Your Creative Push

Debbie Chesebro is a creative producer with over 15 years of experience in production, post production, accounting & finance, feature films, commercials, and new media.  She has worked on feature films such as Hurt Locker, Nacho Libre, Fever Pitch, and Pee-wee's Big Holiday, as well as many international productions.  Most recently, she worked in Cambodia on Netflix's upcoming Angelina Jolie Pitt-directed feature. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/debbiechesebro In this episode, Debbie discusses: -Her role in the new Angelina Jolie Pitt-directed feature on Netflix and her travels to Cambodia. -The various roles and jobs that she has had throughout her career on her journey to be a producer and writer. -The role that writing has played throughout her life. -The unfortunate events that happened after writing a screenplay with her writing partner. -The story behind "Prom Queen." -The strange phenomenon in Hollywood, how ideas are often met with similar ideas at the same time. -The idea of regroupin

Another solo episode. About magic. Only, like, two episodes after the last episode about magic. Yawn, right? Except not!  Something incredible happened after the last episode... Youngman goes as far as to describe it as "magical," believe it or not.  This episode starts where the last episode left off, though it wasn't planned that way. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/moremagic YCP Episode 145 with POWERS YCP Episode 111 with Brandyn Burnette YCP Episode 136 with Lisa Congdon YCP Episode 110 with Gabriel Picolo  

POWERS is the dynamic duo comprised of Mike Del Rio and Christa Ru, two talented musicians moved from New York to Los Angeles, but made sure to maintain their collaborative orbit with one another on their journey.  They have helped to create music for some of the biggest names in music, but have come together with POWERS to grasp timeless music out of the universe for the world to enjoy. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/powers In this episode, Mike & Christa discuss: -How they came together to create POWERS. -The importance of collaboration, especially when you can find someone who “gets it.” -The difficulty in being a solo artist and having to make so many big decisions on your own. -How important it is to take notice of when you are having fun while creating, and doing whatever you can to stay in that zone. -How Selena Gomez cut one of the songs they were working on -Their advice for keeping that childlike inspiration and joy that we sometimes forget about as we become adults. -The importance

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/144 A magical solo episode.  Oh my. But seriously, this is about magic.  Or at least Youngman tries to convince you so. What you'll get from this episode is some amazing looks back to previous episodes and then Youngman trying to make sense of the awesomeness of them.  Namely, he tries to bring it all back to the magic that happens when you decide to do something and you tell the Universe that you're going to do it. Saying what you want is all you have to do.  So do it.

Richard T Scott is a painter, writer, and coin designer for the United States Mint living in the Hudson Valley. His paintings are in museum collections in North America and Europe. One of his coin designs commemorating Fort Moultrie will be on the new quarter released into circulation this November.  Richard is represented by Paul Booth Gallery in New York City and Galerie L'Oeil du Prince in Paris. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/richardtscott In this episode, Richard discusses: -How he got involved with the United States Mint and his first quarter that is going to be minted of Fort Moultrie. -How paintings do not stand the test of time, but coins and sculptures do. -An important lesson he learned from his friend in high school about the difference between natural talent and hard work. -How JMW Turner was inspired by Claude Lorrain. -Things that have held him back during his art career, such as financial strain and crippling doubt. -The cloud that hung over his head for a long time, where he didn

Artist Chris Riddell is a prolific writer and illustrator whose work is familiar to both children and adults. He is known especially for his distinctive line drawings with their clever caricature, fascinating detail and often enchanting fantasy elements. In addition to his children’s books, Chris is a renowned political cartoonist whose work appears in The Observer, The Literary Review and The New Statesman. Chris is also the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, which is awarded once every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children’s books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/episode1again In this episode, Chris discusses: -Why he loves working for different age groups and how the contrast affects his creativity in a positive way. -Why rushing to self-definition is unnecessary. -What being the Children’s Laureate means. -How the joy of drawing and art in general shouldn’t stop when you grow up. -The idea of “the sketcher” versus “t

Mike Azevedo is a freelance concept artist and illustrator from Sao Paulo, Brazil.  He has worked on projects such as League of Legends, Hex, Legendgs of the Cryptids, and worked for clients such as Bluzzard, Guerrilla Games, Games Workshop, and Direwolf. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/mikeazevedo In this episode, Mike discusses: -How he balances commission work and passion projects. -His YouTube channel and how he tries to teach and inspire others, as that was the way that he learned. -How watching his own timelapse videos can help him to learn more about himself, since he is “in the zone” when he is actually painting. -His belief in the Pareto principle, that 20% of the work you put in is responsible for 80% of the results. -Knowing how to determine when to start a piece over from scratch, making sure to remember what you did right and what you did wrong. -Why he doesn’t zoom in during the beginning stages of his drawings. -The importance of making a few good decisions as opposed to many small

