Your Creative Push

Laurita Mazapán is a body artist and photographer who paints her body and the body of others to create an inner portrait of people where feelings and emotions are represented. She uses body painting to represent the person within the body and to represent a moment that will disappear tomorrow.

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

-How art is a way for her to release stress and cope with life.

-How she got into painting on bodies as a progression from her photography.

-The difference between painting on her own body and on someone else's body.

-Her emotions when she has to wash away the body paint.

-The story of one of her first creative moments.

-How she didn't think her first body painting was very good, but still had that feeling of "finding gold."

-How she changed the theme of her artwork, but because of the opinions of other people, she went back to painting the things they suggested (and lost her motivation to paint for ten years).

-One of her worst moments, when someone offered her an opportunity that he never followed through on.

-Just because one opportunity goes away, it doesn't mean that another opportunity is right around the corner.

-How she doesn't necessarily have a formula for balancing her time, but instead takes the inspiration as it comes, whether fast or slow.

-How her greatest inspiration is nature, psychology, and art therapy.

"For me, art is a way of living."

"Little by little, I began realizing that the body painting was the main character of the photographs."

"I just found gold. I came across something that changed my life."

"For me, art is a need."

"After studying psychology and art therapy, I am able to explore myself."

"Keep going. Always keep going."

Website / Facebook / Instagram

Joshua Harker is an American artist considered a pioneer and visuionary in 3D printed art and sculpture. His series of "unmakeable" technically complex tangles is credited as the first to break the design and manufacturing threshold of possibility.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/127

-His "Tangle" sculpture series and how it pushed the threshold of what was once thought to be impossible.

-The reception that he got from pushing the boundaries in the way that he did.

-How he ended up becoming something of an ambassador for 3D printing.

-How he runs his operation on his own without employees, and how secretarial work can sometimes take up more time than you want.

-His advice for any creative person that has a lot of things on their plate.

-His Kickstarter campaigns, the avenues they opened up for him, and the exposure that they gave him.

-His advice for the times that you are not being as productive as you want to be.

-His relationship with social media and his advice for navigating it.

"Even if you fail, I still think there's productive rewards from just going through the process."

"Discipline needs to be there. You need to get to your space, whatever that is, and actually make stuff."

"If anything, the problem is that I have too much stuff I want to do, so trying to prioritize what I need to do and focus on can be a problem for me."

"I don't want to turn the process into a punching-the-clock kind of thing."

"The internet is ridiculously distracting."

"The more you can concentrate on just making good work, being productive, and continue to push it out in different avenues, the better off you are."

"Do it because you love it and because you have to do it."

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Zack is an oil painter from Reading, PA who specializes in dark art. And not just any dark art, but the kind of dark art that will make you remember all the long-forgotten, repressed nightmares from your childhood.

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

-How he got started with dark art as a coping mechanism after coming back from his tour of Afghanistan.

-How painting always helps with the day-to-day stress of life.

-How he deals with criticism of his work.

-The value of having fans who support him wholeheartedly.

-His strategy for painting over his pieces that haven't sold in a year.

-How he wants to show himself and other people how much progress you can make if you put in the time dedication into your art every day.

-The importance of looking back into the past and comparing it to your present like a "before" and "after" picture when you are trying to lose weight.

-How he hasn't encountered too many "hard times" from anyone in the art world, as everyone has been extremely supportive and patient.

-What art and creativity brings to his life.

-The story of his piece "Valak" from The Conjuring and how the director, James Wan, reached out to him to tell him how much he liked it.

"I was looking into other ways to cope than medication."

"Painting always helps."

"I kinda get lost in it and forget the world around me."

"It's awesome. I love my fans and the support they give me. I owe everything to them."

"It's your life, it's your goal, it's your dream. You can't let people influence that because they don't own you."

"You have to want to get better."

"I try to show people the changes that just one year of dedication can do if you really put yourself through it."

