Can creativity and a community of like-minded souls propel your journey as an artist? This special episode of Mind Over Medium brings you the inspiring story of Marissa Huber, the brilliant artist and co-creator of the Instagram community Carve Out Time for Art, a thriving group of 33,000 creatives. Our conversation is an intimate reflection on Marissa's journey, how she owned her creative life, empowered others through her art, and embraced her identity amidst challenges.
In this dynamic narrative, Marissa unravels the challenge of blending passion with profession. Her journey into the surface pattern design industry, riddled with rejections and triumphant victories, is sure to touch your heart. We delve into strategies for juggling multiple roles, maintaining focus, and setting realistic goals. Marissa also shares her unique approach towards coaching, and how it helped her refine her identity and empower others.
Finally, we explore a theme that resonates with many artists - the imposter syndrome. Marissa shares her personal experiences of feeling judged and her battle against this self-doubt. We engage in a candid discussion about systemic discrimination in the art world, its impact, and the importance of acknowledging it. As we approach the end, we touch upon the challenges of staying motivated, especially in a post-COVID world. Tune in for an enriching conversation, guaranteed to inspire you to own your creative journey and push your boundaries.
You can connect with Marissa
https://www.marissahuber.com/
https://www.instagram.com/marissahuber/
If you would like to market your work with ease grab this handy tool I made for you Here.
Can creativity and a community of like-minded souls propel your journey as an artist? This special episode of Mind Over Medium brings you the inspiring story of Marissa Huber, the brilliant artist and co-creator of the Instagram community Carve Out Time for Art, a thriving group of 33,000 creatives. Our conversation is an intimate reflection on Marissa's journey, how she owned her creative life, empowered others through her art, and embraced her identity amidst challenges.
In this dynamic narrative, Marissa unravels the challenge of blending passion with profession. Her journey into the surface pattern design industry, riddled with rejections and triumphant victories, is sure to touch your heart. We delve into strategies for juggling multiple roles, maintaining focus, and setting realistic goals. Marissa also shares her unique approach towards coaching, and how it helped her refine her identity and empower others.
Finally, we explore a theme that resonates with many artists - the imposter syndrome. Marissa shares her personal experiences of feeling judged and her battle against this self-doubt. We engage in a candid discussion about systemic discrimination in the art world, its impact, and the importance of acknowledging it. As we approach the end, we touch upon the challenges of staying motivated, especially in a post-COVID world. Tune in for an enriching conversation, guaranteed to inspire you to own your creative journey and push your boundaries.
You can connect with Marissa
https://www.marissahuber.com/
https://www.instagram.com/marissahuber/
If you would like to market your work with ease grab this handy tool I made for you Here.
Welcome to Mind Over Medium, a podcast for artists who want to make money doing what they love. When you tune in a twink you will learn how to attract your ideal commissions, approach galleries for representation, have a great online launch of your work, and how to do it all with less overwhelm and confusion. You will have the opportunity to hear from amazing artists who will share how they have built their successful creative businesses. My hope is to create a space where artists and the creative curious can gather to learn about one of the most important tools creative entrepreneurs need in their toolbox their mindset. Thanks so much for tuning in to Mind Over Medium podcast. Let's get started. Well, today I'm really happy and honored to be chatting with Marissa Huber, who you may know. Did I pronounce your last name correctly, huber? Yes, Okay.
Speaker 1:No, she's a great artist, but she also is one of the co-creators of Caravout Time for Art on Instagram and also an author, a co-author of the Motherhood of Art, the book the Motherhood of Art, and I'm really, really happy to be here with you today and I appreciate you being willing to chat with me. Do you want to say a couple things about yourself and introduce yourself?
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, no, I'm so honored to be here and Leanne. Whatever this becomes, I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to listen on my commute to work.
Speaker 2:I think a little thing about me is I love creating community, I love creating art, and to me they've become kind of intertwined and I feel very strongly about supporting and empowering others, no matter what your circumstances in life looks like, because my life is not perfect by any means. I have a day job, I have a family, live with my mom all these things but I want to make sure I can still move towards the things that make me happy and fulfill me and I want to show them, my kids that too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, well you in that. Thank you for sharing that. In that, you brought up something that I wanted to ask you about, because I'm curious to know from your experience of working with so many artists through the artist takeover, which is how I found you working with so many different artists at varying stages of their journey career. Maybe it's not a career is there any common thread with work? When you did you find anything that connects all the people that you've worked with, maybe like thought processes or mindset or anything like that? That was a very discombobulated question. I apologize.
