The Ultimate Creative

Pro podcaster and filmmaker (and the love of my life) Justin Decloux is back for an episode all about creativity! And we're getting real to answer the question, why is creativity so hard?

Today we’re talking about why it’s so hard to be creative, because we both struggle with this from time to time. And then there are times when we’re super prolific. When Justin realizes that creativity is not coming to you as easily as he'd like it to, often times it's just about taking a nap and getting some space, and then moving on.

For me, I just get super frustrated and angry with myself and one of my big tipoffs that I'm not in particularly creative mood is that I'm focusing on very mundane tasks that really could be done at ANY other time!

We also talk about the value of being creative with a collaborator. This weekend we shot and edited 3 sketches about this new character named No Luck Chuck who gets killed by a gorilla at the end of every scene in very bizarre ways. Since Justin was in a bit of a creative dry spell in his work, we talked about the impact that having a collaborative project has on his ability to get back into a creative mindset. 

We also discuss the idea of self-editing when working with collaborators, and knowing how to manage your comfort levels so that creativity just flows naturally.

Make sure you tune into hear more about:

👉 What Justin likes to do when he's totally tapped out for creative ideas

👉 When in a particularly prolific period of creativity, what some of the routines or rituals that keep him going are

👉 How to get comfortable with creativity after wrapping a HUGE project with a lot of external challenges

About Justin Decloux:
Justin Decloux is a filmmaker and podcaster in Toronto. He spends most days watching movies to talk about on his many podcasts, or to research content for his boutique Blu-ray label Gold Ninja Video. He is also the love of my life and I wrote this bio for him.

Links:
https://justindecloux.com
https://filmtrap.com
https://goldninjavideo.com

Twitter: @declouxj
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/JustinDecloux/

Youtube:
Film Trap: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLpWvJv2paIaa6U9gcw4AA
Pineapple Skeleton: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJdqt6q1bMyAxRaAr9VajQ

No Luck Chuck: https://youtu.be/kceHOptpdwg

Do you ever have those moments when you’re like “I’M GOING TO WRITE A MOVIE” or “I’m GOING TO WRITE A BOOK” and you get so excited about it but you don’t have a clue what the steps should be to make it happen? Well today I’m going to be sharing a few ways to reverse that and stick to your creative goals!

These are a few reasons why I ditch my creative goals and some I’ve heard from others:

If you are feeling a little lost, you’re creating content just for the sake of creating content and you’re not feeling fulfilled, you might need to come back to your purpose.

I recently joined a group of amazing women in Shelagh Cummins’ accelerator program and this is what I learned about defining my process. Shelagh’s program is obviously way more robust and I’m just sharing my own key takeaways here, but if you’re struggling to figure out what the hell to do with your content, your business, or your life, this might be a helpful episode for you.

Why is purpose important for figuring out your creative path/your business

- Clarity on your path - you know exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get there
-More focus - there’s no question that you’re working towards something specific and you have a connection to it, that helps with the distractions
-Clear messaging - people know what to expect from you and you become the “go-to” person for your content

How to figure out what your purpose is

-Create a list of everything you prioritize. Things like - prioritizing client calls over graphic design, or writing the outline of your podcast episodes over editing. 
-Note where the themes come together - are they overlapping in a particular area? For me it was storytelling. Bringing together my passion for audio & film and tv with the heart of the content - stories. How do I share other’s stories, or help them to share their stories?
-Test this out - write it in your IG bio or the next time you introduce yourself, tell the new person what you do by sharing your purpose. 

What to do now that you know

-Start updating your content to reflect what your purpose is all about! That might mean new graphics, new podcast intro/outro, new podcast altogether!
-Continue tweaking to make sure it feels right for you going forward. 
-Help others to do the same! This is tough stuff so if you’ve successfully figured it out, I’d encourage you to share!

While you’re at it, join The Ultimate Creative Podcast community on Facebook and share your purpose with the group! I’d love to learn what drives you, and how you make your purpose work for you!

Links:
-The Ultimate Creative Podcast Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity/
-Shelagh Cummins’ Business Accelerator: https://www.theroadtoseven.com/the-business-accelerator-live
-The Road To Seven Podcast: https://www.theroadtoseven.com/theroadtosevenpodcast
-The Missing Pillar of Health Podcast: https://greenathome.ca/podcast
-Descript Editing App: http://descript.com/?lmref=gsTrpA

Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:
-Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket
-Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting

Join the brand new TUC Pod Community on Facebook! Head to https://facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity I can't wait to meet you in there!

