The Stay Creative Project

Maura Molloy Interview – On the Joy of Consistent Creativity

In this episode, I sit down with the singer, music instructor and business owner, Maura Molloy. We discuss how creativity works best when it’s a part of your daily life.

Maura approaches every aspect of her life with a creative slant, whether it’s songwriting, directing a play or making a video for her Classical music business Maura&Co Music

If I’m writing songs I’m constantly thinking about it. You know, if I’m riding in my car or doing a yoga class. You know, I never stop thinking.

It’s like a jigsaw puzzle to me sometimes…. Until it fits I can’t stop. It bothers me.

It’s such a feeling of satisfaction when you solve the problem. In a lot of ways, creativity is problem-solving.

— Maura Molloy

Episode Highlights

Making a Living as a Musician

“I am a kind of happier than most people I know. I’m not searching for fame. I get up every day and I want to create and I want to create beautiful music. And that’s what my ultimate goal is.”

How Staying Creative is Like Working Out

“You know I really think you have to be deliberate about the process. Just because you might have creative tendencies, doesn’t mean you’re going to live a creative life.

I’m one of those people who works out every day.

And I do that for two different reasons. As a singer, I really care about my body. It’s my instrument but also it’s my mental…. you know by working out every day I keep my mind free and some of my best ideas come in the middle of a yoga class. ”

How Maura Recharges Her Energy as an Extravert

“I tend to recharge in other things that don’t involve music. I don’t listen to gobs of music. Like when I’m in the car, I want silence.

So if I’m not around people I keep my world really quiet. So that I can hear my inner dialogue in a way. I feel like the world… sometimes you can’t hear yourself….

If you can like shut the TV off for a couple of days, it’s really powerful. But it’s so hard to do that… so I strive for when I’m not around people to keep my life quiet.”

How Video Can Help Solve Wedding Problems

“I love thinking about what problem I could solve, in the intro [to the video] for the bride or something that’s going to spark my clients’ creativity by seeing what other brides are doing and what their choices are.

I’ve got a couple of things now: meet the musicians, where I introduce my own musicians.

And I’ve learned a lot about them. Things I didn’t know. So I think that it helps my marketing.

The client gets to see me, they got to know me. And I think they trust me a little more and they see how vested I am. I really care about their weddings.

Even though I’ve sung at over a thousand weddings, I really care.”

Episode Outline

00:08 Intro to Interview with Maura Molloy

01:47 Start of the Interview

03:27 Making a Living as a Musician

04:46 We Have to Work at Staying Creative

05:24 Why Maura Works Out Every Day

05:51 How Her Mom Instilled A Love of Art

06:56 Why Following Through is Critical to Staying Creative

07:58 Why Most Kids Become Less Creative as They Age

08:59 How Childhood Experiences Hold Some People Back from Further Creative Work

09:50 How Creatives Are Like Athletes Working Out Every Day

11:36 The Joy of Creative Problem Solving

14:47 How Introverts Create Differently from Extraverts

20:58 Making Videos for Bridal Music – Maura’s New Endeavor

22:45 How Video Can Help Solve Wedding Problems

Scott Perry of Be Creative On Purpose – Part 2 of 2, Episode 006

Scott Perry of Creative On Purpose is an author and creativity coach. He and I sat down to talk about how small actions can become great with intention and encouragement.

You can also listen to part one of this conversation to hear our conversation on the importance of community and doing work that helps others.

Find Scott Perry Online

BeCreativeOnPurpose is the best place to find Scott’s two books, his coaching services, and his newsletter. If you sign up for that he will send you the first few chapters of his newest book Endeavor for free.

Episode Highlights and Links

* Scott is a coach in several of Seth Godin’s Marketing Courses

* The main theme of Seth Godin’s newest book This Is Marketing is The Minimal Viable Audience

* The Foundations of Stoic Philosophy are Man’s social nature, our capacity for reason and Scott’s related third idea *our desire to create for others**

* Steven Pressfield’s articles about The Resistance that force that always tries to hold us back

* I used the Auphonic cloud-based audio tools to create a transcription, the ID3 tags and a video for this episode.

Episode Outline

* The Smallest Viable Audience

* The Magical Sequence of the Smallest Viable Audience

* The Deeper Part of “Help Others”

* How Blogging, Sharing and Listening Helps You Define Yourself

* The Role of Stoic Philosophy in Creativity

* How Tribes Work Towards the Greater Good

* Our Only Chance to Live Happier Lives

* Consuming Doesn’t Work

* The Stories We Tell Ourselves Matter Most

* Responding to Negative Feedback

* The Final Flourish Story

* The Difference Between Feedback and Criticism

* The Power of Encouragement

* Why Sharing in Small Steps Works Best

* The Danger of Attachment

* How to Find Scott and Learn More

* Scott’s Appreciation to The Stay Creative Project

* How My Drive to Improve Helps Me Stay Creative

* Use Auphonic to Automate Transcriptions and Export Videos

A Note on the Transcript

A transcript is provided towards the bottom of this page. But please be forewarned! Google was kind to make the transcription for me, but machine learning only goes so far. I have corrected much of it, but I’m afraid it will have a few errors, especially in the 2nd half.

Listen to This Podcast

* Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Listen to Other Podcasts in This Series

The Stay Creative Project is designed to help content creators stay inspired, so we can keep making great stuff to help us change the world.