Speaker 2:No, I'm trying to know. So yeah, for context, I run Carvert Time for Art, an Instagram community of like 33,000 with Heather Kirtland, who's an internet friend, turns one of my best friends, honestly, but it was her idea. We started hosting a Day in People's Life in 2017, and we've hosted over 300 artists, I think, just to share what does a day in your life look like. You know, whatever that is, I think the common thread is that there's no one size fits all, but that it's about making a decision to own your own creative life. Whatever that is, and I think like that's the only thing I would say really connects everybody that they're doing something, even if it's not all the time, but they're saying I'm committed to being a creative, to being an artist. I want more of this in my life, and here I am this is how I'm showing up.
Speaker 1:Well, it's so nice that you give people a platform that you created, this platform that feels very inclusive, very encouraging, and I do think it's important that, no matter the stage that you're in with your creative process, that it's valuable, like it's all valuable no matter where you are, and I feel like that community really helps support that which is really cool.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that Well, because I think there's so much pressure when we see, I mean there's one thing not to get into, like two in the weeds about, like what is being an artist, what is being a creative who is allowed to say this, like all of the things right, and if you can see my face, I'm kind of like almost like rolling my eyes and wanting to use air quotes, right, but it's like if you want to do something, do it, you know. But there's, and there's so many ways to do that. Like somebody in our community might have a goal that I need to supplement my income, I might need to do this and my art is not even something I enjoy and I productize it. I know people like that and that's fine. And then other people might just say, if I don't do this, I will feel like my soul is dying and that's what my art practices to me, and like there's just such a spectrum. So I think that's interesting to kind of understand that and see it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, going back to something that you touched on is when people I think you said whether they call themselves an artist or not working with clients like that sometimes is the first hurdle like that they have a really big disconnect, like for whatever reason, like I haven't sold a piece or I don't even know what the reasons are, but have you found that to be true in working with?
Speaker 2:people. Oh yeah, that could be like one of the most triggering questions of anything. That's true. I think it's like, at what point do you feel like you've made it? If we want to say that, like, what does that even mean? But also, you know, like and I think it comes to the judgment, like, who's judging us? Like what do we feel in our hearts?
Speaker 2:For me, it was hard to say I was an artist because my own husband is. He has his master's in fine art. All of our friends do you know, they're representational painters and for a long time I really diminished what I was doing in a long, you know. And then it wasn't until, like, I had my child and I had always been doing art, like my husband and all these friends were supportive too. It was my own stuff that I realized if the thing that I most need to feel like myself with having a new baby in my life has changed is making art, then I need to start calling myself an artist, you know, because that was like, that was my moment, but that was years later, you know. It's like 34, when that really said, okay, I can say this, you know. So, yeah, it's uncommon?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't either. Well, I really like how that came to be for you and that you embraced it. I mean, that's, that's that's where we want to be, that's what we want to get to, and I wish we didn't make it so hard Me too. Now you seem to be a great encourager. That seems to be a gift of yours. Have you always been this way, and did you have that modeled for you? How did that come to be?
Speaker 2:Oh, you know, I think I think I kind of almost show up as who I need to be, like in my my parents my dad's gone, but like my parents were always very encouraging about the creative things that I did, but I think because but they weren't sitting here, like you know, I feel like I'm the unicorn of the family, like hey, like you know, very coach, like like, tell me about your hopes and dreams. I don't want to hear about you, know your. I don't want to hear about the weather but wow what lights you up.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's me. So I think like that has just naturally come out and the more I practice it and feel like people need that encouragement, I think it goes back to like being in middle school or being in elementary school. I didn't always feel like I fit in. I'm I'm half Filipino, half white, which is awesome, and but I wasn't Asian enough. I wasn't white and all white. I was always kind of different and other and I was like nerdy or I remembered what it felt like to look, be left out. So I think so. I think like going from middle school and just feeling like awkward, not fitting in, and then somehow in middle school, like I had made my. This is like a long story, sorry.
Speaker 2:No it's great. I made friends and I was a diver, so like I kind of fit into my group. When I met a bunch of kids on the diving team you know we're all running around there was people weren't really mean, we all like were there for each other and I could just be myself. And then I had my friends at school. Like my nerdy middle school friends love them, that they saw me for who I was and liked me and we didn't have to try to be cool. But then when I went to middle school, being on the diving team and the swim team, like was they were really? They were cool kids and quotes, they were really nice.
Speaker 2:And I found myself like hanging out with people who were more popular and I'm like, oh, but I don't have to be mean, I can still be myself and encouraging and inclusive and say, hey, that's not right to make fun of that person or that's not that. So that's where I could see myself. How do I make sure that I I support people who might need help or who are, you know, needing that, and I was taught that by my parents for sure. Yeah, look up with underdogs. Like, stand up for what's right. Somebody says something you know, women can do anything, all those things.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's great. Well, it definitely comes through in everything that I see you post or write about, or how you show up for sure.
Speaker 2:And I think, but I do think it's a muscle like when we remember to do it, it becomes easier and it becomes more natural.
