The Complete Creative

This week on the show I have a new friend who I've been dying to speak to forever, Rachel Kelly of Colorworld, an awesome YA fantasy book series, but her and her husband have turned it into a whole art business. Here's a bio for Rachel: 

I dig philosophy, lore, fairy tales, authentic romance, and the occult. I have longed to read something that artfully combines all 5, and since I haven't found it, I decided to write a story of my own.

Colorworld is the culmination of all these loves of mine, and it's my passion to make it something everyone can read and get something out of. Stories are meant to entertain, yes, but the best stories are the ones that do that AND make you question yourself. And since I hold all other literary works to this standard, it is also the standard I hold myself to when writing.

The Colorworld series is a story that opens your eyes to the beauty of that everydayness we all know so well while weaving in that wee bit of fantasy we all long for.

I've known about Colorworld for years. My longterm collaborator Erik Lervold has worked with them for years on their metal bookmark line, and I've seen Brad at shows for a long time. However, we're always so busy that it's hard to connect. 

Luckily, Brad reached out to me a couple month ago asking if I wanted to do a panel with Rachel for their livestream channel and I jumped at the offer. 

Then, I had such a great time that I asked Rachel to come on my show to talk about how she built her Colorworld universe, why she write in first person present, and more. 

Listen to this episode if you want to hear: 

How to expand a book world beyond just novels

Rachel's inspirations for making Colorworld

How to build out a creative business

...and much more. 

If you liked this interview, check out Rachel's work at https://colorworldbooks.com.

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

This week I have a special episode for you. A couple of months ago we recorded a panel for Wondercon @ Home which I thought was very good but apparently didn't get shown at all. 

 

Therefore, this week I'm going to bring it to you for the first time. This is a panel on making indie comics with Anne Agnew (https://twitter.com/annesplains), Bryan Silverbax (https://silverbax.com), John Dover (https://johnnyscotchjustice.com), Andrea Rosales (http://www.andrearosales.com), and me, Russell Nohelty (www.russellnohelty.com) being moderated by Jason Brick (http://www.brickcommajason.com).

 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

How to make better comics

How to market your comics better

Where to expend your energy 

...and much more. 

 

If you enjoy this episode, make sure the check out each artist and writer and get more info on them at the links above. 

 

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

This week on the show we have Ryan Zee and Cameron Sutter, founders of Plottr. Here's a little bit about the software. 

 

Plottr lets you easily arrange (and rearrange) your scenes, plots, and character arcs so you can quickly find your way to the end of your tale — no corkboard required.

Quickly outline your book with visual story cards

Filter your timeline by characters, places, and tags

Color-coordinate your storylines to keep them organized

Flip the timeline to view it vertically or horizontally

So, I have known Ryan for a long time. I used to use him for book marketing a long time ago, and we reconnected a few months ago when I ran my Online Writer's Conference. 

 

He asked me if I wanted to have him on to talk about Plottr, and I was interested, but recently I've gotten DOZENS of messages about Plottr, so I figured that it was time to have him on and find out what all the hype is about, though if you're a fan of the show, you probably know this is much more than just a program pitch. 

 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

How to write a book visually

Why you shouldn't make your dream project first

Why you need a safe space to fail at the beginning of your career

A better way to outline and plot your book

...and more. 

 

If it piques your interest, make sure to check out Plottr at https://getplottr.com/

 

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

This week on the show we have author and dancer Jennifer Anne Gordon. Before we get into it, here's her bio.

 

Jennifer Anne Gordon is an award-winning ballroom dancer, performer, and choreographer, she studied acting at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, as well as English and Art History at University of New Hampshire. Past jobs have included professional actress, a magician’s assistant, a gallery director, an artist, a burlesque performer, as well as a horror novelist.

 

Her mixed media artwork showcases her love of the late Victorian and Edwardian Era, as well as her passionate love for showgirls, burlesque, and vaudeville. Her work is in private collections throughout the world, and has been showcased in calendars, perfume labels, and has been featured in Somerset Studio Magazine, as well as Mixed Media Art Magazine.

 

Her first novel, “Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent” was published by Breaking Rules Publishing in late winter 2019. Her second novel “From Daylight to Madness” will be published during summer of 2020.

When Jennifer is not busy writing or performing, she is an avid traveler who loves to photograph abandoned and forgotten places.

 

Victoriana is the first published collection of Jennifer’s work.