How to batch your content like a boss!

This week I’m showing you exactly how I plan and batch all of my content for a month at a time so that I’m not spending hours panicking about creating content - I’m prepared every month with exactly what I want to produce, record, edit and promote every single day!

If you want to have more consistency with your content then you should definitely check out this episode of TUC Thursday’s Live!

Join me every Thursday at 11am EST to talk about more content and creativity things, and how you can use it to bring more revenue into your biz!

Watch the IG Live here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqajquo_dF/

So you want to have a creative career but you’re stuck in a grey, lifeless cubicle. Who better to talk to on todays episode of The Ultimate Creative Podcast, than The Career Rebel Coach herself, Rachel Depres!

Rachel helps 9-5ers break out of their conventional careers to pursue their dream careers, and earn great money while they do it. Originally she started out with a blog to inspire people to pursue creative careers, but she discovered that although her clients were intrigued at the idea of a “creative career,” they didn’t actually consider themselves creative.

In fact, Rachel didn’t totally recognize herself as a creative until she considered that her writing was her creative superpower. 

“As long as you have that barrier up, where you say "I'm not creative," it's pretty hard for creativity to express itself when you're just kind of hell bent and determined on making sure it doesn't.” - Rachel Despres, Host of The Career Rebel Podcast

Tune into this episode to learn:

• How Rachel helps clients to tap into their creativity and earn money from it
• The biggest hurdle people face when leaving their 9-5s and starting their unconventional career paths
• What Rachel thinks is the most important step to take to get started

About Rachel Despres

Rachel Despres is a Career Coach for Rebels who, after successfully escaping her own cubicle, began helping others break free of their desk jobs and build unconventional careers that truly fit with who they are—from creative work, to side hustles, to starting a business.

Links:

• The Career Rebel Podcast: https://careerrebelpodcast.com/ 
• Rachel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheldespres/
• Cubicle Renegade: https://racheldespres.com/cubicle-renegade/

Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:

• Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket
• Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting

Stay connected!

• Join The Ultimate Creative Podcast Community on Facebook at https://facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity
• Follow me on Instagram at @the_ultimatecreative
• Join the brand new TUC Pod Community on Facebook! Head to https://facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity I can't wait to meet you in there!

Have you been sucked into the #hustle and #grind of entrepreneurship? Is your creativity being compromised because you’re working all the time? Well my friend, this episode is for YOU. 

This week on The Ultimate Creative Podcast I’m talking with Christy Cegelski, host of the podcast Captivate + Convert about how she started her copywriting business, what it was like to develop (and stick to) boundaries within the business, and how she uses her podcast as a way to support the core mission of her business - to help more women achieve wealth, success, and independence, and to do it in a sustainable way.

“Sometimes I do that by creating email funnels so my clients can automate their sales process and save time. And sometimes I have a guest on the podcast to talk about how to address and managing anxiety, because you can't effectively run your business if you're having panic attacks every day. To me, success isn't just about how much money you make. It's about really the quality of life. So the way I see it, both of those quote unquote ‘services’ align with my core mission.” - Christy Cegelski

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How Christy’s copywriting business came to be, and how it has evolved to match her lifestyle over time
• Christy’s motivation to create content that empowers her listeners to not do "all the things,” but to find satisfaction in what they love instead
• Christy’s top 3 non-negotiables to having a successfully stress-free business?

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow The Ultimate Creative Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Links:

• Captivate + Convert Podcast: https://christycegelski.com/podcast/
• Captivate + Convert Episode 10 - From $35/Hr To 5-Figure Months: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1332115/6016957
• Captivate + Convert Episode 27 - Building A Multi-Passionate Business With Cara Alwill: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1332115/7815829
• TUC episode 57 Reinventing Your Content: https://theultimatecreative.com/reinventing-your-content/
• Christy’s Done In A Day package: https://christycegelski.com/hire-me
• Christy’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/christycegelski/

Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:

• Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket
• Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting

Stay connected!

Join The Ultimate Creative Podcast Community on Facebook at https://facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity

Follow me on Instagram at @the_ultimatecreative

Feeling creatively stuck? Not sure how to get through your creative blocks? Well I’ve got GREAT news for ya! I’ve put together my top 10 things that I do to get creatively unstuck to start being creative again!

