Your Creative Push

David is an internationally acclaimed and collected artist who continues to push the limits of contemporary realist oil painting.

David and his family live in Olympia, WA.

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

-His early interest and later pursuit of architecture.

-His experience at the Schuler School of Fine Art in Baltimore, Maryland.

-The unanticipated joy that he received from painting still life in oil, and the subsequent artistic career path that it took him on.

-Finding a balance between work, art, school and family.

-Imagining painting, and how it is almost as valuable as painting itself.

-How he started pricing his work.

-The inspiration he gets from David Goggins and Eckhart Tolle.

-His method for approaching a still life.

-Experimentation and how there has to be the possibility for failure in a piece of art, or else it is not going to be interesting.

-His advice for honing in on a specific focus.

-Realizing how important it is for his mental wellbeing to use small blocks of time to get to his art.

"No matter how much time I have to create, I never feel like it's enough."

"It's better to err on the side of selling your art too quickly as opposed to keeping it forever."

"If you're just stacking up old paintings in your studio – that's like creative baggage."

"There has to be the possibility of failure, or else it's not going to be interesting."

"Always keep the focus at a higher level of detail."

David's NOH/WAVE Tutorials

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

Website / Book / Instagram / Workshops

Tiffany Miller Russell is a wildlife artist and natural history illustrator. She delights in the unique and unusual, and her goal is to communicate that excitement with her viewer.

Her paper sculptures are created with found specialty papers. After drawing is carefully made, she hand-cuts the papers and forms them by hand to create a three-dimensional collage. With the exception of small 5x7s that she creates in limited editions, all of her pieces are one-of-a-kind works of art.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/338

-Her initial exposure to paleo artist Gary Staab.

-Discovering people who were combining art and natural science.

-Picking dead animals apart in a zoology prep lab.

-How some of her pieces take up to 300 hours to complete.

-How listening to podcasts keeps her in her chair while doing her work.

-Dealing with her time management difficulties by turning it into a game.

-The psychological differences between rewards and costs in your creative tracking.

-Some of the mental and physical resistances that she deals with on a daily basis.

-Drawing without reference.

-Battling perfectionism and comparing herself to others.

-The inspiration she receives by subscribing to Sketchbox.

"I like the challenge of having a challenge."

"If you know that you can get addicted to something, why not apply that to your work?"

Gary Staab

The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators

Leo Monahan

https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Sculpture-Step-Step-Guide/dp/1564963292

Level Up Your Life: How to Unlock Adventure and Happiness by Steve Kamb

Sketchbox

Website / Facebook / Etsy / Instagram

Nick Ulivieri is a photographer who likes his verticals parallel, his skies wild, his colors bold, and hanging above Chicago. Shooting structures & architecture is his profession.

He is a commercial photographer based in Chicago who specializes in shooting architecture, real estate, food & hospitality.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/337

-How a trip to Italy sparked his interest in photography.

-His family friend asking him to take photographs and how that led to him starting his business.

-What it was like in the early days of his photography career.

-The importance of design, messaging and consistency of voice.

-How he got clients when he first started out (and how he gets them now).

-How he fell into taking photographs of architecture and how he finds ways to give the same structures and landscapes a new feel.

-The experience of shooting aerial photographs in a helicopter.

-The process of choosing which photographs he shares on his Instagram and Twitter feeds (and in what order).

-His thoughts and advice for growing a following on Instagram.

-How the business end of photography actually ends up being a resistance to his creative side.

"Sometimes ignorance is bliss when you're learning something new."

"I was indirectly promoting my services just by practicing my craft around the city and sharing the photos I took."

"You can do it. You may be surprised with what you can do if you have a passion for something and you work hard at it and aren't afraid to take that risk."

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Flickr / Twitter

Tiffany Miller Russell: Website / Etsy / Instagram

Karan Bajaj is a #1 bestselling Indian novelist with more than 200,000 copies of his novels in print, both optioned into major films.

Karan's first worldwide novel, The Yoga of Max's Discontent was inspired by Karan's one year sabbatical traveling from Europe to India by road and learning yoga and meditation in the Himalayas.

Karan has also worked in senior executive roles at companies like Procter & Gamble and the Boston Consulting Group and was named among Ad Age's "Top 40 Under 40 executives" in the US.

-The "4, 1, 4" rule and how it helped him to thrive, not only in his career, but in his life.

-His "conscious goal-lessness" during his time off, especially when he is so driven during his working years.

-His advice for someone who struggles to get to the point of realizing that they are already equipped for life and don't need to concentrate so hard on improvement.

-The idea of taking mind- or self-dissolving vacations, where you actually try to change and better yourself as a person as opposed to simply going to a new location.

-How he kick-started my meditation practice with a 10 day silent vipassana retreat and how a vipassana retreat is actually quite accessible for anyone who is interested in trying it (it's free!)

-How his 10-day silent retreat helped him to see that he had been in a constant mode of wanting, or feeling as if he was lacking something instead of living in the moment.

-His one year sabbatical and how he spent the time.