 

I'll be honest, I was dealing with some stuff when I recorded this episode, so we kind of drifted to a lot of things, from feminism in gothic literature to keeping a business afloat when everything is falling apart to keeping the creative spark alive and lots of stuff in between. 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

The benefits of slow multitasking

How to transition your creativity and stay alive when everything it falling apart

Why creativity feels different depending on the medium

Why we need art

How to deal with grief

...and more. 

 

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out Jennifer's website at: 

www.jenniferannegordon.com

 

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

This week on the show we have artists Sandra Busby and Tara Roskell, co-founders of Kick in the Creatives, a website that helps people get and stay creative through monthly challenges. Here's some info from their webpage: 

Do you often find yourself discovering challenges through the sudden flow of related hashtags, only to find that you’re late to the party?

Well, now you don’t ever need to miss an online creative challenge again!

This is the place where you can find an abundance of existing online creative challenges all under one umbrella and with some brand new ones added to the mix!

All you need to do is click on each individual month on the calendar, to find out what challenges are going on during that particular month.

I met Sandra and Tara when I was a guest for their show, and found them so compelling that I decided to have them on this show to talk about building and maintaining creativity. 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

How to build a creative habit

The power of collaboration

Why accountability is so important for success

How to create a community that creates a positive tone for your career

...and much more. 

If you enjoy this episode, you can find Sandra and Tara on their Kick in the Creatives website.

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Today on the show we have Betabooks co-founder and all around creative human Paul Kilpatrick. Here's a bit of his bio: 

Paul Kilpatrick has enjoyed working in the comic book industry, video games, publishing, music, and film filling various support roles including being an editor, project manager, coordinator, stage manager and assistant director, tons of logistics fun. As the co-founder of BetaBooks Paul has helped thousands of authors beta their book, many of whom are discovering the process for the first time. He enjoys jigsaw puzzles and has recently been watching the tv show Ghosts.

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

How to find the perfect mentor

How to build a rock-solid network

Why word of mouth is the best marketing

How to determine book/reader fit

How to create your ideal reader profile 

...and much more. 

If you want to learn more about Paul, check out Betabooks at www.betabooks.co.

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

This week on the show I brought on The Creativity Explorer, Fredrik Haren, to discuss how to increase your productivity and become more creative. Here is his bio: 

Fredrik Haren is an author and global keynote speaker, based in Singapore. He speaks on business creativity and human innovation, on embracing disruption and change, and about the importance of having a global, human mindset. While some speakers claim they are global, few match Fredrik; he has given over 2,000 speeches in 67 countries across six continents of the world, and usually speaks in 20 to 30 countries a year.

He is the author of 10 books, the most significant ones being The Idea Book, Developing World and One World One Company. The Idea Book has sold over 200,000 copies, and was included in the 100 Best Business Books Of All Time. Fredrik draws on literally thousands of conversations and interviews he has had over the past 20 years, with business leaders from all corners of the globe. This unique experience allows him to connect with audience members from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and what makes being the global speaker for global conferences his speciality. He is invited to speak at conferences, client events, company offsite meetings and leadership development programmes. His use of storytelling, interaction and humour, along with his authentic speaking style, makes him one of the most sought-after and inspiring speakers in the world., Fredrik essentially believes in the potential of humanity and the power of ideas to achieve this. He understands that people are often resistant to change, yet also curiously creative. He encourages his audiences to embrace rather than fear disruption and change through becoming more creative and innovative, and to develop a truly global mindset.

What I love about Fredrik is that he's interviewed creative people ALL over the world and he was able to talk about the different ways creatives have cracked creativity and productivity in their countries. It's fascinating to see what is the same and different with creatives everywhere. 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

How you can become more creative

The most important project for a creative person

The most beautiful moment of the creative process

Thinking in patterns

Balancing creativity and focus

...and much more. 

If you enjoy this episode, go check out his blog at: https://www.fredrikharen.com/category/theworldofcreativity/blog/

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

This week on the show we have Headlocked creator Michael Kingston. Headlocked is a smash hit indie comic made by professional wrestlers for wrestling fans. It's awesome to see Michael's booths at conventions because they are always constantly swarmed with fans. Here's some info on his smash hit Headlocked from www.headlockedcomic.com

Nine years ago, I just wanted to make a cool wrestling comic. Something that was entertaining but that also showcased wrestling as an art form. As a lifelong fan of both wrestling and comics, I felt that despite the obvious parallels and crossover fanbase…no one had really done wrestling comics the right way.

