360: Do it for YOU, not Tommy from Oklahoma (w/ Talia Jackson)

This is very difficult for me, but today I give a brief message for you all as to why I decided to slow down the pace of the podcast in a major way.

Yana Zorina, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist with a lifelong passion for the arts.  In her scientific career, Yana has always been attracted to microscopy as a means to take a closer look at the beautiful structures that compose the mammalian brain.  In her microscopy-inspired artwork, she uses her neuroscientist training to accurately recreate scientific images into 3D-beaded renderings of cellular structures to bring the beauty of scientific research to a wider audience.  In viewing beads as analogs of pixels observed on a screen, Yana turns microscopy on its head by transforming ultra-thin optical sections into 3D structures.  Beyond being passionate about the breathtaking beauty of microscopy images, Yana uses them to serve a greater purpose of communicating science to a wider audience and initiating conversations on difficult topics, such as neurological conditions. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/367 In this episode, Yana discusses: -How she got into both art and neuroscience. -Her realization that she needed to bring art back into her life after many years of pursuing neuroscience and raising a family. -Finding alone time both in art and science. -Some of the resistances she faced of turning her art into a business. -Having to be creative in terms of putting out content on social media when her projects take her several months to complete. -Letting go of the fear of not being 100% scientifically accurate in her art. -The Beholder’s Share. -How art can be a bridge to communicate what is going on within the scientific community to those outside of it. -Finding connection in the SciArt community. -How she schedules her day and how she chooses which idea to move forward with. Yana's Final Push will inspire you to go for your ideas no matter how “out there” they may seem!   Quotes: “I’d rather be dealing with test tubes than with people.” “I became a wife, a mother, a scientist, and I had the sense that the true me was somehow missing.” “I’m not ready to give up the pipette.” “I enjoy the process of making my art.  It is meditative and it is meticulous work that allows me to escape from daily life.” “No matter how crazy you think your idea is, no matter how crazy it may seem at first, just go for it.” Connect with Yana: Website / Etsy / Instagram / Patreon / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group!

Martha Beck is an American sociologist, life coach, best-selling author, and speaker who specializes in helping individuals and groups achieve personal and professional goals. Her books include Expecting Adam, Leaving the Saints, Finding Your own North Star, The Joy Diet, and Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening.  She has also been a columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine since its inception in 2001. Her newest project is a revolutionary writing workshop called Write into Light. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/366 In this episode, Martha discusses: -The Pyramid and the Pool and how the change to the oppressive societal structure will begin at the bottom and absorb the top. -How the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement are catalysts for global change. -Looking at your own suffering as a starting point in your art. -Steering your life from nature rather than culture. -The way in which you are serving the monster when you “hustle.” -How we can trust our bodies to direct us towards our truth (not our minds). -What we can learn from baboons. -The power of relaxing. -How finding your path through life is exactly like tracking an animal. -How to get “The Secret” to actually work. -How Jurassic Park changed her life. Quotes: “Art is a power that spreads energy into the mass of the population.” “Artistic expression is the most powerful mover of society.” “The economy is the train track that society runs on.  But art is the switchman.  Art is the one that decides which track the train goes on.” “The only thing more intelligent than the culture in your life is your nature.” Links mentioned: The Pyramid and the Pool: Why things are better than they seem Bewildered – The Productivity Addict How to Plan Your Week [7 Scheduling Tips for Artists] Boyd Varty’s Track Your Life Podcast Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton The Gathering Room Connect with Martha: Website / Facebook / Vimeo / Twitter / Books Join the discussion in the Facebook group!

