Your Creative Push

Laurita Mazapán is a body artist and photographer who paints her body and the body of others to create an inner portrait of people where feelings and emotions are represented.  She uses body painting to represent the person within the body and to represent a moment that will disappear tomorrow. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/laurita In this episode, Laurita discusses: -How art is a way for her to release stress and cope with life. -How she got into painting on bodies as a progression from her photography. -The difference between painting on her own body and on someone else's body. -Her emotions when she has to wash away the body paint. -The story of one of her first creative moments. -How she didn't think her first body painting was very good, but still had that feeling of "finding gold." -How she changed the theme of her artwork, but because of the opinions of other people, she went back to painting the things they suggested (and lost her motivation to paint for ten years). -One of her worst mom

Joshua Harker is an American artist considered a pioneer and visuionary in 3D printed art and sculpture.  His series of “unmakeable” technically complex tangles is credited as the first to break the design and manufacturing threshold of possibility. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/127 In this episode, Joshua discusses: -His “Tangle” sculpture series and how it pushed the threshold of what was once thought to be impossible. -The reception that he got from pushing the boundaries in the way that he did. -How he ended up becoming something of an ambassador for 3D printing. -How he runs his operation on his own without employees, and how secretarial work can sometimes take up more time than you want. -His advice for any creative person that has a lot of things on their plate. -His Kickstarter campaigns, the avenues they opened up for him, and the exposure that they gave him. -His advice for the times that you are not being as productive as you want to be. -His relationship with social media and his adv

Zack is an oil painter from Reading, PA who specializes in dark art.  And not just any dark art, but the kind of dark art that will make you remember all the long-forgotten, repressed nightmares from your childhood. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/zackdunn In this episode, Zack discusses: -How he got started with dark art as a coping mechanism after coming back from his tour of Afghanistan. -How painting always helps with the day-to-day stress of life. -How he deals with criticism of his work. -The value of having fans who support him wholeheartedly. -His strategy for painting over his pieces that haven’t sold in a year. -How he wants to show himself and other people how much progress you can make if you put in the time dedication into your art every day. -The importance of looking back into the past and comparing it to your present like a “before” and “after” picture when you are trying to lose weight. -How he hasn’t encountered too many “hard times” from anyone in the art world, as everyone has

Elizabeth is a New York City- based visual artist, specializing in Pop Art and collages, implementing a mathematical approach to her thoughtfully juxtaposed prints.  Her work tells the mind of the artist, and with her mathematical proportion and algorithmic color placement, nothing is accidental and everything is intuitive.  Elizabeth was also recently awarded a position within the New York Designs Incubator Program. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/elizabethsutton In this episode, Elizabeth discusses: -The NY Designs Incubator Program and what it does for artists. -The importance of sometimes saying “Later” instead of “no” or “yes.” -Some of her earliest creative memories with scrapbooking. -How a recent miscarriage affected her creativity. -The importance of asking for help so that you can progress and learn things. -How she was able to be cash-flow positive from the beginning. -Her advice for artists who are just starting off and looking to see if they are going to be able to make money from the

Ali Cavanaugh is an internationally represented fine artist who is known for her watercolor paintings on clay, in a process she calls modern fresco painting. Her paintings have been featured on book covers, print publications like The New York Times Magazine, American Art Collector, and American Artist Watercolor, as well as internet features such as the Huffington Post, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose.  She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and their four children. Missed Part 1?  Listen here! Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/124 In this episode, Ali discusses: -How every person on this planet has a gift and you sometimes have to change your perspective to see that. -How she relates more to the female figure, and that is why she ends up painting it more often, even with her own children as the subjects. -Being featured on the cover of the 100th issue of American Art Collector. -Her advice for balancing your time in order to keep working on your art. -The importance of maki

Ali Cavanaugh is an internationally represented fine artist who is known for her watercolor paintings on clay, in a process she calls modern fresco painting. Her paintings have been featured on book covers, print publications like The New York Times Magazine, American Art Collector, and American Artist Watercolor, as well as internet features such as the Huffington Post, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose.  She currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and their four children. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/alicavanaugh In this episode, Ali discusses: -Her modern fresco painting process and how it came about. -How she used her family as an excuse for her not being successful. -How your twenties should be about playing around with your art and your style, and how you shouldn’t stress too much about your end goal. -The unrealistic idea of coming out of school and immediately being able to sell your art. -Why you actually shouldn’t want your career to take off exponentially from the sta

Russ Lascala aka Swell Visuals is a New York based wave photographer. You can find him swimming in the ocean year round mostly during sun up or sun down. One day, Russ found himself awestruck by the movement of the ocean.  He wanted to somehow ignite that same feeling in others, which then led him to a camera. From then on it has been an ever changing and improving outlet to show people the beauty that this planet offers. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/swellvisuals In this episode, Russ discusses: -The story of the first time that he decided to bring a GoPro out into the ocean with him. -How he sometimes has to sacrifice his body in order to hold out for the perfect shot. -Another sacrifice he has to make of facing extremely cold temperatures. -The upgrades that he has made since taking that first shot. -A photography class he took that gave him the initial inspiration to go with the kinds of shots that he was interested in taking. -The notion of taking the same type of photograph over and over.

