The ARC Creative Podcast: Educating + Inspiring Creatives to Excel as Artists, Entrepreneurs & Humans.

We're turning the tables today to give you all the details about the upcoming ARC Techniques conference being held in Vancouver, BC this November. A 'mini version' of the ARC Experience, the Techniques conference is all about learning from your fellow creatives while getting a little silly.

Joined by my friend Adonye Jaja from the Blacklight Podcast, this episode is all about exploring what makes ARC tick and what to expect from the Techniques conference. Gain insight into this years panel of speakers, what steps are being taken to make Techniques more accessible for all, and even gain a cheeky bonus discount code for those of you who haven't bought tickets yet.

Techniques is 70% sold out and is guaranteed to be a great time full of education and fun. What are you waiting for? Grab your ticket for Techniques in the show notes and don't forget that discount code!

In This Episode

• Exploring Sachin's past life as a teenage nightclub attendee and organizer
• Learn which workshops and panel speakers Sachin is most excited for this year
• Gain insight into the format of the Techniques experience and what to expect
• Understand the importance of technical education and connecting with your clients
• Score a bonus discount code to use when purchasing your tickets for Techniques

Quotes

"I knew that I wanted to bring people together and create a community and create events." (5:18)

"Something that I would personally love to learn as time goes on is just kind of the finer details of relationships with my couples and delivering better service." (11:32)

"I really wanted to bring something to Vancouver this year that kept the community going and had a lot of value too, but wasn't the same as The Experience." (15:24)

Links

Experience ARC Techniques

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Thomas DeSchutter has worn many hats, beginning with a professional recording career as a drummer and making a major life change and diving into the world of financial advising. Now Thomas helps his clients find sustainable personal wealth and success by empowering them to become the stewards of their own financial affairs.

Thomas believes in the positive potential of surrounding yourself with those you wish to be like, setting financial goals and using lessons from the Buddha to give power to your thoughts. Learn how to change the language you use around money, how to start creating good sustainable financial habits for yourself, and the importance of building a financial warehouse of wealth for your legacy.

As creatives, the way we deal with saving, spending and everything in between can get a bit messy. Thomas is determined to help others create financial literacy for themselves so that you can shift your subconscious relationship to money.

A no-nonsense talk about what it takes to fire yourself up, create what you love and still be financially stable, Thomas is a wealth of knowledge for new and seasoned entrepreneurs that want to grow smarter.

Are you ready to tune yourself into the financial conversation and create habits that will take care of your needs from the inside out? Share what you learned about wealth mastery in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Effective habits to help make you money and keep you thriving for years to come
• How to develop a healthy conversation, mindset, and language around money
• The importance of being true to yourself as an artist first and foremost
• What you can do right now to start a change in yourself and the rest of the world
• Day to day apps and software to better manage your personal finance

Quotes

"You have to unload the terrible stuff that's in you in order to find the gems. You can't just sit around waiting for 'oh this is the perfect moment for me to be creative'." (5:31)

"Its a discipline, there are no shortcuts. Yes there is some natural talent involved, but at the end of the day you have to put in the work, you have to put in the hours, you have to learn your craft. And I would say that would apply to any area of your life." (15:51)

"The first part for me around anything to do with finance is what is our thought process, and what are the words we speak out loud and to ourselves? And retraining that. Because that is the starting point for any conversation for anything in your life, especially money." (22:43)

"As a creative person, you need to be feeding, I use the word 'need' there, you need to be feeding what fires you up. That is what is going to set you apart." (39:21)

"I am sure if I sat down with you we could have an in-depth conversation about photography gear. How it works, why you would do this, how you would light something, everything that you would want to know about photography, chances are you know it already or you are on the path to learning it. That's what it takes in finance." (48:25)

"Building a financial warehouse of wealth if you will, of creating the warehouse of wealth for your legacy, starts with knowing exactly where you are today, everything that is going on, and then building outward from there." (51:34)

Links

Bloom Strategies Website

View the Bloom Strategy Tools Here

Bloom Your Money, Your Life by Thomas DeSchutter

Follow Thomas on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton

The Landmark Forum Website

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill

Mint.com

A Course In Miracles by Helen Schucman

Experience ARC

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

A big believer in bridging the gap between digital and film photography, Kirk Mastin is a legend in the photography world. Now working with his company, Mastin Labs, to provide presets for photographers to help bless their digital images with the unique quality of film, Kirk is here to provide some insight into everything from singularity to the juxtaposition between the future and the past.