-How living extremely simply for a long period of time helps you to realize that you really don't need much in your everyday life to survive and it helps to make you stronger when facing tough situations.

-The benefits that his retreat gave to his creativity.

-His suggestion to always start with concentration-based meditation approaches.

-What to do when other thoughts begin to creep into your consciousness while you are meditating.

-The joy and inspiration that comes from seeing yourself on a hero's journey. Even if you don't reach the goal, the act of trying is a success.

-How art fixes the world for him.

"What I have learned through this period is that my sabbatical year has to be almost the complete antithesis of my working years."

"I'm always shunning this idea that I have to constantly be better than who I am."

"I just try to operate with this idea that I am complete and I have enough depth to tap into, versus wanting to be more than I am."

"You can't help but to be different after those ten days."

"It's not like some instant moment of enlightenment. You start understanding the endlessness of our thought waves."

"I almost feel that every artist is creating out of a sense that this world is incomplete and they need to create a more complete and idealized version. Art fixes the world for me."

The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj

"My 4,1,4 rule, or why you shouldn't feel the pressure to become an entrepreneur" (From Karan's blog)

Your Creative Push Ep. 2: Approach the first brush stroke with ENERGY (w/ Karl Mårtens)

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Just a quick update as to why there hasn't been a new episode in the past month and plans for the future of the podcast!

Alatar is a genderfluid digital artist who creates character-driven adult illustrations. Their work includes both fanart and original content, and attempts to explore a wide range of body types, ethnicities, gender identities and sexualities (with perhaps slightly more attention paid to abs). They are also the host of the podcast Blue Magic, where they interview other creatives in the erotic field.

-What their Miracle Morning has looked like recently.

-Realizing that they might have ADHD and some of the methods and hacks they have been using in order to stay more focused.

-How working on yourself is the greatest creative act you can embark upon.

-The way in which the creative process has become a religious experience for them.

-Writing your own Gospel and living your own Myth.

-Their recent experience with magic mushrooms.

-Taking the "Journey to the Imaginal Realm" course with Becca Tarnas.

-Cultivating a relationship with our unconscious.

-How SESTA/FOSTA changed the landscape for adult artists.

-Dealing with the emotional despair of sites changing the landscape for adult artists.

-Bugs Bunnying your way through any situation.

"Working on yourself is just another creative act. It might not be a pretty piece of art, but it's YOU. And you are your best work, when you come right down to it."

"To me, pursuing art has become the path that teaches me how to pursue life."

"Our unconscious is extraordinarily powerful. What we think of as the self is the tip of the iceberg. And it goes all the way down to the root."

"What are you waiting for? This is your chance. You don't know if tomorrow is going to come."

"Take one step right now. Your soul is on the line. This is the most important thing you can do for your life. So just do it, already. You have permission. Go."

The Disorganized Mind by Nancy A. Ratey

Organization Solutions for people with ADHD by Susan Pinsky

Yoga With Adriene

Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio

Journey to the Imaginal Realm (Becca S. Tarnas)

Becca Tarnas on Rune Soup [1] [2]

Tolkein "On Fairy Stories"

Stop SESTA/FOSTA

Alatar on YCP Episode 232

Alatar on YCP Episode 296

Website / Newgrounds / Podcast / Instagram / Tumblr / Patreon / Twitter

Nick Ulivieri : Website / Instagram

Nick Runge grew up in Colorado. Coming from a creative family of professional artists, he was always interested in drawing and imagining ideas visually. After working as an illustrator full time from 2004-2015 he shifted focus to more personal work using oils and watercolor.

As a portrait/figurative painter, Nick works from life as well as photography, describing his art as something close to "abstracted realism", with an objective of expressing as much of the realistic human element of life as possible through a limited and often simplified approach to his rendering or brushwork, giving an illusion of realism while, at the same time, breaking shapes and form down enough to have a close balance with abstraction.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/335

-Why he came back to drawing and painting.

-Balancing personal work vs. client/commission work.

-Finding a love for painting with oils and watercolor.

-The experience of making the movie poster for "The Death of Superman Lives."

-His advice to become obsessed with things that you enjoy doing.

-His advice for selling your work on social media without feeling slimey.

-What a typical day looks like for him.

-The fear of showing old work or failures.

-Getting past ruts.

-The power of secret sketchbooks.

-Putting aside your five favorite pieces of art to open your mind to making new "favorites."

-Dealing with shyness.

"You have to hold that initial excitement for art like a fuel through all of the tough times."

"Drawing has felt like I've been cheating on normal life. That's why I love it. It seems forbidden -- especially in America – to draw or create. It's seems great, but how do you make money at it?"

"If you find a specific painting or a subject matter that you really do just enjoy, maybe just obsess over it a little bit more."

"I find that any time I think 'I need money right now so I'm going to paint this thing,' it almost never works."

"If you want to paint or draw, do just a little bit every day and it really will get to be more of an addiction."

