with the bad.” - Ashley

“I’m going to be 100% real with you: I don’t know.” - Steph

“I am going to be a mom, because is what I always wanted to do. And I’m going to be a designer, too, because there is no reason I can’t.” - Steph

“I am doing what I love and it gives me energy.” - Steph

“That’s when my work becomes stressful, when I try to do things while [my daughter] is there.” - Ashley

“[creative work] is as important as taking a shower, for me.” - Steph

“There’s a turning point in blogging where it goes from being a hobby to being a job and it can get really stressful.” - Ashley

“I make sure that I am always having good stuff coming in.” - Steph

“I know how I work and I know how I get my ideas.” - Steph

Erica Layne is the mom of three behind Let Why Lead, a place for purposeful women. Listen in as we chat with her about finding your why as a creative, living by your values, and being intentional about self-care and wellness.

Website: http://www.letwhylead.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/letwhylead

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LetWhyLead

Website: https://www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Website: https://www.brookseditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Tsh Oxenreider's post that inspired Erica's search for her "why": Neither Poverty Nor Riches

Erica's post on reducing noise: 9 Practical Ways I Reduce Noise in My Life

Erica's post on productivity: How to Detangle Productivity and Your Self-Worth

Erica's post on self-care for moms: 24 Self-Care Practices for Mothers

The Lively Show podcast

The Unmistakable Creative podcast

The Happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Love Does by Bob Goff

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

The Wild Diet by Abel James

“If you focus on why you’re doing what you do---the things that really

“I’ve broadened my definition of creativity to include anything that

“Who are your creative ventures for?” --- Erica

“A lot of people in my real life don’t know how much my online writing

“Learning to live by your values and guard those and let go of the

On self care: “It’s a lens of loving yourself and taking care of

“Now I feel like I’m living this life I designed instead of a life I

“Being very specific about what I choose to spend my time on has

“It’s such a skill to be able to sit with your own thoughts and find

Amy has played with wearing many hats over the years - artist, designer, blogger, freelance journalist. But at the root of all of this lies two things: a passion for travel and a creative, free-spirited soul. She now combines all of the above as the creative director for a luxury travel company headquartered in Miami, Florida, with 43 additional offices in 34 countries around the world. We chatted with Amy about how she makes travel a priority, what it’s like to run an Instagram hashtag that stretches around the world, and how the building blocks of her career led her to a dream job.

Here’s where to find Amy:

Website: https://www.amylynnehayes.com

Blog: https://www.creatricemondial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/creatricemonde

Instagram: https://instagram.com/creatricemondial

Here’s where to find Abbigail

Website: www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Here’s where to find Ashley

Website: www.BrooksEditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Mini Book Club

Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

Rising Strong by Brené Brown

The Urban Monk by Pedram Shojai

Essentialism by Greg Mckeown

Anything by Sharon Kay Penman

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory

Anything by Ann Rinaldi, especially Time Enough for Drums and The Last Silk Dress

Amy’ Three Things To Have for Planes:

iPod for books; Noise-cancelling headphones; Eye-mask

Abbie’s standing desk: https://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-elite

Abbie’s Book-reading tip on iPad: Turn on airplane mode! Battery lasts longer, no notifications to interrupt your reading. :)

Quotes from this episode:

“All of those different things led you to this one dream job.” - Abbigail

“It literally took me a year to realize that travel was the thing that combined it all.” - Amy

“It just worked out - that could be the motto of so many creative people.” - Ashley

“I’ve tried everything… the thing that sticks may not be the thing that you wanted to do originally.” - Amy

“It’s about trade-offs. If you want to travel, you may not be able to go shopping every weekend.” - Amy

“Location independence is not Instagram feed-worthy all the time. You are still going to be working really hard.” - Amy

“When you are doing something that feels right and you’re not getting that resistance that feels so discouraging, it doesn’t really feel like work. You are doing stuff and you are busy, but it’s not the soul-sucking busy of ‘I’ve got to tick these things off the list.’ ” - Amy