"You really have to put those comparisons together so you can see the changes."

"A lot of artists will say that paintings are like their kids. You created it. It's a part of you."

"Every time I complete a piece it's like winning the lottery."

"I learned art through my generation and a couple generations before me. That's about it."

"Don't let people get in the way."

Etsy / Instagram

Elizabeth is a New York City- based visual artist, specializing in Pop Art and collages, implementing a mathematical approach to her thoughtfully juxtaposed prints. Her work tells the mind of the artist, and with her mathematical proportion and algorithmic color placement, nothing is accidental and everything is intuitive. Elizabeth was also recently awarded a position within the New York Designs Incubator Program.

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

-The NY Designs Incubator Program and what it does for artists.

-The importance of sometimes saying "Later" instead of "no" or "yes."

-Some of her earliest creative memories with scrapbooking.

-How a recent miscarriage affected her creativity.

-The importance of asking for help so that you can progress and learn things.

-How she was able to be cash-flow positive from the beginning.

-Her advice for artists who are just starting off and looking to see if they are going to be able to make money from their art.

-Some of her upcoming events where people can check out her artwork.

-How she balances her time, with all of the many things that she has going on.

-Some of her biggest inspirations.

"You really need to be careful to take care of yourself and not spread yourself too thin or stretch yourself out."

"It's definitely nice to turn off your phone and not touch it for 25 hours."

"Many people don't ask for help, and if you don't ask for help, you're never going to get help. No one is just going to hand you things on a silver platter."

"During your downtime, hustle!"

"The concept of balance is B.S. There is no such thing as balance. You just need to take it one day at a time."

"Be resilient. Do not let yourself get defeated by someone telling you no."

Website / Facebook / Instagram

Ali Cavanaugh is an internationally represented fine artist who is known for her watercolor paintings on clay, in a process she calls modern fresco painting.

Her paintings have been featured on book covers, print publications like The New York Times Magazine, American Art Collector, and American Artist Watercolor, as well as internet features such as the Huffington Post, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose. She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and their four children.

Missed Part 1? Listen here!

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/124

-How every person on this planet has a gift and you sometimes have to change your perspective to see that.

-How she relates more to the female figure, and that is why she ends up painting it more often, even with her own children as the subjects.

-Being featured on the cover of the 100th issue of American Art Collector.

-Her advice for balancing your time in order to keep working on your art.

-The importance of making your creative habit an everyday ritual.

-How being a creative person helps her to be a better mother and a better person.

"When I was on the cover, I just couldn't believe it. I thought, this has to be a mistake. I was speechless."

"The sweetest people are on Instagram, leaving the nicest, most encouraging comments. It really helped propel me through a new era, a new chapter, an unfamiliar place."

"It just opened up a whole new way for me to work."

"It was a really good feeling to know that you can have that again. You can go through cycles in your work. You can be more fulfilled than you have been in years. You just have to keep pressing through."

"You have to set your time aside. Every day, you have to make it a ritual."

"Being a creative person helps me to be a better mom, wife, and friend."

"Art and Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" by David Bayles & Ted Orland

"Why Beauty Matters" by Dana Gioia

"A Sense of Place: Dana Gioia's Ted Talk"

Eric Zener Lecture

Website / Archives / Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr

Ali Cavanaugh is an internationally represented fine artist who is known for her watercolor paintings on clay, in a process she calls modern fresco painting.

Her paintings have been featured on book covers, print publications like The New York Times Magazine, American Art Collector, and American Artist Watercolor, as well as internet features such as the Huffington Post, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose. She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and their four children.

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

-Her modern fresco painting process and how it came about.

-How she used her family as an excuse for her not being successful.

-How your twenties should be about playing around with your art and your style, and how you shouldn't stress too much about your end goal.

-The unrealistic idea of coming out of school and immediately being able to sell your art.

-Why you actually shouldn't want your career to take off exponentially from the start.

