Podcasts about creative confidence

How do you build a creative life that spans music, writing, film, and spiritual practice? Alicia Jo Rabins talks about weaving multiple creative strands into a sustainable career and why the best advice for any creator might simply be: just make the thing. In the intro, backlist promotion strategy [Written Word Media]; Successful author business [Novel Marketing Podcast]; Alliance of Independent Authors Indie Author Bookstore; Bones of the Deep – J.F. Penn This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Alicia Jo Rabins is an award-winning writer, musician, performer, as well as a Torah teacher and ritualist. She's the creator of Girls In Trouble, a feminist indie-folk song cycle about biblical women, and the award-winning film, A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff. Her latest book is a memoir, When We Are Born We Forget Everything. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Building a sustainable multi-disciplinary creative career through teaching, performance, grants, and donations Trusting instinct in the early generative stages of creativity and separating generation from editing Adapting and reimagining religious and cultural source material through music, writing, and performance The challenges of transitioning from poetry to long-form prose memoir, including choosing a lens for your story Making an independent film on a shoestring budget without waiting for Hollywood's permission Finding your creative voice and building confidence by leaning into vulnerability and returning to the practice of making You can find Alicia at AliciaJo.com. Transcript of the interview with Alicia Jo Rabins Joanna: Alicia Jo Rabins is an award-winning writer, musician, performer, as well as a Torah teacher and ritualist. She's the creator of Girls In Trouble, a feminist indie-folk song cycle about biblical women, and the award-winning film, A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff. Her latest book is a memoir, When We Are Born We Forget Everything. So welcome to the show, Alicia. Alicia: Thank you so much. I'm delighted to be here. Joanna: There is so much we could talk about. But first up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you've woven so many strands of creativity into your life and career. Alicia: Yes, well, I am a maximalist. What happened in terms of my early life is that I started writing on my own, just extremely young. I'm one of those people who always loved writing, always processed the world and managed my emotions and came to understand myself through writing. So from a very young age, I felt really committed to writing. Then I had the good fortune that my mother saw a talk show about the Suzuki method of learning violin—when you start really young and learn by ear, which is modelled after language learning. It's so much less intellectual and much more instinctual, learning by copying. She was like, that looks like a cool thing. I was three years old at the time and she found out that there was a little local branch of our music conservatory that had a Suzuki violin programme. So when I was three and a half, getting close to four, she took me down and I started playing an extremely tiny violin. Joanna: Oh, cute! Alicia: Yes, and because it was part of this conservatory that was downtown, and we were just starting at the suburban branch where we lived, there was this path that I was able to follow. As I got more and more interested in violin, I could continue basically up through the conservatory level during high school. So I had a really fantastic music education without any pressure, without any expectations or professional goals. I just kept taking these classes and one thing led to another. I grew up being very immersed in both creative writing and music, and I think just having the gift of those two parts of my brain trained and stimulated and delighted so young really changed my brain in some ways. I'll always see the world through this creative lens, which I think I'm also just set up to do personally. Then the last step of my multi-practice career is that in college I got very interested in Jewish spirituality. I'm Jewish, but I didn't grow up very religious. I didn't grow up in a Jewish community really. So I knew some basics, but not a ton. In college I started to study it and also informally learned from other people I met. I ended up going on a pretty intense spiritual quest, going to Jerusalem and immersing myself after college for two years in traditional Jewish study and practice. So that became the third strand of the braid that had already been started with music and writing. Torah study, spiritual study, and teaching became the third, and they all interweave. The last thing I'll say is that because I work in both words and music, and naturally performance because of music, it began to branch a little bit into plays, theatre, and film, just because that's where the intersection of words, performance, and music is. So that's really what brought me into that, as opposed to any specific desire to work in film. It all happened very organically. Joanna: I love this. This is so cool. We are going to circle back to a lot of this, but I have to ask you— What about work for money at any point? How did this turn into more than just hobbies and lifestyle? Alicia: Yes, absolutely. Well, I'm very fortunate that I did not graduate college with loans because my parents were able to pay for college. That was a big privilege that I just want to name, because in the States that's often not the case. So that allowed me to need to support myself, but not also pay loans, which was a real gift. What happened was I went straight from college to that school in Jerusalem, and there I was on loans and scholarship, so I didn't have to worry yet about supporting myself. Then when I came back to the States, I actually found on Craigslist a job teaching remedial Hebrew. It was essentially teaching kids at a Jewish elementary school who either had learning differences or had just entered the school late and needed to be in a different Hebrew class than the other kids in their grade. That was my first experience of really teaching, and I just absolutely fell in love with it. Although in the end, my passion is much more for teaching the text and rituals and the wrestling with the concepts, as opposed to teaching language. So all these years, while doing performance and writing and all these things, I have been teaching Jewish studies. That has essentially supported me, I would say, between 50 and 70 per cent. Then the rest has been paid gigs as a musician, whether as a front person leading a project or as what we call a sideman, playing in someone else's band. Sometimes doing theatre performances, sometimes teaching workshops. That's how I've cobbled it together. I have not had a full-time job all these years and I have supported myself through both earned income and also grants and donations. I've really tried to cultivate a little bit of a donor base, and I took some workshops early on about how to welcome donations. So I definitely try to always welcome that as well. Joanna: That is so interesting that you took a workshop on how to welcome donations. Way back in, I think 2013, I said on this show, I just don't know if I can accept people giving to support the show. Then someone on the podcast challenged me and said, but people want to support creatives. That's when I started Patreon in 2014. It was when The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer came out and— It was this realisation that people do want to support people. So I love that you said that. Alicia: It's not easy. It's still not easy for me, and I have to grit my teeth every time I even put in my end-of-year newsletter. I just say, just a reminder that part of what makes this possible is your generous donations, and I'm so grateful to you. It's not easy. I think some people enjoy fundraising. I certainly don't instinctively enjoy it, but I have learned to think of it exactly the way that you're saying. I mean, I love donating to support other people's projects. Sometimes it's the highlight of my day. If I'm having a bad day and someone asks for help, either to feed a family or to complete a creative project, I just feel like, okay, at least I can give $36 or $25 and feel like I did something positive in the last hour, even if my project is going terribly and I'm in a fight with my kid or something. So I have to keep in mind that it is actually a privilege to give as well as a privilege to receive. Joanna: Absolutely. So let's get back into your various creative projects. The first thing I wanted to ask you, because you do have so many different formats and forms of your creativity—how do you know when an idea that comes to you should be a song, or something you want to do as a performance, or written, or a film? Tell us a bit about your creative process. Because a lot of your projects are also longer-term. Alicia: Yes. It's funny, I love planning and in some ways I'm an extreme planner. I really drive people in my family bonkers with planning, like family vacations a year in advance. In terms of my creativity, I'm very planful towards goals, but in that early generative state, I am actually pure instinct. I don't think I ever sit down and say, “I have this idea, which genre would it match with?” It's more like I sit on my bed and pick up my guitar, which is where I love to do songwriting, just sitting on my bed cross-legged, and I pick up my guitar and something starts coming out. Then I just work with that kernel. So it's very nebulous at first, very innate, and I just follow that creative spirit. Often I don't even know what a project is, sometimes if it's a larger project, until a year or two in. Once things emerge and take shape, then my planning brain and my strategy brain can jump on it and say, “Okay, we need three more songs to fill out the album, and we need to plan the fundraising and the scheduling.” Then I might take more of an outside-in approach. At the beginning it's just all instinct. Joanna: So if you pick up your guitar, does that mean it always starts in music and then goes into writing? Or is that you only pick up a guitar if it's going to be musical? Alicia: I think I'm responding to what's inside me. It's almost like a need, as opposed to, “I'm going to sit down and work.” I mean, obviously I sit down and work a lot, but I think in that early stage of anything, it's more like my fingers are itching to play something, and so I sit down and pick up my guitar. Sometimes nothing comes out and sometimes the kernel of a song comes out. Or I'm at a café, and I often like to write when I'm feeling a little bit discombobulated, just to go into the complexity of things or use challenging emotions as fuel. I really do use it as a—I don't know if therapeutic is the word, but I think it maybe is. I write often, as I always have, as I said before, to understand what I'm thinking. Like Joan Didion said—to process difficult emotions, to let go of stuck places. So I think I create almost more out of a sense of just what I need in the moment. Sometimes it's just for fun. Sometimes picking up a guitar, I just have a moment so I sit down and mess around. Sometimes it's to help me struggle with something. It doesn't always start in music. That was a random example. I might sit down to write because I have an hour and I think, I haven't written in a while. Or I do have an informal daily writing thing where I'll try to generate one loose draft of something a day, even if it's only ten pages. I mean, sorry, ten words. Joanna: I was going to say! Alicia: No, no. Ten words. I'm sorry. It's often poetry, so it feels like a lot when it's ten words. I'll just sit down with no pressure, no goal, no intention to make anything specific. Just open the floodgates and see what comes out. That's where every single project of mine has started. Joanna: Yes, I do love that. Obviously, I'm a discovery writer and intuitive, same as you. I think very much this idea of, especially when you said you feel discombobulated, that's when you write. I almost feel like I need that. I'm not someone who writes every day. I don't do ten lines or whatever. It's that I'll feel that sense of pressure building up into “this is going to be something.” I will really only write or journal when that spills over into— “I now need to write and figure out what this is.” Alicia: Yes. It's almost a form of hunger. It feels to me similar to when you eat a great meal and then you're good for a while. You're not really thinking of it, and then it builds up, like you said, and then there's a need—at least the first half of creativity. I really separate my generation and my editing. So my generative practice is all openness, no critique, just this maybe therapeutic, maybe curious, wandering and seeing what happens. Then once I have a draft, my incisive editing mind is welcome back in, which has been shut out from that early process. So that's a really different experience. Those early stages of creativity are almost out of need more than obligation. Joanna: Well, just staying with that generative practice. Obviously you've mentioned your study of and practice of Jewish tradition and Jewish spirituality. Steven Pressfield in his books has talked about his prayer to the muse, and I've got on my wall here—I don't talk about this very often, actually — I have a muse picture, a painting of what I think of as a muse spirit in some form. So do you have any spiritual practices around your generative practice and that phase of coming up with ideas? Alicia: I love that question, and I wish I had a beautiful, intentional answer. My answer is no. I think I experience creativity as its own spiritual practice itself. I do love individual prayer and meditation and things like that, but for me those are more to address my specifically spiritual health and happiness and connectedness. I'm just a dive-in kind of person. As a musician, I have friends who have elaborate backstage rituals. I have to do certain things to take care of my voice, but even that, it's mostly vocal rest as opposed to actively doing things. There's a bit of an on/off switch for me. Joanna: That's interesting. Well, I do want to ask you about one of your projects, this collaboration with a high school on a musical performance, I Was a Desert: Songs of the Matriarchs, and also your Girls in Trouble songs about women in the Torah. On your website, I had a look at the school, the high school, and the musical performance. It was extraordinary. I was watching you in the school there and it's just such extraordinary work. It very much inspired me—not to do it myself, but it was just so wonderful. I do urge people to go to your website and just watch a few minutes of it. I'm inspired by elements of religion, Christian and Jewish, but I wondered if you've come up against any issues with adaptation—respecting your heritage but also reinventing it. How has this gone for you. Any advice for people who want to incorporate aspects of religion they love but are worried about responses? Alicia: Well, I have to say, coming from the Jewish tradition, that is a core practice of Judaism—reinterpreting our texts and traditions, wrestling with them, arguing with them, reimagining them. I don't know if you're familiar with Midrash, but just in case some of your listeners aren't sure I'll explain it. There's essentially an ancient form of fanfic called Midrash, which was the ancient rabbis, and we still do it today, taking a biblical story that seems to have some kind of gap or inconsistency or question in it and writing a story to fill that gap or recast the story in an interestingly different light. So we have this whole body of literature over thousands of years that are these alternate or added-on adventures, side quests of the biblical characters. What I'm doing from a Jewish perspective is very much in line with a traditional way of interacting with text. I've certainly never gotten any pushback, especially as I work in progressive Jewish communities. I think if I were in an extremely fundamentalist community, there would be a lot of different issues around gender and things like that. The interpretive process, even in those communities, is part of how we show respect for the text. When I was working with the high school—and I just want to call out the choir director, Ethan Chen, who has an incredible project where he brings in a different artist every two years to work with the choir, and they tend to have a different cultural focus each time. He invited me specifically to integrate my songwriting about biblical women with his amazing high school choir. I was really worried at first because most of them are not Jewish—very few of them, if any. I wanted to respect their spiritual paths and their religious heritages and not impose mine on them. So I spent a lot of time at the beginning saying, this project has religious source material, but essentially it is a creative reinterpretive project. I am not coming to you to bring the religious material to you. I'm coming to take the shared Hebrew Bible myths and then reinterpret those myths through a lens of how they might reflect our own personal struggles, because that's always my approach to these ancient stories. I wanted to really make that clear to the students. It was such a joy to work with them. Joanna: It's such an interesting project. Also, I find with musicians in general this idea of performance. You've written this thing—or this thing specifically with the school—and it doesn't exist again, right? You're not selling CDs of that, I presume. Whereas compared to a book, when we write a book, we can sell it forever. It doesn't exist as a performance generally for an author of a memoir or a novel. It carries on existing. So how does that feel, the performance idea versus the longer-lasting thing? I mean, I guess the video's there, but the performance itself happened. Alicia: I do know what you mean. Absolutely. We did, for that reason, record it professionally. We had the sound person record it and mix it, so it is available to stream. I'm not selling CDs, but it's out there on all the streaming services, if people want to listen. I do also have the scores, so if a choir wanted to sing it. The main point that you're making is so true. I think there's actually something very sacred about live performance—that we're all in the moment together and then the moment is over. I love the artefacts of the writing life. I love writing books. I love buying and reading books and having them around, and there's piles of them everywhere in this room I'm standing in. I feel like being on stage, or even teaching, is a very spiritual practice for me, because it's in some ways the most in-the-moment I ever am. The only thing that matters is what's happening right then in that room. It's fleeting as it goes. I'm working with the energy in the room while we're there. It's different every time because I'm different, the atmosphere is different, the people are different. There's no way to plan it. The kind of micro precision that we all try to bring to our editing—you can't do that. You can practice all you want and you should, but in the moment, who knows? A string breaks or there's loud sound coming from the other room. It is just one of those things. I love being reminded over and over again of the truth that we really don't control what happens. The best that we can do is ride it, surf it, be in it, appreciate it, and then let it go. Joanna: I think maybe I get a glimpse of that when I speak professionally, but I'm far more in control in that situation than I guess you were with—I don't know how many—was it a hundred kids in that choir? It looked pretty big. Alicia: It was amazing. It was 130 kids. Yes. Joanna: 130 kids! I mean, it was magic listening to it. And yes, of course, showing my age there with buying a CD, aren't I? Alicia: Well, I do still sell some CDs of Girls in Trouble on tour, because I have a bunch of them and people still buy them. I'm always so grateful because it was an easier life for touring musicians when we could just bring CDs. Now we have to be very creative about our merch. Joanna: Yes, that's a good point because people are like, “Oh yes, I'll scan your QR code and stream it,” but you might not get the money for that for ages, and it might just be five cents or whatever. Alicia: Streaming is terrible for live musicians. I mean, I don't know if you know the site Bandcamp, but it's essentially self-publishing for musicians. Bandcamp is a great way around that, and a lot of independent musicians use it