“Everywhere you go, McDonald’s will have WiFi.” - Amy

“I love being able to put something out there and connect with people.” - Amy

“I didn’t want all the pressure of creating all the content.” - Amy

“When I’ve traveled, I have met up with people all over the world that I’ve met on Twitter.” - Amy

“If you want to do the creative work, something else in your life is probably going to have to go.” - Ashley

Jenny Bravo is the self-published author of These Are the Moments and the blogger behind Blots and Plots, a motivational blog for readers and writers. We're chatting with Jenny about being intentional with your time, balancing creation with consumption, building the dreaded author platform, and crappy first drafts.

Check out Jenny's website, Blots and Plots, for plenty of writing resources. Don't forget to download your free book at Jenny Bravo Books! You can also catch Jenny on Twitter and Instagram.

Website: www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Website: www.brookseditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

“If you want to write a novel, you really should be writing something

“Once I made the decision to write something I knew and was confident

“You’re not going to learn how to write a novel until you’re actually

“[Writing sprints on Twitter] really motivated me to get the writing

“If you want to actually make all these things happen, you’re going to

“If it’s something you really want to do and you really care about,

“We can’t always be consuming stories if we ever want to create our

“If I’m writing a book, I’m not going to be reading another

“Just have some quiet time where you can be with your own thoughts and

“Consuming too much content can really put us at a disadvantage when

“I like to put in at least an hour of work/writing time per day.” ---

“Being honest and having conversations with the people in your life.

“Being by other people gives you new ideas and new perspectives.” ---

“Everyone has a unique experience and relationship with the world. I

“Our first drafts are just going to be really awful . . . After I got

“If you don’t at least start something, you’re never going to be able

On blogging: “I never wanted to be teaching people things that I

“Instead of focusing on ‘How do I build this big following?’ focus on

“Those are my two main things: Having a website where people can find

Now and Again by Jennifer Ellision

Vinyl by Sophia Elaine Hanson

Secrets Don't Keep by Elora Ramirez

Write without Crushing Your Soul: Sustainable Publishing and Freelancing by Ed Cyzewski

The Charismatics by Ashley R. Carlson

The Color of Water in July by Nora Carroll

Amber Thomas of Mr. Thomas and Me is one of our internet favorites. She’s genuine, geared for engagement, and so, so smart. We chatted with Amber about all the projects she has going (hint: it’s a lot of awesome), how her creativity changed as she experienced the loss of her father to dementia, and how she uses the internet in ways that keep her inspired.

Here’s where to find Amber:

Blog: http://www.mrthomasandme.com

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AmberThomasMakes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrthomasandme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrthomasandme/

Confetti Community: https://www.instagram.com/confetticommunity/

It Begins Here: An Anthology that features Amber’s art and words

Here’s where to find Ashley:

Website: https://www.BrooksEditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Here’s where to find Abbigail:

Website: https://www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Mini Book Club:

The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

Quotes from this Episode:

“I’m comfortable online.” - Amber

“I’ve tried to put myself in a box like that so many times and it never works. It burns me out.” - Amber

“Blogging is my hobby. I make zero dollars doing it. So it’s only going to be what I love to do.” - Amber

“My creativity is that spastic, frenetic kind of energy. I have to be intentional with my time.” - Amber

“If you are feeling like you aren’t making progress in any area, try batching tasks.” - Ashley

“My brain doesn’t volunteer to line up things for me.” - Amber

“We pulled ourselves back into a very sacred space.” - Amber

“I’m allowed to talk about myself and my story, but not at the expense of anyone else.” - Amber

“I don’t ever want the private expense to be greater than the public good.” - Amber

“It’s wonderful when your giftedness aligns with doing something for other people.” - Abbigail