Carla Grace is a self taught artist with a love for wildlife and beautiful, high quality art work. Born in South Africa, Carla has immigrated 5 times and currently lives in Australia. With a childhood that was dominantly based in Africa, she was able to experience wildlife in a way that has become the foundation of her vision: Where wildlife breathes through art. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/365 In this episode, Carla discusses: -How she was drawn to wildlife art. -Her take on Tiger King and zoos in general. -How she attempts to make a communication between the animals she paints and the viewer. -Why she always starts with the eyes. -How she balances motherhood with creating art. -Why she doesn’t rely on “fixes” for energy or inspiration. -Why she decided to create a tutorial on how to paint fur. -Where she got the idea for her new series, The Uninvited. -Including written narrative as an addition to each piece of her art. -How she plans her next painting while working on her current one. -Her top business tips for artists. -The importance of being transparent with people. -How commissions were detrimental to the direction she wanted to go in her art career. Carla's Final Push will inspire you to take the reins and just do it!   Quotes: “People will give back to you when you give to them.” “Be transparent because in today’s social world, people can see a fake straight away.” “If people stop asking you for help, then you’ve got a problem.” “I was burning out a lot faster because I wasn’t doing something that was true to who I was.” “Just take a little step every day and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.” Links mentioned: Carla's Guide to Painting Realistic Fur Xero Connect with Carla: Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube On the next episode: Martha Beck : Website / Facebook Join the discussion in the Facebook group!

Jonny Bloozit is a post-apocalyptic landscape cartoonist who believes in the value of being a deliberate amateur so that you don’t lose the joy of making art. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/364 In this episode, Jonny discusses: -How he lost his joy for music. -What brought him back to drawing. -His opinion that you don’t have to be a professional to be an artist. -How society equates successful art to money. -Why you shouldn’t put too much emotion in gaining followers. -Why you should try getting up early in the morning to do your art (and some tips on how to do it). -What he does when he lacks motivation. -Identifying himself by what he does for fun rather than what he does for money. -How he honed in on his style of “post-apocalyptic landscape cartooning.” -The beauty that exists in things that are deteriorating or falling apart. -Being analytical about his learning process. -Watercoloring his ink drawings. -The value of critique groups. -The importance of learning the rules of art. Jonny’s Final Push will encourage you to never let anyone else steal your joy for making art!   Quotes: “I went back to drawing again and it was like seeing an old friend.” “Being a deliberate amateur is also a noble path, so don’t let anybody make you feel bad for doing that.” “You never really look at something the way you look at it when you have to draw it.” “If the breadth of what I was trying to do was too broad, I wouldn’t get enough depth.” “Your own style is going to come out whether you like it or not.  Just concentrate on the fundamentals and the style will take care of itself.” Links mentioned: Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth by Andrew Loomis Perspective! for Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea Connect with Jonny: Website On the next episode: Carla Grace : Website / Instagram

Stephen is a singer/songwriter who has just released his first album, “Sincerely.”  In his own words: “My album is a story of triumph, of letting go of all the uncertainty in my head and learning to walk the path of my own heart. “Sincerely” is about realizing how much better this world would be if we all loved ourselves, if we weren’t afraid of being vulnerable and honest. It doesn’t matter who’s president or what technology we invent or what extremists we destroy, the only thing I know is this: There will never be peace if we do not all love ourselves.” Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/bestof15 In this episode, Stephen discusses: -A bit about his background and how he came to find himself in Los Angeles. -How he was the first student of the music school at the University of Miami who also played a Division 1 sport. -The promise he made to himself at a young age that he would only pursue the things he was passionate about. -How it’s not like doing work, when you are spending time working on things that you love.  It’s like you get to play. -The journey that his song “Bullet Train” took him on and the fact that he almost didn’t release it. -How he only started singing three years before the release of this, his first album. -How you need to think with the heart more than the head, because the head will give you countless excuses why you shouldn’t do something for the sake of self-preservation. -A game he plays with his friend called “Fear Stretching.” -How we are so scared of offending people or not being accepted that we live in a shell, and the more we practice stretching out our fears, the more quickly we can advance to better versions of ourselves. -The fact that rejection is often times empowering because you can just be yourself without having to worry about other people’s approval. -The tremendous role that his management team at Th3rd Brain has played on his career so far. -The message of his album Sincerely — a call to action to make a difference as well as the self-discovery that happened in his life. -How we distract ourselves with things like The Kardashians because we are afraid of what we are going to find if we look in the mirror too long. -His music videos for “Crossfire” and “Start a Fire.” -How he has many resistances, but the main one is self-doubt. Stephen’s Final Push will inspire you to DANCE AROUND WITH THE TAMBOURINE!     Quotes: “Something that has really done a lot of good for me is a promise I made to myself when I was really young that I would really only try to do the things that I really wanted to do.” “Talent is just intense passion discovered at an early age.” “When you put a lot of time into something that you really love, it’s not work. It’s like you’re having fun. You’re playing with it.” “I think it was a massive amount of insecurity. I never imagined myself being a singer. I never even sang in the shower.” “If I would ever sing along to a song, I would put on a joking singing voice, because I was scared that people would laugh at my singing voice, like my true expression.” “You’ve just gotta put yourself out there. It’s less a confidence and moreso a carelessness.” “The worst that can happen is not nearly as bad as you think.” “It’s the “no’s” that help us grow because we realize that the consequence of being rejected is nothing. In fact, the consequence of being rejected a lot of the times is empowerment because you feel more free. You feel like you don’t need other people’s approval to be yourself.” “The things that we’re supposed to do that are going to help us the most are the things that we resist doing the most. Links mentioned: “Sincerely” on iTunes / Soundcloud “Crossfire” by Stephen Official Music Video “Bullet Train” by Stephen Connect with Stephen: Website / Spotify / Soundcloud / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group!