I created Headlocked, an HBO-style drama chronicling an aspiring wrestler’s coming of age in the wrestling business. And I pitched it to everyone in comics… and I was turned down by everyone…one dude from a major publisher straight up laughed in my face.

So we just made them ourselves.

I love that last line. "So we just made them ourselves". It's incredible to think about Michael starting out in comics at a time when nobody wanted to book wrestlers and to watch how he has influenced the convention scene over the years until now when wrestling is a huge draw at conventions. 

Now, this show was recorded in February, before COVID, which means it might feel a little dated, but I liked listening to a time when we didn't have to worry about all this stuff, and we actually had conventions to look forward to, and we will again, which makes this the perfect planning episode for the future. 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn. 

How to build a world-class brand

How to partner with celebrities

How to bounce back after failure

And much more. If you like this episode, head over and check out Michael's Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headlockedcomic/headlocked-tales-from-the-road

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Richard Fairgray has been making comics since he was a little kid, rose to became one of the biggest names on the New Zealand comic scene, and published over 200 comics all over the world. 

When I found all this information, I was blown away, because I only knew him from his book Blastasaurus published by Golden Apple Books. He's produced a little bit of everything in just about every genre, and recently expanded into children's books as well. 

Not only has he had a long career, but a prolific one as well. He churns out finished pages like Kirby in his prime. He tells a story on the show about how he produced a 180-page book in three months. 

I am astounded by the level of dedication Richard has to comics, and I can't wait for you to hear from him. 

Listen to this episode if you want to learn: 

How to find your voice

How to unlock the formula for comic success

How to jump around genres and still maintain a rabid fanbase

How to draw several hundred pages of art in less than three months

How to make money in comics

...and much more. 

If you would like to learn more about Richard's work, or reach out to him, you can check out his website at: http://richardfairgray.com

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Today on the show we have two guests, Andre Filip and Carlos Musquez from ELA Advertising to talk about how to effectively develop a brand and marketing campaign even if you are operating on a shoestring budget. Here are their bios before we get into it.

Andre Filip, CEO & Founder, ELA Advertising

Andre Filip is the CEO and Founder of ELA (“Everything LA”), a global creative advertising agency headquartered in Los Angeles. 

He founded ELA in 2004 to capture the spirit, culture, vibe, and attitude of LA, where great creative ideas are born and where his creative energy and zest for advertising began. He oversees all aspects of the agency including creative, business strategy, culture, client service, and operations and has played an integral role in expanding the agency’s global presence for leading brands including TikTok, Disney, Easterseals, PepsiCo, Thermador and Western Digital. 

A creative visionary with a strong business acumen, his more than 15 years of experience spans innovative campaigns for clients including HBO, Disney, Starbucks, Paramount Pictures, Universal, EA Games, NASCAR, Showtime, 20th Century Fox, ABC, Fox Sports and Bravo. 

Andre also serves as the Board Chair for Easterseals Southern California.

Carlos Musquez, Executive Creative Director, ELA Advertising

Carlos Musquez, Executive Creative Director of ELA, is the creative lead for the agency. His deep agency roots at Omnicom under Alcone Marketing, saw him developing and designing best-in-class campaigns for major brands such as The California Lottery, Warner Music Group, Nestle, Logitech, LG Mobile, eBay, Sony, Diageo, and Coca-Cola to name a few. Carlos lives by the philosophy that an idea is only as good as its execution, and passion and craft are what turn good ideas into award winning ideas. 

His work has been recognized by the Addy’s, Creativity, Effie’s, New York Festivals, Communication Arts, Art Director’s Club, and the Clio’s. In his free time, Carlos extends his love of craft to the world of home brewing, crafting ales and designing labels.

I met Andre and Carlos through a public relations person and I’m so glad I did. I always worry about advertising agencies will not be able to talk to people who are freelancers or working on a small business budget, but they were both great. I think if you want to develop a brand, which we all do, then this is incredibly insightful advice.

Listen to this episode if you want to learn:

How to fail better

How to find the discovery in the chaos

Why anybody would care about your work

Why you can’t be everything to everybody

How to test your messaging

…and much more.

If you enjoyed this episode, then make sure to check them out at: https://www.ela1.com/about or https://www.instagram.com/elaadvertising/

If you love this show, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.