I’m going to challenge you to make your creativity your responsibility. That means pushing through and working on your craft no matter WHAT. Well we can all take sick days and time for ourselves, but if you have a goal and want to make it happen, it’s all going to come down to you! 

Here are my top 10 favourite things to do help me get creatively unstuck:

1.  Go outside! Go anywhere you can
2. Take an active recovery break - Take in someone else’s art that you wouldn’t normally for a different perspective
3. Make lists of things
4. Schedule 20 min per day to mechanically do your creative thing
5. Find a writing group (yes, even if you don’t like participating in group things)
6. Let go of control & perfectionism, just put something out there! Who cares what it is?
7. Give yourself a set of rules to stay within.
8. Reflect on things you’ve been super successful with creatively before - maybe even over a long period of time!
9. Write a story about literally anything, make sure it has a beginning, middle and end. It could be 2 paragraphs long, I don’t care, just practice the art of storytelling to remind yourself of the big picture. You can also look up LOTS of free writing exercises online.
10. Journal every day and process your FEELINGGGGSSSS! 

Your creativity is your responsibility!

At the end of the day if you’re making your creative passion a career, there is a level of professionalism you need to be bringing to it. Creativity and success need to be made possible by your dedication to your passions and craft. That means working on your creative output on the daily, not just when “the spirit moves you” - even if your creativity is stuck.

The less we work on our craft, the less we’re able to develop it. It’s not about getting things perfect every time, it’s really just about the journey and what you learn the whole way through. And yeah, that’s what they all say - and if you’re like me (totally impatient) this is basically impossible. But, that’s just the nature of creating things, pals! It’s a long game that needs to be nurtured!

What are some things you do when you get creatively stuck? I’d love to hear from you! Send me a DM on Instagram at @the_ultimatecreative!

Links:

• The Ultimate Creative Podcast Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity/
• Impossible Horror Score: https://open.spotify.com/album/7meOnslAPVUxkfimzC9V6e?si=kgg_Q2Z9Sc2-Os9XnV1TjA
• My TikTok - 15 second songs: https://www.tiktok.com/@emily.milling

Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:

• Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket
• Join the next 5 day intensive and launch your podcast in a week with Podcast Rocket: LIVE! https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket-live/
• Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting

Feeling a little #burntout on your business? Sick of doing the thing you literally started because you felt incredibly passionate about it, and now you feel resentful? This is an episode of The Ultimate Creative you don’t want to miss.

In this episode I’m talking with Michael Wood, Founder & CEO of Helium Ventures, a website design company turned video company turned website design company turned complete client experience from start to finish all the bells and whistles company. Yes, it is a LOT of change. 

Michael and I worked on websites together ages and ages ago (you can listen to my episode on the website design part of my career here) when he realized that in order to grow his business, he’d have to start delegating out work in order to maintain the pace he had been working at. Throughout this time, we’ve both had our fair share of #burnout and had to come up with creative ways to get through it, and then avoid it at all costs so it never happens again!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How we have experienced burnout
• What we did in order to get through it and start functioning normally again
• How we actively work to prevent more burnout from happening

Make sure you hit subscribe or follow on your podcast app so you never miss an episode! I love hearing from you, send me a DM on Instagram @the_ultimatecreative or leave a review for The Ultimate Creative Podcast! The more reviews we get the more people we are able to reach! Thank you!

Michael’s Links:

• https://helium.marketing
• IG: @communityandcoffee

Other Links: 

• TUC Episode 3 - My Creative Career: https://theultimatecreative.com/how-i-built-my-creative-career/
• Managing Chaos As A Creative Entrepreneur: 
• The Hatch: Video Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ddcW6GPgfE

Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:

• Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket
• Join the next 5 day intensive and launch your podcast in a week with Podcast Rocket: LIVE! https://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket-live/
• Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting

I’ve got some real sh*t to share with you. And it ain’t pretty.

But it is super fricking empowering.

Since starting my business over 3 years ago, every single year around the same time my world is totally shattered. It’s a pattern. It’s one that I know I fall into, and one I knew darn well I could avoid if I only knew what the h-e-double-hockeysticks to do about it.

Every single year, I got hit with a surprise $10,000 tax bill. Now, I call it a surprise, because I just had no clue what the hell I was doing. I was bringing in revenue, had no problem hitting the 6-figure mark 3 years running, but I didn’t have a financial plan. So when it came time to pay “the man” I was legit fucked.

And it would send me into a downward spiral tailspin everrryyyy singgleeee timeeeeeeughghghghghghghghgh! WHYYYYYY.

