Creative Curiosity

Charles is an artist predominantly known for graffiti work, however nowadays he's becoming more known for the bird murals he does with his wife Janine Williams. With over 2 decades of painting experience it's no surprise that he and his wife have painted multiple murals across the country and abroad.

We touch on all things from not knowing who you are, to the importance of collaboration and creating success based on your own principles.

Charles' tips for becoming a better creative:

1. Master your craft

2. Be smart

3. Be unique

It was a pleasure having James Rua on the podcast today. He's a super skilled creator when it comes to all things video. I say skilled because he went out and worked hard to get better, and I say skilled creator because there are many aspects when it comes to creating video and he has had experience in all of those areas.

We take a dive into his roots in the film and television industry here in NZ, his idea of leadership and management, how figuring out your threshold when it comes to risk and sacrifice can lead to your ideal life and many other topics related to video creation and his life.

Even if you're not a video creator I'm sure you'll find value in this episode of the podcast

Tawhanga is a Māori artist who hails from the paradise of Rotorua/Te Arawa. Although predominately known for his taa moko background, Tawhanga can do many other forms of Māori art, all of which he excels at. We delve into some of his early influences, how much the place of his birth and upbringing has shaped the man he is today and how mistakes from the past are great teachers for the present and future, among other topics.

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Be sure to follow him on his social media pages.

Instagram - @RAURUARTS Facebook - @RAURU ARTs

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Thank you brother Tawhanga for agreeing to be on the show and for sharing your story with the world. You are appreciated.

Did you start out being a tagger? Or just wanted to be an artist from day 1?

What’s the ultimate goal in moko? And video production?

What motivates you to create?

Who are my top 5 influences as an artist?

In the years you performed in tauira mai tawhiti the kapa haka which year had the best bracket?

Is it better to have asked a person out and knowing the outcome or to never have asked at all?

What have you taken away from the book 7 habits?

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

What is your greatest achievement?

What do you value?

What was your greatest failure? And how did you overcome it?

What tattoo artists in nz do you look up to?

Why didn’t you stand at Mataatua regionals this year bro? Did it feel weird sitting in the crowd?

What type of music gets your creativity going?

How do you price up your mahi? Has it changed since gaining some recognition for your mahi?

Any tips for first timers doing large scale murals?

How would you invest $1million?

This was originally meant for an instagram video but I ended up going into more depth than I thought I was going to, so I decided to make it a podcast episode instead.

I've been thinking about making a new logo for a little while now and I'm more than happy with how it has turned out.

Enjoy the show.

Don't wait until later to get your taxes sorted. Sort it out now so you can sleep soundly knowing your operation is all above board. Learn from my mistakes and allow your business to grow legitimately without worrying about looking over your shoulder.

My darling and I have recently started a new business called Moko for Moko's and we create temporary stick on tā moko/tattoos for children.

This episode is our journey so far.

I hope you enjoy and gain some informative value.

Follow us on social @mokoformokos

I've always been a naturally lazy person, and my talent has carried me through most of my successes if not all. There have been small pockets of discipline sprinkled throughout my life but none worth writing home about.

This episode talks about what I've learnt and where I am, and what it'll take to get to where I want to be.

note: contains explicit language

If you're curious about how the tattoo process works, this is the episode for you.

I've had many instances throughout my career as a tattoo/moko artist where people have come across rude or ignorant as to how they should approach me for work.

I now realise that a lot of people aren't aware of the best method (for me anyway) to approach an artist for a tattoo and this episode of the podcast aims to shine a light on the whole process so you can be more informed when looking for your next tattoo. 

Ngā mihi.

Hau.

I dive into a topic that has probably plagued every creative professional at one point or another.

How do I move away from being just a family artist to being an artist that people buy from?

There are many angles to decipher this but at it's core I believe it's about supporting and respecting the work that your creative family or friends do.