Speaker 1:But if we?
Speaker 2:forget to do it, then we you know yeah, it can atrophy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you wear a lot of hats, am I right? Yes, yeah, do you feel overwhelmed?
Speaker 2:very often, yes, sometimes I do so I wear a lot of hats. Maybe I'll say like I'm a consultant by training, so I support my family, I'm a professional consultant, I'm a director, that's my full-time job. That's where I make at least 95% of my income. And then what else do I do? But then I wanted to do art on the side. So sometimes I would do art on the side and that kind of ended up being more surface pattern design. So sometimes I license artwork, sometimes I make art for myself.
Speaker 2:I wrote the book this is not all at the same time, and I have the community and of course, I'm a mom to two kids and a dog. So I think what I do is I try to put in space Like, okay, I'm one of those people where if I'm not doing at least a couple of things, I'll feel almost bored, but if I'm doing too many things, that's when I get overwhelmed. So I'm definitely no, I need to say no right now to this. Or if I'm feeling stressed about this, is this forever or is this did I bring this upon myself, you know? So we're knowing like, does this, is this part of my priorities or not?
Speaker 1:Because if it's not, then I need to say no, yeah, it sounds like you know yourself and kind of can catch things Maybe either pretty early on or you're not doing anything, I'm not doing anything, I'm not doing anything, I'm not doing anything, I'm not doing anything, I'm not doing anything, and those things maybe either. Pretty early on or yeah, Are able to reflect on it and then choose something different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of learning. And sometimes you know, oh yeah, I should have, but I need to remember to learn from this. But yeah, yeah. So with your surface pattern, talk about that a little bit. With your design, your design work, creative work.
Speaker 2:No, I love that. Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about coaching. But yes, that's another hot. Oh yeah, yes, and coaching, yes, I want to hear about that.
Speaker 1:No, I love it.
Speaker 2:So service pattern design. I kind of got more into that because it was circumstance where I said my life is really hectic and busy. I had a 10 hour commute to Miami five days a week for a long time and I was like, what art can I actually make? I could maybe paint one to two weekends, like for a couple of hours here and there, and doesn't didn't feel like I was moving the needle towards some of my art goals, yeah. But then I said I have my iPad and I have my phone and I started getting into like digital drawing. So that became you know what, if I do more digital drawing, maybe I can and I enjoy it and I've always loved pattern. So I said let me learn how to do surface pattern design. And that was about 20, 2016, 2017.
Speaker 2:I just kind of went with it. I applied first, I learned how to do it. I watched YouTube Like this was before like Bonnie Christine, I think, had her big goal, so I would have loved to have taken that or something. But I watched these awesome illustrator YouTube videos, yeah, like 15 minutes at a time, and I ended up submitting to Minted that's how I kind of broke into that where I created a collection and some things got picked up at Minted and that sort of gave me some. Also, I had some encouraging friends who were like submit, go do it.
Speaker 2:And I got some things and like that started getting traction, yeah, that's great. But and then, like over the years, I would I enjoyed it. I would kind of like, ok, create a collection and I might like try to pitch it to companies. You know some things like I learned from friends. There's a really great surface pattern design community. I've become friends with so many generous people in that and then just also kind of pitching on my own saying, hey, like I don't have anything to lose, yeah, I'm going to ask this company this and maybe they say something, maybe they don't. So I found some opportunities.
Speaker 1:That's great. That leads to my next question. I think in this line of work the creative side we all have to deal with rejection. How does that affect you? How do you deal with it?
Speaker 2:I think. I think it's getting the older I get, probably that gets easier. But also, I don't know there's. I try to think about rejection, like, like you know, music. Like I'll think about music and say, ok, there's a band my husband loves them. They're not my favorite band, it's not because they're not a good band, I'm just they're just not one of the same tastes as he does.
Speaker 2:So when I remind myself I might not be the right fit for other people and I don't need to take that personally, like I can love somebody and not necessarily their art might not speak to me in a different way because it's so personal. So I try to remember that with, like you know, applying to things, and I think if we're not trying hard enough sometimes, like if you're getting, if you're never getting any rejection, then you're probably not stretching enough. I think about like that. So we call them like Heather and I would call them bad ass rejections. We probably got 20 rejections for our book proposal when we were trying that and so we put a folder in our email inbox and we called it like badass rejections.
Speaker 2:And we just create in there and like, try to get more of them right.
Speaker 1:Uh huh, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is, I think, with. Do you find, with, have you found, especially getting started in a creative career, that I mean it can be a little discouraging, and do you? How did you keep up your positivity or encourage other people to continue to be positive? I do think you're right. If you're not getting rejected rejected, you're probably not putting yourself out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's funny, my husband and I were talking about that recently, like you know where. He said you know if you're applying for a jury shows all the time and you know sometimes it's just not going to be the right fit. I think what was the point of that or what did you just ask?