If you appreciate the analog version of photography but need some guidance in which camera, film, and settings you should be experimenting with, you are in for a treat. Kirk guides us through the relationship between the contrast and softness to film that exists nowhere else, why film photography increases your hyper-awareness, and what exactly goes into making a successful portrait.

Kirk uses his camera as a way to understand more about an individuals relationship to the world, and has created a hybrid photography style like no other. Film has a bad reputation for being complicated, which couldn't be further from the truth. If you are looking to experience something outside of the attention that digital photography demands, this episode is for you.

Have you dipped your toes into the world of film photography? Share what you enjoy most about the look of film, and what development studio you use, in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Quick tips for those looking to start dabbling in film or edit their digitals differently
• The importance of building a 'Batman and Robin' relationship with your development lab
• Why you should be treating your career like a bonsai tree
• How to sell without selling and maximize your print and digital sales
• Why Kirk believes that shooting film makes you a better photographer

Quotes

"We are living in the future, we are living in a time that I couldn't even comprehend as a child." (8:36)

"I can use the camera to understand the world, understand other cultures, and understand what it is to be human through a camera. And that has never changed. It has changed what kind of work I do, but the underlying principle of understanding the human condition has not changed." (13:38)

"You're gonna let like $14 tops stand between you and discovering an entirely new way of doing photography? That's absurd." (24:17)

"Once you are in the flow, you are in the flow and you know where to be, its like a dance. You have just enough time to get to every position that you need to be because you are so in touch with what is happening." (40:04)

"The theatre of the imagination is so powerful. If you show someone a weak photo, you have ruined that, you have ruined your legendary status by showing someone something that is mediocre, so just don't do it." (50:01)

Links

Mastin Labs Website

Photoism Magazine by Mastin Labs

Kirk Allen Mastin Website

Follow Kirk on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

The Find Lab Utah

Richard Photo Lab

Canadian Film Lab

Indie Film Lab

Edward Weston Website

In The American West by Richard Avedon and Laura Wilson

Experience ARC

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitt

As creatives, we can often feel drained if we aren't following our passion, but struggle to balance that passion with success. Akeem Pierre is my health and wellness coach and inspirational creative in his own right, who believes in restoring your energy through self-care. Akeem combines the healing power of nutrition, exercise, energy, and movement to create a space of mindfulness and creative awareness.

If you are struggling with getting in tune with your creative vision, Akeem provides physical and mental exercises to help you tap into your true spirit. The best way to become more intuitive is to embrace the skills that allow you to add extra intention into your day to day life, and create daily rituals to check in with yourself and stay on track for what is serving you best.

Akeem believes that our ability to achieve greatness is directly correlated to our ability to adapt and create without second-guessing ourselves. By recognizing the patterns in your life, tuning into what your spirit truly needs, and fueling our bodies with the appropriate things we can position our brains onto a path of enlightenment.

Are you ready to practice mindfulness and enter an engaged state where you are able to go with the flow and create a world for yourself full of harmony and bliss? What do you relate most to Akeems message of self-discovery and self-acceptance? Share what resonated most with you in the comments on the episode page!

In This Episode

• How to avoid burnout and stay in your flow despite creative setbacks
• Understanding the role your vocabulary can play in the way you live your life
• Exploring Irish Sea Moss, Maca and how they can physically benefit you
• Gaining food tools to utilize when necessary to make yourself feel better
• Breathing and exercise techniques to help you tune into yourself anywhere

Quotes

"I look at tuning in as just being able to listen to the signs that your body and your mind are telling you." (6:30)

"When we are talking about creation and being creative, its all aspects of life. It is not just taking a photo, not just taking videos, it's also being able to look into your mind and scan your mind and replace anything that isn't serving you, replace anything that doesn't make you feel like you can create better." (13:29)