-One of the toughest times of her art career and her life, when she had to battle post-partum depression.

-How it is not your fault when you have to deal with some of the things that your mind and body put you through.

-How your work and your life goes through cycles and you have to know that you will come out the other end eventually.

"It didn't hold me back at all. In fact, it opened up a whole new world."

"Sometimes I think you have to take that step into changing some little tweak with it."

"I made my family an opposition to me creating my art."

"Your twenties should be about playing around."

"If I could tell my younger self something it would be, Don't be so hard on yourself, you're where you need to be."

"It snuck up on me and I didn't really know what happened."

"Your work goes through cycles. Life goes through cycles."

Website / Archives / Facebook / Instagram / Tumblr

Russ Lascala aka Swell Visuals is a New York based wave photographer. You can find him swimming in the ocean year round mostly during sun up or sun down. One day, Russ found himself awestruck by the movement of the ocean. He wanted to somehow ignite that same feeling in others, which then led him to a camera. From then on it has been an ever changing and improving outlet to show people the beauty that this planet offers.

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

-The story of the first time that he decided to bring a GoPro out into the ocean with him.

-How he sometimes has to sacrifice his body in order to hold out for the perfect shot.

-Another sacrifice he has to make of facing extremely cold temperatures.

-The upgrades that he has made since taking that first shot.

-A photography class he took that gave him the initial inspiration to go with the kinds of shots that he was interested in taking.

-The notion of taking the same type of photograph over and over.

-How he makes small tweaks or focuses on different aspects of the camera in order to create an entirely "new ballgame."

-How he physically handles the wave crashing over him after taking the shot.

-How being stuck inside at a job and not out in the water during great waves was one of the biggest resistances for him.

-How he is always pushing to find his limit.

-One particular frightening moment when the housing got ripped out of his hands by a wave.

-How he wants to share with people the beauty of the world that is all around you, locally.

-How he can differentiate the photos just by looking at them, knowing which ones he has shared and which ones he hasn't.

"It's really about timing, and being at the right place at the right time."

"I got to a point where I was like, this is cool, but it could be better."

"Just go with what vibrates with you."

"I have good days and bad days. But I noticed I learn a lot more on the bad days."

"All of them are the same, but if you look at them closely, there's not one that will ever be the same."

"It's interesting that you can get so much variety out of one thing."

"When I'm out there, my mind goes blank. It's just like second nature. My body does what it does."

"And then I started working. I was just like, 'Is it over?' Because it's just tough to balance two things."

"Just find time."

"I'm basically consumed by it, which is a good thing because it keeps my mind off of other things."

"You have to appreciate everything that is around you and see it for what it is."

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Stephen Silver was born in London and aspired to be a professional artist his entire life. Knowing that drawing would be his vocation, he got his professional start in 1992, drawing caricatures at Sea World in San Diego.

He has designed characters for Disney Television Animation, Sony Feature Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, designing the style of the shows such as "Kim Possible," "Danny Phantom," Kevin Smith's "Clerks" the animated series, and many more.

He is the author and artist of 7 self-published books on the art of sketching, character design, caricature drawing, and life drawing. He is also the owner of Silver Drawing Academy, an art school located in Los Angeles, CA.

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

-How he was never a good student growing up, but always knew that art was his path.

-At the end of the day, a degree doesn't matter -- all that matters is how well you can draw.

-The experience of meeting Mort Drucker from Mad Magazine and how that affected his art career.

-The importance of self-discipline, self-motivation, and always asking questions.

-The power that can come from being brave and stepping out of your comfort zone.

-Advice that his father gave him to realize that receiving an answer of "no" is not a life and death situation.

-The power of asking, and not asking your friends and family, but asking the opinion of professionals (and then listening to what they have to say).

-How "failure" is a dangerous and misused word.

-How and why he started teaching and then eventually the Silver Drawing Academy.

-How you have to follow through with the thing that keeps popping in your head.

