Your Creative Push

Alex Hofeldt is a science teacher, podcaster, yoga & mobility instructor, fitness coach and nutrition enthusiast. In his podcast, Beautiful Dust Specks, Alex shows the world the wonder and motivation in Science.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/185

-The process of starting his podcast after years of putting it off.

-How the beginning is always the toughest part, but once you start, you never know what can happen.

-Some of the fears that still creep into his thought processes and the way that he gets through them.

-The sometimes difficult-to-balance tightrope of being happy with the "tribe" that you already have and wanting to grow it exponentially.

-How he is attempting to stop using the word "failure."

-His experience of running a marathon this year.

-How you know the outcome if you quit

-Neuroplasticity and how it relates to creativity.

-The idea of choosing to be in a more positive mindset and at the same time down-regulating negative emotions.

"My biggest fear in life is squandering gifts and wasting time."

"Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Perfect is an unattainable thing."

"Embrace the chaos."

"Your first challenge is to start. Just start going down some road of the infinite possibilities that it is that's you and see where it takes you."

"Fitness, health, wellness, mind, body, creativity – they're choices. You just have to open the book."

Beautiful Dust Specks Podcast

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Brian Rutenberg is an internationally exhibited painter based in New York City. He received his bachelor's degree in fine arts from the College of Charleston in 1987 and his master's degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1989.

Among his many accolades, Brian is a Fulbright Scholar, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow, an Irish Museum of Modern Art Residency Programme participant, and has had over 200 exhibitions throughout North America. His popular YouTube series, "Brian Rutenberg Studio Visits," is viewed daily by thousands of people all over the world and his brand new book Clear Seeing Place is an Amazon Number One Bestseller.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/brianrutenberg

-How and why he started his YouTube channel, "Brian Rutenberg Studio Visits."

-His attempt and the attempt of all creative people to "strip naked" and bear your soul in the most honest way possible.

-The fear that comes when starting a new creative pursuit, especially when you are sitting in front of a camera.

-Details about his new book, Clear Seeing Place and the process of creating it.

-How he was able to achieve the #1 spot on Amazon in two different categories.

-The idea of building a following of like-minded individuals and focusing less on the number of followers in terms of popularity.

-How he reads every single comment and e-mail, but never reads reviews.

-How the failures make up half of your creative career, and once you can embrace those bad things, you become stronger as a creative person.

-A defining moment with Clement Greenberg.

-The power that comes from letting go."

-How to get past the blocks that still occur even when you are in a locked room with your creativity.

-The importance of finding your "postage stamp-sized niche."

-How he balances his time.

-How boredom is jet fuel for creativity.

-How artists and creative people can free their minds by wandering and getting out in nature.

-His advice on how to know when a painting is done, even if that means it is time to throw it away.

"I have the best job in the world. My worst day is still better than the best day in most other jobs."

"Unfortunately success is too often confused with popularity."

"Success, in my opinion, is curiosity and effort. Those are things that you control."

"I would say the defining word of my entire career is 'Resistance.'"

"There's always going to be someone better than me and someone smarter than me, but there will never be anyone just like me."

"The recipe is to just be yourself, and then the rest is just practice."

"I've always believed that an artist is born the moment they give up, the moment you stop trying so hard."

"Repetition is very valuable for a painter, because it allows you to get really good at stuff."

"The narrower you are, the bigger the umbrella over you."

"Artists are malleable. We are able to survive in almost any situation."

Brian's YouTube Channel

Clear Seeing Place by Brian Rutenberg

Three Cornered World by Natsume Suseki

Website / Books / YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/resolution

Do you make a creative (or non-creative) New Year's Resolution every year?

Do you keep up with it? Or do you fail?

Don't worry, we all fail.

In this episode, Youngman talks about why year-long goals are an amazing way to change your creative habits for the better and can completely alter your mindset.

But a year is a long time. Too long for most of us. We are already eagerly awaiting December 31st after only a few weeks, and the end of the year seems so far away that we get demotivated and quit.

We try it every year, and fail every year.

Youngman will attempt to offer a solution to the "But This Year is Different" syndrome so that you can finally say that you accomplished your creative New Year's Resolution. If you have the willpower to get through it, it might just jump-start your creative career in ways that you never could have imagined.