"The best way to become more intuitive is to understand if this helping me and if this is not. You just have to go back to the tuning in and just asking that question, is this helping me, is this serving me?" (30:08)

"Words are worlds, so what are you creating?" (35:57)

"Our brain is trying to keep us safe, but we got to know when we have to take control and be those creators of our life and of our destiny." (47:33)

"When you listen to that inner voice, it is just allowing you to be yourself in what you really want to do right now." (57:24)

Links

Akeem Pierre Website

Follow Akeem on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Sean Flanigan is a pioneer of the modern wedding photography industry, creating photos that resonate with people because of their raw quality, grittiness, and real feeling. Named one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the world by American Photos, Sean has an impressive portfolio and over a decade's worth of experience in the industry.

Sean believes that the most important aspect of wedding photography is gaining complete access to the couple, and being the opposite of a fly on the wall. He takes his love for bike riding, punk rock music, and skateboarding and applies it to his photography brand. Today he discusses the changes he has seen in the industry throughout his career, the importance of relentlessness and willingness to succeed, and how he chooses to embrace the competition to add value to the industry.

Wedding photography happens fast, and Sean is using his recipe for success to get the most out of a couples special day. A passionate photographer, world traveler, father and husband, Sean is playing by his own rules and seeing a massive benefit in return.

What inspired you most about Sean's take on wedding photography? Share with us in the comments on the episode page!

In This Episode

• The importance of being physically close to a couple during your time together
• Why you should be prepared and also embrace the unplanned when shooting
• How to get several jobs out of one initial client with referrals and happiness
• Highlighting the differences and changes in the wedding industry in the past decade
• Words of advice to new photographers and those who want to break the rules

Quotes

"Were not photographing wildlife, were photographing a beautiful event. There is probably only one time in peoples lives that they have their best friends and family members all together in one spot, and if you are going to be photographing that from the outside in, you are losing." (6:03)

"It's cool to have an inspiring location, I won't deny that. But I don't think that it's important, and I definitely don't place a premium on it like I do the connection that I have with a couple." (10:32)

"I didn't know how to shoot a wedding, but the most important thing was that I didn't care what the rules were." (22:14)

"You are either unwilling or you are willing to do the work, and the people that are willing to do the work are going to have success. So it is about being relentless and being willing, and that's all it is." (29:00)

"I just want to take good pictures and have enough money to eat food, its just simple." (39:03)

Links

A Fist Full of Bolts Website

Follow Sean on Facebook | Instagram

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Jared Matthew Weiss is on a mission to create safety and security when it comes to relationships and sex. The founder of Touchpoint Townhall, a podcast and social experiment taking place in New York City, JMW is all about creating a safe space to discuss what you are experiencing and exploring with your sexuality.

As creatives, when we feel empowered to create the things that are in our heart, we feel free, and the same goes when we are in bed with another person. JMW creates a space where people can express their thoughts and feelings and create an intentional and conscious decision to explore ongoing conversations with your partner.

On this episode, we explore the paradox between safety between partners and exploring the unknown, embracing your spontaneity while still finding security, and which questions to ask when defining your relationship. When you are able to talk openly about what you and your partner are experiencing and exploring, you can transcend your physical identity and hold space for yourself and others.

It is possible to gain permission to be whoever you want to be by finding a place where you are able to listen to other people. By opening these conversations you can explore who you truly are in bed, understand how you express yourself and learn what is true to you. It is time to harness your self-expression into sexual freedom with the help of JMW.

How does his vision of sexuality relate to how you express yourself? Share with us in the comments section on the episode page!

In This Episode

• Embracing the unknown and the spontaneous while still finding safety and security
• Learn how to talk about what you are experiencing and exploring sexually
• Exploring the relationship and self-esteem to orgasm, meditation, and gratitude
• Finding out what is normal in sexual exploration and relationship structure
• How to create a sacred space with your partner for ongoing consensual conversations

Quotes

"It's just been an incredible journey where I have been able to listen and learn really from just real people, about what they are exploring, what they are experiencing people on the intersections of all things… and its really been an amazing journey." (8:59)

"When we hear other people get vulnerable, and more specifically when we hear other people confess that they are just like us, it gives us permission to be who we are." (14:31)