“Creativity is really hard to grow when you are in the middle.” - Amber

“You just have to start again.” - Amber

“Find that one beautiful moment of each day.” - Abbigail

“It’s great to know what drags you down personally so you can unfollow it.” - Ashley

“Be intentional: what do you want your life to look like? You have to make your online life look like that. FOllow things that get you closer to that point.” - Abbigail

“I’m not using the internet right if when I leave it I am angry with myself.” - Amber

Josiah and Jenna are newlyweds navigating the waters of making space for creative projects and taking big creative leaps. Josiah works in marketing by day and makes music by night while Jenna is a full-time creative as a self-employed photographer and blogger. Together, they recently released their first debut album for their band, Settling Houses. Join us as we chat about finding space in the margins for creative work, tackling a big creative project together, taking leaps of faith in your creativity, and dealing with the awkwardness of self-promotion.

Check out their band, Settling Houses, on Bandcamp!

You can find Jenna at her photography website or her food and lifestyle blog, and you can also catch her on Facebook and Instagram.

You can find Josiah on his website, Twitter, Instagram, and Soundcloud.

Website: www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Website: www.brookseditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

“Music has always been something I’ve loved doing and haven’t had to

“It’s really been the last three years that I’ve realized I can do

“I’ve had to schedule creative time more than I’m used to.” ---

“We owe it to our spouse and our families to be the best person we can

“It was just trying to find the small available moments to work on

“Eventually those five minutes added up and it actually happened.” ---

“You can do big things in small amounts of time. You just have to be

“Having somebody you’re accountable to is important.” --- Jenna

“I needed to be okay with him going off and working on his creative

“I’d rather just be in my own head and write stuff instead of telling

“You care so much about what you do that when people are criticizing

The Luminous Portrait by Elizabeth Messina

Not Fade Away: A Short Life Well Lived by Laurence Shames and Peter Barton

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Today we are chatting with Jessica Lawlor. Jess is a communications professional, writer, personal branding expert and speaker in the Philadelphia area. After six years in the corporate PR world, Jessica left her job this spring to run her own communications agency, blog, and brand, and to teach yoga. We chat about her time management now that she is self-employed and how yoga brought new inspiration to her life.

Here’s where to find Jessica:

Website: http://jessicalawlor.com

Yoga: http://jessicalawlor.com/yoga/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jesslaw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicallawlor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicallawlor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jessicalawlor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalawlor

Snapchat: @jessicalawlor

Here’s where to find Ashley:

Website: https://www.BrooksEditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Here’s where to find Abbigail:

Website: https://www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Mini Book Club:

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

Ask Gary Vee by Gary Vaynerchuck

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Quotes from this Episode:

“I have no deadlines, which is a good thing AND a bad thing.” - Jessica

“I’m still trying to do my most creative writing first thing in the morning.” - Jessica

“You have a chance to get that first energy burst out on whatever is most important.” - Ashley

“Having that set amount of time forced me to only work on what was most important for that day.” - Jessica

“Online work expands to fill up the time you have available.” - Ashley

“I’m trying to be gentle with myself, knowing that I have all these hours ahead of me in a day.” - Jessica

“I do my creative work in the morning and my afternoons are a little more social.” - Jessica

“The definition of Getting Gutsy is stepping outside of your comfort zone to live a life that makes you truly happy.” - Jessica

“Emailing people to be guests on this podcast have been some gutsy moments for Ashley and I.” - Abbigail

“It’s worth sitting down to write even if you never get a book deal.” - Ashley

“It’s much, much harder to sit down and do the thing that you are passionate about. But the key really is in getting started.” - Jessica

“Those goals I have for a couple of years down the line start with writing tomorrow’s blog post.” - Jessica

“Sometimes ideas can be exhausting.” - Abbigail

“I have found so much creativity through my yoga class and through my yoga teaching.” - Jessica

“It doesn’t seem to matter where you are at, someone else is in the same place.” - Abbigail