Your Creative Push

Chris is a sculptor and a painter of all manner of critter, and has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the world. His work has been published in numerous books and periodicals in the US as well as in Europe and Singapore. Chris is also a toy designer and sculptor of numerous instantly sold-out editions of designer art toys and figures.

Amanda's mixed-media work combines the textures and colors of antique domestic objects, the natural world, and an obsessive attention to detail. Her fabric creatures evoke ideas of cast-off children's toys and ill-conceived taxidermy experiments with crooked human teeth. Her work is highly sought-after by collectors around the globe, and she has exhibited her work in galleries, boutiques, and conventions across the United States, as well as Europe and Japan.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/157

-Where the inspiration for their creatures came from.

-How they intend to make their art a projection of the way they want to see the world, not necessarily the way the world is.

-How they feel a protective sense over their creatures.

-Amanda's fascination with teeth.

-How Chris started his "Morning Scribbles."

-The momentum that you can gain by putting out daily content.

-How they deal with creative blocks.

-The idea of "poop sketches" and the fact that rough, initial versions of a piece of art often have more life to it than a final, perfected version.

-The "inertia approach" of just getting started and building momentum.

-The positives and negatives of being a creative couple.

"Sometimes I really do feel like I'm not the one in control. I feel like they're using my hands to come to life in a way."

"They're definitely autobiographical in a lot of ways."

"Getting started, getting motivated, having discipline, time management – that whole family of stuff is like my white whale. It's the thing I long to overcome."

"I try to go for the inertia approach, which is just start doing it. If I can get myself started, generally I'll keep going."

"We always joke and say that our creatures live in the same world. But mine live in the house and his live in the backyard."

"I'm trying to make a projection of the world the way I want it, not necessarily the way the world is."

"I want to engage the audience. They're looking at a monster that isn't recognizable as anything, but they can recognize themselves in this character."

"You can start your day with already accomplishing something, and that's a really good mindset to be in."

"I never thought that one third of my business was going to be from the thing I was doing every day anyway and not sharing with anybody."

Bindlewood

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr / Twitter

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr / Twitter

Mica Angela Hendricks is a professional illustrator who works primarily in ballpoint pen and acrylics. She travels the world with her military husband and her talented 7-year old daughter, Myla, with whom she collaborates for A Busy Mockingbird.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/156

-How she began drawing with her daughter.

-How her daughter has developed as an artist and how they now collaborate with ideas.

-The idea of being on equal ground with her daughter in terms of creative control.

-Trying not to get too discouraged by the talented artists and creatives that inspire you.

-Some of the many ways that she gets through creative blocks.

-Her advice for people who have trouble letting go of their creative control.

-A practice in collaboration of letting your followers or fans help to decide what you are going to draw.

-The friendliness and helpfulness of the people on Instagram.

-The value you can provide by posting either works in progress or "mistakes," to show that it isn't just as easy as creating something wonderful from start to finish.

-How Myla doesn't care what other people think about her work and how we should all strive to reach that same freedom.

-Dealing with negative feedback.

-Dealing with dry spells and having to deal with the ebb and flow.

-How the name "Busy Mockingbird" came to be.

-How we all need both relaxation time as well as physically active time in our daily lives.

-The idea of "going on an adventure" with kids as a form of meditation.

-The story behind her book, "Share With Me."

"I like to let her have control. It prepares her for when she's older to be able to have the confidence to know that her ideas are valid."

"I told her one time that she inspired me and she was kind of surprised by that."

"Who cares, you know? I'm drawing what I like and if you don't like it, there's a little button up there that says 'unfollow.'"

"You get dry spells. You get this time where everything just comes out like crap."

"If you have to draw a hundred bad drawings to get to the good one to get you back into it, then you better start doing it."

"Knowing that you're going to have that ebb and flow is necessary to functioning properly as an artist. You have to know that it's going to come back and it's not gone forever."

"I feel lazy if I'm watching TV. If I watch TV I have a sketchbook in front of me."

"If you enjoy doing something, you'll get better at it in time. You just have to keep trying and keep learning. Never ever ever stop learning."

