Creative Spark Podcast

When you are building your creative side business, you need to be passionate about the work in order to sustain you. Business is tough. There will be days when you are dealing with things that don't light you up. If there's no passion for the bigger picture, it will be easy to give up and walk away.    Your passion for your business should be driven by your passion for creativity. It's like love. Just like any relationship, when you're in love, you might fight or have rough times, but love keeps you going and keeps you committed to working through the difficulties.     Download your free template here and listen to the podcast for instructions: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode12

The majority of creative people are trapped in jobs they don’t love. Surveys show the majority of people don’t even like what they do. Considering you spend 8 hours a day, if not more doing this stuff, it begs the question why people keep doing it. 

Your passions hold the key and even if you do fail, failing at something you’re enjoying doesn’t seem as bad as failing at something you hate.

Enjoy the episode and find all the links and resources mentioned here: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode11

One of the biggest obstacles you will face when embarking on any self-improvement is your own brain. The amygdala is the part of the brain programmed to keep you safe at all costs, and this means finding ways to stop you doing dangerous things; such as being creative. 

Some common ways humans self-sabotage include: overthinking, over-planning, perfectionism, distraction and procrastination. However your creative blocks show up; your best work will only get done if you can clear out the saboteurs from your mind. 

Enjoy the episode and find all the links and resources mentioned here: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode10

Most of us creative types think we are special snowflakes and indeed we are. Every human is a unique combination of experiences, knowledge, skills, interests, environment, opportunities and upbringing. However, we are still a mix and match of a variety of standard factors, which makes it a little easier to categorise our creative personalities.

When we look at our own creative archetypes, it can be very difficult to pick our own starting archetype, as every one looks different when we view the end result. This is where personality tests come in.

Enjoy the episode and find all the links and resources mentioned here: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode9

When you are building your creative side business, it is important to solve the challenges which matter to you the most and then teach others how to overcome those same struggles. All great business owners tell the story of how they overcame past struggles and this forms the core foundation of their business … helping you solve those same struggles. The idea that people have walked the path before us gives us the confidence to follow them.

This podcast has a practical component and comes with a template to help you put theory into practice. Download the worksheet and listen to the podcast for instructions. https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode8

When you are building your creative side business, it is easy to shy away from difficulties and spend a lot of time wishing things were different or easier. Failure is painful and it can be frustrating when the things we struggle with seem so effortless for others.   One thing to remember, however, is that humans only learn through struggle. You become stronger and wiser by overcoming challenges. Once you have learned things, you can teach others. Being the learned guide means that people are more likely to pay you to guide them through the challenges.    Enjoy the episode and find all the links and resources mentioned here:  https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode7

As a frustrated creative, it is often a struggle to give yourself permission to actually be creative. It is easy to use permission-programming as a creative block and confuse asking advice, with asking permission. 

Most of us spent the first 18 years of our lives, asking our parents permission to do things, especially if they were fun. Can I go over to Rebecca’s house? Can I go to the movies with my friends? Can I get a dog? And so on. The request was usually met with a firm no. Or a series of questions and negotiations before a yes, but with conditions. Yes, but make sure you are home by nine. Yes, but make sure a parent drives you home.

Is it any wonder that when we turned 18 and could do anything we wanted (within reason), we still behaved ourselves because the permission-programming was ingrained?

Technically, one of the jobs of a parent is to program good habits that will last us a lifetime. However, permission-programming is not as useful when we become adults. The idea that we need to ask permission to do something fun no longer serves us, especially if our parents are no longer around. Who do we ask then?   Download your free permission slip template here and listen to the episode for instructions: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode6

As a creative, it is easy to compare yourself with other people and discount your own natural aptitudes. But as Albert Einstein said: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."   This is why falling into the comparison trap is so dangerous. It pays to embrace your creative superpower instead. Your own story is all that matters, your own experience. Learn to stop comparing your natural skills and abilities with those of other people.   Aptitude refers to things you are naturally good at. You might not like these talents, or actively pursue them, they just come naturally to you. Aptitude has little to do with knowledge, culture, education, or even your interests. They are inbuilt.   We cannot change our aptitudes, they are built into our foundation and influence everything else that comes after. The innate nature of aptitude is in contrast to a learned skill or achievement. Instead of complaining about your lack of abilities at some things, embrace them and think of your natural aptitudes as the foundation of your Creative Superpower.   Enjoy the episode and find all the links and resources mentioned here: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode5

As a creative entrepreneur, when you are building your creative side business, if you’re going to be successful, you will eventually need to replace yourself. Think about all the successful creatives running their own businesses. They have automation tools and software, they have assistants, managers, and all sorts of support networks.

In episode 3 we talked about how, as a creative business owner, the more successful you become, the more you’re going to have to get done. All CEOs eventually become the bottleneck for their business and need to sack themselves. If you know where your three core skills lie, it’s not going to come as such a shock to you in the future when you have to stop doing everything else. 

This podcast has a practical component and comes with a template to help you put theory into practice. Head to https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode4 to download the worksheet and listen to the podcast for instructions.

When you are building your creative side business, it is often a struggle to know what you are good at. It is easy to get distracted with the things you are interested in and the things you want to learn, but without a clear understanding of your foundation skills, you will build your business on shaky foundations.

What is a skills audit and why do you need one?

As a creative, it is easy to get distracted by new ideas. Shiny object syndrome anyone? There are so many things we want to learn and try and explore. However, when you’re building a creative side business, you really need to focus on leveraging the skills you already have.    Chances are, you have developed lots of skills over the years. It can be difficult to tell which are innate abilities and which are learned skills. It can also be difficult to identify what skills you possess, and often your friends can tell better than you can. It can also be difficult to see where these skills come in handy and how they all fit together.   This is where a skills audit comes in. A skills audit will identify the skills you already possess, and if you’re planning on building a creative side business, it will identify where you have a skills gap, and how you can plan for the future.   Enjoy the show and grab all the links and resources here: https://www.creativesparkpodcast.com/blog/episode3