Keep Creative

#023 - Ever wondered how Sruthi Dhulipala juggles doing Hollywood PR full-time and forging her own identity as an indie singer/songwriter on the side? Join Connor as dives into a deep and meaningful conversation with Sruthi about all things creative! Here's what we touch on:

• imitation is the greatest form of flattery
• choosing mastery or being a Jack or Jill of all trades
• music as a relationship
• wrestling social media comparisons and unnecessarily harsh self-criticism
• how creating something everyday is a useful metric
• being a type-A creative personality
• writing songs to your future self / future children
• how an engineering graduate from India became a publicist in Hollywood
• musicians are a band
• fear of bombing or making something to no applause prevents creatives from attempting ideas with full abandon
• how a branding matrix can be the most important thing you do after this podcast
• writer's block and what to do then
• calming the mind for creativity
• imitating leads to originality
• the power of showers
• letting others judge you (because they will anyways), but not judging yourself
• limiting your attempts to prevent unproductive perfectionism
• creating with purpose vs not
• task switching when the going gets tough
• thoughts on harbouring a healthier mental relationship with the technology and platforms we use to make and share our art
• what you can do to be more creative

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/sruthidhulipala

#022 - Ever wondered how a live drummer & musician turns YouTube content creation into a full-time job? Join Connor Schumer as he interviews Ed Thorne about his journey and creativity.

Here's what we cover:

• The state of saturation in today's modern online media platforms (Spotify, YouTube, etc.)
• How self-belief triumphs over saturation
• How COVID devastated live gigging musicians and led Ed to start his YouTube career
• How losing all live gigs impact's a musician's mental health
• Standing out online
• Ed's experiences as a professional drummer
• Creating an album and documenting the process
• How Instagram ruined photography
• The disconnect between creating and consuming content
• How live skills can translate to YouTube
• Identifying with your art
• Opportunities to earn money through YouTube
• How success is often slow, but exponential (case in point: Sanjay C)
• The most important thing and why: consistency
• Managing expectations when becoming a "YouTuber"
• How hard it is to replicate YouTube success or videos that do get picked up by the algorithm
• Superseding your own expectations
• Experiences with  burnout
• Experimenting with your content
• Dealing with online criticism
• Building momentum online
• Experiences in marketing music online
• Perspectives on confidence issues and whether performing helps or hinders them
• Working hard vs focusing that work
• The importance of passion in beating burnout
• Accepting others will never see the work you put in
• The dulled senses of consumers
• Navigating mental blocks
• Valuing variety in your routine
• How Peter McKinnon raised the bar on YouTube and what that means for other creators
• Learning the fundamentals

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/edthorne

#021 - Curious about how the challenges that a video game sound designer and musician faces are not too different from your own? Join Connor as he interviews Cajsa Larsson about her journey and insights in creativity.

Here's what we cover:

• How to cope with not having the equipment you (think) you need to be creative
• How having too many tools or options can actually be cumbersome and counter-productive
• Finding time for creativity amidst a busy schedule by analysing where your time is spent each day
• Dealing with feeling drained at the end of a work or school day and wanting to do something creative
• Switching your mindset from that of seeking external gratification to seeking joy in your creative process
• The stigma against quitting and why it's unneeded
• Chasing opportunities
• Using app blockers and dodging social media for greater productivity
• Using inspiration on command to control your motivation
• Using distraction to spiral back into control
• Dealing with being distracted and procrastinating when you are supposed to be doing something else
• Finding authenticity and your voice in your limitations
• Leaning into what side tracks you
• Creative productivity

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/cajsalarsson

#020 - Ever wondered how a creative entrepreneur turns their side-hustle of using play and game concepts to improve education into a full-time vocation? Join Connor Schumer as he interviews Kim Chouard about his journey and creative ideas.

Here's what we cover:

• how being in the present, meeting new people and going places helps you stay creative
• avoiding burnout by knowing when you need to recharge
• sparking new creativity in education systems as an entrepreneur
• baby steps to a full-time job based on your creative passions
• an early love for coding and learning, but not school itself
• the creative culture of France
• using a game approach to learning
• the difference between entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs
• how choosing and cultivating a sense of ownership is key to learning
• being stubborn and facing the rejection
• using rejection to evolve your idea
• nurturing luck to help your hustle
• creating the game Age of Makers
• getting an idea picked up by a company
• what it's like to try running a non-profit
• the value of mistakes
• using creativity as a means for expression and social change
• how music in particular changes your perspective of life and others
• how a growth mindset is not enough
• the different ways passion can manifest
• how everyone has something to teach
• being trapped in your comfort zone
• the (few) perks of being forced to stay at home amidst COVID
• the importance of gratitude for everyday goods and services (like the internet, cafes, parks, etc.)
• how routine, sport, mental care and other activities are super valuable in maintaining your creativity and keeping you centred or energised
• how often times when we struggle learning, what's missing is the reason why
• how to grow through advice
• using tech as a tool
• repurposing game addiction
• breaking down the comfort zone

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/kimchouard

#019 - Ever wondered how an aspiring animation student goes on to create a yoga for beginners business reaching 1,000,000 people online? Join Connor as he interviews Victor Foote about his journey and insights in creativity.