because that's a place you can upload your music and people can pay $8 for an album. They can stream it on there if they want, or they can download it and have it. But, yes, it's hard out there for touring musicians. Joanna: Yes, for sure. Well, let's come to the book then. Your memoir, When We Are Born We Forget Everything. Tell us about some of the challenges of a book as opposed to these other types of performances. Alicia: Well, I come out of poetry, so that was my first love. That's what I majored in in college. That's what my MFA is in. Poetry is famously short, and I'm not one of those long-form poets. I have been trained for many years to think in terms of a one-page arc, if at all. Arc isn't even really a word that we use in poetry. So to write a full-length prose book was really an incredible education. Writing it basically took ten years from writing to publication, so probably seven years of writing and editing. I felt like there was an MFA-equivalent process in the number of classes I took, books I read, and work that went into it. So that was one of my main joys and challenges, really learning on the job to write long-form prose coming out of poetry. How to keep the engine going, how to think about ending one chapter in a way that leaves you with some torque or momentum so that you want to go into the next chapter. How many characters is too many? Who gets names and who doesn't? Some of these things that are probably pretty basic for fiction writers were all very new to me. That was a big part of my process. Then, of course, poets don't usually have agents. So once it was done, I began to query agents. It was the normal sort of 39 rejections and then one agent who really understood what I was trying to do. She's incredible, and she was able to sell the book. The longevity of just working on something for that long—I have a lot of joy in that longevity—but it does sometimes feel like, is this ever going to happen, or am I on a fool's errand? Joanna: I guess, again, the difference with performance is you have a date for the performance and it's done then. I suppose once you get a contract, then for sure it has to be done. But memoir in particular, you do have to set boundaries, because of course your life continues, doesn't it? So what were the challenges in curating what went into the book? Because many people listening know memoir is very challenging in terms of how personal it can be. Alicia: Yes, and one thing I think is so fascinating about memoir is choosing which lens to put on your story, on your own story. I heard early on that the difference between autobiography and memoir is that autobiography tries to give a really comprehensive view of a life, and memoir is choosing one lens and telling the story of a life through that lens, which is such a beautiful creative concept. I knew early on that I wanted this to be primarily a spiritual memoir, and also somewhat of an artistic memoir, because my creativity and my spirituality are so intertwined. It started off being spiritual, and also about my musical life, and also about my writing life. In the end, I edited out the part about my writing life, because writing about writing was just too navel-gazing. So there's nothing in there about me coming of age as a writer, which used to be in there, but that whole thing got taken out. Now it's spiritual and musical. For me, it really helped to start with those focuses, because I knew there may be things that were hugely important in my life, absolutely foundational, that were not really going to be either mentioned or gone deeply into in the book. For example, my husband teases me a lot about how few pages and words he gets. He's very important in my life, but I actually met him when I was 29, and this book really mainly takes place in the years leading up to that. There's a little bit of winding down in the first few years of my thirties, but this is not a book about my life with him. He is mentioned in it. That story is in there. Having those kinds of limitations around the canvas—there's a quote, I forget if it was Miranda July, but somebody said something like, basically when you put a limitation on your project, that's when it starts to be a work of art. Whatever it is, if you say, “I'm taking this canvas and I'm using these colours,” that's when it really begins, that initial limitation. That was very helpful. Joanna: It's also the beauty of memoir, because of course you can write different memoirs at different times. You can write something about your writing life. You can write something else about your marriage and your family later on. That doesn't all have to be in one book. I think that's actually something I found interesting. And I would also say in my memoir, Pilgrimage, my husband is barely mentioned either. Alicia: Does he tease you too? Joanna: No, I think he's grateful. He is grateful for the privacy. Alicia: That's why I keep saying, you should be grateful! Joanna: Yes. You really should. Like, maybe stop talking now. Alicia: Yes, exactly. I know. Marriage, memoir—those words should strike fear into his heart. Joanna: They definitely should. But let's just come back. When I look at your career— You just seem such an independent creative, and so I wondered why you decided to work with a traditional publisher instead of being an independent. How are you finding it as someone who's not in charge of everything? Alicia: It's a great question. The origin story for this memoir is that I was actually reading poetry at a writing conference called Bread Loaf in the States. This was 16 years ago or something. I was giving a poetry reading and afterwards an agent, not my agent, came up to me and said, you know, you have a voice. You should try writing nonfiction because you could probably sell it. Back to your question about how I support myself, I am always really hustling to make a living. It's not like I have some separate well-paying job and the writing has no pressure on it. So my ears kind of perked up. I thought, wait, getting paid for writing? Because poetry is literally not in the world. It's just not a concept for poets. That's not why we write and it's not a possibility. So a little light turned on in my brain. I thought, wow, that could be a really interesting element to add to my income stream, and it would be flexible and it would be meaningful. For a few years I thought, what nonfiction could I write? And I came up with the idea of writing a book about biblical women from a more scholarly perspective, because I teach that material and I've studied it. I went to speak to another agent and she said, well, you could do that, but if you actually want to sell a book, it's going to have to be more of a trade book. So if you don't want an academic press, which wouldn't pay very much, you would have to have some kind of memoir-like stories in there to just sweeten it so it doesn't feel academic. So then I began writing a little bit of spiritual memoir. I thought, okay, well, I'll write about a few moments. Then once I started writing, I couldn't stop. The floodgates really opened. That's how it ended up being a spiritual memoir with interwoven stories of biblical women. It became a hybrid in that sense. I knew from the beginning that this project—for all my saying earlier that I never plan anything and only work on instinct, I was thinking as I said that, that cannot be true. This time, I actually thought, what if, instead of coming from this pure, heart-focused place of poetry, I began writing with the intention of potentially selling a book? The way my fiction writer friends talked about selling their books. So that was always in my mind. I knew I would continue writing poetry, continue publishing with small presses, continue putting my own music out there independently, but this was a bit of an experiment. What if I try to interface with the publishing world, in part for financial sustainability? And because I had a full draft before I queried, I never felt like anyone was telling me what to write. I can't imagine personally selling a book on proposal, because I do need that full capacity to just swerve, change directions, be responsive to what the project is teaching me. I can't imagine promising that I'll write something, because I never know what I'll write. But writing at least a very solid draft first, I'm always delighted to get notes and make polish and rewrite and make things better. I took care of that freedom in the first seven years of writing and then I interfaced with the agent and publisher. Joanna: I was going to say, given that it's taken you seven to ten years to do this and I can't imagine that you're suddenly a multimillionaire from this book. It probably hasn't fulfilled the hourly rate that perhaps you were thinking of in terms of being paid for your work. I think some people think that everyone's going to end up with the massive book deal that pays for the rest of their life. I guess this book does just fit into the rest of your portfolio career. Alicia: Yes. One of the benefits of these long arcs that I like to work on is, one of them—and probably the primary one—is that the project gets to unfold on its own time. I don't think I could have rushed it if I wanted. The other is that it never really stopped me from doing any of my other work. Joanna: Mm-hmm. Alicia: So it's not like, oh, I gave up months of my life and all I got was this advance or something. It's like, I was living my life and then when I had a little bit of writing time—and I will say, it impacted my poetry. I haven't written as much poetry because I was working on this. So it wasn't like I just added it on top of everything I was already doing, but it was a pleasure to just switch to prose for a while. It was just woven into my life. I appreciated having this side project where no one was waiting for it. There were no deadlines, there was no stress around it, because I always have performances to promote and due dates for all kinds of work. It was just this really lovely arena of slow growth and play. When I wanted a reader, I could do a swap with a writer friend, but no one was ever waiting for it on deadline. So there's actually a lot of pleasure in that. Then I will say, I think I've made more from selling this than my poetry. Probably close to ten times more than I've ever made from any of my poetry. So on a poetry scale, it's certainly not going to pay for my life, but it actually does make a true financial difference in a way that much of my other work is a little more bit by bit by bit. It's actually a different scale. Joanna: Well, that's really good. I'm glad to hear that. I also want to ask you, because you've done so many things, and— I'm fascinated by your independent film, A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff. I have only watched the trailer. You are in it, you wrote it, directed it, and it's also obviously got other people in, and it's fascinating. It's about this particular point in history. I've written quite a lot of screenplay adaptations of my novels, and I've had some various amounts of interest, but the whole film industry to me is just a complete nightmare, far bigger nightmare than the book industry. So I wonder if you could maybe talk about this, because it just seems like you made a film, which is so cool. Alicia: Oh yes, thank you. Joanna: And it won awards, yes, we should say. Alicia: Did we win awards? Yes. It really, for an extremely low-budget indie film, went far further than my team and I could ever have imagined. I will say I never intended to make a film. Like most of the best things in my life, it really happened by accident. When I was living in New York— I lived there for many years—the 2008 financial collapse happened and I happened to have an arts grant that gave a bunch of artists workspace, studio space, in essentially an abandoned building in the financial district. It was an empty floor of a building. The floor had been left by the previous tenant, and there's a nonprofit that takes unused real estate in the financial district and lets artists work in it for a while. So I was on Wall Street, which was very rare for me, but for this year I was working on Wall Street. Even though I was working on poems, the financial collapse happened around me, and I did get inspired by that to create a one-woman show, which was more of a theatre show. That was already a huge leap for me because I had no real theatre experience, but it was experimental and growing out of my poetry practice and my music. It was a musical one-woman show about the financial collapse from a spiritual perspective, apparently. So I performed that. I documented it, and then a friend who lives in Portland, Oregon, where I now live, said, “I'm a theatre producer, I'd like to produce it here.” So then I rewrote it and did a run here in Portland of that show. Essentially, I started to tour it a little bit, but I got tired of it. It was too much work and it never really paid very much, and I thought, this is impacting my life negatively. I just want to do a really good documentation of the show. So I wanted to hire a theatre documentarian to just document the show so that it didn't disappear, like you were saying before about live performance. But one of the people I talked to actually ended up being an artistic filmmaker, as opposed to a documentarian. She watched the archival footage, just a single camera of the show, and said, “I don't think you should do this again and film it with three cameras. I think you should make it into a feature film. And in fact, I think maybe I should direct it, because there's all this music in it and I also direct music videos.” We had this kind of mind meld. Joanna: Mm. Alicia: I never intended to make a film, but she is a visionary director and I had this piece of IP essentially, and all the music and the writing. We adapted it together. We did it here in Portland. We did all the fundraising ourselves. We did not interface with Hollywood really. I think that would be, I just can't imagine. I love Hollywood, but I'm not really connected, and I can't imagine waiting for someone to give us permission or a green light to make this. It was experimental and indie, so we just really did it on the cheap. We had an amazing producer who helped us figure out how to do it with the budget that we had. We worked really hard fundraising, crowdfunding, asking for donations, having parties to raise money, and then we just did it and put it out there. I think my main advice—and I hear this a lot on screenwriting podcasts—is just make the thing. Make something, as opposed to trying to get permission to make something. Because unless you're already in that system, it's going to be really hard to get permission to make it. Once you make something, that leads to something else, which leads to something else. So even if it's a very short thing, or even if it's filmed on your phone, just actually make the thing. That turned out to be the right thing for us. Joanna: Yes, I mean, I feel like that is what underpins us as independent creatives in general. As an independent author, I feel the same way. I'm never asking permission to put a book in the world. No, thank you. Alicia: Exactly. We have a vision and we do it. It's harder in some ways, but that liberation of being able to really fully create our vision without having to compromise it or wait for permission, I think it's such a beautiful thing. Joanna: Well, we're almost out of time, but I do want to ask you about creative confidence. Alicia: Hmm. Joanna: I feel I'm getting a lot of sense about this at the moment, with all the AI stuff that's happening. When you've been creating a long time, like you and I have, we know our voice and we can lean into our voice. We are creatively confident. We'll fail a lot, but we'll just push on and try things and see what happens. Newer creators are struggling with this kind of confidence. How do I know what is my voice? How do I know what I like? How do I lean into this? So give us some thoughts about how to find your voice and how to find that creative confidence if you don't feel you have it. Alicia: I love that. One thing I will say is that I always think whatever is arising is powerful material to create from. So if a lack of confidence is arising, that's a really powerful feeling to directly explore and not just try to ignore. Although sometimes one has to just ignore those feelings. But to actually explore that feeling, because AI can't have that, right? AI can't really feel a crisis of confidence, and humans can. So that's a gift that we have, those kinds of sensitivities. I think to go really deep into whatever is arising, including the sense that we don't have the right to be creating, or we're not good enough, or whatever it is. Then I always do come back to a quote. I think it might have been John Berryman, but I'm forgetting which poet said it. A younger poet said, “How will I ever know if I'm any good?” And this famous poet said something like—I'm paraphrasing—”You'll never know if you're any good. If you have to know, don't write.” That has been really liberating to me, actually. It sounds a little harsh, but it's been really liberating to just let go of a sense of “good enough.” There is no good enough. The great writers never know if they're good enough. Coming back to this idea of just making without permission—the practice of doing the thing is being a writer. Caring and trying to improve our craft, that's the best that we can have. There's never going to be a moment where we're like, yes, I've nailed this. I am truly a hundred per cent a writer and I have found my voice. Everything's always changing anyway. I would say, either go into those feelings or let those feelings be there. Give them a little tea. Tell them, okay, you're welcome to be here, but you don't get to drive the boat. And then return to the practice of making. Joanna: Absolutely. Great. So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Alicia: Everything is on my website, which is AliciaJo.com, and also on Instagram at @ohaliciajo. I'd love to say hello to anyone who's interested in similar topics. Joanna: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Alicia. That was great. Alicia: Thank you. I love your podcast. I'm so grateful for all that you've given the writing world, Jo.The post Creative Confidence, Portfolio Careers, And Making Without Permission with Alicia Jo Rabins first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Send a text“Finding your style” is the number one question we get asked, and the one we've asked ourselves for years. In this episode, we're diving into the real question behind it: what if it's not about finding a single aesthetic… but about uncovering your creative identity? We're celebrating the announcement of our new book, Follow Your Art, and sharing why we wrote it, what you'll find inside, and how the entire process changed the way we think about style, niching, and creative confidence. We talk about why committing to one aesthetic can feel like a cage, why effortless ideas are often your most authentic ones, and how your “secret sauce” is built from everything. We also unpack our take on “niching out, not down,” how to write an artist statement that actually feels like you, and how to market your work without feeling gross.All that and more when you listen to this episode:Why “How do I find my style?” might be the wrong questionThe difference between style and creative identity Why committing to one aesthetic feels terrifying (and limiting) The ice cream shop metaphor that reframes everythingHow to identify your creative “secret sauce” Why what feels effortless might actually be your magicThe role of childhood memories, relationships, and non-art influences in shaping your workWhat “niching out, not down” really meansWhat it was like to co-write a book over several yearsWhy creative work doesn't have to feel hard to be valuableAnd so much more! Mentioned in this episode:Follow Your Art (our new book!) https://goodtype.us/follow-your-art-book Free audiobook with pre-order https://goodtype.us/follow-your-art-book Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239923273-follow-your-art Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype Goodtype Website Goodtype on Instagram Goodtype on Youtube We wrote a book! Grab a copy and sign up to access the audiobook when we release it! Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets! Leave us a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the showTag us on Instagram @GoodtypeFollow us on Tiktok @lovegoodtypeLearn from Katie and IlanaGrab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!