"The point of a relationship is not to just be in a relationship and it's certainly not to just be in something that doesn't end. It is to serve us in a physical or spiritual or emotional way, its to promote our personal growth and the personal growth of our partners." (25:44)

"There is a whole spectrum of things we can talk about, from the mundane to the existential, but ultimately how do we create that container where we can have an ongoing conversation because that is exactly what a relationship is." (27:43)

"We need emotional safety to show up fully as ourselves in bed, in love, and in life." (36:46)

Links

Touchpoint Townhall Website

Touchpoint Townhall Podcast

Follow Touchpoint on Facebook | Instagram | Medium | Twitter

Urban Tantra Book by Barbara Carrellas

Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel

The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu

She Wants It by Jill Soloway

Attached by Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller

This Is ARC Website

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

As creatives, we can often get caught up in turning our work into a business and lose the direction that we started out with. Pennylane Shen is an artist consultant, curator, and educator who assists over 500 artists a year to help them find their audience, simplify their vision and grow their business. Today Pennylane is here to help guide you towards asking the right questions so you can figure out what is working for your creative business, and what is not.

A self-described mix between a financial planner, football coach and therapist, Pennylane is all about setting the record straight and helping artists become as financially and creatively successful as possible. We dive into what it is like to curate a large scale outdoor mural festival, acknowledge the common problems she sees in most artists development process, and explore ways to hone into your craft and be unique regardless of the competition.

With an open mind, acceptance of change and a willingness to know that your creativity is a process, Pennylane provides tips on how to narrow into what you do best, play to your strengths, set yourself apart and get your art in front of your ideal clientele. Learn why you absolutely need to have an artists statement, how to increase your 'bankable time', and much more. Pennylane has an abundance of knowledge and shares what she knows with us today to help you build new ideas and approach your art uniquely.

How does Pennylane's perspective on communicating an artists vision, maintaining creativity and accepting the good and bad days fit into your creative process? Share with us in the comments section.

In This Episode

• Finding a balance between making art for the sake of art and paying the bills
• Common mistakes artist make and good habits that you should start forming
• Finding a balance between your organic creative spirit and monetizing your work
• Tips to help you better access your creativity and inspiration on a daily basis
• Exercises to narrow into your creative strengths without getting repetitive

Quotes

"Having anywhere from a week to seventeen days to create an extremely intricate piece on a giant wall, its really really about time management." (6:23)

"Art is in fact at the end of the day, incredibly subjective, and we know that. And one thing can be approached in so many different ways, and there hasn't been a shortcut to figuring that out." (14:14)

"I find that many times artists are swayed in a direction because it is trendy to be x, y or z when really they should be playing to their strengths." (17:13)

"Artists are weird, right? They're oddballs, they are misfits and that's what makes them awesome." (32:11)

"Repetition is fantastic up until a certain point, until you are drowning in it. You don't want it to get to that level, so find another way to support your financial costs because you need to create new work!" (48:29)

Links

Dazed & Confucius Website

Pennylane Shen at PechaKucha Night Vol. 43

How It Sounds Seminar Information

Follow Pennylane on Instagram

A Big Important Art Book (Now With Women) by Daniella Krysa

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Although we all love to take beautiful images, it takes a bit more strategy and work to get your photos out there where they can be seen. Catalina Jean has taken to the algorithm science of SEO targeting to increase her reach and is constantly booked up for weddings every year because of it.

Based out of Portland, Oregon, Catalina takes artistic portraits paired with unique storytelling moments to produce natural wedding photography. She is constantly shooting and practicing with light, is inspired by anime and virtual reality, and knows how to optimize your website with keywords to potentially bring you business.

Catalina is walking us through what exactly SEO is, how you should be using it, and why. Learn how to use SEO to maximize opportunities in your geographical area, how to properly filter keywords and compete with domain authority, and more.

SEO can take some time to absorb, but can be an incredibly important step in boosting your marketing and getting rid of the things you may not even know are killing your website. Google isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so its best to learn how you could be expanding your reach and meeting the clients you want.

Have you used SEO to target potential clients and get your voice heard? Share your SEO experiences in the comments on the episode page!