Check out other Stay Creative Project Episodes here at New Wild Media.

Podcast Transcription

Scott Perry Interview, Part 2 of 2 – Introduction 

Scott Perry of Be Creative On Purpose – Part 1 of 2, Episode 005

In this interview, Scott Perry and I discuss how creativity flourishes best within a community and how inspiration is not something that just happens. We have to prepare for it by sitting down and doing the work on a regular basis.

His ideas are heavily influenced by his strong interest in Stoic philosophy.

When I first met Scott, I knew immediately that I wanted to interview him for my new Stay Creative Project Series.

Scott’s approach to the creative process is well thought out, as you will hear in the podcast.

Find Scott Perry Online

BeCreativeOnPurpose is the best place to find Scott’s two books, his coaching services, and his newsletter. If you sign up for that he will send you the first few chapters of his book Endeavor for free.

Listen to This Podcast

* Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Listen to Other Podcasts in This Series

The Stay Creative Project is designed to help content creators stay inspired, so we can keep making great stuff to help us change the world.

Check out other Stay Creative Project Episodes here at New Wild Media.

Interview with Brew Davis of Asheville, NC

I’m thrilled to announce that my friend Brew Davis is the first in-person interview for this Stay Creative Project Series.

I sat down with Brew to hear about his hike up Mount Mitchell from Asheville, NC an 11,000 ft overall elevation gain and to hear how his community, the outdoors and music help keep him inspired.

The project quickly raised over $3000.00 for the FBCA Lunch at the CrossRoads. It’s held at every Thursday in downtown Asheville, NC.

Find Brew Davis Online

Brew’s musical pursuits can be found at BrewDavis.com

His latest work can always be found on his email newsletter ‘What’s Brewing”, which you can find at his website.

Listen to This Podcast

* Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Listen to Other Podcasts in This Series

The Stay Creative Project is designed to help content creators stay inspired, so we can keep making great stuff to help us change the world.

Check out other Stay Creative Project Episodes here at New Wild Media.

Inspired By Nature

In this episode you can learn about how nature and the outdoors can greatly contribute to your creative process.

Learn why great mysteries should be explored and discussed, even though you will never understand them.

This Podcast Episode Contents

* Poem referenced, “My Heart Leaps Up” by William Wordsworth

* EverNote is my digital brain, my digital note system, where I store resources and find connections.

* The ancient Great Spirit Prayer, translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887

Always take notes. Because eventually, things connect. – The Creative Way Today

Listen to This Podcast

* Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Listen to Other Podcasts in This Series

The Stay Creative Project is designed to help content creators stay inspired, so we can keep making great stuff to help us change the world.

Check out other Stay Creative Project Episodes here at New Wild Media.

Is a Good Life Good Enough?

We live in amazing times. Technology has opened up many new worlds for us to explore. We generally consider that a good thing.

Until we suspect the good things we are doing are not enough.

An example is how I use Facebook. It’s a good thing that all too often keeps me from doing the greater things I want to do.

The Good Side is Good

At its best, Facebook is a good way to catch up with other people and see what’s happening in their lives. In this way, it seems to foster community building. And that’s a pretty good thing.

But The Bad Side is Not So Good

But is “pretty good” enough?

No. Not when you look back on your life and see that you have not done the great things that you wish you had.

Even good things can become distractions when they keep you from doing and making great things.

So, How Do We Change This?

In this 2nd Episode of The Stay Creative Project Podcast, I talk about How “good” New Media can keep us from better things.

In particular, it seems to keep me from bringing my ideas out into greater realms where they can contribute to the greater good.

This Podcast Episode Contents

* How a nightmare helped me realize I was becoming too unfocused while driving.

* How to use a very common distraction as a reminder to do greater things.

When you hear “The Ding”, pause to remember your main thing. – The Creative Way Today

Listen to This Podcast

* Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Listen to Other Podcasts in This Series

The Stay Creative Project is designed to help content creators stay inspired, so we can keep making great stuff to help us change the world.

Check out other Stay Creative Project Episodes here at New Wild Media.

What’s So Important About Inspiration?

Winston Churchill’s key to success could be summarized in his unforgettable quote, “Never, never, never give up.”

Success is going from failure to failure with great enthusiasm. ― Winston Churchill

Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs also knew a lot about what it takes to be successful in today’s world. His parting thought in the last speech of his life was to, “stay hungry, and stay foolish.”

Similarly, life and business strategist Tony Robbins says that the one thing every top influencer he’s ever known has had is “drive” and the determination to never give up.

But How Do we Stay Hungry and Never Give up?

Where do we get the energy, the motivation, and the stamina to keep going in the face of adversity and failure?

Through inspiration. Through a regular re-focusing on what matters to us. Through paying attention to our lives and remembering to keep the flame alive.

If we can stay inspired, we can stay motivated. And motivation is what gets us to get things done.

This Podcast Episode Contents

* Why staying inspired is so important

* How daily habits such as free writing keep you curious and primed for inspiration.

* Why it’s critical to “know the main thing about the main thing”.

* How to “Circle back to the Core” when explaining a concept

When in doubt explaining your concept, “Circle Back to the Core Idea” – The Creative Way Today

Listen to This Podcast

* Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Listen to Other Podcasts in This Series

The Stay Creative Project is designed to help content creators stay inspired, so we can keep making great stuff to help us change the world.

Check out other Stay Creative Project Episodes here at New Wild Media.