Episodes
354 - Still Can’t Find Your Style? Do These 3 Simple Yet Powerful Steps
Do you ever fully “find your style” for good? I don’t think so. It’s a living document. I’ve done episodes on the topic. Taught whole classes on it. But, I’ve stayed on the hunt for over a decade, and I still have breakthroughs that surprise me. In this episode, I want to share some new thoughts on how to think about finding your style that really unlocked stuff for me and give you some exercises that I hope unlock something for you TODAY!
353 - How to Push Past the Hard Times, Remembering Adé Hogue
In this special episode, we make space to honor the memory of Adé Hogue, who we lost in October, 2021. Adé was a phenomenal lettering artist and designer with an incredible, authentic spirit. Adé cared so passionately about the communities he was a part of, bringing that energy into all of his work. That work will continue through the initiatives at the Adé Hogue Foundation, a non-profit forming in his name and honor. You can support and stay in the loop here: https://www.instagram.com/adehogu…
If You've Never Listened Before, Start Here - Trailer
First time listening? This trailer will tell you which episode to start with, explain what the show is all about and ultimately give you a little taste for whether Creative Pep Talk is gonna be your kinda thing.
352 - 9 Prompts to Help You Make Your Most Powerful Work to Date
It’s so easy to get carried away focusing so much on your work, that you neglect yourSELF! BUT the quality and depth of your work comes directly from YOU, so it’s a dangerous habit to get into! In this episode, we dive into 9 powerful creative prompts that will help you connect and deepen your sense of self, and therefore deepen your ability to express yourself.
351 - Afraid You'll Never Catch Up? Give Up Trying and Do This Instead
NFTs, 3D, AR, VR, YR. Oh you haven’t heard of YR?! Ya know, like YR are you googling what YR is. Is it because you’re curious or is it that you’re just afraid of being left behind? It’s very easy to be tempted to run your creative practice on FOBLB (Fear of Being Left Behind), but is this a renewable sustainable source of energy? Or will it leave you burnt out and depleted? It is true that in order to reach your creative potential and remain on your creative path over a lifetime that you need …
350 - What to Focus on & What to Let Go with Cheyenne Barton
The creative brain is amazing at coming up with infinite options and connections, but sorting through and choosing which options are best and should be focused on is a totally different skill. In this episode we talk to incredible Illustrator and Youtuber Cheyenne Barton, right in the midst of working this stuff out for herself. At the time we talked, Cheyenne was feeling overwhelmed in her practice and I found the vulnerability of this chat to be a real gift. If you’re burnt out or feeling ov…
349 - Creative Pep Talk's 10 Rules of A Thriving Creative Practice
Why do doctors and pilots both need checklists? Because even life saving information is easy to forget! That’s why in this episode we establish the ten ideas that define this show and what we think staying on track in your creative journey is all about. Every idea on this list significantly impacted my creative practice. In this episode:- Why you need to embrace a small audience- The one thing you will be lost without- A prompt for creating a new foundation for your practice- MUCH MORE this e…
348 - 3 Exercises for Finding Your Way Back to the Heart of Your Creative Path
Think back to a time in your creative journey where you felt right on the heels of your potential and you knew the exact way to spend your energy. Pretty much all of us have been thrown off this path at this point. In this episode I want to share with you 3 specific exercises that have helped me re-spark my passion for my creative journey and awakened decisive direction and excited action again! In this episode we dive into:- Why getting lost is part of the process and therefore what skill …
347 - How to Find Your Story and Unlock New Profound Depths in Your Work
Are you feeling like the world is leaving you behind? Do things feel so noisy and fast paced that you fear you don’t have a chance to ever really be seen as a creator? If you’ve been creating from a place of fear and anxiety and want to get back to creating from passion and heart, it starts with tapping into who you are and that means getting deeply acquainted with your story. In this episode we talk about how to do just that. In this episode:- A Technique for Finding The Most Powerful Aspect…
346 - 3 Steps for How to Start 2022 Back in Your Creative Sweet Spot
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of being exactly where you’re supposed to be on the creative path. You’re seeing 5 steps ahead. Things are coming together in your work with surprising serendipity and satisfying ease. Your progress is meaningful and tangible. You’re passionate about what you’re doing and there’s a peace around where you currently find yourself. In this episode, we explore a process for finding where we are stuck and how to get back into the groove again, so that we can…
345 - How to Find The Next Inspired Chapter in Your Creative Journey
Are you finding it hard to get your hopes up about what comes next for you creatively? Does it ever feel like no matter what you do, the results are the same? In this end of the year episode, we explore a 3 step process for finding your next step breadcrumbs, as well as the inner reservoir of energy for making it all happen.In this episode we dive into: 1 - Why Our New Year Efforts Often Fall Short 2 - Stepping Away from Your Creative Work to Step Up in the Next Chapter 3 - A Tool for Intuiti…
344 - Recover From Burnout and Reignite Your Spark with Furry Little Peach AKA Sha’an d’Anthes
Have you ever hit a wall where you really could not create ANYTHING whatsoever? Our guest Sha’an d’Anthes AKA Furry Little Peach REALLY HAS but she didn’t stay there. In this episode I want to share the 3 things that really helped her get through this creative valley. We also explore the tips and tools that have helped her thrive on her creative journey as a superstar illustrator and YouTuber!! Episode art by Furry Little Peach and Andy J. Pizza
343 - How to Make Deeper Work with Substance that Hits a Lot Harder
Your work is totally on point. You’re doing everything “right” but somehow it’s still falling short. Well in the words of Jack Black in the movie School of Rock - “Rock isn’t about getting an A”. So what is it “about”? What is YOUR art about? In this episode we will dive into what it means to give your art as much substance as it has style, and how it can make your work resonate on a totally different level!
