Cracking Creativity Podcast With Kevin Chung

A recap of episode 73 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Logan Nickleson where he why marketing has gotten such a bad rap, the most essential element for finding your audience, and how we can use psychology to our advantage.

Logan Nickleson has always had an admiration for the arts. When he was a child he liked to draw and paint. When he was 15-16 years old he started getting into music. And for college, he went into journalism. While in college, Logan saw the changes that were happening in journalism. So he changed his major to advertising. This led to his internship at an advertising agency. His internship turned into a full-time job, where he worked on numerous projects. It was during this time that a revelation came to him. While making short videos for clients, he was having a hard time finding music for his videos. So he decided to use his own music. Inspired by stock photography sites like Death to Stock and Unsplash, Logan decided to take all the music he created, and started his own stock site. The only difference was his stock site would for music. Thus, Music For Makers was born. In this episode, Logan talks about why marketing has gotten such a bad rap, the most essential element for finding your audience, and how we

This is a replay of episode 27 with Lee Moyer. If you want an idea of what it's like to build a successful career as an artist and illustrator, look no further than Lee. He has some great advice that's worth re-sharing for those of you who didn't catch it the first time or for those who want to re-listen to Lee's great wisdom. -- Lee Moyer is a polymath and illustrator who has been working for over 35 years. He has worked with book publishers, theaters, and game developers among many other things. In this episode, we talk about a lot of topics including learning from others, how to handle criticism and information overload, and his Kickstarter project The Doom that Came to Atlantic City. Here are three things you can learn from Lee: How to become a better artist Lee is a big believer in learning from those who came before you. He never had a traditional art education and doesn’t think it is necessary to become a great artist. In order to become a better artist, he studied under other artists and absorbed thei

A recap of episode 72 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Amy Oestreicher wheres she talks about being a detourist, being more capable than we think we are, and how our creativity benefits from taking small risks.

Amy Oestreicher thought she had her life all figured out. Ever since she was young, she felt she was born to perform. She was all set to go to college for musical theater when medical complications derailed everything. During her senior year of high school Amy started having stomach pains. When she went into surgery to fix it, her stomach shot out of her body and she went into a coma for months. She spent years and many surgeries in hospitals trying to reach some semblance of normalcy. During this trying time, Amy turned to creativity to help keep her busy. She started painting and she even developed her own one person play based on all of her troubles and overcoming adversity. With one play in the books, and another on the way, Amy is the prime example of what it means to persevere. In this episode, Amy talks about being a detourist, being more capable than we think we are, and how our creativity benefits from taking small risks. Here are three things you can learn from Amy: Become a Detourist As we go throu

This is a replay of episode 26 with Katy Walker and Joel Mejia. Life can sometimes overwhelm us. We get bogged down by all the negative things around us. That's why it was such a pleasure to do an interview with people like Katie and Joel. Their positivity, and inspirational work is something we should all aspire to follow. --- Katy Walker and Joel Mejia are the co-directors of the Time is Art documentary, a film that follow’s Jennifer Palmer’s journey after her aunt’s death and her exploration of synchronicity. They are also the minds behind Things Are Changing Productions, a creative collective that produces youth media programs, indie films, and music videos. In this episode we explore what you must do to take action, why you should work with limitations, and the benefits of empowering others. Here are three things you can learn from Katy and Joel: You should look inward for answers Looking inward is one of the most empowering things people can do. Many of us go days without taking the time to look within

A recap of episode 71 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Cassia Cogger wheres he talks about why we need to be open to new ideas, the importance of avoiding complacency and being consistent, and the art of simplification, among many other things.

Cassia Cogger has created art ever since she was young. In middle school she won a national contest for a laundry detergent brand. And unlike most artists, she began selling her art early in life. After college, Cassia abandoned her artistic pursuits and got a job as an editor at a trade magazine. It was during this time that Cassia realized she wanted to become a full-time artist. So she picked up a few odd jobs to support her painting business. Before her daughter was born, Cassia was featured in a magazine as a rising star in water color. But after her daughter's birth, she stopped painting as frequently. It wasn't until after her second child was born that Cassia got serious about art again. The same art magazine wanted to follow up with her to see what she had done in the past five years. This was the call to action she needed to get serious about art again. In this episode, Cassia talks about why we need to be open to new ideas, the importance of avoiding complacency and being consistent, and the art of

A recap of episode 70 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Kent Sanders where he talks about why breaks are important, some of the biggest things holding us back, and changing our mindsets about money.

Kent Sanders has lived a life full of creativity ever since he was young, but it never occurred to him that he could make a living from his creativity. When Kent was young, he separated his love of creativity from his love of religion. It never occurred to him that he could combine those two interests. After working in the ministry for a few years, he decided he wanted to go back to school to teach. He wanted to challenge himself by doing something new. While finishing up his master’s degree, a realization dawned on him. He realized he could combine his two passions for art and religion. So he became a professor at a religious college where has taught everything from technology, to art, and film. In this episode, Kent talks about why breaks are important, some of the biggest things holding us back, and changing our mindsets about money. Here are three things you can learn from Kent: Breaks are Extremely Important One of the things that plagues many workers today is our pull to always be working. Society has l

A recap of episode 68 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Bob Baker where he talks about doing things that interest you, why you need to be persistent, and what separates successful artists from unsuccessful artists.