In This Episode

• Why you should be using various marketing tactics and not just Instagram
• What is SEO and why you should care about it
• Insights into how to better optimize your next post
• How frequently you should be putting out online content
• Using virtual reality as an immersive experience into other cultures

Quotes

"It's one thing to tell a story or show a video, but there's something, I don't know, you're really like removing that separation when you're able to be immersive in it." (11:12)

"You don't need to know everything about SEO… but here's what's going to get you business, because I think that's what business owners care about." (22:00)

"I see each blog post as sort of an arrow to a target, and I think you first have to define your target." (23:59)

"If you get enough of those sort of fishing lines thrown out then you can break into a new area and change things up." (29:07)

"You're actually able to analyze and strategize on your own, beyond the rules, when you understand the targeting and the strategy and goals." (33:50)

Links

We'd absolutely love for you to join us at The Experience!

Catalina Jean Website

Follow Catalina on Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook

Charity Water

IBM Watson

Scott's Cheap Flights

Laura Babb Photo

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

João Guedes has lived and traveled all over the world, and brings his passion for culture and new experiences to his photography. Inspired by anything related to cinematography, João developed his skills behind the camera as a way to work from anywhere in the world. Today he is sharing with us which cities and films have most inspired him, how to find your personal voice and key lessons he has learned along the way.

João's latest project, The Diaries, is his perception on a woman's intimate world, and was created out of curiosity to express his viewpoint. By focusing on the motive behind an image, and taking technical and slow steps to create the perfect scene, João has mastered the line between composition and creativity.

How do you feel about the vulnerability and mise-en-scene João creates in his photos? Let us know your thoughts in regards to his creative process in the comments on the episode page!

In This Episode

• How João is inspired by the way stories are told through movies
• The pros and cons of storyboarding
• Ways to enhance your images through deeper mood connection
• The gear and workflow process behind The Diaries
• Three elements you must master in order to transform your composition into something unique

Quotes

"I think working with anything in cinematography or like photography movies, would be a dream for sure." (6:00)

"People are just people, and even though you feel like you are in different cultures, in the end, we are all very similar." (10:23)

"I think my connections to movies is a lot bigger than my connection to photography itself" (18:06)

"If I'm doing personal work, I'm definitely shooting with someone that at least shows on some level, that they see something in my work that they want to be a part of" (29:23)

"You tell the story you want to tell, it doesn't really matter, the truth. You tell your truth, right." (33:02)

Links

The Experience

João Guedes Photography

Follow João on Instagram | Facebook | Behance

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

João Guedes has lived and traveled all over the world, and brings his passion for culture and new experiences to his photography. Inspired by anything related to cinematography, João developed his skills behind the camera as a way to work from anywhere in the world. Today he is sharing with us which cities and films have most inspired him, how to find your personal voice and key lessons he has learned along the way.

João's latest project, The Diaries, is his perception on a woman's intimate world, and was created out of curiosity to express his viewpoint. By focusing on the motive behind an image, and taking technical and slow steps to create the perfect scene, João has mastered the line between composition and creativity.

How do you feel about the vulnerability and mise-en-scene João creates in his photos? Let us know your thoughts in regards to his creative process in the comments on the episode page!

In This Episode

• How João is inspired by the way stories are told through movies
• The pros and cons of storyboarding
• Ways to enhance your images through deeper mood connection
• The gear and workflow process behind The Diaries
• Three elements you must master in order to transform your composition into something unique

Quotes

"I think working with anything in cinematography or like photography movies, would be a dream for sure." (6:00)

"People are just people, and even though you feel like you are in different cultures, in the end, we are all very similar." (10:23)

"I think my connections to movies is a lot bigger than my connection to photography itself" (18:06)

"If I'm doing personal work, I'm definitely shooting with someone that at least shows on some level, that they see something in my work that they want to be a part of" (29:23)

"You tell the story you want to tell, it doesn't really matter, the truth. You tell your truth, right." (33:02)

Links

The Experience

João Guedes Photography

Follow João on Instagram | Facebook | Behance

Check out the full show notes page here

Keep up with everything ARC here

Follow ARC on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Sachin Khona

Follow Sachin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter