Larry Hankin is perhaps the most recognized “that guy” character actor in Hollywood; having appeared in over 200 films and TV shows, you definitely know his face. His filmography reads like a who’s who of Hollywood he has had roles in Laverne & Shirley, Friends, Escape from Alcatraz, Billy Madison, Home Alone, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad. He's also a writer and short film director (one of his films even earned him an Oscar nomination) and a painter. 

Larry shares that as a young child 70-odd years he had this huge creativity in him but it was knocked out of him by parents who wanted him to have a stable career as a doctor or lawyer. He shares the pressure of what it was like to try to shove down his own desire to be an artist to obey his parents wishes, 

Larry opens up about what having ADD, ADHD, OCD, & Dyslexia has been like for him and the gifts these things have given him along the way -  but my favourite moment comes towards the end of the show when he muses about what it was like to star alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. 

He muses about the importance of failure and how we have to come to accept it, because it is a part of learning. And at one point he gets esoteric about why we’re here and why the cosmos let us in. 

Larry’s life story comes across as a wild, lucky adventure - opening for Miles Davis, getting hired by Second City, Starring beside Clint Eastwood and even being nominated for an Oscar.  Through listening to Larry it becomes obvious very quickly that whether he wanted to or not Larry always placed Creativity in the Driver's seat of his life. I suspect it was because of this that he managed to manifest so many of these incredible experiences for himself. 

Larry and I talked about the importance of Acceptance (which happened to be the word I pulled for the show)  and acceptance is something that he embodies this so perfectly. He had these things inside him that he just had to follow. And he accepted that there was almost another person inside him running the show and that his job was just to do the things in the outside world to set that inside guy up. 

I was struck by Larry’s unabashed loyalty to his own quiet inner voice. From the time he was so small he saw that the people around him didn’t want him to live for himself and despite immense pressure to obey them, to make them happy, to fulfull his obligations as a SON, he never betrayed himself. He followed his heart and it led him on some incredible adventures. 

When he said, “I’m here to do what I’m here to do. That’s why I was born and that’s why the Cosmos let me in” I actually got the chills. That loyalty to his inner self, no matter what pressures were presenting themselves to him, is something I aspire to. 

He has some beautiful (and affordable!) artwork available from his website you’ll find all the links and a FULL Transcript of the show in the show notes on Kate ShepherdCreative.com  

If you have not already left a review please do that right now! Please consider supporting the show, there is an option for $5 a month  - which is kind of like buying me a thank you for making-this-podcast-for-me coffee. I can’t do it without your support!

Thank you for listening and if you ever want to reach out you can send me a DM on Instagram @Kateshepherdcreative

Please share the show with a friend and if you are moved to make a financial contribution to the production of this podcast, THANK YOU here is the link for our Patreon

Kate Shepherd: Art | website | instagram
Morning Moon Nature Jewelry | website |  instagram
Creative Genius Podcast | website | instagram

About Larry Hankin:

Larry Hankin is perhaps the most recognized “that guy” character actor in Hollywood; having appeared in over 200 films and TV shows, you definitely know his face. His filmography reads like a who’s who of Hollywood he has had roles in Laverne & Shirley, Friends, Escape from Alcatraz, Billy Madison, Home Alone, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad. He's also a writer and short film director (one of his films even earned him an Oscar nomination) and a painter. 

Exploring characters, rants, stories on stage, in his one-man show, and in his many film shorts, Larry has recently produced a compilation of it all in his book “The Loopholes Dossier”, which has just been published and distributed worldwide by Bookbaby Publishers and is available in all the places you’d expect to buy books.

Larry lives in Los Angeles.  

Larry Hankin: website | facebook | instagram

Resources used in this episode

• Alan Myerson
• The Committee
• Second City
• Clint Eastwood
• Escape from Alcatraz
• Penny Marshall
• Lavergne and Shirley
• Seinfeld
• Friends
• Home Alone

The closer we can be to being comfortable with uncertainty, the closer we are to allowing something really magical to be expressed through us in our creativity.

There's a certain amount of allowing that has to take place for something new to emerge. And when we resist uncertainty, we cut ourselves off from that... magic - because that really is what it is - it's magic.

In this, the first of the “Sunday Mini’s” I explain the intent of these short bi-weekly episodes, which will be everything from chats with listeners as they share aha moments they had listening to Creative Genius, creativity and contemplation prompts, my own musings, and whatever else feels like it will serve us to deepen our relationship with creativity itself. 

In this mini episode we’ll explore how to begin to become more comfortable with uncertainty, so that our creative practice’s (and lives!) can really shine.

Lynn Whipple is a multi-media artist who paints with joy and passion, great and small flowers, all full of expression and life. She teaches art workshops and she has authored a book called “Expressive Flower Painting: Simple Mixed Media Techniques for Bold Beautiful Blooms” that really was part of my own unfolding and blossoming when I got back into painting.

Lynn and her husband both formerly worked at Nickelodeon in props, set decor, and art direction. She recalls Nickelodeon as being a fun wonderful time, yet she left that job because ultimately she was still creating someone else’s ideas. What she craved was the expression of her own ideas. Lynn left her dream job as a Creative Director at Nickelodeon to pursue her passion of painting colourful, wild and joyful flowers even though it meant she’d be broke - because painting the art that was inside of her brought her so much joy. In the end she realized that saying no to that was really saying yes to herself.

Lynn talks about the joy of painting; the enjoyment of the entire creative process and act of, as she calls it, “moving my hands”. She emphasizes the fun that should accompany art and creativity. She understands the fear that people have and, in addressing that, she encourages following our instincts and being brave about just jumping into expression. Fear is a sense that something isn’t right or that we’ve been told we’re doing something poorly so we avoid it, but creativity requires boldness and embracing our own instincts. Just start doing, for ourselves, for fun.

She shares her beautiful, vibrant descriptions of what creativity is and what being present in a flow state feels like for her that many of us can relate to. And she reminds us over and over again of the importance of play in the creative process

We investigate which artist archetype we each might be, developing an idea I have about archetypes, and this list will grow as the podcast continues. Lynn is a self-described rebel archetype who doesn’t like being told what to do. She knows what creativity feels like, how to embrace that marvelous energetic feeling and let it flow, and how vital the ability to start saying yes to things can be to our expression.

My son had ask me to ask Lynn why she loves painting flowers so much and what her favorite flowers were (sunflowers) and she asked me what my son Cosmo’s favorite flower was. (Cosmos)

I hope you hear something in this episode that moves you. Please leave a review for the show in Apple Podcasts!

Please share the show with a friend and if you are moved to make a financial contribution to the production of this podcast, THANK YOU here is the link for our Patreon

About Lynn Whipple:

Lynn Whipple is a multi-media artist who paints wildly in small to large formats with a combination of acrylic paint, charcoal, and colorful soft pastel. She shares a studio with her artist husband, John, and twenty other artists at McRae Art Studios in Central Florida. Lynn enjoys teaching, traveling, and sharing ways of working that encourage fun, joy, and freedom in the art making process.

Lynn is author of a book entitled “Expressive Flower Painting: Simple Mixed Media Techniques for Bold Beautiful Blooms”.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• David Passalacqua
• Amanda Evanston
• “Expressive Flower Painting: Simple Mixed Media Techniques for Bold Beautiful Blooms” by Lynn Whipple

-- 

Kate Shepherd: website | instagram | facebook

Lynn Whipple: website | facebook | instagram

Lori Siebert is an artist, designer, teacher & businesswoman. She has worked with clients like Universal Studios and licensed her work for products that are used around the world and now is featured on BloomTV. She runs art retreats and you can often find her running super fun art challenges on Instagram. Today she sat down with me to share how after some difficult life events caused her to disconnect from her creativity, she was able to find her way back to it, what she did when her company grew into something she no longer enjoyed, and towards the end of the show, she shares the number one important thing she thinks we can do to cultivate our own creativity. Lori is so sweet and genuine and candid I really enjoyed talking with her. 

A lot goes into producing Creative Genius - even a small contribution from you will have a direct impact on whether I am able to continue to bring you these conversations. I create a bunch of bonuses to thank my supporters, early access to episodes, behind-the-scenes content, even original art sent to your door, these are extras I think you won't want to miss. Head over to ​patreon.com/creativegeniuspodcast to find out more

And you can always consider buying some of my artwork as a way to show your support - from Gratitude Birds and other paintings, to my Handmade Nature Inspired jewelry Morning Moon- everything I make including this podcast is intended to ignite joy. Please keep my work in mind next time you need a gift for yourself or someone you love. Thank you

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Lori and if you do, please make today the day you leave a review for the show -  in under 30 seconds you can do so much: from helping others discover the show, to bringing me tears of absolute joy. Head over to Apple Podcasts for that. 

Lori is really good at knowing when to and being willing to reach out for help. Whether she was navigating the isolated darkness of depression & anxiety and needed friends to remind her of the JOY inside her, or when she has found herself in the uncertain terrain of uncharted territory of a new skill - Lori has allowed herself to reach out for support - been willing to receive others guidance and allowed herself to be open to learning and being influenced -  or collaborating with others around her. She has made a habit for herself of reaching out to people and allow them to influence her when she has been on unsteady ground. 

Her ability to do this has pulled her out of depression, allowed her to redirect the course of her business when it was causing her burnout and has allowed her to step into new realms of her creative offering that she may not have otherwise ventured into on her own. 

After her brush with burnout when her company had grown without conscious intentions from her about what she wanted it to be, Lori has learned to be really good at self-referencing and asking herself if the things she is embarking upon are actually what she wants. This has helped her build a business that meets her creative needs AND falls within who she is as a person and what she wants. 

I was touched by Lori's willingness to be so open with us about how she struggled when she lost her parents, losing herself for a time to the grief of it and then later not wanting to be a Debbie Downer and keeping it to herself. 

Finally, she realized that she not only needed to give herself Grace to go through that and not put pressure on herself to be somewhere that she wasn't, she also learned the importance of reaching out to her people. Ultimately it was in feeling all her feelings and reaching out to her people that she was able to lift herself back up again. 

I was really glad she shared what she did about how her life went off the rails when her company grew to a size that overwhelmed her and I loved her clarity that it was because had been making decisions based on what she thought she SHOULD be doing - rather than by what her creative heart actually wanted. 

Realizing that what you thought was your dream isn't actually working for you and stepping back from it can be terrifying, it requires bravery and is often the only way to find the life of your dreams.  

And I think she is right that so many people seem to be unconsciously waiting for their dreams to come and find them… waiting for their big break… when actually it's up to us to do the reflection, find out what we want and then go out there and make it happen. 

I think what I learned from Lori is that just like life itself, creativity is a bit like a rollercoaster ride -  we get inspired, we get to work on it, we find out we don’t like it, we rework it, we like it, we make a change, we think we’ve ruined it then an unexpected moment happens and leads us to something we fall in love with and for all of it -  we're just along for the ride. 

I pulled the word trust for today’s episode, so I will leave you with this:  What would be available today if you trusted the creativity inside you, and let yourself be taken for the ride of your life. 

Kate Shepherd: website | instagram | facebook

Lori Siebert: website | instagram | https://www.facebook.com/lorisiebertstudio

Despite being known as the non-artistic one in her family, Cat Rains would go on to become a professional artist not once but twice in her life, after a series of unfortunate life events derailed her art career the first time. 

As you’ll hear, Cat had a chaotic & traumatic childhood. Rather than letting herself be a victim of it though, she chose to lean into her experiences and use them to make herself strong and resilient. Her dedication to her own self-awareness and mental health is inspiring. 

Cat is a mindset master. There have been so many times in her life that things have gotten really, really hard. And she has consistently found ways to love and appreciate every situation she has found herself in. This living gratitude has ushered her through the creative droughts and the difficult times in her life. 

So much of life seems to boil down to the decision that we get to make in each moment. How are we going to look at things? What lessons and gifts are we going to take from our circumstances - even the painful ones?  How can we take what is in front of us in each moment and make it into the best version that we can?  