Linda Blondheim is a landscape painter whose mission is to visually record the rural, agricultural lands and trees of her beloved Florida.  She believes that painters are stewards of our history and culture, who record the experiences and lives of their own time.  Her legacy as a painter is to leave a visual record of the beauty of rural Florida. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/lindablondheim In this episode, Linda discusses: -Why she loves Florida so much and why she makes it the central theme for her art. -One of her first creative moments. -The initial support and encouragement that she received from her parents in terms of artistic expression, and then their resistance when she announced that she wanted to do it as a career. -Some of the things that held her back as an artist, including being legally blind in one eye. -Some of her tips for artists in terms of thriving financially as an artist. -The importance of understanding your collectors. -The mistake that many new artists make of trying t

Dan Mumford is a freelance illustrator working out of Studio100 in central London, UK.  Over the past 10 years, Dan has worked within the pop culture and music scene creating everything from album covers, branding, and screenprints to new interpretations of classic film posters and albums. His clients include Disney, Sony, Iron Maiden, Wizards of the Coast, Icon Motosports, CBS, and many bands and record labels from around the world. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danmumford In this episode, Dan discusses: -The path that he went down to begin to develop his unique style. -The importance of embracing your many interests and passions and trying to find a way to combine them into your creative expression. -The difference between passion projects and commissioned work. -How he has never been able to get work done at home and needs to go to the studio in order to be productive. -The importance of not pushing your body too hard, or else you could develop serious injuries that will take you out of the g

Lisa is a Fine artist and illustrator from Portland, Oregon best known for her colorful abstract paintings, intricate line drawings, pattern design, and hand lettering. She works for clients around the world including the MoMA, Martha Stewart Living, Chronicle Books, Cloud9 Fabrics, among many others. She has exhibited her work around the country, including in shows at the Contemporary Jewish Museum and Bedford Gallery and is currently represented by Uprise Gallery in New York. Amongst all of this, she is also a prolific author, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist, Whatever You Are, Be a Good One, Twenty Ways to Draw a Tulip and Fortune Favors the Brave. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/lisacongdon In this episode, Lisa discusses: -What makes a successful artist. -The three main things that you need to be a successful artist: talent, curiosity, and dedication. -The importance of putting your work out there even if you are not 100% satisfied or comfortable wit

Bobby is the founder and creator of Imaginism Studios in Toronto, Canada. He presently does multimedia concept design, having created characters, creatures, and beasts for such blockbuster motion pictures as Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and Men in Black 3. In addition, he is an avid supporter of his fellow artists, having lectured at various schools and studios around the world on how to stay creative, and successful as an artist. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/bobbychiu In this episode, Bobby discusses: -How he started his YouTube channel and why he has kept it going. -His advice for people who feel that they aren’t ready to take on a certain endeavor, that they would be far better off just starting. -Some of his favorite videos, including his interview with Iain McCaig and his “Morning Motivation.” -How Schoolism came to be and what it can offer to potential students. -How Stephen Silver and Norman Rockwell’s “Famous Artist Course” helped to inspire Schoolism. -The story of his artistic jou

Paul Ollinger is a graduate of Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. He was one of the first 250 employees of Facebook where he served as VP of Sales for the Western United States. In between he spent two years performing stand-up comedy full-time in Los Angeles, CA, opening for some of the biggest names in the business. Today Paul writes, performs comedy and speaks widely on work, wealth and purpose. Specifically, he uses humor to help others with their work lives and sales quotas. His first book, You Should Totally Get an MBA: A Comedian’s Guide to Top U.S. Business Schools When he’s not working, Paul is playing golf, binge watching Netflix or checking Who’s Viewed Your Profile on LinkedIn. He lives in Atlanta, GA with his beautiful wife, two wonderful children and French bulldog, Colonel Tom Parker. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/paulollinger In this episode, Paul discusses: -How he handles binge-watching Netflix and still finds time for productivity. -How the only people who should write a boo

J.A.W. Cooper is a talented artist who was born in England but was raised all over the globe in countries such as Ireland, Sweden and Kenya.  She currently lives in Los Angeles, California where she creates her fine art and works as a freelance Art Director for Print/Motion/Advertising companies, a print designer for fashion companies, and an illustrator for advertising. In this episode, J.A.W. Cooper discusses: -Where she gets her inspiration for her unique style. -Her upbringing travelling around the world. -One of her earliest creative moments in which she learned about repetition in order to get better at drawing. -Her advice for anyone who might be older and is afraid to start something new because they are afraid that they are going to be bad at it. -How it is almost a gift to be dissatisfied with your work because it means that you are able to see where you can continue to grow. -Fear and the balance of having enough of it to keep you sharp, but not too much to paralyze you. -How the only thing you can

Steve Ferrera is a sculptor from Berkeley California whose work crosses many disciplines including film, television, stop motion animation, children’s books, and collectible toys. Often inspired by mythology, religion, cartoons, and make believe, his curious and absurd creatures exist in their own cosmic events, lurking on the fringes of fairy tale and folklore. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/steveferrera In this episode, Steve discusses: -Where his inspiration for his creatures comes from. -His recent residency at the de Young Museum. -Having to deal with distractions while working on your art. -The idea of getting in the “zone” while sculpting. -The power of getting up early and getting to work as quickly as possible. -Some tricks that he does to keep himself focused during the entire day, like obsessing over the amount of time he has left in the day. -The idea of rewarding yourself after you’ve gotten work done. -The power in trusting your instincts. -His best and worst creative moments. -His