"Start" – Nick's piece that was unfinished

Marie-Noelle Wurm on Your Creative Push Ep. 320

Watercolor Workshop in Seville Spain (May 16-19 2019)

NOH/WAVE course

Alatar on Your Creative Push Ep. 232

Alatar on Your Creative Push Ep. 296

Website / Shop / Instagram

Alatar : Newgrounds / Podcast / Instagram

Jeff Wright is a storyteller and a podcaster. He specializes in "edu-tainments": storytelling with depth and message AND presentations enriched through entertaining story. His podcasts, Odyssey: The Podcast and Trojan War: The Podcast are now available everywhere.

Jeff's live show, "A Whack on the Side of the Head: A Concussion Story" tells the autobiographical story of his personal journey through concussion and invisible injury. The one-hour show comes complete with Jeff's amusing anecdotes, good humor, insightful take-aways, and inspirational messages.

Contact Jeff personally at [email protected], or Jeff's agent [email protected] for show information and booking details.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/334

-How he got interested in theater and public speaking.

-Dealing with the unrelenting standards placed upon him by other people and eventually by himself.

-How suffering from a concussion changed the trajectory of his life.

-If some major life issue forces you to start from scratch, build on something that you are already good at.

-How the Greek Epics were what "stuck" for his lectures.

-Transitioning from a full-time teacher to a shorter-term guest speaker.

-The changes that he had to make in his presentation when he took his "act" from small classrooms to large auditoriums.

-Watching tapes of himself and evaluating, but not being too critical.

-Gaining power over your demons or monsters by learning their names.

-Using a damaged brain to try to figure out what was wrong with his brain.

-The unfair feeling of wanting to justify his invisible injury to other people.

-How we overly value the negative reviews and comments.

-Not being able to see his audience due to bright lights (and having no physical audience during the podcast).

"I think an awful lot of creative people or high achievers get so much of their self-concept tied up in the work that they do."

"The thing about these stories is that they're humanities original Game of Thrones."

"When some life event throws your life off of its nice intended tracks, if you can build on something that you know you already do well and you are passionate about, then at least you have a few aces in your hands as you start on the parts that are going to be new and difficult for you."

"The journey to success is paved with failures."

"When shit happens and your life is turned upside down, don't deny it. Don't try to go it alone."

Odyssey: The Podcast

Trojan War: The Podcast

How to Make Love in a Canoe

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Website / E-mail / Facebook / Twitter

Nick Runge : Website / Instagram

If there is one thing that Youngman has learned in the three years of creating this podcast, it is the fact that the best creative output comes when you share your own story.

Often times, it takes time and effort to figure out what that story is.

In today's episode we are going to explore the fact that your story doesn't have to reach a completion for you to start sharing it. You simply have to share what's inside of you. The closer you can get to that message, the better it will be… not necessarily in quality, but in the weight that it carries for you and for others.

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

"That's the glory of sharing your story. It doesn't have to be a story. It simply has to be what's going on inside of you. As concrete or as confusing as it may be to you."

"There are a million ways that you can get off-track from telling your story. And all of them are very quick derailments."

"Sharing your message is THE THING. That's the focal point and the guidepost that will put you on the right path."

"When we're talking about using your art to tell a story, what better story is there than the story of your life?"

Creative Coping Podcast

The Art Marketing Project Podcast

Kick in the Creatives Ep. 33 Using Art to Convey a Message or Story

3 Point Perspective Podcast

Amber Rae on YCP Ep. 289

Johnny Anomaly on YCP Ep. 329

Adonna Khare on YCP Ep. 46

Bobby Chiu on YCP Ep. 138

Daniel Robinson is a television writer for ABC's hit drama How to Get Away With Murder.

He's self publishing his first novel, First They Ignore You, a deeply personal work of fiction that explores the decade it took for him to establish his career in Hollywood and the lifetime it continues to take for him to battle with his personal demons who mostly manifest as an intense desire to drown anxiety and self-loathing in a sea of fast food.

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

-How the skills of a basketball player translate to the creative realm.

-Seeing things being done at a professional level, and what that did for his mindset.

-Embracing failure.

-Writing for a television series with a team versus writing for yourself.

-Being a mercenary with your creative skills.

-How everyone has their own story to tell.

-Putting himself on the page via dialogue between his characters.

-How his editor was able to bring out the best in him.

-Pushing himself to "dig deeper."

-Calibrating his sensitivity to make it a tool.

-Guarding your attention and dealing with distractions.

"I was fortunate in that I was consumed by this almost pathological belief or vision that I could accomplish anything."

"Storytelling is such a powerful thing. Once people feel like they've told their story, it can lift so much weight off of their soul."

"Those dopamine feedback loops are so addictive."

"As an artist, you have to guard your attention. There are so many distractions nowadays that it's hard to push those things aside, channel your inner voice and do that work that is so important.

"You have to free yourself from any expectation of what this thing is supposed to be, where it's supposed to take you, what it's supposed to do."

"What the world needs is charged up, thriving, vital people who are passionate about what they are doing."

First They Ignore You by Daniel Robinson

Kick in the Creatives: Using Art to Convey a Message or Story

How to Get Away With Murder

Book / IMDb