I love how Cat believes that the universe is rigged in her favor -  that difficult situations are simply guideposts nudging her in a different direction, and that instead of resisting difficulty she remembers her mantra “this moment is my destiny” and opens her arms to it to find out what it has to teach her. 

Cultivating a sense of PLAY has been pivotal for the success Cat has created for herself in everything from manifesting her dream job to creating artwork that flies out of her studio into collectors hands. 

I hope you hear something in this episode that moves you. Please leave a review for the show in Apple Podcasts!

Please share the show with a friend and if you are moved to make a financial contribution to the production of this podcast, THANK YOU here is the link for our Patreon

Cat Rains Website | Facebook | Instagram

Kate Shepherd Website | Facebook | Instagram

There are so many things to love about Emily Jeffords, not least of which is how she tried to start off this episode by asking me the questions. I loved it. 

Emily is one of the most gently confident people I have ever met. She's poised, thoughtful &  generous. And her clarity - Emily is SO clear.  Throughout the episode, she gives us examples of how clarity has been one of the most important elements in the foundations of everything she's created. And she has created a lot. 

She has established herself as a leader in the art community, forged partnerships with some huge brands like Anthropologie and Design Sponge, and together with her team she now serves over 2,000 students through  Making Art Work her 12-week art business course. 

I really appreciate Emily’s clarity of who she is and what she wants, what works for her, what her worth is, and, perhaps most importantly, what makes her happy. There she was a classically trained violinist who was about to embark on a whole career in performance music (imagine how many hours and what an investment of time and money both she and her family made to get to that point) but when she realized she didn't enjoy it - she simply stopped doing it. 

I was fascinated to learn about the HUGE career Emily almost had and I was so proud of her retroactively for deciding NOT to. 

Emily was able to create so much abundance and freedom as an artist because she allowed herself to have a big beautiful vision and did not let herself be swayed by the limiting beliefs of those around her. 

When we allow ourselves to listen to the things we have been curious about and follow those little nudges, a path can begin to emerge, and when we pair that with giving ourselves permission to expand onto this path bit by bit making sure to celebrate every single little win along the way, then we are able to grow a sustainable creative practice. 

Emily Jeffords is funny and kind and all-around lovely, I think you are going to fall in love with her. I hope you enjoy this episode. 

I hope you hear something in this episode that moves you. And if there is please share it with a friend and then with us in the reviews section of Apple Podcasts. 

If you are moved to make a financial contribution to the production of this podcast, THANK YOU here is the link for our Patreon

Emily Jeffords Website | Facebook | Instagram

Kate Shepherd Website | Facebook | Instagram

Anxiety and stress had taken over her life. At the urging of her therapist, Author Sheila Darcey turned to creativity as a way to express trapped emotions her therapist believed were at the root of her anxiety. Through daily practice of sketching, she was able to gain significant insights into the inner workings of her own subconscious and unconscious mind and ultimately free herself from the “out of control” anxiety that had been running her life. 

She shares with us the coping mechanism that she developed as a trauma response to survive a traumatic childhood and how she was able to begin to intentionally access this ability in order to support herself to heal from her past trauma, heal her entire life, and set her on a brand new path -  one that she now describes as one of true inner peace, that she never imagined was possible. 

The transformation that took place for Sheila was so profound, she found herself wondering if others knew what could be possible through sketching in this way, and she was inspired to write her book as a manual to help others experience the relief and inner peace that sketching gave her.  

She reminds us that underneath everything, we're all seeking the same Universal things Belonging. Love. Safety.  And that when we turn inward, these are the very gifts available to us.

Listen to this episode to find out what the word for today's episode was. 

To find out where you can get your copy of Sketch by Sketch, and learn more about Sheila and all her amazing work in the world head over to 

Get your copy of Sketch by Sketch

Get 10% off Four Sigmatic Products 4SIGMATIC at checkout 

Kate Shepherd: website | Instagram | Facebook

Sheila Darcey:  website | Instagram | Facebook

Artist and Moon Cycle Coach Beth Suter shares with us how reconnecting with creativity and working with Moon Cycles have been instrumental for her in healing the depression and anxiety she has lived with since college. This conversation underlines just how badly things can go when we cut ourselves off from creativity, and how we can find our way back to ourselves. 

