The Creative Life Show

Creative people sometimes get lost. Really lost.

Wolfgang Wild was one of those. He'd spent years flitting between jobs, searching for the fulfilment he could never find.

Then he had a moment of realisation, asking himself a question that he'd asked himself plenty of times. But this time, he was so frustrated, that the answer that came was crazy and impossible. So crazy that he dismissed it.

But it led his to where he is now: the successful, in-demand creative founder of Retronaut, the archive photography blog that became a huge success within weeks of launching, and which has led to all sorts of other projects.

Retronaut wasn't born out of a grand plan, but a genuine passion. Wolfgang and I talk about:

* Spending years in the creative wilderness, being fired and made redundant, finding endless jobs that seemed to fit his skills but which just didn't fulfil or satisfy him

* A crucial turning point of a frustrating question, and realising the answer was something so impossible it wasn't worth even considering, but led to a whole new direction

* How he built Retronaut to a huge global success after a moment of truth in a remainder bookshop

We also talk about the pursuit of happiness, why we can allow ourselves to choose the emotions we want, and Wolfgang's transformational 6-minute daily practice that allows him to get way more done.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Creative people sometimes get lost. Really lost.

Wolfgang Wild was one of those. He'd spent years flitting between jobs, searching for the fulfilment he could never find.

Then he had a moment of realisation, asking himself a question that he'd asked himself plenty of times. But this time, he was so frustrated, that the answer that came was crazy and impossible. So crazy that he dismissed it.

But it led his to where he is now: the successful, in-demand creative founder of Retronaut, the archive photography blog that became a huge success within weeks of launching, and which has led to all sorts of other projects.

Retronaut wasn't born out of a grand plan, but a genuine passion. Wolfgang and I talk about:

* Spending years in the creative wilderness, being fired and made redundant, finding endless jobs that seemed to fit his skills but which just didn't fulfil or satisfy him

* A crucial turning point of a frustrating question, and realising the answer was something so impossible it wasn't worth even considering, but led to a whole new direction

* How he built Retronaut to a huge global success after a moment of truth in a remainder bookshop

We also talk about the pursuit of happiness, why we can allow ourselves to choose the emotions we want, and Wolfgang's transformational 6-minute daily practice that allows him to get way more done.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Creative people sometimes get lost. Really lost.

Wolfgang Wild was one of those. He'd spent years flitting between jobs, searching for the fulfilment he could never find.

Then he had a moment of realisation, asking himself a question that he'd asked himself plenty of times. But this time, he was so frustrated, that the answer that came was crazy and impossible. So crazy that he dismissed it.

But it led his to where he is now: the successful, in-demand creative founder of Retronaut, the archive photography blog that became a huge success within weeks of launching, and which has led to all sorts of other projects.

Retronaut wasn't born out of a grand plan, but a genuine passion. Wolfgang and I talk about:

* Spending years in the creative wilderness, being fired and made redundant, finding endless jobs that seemed to fit his skills but which just didn't fulfil or satisfy him

* A crucial turning point of a frustrating question, and realising the answer was something so impossible it wasn't worth even considering, but led to a whole new direction

* How he built Retronaut to a huge global success after a moment of truth in a remainder bookshop

We also talk about the pursuit of happiness, why we can allow ourselves to choose the emotions we want, and Wolfgang's transformational 6-minute daily practice that allows him to get way more done.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Creative people sometimes get lost. Really lost.

Wolfgang Wild was one of those. He'd spent years flitting between jobs, searching for the fulfilment he could never find.

Then he had a moment of realisation, asking himself a question that he'd asked himself plenty of times. But this time, he was so frustrated, that the answer that came was crazy and impossible. So crazy that he dismissed it.

But it led his to where he is now: the successful, in-demand creative founder of Retronaut, the archive photography blog that became a huge success within weeks of launching, and which has led to all sorts of other projects.

Retronaut wasn't born out of a grand plan, but a genuine passion. Wolfgang and I talk about:

* Spending years in the creative wilderness, being fired and made redundant, finding endless jobs that seemed to fit his skills but which just didn't fulfil or satisfy him

* A crucial turning point of a frustrating question, and realising the answer was something so impossible it wasn't worth even considering, but led to a whole new direction

* How he built Retronaut to a huge global success after a moment of truth in a remainder bookshop

We also talk about the pursuit of happiness, why we can allow ourselves to choose the emotions we want, and Wolfgang's transformational 6-minute daily practice that allows him to get way more done.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you do creative work of any kind, the way you value your own skills is crucial. Anabel Roque Rodriguez has practical, inspiring advice on how to take back control when it feels as though the world doesn't value what you do.

We have a terrific conversation, including:

* The myth of the poor, suffering artist, and why we have to say no to it

* The legacy of ‘art as sacrifice’, and why it’s so damaging - especially for women

* How to plan for times without paid work, and how to use them to your advantage

* The trap that most creatives make in pricing their own work

* Why creatives are so reluctant to negotiate prices, and what to do instead

* When to work for free or a reduced fee, and when to say no

* Why ‘exposure’ is the worst reason for taking on work

* The importance of taking control of your own career, from TODAY

Even though I have conversations regularly with my clients about how to value and price their work, time and energy, this conversation with Anabel made me re-evaluate my own work and how I approach it.