Brooke Littlebear (@brookelittlebear) is an incredible wildlife photographer, bear guide, homesteader, and adventurer with a life as unconventional as her career.From living in a camper on her remote property, complete with baby dolls in trees and elk skulls, to guiding bear expeditions in Alaska, Brooke's journey is a mix of grit, humor, and wild inspiration. So how does a fiercely independent spirit turn a love for bears, photography, and the outdoors into a fruitful and lucrative life unlike any other?Expect to Learn:How embracing the mindset of "the more you know, the less you know" reignites passion in photographyHow meticulous planning and moments of pure luck both play a role in capturing iconic imagesHow to reframe your mindset in a way that eliminates self-doubt How to stay true to what you love while building a sustainable careerBrooke's Website: https://littlebearwildlife.com/Brooke's Guiding Business Website: https://www.thinkwildexp.com/Sponsors:Thanks to Tamron for sponsoring this episode! Kick off the New Year with up to $300 off select lenses during their Winter Savings event, now through February 8, 2026. Upgrade your gear with exceptional lenses for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount, and FUJIFILM X-mount mirrorless cameras. Explore here at www.tamron-americas.comOur Links:Join our subreddit where you can share stories and ask questions:https://www.reddit.com/r/photographermindset/Subscribe to TPM's Youtube page and watch full length episodes: https://www.youtube.com/thephotographermindset/Make a donation via PayPal for any amount you feel is equal to the value you receive from our podcast episodes! Donations help with the fees related to hosting the show: https://paypal.me/podcasttpm?country.x=CA&locale.x=en_USThanks for listening!Go get shooting, go get editing, and stay focused.@sethmacey@mantis_photography@thephotographermindsetSupport the show

I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here...In this episode of Casa De Confidence, Julie DeLucca-Collins sits down with acclaimed wildlife artist and gallery owner James Corwin for a powerful conversation about creativity, confidence, and building a sustainable business as an artist.James shares how growing up immersed in nature shaped his artistic voice, why discovering painting later in life changed everything, and how a single rhino painting sparked a breakthrough that transformed his career. Together, Julie and James explore the emotional power of storytelling through art, the importance of conservation, and how creativity can move people deeply, sometimes even to tears.This episode also dives into the realities of entrepreneurship for creatives. James opens up about the pressures of scaling too fast, the stress of running a second gallery, and the hard lessons he learned about focus, boundaries, and staying in his lane. His honesty about burnout, anxiety, and redefining success will resonate with anyone navigating growth while protecting their well-being.You'll also hear how travel fuels James' inspiration, from Africa to Costa Rica to underwater worlds discovered through scuba diving, and how he uses his art to support conservation efforts like Yellowstone Forever.Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, or simply someone craving a more intentional, meaningful life, this conversation is a reminder that success doesn't have to come at the cost of your health or joy.In this episode, you'll learn:Why storytelling and emotion are at the heart of meaningful art The mindset shift creatives need to build profitable businesses Lessons learned from closing a high-stress gallery locationHow art can support conservation and environmental awareness Learn more about James' work, original paintings, prints, and commissions: https://www.jamescorwin.com https://corwingalleries.com Instagram Support the showOther helpful resources for you: For more about me and what I do, check out my website. Are you ready to get some help with:Podcast launch/re-launchPodcast growth, to increase your authority and position yourself as the thought leader you are. Or Leveraging your podcast to build your online biz and get more clientsSign up for a FREE 30 minute Confident Podcast Potential Discovery Call In this session I will: Identify the pain point that is holding you back. Suggest a next step strategy for solving the pain point.https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/30-minutes-free-coaching-sessioin Then we will talk about working together to accelerate the process. Do you want a podcast audit? Check out this link If you're looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you'd be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. ...