"Share With Me"

Website / Etsy / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Abz is an illustrator from Perth, Australia that is still relatively new to the art world, having been making art for the past 3 years. Much of his work revolves around nostalgic characters and fantasy themes, and he's currently in the early stages of creating his own imaginary world.

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

-What he is attempting to create with his "imaginary world."

-How he was initially inspired by Rave Master and then later by his friend.

-How you don't need any authority figure to give you permission to create and share your creations.

-How using an alias can potentially help bring confidence to people who are shy or afraid to share their work.

-Pushing aside negative thoughts because it doesn't matter what other people think – the only thing that matters is being true to yourself.

-One of his earliest creative moments.

-The notion of finding your own "dark hallway," where it is just you shining a light on your creative focus.

-His love for Pokemon and how Pokemon Go has helped to increase his following recently.

-Self-doubt and laziness and how to combat each of them.

-Attempting to post more work on a regular basis and drawing every single day and how that has positively changed his output and mindset.

-How you are going to look back on your old work after a year or two and detect all of the mistakes anyway, so you might as well put it out there and move on to the next thing.

-How our eyes are often a year or two ahead of our skills.

-A recent difficult moment when he was demoralized, but how sometimes all it takes is encouragement from a friend or loved one to get you back on track.

-One of his best creative moments, the first time someone wanted to buy his artwork.

-The satisfaction that he gets from going to conventions and meeting the people that support his work.

-The notion of chunking down your time into 45-50 minute intervals and focusing solely on one task.

"Being anonymous seems to give you some sort of boost in confidence."

"It doesn't really matter what other people think about it because at this point being authentic is my main priority."

"One of my major weaknesses is this sort of laziness that takes over when I'm a bit afraid to approach whatever it is that I'm trying to get done."

"Sometimes you have to create the trash to get to the gold."

"Our eyes are often a year or two ahead of our skills. You can detect what you want it to look like, but you just can't get there quite yet."

Svslearn.com

Rave Master by Hiro Mashima

The Pomodoro Technique

Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk: "Do schools kill creativity?"

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson

Etsy / DeviantArt / Instagram / Facebook / Tumblr

Brooke Rothshank is a painter and illustrator working in watercolor, oil, acrylic, and egg tempera paint since 2002.

Her work as a miniature artist has been exhibited around the country and featured in both Miniature Collector and Dollhouse Miniatures magazines. Brooke has illustrated three children's books for Herald Press, and is currently working on a fourth illustration project that se is pursuing independently.

Brooke's panting work has been exhibited at the Penland Gallery, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Chicago International Miniature Show, and elsewhere.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/154

-How she got started with miniature drawings and paintings.

-The International Guild of Mini Artisens and what they do.

-The issues of perfectionism as well as allowing herself to follow what she's interested in.

-How to battle perfectionism.

-The importance of a schedule, deadlines, and getting started right away when it is time to work.

-Making small amounts of consistent progress in the right direction every single day.

-One of her more difficult moments after college in trying to define herself as an artist and attempting to figure out the business.

-How having children made her more efficient with her limited time.

-How to get past the fear of putting your art out into the world, especially when it comes from a vulnerable place.

-How her best moments are any time she is invited to show her work, teach, or collaborate on a project.

-How her art makes her a more patient parent and partner, and makes her feel more energized.

-Her year of daily paintings and how it felt like a visual journal to her.

-Two of her greatest inspirations – Koo Shadler and her husband, Justin.

"If I just allow myself to follow what I'm interested in, the result is generally more creative and authentic."

"The thing I found is that when I'm striving for that perfection, I can often ruining the freshness of a piece."

"It may be hard to see the progress when you're doing the slow and steady thing, but in the long run you really can see a difference."

"The more you create and the more you share, the less you're concerned about what other people are going to think or say."

"It's doing the consistent, boring stuff along the way that makes the little positive moments shine."

