Creativity is much more than "doing art" in much the same way that "Play" is much more than "doing sports".

To me, a creative mindset is one based in curiosity and honed through play and experience. 

Play time is not a reward for good performance, it can be your refuge, your well of inspiration or just for fun. Either way, it is absolutely necessary to not only make your days a little more enjoyable but also more productive!

The artist's mind is usually pretty busy, planning, conjuring, creating and imagining.

It can be tiring, and distracting but still fulfilling and exciting and chance falling into depression if the well of inspiration runs dry.

So why do we allow ourselves to live this kind of life? Certainly there must be easier things to occupy our minds and hearts...I'm sure there are, but hey, artsie, ask yourself this: "What Else Are You Going To Do"?

Being an artist is not a choice, it's who you are.

The mirror we're talking about here is your own work. 

Do you see your self in your art?

Does it carry your "vibe factor"?

This self-assessment is pretty important as we grow and evolve; to keep our motivations, inspirations and goals foremost in our mind and heart requires a great deal of honesty in asking (and answering) some big questions!

This episode explores our transformation as artists, people and interpersonally with our fellows as we embark upon a creative journey. 

Two recent very contrasting conversations were the inspiration for this- how the student/teacher relationship develops and how we as creators and artists start to change our view of the world and ourselves, as our abilities and perspectives grow, evolve and transform. 

Leave a comment, lets have a conversation about this!

13 months ago I started the Creative Train Podcast with the hopes of reaching a few folks, today the podcast passed 500 downloads on the native/hosting site and I am thrilled, thank you!

I am looking to grow with new guests and new input from you!

For now, I will continue recounting my daily life as a musician, music educator and glass artist with the sole focus of inspiring and empowering as a fellow artist/creator and educator.

So what's with the distinction between artist and a creator?  I talk about that here too, all aboard?

It happens. Literally, to everyone. whether you're an artist or not, sometimes you will lose your groove.

This is my own experience with the same thing- how I regained momentum with a reminder of WHY art is my life's work, not just my hobby!

If you are a new artist or returning to a creative pursuit, this episode is for you! 

Art is not a competition, a race, or a measuring stick between you and anyone else.

Art is an outlet, a vehicle to express joy and bring beauty into the world.

We all celebrate the creations and innocent expressions of children, but please remember that the most joyful part of you is awaiting your return to making fun stuff and having fun doing so! 

In this episode I explore the quantity vs quality conundrum we as artists and creators and now faced with: can we or should we use AI tech to do the thinking for us when it comes to creating new things? 

AI is great for gathering and parsing information already made available online, but can it create something totally original, something not sourced in another person's creations?

One of my 12 year old music students had a very interesting experiment he did with AI, and the discussion we had about it was the seed for this episode.

As an artist, there are many types of relationships you have with other artists. 

Some are casual and brief, others take shape and evolve over many years; every single one of them is worth your effort to a degree. 

This is my story of how an almost decade-long relationship dissolved in and into silence, how I came to terms with it and how I chose to move on. 

There are many lessons learned in this one. My biggest take-away is that after publishing this, I am giving myself permission to wipe my mind clean of resentment and move on with my creativity and honour in tact.

On a similar vibe to episode 39 about creative teaching methods, this episode focuses on developing and earning respect in a student/teacher situation. 

I recount one of my best and one of my worst experiences with this issue, I truly hope that if you are a struggling teacher you can find some inspiration here; and if you are a student having trouble engaging with your teacher(s) maybe you can find some tactics to help create a more fruitful relationship!