Will Terry is a freelance illustrator and children’s book illustrator who shares his 23 years of experience on his YouTube channel and his blog.  He also co-owns SVS Learn and co-hosts the 3 Points Perspective Podcast with Jake Parker and Lee White. Will has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his new book, What They Don't Teach In Art School: An illustrator's guide to making money in the real world. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/363 In this episode, Will discusses: -How his students always resonated with his discussion about marketing. -Not being able to draw after his wife passed away. -How writing his book brought creativity, productivity and fulfillment back into his life. -How opportunities for artists are now everywhere, but they are just harder to see. -Why going down the “normal route” of life is actually the more frightening option. -How ideas like Little Heroes can come out of nowhere. -What creatives can learn from GoPro. -Why creative people need to embrace their problem-solving skills. -How to find the balance of making money and creating the art that you want to create. -How he needed to get sick of his own work in order to step up the quality of his art. -Identifying your motives for creating art. -Why he only takes on projects that he can fall in love with. -How to say no to family members or friends who want you to create art for them. -Seth Godin’s advice to create art that changes people emotionally. -Using your audience as a testing ground. Will's Final Push will inspire you to make as much art as you can so that your mind can be changed and you can create the art that you want to create!   Quotes: “I’ve always had an affinity for helping illustrators make money with their art.” “The hard thing for artists is to actually see the opportunities where they are.” “Create for yourself and be as selfish as possible.  Create the thing that you want and you can’t find in the world.  Create it because you want one.” “Don’t be satisfied with the world that is offered to you.” Links mentioned: What They Don't Teach In Art School: An illustrator's guide to making money in the real world by Will Terry Will Terry: Give yourself permission to MAKE YOUR OWN DREAM HAPPEN (YCP Episode 176) Piper Thibodeau: Something new, THOUSANDS of days in a row (YCP Episode 345) Inside The Business of Illustration by Steven Heller Exploding Kittens Card Game Brett Helquist Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin Connect with Will: Website / Instagram / YouTube / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group!