IGMA – The International Guild of Mini Artisans

Koo Shadler

Justin Rothshank

Website / Etsy / Facebook / Instagram

Dale Bigeni is a Sydney based artist whose passion is creating, whether it be digital or traditional art. Some of his clients have included Allday, Converse, Westfield, Sharpie, and Harley Davidson, just to name a few. Dale specializes in illustration and graphic design, but loves all mediums of art, especially if they involve skulls.

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

-His fascination with skulls.

-How it took him five years to capture his unique style and make it his own.

-How he handles the naysayers.

-His advice for creative people who are being told to go down more of a mainstream path but who have very niche interests.

-One of his defining artistic moments.

-How nobody else knows what's best for you in terms of what you should be creating.

-The importance of growing up and also having a strong support system around you.

-His best/worst creative moment when he won Australia's Secret Walls

-How his wife helps to keep him level-headed and motivated.

-How art brings him a sense of peace and puts him in a better mind frame as a human being.

-How he is able to get into the "zone."

-The fact that he doesn't delve too deeply into any other artists or inspirations because if he does, he will start creating work that too closely resembles that art.

"I'm a strong believer of not listening too much to what other people say and doing more of what makes you happy."

"I don't think I would be anywhere close to where I am without the support network around me."

"Unless you give it a go, how are you going to know?"

"Just be yourself. Don't let anybody tell you that you should do something that doesn't make you happy. Money is not the most important thing in life. Happiness is."

"Just be yourself and let the world love you for you."

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Behance / Linkedin

Speo is an upcoming producer hailing from Austria, focusing on bass-heavy, funky, chill and melodic electronic music.

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

-How he got started creating music.

-What it was like creating his first track and how your perception of good and bad changes and advances as you go along your creative journey.

-How his software crashed and he lost his first creative "masterpiece."

-The notion of just jumping right into a creative endeavor and having fun without any expectations.

-How he had so much fun when he first started out that he didn't notice the lack of attention he was getting.

-What kept him motivated to continue posting to a blank Twitter feed.

-The differences in the creative process now that he has an audience.

-How if you try to emulate other artists, you will make something that is, at best, slightly worse than what they created.

-How a structured and efficient schedule can sometimes lead to a less-fun and unsuccessful creative process.

-His plans for the rest of college and post-graduation.

-One of his worst creative lulls when he got into an uncreative cycle.

-Being physically active and having a healthy diet and the role that it can play on your creativity.

-How creating every single day will turn you into a person who is creative!

-The notion of simply creating something with no expectations, even on busy evenings.

-Bob Ross and the inspiration that all you have to do is believe in yourself and then all you have to do is get familiar with the tools.

-More details about SpeoTV.

"Get going. Get right into it. That's where the best things happen in my experience."

"I stumbled for a long while, but I didn't really notice because it was so much fun making music and sharing it. It took two years until someone listened and I was writing to a blank Twitter feed. It took a while but then it was incredibly gratifying."

"The gratification and validation that you get from an audience is great but it shouldn't be the purpose of why you're making things."

"It's a huge inspiration to know that there are people waiting for your next creative work. That can really push you. But at the same time, that can push you into a corner where you feel like you have to create a certain style."

"I don't plan on stopping music, basically ever."

"Consistency beats intensity. If you do something for five minutes every day, then you're a person who does something daily."

SpeoTV

Bob Ross Twitch Stream

Website / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Martin Wittfooth is an illustrator and fine artist living in New York City. His surreal oil paintings are much more than simply depictions of animals – they are emotional self-portraits that demand to be seen as a timestamp of our place here on Earth – where we have come from and more importantly where we are going.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/151

-The importance of remembering why you started doing this creative endeavor in the first place.

-How some artists and musicians have the curse of becoming too successful and then losing the initial passion that made them so good in the first place.

-His love for the surprises, or "Easter eggs" that come from his art.

-His next show, based off of Terrence McKenna and The Archaic Revival.

-How podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience and The Duncan Trussel Family Hour are evidence of a shift in the power of expression and information.

-More details about his upcoming show in October 2016.

-How mistakes can often end up not being mistakes at all.

-Trying new things just to see if you can get happy, unexpected results.