Here's what we cover:

• Victor's journey from aspirational animator to reaching 1,000,000 people online through his yoga business, Yoga Rove
• The importance of communication skills and tools like headspace for navigating the busy modern world
• A bunch of books and resources that could help you be more successful with your creativity
• How a path of questions can unfold into a journey like his
• Importance of surrounding yourself with constantly improving mentors and peers and how that's possible with online courses
• Several discoveries through pursuing a career in the police force also which opened his eyes to the limitations we often place upon ourselves
• Trying and pursuing whatever interests you in the moment in order to gain different perspectives
• How having those perspectives to draw from, as well as a practise of reflection can help you find the things that really strike a chord in yourself and others like you
• Fear can be a sign of a good path
• Being your own boss has its challenges
• How niching down to the ONE THING (it's a book reference) in many aspects of life is key in whatever you pursue
• Delaying gratification with dopamine detoxes and other practises is the superpower we're all depraved of in today's western culture steeped in tech and on-demand everything
• Social anxiety and shifting perspectives to develop the skills you lack
• Meditation seems to be the one thing many people attribute a large amount of their success and gratification towards
• Delegating can be hard for creative types
• Even the biggest creators have imposter syndrome just like you and I
• Self-sabotage and how scaling up your thinking is a viable path around it
• Valuing yourself is the key to others valuing you and your work also
• Reverse engineering what makes you uncomfortable
• Everything is figure-out-able
• Being an idea machine
• How momentum builds momentum

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/victorfoote

#018 - Have you ever wondered what it's like to make stylized art for video games like Fortnite? Join Connor as he interviews Tangi Bodio about all things creativity!

We cover quite a few topics:

• how Tangi stepped into the world of video games 
• the value of drawing as a skill
• art school in France
• how exploring many different aspects of art including its history is really helpful to your skillset
• experiences working with peculiar mediums like making art for 3D glasses (remember that?)
• Tangi's love of being involved in all aspects of a pipeline,
• drawing inspiration from everything you experience in life, even cooking!
• pros, cons and best practise when managing your social media presence 
• the undeniable influence of online validation on your art practise
• how to avoid stagnation when repeating the same old thing again and again (like in a job or practise regime)
• understanding why and how the tools, concepts and techniques you use to make your art work to create cohesion in your work
• how developing your technique enables creativity, and how Tangi himself isn't a fan of practising and developing technical proficiency, but believes it's ultimately better than trying to work with no or poor technique
• experiences working in games and on IP's like Fortnite
• pursuing a variety of jobs, from more stylized ones to hyper-real ones also in an effort to keep growing
• switching it up when you feel you're settling
• the awful frustration and embarrassment we all face when going back to basics, but why it's ultimately one of the most worthwhile things you can do
• the current culture of free online education and its perks and pitfalls
• an incredible analogy relating the pursuit of creativity to button mashing in a fighting game
• the inner battle we face between catching trends and creating the work that's meaningful to us (but often times less popular to audiences)
• how it's still ideal to pursue mastery of the fundamentals simultaneously or before attempting to stylize your creations
• creative constraints and difficulties in dealing with managing your own personal expectations
• the sage advice Tangi would give himself were he to start all over again!

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/tangibodio

#017 - Are you wondering what it's like to study video game art at university? Join Connor as he interviews Sophie Stübinger about all things creative.

We cover quite a few topics:

• Sophie's story to game art
• Inspirations that pioneered an interest in a painterly 3D style
• Tips for self-learners
• The value of building personal portfolios for your career and development
• Being purposeful with each creation 
• Ensuring you continue learning whenever you sit down at your workstation
• Managing expectations 
• Where a university course hits and misses the mark
• How to subvert expectations in visual art
• Building pieces inspired by or based upon other artist's work as a learning hack
• Transitioning from 2D to 3D art and what that's like
• Why Blender is Sophie's favourite software, and how awesome it is that it's a completely free program anyone could download and learn to create amazing works
• Pushing through procrastination 
• Combating our tendencies to overthink everything
• Overcoming art block
• Incorporating social media into your creative life 
• Dealing with its psychological side effects 
• Keeping internally motivated and using feedback to find your blind spots.
• How discord and twitter are fostering incredibly close-knit communities for artists and game developers and how to leverage them for your development.
• Remembering that you're part of an artists cycle, where you're not as great as your idols, but are probably inspiring people yourself without realising it
• Finding good critics
• Managing mental health
• Taking breaks when you need them 
• Pontificating on the current culture that doesn't yet talk about the links between mental health and creativity enough for the amount we all succumb to it

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/sophiestubinger

#016 - Are you curious what it's like to build a growing YouTube channel about music production on the side of a 9-5 day job and all those life responsibilities? Join Connor as he interviews Sanjay C about all things creative.