She shares with us how she guides students through her 5 step method for aligning and harnessing the power of working with moon cycles and offers us some practical suggestions for getting started with this work. 

Beth Suter has been an artist since she was a little girl. Believing that she needed to be in a stable job she veered away from her deep connection with creativity to focus on a career in teaching. This disconnection from the thing she loved the most, as she bravely shares with us, led to a long and dark time of depression and anxiety for her. 

Beth shares with us how she was eventually able to reconnect with creativity, and now runs her own art-based business selling her (beautiful) work including her much sought after and very beautiful moon cycle calendar. 

This was a conversation I was very excited to have. Beth is a gentle, generous, thoughtful, tender-hearted soul. I was introduced to her by Pamela Bates who you might remember from episode 7 which was a powerhouse episode if you haven't listened to that yet, be sure not to miss that one. 

We discuss learning to follow our intuition, the magic of working with the Moon Cycles, and how they have built-in times of rest for us to relax into.

Kate Shepherd: website | instagram | facebook

Beth Suter:  website | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, we discuss the importance of playfulness, discernment & collaboration inside creativity, how we are all worthy of blooming creatively, and why we do not need to fear collaboration when it comes to creativity. 

Artist and two-time author Jules Ostara grew up on what she calls a “hippie farm in West Virginia” and still ended up becoming a (self-proclaimed) “recovering valedictorian” she shares her thoughts on how widespread the temptations to seek external validation and become overly self-critical are when these start to creep into our lives, and the transformations that took place for her as she journeyed away from a path of seeking external validation, to looking inside for direction and guidance for her life. 

We talk about what she had to let go of to reconnect with her inner artist.  What happened when she started creating art for herself and her kids she was not worried about being good… and the process of turning creating art into play. 

She shares how reconnecting with creativity as she grieved the loss of her mother was a powerful lifeline that opened her back up to the touch, intuition, joy, creativity, she had become disconnected from, and how when she had kids of her own, she learned to mother herself in the process as she saw what she wanted for them she began to give it to herself. Self love. Worthiness. Knowing we are worth being here. 

At one point, she shares an incredible insight (that caused a deep shift in me) about how creativity is like scattering the seeds that you won’t want to miss. 

This is a beautiful, curious, conversation.  May it spark you knowing that it is more than ok for you to playfully, joyfully scatter the seeds of your creativity not worrying if they all take, AND that you are absolutely, innately worthy of blooming creatively. 

Kate Shepherd: website | instagram | facebook

Jules Ostara website | Instagram | Facebook  

This episode feels important with a capital I. I sit down with Sarah Dalesandro, an artist who has been painting for over 20 years with a background in graphic design and art therapy. And it is the art therapy that I really wanted to dig into with her in this episode. 

I'd heard about art therapy over the years, I had even gone to a few sessions myself, but I hadn’t understood the mechanism of it, the why or how art therapy works and can heal past trauma.  Sarah explains what's actually going on with the left brain and the right brain in trauma experiences, and how creating art can support us to access, reconcile and ultimately resolve past traumas in ways that are sometimes limited by talk therapy alone. 

Her explanation of left brain-right brain relationship and how art can help us process things that are keeping us stuck made so much sense to me, she explains in a way that nobody has ever explained it to me before and I found myself wanting to jump into my studio to start to explore the possibilities of communicating with my own subconscious through art. 

Her insight about the importance of UGLY art was a significant perspective shift for me. Have a listen and see if it is the same for you. 

Sarah shows up fully for us in this episode today, she is brave and raw and open. I marveled at the thing inside her that from a very young age never gave up on herself and kept beckoning her back to Art as a way to process some of the terrible things she’d been through.  And it dawned on me that we all have this presence within us. May her sharing her story remind us of this part of ourselves.  

Kate Shepherd: website | instagram | facebook

Sarah Dalesandro: https://sarahdalesandro.com/

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