Would you like to develop more creative confidence? Have you ever embarked on, or considered, a sketching practice? In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we explore the link between the two in conversation with artist, printmaker, and creative coach Sam Marshall. Sam is based here in the UK and has recently released a beautiful book called Sketch: A Project Guide To Drawing With Confidence. I was fortunate enough to receive a digital copy last year and honestly, wow. It inspires, equips, and gently mentors people to start a drawing practice and engage with their natural creativity. What I love most about the book is its emphasis on helping you find your own creative voice. This is supported by Sam's Sketch Squad, a small group of participants who work through the exercises together. Seeing the same prompts interpreted in wildly different ways has a surprisingly powerful effect. For me, the most helpful part was witnessing the sheer range of styles, approaches, and ways of noticing the world. https://youtu.be/yfiDlMKtMQA Creative Confidence and the Beauty of Difference A huge part of creative confidence is realising that differences in how we see, what we notice, and what we care about are not flaws. This is why art and creativity sit at the heart of being human. Creative expression is our collective humanity experiencing itself in all its weird and wonderful variety. I was reminded of this recently while talking about map-making as a way to understand our relationship with different areas of life. If you give the same prompt to 100 people, you do not get a single map done well. You get a hundred completely different maps. That is what I hope people take into and out of this conversation. Difference is beautiful. It is not about doing it right. What Sam offers through this book is a sketching practice that gives us tracks along which to see, feel, and experience the world in a more alive and interesting way than when we are stuck in ultra-productivity mode, trying to make everything efficient and easy. Why a Sketching Practice Builds Creative Confidence A drawing practice helps us slow down, observe, and engage our creative spirit through process rather than outcome. There is something gently rebellious about sketching in the digital age, where the default response is to pull out a phone and take a photo. There is a difference between capturing something quickly so we can hoard and move on, and drawing as a way of anchoring ourselves in the environment. Drawing asks us to stay. To notice. To let time pass while the world happens around us. Light shifts. Shadows move. People come and go. Smells, sounds, and sensations change. Rather than consuming the environment, we are engaging with it. Sam shares a lovely story about drawing in public and finding herself surrounded by Japanese school children. It creates a beautiful image of the quiet, magnetic energy that people who are deeply engaged with life often carry. Perhaps we are drawn to them because they are interesting. Or perhaps because they are moving at a pace many of us are craving. Practice Over Skill Focusing on practice rather than skill also reshapes what success means in art. Instead of achievement, accomplishment, or the finished piece, success becomes about rhythm, consistency, and an ongoing relationship with seeing and making. Letting go of outcome-oriented art is not about lowering standards. It is about shifting attention. It is not about producing pretty drawings. Rather, it is about sitting down with your sketchbook and using it as a tool for observing. Drawing anchors us in space and time, allowing us to witness change as it unfolds. The Sketching Exercises Sam Walks Us Through In the conversation, Sam takes us through the thinking behind the book’s exercises, each designed to build creative confidence through experience. In the Home Starting where you are. Noticing objects and spaces you have spent years with, perhaps without really seeing them. Outside the Home Venturing out to see the walls of your world from the outside. Noticing what is close by and reconnecting with physical space. It reveals details in neighbourhoods and communities that often go unseen. The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Drawing Sam explores some of the beliefs that hold people back, such as:“What if I am not good enough?”“I do not want to look silly or draw like a five-year-old.” Portraits Portraits were the most challenging exercise for many Sketch Squad members. They require vulnerability. You ask something of another person, and you share something personal in return. This is something we see in Tuula’s Photoyoga For Your Mind Experience. 25 Days of Drawing Simple prompts designed to build a habit and keep you drawing without overthinking it. Drawing in Public Another edge for many people. Being seen doing something personal and slightly unusual in a culture that loves to judge creative effort. Drawing on Holiday Experiencing places through the slowness of drawing adds depth to memory. Sam shares a sketchbook from her recent trip to Japan, which holds far more meaning for her than a photo album ever could. A helpful reminder for any habit, too. Start on the first day away. Intentions turn into behaviours quickly, for better or worse. Drawing From Paintings A way of engaging critically with art as part of the human story, not just as a product. It teaches us about history, context, and what we might want to bring into our own practice. Experimental Drawing Combining senses. Drawing from music, film, collage, and even dreams. The Personal Project Turning the practice into a chosen project that marks a pause between chapters. Sam explains why she calls this a personal project rather than a final assignment. How Creative Confidence Actually Grows Creative confidence does not arrive before we start. It emerges along the way. Through consistency, we become confident in what we notice and why we care. For experimental types, confidence is not something we can fake into existence. But we can trust that playful, curious engagement with something like a sketching practice develops capacities we do not yet have language for. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Thank you again to Sam for giving her time so generously and for walking us through the thinking behind, beneath, and within the book. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Connect with Sam through her website and on her Instagram.

Our guest today is Trixi Symonds, the founder of Sew a Softie, a global initiative that encourages adults—especially parents, teachers, and community leaders—to teach children how to sew. As Sew a Softie celebrates 10 years in 2026, the movement has grown into an international creative community that has helped tens of thousands of kids discover the joy of making something with their own hands.Trixi is a former primary school teacher who has spent more than three decades introducing children to sewing through classrooms, workshops, books, and softie patterns designed specifically for young makers. Through Sew a Softie, she created a simple, welcoming way for families and educators to pass on sewing skills while building confidence, creativity, and problem-solving in kids.Her work has been featured in Simply Sewing Magazine, Country Living, Homespun, Handmade, Casa Creativa, Patchwork & Quilting, and major publications including The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Chicago Tribune, Parade, and Uppercase Magazine. Trixi has also designed softie characters for the Ugly Dolls Movie and the beloved children's book series Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas, bringing her playful designs to an even wider audience.She has taught and led workshops in Kyoto, Amsterdam, Melbourne, and throughout her home city of Sydney, Australia, and she continues to inspire families around the world through Sew a Softie's annual Global Kids Sewing Party, books, and online community.Today, Trixi joins us to talk about how Sew a Softie began, what she's learned from kids over the years, and why teaching children to sew is really about much more than just fabric and thread(1:56) How did Trixi Learn to Sew?(3:34) Why did Trixi's family relocate all the way to Australia(4:16) Who influenced Trixi's  sewing?            (7:05) Sew-A-Softie turns 10 this year. What was the moment that it clicked for her to start this movement? And what's a Zenki?(12:48) What inspires Trixi's Softie designs?(14:37) Trixi shares a few stories about people in the Sew A Softie program(16:58) What's the Global Kids Sewing Party and how did it come to be?(22:13) How many softies have been created over the years?(23:10) What surprises her most about Sew & Softie?(24:05) What have the kids taught her over the years?(26:23) How does living in Sydney, Australia influence her and her work?(26:30) Trixi talks about her new book Sew A So Softie Workbook #3.(26:10) when not sewing or teaching, how does Trixi like to spend her time?(29:40) What's next for her and what's her dream?(30:12 ) Is there a question we didn't ask?(30:35) Want to reach out to Trixi? You can find her at trixi@sewasofti.com, Instagram and Facebook Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today's and all of our Guests.

Your fear of being cringe is actually destroying your business. And I know you might not want to hear this, but the truth is: when you play small because you're worried about what people think, you become invisible to the people who actually need your transformation.In this raw and honest episode, I'm sharing what it really takes to build an iconic, founder-led brand with a cult following. You'll hear about the moment I realized I had to stop people-pleasing and step fully into my vision (even if not everyone came along for the ride). I'm pulling back the curtain on my client's breakthrough when she decided to show up "awkwardly" on social media and the surprising results that followed. And I'm revealing why some of your biggest supporters might not make it to your next chapter, and why that's actually okay.This episode is for you if you've been watering down your message, hiding your offers, or playing not to lose instead of playing to win. It's time to build something iconic.In this episode, you'll learn:[02:12] The one quality all cult-following brands share (and it's not what you think)[15:29] Dismantling the myth about being "cringe" and what's really happening in your nervous system[17:33] What happened when my client decided to show up awkwardly on purpose[22:41] The hard truth about who won't come along when you step into your bigger vision (and why that's okay)[31:24] Why I'm documenting my journey to $1M in personal income this year[34:18] The four pillars of building a cult following around your founder-led brandHere are the resources mentioned in the show:Join The Breakthrough 21-Day ActivationLearn more about The Iconic BrandCheck out Desire AI for jewelry makersAre you enjoying the podcast? We'd be so grateful if you gave us a rating and review! Your 5 star ratings help us reach more businesses like yours and allows us to continue to deliver valuable content every single week. Click here to review the show on Apple podcast or your favorite platformSelect “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”Share your favorite insights and inspirationsIf you haven't done so yet, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and on Apple Podcast for special bonus content you won't get elsewhere.xo, Tracy MatthewsFollow on Social:Follow @Flourish_Thrive on InstagramFollow @iamtracymatthews  InstagramFollow Flourish & Thrive Facebook

If your creative vision feels bigger than your current skills, you're not failing. You're growing. In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda Trakhtenberg shares a powerful insight from playwright Lauren Gunderson that reframes creative hesitation for writers, musicians, actors, and artists. This isn't about fear of judgment. It's about artistic skill, vision, and timing. Through personal stories from playwriting, songwriting, and performance, Izolda explores how creative confidence is built draft by draft, note by note. You'll gain a practical mindset for moving past creative paralysis, honoring your current abilities, and trusting the process of artistic growth. If you're wrestling with writer's block, unfinished projects, or the question “am I good enough yet?”, this episode offers clarity, permission, and a path forward that is grounded in experience, generosity, and creative leadership. This week's card to contemplate  Listen to the episode to learn what to meditate on. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It's also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you've been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | **Affiliate Link  

This episode is about decision-making; and how filmmakers, producers, and executives can make more effective, more impactful creative choices under uncertainty. Kevin Goetz and Bob Levin argue that most films don't fail because they lack quality or ambition, but because key decisions around budget, positioning, and audience fit are made without enough clarity. Drawing on decades of experience in audience insight and testing, they unpack how better greenlight decisions come from understanding what a film is, who it is for, and the scale at which it can genuinely succeed. Rather than treating testing as a verdict on creativity, the conversation reframes it as a decision-support capability: a way to reduce blind spots, align stakeholders, and give filmmakers the confidence to make braver, more grounded creative choices. Used well, insight doesn't dilute vision, it strengthens it. As Kevin puts it: “Every movie, if made and marketed for the right price, should make money.” For anyone involved in development, financing, or creative leadership, this episode explores how better decisions earlier in the process can dramatically change outcomes later on. About Kevin Goetz Kevin Goetz is the founder and CEO of Screen Engine, a global leader in entertainment research and strategy serving all the major film studios, television networks, and streaming services. Throughout his career, he has been at the forefront of Hollywood, having personally tested over 5,000 film titles, where his work significantly impacts how movies are made, marketed, and released. In 2024, Kevin received American Cinematheque's prestigious Power of Cinema Award for his contributions to the film industry. He is the author of two books: the bestselling Audience•ology: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love (Simon & Schuster, 2021), offering an inside look at the power of audience pre-release movie test screenings, and How to Score in Hollywood (Simon & Schuster, November 2025), exploring the secrets to success in the movie business. Kevin brings his expertise to life as the host of the popular podcast, Don't Kill the Messenger (Apple Top 100), and continues educating the filmmaking community through keynote speeches and global presentations. He has produced twelve TV movies, including the Emmy-winning Wild Iris, and the 2026 documentary Children in the Fire. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Television Academy, and the Producers Guild of America, Kevin also serves on the boards of six nonprofit organizations. He currently resides in Beverly Hills with his husband, Neil, a producer and former creative advertising executive, and their labradoodle, Kasha. About Bob Levin Bob Levin is a legendary movie marketing executive, having for over two decades holding the position of president, worldwide marketing at first Disney, then Sony and MGM. As well as being a key member of each studio's greenlight committee, he led the advertising, publicity, promotion, and research programs that helped launch hundreds of films, breaking numerous box office records throughout his career. Bob came out of semi-retirement when Kevin Goetz invited him to join Screen Engine/ASI as president and chief operating officer, where he has played a pivotal role in the company's continued success. His first book, How to Score in Hollywood, cowritten with Kevin, reveals the secrets to a movie's success and profitability, exploring how smart, data-driven decisions—from development to release—help filmmakers minimize risks and maximize returns. Bob lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Hilda Wynn.

