Your Creative Push

Suzanne Santo is an American singer/songwriter and actress.  Before branching out on a solo musical career, she spent a decade as the fiddle-playing frontwoman of HoneyHoney. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/349 In this episode, Suzanne discusses: -The power of podcasts, especially Joe Rogan and Duncan Trussell. -Feeling like an imposter at the Grammys. -How it’s just as important to not write as it is to write. -Honoring the process when you are getting constant inspiration because it’s not always there. -Branching off from Honeyhoney to create her first solo album, “Ruby Red.” -Working with Butch Walker and having complete freedom. -How she knows what songs are ready to be brought to the table. -Working with John Spiker on her new album, “Yard Sale.” -Shedding catholic guilt. -Where she finds inspiration when it is lacking. Suzanne's Final Push will remind you to be kind to yourself (and to also be a badass)!   Quotes: “You truly get back what you put out there and when you put all this love, har

Alatar is a nonbinary artist and mystic weirdo from Nashville, Tennessee. They enjoy drawing figurative erotic art, and see their artistic practice as one facet of a spiritual practice which draws them ever closer to their authentic self. Their mission is to enchant and inspire the world with every breath. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/348 In this episode, Alatar discusses: -How they are dealing with the initial Coronavirus quarantine. -The problems that Youngman has recently gone through. -The Rat Park Experiment and how it relates to addiction. -How easy it is to be negative and pessimistic in difficult times. -Working with Shamanic practitioner Chiron Armand in “soul retrieval.” -How their “shadow part” took the form of Anakin Skywalker. -The light side versus the dark side in everything. -The positive and negative aspects of the drive that we find in ourselves. -How we sometimes have to play out the narrative and hit our rock bottom. -Making compromises with your art. -How we as creative peo

Djamila Knopf is an independent artist and Schoolism instructor based in Leipzig, Germany. She creates illustrations that evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia, and primarily focuses on personal projects. She believes that art is a unique accumulation of experiences, beliefs and aesthetics. That's why, when you look at her work, you might catch a glimpse of the summers she spent strolling through the woods and fields around her grandparents' garden, and you might also see her love for Japanese animation. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/347 In this episode, Djamila discusses: -How she was given the feeling that her art was not “proper” and how that made her stop drawing for a long period of time. -Finding a balance when she first became a professional artist. -The moment she discovered the way in which she could sell her own work. -Her advice for people who are considering selling their own work online. -The mentality of using a “pay what you what” policy on Patreon. -Sharing the learning process

Adam Paquette is a painter from Australia, currently living in Berlin.  He has been creating artwork for Magic: the Gathering since 2009 and in that time has illustrated over 250 cards. He also works with Sterling Hundley for Legendeer, which aims to be the connection between a life well-lived and the creative process. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/346 In this episode, Adam discusses: -The literary and verbal emphasis from his childhood. -How he first got involved with Wizards of the Coast. -Why he is living in Berlin and how it brings out his artistic side. -His shifting frame of reference from the mind to the body. -The cyclic way in which our location informs our art and mindset and vice versa. -Breathing in and breathing out in terms of input and output. -The various disconnects that artists encounter and the concept of the “embedded artist.” -Legendeer and working with Sterling Hundley. -The idea of transparent studios. -What Antonio Lopez taught him about the pointlessness of art. -Dealing

Piper Thibodeau a former full-time character designer for DreamWorks TV and a freelance designer.  Her clients include DreamWorks TV, Nickelodeon, Intel, Sesame Street and GameLoft. In a self-imposed challenge, she has created a new painting every day before midnight since 2012. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/345 In this episode, Piper discusses: -How she started her daily painting challenge (which she has kept up with for seven years and counting). -Getting professional illustration work from Nickelodeon Jr and Dreamworks Television while still in school. -Some of the initial setbacks she encountered during her daily painting challenge. -Her attempt to not go “stale” by switching it up between illustrations, character designs and pun drawings. -Her advice for anyone wanting to start a daily challenge. -The value of having an “offline” reference library for yourself. -Her resistance of schedule conflict and how she gets past it. -Her advice for aspiring freelance illustrators. -The experience of

Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Middle Grade historical fantasy series Dactyl Hill Squad, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, Star Wars: Last Shot, and the award winning Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher, which won the International Latino Book Award and was shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize in Young Readers’ Literature, the Andre Norton Award, the Locus, the Mythopoeic Award, and named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read.  Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/344 In this episode, Daniel discusses: -What it was like to be a New York City paramedic. -What the Jedi can teach writers when it comes to finding their voice. -How the essence of being a writer is not what you’ve read in books but what you’ve experienced in your life. -The importance of listening in writing and other creative pursuits. -Making the transition from paramedic to full-time writer. -Persevering despite Shadowshaper getting rejected 40 times. -The support he received f

Emilija Angelovska (born in Macedonia, living in the Netherlands) is an artist, educator, and change agent.  She is fascinated with the popularity of community art projects and does a deep dive into creative communities in her Back to the Drawing Board podcast. Emilija has shown her work in galleries in Amsterdam, Calgary and Edmonton, Alongside her artistic and research practice she holds professional experience from the Smithsonian Institution and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016 she was the recipient of the Kathleen & Russell Lane Canadian Art Award. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/343 In this episode, Emilija discusses: -How she started her podcast as a result of having lost her creative community and wanting to make a new one. -The ways that community informs the individual and the individual informs the community. -Her advice for anyone looking to build a creative community. -How art and life are so closely intertwined. -The importance of surrounding yourself with individuals who

Dan Berry is a cartoonist, illustrator, podcaster and educator based in the town of Shrewsbury, UK. He is a frequent collaborator with the author David Gaffney and is currently working on the follow-up to The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head; a book called Rivers. Since 2012 he has produced the podcast Make It Then Tell Everybody in which he has spoken to over a hundred and sixty other artists about what they do and how they do it. Between 2008 and 2019 he was the Programme Leader for the illustration, comics and children’s books degree courses at the School of Creative Arts, Wrexham Glyndwr University. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danberry In this episode, Dan discusses: -His fascination with being able to create something that puts ideas and images in other people’s minds. -Being hospitalized from the extreme stress he experienced working as a designer for a marketing agency. -His decision to quit teaching. -How everyone has different responses to stress, and the value in being able to determine

Danielle Clough is a multi-disciplinary artist from Cape Town, South Africa who specializes in the mediums of embroidery, photography, graphic design and video art. She has been profiled by Instagram, Colossal, CNN, Vogue and The New York Times and had her work and in various exhibitions in South Africa, The USA and Russia. Her new Skillshare class shows the basics of how she creates so that you can give embroidery a try for the first time. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danielleclough In this episode, Danielle discusses: -Her mindset when she made the decision to quit school and also to change career paths. -Learning to trust our heart and our instincts when they tell us that things aren’t right. -How we sometimes think too far into the future and put too much pressure on ourselves before, during and after the creation process. -Her biggest takeaways from Red & Yellow School of Logic & Magic. -Seeing herself as a brand instead of an artist and her work as a product as opposed to statemen

Donald M. Rattner is an award-winning residential architect and educator.  As a consultant he draws on scientific research to help individuals and organizations maximize occupant creativity in workplace, residential, wellness, hospitality and retail environments. In his new book, My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation, Donald draws on the latest psychology and productivity research to offer a practical guide to designing your home to optimize your creative potential. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/340 In this episode, Donald discusses: -Why you should have a designated creative space. -The importance of nature in our creativity and in our mental and physical wellbeing. -Facing your space and setting up your surroundings to make yourself more open-minded. -How we feel more creative when we feel safe and comfortable. -How music and sound affects our creativity. -The best decibel level for boosting your creative process. -The surprising benefits of nappin

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 In this episode, David discusses: -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 wel

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 In this episode, Tiffany discusses: -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.

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 In this episode, Nick discusses: -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 Twitte

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. In this episode, Karan discusses: -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 your

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. In this episode, Alatar discusses: -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 lands

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 In this episode, Nick discusses: -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

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 jeff@trojanwarpodcast.com, or Jeff’s agent info@perfectnotespeakers.com for show information and booking details. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/334 In this episode, Jeff discusses: -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 majo

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 Quotes: “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 th

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 In this episode, Daniel discusses: -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