This is a replay of episode 23 with Tim Lawrence. With so many people going through adversity, it is important to remember that we can grow through even the most trying circumstances. --- Tim Lawrence is a copy editor, writer and adversity researcher. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barclays Center, and Lincoln Center, and has copyedited for New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling authors. In this episode, Tim talks about growing through adversity, the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle, and the power of listening. Here are three lessons you can learn from Tim: You have to challenge yourself if you want to grow When we grow up, we do everything we can to make life easier on ourselves. We are taught to seek comfort instead of adversity. While this may lead to an easier life, you will also stagnate. Challenging yourself is the only way to grow as a person. It forces you to be in the moment. You become more aware of you body and mind, and grow outside of your comfort zone. Otherwise you will b

Bob Baker has always been determined to make a living from his creative career. He started off his career by creating a music publication from scratch, with no prior experience. He didn’t let his lack of experience prevent him from achieving his goals. He just experimented with different ideas until he made it work. Since that first publication he has expanded his interests well beyond a local music magazine. He has dabbled with writing, painting, and creating courses for aspiring artists. He even got into stand-up and improv comedy. Bob has not let the starving artist mentality prevent him from making a career out of his creativity. In fact, he has thrived as an artist and creative. In this episode, Bob talks about doing things that interest you, why you need to be persistent, and what separates successful artists from unsuccessful artists. Here are three things you can learn from Bob: Do Things That Interest You Many of us have this fear of pursuing our creative careers. We are afraid that we will crash and

A recap of episode 68 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Kym Dolcimascolo where she talks about creating plans, why you should know your audience, and how artists can change the world.

Kym Dolcimascolo got a degree in photography and film making but didn't follow that path once she graduated from school. Instead she became a computer engineer and worked her way up the career ladder. After working for a while in the corporate world, she decided she had had enough. So, she set herself up to leave her corporate job and started a web design company. This career move allowed her to work with people who embraced creativity, and eventually led her into coaching for artists and creatives. In this episode Kym talks about creating plans, why you should know your audience, and how artists can change the world. Here are three things you can learn from Kym: You Need a Plan As artists, we tend to do things on a whim. We want to live a free-spirited life. We want the freedom to choose our own destinies. But this line of thinking often hurts us instead of helping us. We should be planning our way to success instead. Kym didn't walk away from her job immediately. She decided what steps needed to be taken an

This is a replay of episode 44 with Sarah Jackson. In these trying times, it's good to remember that people like Sarah are making a huge difference in the world. Sarah Jackson is the founder of Casa de Paz, a hospitality home for families affected by immigrant detention. She is also the founder ofVolleyball Latino, a year-round indoor volleyball league that raises money for Casa de Paz. In this episode, Sarah talks about why she started Casa de Paz and Volleyball Latino, the importance of taking small steps, and why you need to take action if you want to achieve your goals. Here are three things you can learn from Sarah: One Moment Can Completely Change Your Life Sarah was working at a church when she received an email that would change her life. The email was an invitation to the pastors of her church to visit Mexico and learn about immigration. The pastors couldn’t attend, so she volunteered to go to represent the church. Before going, Sarah had never thought of immigration or its affect on people. She just

A recap of episode 67 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Marcella Chamorro where she talks about letting go of your ego, getting into creative flow, and becoming more mindful.

Marcella Chamorro's creative journey hasn't been a straight line. Her career path didn't reveal itself to her until well after she graduated from college. In fact, she took multiple detours including working at a non-profit, getting her masters degree, and starting a web design business, all before finding her true calling. She only recognized her true calling of writing, photography, and technology after running her web design business. Through these mediums she is able to help people tap into the serenity and enjoyment they crave. In this episode, Marcella talks about letting go of your ego, getting into creative flow, and becoming more mindful. Here are three things you can learn from Marcella: Let go of your ego One of the problems we face as creatives is letting our ego get in the way of creating something truly great. Often times we tie our self worth to our achievements or the amount of money we make. Marcella believes those things fed directly into her ego. "The main thing that I had realized was that

A recap of episode 66 of the Cracking Creativity podcast. If you liked it, check out the full episode with Charlotte Eriksson where she talks about facing obstacles, knowing yourself and your fans, and the importance of knowing your why.

Charlotte Eriksson grew up in a house where athletics were emphasized. The arts weren't celebrated and you weren't supposed toe express your feelings. Her family didn't grow up listening to music, so she didn't really discover music until she was 16 years old. That's when a friend introduced her music that touched her life. From that moment on, she knew she wanted to be a musician. She knew she wanted to spend her life creating that magical feeling for other people. And at the age of 18 Charlotte moved to London to pursue her dream. Since that moment, she has released several albums, toured all over Europe, and has published three books. In this episode, Charlotte talks about facing obstacles, knowing yourself and your fans, and the importance of knowing your why. Here are three things you can learn from Charlotte: Everyone Faces Obstacles Many of us have this false assumption about people who are successful. We think they don't encounter obstacles just because they're successful. But that's far from the trut