Join the Creative Life Community at creativelifeshow.com

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you do creative work of any kind, the way you value your own skills is crucial. Anabel Roque Rodriguez has practical, inspiring advice on how to take back control when it feels as though the world doesn't value what you do.

We have a terrific conversation, including:

* The myth of the poor, suffering artist, and why we have to say no to it

* The legacy of ‘art as sacrifice’, and why it’s so damaging - especially for women

* How to plan for times without paid work, and how to use them to your advantage

* The trap that most creatives make in pricing their own work

* Why creatives are so reluctant to negotiate prices, and what to do instead

* When to work for free or a reduced fee, and when to say no

* Why ‘exposure’ is the worst reason for taking on work

* The importance of taking control of your own career, from TODAY

Even though I have conversations regularly with my clients about how to value and price their work, time and energy, this conversation with Anabel made me re-evaluate my own work and how I approach it.

Join the Creative Life Community at creativelifeshow.com

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Noah Scalin is the co-creator of the brilliant Creative Sprint process, an artist, author and creativity consultant. Until now, it's been a free 30-day live series, but he and his sister Mica Scalin have just published Creative Sprint, a book of six month-long sprints, with lots of thought-provoking stories and ideas. Part of the principle between Creative Sprint is about sharing as a way of fast-tracking your work and making it better and better.

If you're doing creative work, at one point you need to get it out there. But for many of us, we want to get it to a point we're satisfied with ourselves before we show it to anyone else.

We've got it all wrong, though, says Noah Scalin. He says we've got to change the way we think, to discover the enormous benefits of sharing our work early and frequently.

Noah and I explore:

* Why sharing can make your work much faster

* How to draw people to you by putting your work out

* The importance of finding a safe space to share

* The fear that stops you sharing

* The role of self-reflection

We also talk about the Creative Sprint process, and why it's so powerful, whatever kind of creative work you do. If you're thinking of joining it, or would just like to be more creative and more energetic, you've got to listen to this.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Noah Scalin is the co-creator of the brilliant Creative Sprint process, an artist, author and creativity consultant. Until now, it's been a free 30-day live series, but he and his sister Mica Scalin have just published Creative Sprint, a book of six month-long sprints, with lots of thought-provoking stories and ideas. Part of the principle between Creative Sprint is about sharing as a way of fast-tracking your work and making it better and better.

If you're doing creative work, at one point you need to get it out there. But for many of us, we want to get it to a point we're satisfied with ourselves before we show it to anyone else.

We've got it all wrong, though, says Noah Scalin. He says we've got to change the way we think, to discover the enormous benefits of sharing our work early and frequently.

Noah and I explore:

* Why sharing can make your work much faster

* How to draw people to you by putting your work out

* The importance of finding a safe space to share

* The fear that stops you sharing

* The role of self-reflection

We also talk about the Creative Sprint process, and why it's so powerful, whatever kind of creative work you do. If you're thinking of joining it, or would just like to be more creative and more energetic, you've got to listen to this.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you have a dream of expanding your creative work into a new area, but don’t believe it will ever happen, this is the perfect episode for you. Becoming an author hadn’t ever crossed Alice Stevenson’s mind, but after writing two beautiful, reflective, travel books, she’s added a whole new dimension to her work as a successful illustrator.

Alice and I talk about her journey from initial scepticism, through working out to what her book should even be about, to the process of writing it, and, eventually, repeating the process with the second one. Was it easier? No, she says – and we talk about the huge overwhelm of a much more complex second book.

Alice has wonderful advice on pushing beyond your creative comfort zone in a way that’s stretching but manageable.

- How to know when you’ve got trapped in over-thinking your creative work

- How fear leads to not being able to focus on any one project

- Ways to free your creative thinking when anxiety overwhelming you

- The importance of commitment in a creative process

- How to separate your ‘sensible’ inner voice from your ‘stressed’ one

We also talk about Alice’s own creative processes that she used to stop self-doubt from overwhelming her, and to keep her creative vision fresh.

This is a fabulous, encouraging episode about overcoming creative self-doubt and believing in yourself. I love Alice’s gentle, positive energy, and the simplicity with which she approaches her writing.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you have a dream of expanding your creative work into a new area, but don’t believe it will ever happen, this is the perfect episode for you. Becoming an author hadn’t ever crossed Alice Stevenson’s mind, but after writing two beautiful, reflective, travel books, she’s added a whole new dimension to her work as a successful illustrator.

Alice and I talk about her journey from initial scepticism, through working out to what her book should even be about, to the process of writing it, and, eventually, repeating the process with the second one. Was it easier? No, she says – and we talk about the huge overwhelm of a much more complex second book.

Alice has wonderful advice on pushing beyond your creative comfort zone in a way that’s stretching but manageable.

- How to know when you’ve got trapped in over-thinking your creative work

- How fear leads to not being able to focus on any one project

- Ways to free your creative thinking when anxiety overwhelming you

- The importance of commitment in a creative process

- How to separate your ‘sensible’ inner voice from your ‘stressed’ one

We also talk about Alice’s own creative processes that she used to stop self-doubt from overwhelming her, and to keep her creative vision fresh.

This is a fabulous, encouraging episode about overcoming creative self-doubt and believing in yourself. I love Alice’s gentle, positive energy, and the simplicity with which she approaches her writing.

Click to view: show page on Awesound