Stephen Silver was born in London and aspired to be a professional artist his entire life.  Knowing that drawing would be his vocation, he got his professional start in 1992, drawing caricatures at Sea World in San Diego. He has designed characters for Disney Television Animation, Sony Feature Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, designing the style of the shows such as "Kim Possible," "Danny Phantom," Kevin Smith's "Clerks" the animated series, and many more. He is the author and artist of 7 self-published books on the art of sketching, character design, caricature drawing, and life drawing.  He is also the owner of Silver Drawing Academy, an art school located in Los Angeles, CA. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/stephensilver In this episode, Stephen discusses: -How he was never a good student growing up, but always knew that art was his path. -At the end of the day, a degree doesn’t matter -- all that matters is how well you can draw. -The experience of meeting Mort Drucker from Mad Magazine and

Jacob Looney was born in Athens, Texas. He moved to Philadelphia in 2008 to study animation at the University of the Arts, but later transferred to The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to study painting. He graduated with a B.F.A and Certificate from P.A.F.A in 2013 and went on, with a travel scholarship, to explore around parts of the UK and Scandinavia. Jacob returned to Philadelphia in 2014 and began working at several museums while continuing his art practice in West Philly. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jacoblooney In this episode, Jacob discusses: -His path after college that got him involved with museums. -The notion of really slowing down and internalizing that things you are looking at. -His Kickstarter project and what he is attempting to accomplish through it. -How the first drawings or notes that you take down might seem awkward in an empty book, but it quickly becomes natural. -The experience of putting his private drawings out into the public and how it is like exposing a piec

Moira Hahn is a talented artist who has exhibited her fine art throughout the United States, Japan and Canada over the last two decades. She has traveled all over the Southwest to study petroglyphs, pictographs, and Native American visual culture. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/moira In this episode, Moira discusses: -The difference between petroglyphs and pictographs and how they influenced her earlier art. -Her uncle who lived in Japan, who was one of her earliest influences. -How her style is always developing. -Her fear of exhibiting and the way she was able to get past it. -The importance of researching jurors of shows and finding out what they like and what their work looks like. -Some of her earliest creative moments. -The power in getting back to your childlike wonder in regards to creativity. -How lack of support of family or friends can sometimes make being a creative person a tough road. -If you are born with the desire to be an artist, you are going to be an artist. -One of her hardes

Andrew Huang is a Toronto-based music and video producer with a penchant for working within absurd, self-imposed limitations.  He has released over 2,000 songs in a massive range of genres. Andrew is best known for his Song Challenge video series, which invites viewers to dare him in feats of musicianship, and has garnered him over 40,000,000 views on his YouTube channel. He has penned a five-language rap, composed a song with 300,000 notes in it (in celebration of surpassing 300,000 subscribers), and covered numerous pop songs using only the sounds of items mentioned in the lyrics - for instance, "99 Red Balloons" played on red balloons. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/andrewhuang In this episode, Andrew discusses: -How he started making such creative music videos. -The story of one of his first sponsored videos from a jeans company. -His expectations for, and his eventual relationship with sponsors. -The notion of trying as much as you can and seeing what "sticks to the wall." -How it is sometim

Lois van Baarle is a freelance illustrator and animator living in Utrecht (the Netherlands).  She has lived all over the world, including the United States, Indonesia, France, and Belgium.  She is widely known online as Loish, and has become a sensation in the digital art world.  Her first published collection of her works is called “The Art of Loish” and was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2 hours. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/loish In this episode, Lois discusses: -What it was like to sell out her Kickstarter campaign in such a short period of time. -What the positive feedback and the support of her fans means to her. -One of her early memories of drawing in kindergarten, and an important lesson that she learned as a result. -Manipulating your lucky mistakes in your favor. -The notion of getting distance from your work and also sharing it out into the world. -How some of the pieces that she thinks will do the best end up not receiving as much attention and vice versa. -Her repetitive st

Roxanne Charles is a mixed media artist of Strait Salish and European descent. She is an active and proud member of Semiahmoo First Nation in Surrey, British Columbia where she promotes art, language, and culture.  Roxanne is a contemporary story teller whose goal is to touch, move, and inspire others through her work. She works with a wide range of media. Her work often explores a variety of themes such as spirituality, identity, hybridity, the environment, urbanization and various forms of structural violence. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/roxanne In this episode, Roxanne discusses: -Her artistic history and how she got to the point she was at today. -The moment that she realized that she could get back into art as a potential career. -How she uses art as a tool to engage in conversations with people. -Some of the issues that she tries to use her art to start the conversation, such as colonization and the displacement of women. -How creating an art community allows the art to be seen and touch