A conversation about creative confidence, goal setting, and how sharing your work builds self-worth. Designer Bhavini joins Leila to explore fear, visibility, and growth.In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge sits down with creative designer Bhavini (B81 Designs) to explore the psychology behind creative confidence, self-worth, and setting goals that stretch you.Bhavini shares the now-iconic story of her childhood Peter Rabbit — the rainbow-drenched sculpture her mum repainted white — and how that moment shaped her creative identity decades later. It becomes a powerful metaphor for self-expression, suppression, and the courage to show the work you're proud of.

The 54th episode of The Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents Podcast features David Eyman, an entrepreneur, innovation leader, product designer, and educator at Miami University. With over 30 years of creative experience and a Master's in Creative Studies from the Center for Applied Imagination, David shares his journey from industrial design to his current role as Director of Innovation. He believes that shifting from doing what we're supposed to do to what we're capable of can lead to greater happiness and satisfaction. The key takeaways from this conversation focus on the critical importance of developing creative confidence in students. David discusses how adaptable thinking skills are essential for navigating a world of complex problems. He provides his insights on the changes he's seen in students, particularly "digital natives," and the challenge of them outsourcing their critical and creative thinking skills while remaining happy, collaborative, and fast learners. Listeners will learn why creative confidence is an essential outcome of creative mindsets like curiosity, tolerance for ambiguity, and resilience. David offers practical ideas for adapting creative problem-solving processes for a new generation of thinkers. Don't miss David's perspective on using AI not as a replacement, but as a thinking partner to augment our own creative abilities, providing a framework for students to engage with technology responsibly.

Why I'm Just Getting Started: Creativity, Courage, and Confidence in My Late 50s What if the best years of your creativity, courage, and confidence are still ahead of you? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, I share my story of directing my very first play on a $50 budget, returning to theater decades later, and reflecting on what shows like And Just Like That reveal (and sometimes miss) about women over fifty choosing their own path. For me, starting fresh in my fifties isn't about crisis. It's about joy, freedom, and saying, if not now, when? If you're reimagining your career, pursuing a long-held dream, or just craving inspiration to take action on what matters most, you'll hear why I believe we're never done creating. We're just getting started. Get exclusive content and bonus podcast episodes when you join my Patreon. Connect with me Website: https://IzoldaT.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social. Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series https://crossroads.consulting/  This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It's also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you've been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!**

In this episode of BRAVA High Notes, we dive into what it truly means to build creative confidence and find your voice with Tricia Duffy.Tricia takes us through her inspiring journey, from a childhood filled with song and poetry to becoming a consultant, speaker, award-winning podcaster, creative mentor, and accomplished musician.Together, we explore:Overcoming imposter syndromeThe value of vocal trainingThe magic of authenticity in creative expressionTricia also shares insights from her own podcast, In Ten Years Time: How to Live a Creative Life, revealing how to think long-term about your creative journey and stay inspired along the way.Whether you're a voice actor, business leader, or simply looking to reconnect with your creative side, this episode will leave you motivated to speak, and live, with confidence.Connect with Tricia: intenyearstime.comReady to elevate your voice, confidence, and communication at work?Contact us at BRAVA Business and start making every conversation count:brava.uk.com/businessStay connected with BRAVASubscribe to our newsletter for the latest news, training opportunities and insights connecting business, acting, and voice:brava.uk.com/subscribe00:00 Introduction to High Notes Podcast00:38 Exploring Creative Confidence with Tricia Duffy01:20 Tricia's Early Years and Formative Experiences03:01 Evolving Relationship with Voice05:37 The Craft of Voice Acting06:39 Dealing with Imposter Syndrome11:42 Maintaining Vocal Health21:14 Tricia's Podcast and Long-Term Planning28:35 Applying Method Acting to Songwriting38:59 Final Thoughts and Future Vision Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this inspiring episode of the podcast, Kawaii Artist Tatyana Deniz discusses unlocking your creative potential, shifting your mindset, and turning your vision into reality.✨Tatyana shares actionable tips on:How to harness creativity for personal and professional growthMindset strategies for overcoming setbacks and self-doubtSteps to turn ideas into tangible resultsIf you're ready to elevate your creative journey and embrace the life you've imagined, this episode is for you!Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspirational content.Connect & Follow Tatyana Deniz:website: https://www.TatyanaDeniz.comIG:   / tatyanadeniz  FB:   / howtodrawkawaii  YT: https://youtube.com/@tatyanadeniz?si=HzYsdag2E0LYsmHn#TatyanaDeniz #Creativity #MindsetShift #EntrepreneurMindset #CreativeJourney #Inspiration #PersonalGrowth #SuccessMindset #SelfDevelopment #LifeByDesign**UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVE POTENTIAL**Your mindset shapes your reality. Overcome self-doubt, tap into your creativity, and take aligned action toward success. My Creative Mindset Coaching Sessions are designed to help you build confidence, consistency, and clarity. Let's work together to shift your mindset and create real transformation in your life and business.Download here: https://styleofbusiness.gumroad.com/l/creativerebootJoin my Patreon community: https://patreon.com/keetria

Halloween is over—but are you still wearing a mask? Many creatives know the pressure to put on a confident face while hiding self-doubt, overwhelm, or neurodivergent traits. But behind the polished exterior, masking takes a big toll. Neuroscience shows that constantly suppressing your true self strains the brain, heightens stress, and can fuel imposter syndrome. In this episode, we explore the hidden costs of masking in creative work and how dropping the “costume” can unlock more authentic confidence and creative flow.You'll learn:Why masking drains your mental energy and reinforces imposter feelings.How the brain responds when you suppress your authentic self.Practical strategies to build real confidence without hiding behind a mask.Gert ready to discover how dropping the mask can free your brain, boost your confidence, and ignite your creativity! LET'S ROCK!Want better professional mental health? Join the Creative Energy Collective at rockthatcreativejob.com and gain access to LIVE weekly mental health support sessions, interactive wellness workshops, industry expert guest-talks, and members-only mixers that keep you energized, connected, and inspired! Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-roberts-rtcj/ Instagram: @rockthatcreativejob YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RockThatCreativeJob --Jamie Roberts is a Certified Positive Psychology Practitioner + CEO of Rock That Creative Job™, where she provides mental & emotional career support to creative professionals across the globe. With a 20 yr. background as a Sr. Creative Director & Designer in both agency & in-house environments, Jamie bridges the gap between neuroscience and creativity by teaching commercial creatives how to rewire their minds to find the happiness and energy that may be missing in their careers. Jamie has given keynotes, workshops, and live-coaching to thousands of creatives at national events like AIGA DesignWeek, HOW DesignLive, RGD Canada, TernHeads UK, and various design universities....

What if innovation didn't require a stroke of genius—just a willingness to be a little “-ish”? In this episode, Dustin chats with Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden, co-authors of Innovation-ish, a new book that challenges the myths surrounding creativity and innovation. Drawing from years of teaching at Stanford and Harvard, Tessa and Rich share how higher ed pros can reframe innovation as accessible, iterative, and emotionally safe. This isn't a startup pitch session—it's a call to reclaim creativity as a teachable skill, one that's essential for thriving in ambiguity.Guest Name: Dr. Tessa Forshaw - Researcher & Instructor at Harvard UniversityRichard Cox Braden - Founder & CEO at People RocketGuest Bio: Dr. Tessa Forshaw - As a founding scholar of the Next Level Lab at Harvard University, Tessa specializes in using cognitive science to explore how people best work, learn, and innovate. She draws upon her academic research as a cognitive scientist and extensive background as a former designer at IDEO CoLAb and Accenture to turn the cognitive processes involved in design, creativity, and innovation into practical insights that can be applied in the flow of work. These insights are also the foundations of what she teaches as a design educator at Stanford University and now Harvard University. Recognized for her impactful design projects, Tessa is the recipient of multiple design awards: a Fast Company Design Award for General Excellence, two Core77 Industrial Design Magazine Design Awards, and the Australian American Chamber of Commerce Innovation Awards.Richard Cox Braden - Rich Braden is the founder of People Rocket LLC, a strategic innovation firm based in San Francisco. With over 15 years of academic experience, Rich is a recognized thought leader in design thinking, leadership, and innovation. He is a design educator teaching at renowned institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Aalto University, and London Business School, helping shape future leaders. As CEO of People Rocket, he works with clients such as Airbnb, Google, the United Nations, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and the Red Cross to drive strategic innovation and responsible AI solutions. Rich holds degrees in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, host Ekaterina Popova talks with coach and author Emily Williams, founder of I Heart My Life and creator of the I Heart Money Method. Emily shares how belief fuels action, how to move through comparison and setbacks, and how simple micro upgrades can shift your relationship with abundance. This is a grounded conversation for artists and creative entrepreneurs who want growth without burnout.

Send us a textHave you ever noticed how one “no” can drown out a hundred “yeses”? In this episode of Thoughts of a Dreamer, Terri unpacks the psychology of negativity bias—the mental habit that makes us fixate on rejection and overlook support. Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, or someone trying to bring a dream to life, this episode explores how that single voice of doubt can become louder than every cheer in the room.Terri shares personal stories and relatable moments that reveal how negativity bias shows up in everyday life—from the six-year-old afraid to sing again after being teased, to the adult second-guessing their work after one small critique. You'll learn how the brain naturally leans toward fear and how that survival mechanism, left unchecked, can sabotage creative progress and self-belief.But this isn't just theory—it's transformation. Terri walks you through practical ways to retrain your focus, recover emotionally from setbacks, and reclaim momentum. From creating a “proof board” of wins to practicing faster bounce-backs, she shows you how to replace perfectionism with resilience and let data, not doubt, guide your next move.If you've ever felt derailed by rejection or found yourself replaying criticism louder than encouragement, this episode is your reminder that one “no” doesn't define your dream—it refines it. Tune in and rediscover the power of persistence, perspective, and progress over perfection.#ThoughtsOfADreamer #OutMyMind #NegativityBias #MindsetShift #DreamChasing #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #OvercomingFear #CreativeEntrepreneur #SelfDevelopment #MotivationalPodcast #MindsetMatters #BounceBack #PurposeDriven #DreamersCommunity

High Notes returns for its third season with Words at Work, a series about the role of voice in business.BRAVA founder, Melissa Thom talks to leading figures across business, culture, and communication: Simon Lancaster, Margaret Heffernan, Dr. Rockford Sansom, Jane Duffus, Colin Burgess, Tricia Duffy, Lynne Franks, and Janey Lee Grace.Together, they explore how voice shapes influence, leadership, and true connection at work: how to stay composed under pressure, engage an audience and speak with authority.Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform, or visit brava.uk.com/podcast for more.Season 3 GuestsSimon Lancaster: speechwriter to business and political leaders, on the Language of Leadership and the hidden patterns that make communication persuasive.Jane Duffus: writer and historian, on Women, Wit & the Power of Speech and how women's voices have shaped, and continue to shape public life.Colin Burgess: BAFTA's Executive Director of Operations, on the Resilient Voice, building legacy, and nurturing new creative voices in film, games and television.Tricia Duffy: leadership coach, on Creative Confidence and finding your voice in times of change and uncertainty.Dr. Rockford Sansom: voice coach to executives worldwide, on Influence & Impact, and how leaders can speak with presence in the boardroom.Janey Lee Grace: BBC broadcasting legend and coach, on Executive Presence, clarity, sobriety and having the courage to speak up.Lynne Franks: author, entrepreneur, communications strategist and fashion pioneer on Leading with Wisdom, and using voice as a force for visibility, purpose, and change.Margaret Heffernan: business thinker, writer and voted one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter on Voice, Creativity and Embracing Uncertainty, and why leadership today demands adaptability.High Notes — where every performance is a conversation.Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.Follow us for more informationhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/bravauk/https://www.facebook.com/bravaukhttps://www.instagram.com/bravaukSubscribe to the BRAVA newsletter for regular updates on news, training opportunities, and insights from the world of voice:https://www.brava.uk.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margo is joined by the ever-creative and generous Tamara Honaman. Tammy is a passionate jewelry artist, educator, mentor, and connector who has spent more than 30 years inspiring others to explore their creativity. From publishing and television to workshops, books, and now her own podcast and maker community, Tammy's career has been defined by helping others feel empowered to make something beautiful. As the host of Heart & Hands of a Maker and founder of the Mixed Media Makers community, Tammy shares stories, resources, and techniques that make art more approachable for everyone. She's also the author of several books—including her newest release, Projects and Techniques for Metal Clay Jewelry—and continues to teach across the U.S. and internationally. With a brand-new studio space and a full calendar of workshops and shows ahead, Tammy is embracing this next chapter with her trademark heart and enthusiasm. Margo and Tammy discuss: How one color-filled polymer clay project (and a “no torches in the house” rule!) changed the trajectory of her life Decades in publishing: from Lapidary Journal and Interweave to producing 13 series of Beads, Baubles & Jewels for PBS Why teaching and mentorship are at the heart of everything she does—and how she helps others feel confident and creative Tips for aspiring teachers and anyone who wants to carve out more time for creativity The story behind her brand-new studio and her latest book, Projects and Techniques for Metal Clay Jewelry Why “permission to try”—and to fail—is one of the most powerful tools a maker can have Connect with Tammy: www.tamarahonaman.com instagram.com/tamarahonaman https://www.facebook.com/TamaraHonaman https://open.spotify.com/show/1DRnpkazZDNFScrZ03pLnU?si=8f110053efc1445d https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAUEiuRH8Q-bykMuxsnJAnA Connect with Margo: www.windowsillchats.comwww.instagram.com/windowsillchats www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry  

“The Gift from Aelius is a sci-fi tale that explores the meaning of purpose and life and what it means to be alive.” - Michael ColonABOUT TODAY'S EPISODEIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany talks to sci-fi author Michael Colon about his journey of creative confidence and authentic storytelling through science fiction. Learn how his novel explores AI-human relationships with a refreshing optimistic perspective, challenging traditional sci-fi narratives while inspiring writers to trust their unique creative voices.ABOUT MICHAEL COLONMy name is Michael Colon born and raised in New York City. I am a novelist and a freelance writer. My author's story is about hard work, perseverance, and believing in the power of imagination. My inspiration comes from various societal elements and my own life experiences. Outside of writing I enjoy working out, watching sports, and going on hiking trails with my wife.MORE ABOUT MICHAEL: https://www.clippings.me/users/michaelcolonABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers and get curious about the future of humanity.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.RESOURCESFOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS - BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERSSign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success. https://bethbarany.com/quiz/Support our work for creatives! Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCASTSign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT IMAN LLOMPARTc. 2025 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!--CONNECTContact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580Email: beth@bethbarany.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://get.descript.com/0clwwvlf6e3jMUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

5-Day Storytelling ChallengeWhether you're looking to boost sales, enhance marketing, or captivate audiences in meetings, this challenge is for you.To sign up, go HERE.Show Notes:In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Mary Messner, a former healthcare executive turned keynote speaker, to explore how creativity, not just innovation, fuels business momentum.Mary shares how creative thinking helped her rise through the corporate ranks, lead global teams, and eventually launch a thriving speaking business. She unpacks how leaders can unlock creative potential across their organizations and why failing fast might be the most strategic move a company can make.In addition, they talk about: ✅ Why creativity is not arts and crafts and how to reframe it as a business growth tool ✅ The power of “hackathons” in non-tech environments and how they foster surprising breakthroughs ✅ Why creativity should permeate every level of the organization, not just the innovation team…and much more!BIOS:Mary Messner is a former healthcare exec turned keynote speaker who helps teams swap stale routines for sparks of creativity. Her talks feel like a field trip for your brain…fun, unexpected, and full of “why didn't we think of that?” moments.Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and strategic storytelling expert who helps business leaders inspire action and drive results. With a track record of catalyzing growth across 300+ organizations, Matt shows clients how to leverage story to transform sales, marketing, and company culture.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Rachael and Lauren discuss how they stay creatively grounded in periods of grief; they then realize that the conversations they've had as friends and co-hosts have had a grounding effect as well. This season's closing coincides with the closing of chapters in the respective lives of the Chaotic Creatives team and in this long indulgent sendoff, your gals are looking forward even while holding the sadness that comes with change. Episode MentionsBrené Brown: The Fast Track To Genuine Joy (HuffPost 2013)  King's Hawaiian Lilikoi Crunch Cookies  How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis Lauren's (mysterious) Adobe course, Perfecting Your Portfolio is out now!  Sponsors Creative Coaching with Rachael Renae  Mural Mockups by Hom Sweet Hom For a transcript of this episode, contact us at chaoticcreativespodcast@gmail.com Cover art designed and photographed by Kristle Marshall for Hom Sweet HomIf you love what we are doing and want to support us, head to patreon.com/chaoticcreativesFollow the pod on Instagram @chaoticcreativespod and tag us in the projects you're working on while listening!Say hi or tell us a silly lil joke: chaoticcreativespodcast@gmail.comLauren's links:WebsiteInstagramOnline ClassesRachael's links:WebsiteInstagramPrioritize Play WorkshopStyle Course

In this episode, I, Kat Popova, founder and editor of Create! Magazine and certified master coach, share practical ways for artists and creatives to strengthen their money and success mindset, even during uncertain times. You will learn how to release what is outside your control, rewrite limiting beliefs, focus on your desires and goals, and take small but powerful actions toward the future you want to create. Connect with us: Instagram: @createmagazine Resources: www.createmagazine.co

Send us a textIn this episode, Kay Suthar is joined by Paula Burns — Creative Confidence & Visibility Mentor — to talk about building a business that feels aligned with who you really are. Paula takes us behind the scenes of her journey from corporate to wedding planning to creative business mentoring, and explains why most female business owners lose momentum simply because they lose themselves in the process. Paula shares how she helps midlife women reconnect with their personality, passions and past experiences — and use them to stand out, have more fun and fall back in love with their business again.What to expect in this episode: (00:00) – Introduction & why Kay is excited about today's guest (00:31) – Paula's journey from corporate to creative business owner (01:50) – From MBA to wedding planning and events (03:34) – Saying yes to opportunities (even if they feel scary) (05:26) – What Paula does today as a Creative Confidence & Visibility Mentor (07:04) – Why most business owners forget who they are (08:59) – How Paula helps clients reconnect with their personality (10:38) – Bringing FUN into your business and why that makes you more visible (12:06) – The Tesco story — and spotting opportunities others don't see (14:45) – Real-life client transformations (18:25) – Why confidence and visibility go hand-in-hand (20:02) – The importance of owning your whole story (not just the business part) (22:45) – Endless content ideas when you tap into your past (23:53) – Final words: step back, be quiet, and listen to your own voice (24:49) – How to connect and Paula's £99 August offerAbout Paula Burns Paula Burns is a Creative Confidence & Visibility Mentor specialising in helping midlife women fall back in love with their business by reconnecting with their personality, past experiences and unique genius. After a successful career in corporate and more than a decade running her own wedding & events business, Paula now supports female business owners to show up in a way that feels natural, powerful and fun — so they can attract the clients who genuinely connect with who they are.Connect with Paula Burns: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulaburnsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulaburnsmentoringLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-burns

Send us a textIn this episode, I talk with Hadas Knox about her new book and oracle deck, and what it's like being both self-published and traditionally published. We talk about the creative process, including her experiences with burnout, and how she moves through insecurities or doubts. She also shares a life-changing encounter she had with plant medicine and how that experience has opened her up spiritually and creatively. I hope this conversation inspires you!Hadas is a New York-based writer drawn to the wild threads of history, folklore, mythology, motherhood, and magic. Her debut Victorian romance novel, Dove in an Iron Cauldron, was released in Spring 2025 and is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and on Kindle Unlimited. Her first oracle deck, Folklore Oracle, was published earlier this month by Rockpool Publishing. Stay tuned for her next book, a selkie-inspired romance fantasy set in the Middle Ages, coming Spring 2026, and a new oracle deck arriving in Autumn 2026.Connect With HadasWebsite: https://hadasknox.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hadas.knox/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hadas.knoxFolklore OracleDove in an Iron CauldronSubstack: https://hadasknox.substack.com/Support the showConnect with HarmonyThreads:https://www.threads.net/@seekingwildbeautySubstack: seekingwildbeauty.substack.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/seekingwildbeautyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/seekingwildbeautyPoetry book: https://www.amazon.com/Unlovable-Broken-Pieces-Songs-Memories/dp/1085860086/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BYNZC431YWJK&keywords=unlovable+broken+pieces+of+songs+and+memories&qid=1679964636&sprefix=unlovable+broken+pieces+of+songs+and+memories%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1Do you want to work with me?www.seekingwildbeauty.comLet me know you are listening by using the hashtag #seekingwildbeautypodcast If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at harmony@seekingwildbeauty.com

Get a sense of what a creative coaching session is like as Lauren and Rachael help each other with specific challenges they are facing in their respective businesses and lives. Each host listens and offers insights to help the other move closer to achieving their goals.Episode MentionsHere is the Forbes article about Mud Witch, and the inspiration behind their ceramics.Check out Lauren's website for an example of the "trail mix" style portfolio.Learn more about Lauren's 4-Week Portfolio Procrastinator program!Sponsors1-on-1 Coaching with LaurenCreative Coaching with RachaelThe transcript for this episode can be found here! Cover art designed and photographed by Kristle Marshall for Hom Sweet HomIf you love what we are doing and want to support us, head to patreon.com/chaoticcreativesFollow the pod on Instagram @chaoticcreativespod and tag us in the projects you're working on while listening!Say hi or tell us a silly lil joke: chaoticcreativespodcast@gmail.comLauren's links:WebsiteInstagramOnline ClassesRachael's links:WebsiteInstagramPrioritize Play WorkshopStyle Course

Much has been covered about the what, why, and how we create but this episode is all about WHERE we do our creative work. In the wake of Lauren's big move back to NYC, she's been thinking a lot about transitioning from a dedicated art studio to a wall in her new bedroom. It's got the gals thinking about the benefits of having a home within your home (however small) JUST for being the best, most imaginative, creative you possible. They talk about the possibilities and limitations of making dedicated creative spaces and how they navigate arranging their own. Episode MentionsFor those who aren't familiar with Room Raiders, we'll leave this here.If you haven't seen Trading Spaces, you're welcome.Learn more about the Pictoplasma Conference here.Shout out to Dédouze for sharing his studio space at Pictoplasma. Check out his amazing work here!LETTERERS! Check out Lauren's Lettering Seminar Q&A session with Martina Flor! Watch or Listen. SponsorsCreative Coaching with Rachael Renae! Learn more. Hom Sweet Hom Mural Mockups.The transcript for this episode can be found here! Cover art designed and photographed by Kristle Marshall for Hom Sweet HomIf you love what we are doing and want to support us, head to patreon.com/chaoticcreativesFollow the pod on Instagram @chaoticcreativespod and tag us in the projects you're working on while listening!Say hi or tell us a silly lil joke: chaoticcreativespodcast@gmail.comLauren's links:WebsiteInstagramOnline ClassesRachael's links:WebsiteInstagramPrioritize Play WorkshopStyle Course