-Dismissing the inner critic while at the same time being able to absorb valuable criticisms from trusted peers.

"If there is to be an audience member that you are creating for, let it just be yourself."

"It's not the outcome of what happens when the piece is done, it's the process of making it itself that matters."

The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna

The Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast -- Episode 137 with Martin Wittfooth

Website / Facebook / Instagram

Martin Wittfooth is an illustrator and fine artist living in New York City. His surreal oil paintings are much more than simply depictions of animals – they are emotional self-portraits that demand to be seen as a timestamp of our place here on Earth – where we have come from and more importantly where we are going.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/150

-What he attempts to accomplish with his paintings.

-How his style has developed over time and the experience of looking back at his old work.

-One of his earliest creative memories when he realized that his art could cause a reaction in people.

-How he sees his paintings as "emotional self-portraits."

-His fascination with the way that the human species communicates with one another on many different levels.

-How young adults have to make decisions on what they want to do for the rest of their lives at too early of an age.

-The difficulty of trying to find a marriage between painting and the business of painting.

-How we live in a time where the knowledge and advice is out there on the internet… we just need to know where to look and how to ask for it.

-The importance of enjoying the act of your creative endeavor rather than the results of it.

"Through drawing, all the sudden people took interest in what I was doing."

"I'm trying to get myself somehow trapped on the canvas but in a way that isn't the predictable image of me."

"If it stops feeling like play, then it's probably not worth doing."

The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna

The Duncan Trussell Family Hour Podcast -- Episode 137 with Martin Wittfooth

Website / Facebook / Instagram

Jake Heilbrunn is a 19-year old writer who just published his first book, Off the Beaten Trail, a true story about his journey dropping out of college at eighteen and solo-backpacking through Central America with no phone or knowledge of Spanish.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/149

-How a rare skin condition started him on his journey just three days after moving in to college.

-How his journey began with an Ex-Hostage Raid & Recovery Vet.

-The incredible experience of being able to trek through ancient Mayan ruins.

-How he started writing the book the day after he got home from his journey.

-His daily writing process and how he was able to finish the first draft of his book in just three months.

-The idea of starting your day in an uncomfortable way (like with a cold shower) to prepare you for the next thing that you might not want to do (like write).

-Detaching yourself from what you wrote that you thought was gold so that you can "kill your darlings."

-How he used Quantum Leap to help him get through the editing and publishing phases of his book.

-How he stays consistent with his writing through his weekly blog.

-The uncomfortable feeling of putting yourself out there and fearing rejection (and how to get past it).

-How he took chances by trusting his gut and approaching Drew Brees and Chris Guillebeau to ask for their endorsement for his book.

-His best and worst creative moments.

"It definitely shifted my perspective."

"Allow yourself to write garbage."

"Writing just always called out to me. Being able to articulate words and ideas into a story."

"It's like taking that first step when you can't see the whole staircase."

Off the Beaten Trail by Jake Heilbrunn

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

"PUKE IT OUT, then polish it!" -- YCP Episode 38 with Kent Gustavson

Website / Book / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

John Dalton is a painter, podcaster, and writer from county Kerry in Ireland. He has been a therapist, a carpenter, a scriptwriter, a trainer, a cameraman, a TV presenter, a driver, a factory worker, a photographer, and a laborer. His podcast, "Gently Does It," is a must-listen for any fans of Your Creative Push.

-How he got started as an artist and the many different careers he had before.

-The decision to go from a craniosacral therapy to become a full-time writer.

-Details about his new book, "The Gentle Snap."

-The great mystery surrounding sleep and how it is much like death in the fact that we disappear for a time.

-The role that sleep, dreams, and meditative states play in the world and in his art and writing.

-How he started his podcast, "Gently Does It."

-What he attempts to accomplish with his podcast, and the ability for anyone else to accomplish similar results.

-The most important lesson that he has learned in his podcasting journey.

"It was that book that kept waking me up at night."

"If you're feeling a bit stuck, there's a great power in using delusion to your advantage."

"Just kid yourself that you're going to do five minutes. Before you know it, you've done a lot."

Gently Does It

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