We cover quite a few topics:

• We talk Sanjay's journey from Travel vlogs to gear reviews and content for bedroom music producers
• How a 10 year break from music forced him to see everything through brand new eyes and create content by documenting his re-learning journey
• Getting the ball rolling with his YouTube channel from first video that succeeded
• Sanjay's rigorous creative routine in order to create multiple videos a week 
• How content creation opens new avenues but also rabbit holes that can steer you from your original goals
• Accepting a squiggly (not straight) life path
• Geeking out about my favourite video of his
• Balancing your time between creating what you feel like, and doing what meets demands of others
• Misconceptions about content creators
• How to find your voice
• Differentiating between what you want and what has been put in your head by social media and other influences
• How hard it is NOT to be driven by external forces (audience expectations, social media algorithms, trends, etc.)
• Fighting the algorithm with meaningful (albeit less popular) content
• Creating your own pocket of the world where you belong and find other great people through establishing yourself in a niche
• Motivation and techniques to keep creative
• How verbalizing your commitments keeps you accountable
• Why the most special and unique-to-you endeavours take so much more work than you ever expect
• How perfectionist behaviours can be a barrier to success
• The best parts of being a succeeding YouTuber
• Battling burnout when you're on the brink
• The evergreen advice Sanjay would give himself if he started all over again

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/sanjayc

#015 - Ever dreamed of studying 3D game art at university? Join Connor as he interviews Nina Klos all things creativity.

We cover quite a few topics:

• what it's like studying 3D art for games at university
• how self-teaching via the internet (like the rest of us) is a significant part of education
• tips on persevering 
• what leads creatives-in-the-making to burnout
• making time for breaks when there is none 
• nurturing a playful mindset to fight the frustration of learning new things 
• sourcing feedback and why it's crucial to your growth
• Nina's experience with anxiety 
• how anxiety sabotages (and in at least one way assists) creativity
• imposter syndrome 
• why we tend to hate our own work and how to deal with that
• the 3D modelling process
• injecting personality into your portfolios in a "Where's Waldo/Wally" kind of way
• creative continuity
• Nina's views on style: its importance and how to get your own
• copying from reference as a learning hack
• the value of surrounding yourself within communities (in person and online with apps like Discord)
• reaching out of your comfort zone when you're shy or afraid
• fighting the creative stubbornness we all share which makes us think we need to do everything ourselves
• the advantage of failing publicly (be it online or in front of classmates) to your learning
• the superweapon for Nina's creativity that is Gantt charts, a powerful productivity tool for setting mini deadlines or 'sprints'
• the value of detaching your identity from your work in order to make it better 
• Nina's evergreen advice that she would give herself were she to start all over again 

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/ninaklos

#014 - Are you curious what life is like for a self-made entrepreneur and self-development / book summary YouTube creator? Join Connor as he interviews Brandon Nankivell of One Percent Better about all things creative.

We cover quite a few topics:

• Lucid-dreaming and other eye-opening experiences
• Book learning from a young age
• Journey from IT student to entrepreneur and content creator
• Importance of observing your favourite kinds of content and then making content to scratch the same itch
• Combining what you love, what you're good at and what's in demand
• Establishing an effective online niche
• Finding mentorship
• Traditional education at university or college vs the rising availability of online alternatives
• The value of developing your character and attitude
• Brandon's journey through other industries such as ebook authoring
• Why you should avoid being an ask-hole
• Experiences with burnout
• Lily-padding from YouTube creating to coaching others
• Obtaining financial freedom through your creations
• Important differences between employee and employer mindsets
• How you're missing out by not collaborating with life-minds
• How you're missing out by not outsourcing parts of your workflow
• One Percent Better's creative process (from book, to script, to video)
• Mixing creative and analytical / engineer-like thinking
• Breaking others' and your own creations apart to reconstruct something new
• The winner's effect and how you can leverage it to stay persistent
• Overcoming creative fatigue and burnout when it happens
• Changing up your work or style to refresh your enthusiasm
• Retaining focus
• The danger of deviating from what is already working for you
• Brandon's evergreen advice for creators and artists-in-the-making

You can learn more about the community behind Create With Us Productions or read our newsletter for creatives here:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com

Join the community, hit subscribe, and keep creative!

You can find this episode's show notes at:

https://www.cwupcommunity.com/keepcreative/brandonnankivell