Zoë Williams creates otherworldly creatures that serve as spirit guides.  Her needle felt sculptures are inspired by dreams, visions, and the collective unconscious. Born in 1983 in New Orleans, LA, Zoë Williams holds a BA in Fine Art from the University of New Orleans and a Certificate in Fiber Art from the University of Washington. Her work in needle felted wool has been exhibited in galleries around the world. She currently lives and works in New York City. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/zoe In this episode, Zoë discusses: -Her artistic history and what inspired her to want to start needle felting. -The first sculpture she made of a rabbit based on a dream that she had. -The concept of the collective unconscious and how it affects her artwork and her life. -How she has always been fearless for the type of materials she uses in her sculptures. -Her advice for anyone who wants to do something completely unique or different. -The value of trial and error. -How a part-time job might actually allow

Jane Radstrom is a figurative painter from San Francisco, CA. She is known for her unique pastel portraits of people depicted with multiple poses layered over one another, so that they appear to be moving.  Her work is shown in galleries across America, and has won awards from The Portrait Society, The Pastel Society of the West Coast and Pastel Journal Magazine. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jane In this episode, Jane discusses: -Her upcoming move to Berlin. -A look into what she does as a painter and how she got to her current situation as an artist. -How she goes about making the double exposure portraits with models. -The role that her photography plays in the creation of one of her portraits, and how she has to sometimes make an effort to not employ all of her creativity during the shooting so she can still make decisions during the actual painting. -How the double exposure portraits came to be, almost accidentally. -How she tries to use an introverted moment and an extroverted moment in he

Xin Li is a twenty-one-year-old photographer living in Bergen, Norway who likes to chase light.  She has been interested in photography all of her life and believes that photography is not just important to document the beauty that she sees around her, but to also tell stories with her work. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/xin In this episode, Xin discusses: -How she got her initial interest in photography and the journey that she took to get to the place that she is now. -How she gets very emotionally attached to her photographs because they often come from her own feelings. -How photography (and all forms of art) can be used as a way to get your emotions out, and in that way it can be a form of therapy. -What it was like when she first started sharing her photos on social media. -How she sometimes struggles with comparing herself to other photographers, and how important it is to admire instead of compare. -A time when she was in a creative limbo, not taking pictures (and how she got out of it).

Michele Chiaramonte is a former New York City school-teacher turned stay-at-home mom, turned woodworker.  She designs and hand-makes children’s imaginative play toys for her company, Little Miss Workbench, an ecofriendly workshop out of Bellport Village, New York. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/littlemissworkbench In this episode, Michele discusses: -The story of how Little Miss Workbench came to be. -How her daughter, Mali, was always trying to play with her DSLR camera, which gave her the idea to make her a wooden one of her own. -How the camera evolved as it was being created and as more people got their hands on it. -The support of friends and family who were interested in having the toys for themselves or someone they knew. -How she always wanted Little Miss Workbench to be a home-grown company that stayed in the United States. -The skills that she learned growing up from her father, who was a master craftsman. -The importance of being able to surround yourself with people and resources that

Brandyn Burnette is a progressive soul producer/singer-songwriter from St. Louis, Missouri currently living in Los Angeles. This self taught, 3rd generation musician has crafted his own sound and style that has begun to takeover the pop underground world from the inside out.  He released his first EP “Made of Dreams” in 2015, and his latest EP “State I’m In” comes out (TODAY) on June 24th, 2016. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/brandyn In this episode, Brandyn discusses: -The difference between State I'm In and Made of Dreams, his first EP. -How the titles of his records are self-explanatory and their significance. -The story behind his song, "State I'm In" and the serendipitous discovery of something that he wrote when he was fifteen. -How each of the songs in State I'm In were lyrically created in different ways and how he learned to stay open to different ways of writing songs. -The role that destiny plays in his life, as well as the new record. -The freedom that he felt after leaving his first

Picolo is a traditional and digital freelance illustrator based in Brazil.  He took the internet by storm with his 365 Days of Doodles project, in which he blessed the internet with a new complex and detailed drawing every day for a year.  He used that success to build an incredible following on DeviantArt, Instagram, & Facebook, where he continues to generously open up his sketchbook as well as his words of advice for defeating procrastination.  Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/picolo In this episode, Picolo discusses: -His self-taught artistic past and how comics, anime, and manga. -What inspired him to start his 365 Days of Doodles project in 2014. -How being able to draw every day comes down to having the right mindset. -How the first month of a long-term goal can often be the hardest one, but once you get past that initial period, it becomes much easier to do it every day. -The first step is hardest for him is breaking the ice and sitting down to put them on paper. -How you can start out w

Eyoälha Baker is a Canadian photographer who is spreading joy one jump at a time.  With her Jump for Joy Photography project, she travels the world taking photos of people from all walks of life in mid-air as they jump for joy in an attempt to showcase the beauty of the human spirit. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/jumpforjoy In this episode, Eyoälha discusses: -How she first got into photography. -The story behind the Jump for Joy Photography project. -How she was frustrated with the way that media seems to only capture negative images. -Her fascination with the idea of "groupthink" and her desire to make it work for positive emotions and outcomes as well. -The various opportunities that have come from starting the Jump for Joy Photo Project. -Her decision to make a mural and the synchronistic way that things seemed to come together for her (with the help of others). -How approaching the bad neighborhood that her mural was in from a place of joy made her see it in a new light, and helped the peop