Rachael was brimming with excitement after her experience at this year's Alt Summit. As she shared the details with Lauren, a discussion unfolded about all of the places to find your people and the magic of face-to-face meetings. Consider this a more extended answer to a listener question from the previous episode about finding connection around your creative passions and hobbies. Your chaotic creative gals explore the benefits of gathering, navigating forming adult bonds, and being clear on the types of communities you are interesting in joining or forming yourself.Episode Mentions See Rachael's Bingo Card leave-behind she created for Alt Summit. Listen to Josh Johnson's insight on neighborliness here.  Join Haylee's Hobby Club!The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya ParkerExtremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet By Taylor Lorenz For recipes and info from Christina Tosi head here.  SponsorsCreative Coaching with Rachael Renae Hom Sweet Hom Mural MockupsThe transcript for this episode can be found here! Cover art designed and photographed by Kristle Marshall for Hom Sweet HomIf you love what we are doing and want to support us, head to patreon.com/chaoticcreativesFollow the pod on Instagram @chaoticcreativespod and tag us in the projects you're working on while listening!Say hi or tell us a silly lil joke: chaoticcreativespodcast@gmail.comLauren's links:WebsiteInstagramOnline ClassesRachael's links:WebsiteInstagramPrioritize Play WorkshopStyle Course

We teamed up with The Unapologetic Designer podcast for a special crossover episode featuring Kenzi and Marisa from The Brief Collective, and we're getting real about the money side of design.We're diving into the mindset shifts it takes to break free from the “starving artist” myth and start booking the kind of high-ticket clients that actually value what you bring to the table. From positioning yourself like a pro to navigating imposter syndrome and confidently raising your rates, we're laying it all out.Whether you're just starting out or trying to level up, this one's packed with hard truths, actionable tips, and plenty of laughs along the way.

Leadership, storytelling and digital transformation collide in today's installment of Rounding the Bases by a guest who doesn't just challenge the status quo…she's at the forefront of disruption. Her name is Mary Lou Kayser, the Founder of Kingfisher Media Publishing, a best-selling author and AI expert who helps professionals future-proof their work using creativity as the edge. With an attitude of possibility, she champions the notion of harnessing tech to reprogram your own path to success…before the algorithm does it for you.Website: https://maryloukayser.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryloukayser/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForwardMotion/ Check out Mary Lou on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZdXuhVE5P2A

Struggling to trust yourself as an artist? You're not alone. Creative confidence isn't about being fearless—it's about knowing when to trust your instincts and take the next step, even when self-doubt creeps in. In this episode of the Healthy, Wealthy, Wise Artist Podcast, we're exploring:

In this episode of The Creative Genius Podcast, I talk with designer, writer, and thinker Ben Rennie, author of a new book that explores the transformative power of curiosity and creativity. Together, we unpack the dynamic relationship between curiosity, creativity, and confidence, and how this path can guide us to overcome fear and step more fully into our potential. Ben shares his personal story—sparked by a promise to his late mother—that led him to examine how people find themselves in powerful, unexpected places.We explore the idea that creativity isn't limited to the arts but is instead the ability to see things differently, solve problems, and bring ideas to life. Through vivid stories and practical wisdom, Ben and I explore how curiosity is the antidote to fear, how creativity naturally flows from curiosity, and how confidence is built by simply beginning—and continuing—to create.From imposter syndrome at a Dolce & Gabbana event to finding inspiration in nature, this conversation is a powerful invitation to get curious, stay creative, and be kind to yourself in the process.Topics Covered:How curiosity dissolves fearWhy creativity is about seeing possibilities, not just making artReframing repetition: why doing what's been done before is still meaningfulHow creative confidence is earned through actionThe role of environment and nature in creative flow Navigating imposter syndromeand Honouring your pathResources & Mentions: Ben Rennie's new book Ben's “Wednesdays” blog on Medium Brene Brown Steve Jobs: “You can't connect the dots looking forward…” Meredith Hite-Estevez: “Join a song already singing” Rick Rubin: on creativity and remixing existing ideasTakeaways / Call to Action:Follow your curiosity—it's the best antidote to fear Just start, even if it's been done before—your voice mattersPractice regularly and create space for your creativityCapture your ideas on the goBe gentle with yourselfSpend time in nature to reset and reconnect

On the Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss creative confidence and the process of finding and sustaining an author voice. They talk about how life events, like grief or illness, can interrupt creativity, and how daily practices such as journaling or walking can help maintain a sense of continuity. The conversation also covers how recurring themes shape a writer's voice, how AI tools like voice cloning are changing audiobook production, and how authors can decide when and how to use these tools without losing their individual style. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. About the Hosts Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller's “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.

What happens when you leave a traditional career path and say YES to creative chaos? In this inspiring episode, Melanie Barr sits down with Amanda McCreight—artist, founder of the creative studio Aytuhzee, and co-founder of All Day Running Co.—to explore how trusting your gut and embracing plot twists can lead to extraordinary opportunities. Amanda shares her journey from dropping out of physician assistant school to interning for Jesse Itzler and Sara Blakely, building a bold career rooted in courage, creativity, and community. From her first marathon to art-based brand building, Amanda reminds us that it's okay to start before you're ready and to build the dream as you go.

Liina Turtonen, aka LNA, is a musician, producer, and educator, who runs the LNA Does Audio Stuff YouTube Channel. Liina is an Ableton Certified Trainer and just released her book Creative Confidence and Music Production: Overcome Your Insecurities.  LNA and I discussed her new book and the inspiration behind writing it. She shared insights that have helped her and her students get past creative blocks and insecurities.  Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Takeaways: LNA's journey to authorship was unexpected due to her dyslexia. Creative confidence is essential for artists to overcome insecurities. Art is often undervalued despite its significant role in society. Vulnerability is necessary for authentic creative expression. Insecurities often stem from past experiences and external judgments. Recognizing negative thought patterns is the first step to overcoming them. Acceptance of emotions is crucial in the creative process. It's important to create without the fear of judgment from others. Life is short; take risks and pursue your passions. Embrace the mindset of 'why not?' to unlock creativity. Consistency in your efforts is more important than perfection. Being comfortable in your mediocrity can be liberating. Curiosity keeps life interesting and fulfilling. You never know who you might inspire by pursuing your passions. The journey of creativity is often more valuable than the end result. Links: Creative Confidence and Music Production by Liina Turtonen - https://www.lnamusic.com/creativeconfidenceandmusicproduction LNA's Web Site - https://www.lnamusic.com LNA Does Audio Stuff YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/LNADoesAudioStuff/featured Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/LNADoesAudioStuff Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lnadoesaudiostuff/ LNA's 1st Appearance on this Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/liina-turtonen Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ Thank you for listening.  Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider! And don't forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk  

What makes a work of art resonate? Is it the colors, the subject, the symbolism—or something more elusive? In this episode, curator, author, and coach Gita Joshi returns to talk about her new book Framing the Invisible: How We See and Understand Art. We explore how perception, personal experience, and context shape the way we engage with artwork—whether you're an artist, collector, or simply a curious viewer. We also talk about why visual literacy matters, how to talk about your work with confidence, and why there's no wrong way to see art. Order Gita's book: https://amzn.to/4j6AJ2V Start learning with our educational micro learning hub: https://www.createu.co Read the blog, submit your work, or check out the latest issue of Create! Magazine: https://www.createmagazine.co Follow Gita on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegitajoshi Follow Kat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katerinaspopova Thanks for listening to Art & Cocktails! Love the show? We appreciate your support, plese leave us a quick review on iTunes and share this with a friend. 

Amber Petty helps creatives get bylines and build audiences. She's written for the New York Times, Parade, Bustle, and others, and her clients have been published in outlets like the New Yorker, Washington Post, New York Times and many more. Amber talks with me about how she moved from teaching singing to teaching freelancing, how easy it is to downplay our accomplishments when we really should give ourselves credit for them, how to take feedback, and more. Episode breakdown: 00:00 Introduction. 01:56 Losing job led to full-time freelancing and shift in focus. 03:45 Pandemic inspired helping performers explore alternative side gigs. 05:06 Initial workshop success revealed a real demand for guidance. 06:42 Freelance writing felt more natural and sustainable than voice lessons. 08:32 Previous failures provided valuable lessons for current business success. 11:03 Business doesn't have to feel hard to be worthwhile. 12:43 Take the easy path—hard enough already for perfectionists. 14:18 Writing doesn't always need to be grueling or tortured. 15:58 Feedback is easier when you're getting paid as a freelancer. 18:26 Editors focus on fitting articles, not judging your talent. 22:33 Read editorial feedback in a friendly, not critical, voice. 24:09 Creatives often undervalue or dismiss their legitimate achievements. 28:39 Small victories matter—acknowledge courage to pitch and publish. 33:48 Freelancing provided more satisfaction and momentum than acting. 36:57 Diverse backgrounds enrich your approach to writing and teaching. 40:33 Theater and improv help with webinars, workshops, and engagement.   Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack. Please leave a review for this episode—it's really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks! If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you'll share it with a friend.

286. Lily Clayton Hansen: Inspiring Creative Confidence Through Story and Speech In this episode of Creative Chats, host Mike Brennan speaks with Lily Clayton Hansen, a multifaceted artist who shares her journey through writing, acting, and public speaking. Lily discusses her early influences from her artist parents, her passion for writing, and how she rediscovered her love for acting. She also delves into her transition into public speaking, driven by the success of her first book, and how she learned to connect with audiences through storytelling and authenticity. In this conversation, Lily shares her journey of focus and success, including her experience in public speaking and the process of preparing for her TED Talk. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling, connection, and the impact of sharing wisdom through conversations. Lily also discusses her passion for coaching others in public speaking and the significance of clear communication in today's world. 3 Key Takeaways:

Big art. Bigger confidence. Molly Reopelle shares how she went from calligraphy at weddings to murals that define neighborhoods—literally. In this creative deep-dive, her and Michelle unpack the magic of large-scale art, finding your visual style, and navigating pricing with confidence (even if you're Midwest nice about it). Molly drops gems on creative sustainability, public art, business coaching, and why she doesn't take on projects in January. If you've ever wondered what it takes to turn passion into public-facing, paid work—this one's for you.   Molly (McDougall) Reopelle is a muralist and illustrator based in Minneapolis, MN. Dubbing herself an "artistic translator", Molly works with brands and individuals alike to learn their story and create custom visuals that bring it to life in beautiful and memorable ways. Outside of client work, Molly aims to build creative community by connecting with artists to squash imposter syndrome and spread the word that there is room for all of us at the table. ------------------------ In today's episode, we cover the following: Going from a French degree to a muralist Molly's design process Defining your style and attracting the right clients Business evolution in 2025 The value of pouring energy into your business Working with a business coach Pushing past the starving artist mindset Mindset shifts in charging your worth Setting the tone for your business Dream projects The importance of public art ----------------------- RESOURCES: Episode 206: Turn Your Art into a Business with Annie Boulding ----------------------- GUEST INFO: To check out Made by Molly Jo's murals, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @MadeByMollyJo and visit her website MadeByMollyJo.com. ---------------------- Social media in 2025 is pure chaos—platforms are shifting, algorithms are unpredictable, and keeping up feels like a full-time job. That's why we're sharing our 2025 Social Media Webinar that we share with all of our clients. It's a no-BS breakdown of what's working, what's dead, and how to build a strategy that actually delivers. Whether you're a brand owner or a social media pro, this resource is your shortcut to navigating the wild west of online marketing. Tune in at MKWCreative.co/resources/p/2025socialmedia ----------------------- WORK WITH MKW CREATIVE CO.   Connect on social with Michelle at: Kiss My Aesthetic Facebook Group Instagram Tik Tok ----------------------- Did you know that the fuel of the POD and the KMA Team runs on coffee? ;) If you love the content shared in the KMA podcast, you're welcome to invite us to a cup of coffee any time - Buy Me a Coffee! ----------------------- This episode is brought to you by Zencastr. Create high-quality video and audio content. Get your first two weeks free at https://zencastr.com/?via=kma. ----------------------- This episode of the Kiss My Aesthetic Podcast is brought to you by Audible. Get your first month free at www.audible.com/kma.   This episode was edited by Berta Wired Theme music by: Eliza Rosevera and Nathan Menard