YCP Episode 63 with David Talley

YCP Episode 102 with Mitch Bowler

YCP Episode 110 with Picolo

YCP Episode 132 with Brendan O'Connell

YCP Episode 169 with Saddhasura

YCP Episode 174 with Aimée Hoover

YCP Episode 179 with Jessica Abel

Nyki Way is a San Francisco Bay Area illustrator who was born in Boulder, Colorado. She is inspired by nature, civil rights, psychology, and emotion. In her art therapy blog, "Painting Your Own Reality," she offers a glimpse into her struggles with depression and psychosis as well as her new appreciation for life to help others to transform their lives into the exact life they want.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/nykiway

-Her creative upbringing.

-The fear of not succeeding or not being "good enough."

-Her mental health struggles and how she has been balancing that with pushing herself as an artist.

-Using drugs as a means of escape, but finding that art could be equally useful as a coping mechanism.

-Her contemplation of suicide and her eventual relocation.

-The intention of her blog to connect with people who might feel alone the way she did, so that they can see that they are not the only ones going through it.

-The incredible benefits she has seen in her life due to therapy.

-How art school gave her the skills to finally execute what she was thinking.

-How she is too trusting in people and that occasionally leads her to getting scammed.

-How to protect yourself with contracts.

-Her formula for balancing her time between commissions, personal work, and school.

-What art and creativity brings to her life.

-Her fascination with her new "toy," Super Sculpee.

-How the everyday things in life usually inspire her much more than going to galleries or looking at other artists.

-Westworld!

"I have this big fear of not being 'good enough' and not having a fan base."

"I think a lot of artists have this darker side that actually prevents them from putting out their best work because they have that fear and that self-doubt."

"You can't just go about life not asking for what you need. Because if you don't, nobody is going to give it to you."

"All the sudden the world opened up and I could paint everything in my brain. I finally had the skills to execute what I was thinking."

"If you have to do anything in this world, just keep creating and expressing yourself as much as you can. Even if you feel like you have nothing to share or nothing to say. Just share it and be who you are."

"Be who you are because nobody is going to be you for you."

Painting Your Own Reality (Nyki's art therapy blog)

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Dan Lydersen is a painter who draws influence from a variety of contemporary and historical sources, from the Renaissance to modern cinema, literature, and popular culture. Both theatrical and satirical, comical and somber, the paintings pose a view of humanity that is steeped in the existential turmoil that lies between materiality and spirituality, where society trudges persistently forward into the future while the human search for meaning and purpose as mortal animals remains unresolved.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danlydersen

-The influence that his mother and theater had on him as a creative person.

-His balance between tragedy and comedy that he has found in his paintings.

-The lack of authenticity that comes when you are doing things that you think other people want to see rather than what you want to make.

-The importance of not being too influenced by your teachers or predecessors.

-How you can use older styles to say something about newer ideas.

-The notion of using a two-dimensional rectangle to capture a moment in time.

-How spending a lot of time on something and then throwing it away is actually a good habit.

-His process of coming to an idea and then planning it out before starting the actual painting.

-Some of the moments of self-doubt that he deals with and how he gets through them.

-The advantage that we have in modern times to be able to create whatever we want without needing permission from anyone else.

-Why he doesn't spend much time or energy on social media.

-The idea of FOMO (fear of missing out) and how it can sometimes overwhelm you into doing nothing at all.

-How a piece of his art randomly became a Japanese meme.

"I'm a very silly person but a very serious person at the same time, so I don't put a separation between tragedy and comedy. They're one in the same."

"I've gotten into a groove of being able to say what I want to say through visual art."

"I think I was trying to make paintings that I thought the art world wanted to see or wanted an artist to make and not paintings that I really wanted to make. There was a lack of authenticity in them."

"It's dangerous to be too precious with your art and to think, I've invested all this time and energy to this; it must be carried through."

"I wouldn't say that ideas come to me. It's more like I come to the ideas."

"Ideas don't just come to you like a light bulb turning on. You have to work at them."

"I'm a pretty logical person and it's kind of hard to attach logic to art because it doesn't necessarily function logically."

"It's a big world. If you get your work out there, there's going to be people who see the world in the same way you do and appreciate your art."

"You tend to focus more on other people's achievements than your own."

"It's a matter of numbers. You're perceiving this unified body of other people doing all of these amazing things versus you, as one person, doing what you're doing. And even if you're doing something great, it will never amount to the sum of what everybody else is doing."

"At this point I feel like me and my work are indistinguishable. If you take my art out of the equation, I don't really know what's left of me."

"Creativity and art aren't cause and effect, they're more like a feedback loop. Creativity feeds the art and then the art feeds the creativity and it's all one body.

"Just get working and the creativity will come."