But the thing is, I had no idea what the hell to do! So I avoided my biz finances, thinking “oh I’ll just get a big contract and put all of that in my tax savings account and I’ll be totally fine come June when my corporate taxes need to be filed.”

WRONG.

Avoiding the issue just made it worse.

Enter my lovely wonderful financial coach, Melissa Houston to literally save my butt.

I started working with Melissa last fall when I got an email telling a story about someone who had been facing the exact same challenge. I immediately booked a call with her, and basically hired her on the spot to help me get my finances in order.

Pals, my life has been CHANGED ever since! And guess who has more than enough cash stashed to pay the tax bill in two months? THIS GAL.

So here’s what I want you to do. If you’ve been in this position before, or if you’re just starting out and you need to figure out how to set up your biz finance fundamentals, listen to today's episode of The Ultimate Creative Podcast to learn what not to do, because I ask Melissa a LOT of very important questions I wish I'd had the answers to when I got started!

Links:

• Melissa’s free training: https://melissa-houston-cpa-cga.mykajabi.com/a/2147486133/CLLcP9EL
• Melissa’s course, The Confident Cash Method: https://melissa-houston-cpa-cga.mykajabi.com/a/2147486125/CLLcP9EL
• Melissa’s Podcast: https://www.melissahoustoncpa.com/think-like-a-cfo-podcast
• Free resource - The 4-Step Roadmap to Biz Finance Freedom: https://melissahoustoncpa.lpages.co/4-step-biz-finance-roadmap/
• The Business Society https://thebusinesssociety.co 

Work With Me:

• Podcast Production: https://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting
• Podcast Coaching: https://theultimatecreative.com/rocket-fuel

Connect With Me:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_ultimatecreative

P.S. Melissa is offering a free training on TODAY, May 4 at 3pm EST which is going to give you the solutions you need to manage your cash, and keep more of it. You work so hard, I would hate to see you leave money on the table if I knew there was something that would completely change your business and your life! Sign up for that right here!

Disclaimer: I receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

What do you do when you realize that something isn’t working for you as a content creator? You’ve lost the passion for what you’re talking about. The spark isn’t there anymore. Does that mean you should quit? 

Heck no!

It just means you need to get back to your “why”.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching. We do that as entrepreneurs, it’s a constant introspective personal growth and development type of career. Why am I not making more sales? Probably because I’ve got a money mindset issue. Why don’t I have any time? Probably because I still believe that I’m the only one that can do the things in my business. It’s an ongoing push and pull.

In facing tough questions like this and figuring out what’s behind the block points, I had the opportunity to participate in Shelagh Cummins’ Business Accelerator program last week. We went through a two-day bootcamp of re-aligning with our purpose and tying it into our core offers. It was a mind-blower of a two-day event and SO helpful if you need to get back in touch with your “why”.

So I had been hitting burnout pretty frequently because I didn’t feel connected to my business, and it turns out, I STILL believed that I needed to seek out super corporate business suit type entrepreneurs. I don’t work with anyone that fits that description. Like, even remotely. 

But the shift had to come from my messaging - and realizing that I’m not actually working with entrepreneurs specifically, I’m working with content creators. And I have a much stronger connection to the title “content creator” than I do “entrepreneur” because of the simple fact that is has the word “creator” in it. I love creativity! But I was concerned that I’d be leaving out my clients that don’t self-identify as creative people. 

So in this episode I’m sharing some behind the scenes of my new rebrand - which is kind of just re-igniting the original brand, and the reason why. I’m also going to share with you the steps you can take to do this too if you feel like your content needs a bit of an update.

I also want to share that it is 100% ok to change things up with your content. You are a human. Humans grow and change. And your interests and priorities and beliefs will change. So bring people along for the ride with you, because they’re tuning in for YOU. Not your specific expertise. They just like you.

Links:

• The Business Accelerator: https://www.theroadtoseven.com/the-business-accelerator-live
• The Road To Seven Rebrand: https://www.theroadtoseven.com/theroadtosevenpodcast/the-road-to-seven-rebrand

To learn more about how I can help you build your dreams through podcasting & content, head over to https://theultimatecreative.com or follow me on Instagram at @the_ultimatecreative and let’s chat!

Don’t forget to rate, review and follow this podcast so you never miss an episode. Plus, your reviews will help more content creators just like you, to find this podcast! Spread the love babeeee!