What do you need to be your best creative self? Where and how do you do your most innovative, exciting, unique-to-you work? And how can you take intentional steps to give yourself that “maximum creativity environment” so that you are able to do that kind of work? The answers to these questions are going to be different for every artist and every creative listening to this podcast. After all, what you need to be creative is different from what I need to be creative. But today, let’s listen in on one creative entrepreneur’s journey to foster her ideal artistic environment as she worked to give herself the gift of creativity.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How one artist managed her transition from a corporate position to self-employed creative entrepreneurship (and why she made that decision).
• What to look for as you figure out what kind of environment helps you be your creative best.
• Why it matters that you develop respect for your own artistic process.
• How giving yourself time to be creative can help you be your artistic best.
• Why labels like “part time” or “full time” are completely irrelevant to your journey as a creative entrepreneur.

In this episode, I mention the upcoming Thriving Narrators Retreat, which will take place August 22-25, 2024 in Cincinnati, OH. (Lisa Cahn of Prose Garden Productions, the guest for today's episode, will be a faculty member at this retreat.) You can learn more about this opportunity for audiobook narrators on my website, www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com/ThrivingNarratorsRetreat.

During our conversation, I mention the book Deep Work by Cal Newport.

This episode includes an interview with Lisa Cahn, who is the owner of Prose Garden Productions. Lisa will be a faculty member at the Thriving Narrators Retreat, August 22-25, 2024 in Cincinnati, OH. You can learn more about Lisa and the retreat here.

A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Full transcripts of every episode will always be available at the Starving Artist No More Blog.

Thank you for listening. Please feel free to reach out to me at www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com, with any questions, comments, or feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

As an artist who is also a small business owner, it sometimes feels like you’re pulled in two opposite directions: toward creative freedom and artistic expression on one side, and toward business-focused administrative tasks on the other. For most of us, in our creative training, whether that was art school or conservatory training or just a liberal arts education, everything was focused on the artsy side of things, with often no mention of business at all. And if you look to business literature or business coaches who cater to small business owners, which we are as creative entrepreneurs, that business material focuses entirely on efficient business administration, and creativity doesn’t even enter the picture. Where can the two sides – creative and business – meet? In today’s podcast episode, we’re going to figure out how these two elements of our creative businesses can and do interact in support of our artistic work. Let’s discuss how making decisions to follow our creative passion can actually help us in the business side of our work, forging a virtuous cycle of sustainable creativity.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How improving your technique can help you find creativity even when you’re not “feeling it.”
• What role your creativity plays in the business side of your work, and what role smart business decisions play in the creative side of your work
• Why sharing your ongoing artistic growth with others can help you grow and evolve even more as an artist.
• How identifying your core motivations when it comes to your creative work can help you make sustainable decisions, in both the creative and business sides of your work.
• How to balance the acceptance of risk and take a chance on new opportunities, with sustainable and responsible business choices.
• What mindset shift you can use to make any lingering imposter syndrome work for you and actually motivate you for positive change.

In this episode, I mention the upcoming Thriving Narrators Retreat, which will take place August 22-25, 2024 in Cincinnati, OH. (Neil Hellegers, the guest for today's episode, will be a faculty member at this retreat.) You can learn more about this opportunity for audiobook narrators on my website, www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com/ThrivingNarratorsRetreat.

During our conversation, I mention Episode 7 of this podcast (007: Working in your Creative & Financial Sweet Spot), and Neil and I discuss the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) database, which is a useful resource when learning accents.

This episode includes an interview with Neil Hellegers, who is an actor, audiobook narrator, and educator. Neil will be a faculty member at the Thriving Narrators Retreat, August 22-25, 2024 in Cincinnati, OH. You can learn more about Neil and the retreat here.

A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Full transcripts of every episode will always be available at the Starving Artist No More Blog.

Thank you for listening. Please feel free to reach out to me at www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com, with any questions, comments, or feedback. I'd love to hear from you.