-How people who are dying typically regret the things that they weren't brave enough to try.

-His YouTube channel and "Art Talk" video series.

"I was always showing my stuff around. I always had a confidence. Even though I was horrible in my artwork I was always prepared to show people and take criticism."

"When you realize that's the worst is anyone will ever say to you is 'No,' then you can start to relax a bit."

"All you can ever do is ask. Through asking, things happen. If you don't ask, nothing can happen."

"Stop showing your parents your artwork."

"Don't rely on your friends opinions. They're your friends. They're going to tell you you're artwork is awesome and how great you are."

"Every time you try, you get one step closer."

The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying [via Collective Evolution]

Stephen's Classes

Website / YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn

Jacob Looney was born in Athens, Texas. He moved to Philadelphia in 2008 to study animation at the University of the Arts, but later transferred to The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to study painting. He graduated with a B.F.A and Certificate from P.A.F.A in 2013 and went on, with a travel scholarship, to explore around parts of the UK and Scandinavia. Jacob returned to Philadelphia in 2014 and began working at several museums while continuing his art practice in West Philly.

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

-His path after college that got him involved with museums.

-The notion of really slowing down and internalizing that things you are looking at.

-His Kickstarter project and what he is attempting to accomplish through it.

-How the first drawings or notes that you take down might seem awkward in an empty book, but it quickly becomes natural.

-The experience of putting his private drawings out into the public and how it is like exposing a piece of himself to the world.

-The joy that can come from not putting your drawings on a pedestal, and instead of worrying about making a perfect drawing, concentrating on having fun and expressing yourself without expectations.

-What people can expect from the Kickstarter project.

-Some of the things that held him back in the past, such as a verbal shyness.

-His advice for not taking personally people's disinterest in your art.

-His formula for balancing his time.

"Museums were what really pushed me into fine arts."

"It became this momentum of really studying the energy of these places."

"Drawing gives you a process of really looking at something, internalizing it in your mind, and using your hand to put that information on paper."

"When you get to this point where you're trying to make this a thing that you can live off of, you have to learn how to get excited about sharing it with people. And find a way that they can use what you are sharing with them to better their own lives."

"I'm really pushing for this movement to allow people to start drawing again."

"If you can get people to slow down and just enjoy the moment, so much more of that experience is taken in, remembered, and allowed to be something of substance."

"I got to a point where there was just no excuses for not making things."

Drawing at the Academy of Natural Sciences, THE BOOK by Jacob Looney

Website / Kickstarter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Instagram / Tumblr

Moira Hahn is a talented artist who has exhibited her fine art throughout the United States, Japan and Canada over the last two decades. She has traveled all over the Southwest to study petroglyphs, pictographs, and Native American visual culture.

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

-The difference between petroglyphs and pictographs and how they influenced her earlier art.

-Her uncle who lived in Japan, who was one of her earliest influences.

-How her style is always developing.

-Her fear of exhibiting and the way she was able to get past it.

-The importance of researching jurors of shows and finding out what they like and what their work looks like.

-Some of her earliest creative moments.

-The power in getting back to your childlike wonder in regards to creativity.

-How lack of support of family or friends can sometimes make being a creative person a tough road.

-If you are born with the desire to be an artist, you are going to be an artist.

-One of her hardest creative moments and how she got through it.

-One of her best moments, when one of her most successful pieces initially sold after a dealer telling her that she was "washed up" and that nobody would buy that particular piece.

"My art is always deviating and taking turns."

"I think you get in life what you have the courage to ask for."

"If you want to be an artist with your heart and soul, do it. But it's not going to be easy. You have to give up a lot to do it."

"You have to turn off the script."

"If you're born and you're going to be an artist, you're just going to be an artist."

"It didn't happen the way I thought it would and when I thought things would be the best, they were the hardest."

"It's up to us to chart our own course and just do it. That's all. Just get into it and just do it."

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