Creative Confidants - Exploring And Encouraging The Origins Of Creativity

We lost, perhaps, the greatest American playwright a little over a week ago. So many careers were launched and forged by the tools that were his words. How did Neil Simon become the greatest comedic playwright of our time? Simple. He tried to do it.

Happy Birthday, Jason. What does the other side of 40 look like when you're chasing your creative pursuits? Time to hang up the spurs?  Dismount and pick a new metaphor? As the philosopher once said, "Age ain't nothin but a number."

Paying homage to the Queen of Soul. She earned everything she got and deserved a whole lot more. From two humble guys, here's a little more respect for Aretha Franklin.

And by "youth" we mean our twenties. What were you listening to when you were young, dumb and full of boundless optimism? We'll show you ours, if you show us yours... Also, Mick is back. Finally. And we're letting him stay--like the fools we are.  We've also started to refer to ourselves using the royal we. Oh, give us a break.  

It's time for a Space Dogs update! Barry and Jason takeover this episode of Creative Confidants to share their successes, shortcomings and exciting opportunities.  Once you have your product and seem to be getting it out there, what does it take to really find your audience? 

He went to some other country, shot a film or something, came back as hot snot and is off to the East Coast. So are we just doing a monthly podcast now? A seasonal podcast? NO!! ...MAYBE!! 

Long-time friend, sometime co-host and resident U2 expert Josh Covitt joins Jason in the garage for episode #221. We talk about Josh's transition from just being seen as a piece of meat in this town to a director calling the shots. Oh wait, is that where that phrase comes from?? 

We love collaboration. We praise it, we encourage it and we like to think we live it. But creativity is often a lonely pursuit. And we don't always have someone who shares our vision and our struggles. So what happens when you have to do something all by yourself?  This week I explore exactly that--by doing the podcast all by myself.

We did it! We cracked the definition of creativity. And it only took 219 episodes and for Mick to quit the podcast and leave the country. This is (hopefully!) a helpful episode that puts creativity, and what it means to be a creative being, into a digestible morsel. So gobble it up!  

Everyone hated "Hey-Ya" by Outkast when it started testing in markets in 2003. But it went on to be a Grammy Award-winning song and one of the top singles of the year, if not decade.  But it nearly died because it was slightly too different. Creativity can be a game of metaphorical inches. So we discuss how to make sure that what you're presenting to the world is the right amount of familiar and fresh.

It seems he hated titles. Don't call him an Abstract Expressionist and don't you dare ask what his paintings were titled. Yeah. He'd really hate that we mentioned him on a podcast.  "Silence is so accurate." - M.R.

He was punched. He was the punchline. Yet he kept taking shots for the sake of the work until, finally, he was forced to zoom out and look at his life from a safer distance.

So she didn't win-win. But really, she kind of won-won. And we still think the world will quickly become as infatuated with Greta Gerwig as we are.  Can she replace Woody Allen? At least one of us really hopes so.

What's the first step in any creative endeavor? Well, if you're like most people, it's self-doubt. If you're human, you fear being criticized, scrutinized and (unfoundedly) ostracized. Creativity always comes with fear. That's why, if you forget about asking permission and just let yourself do something, you'll find yourself already beyond where most of us end up. Pretty easy, huh? Yeah...right.

The non-harvest parts of creativity aren't necessarily the most rewarding. But is there a way we can get more out of them? Can we look at the digging and the sowing and the mulching and the, well, manure as equally important as the final product (produce?)? Sure. Why not?

Routine isn't boring, it's essential. We talk about how offloading information and automating processes can help free up your mind for creative pursuits. 

If you don't set out to win the day, the day will invariably win. Products, brands and other humans are all designed to capture your attention. So you need to establish a scorecard, create the game and Win the Day. #wintheday

Good morning! Plant seeds. Win the Day.  We talk about The Defiant Ones, what it means to plant seeds and where you should be/what you should be doing to get your garden to flourish. 

Hopefully 2018 brings you all the best changes. And in an uncertain future, if there is a North Star that we can navigate the waters of creativity by, it's the shining light of Mr. James Franco. You can might love him. You might hate him. But you have to admit, he's out there doing the work...shipping his art.

Where do you go from one of the biggest TV shows of all time? Anywhere you want...and that's not always a good thing. But you do have the opportunity to build your planet anyway you like.