In this episode of the Creative Genius podcast, I interview Rebe Huntman about her debut memoir, "My Mother in Havana, a memoir of magic and miracle." Rebe shares her personal story of losing her mother at a young age and the subsequent decades of feeling disconnected from her memory. Driven by a deep longing and intuition, Rebe embarked on a 30-day DIY pilgrimage to Cuba to seek a different perspective on grief and connection. The conversation delves into how Rebe's background as a Latin dancer led her to discover the spiritual roots of Cuban dances and the traditions of honoring the deceased.  Rebe recounts her experiences immersing herself in rituals dedicated to the goddess Oshun, visiting the sanctuary of Cuba's patron saint, and meeting with a spiritist who she hoped would connect her with her mother.Rebe and I discuss the importance of intuition and following one's unique path, even when it doesn't seem logical. We also explore the disconnect in Western culture from ancestral connections, magic, and meaningful rituals, contrasting it with the Cuban traditions of keeping the dead close.The conversation touches on the challenges of staying creative and connected to one's inner voice in the face of overwhelming global issues and personal fears. Rebe shares her belief in creativity as a portal and emphasizes the importance of honouring inner longings and choosing to champion humanity. She also shares her personal rituals for grounding and connecting with her intuition and ancestors, offering practical advice for listeners seeking to do the same. Ultimately, Rebe's story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the wisdom of intuition, and the potential for magic and miracle in our lives, even in the darkest of times.  

Ever find yourself stuck in decision limbo, saying "maybe" to opportunities that deep down you know aren't right for you? In this episode of "This is How We Create," Martine Severin unpacks her game-changing "Waffle Rule," a powerful framework that will transform how you make decisions in your creative career and beyond. You'll discover: Why indecision is actually a form of decision-making (and what your brain is trying to tell you) How to interpret that "static" feeling when you're waffling between choices The surprising connection between hesitation and your true values A practical 5-step plan to build your "no muscle" and reclaim precious creative energy Real-world examples from creatives like photographer Anastassia Withey and web designer Elsa Omri who made tough choices to honor their creative voices Download the workbook that goes along with this episode: Waffle Rule Workbook This episode grew from one of our most popular Creative Matters newsletter pieces, proving that decision paralysis is something so many of us struggle with as creative professionals of color. Whether you're considering a career pivot, evaluating collaboration opportunities, or simply trying to protect your creative time, the Waffle Rule offers the clarity you've been searching for. Hit play to reclaim your decision-making power and discover why sometimes your most powerful creative tool is simply saying "no.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Creative Life 00:25 Understanding Indecision 05:12 The Waffle Rule Explained 07:42 Applying the Waffle Rule 09:09 Conclusion and Call to Action Support the Show Website: Martine Severin Follow on Instagram: @martineseverin | @thisishowwecreate Subscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This episode of This Is How We Create is produced and edited by Martine Severin.  

284. Lessons in Creativity with Ben Rennie In this episode of Creative Chats, Ben Rennie shares his journey from a sports-focused upbringing to discovering his creative confidence through nature and personal experiences. He discusses the importance of saying no to opportunities that don't align with one's values, the significance of being present in influential spaces, and the lessons learned from his book, 'Lessons in Creativity.' Ben emphasizes the power of self-discovery and the impact of personal choices on one's creative journey. In this conversation, Ben Rennie discusses the importance of creative confidence, curiosity, and personal growth. He shares insights from his journey of redefining success and the role of nature in fostering creativity. The discussion emphasizes the significance of identity beyond skills and the power of connection and curiosity in the creative process.  3 Key Takeaways:

We chat with Kyra Wells, a graphic designer and advocate for creative community and mentorship. She reflects on her path from a young artist to her role at American Greetings and leadership at AIGA Cleveland. Kyra explores the role of playfulness in design, supporting emerging creatives, and her course, You Are Not an Imposter, which helps designers gain confidence in their careers.   Episode Highlights   Kyra's journey reflects the value of mentorship. She started her own business during the pandemic. Injecting fun into work is a core value at American Greetings. Kyra emphasizes the importance of community in design. Sustainability in design is a growing focus for AIGA Cleveland. The course 'You Are Not an Imposter' addresses common struggles Balancing personal projects with professional responsibilities is essential.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kyra Wells and Her Creative Journey 05:12 Kyra's Early Inspirations and Path to Graphic Design 12:23 Navigating the Job Market and Building a Career 18:34 The Importance of Community and Mentorship 23:03 Finding Creative Voice Through Client Work 26:33 Creating Fun and Engaging Content at American Greetings 29:11 AIGA Cleveland: Building Community and Opportunities 32:21 Inspiration from Local Designers and Educators 34:10 Creating the Course: You Are Not an Imposter CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Kyra's website: https://kyrajwells.com/ Connect with Kyra on Instagram: @kyrajwells   Support the Show Website: Martine SeverinFollow on Instagram: Martine | This Is How We CreateSubscribe to the Newsletter: Martine's Substack This is How We Create is produced by Martine Severin and edited by Santiago Cardona. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Leave a review Follow us on social media Share with fellow creatives    

What does it take to create something truly original? In this episode of The Creative Genius Podcast, I sit down with John Roescher, a visionary thinker who shares profound insights into the creative process.We dive deep into one of creativity's most elusive challenges: How do you resist the urge to rely on what's already there in order to allow something new to emerge? Drawing from his own experiences, John explores how to cultivate the courage to unsee the familiar, embrace uncertainty, and listen to the whispers of inspiration that lead to groundbreaking ideas.This conversation is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone who's ever felt stuck in their creative process, from painters and writers to entrepreneurs and dreamers. If you've ever wondered how to break free from patterns and routines, this episode will guide you toward a fresh perspective.How to stop yourself from painting the same leaf—or creating the same idea—over and over again.Why pretending you can't see what's there can open the door to originality.The importance of rituals, silence, and curiosity in tuning into your inner creative voice.How embracing uncertainty and discomfort can unlock your next breakthrough.Invitation to Join our growing Patreon communityIf you loved this conversation, you'll adore what's happening in our Patreon community.Here's what you get when you join:PODCLUB: A book club-style community where we meet monthly to unpack the themes from podcast episodes, explore how they connect to our lives, and deepen our creative journeys.Worksheets: Designed to help you uncover and unhook from limiting beliefs that hold you back.Guided Meditations: Shift your energy from fear and worry to inner peace and possibility.Exclusive Bonus Content: Behind-the-scenes insights and additional resources you won't find anywhere else.

It's one thing to have an interest in creating art or putting something on canvas. It's another to see yourself as an artist and have an artistic practice.What's a difference-maker between those who do and those who don't? Creative confidence, and to talk about it, I'm joined by Growth Studio members Alyssa Marquez, Merrie Koehlert, and Andrew Rea in another roundtable series.In this episode of The Savvy Painter Podcast, you'll learn about the concept of creative confidence, its impact on artistic practice, and how it differs from self-confidence and arrogance. You'll get personal insights into how the participants' confidence has evolved, whether there's such a thing as too much confidence, and how peer support can help navigate challenges and enhance artistic expression.1:34 - Defining creative confidence and how it's necessary for artists to create and share their work6:46 - How you're constantly making art (even if you haven't always been the artistic type)13:00 - How Alyssa's creative confidence has evolved over time24:42 - How an evolution in confidence has most recently affected Merrie's and Andrew's art29:49 - How to distinguish between confidence, self-confidence, and arrogance33:19 - Can you have too much confidence in your painting or art practice?40:33 - How confidence has impacted Alyssa's desire to take risks with art43:03 - Impact of the Growth Studio community on the roundtable participants' confidenceMentioned in How Creative Confidence Impacts Your ArtworkJoin Growth StudioAlyssa Marquez | InstagramMerrie Koehlert | InstagramSupport the show

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 1527: Colin Wright explores how creative sparks emerge from embracing limits and constraints, turning them into opportunities for innovation and expression. By reshaping how we perceive boundaries, he shows that limitations can catalyze inspiration and growth in unexpected ways. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://exilelifestyle.com/creative-triggers/ Quotes to ponder: "Constraints are often perceived as hurdles, but they can also be transformative tools for creativity." "A blank page isn't intimidating because it's empty it's intimidating because it represents endless possibility." "Limitations compel us to focus, innovate, and refine, honing our skills to thrive within the boundaries." Episode references: Steal Like an Artist: https://www.amazon.com/Steal-Like-Artist-Things-Creative/dp/0761169253 Creative Confidence: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Confidence-Unleashing-Potential-Within/dp/038534936X The Art of Possibility: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Possibility-Transforming-Professional-Personal/dp/0142001104 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of *5 Minutes of Peace*, we dive into *"Creative Confidence"* by Tom and David Kelley, a powerful book that empowers readers to unlock their creative potential. The Kelley brothers, founders of IDEO and leaders in design thinking, share stories and insights from their experiences that prove creativity is not reserved for a select few. *Creative Confidence* explores the idea that everyone has the ability to innovate, whether it's solving everyday problems or launching groundbreaking projects. The book encourages us to break through the barriers of fear and self-doubt that often hold us back. By cultivating a creative mindset and embracing experimentation, we can all contribute more effectively to our personal and professional lives. In this brief reading, we reflect on the key excerpt from the book and how embracing your own creative confidence can bring peace and fulfillment. Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, or simply someone seeking to add more creativity to your life, this episode is a gentle reminder that the power to create and transform your world lies within you. Tune in for a moment of peace, reflection, and inspiration.

As an artist, you might have been taught (implicitly or explicitly) that your work doesn't matter. Many artists I've worked with have heard it in school, at home, and in the media. Yet, your work as an artist does matter. It can help others feel, connect, and demonstrate the beauty of the world and the human experience. But only when you're centered, present, and confident in your creative process do you allow that potential impact to flourish. In this episode of The Savvy Painter podcast, you'll hear the first part of a live event I gave a while back that covers what creative confidence is, what it looks like, where it comes from, and how to curate it for yourself. You'll also hear coaching examples with a few attendees as I help them work through fears that have resulted in a lack of progress, self-sabotaging habits, and a feeling of invisibility. 4:58 - What creative confidence in your artistic abilities looks like 8:15 - The two types of confidence you can lean on as an artist and how they differ 13:51 - What usually stands in the way of creating what you want and how to overcome it 18:33 - How you can curate self-confidence and examples of thoughts that get in the way 23:19 - How Nancy's thoughts have hindered her progress, the fears they've exposed, and their impact on her physically 36:08 - How Carol's fear and familiar thoughts have led to habits of self-sabotage 42:59 - What happens in your brain when it offers you the worst-case scenario and more thoughts that can help you create self-confidence 46:22 - Why Ekaterina feels invisible despite creating all kinds of things and where to focus to begin to push past it Mentioned in How to Cultivate Creative Confidence As an Artist Join Growth Studio