Mike Janda and Tom Ross are successful creative entrepreneurs who have come together to create the Biz Buds Podcast. Biz Buds is value-packed weekly discussion where Tom and Mike share their journeys from struggling freelancers to both running multi 7-figure businesses, and the lessons picked up along the way. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/bizbuds In this episode, Mike & Tom discuss: -How Tom created Design Cuts, the most curated and most highly rated design marketplace in the world. -How to find your 1,000 true fans. -Why you need to share your authentic, real self. -The value of building your fanbase and community one person at a time (instead of shouting into the abyss). -Why you might be more scared when you have less followers. -Their best Instagram growth strategies. -Thinking about your audience’s audience. -How to get in front of a wider audience. -The thing that matters more than getting 10x the amount of likes. -Why you need to start building your e-mail list right now (and what you should be sharing). -How to overcome imposter syndrome as a creative. -The best way to overcome perfectionism. -The importance of deadlines. Mike & Tom’s Final Push will remind you to stop comparing your step 2 to someone else’s step 50 and enjoy the ride!   Quotes: “This is something that I wanted to do for years, but I wanted to ensure I had enough credibility to do it.” “Share your authentic, real self.” “Put out what you want to get back.” “The real connections happen in the DMs.” “People prefer the perception of making a purchase decision themselves and not being sold to make the purchase.” “You have to realize that almost every creative person in the world feels some imposter syndrome.” “Stop comparing your Step Two to someone else’s Step Fifty.” Links mentioned: Biz Buds Podcast Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk Biz Buds: Episode 11: Instagram Growth Strategies Connect with Mike & Tom: Mike Janda: Website / Instagram Tom Ross: Website / Instagram On the next episode: Will Terry: Website / Instagram

Xabio Arts aka Andrew Bosch is a drawing YouTuber that makes funny and helpful videos.  Along with his drawing tutorials and speed paintings, he also offers a candid look into the life of an artist and how he navigates resistance. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/xabioarts In this episode, Xabio Arts discusses: -His early influence by Mark Crilley, Jazza and Feng Zhu. -Why he puts his mistakes and first drafts into his videos. -His frustration when trying to follow the tutorial of a polished perfectionist. -How your eye for mistakes levels up as your actual skills level up. -How he battles procrastination (even in his dreams). -Taking breaks from creating YouTube videos (but thinking about videos the entire time). -How he deals with negative comments. -His relationship with likes. -The card game that he is creating, and how he is involving his audience in the process. -His “sneaky” hack for getting more engagement on YouTube. -The experience of drawing with his mouth. Xabio Art's Final Push will give you the inspiration to just keep going towards the things you want out of life.   Quotes: “I know how much it sucks for me to feel like I need to put out perfect art and I don’t want people to feel that same insecurity.” “I always feel like if I’m not completely miserable and suffering, I’m not working hard enough.” “There is magic in being able to make things.” Links mentioned: Figurosity Mark Crilley Scott Robertson Connect with Xabio Arts: YouTube / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode: Mike Janda : Website / Instagram Tom Ross: Website / Instagram Join the discussion in the Facebook group! Music: Adventures by A Himitsu  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0  Music released by Argofox  Music provided by Audio Library

Talia Jackson is an actress, model and singer.  She is a series regular on Netflix's Family Reunion (which won an NAACP Award for “Children’s Program”) and ABC's Station 19.  With productions all on hold, she's focusing on her music career and is producing / release music directly from home.  Her first two songs, "Complicated" and "5Five" are available on Spotify. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/360 In this episode, Talia discusses: -How she first got into modeling and acting. -How she originally turned down Family Reunion. -Why our biggest victories often come when we are about to give up. -The way that the less we care about the outcome, the better we often do. -Why she had to leave Instagram. -The advice that Tia Mowry gave her about being a mixed actress and not worrying about what other people think. -Her current relationship with social media. -What quarantine has been like for her creative endeavors. -The role that singing has played in her life. -How she defeats perfectionism. -How she honed in on her style of writing music. -How you are the only one who is going to be able to try your dreams, so just do what makes you happy. Talia's Final Push will encourage you that your opportunity will come, you just have to keep pushing!   Quotes: “It terrified me that maybe I had worked so hard for something that just never was going to work for me.” “For some reason life always wants to give me exactly what I need and what I want when I’m at my breaking point. “When you really don’t care about something, for some reason the universe is just like, “Here you go, you can have it.” “Singing had always been the little side character in my life.” “Do it for you.  It’s your life and the only person who is ever truly going to care about you and take care of you forever is you.  So do what makes you happy.” Links mentioned: Family Reunion 5Five by Talia Jackson Comfortable by Her Connect with Talia: Spotify / Instagram / Twitter On the next episode: Xabio Arts : YouTube / Instagram / Twitter Join the discussion in the Facebook group!