"It's faulty reasoning to assume that you're creative or inspired and then you make artwork. It's more the reverse. You start making artwork and then that leads you to feel inspired or creative."

The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker

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Alex Strohl is a Madrid-born, French adventure photographer whose work is characterized by his extraordinary existence. Instead of creating contrived scenes, Strohl creates authentic moments and captures them as they unfold before him— continually blurring the lines between work and life. Strohl's photography has been featured in prestigious publications such as Forbes, Vanity Fair, and Gentleman's Journal and his client list includes dozens of household names. He is based in Whitefish, Montana—but spends the vast majority of his time on the road with his partner Andrea Dabene; they often journey to the most remote reaches of the world.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/alexstrohl

-How he got started in photography.

-How he and his wife Andrea approach their creative life as photographers.

-The different mindsets and strategies that take place depending on the goals of a particular shoot.

-The creative differences that he experiences with his wife, Andrea.

-The importance of focusing on the things that make you different.

-Moving around the world while growing up and how that helped to shape him as a person and a photographer.

-Some of the things that hold him back as a creative person.

-How it is sometimes difficult for him to be alone with his work for long periods of time.

-His advice for people who are struggling with being with their work for too long.

-What it is like when he is travelling.

-How the story that a photograph is trying to tell is much more important than how polished it is.

-His advice for people who are on the fence about quitting their jobs to pursue their creative passion.

-The story of his friend, Isaac Johnston and how he made the transition to becoming a professional photographer.

-To not be afraid to ask for advice and to also give your own value freely.

-One of his best creative moments – an image of Andrea that gave him the ability to continue his career as a photographer.

"Our policy for whenever we moved into a new place for a few months was don't buy anything you can't move in one car."

"We all have a unique story, so no matter what you do, it's going to be different. But if you spend time making sense in what makes you different – working on that only – I think that's how you take it to the next level."

"It's hard for any creative person to sit in silence in front of your own work."

"It's not always easy when you're travelling to have this flow. When you're on the road, productivity just gets killed."

"When I post on the Internet, I try to have it fresh from the day. Almost like a fish – two day's catch."

"I think deep inside I'm pretty lazy, so I need to keep boundaries to keep me doing things."

"If the reason why you wanted to take that photo can shine through the photo, it doesn't matter if it is blurry, dark or bright. Bottom line is focus on the story."

"I love convincing people to quit their jobs."

"I think that getting ego out of the way is very important."

Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

The Daodejing of Laozi by Laozi

Jessica is an author and cartoonist with a head for organization and systems, abilities she's put to very good use as she has explored how to make creative work with less anxiety and more ease.

She works with creative professionals (and serious non-professionals) to get a clear, strategic view of their ambitious projects, and help them get through the woods and that creative transformation that comes on the other side of finishing.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jessicaabel

-How the only way out is through.

-The difference between children and adults, and how she is surprised that her kids are afraid to fail.

-The importance of not hating yourself for not being good at something when you start.

-Dealing with the "Should Monsters."

-Speaking to yourself in third person instead of first person in an attempt to treat yourself more kindly, like a friend.

-How willpower is a limited resource.

-The Creative Focus Workshop and what people can expect from it.

-Looking at the things that you need to learn in order to move forward as small projects themselves.

-Neuroplasticity.

-Who can gain the most from The Creative Focus Workshop.

-The power of community, especially when it comes to dealing with creative struggles.

-The story behind her book, Out on the Wire.

-The Out on the Wire Podcast and what it has to offer its listeners.

"The job of getting through a big, ambitious project essentially defines what it is to be a creative person."

"Relying on pure willpower is totally unreliable because it is such a limited resource."

"The more you are able to have a single goal at a time, the happier you are going to be."

"Choosing one thing and putting all of your energy into that thing is the key."

"The joy and the power of having things finished is immense."

Creative Focus Workshop

Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio by Jessica Abel

Out on the Wire Podcast

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Lucy is an artist from Melbourne, Australia who specializes in fine pen and ink drawings. Her work is a light and dark combination of romanticism, fantasy, and natural phenomenon, offering the viewer a contemplation of life's infinite beauty and mystery.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/lucyhardie

-How her parents built a Waldorf school on their farm and how that influenced her creativity and her style.

-Her first show at the age of 23 and her decision to make art her full-time career.

-The balance between planning and spontaneity.

-How it is actually hard for her to make any major mistakes because of how the work is built up in so many fine layers.

-Some of the forms of resistance that she has dealt with, including self-doubt and self-criticism.