342 - This Powerful Study Shows The Right Context is as Crucial as Great Content
Do you like your work better than ever but feel like people “get it” less? Have you ever made something that you were certain was your best work, but no one else seemed to notice? If you can’t figure out what’s wrong with your work and why it’s not working on people, it might not be your work that’s the problem at all. In this episode we will explore all the space around the essence of your work and learn ways to set the stage for your best work to truly shine!
341 - The Essential Quality of a True Creative (HINT: It’s Not What You Think) with Tad Carpenter
I have good news and bad news. Bad news first: It’s true most people are not creative. At least Aristotle wouldn’t think so. Most folks agree that the phrase “we are what we repeatedly do” is a good summary of his mindset. And so, if that’s true. The crucial mark of the artist or creator is just one thing: do you do it repeatedly? Essentially, is being creative a habit? And so, since most people do not have a creative habit, Aristotle would then conclude, most people are NOT creatives! And th…
340 - One Idea that Unlocks New Levels of Your Style, Reveals Your Builder Type & Gets You Back On Your Path
There are so many obstacles on your creative path, and the biggest one? You! And the only self sabotage that ever really stops you is the one that we don’t know is self sabotage! In this episode I want to share a framework that you can use in 3 totally different ways to finally get out of your own way and start making the progress you know you’re capable of. We will explore: - What to do when you feel you’ll never be original enough - A Trick for Getting More Useful Influence from your Heroes …
339 - 4 New Strategies That Reignited a Fresh Spark in My Creative Practice
Do you feel it? The enthusiasm in the creative world is at an all time low AND the algorithm and noise of social media is not helping! It’s taken a lot of extra work for me to find purpose and enough excitement in my work to keep at it with the kind of vigor that a creative practice requires. BUT the past couple weeks I’ve found some fresh ideas that have really helped!! If you’re sick of trying to please the algorithm and would much rather enliven yourself and your creative audience at the sa…
338 - How to Make Deeply Powerful Creative Work
Are you sick of your work being white noise? Why does some creative work grab people and some is just yawn-worthy? If you want to unlock a deeper well of resonance in your creativity that has the power to move people - this episode is for you. In this episode we explore: 1 The Shift Needed to Making Work that Hits Hard 2 Why You Need to Know Your Teachers 3 Identifying What Your Work is About 4 What Your Unique Role is As an Artist 5 AND MORE!
337 - How to Hear Your Creative Voice and Trust It with Rebecca Green
Your creative voice isn’t something you go OUT to find, it’s something you go IN to find. In this special guest episode of Creative Pep Talk, we chat with incredible illustrator Rebecca Green about how to hear your ideas when you have them, storytelling and the struggle to own your strengths without having to do it all. Rebecca is so good at what she does and this chat was so inspiring! As a new friend of the show, I am definitely hoping for a round 2 of this chat! This week's episode art is …
336 - Find Your Creative Zone Today: Which of These 7 Types of Ideas Come to You Naturally?
Some people say that creativity is all about perfect timing, but in my experience, the best work comes from those spaces where you lose track of time completely. If TIME has become a brutal master and “staying relevant”, “hitting the cultural zeitgeist”, “keeping up with the times”, “missing your chance” or even “posting at the perfect time” has taken all of the joy out of your practice, this episode is for you! In this episode you will:1 - Identify when you are your most creative self.2 - Un…
335 - Feeling Out-of-Step with Your Creative Journey? Do These 3 Things Now
Nothing feels better than when you’re unlocking your best work, finding the perfect opportunities and experiencing the best of your creative practice, but sometimes those times from the past can make you feel completely lost in the present. If you feel like you have lost your path at some point in the creative journey, this episode will give you a process for checking in with yourself and your work in a way that can help you find your flow again. In this episode we dive into: 1 - A Process for…
334 - Find the Work That Makes You Come Alive. Which of The 10 Types Are You? with Jonathan Fields
If you hate the work you’re doing, feel lost in the pursuit of finding what you’re truly equipped for and what really lights you up, this episode is what you need. Finding which of the 10 Sparketypes you are, can help you find what type of work makes you come alive! In this episode I sit down with Sparketype creator Jonathan Fields and he walks me through each type, what makes them really light up and how to find out what your type is. A clear awareness of who you are and what makes you tick …
333 - Get More, Do Less with These 31 Easy and Engaging Social Media Post Prompts
We all know the best way to grow our social media platform is to post regularly BUT not only is it hard to know what to post, it’s also IMPOSSIBLE to make that much new stuff! In this episode I want to share with 31 new social media post prompts and only ONE of them requires you to MAKE A NEW PIECE OF WORK? I want to prove to you that you can win on social media without working yourself to death and all the while even maybe having… FUN? Let’s go! Take my new skillshare class! “Social Media f…
332 - Do These 4 Things if You Think You May Have Undiscovered Talent
If you keep hitting the same walls, long for someone with more insight to see your real talent and ultimately you’re worried that you’re going to miss your chance to reach your creative potential, this episode was designed for you! In this episode you will find: - The Mental Shift that Will Unlock Stunted Progress - The First Step of Finding “Your Thing” - How to Give Context to Your Work so Others Get It - Who You Need to Be Looking For and Who Can Change Everything in Your Practice if You Fi…