John P. Weiss is an artist, cartoonist, and writer.  He writes a weekly column for Fine Art Views, an online art and marketing site.  He studied landscape painting extensively with Scott L. Christensen, and he was a staff editorial cartoonist at three newspapers.  His cartoons have appeared in several volumes of Charles Brook’s “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year.”  He is also a police chief with over 26 years of law enforcement experience. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/johnpweiss In this episode, John discusses: -How he is able to balance so many creative pursuits while still having a full-time job as a police chief. -His love for political cartoons and a decision that he had to make regarding them. -How you sometimes have to make a choice as to what pursuits are most important to you, and then you have to let the less-important ones go. -The impact that Minimalism and Essentialism has had on his life. -The concept of batching and how it can help to make much better use of your time. -What he

Youngman Brown is angry.  Angry enough to go solo in this episode to try to get you to forget those negative comments you received about your creative outlet that have kept you from really pursuing it with confidence.  This episode is all about remembering your unique taste and forgetting any harsh criticisms that you might still be holding onto. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/133 In this episode: -We hear Ronnie Allen (from Episode 29) tell us about a teacher who publicly ridiculed her writing abilities and how it stuck with her throughout her entire career. -JT Ellison (from Episode 53) recounts her thesis advisor telling her that she will never make it as a writer, which caused her to not write for eight years. -Christina Bothwell (from Episode 131) shares how her parents told her that she was not good enough to make it as an artist. -Youngman Brown shares what gave him the confidence to start to take writing seriously. -Laura Baumeister (from Episode 129) offers her opinion that you have to b

Brendan O'Connell paints everyday America at this moment of transition. Dubbed by the media as the Walmart Warhol, he paints the everyday through retail, focusing on interior architecture, people, and brands.  Brendan has been profiled in the New Yorker and on Sunday morning CBS, a guest on the Colbert Report, and featured in Time magazine. His work is in the permanent collection of the High Museum in Atlanta and the Ga Museum in Athens. He has recently begun another series which captures America’s transition through its people and their private spaces. He is using Airbnb and couchsurfing the country, interviewing the people he stays with and painting their portrait to accompany the dialogue. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/132 In this episode, Brendan discusses: -His new project in which he stays with various people from airbnb. -How he got started with his paintings of Walmart and the people there. -His goal to make something artistic out of the least artistic place in the world. -The stigma tha

Christina Bothwell is a sculptor who studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before teaching herself how to work with ceramics, and then cast glass. She has had eleven solo exhibitions of her work since 2006 and her sculptures are in public collections around the country and around the world.  She is drawn to the processes of birth, death, and renewal, and she is fascinated by what lies below the surface as she tries to capture the qualities of the “unseen.” Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/christinabothwell In this episode, Christina discusses: -What the “unseen” is that she tries to capture in her sculptures. -Why she likes to work with glass and how it has an otherworldly quality to it. -The idea of casting figures inside of her figures to suggest the soul and also pregnancy and birth. -How much of what she learned with her glass work was due to trial and error and “being a detective.” -The story of her first creative moments. -How art is supposed

Stephanie Law is a watercolor painter whose work is an exploration of mythology mixed with her personal symbolism.  Her art journeys through surreal otherworlds, populated by dreamlike figures, masked creatures, and winged shadows. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/stephanielaw In this episode, Stephanie discusses: -Where her vision for her surreal underworlds comes from. -How the things she paints have been on her mind her entire life. -How she became interested in dance and how she merges and incorporates it into her art. -The differences between visual art and dance. -Working for companies such as Wizards of the Coast and trying to maintain her own style at the same time. -The incredible shift that the Internet has provided for artists. -The story of her first creative moments. -Her realization that she did not want to live a life without art. -Her advice for balancing a non-creative career and a creative passion. -The power in setting a timeline for yourself with an actual specific goal as to wh

Laura Baumeister aka "thatsjustlaura" is a talented 16-year-old artist from Germany who has nearly six-digit followers on Instagram, in which she shares her art, mostly geared towards fashion.  She also has a YouTube channel in which she shares art-related videos and tutorials. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/thatsjustlaura In this episode, Laura discusses: -How she got started in art. -The experience of getting featured in a magazine with her fashion designs. -One of her influential teachers and the lessons he has taught her, including the fact that art has no rules. -An opportunity to be a part of an art exhibition that led her to create her Instagram page and also join an art association. -Criticism and "haters" and how to deal with them. -One of her worst moments when she was challenged to draw bigger than she had ever done, and how she overcame that challenge. -Her most triumphant moment, when she was featured in her first exhibition. -How drawing is a part of her daily routine, and how if yo