-Dealing with "the gap" between what you know you have the potential to achieve and what you are currently capable of achieving, especially when you are first starting out.

-Making your creativity a habit, like going to the gym.

-Being pulled in many directions when you don't yet have a strong artistic identity.

-How Resistance is always going to be there, so you just have to learn to live with it.

-The power that can come from simply admitting out loud the Resistances that you are dealing with.

-Her advice for someone that is thinking about potentially diving into his or her first show.

-How she is inspired by Patty Smith.

"Creativity was encouraged but being an artist and doing that as a profession… that was a whole other idea."

"It's always a process. I learn from each piece and ask, "What would I do differently next time?"

"Especially when I was starting out, I experienced a lot of self-doubt and self-criticism."

"I always find it hard to just do the work and be imperfect, especially if I'm trying something new."

"I see it more as a challenge that I like to take on. Rather than resisting criticism or negative feedback from others, I say "bring it on," because it is going to help me grow."

"I view Resistance as something that's always going to be there. I've never gotten rid of it. So my take on it is how can I be better at being with Resistance? Because going to war with it just doesn't work."

"It's really helpful to have someone to talk to who doesn't buy the bullshit."

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Patti Smith Interview: Advice to the Young [YouTube]

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Vic Lee is a wordsmith, a mapmaker, a typographer, a ragamuffin and freestyler. He has spent 20 years as a professional graphic designer freelancing across London and has worked on major branding, interior and retail design projects with some of the leading design agencies in the world.

-The path that he took to get him to the point he is at now in his creative career.

-The importance of history, especially when it has to do with your specific neighborhood.

-The notion of nostalgia and the role that it plays in the art that we want to make as well as the art that we want to buy.

-How he starts one of his larger commissions and how little planning goes into them.

-The confidence he gains from huge companies giving him complete creative control.

-A story when he got lost in "the zone."

-How he approaches a big job with a panicked mindset, and then slowly relaxes.

-How we all start out as children not worrying about what people will think, but lose that carefree attitude over time.

-What a blank wall looks like to him.

-Dealing with the "quiet moments" in between work.

-Using black and white.

"It's not just about illustration. It's about bringing memories back to life."

"My work is very different things to different people. And to me that is very important because I don't want it to be one thing to one person. I want it to evoke a different memory or feeling for every person that sees what I do."

"Don't think too much. Just do it and see what happens. The worst that you can do is fail, and the best you can do is succeed."

"If you fail, you can just paint over it."

"That wall that nobody used to look at suddenly becomes everyone's friend."

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube

Will Terry is a freelance illustrator and children's book illustrator who shares his 23 years of experience on his YouTube channel and his blog, where he offers advice, tips and tricks on digital painting, selling work, reps, agents, business, Photoshop, and setting up multiple streams of income. He also co-owns SVS Learn with (YCP Alum) Jake Parker and Lee White.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/willterry

-A brief summary of his career until today.

-How he turned down his first children's book three times, and how doing it changed his perspective.

-How he used to draw for his audience, and now he mainly draws for himself.

-The relationship between author, publisher, editor, and illustrator.

-Channeling P.D. Eastman's Go Dog Go in his latest children's book.

-Dyslexia, ADD, and the difficulties many people have learning in a system that rewards auditory learners.

-How SVS Learn came to be and what they try to accomplish with it.

-The improvements that he saw in his own art once he started teaching.

-The story behind his book, Little.

-The excitement and fear of doing something being a big clue that you are on the right track and that you should do it.

-The Internet allowing anyone to wear all of the hats and go direct to market and give yourself permission to live your own dream.

-The importance of building an audience on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter as you create your art or product so that you have someone to sell to when it is complete.

"I never really planned on making art a career because I bought into that idea that if you do anything creative you'll starve."

"I used to draw for my audience, and then over time I came to realize that I have to please myself first."

"My work got so much better after I started teaching. It's one of the things I try to encourage every artist to do – to find a way to help people learn art."

"If you're excitedly scared to do something, you're probably on the right track."

"The cooler your project is, the more other people will share it for you, and it will still have that chance to go viral."

"If an idea hits me I don't just let it escape because those are ideas that I'll lose."

"That creativity is dying to get out."

"We make excuses because we're afraid. We're afraid that the thing that we're trying to do isn't going to turn out the way that our vision of it is, and as long as we keep it in the vision mode, we don't have to worry about it failing."

SVS Learn

Little by Will Terry (Kickstarter)

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell

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