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, no, what would you encourage people just getting started? How to deal with rejected rejection. Oh, I'm having a hard time talking today.
Speaker 2:I think it's because it's towards the end of the day and I talk, so much, no, no, I mean I would say try to remember that like you, you as a person, you're fine, like you're a wonderful person, just because you are, you exist, you exist in the worlds, you deserve love, all those things. It's not because you're not a better person, because you've achieved this goal or you did that or you were in this magazine. That's icing. Those are like fun things and I think we forget that Like. So I try to make it not be so personal, but instead to be like oh, isn't this fun? Or like what if we did that? And I think if I approach it more with a or if I encourage people to approach it with, let's have fun with this. Like let's get shot down or let's get ignored. You know like that becomes repetitive. I heard Tiffany Han they still listened to her podcast years ago and she had that like 100, I think she had like a hundred rejections or something like that program.
Speaker 2:And that stuck with me because she was like challenging people to basically, you know, go get the nose because you're trying and sometimes you get a yes. So I always remember that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good one. I forgot about that. Yeah, I remember. I know exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah and I keep a list in my journal, which this is even have it now like just things that I tried. So I'm making, I'm probably reframing it to be like pitches oh my gosh, like nope, didn't hear back from them, didn't hear back from them. But I get to feel good that I put it out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. Yes, that's so good. And are you organized? Are you an organized person?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know where the chaos is. I'm like I'm like kind of like I love a spreadsheet, but I'm also like, no, I got my. Yeah, I'm like lazy, analog efficient. If I don't put it on a calendar now, I'll forget it. So I make myself be pretty organized.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, tell me about your coaching. I know this is new for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I got more interested in coaching One of my best friends from college. Actually, she's a, you know, she's been a coach certified. She specializes in the food and beverage industry, like she worked in top restaurants in Manhattan and then did a big life switch. So I'd hear about it from her. She was so excited and she's like you need to be a coach, you need to be a coach. I'm like no, no, because I think I had like some hangups about what coaching is. Yeah, since yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, same we're all be very candid here. Like I, probably I am helpful, and I think for a long time I was probably taught that my value is tied into how I can help others and be generous right, which I want to be generous, because I want to be generous but I don't want to be taken advantage, right, and I don't want to do things just so people will like me. Of course, it's about how do we give back and support one another, yeah. So once I realized, oh, coaching actually has some boundaries in it. You're not just solving people's problems, you're more empowering them to help them, but it's really about supporting them. They're a main part of that. Then I was like, oh okay, I understand this. So then I decided my work actually paid for me to get a like 22 weeks coaching certification through that's great, my gosh. The CTA, the Coach Training Alliance.
Speaker 1:I'm creating the name right now.
Speaker 2:No, it's not. It was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. I learned so much and I had kind of tested it out beforehand with a couple of clients. But that was like that was a game changer for me because I could understand, you know, how do you, you know, put an agenda together, how do you really make an impact, how do you move, help to people to move forward? And I was like, okay, sign me up. Like I really love doing this and I had to do so much certification for the program to end. So I was like, yeah, so now, as of now, where I'm at is, I've worked with about like six paying you know, paying clients right now, kind of on and off. And then I had, like I got to do 20 sample sessions with just different artists, which were amazing and a lot ended up being like artists and people that I knew. But it was cool to see like how I can work with people where these like niches could be, where I could support and, yeah, just kind of letting it happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nice. So you use it with your corporate gig and then you're also doing it on your own. Is that what I understand?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'm for my corporate like with some of my consulting work. I do like workplace strategy, so a lot of and change management. So I'm helping people to like how did we connect virtually in a hybrid environments? How do we bring people together? So a lot of those things that I learned from social media and Instagram. But that's where I'm kind of trying to think of programs where I can coach and help in that area. But in the meantime I'm just focusing on, like, personal clients outside of work.
Speaker 1:Nice, that's awesome, it is fun and I think you know, for whatever reason, coaching or life coaching has gotten some good digs, like in shows and things like that, and so, yeah, I had the same thing when I went through. I'm like, what am I doing?
Speaker 2:But I love it.
Speaker 1:What am I doing?
Speaker 2:I know, and it's kind of an interesting thing because I think, like a lot of people who do, who are doing something, and people are looking to you for advice, and I feel like when they I started thinking about it, when enough people were coming to me to be like, hey, I wanna pick your brain, I wanna ask you about this, and I felt like I did have things to say. Or if I was teaching because I would say teaching is different than coaching but if I was like teaching a course, I'm like you know, I do have a lot of opinions on that. So that's been interesting to kind of see how that transitions and it has for a lot of people, cause we've all, kind of, you know, grown up in this world together. You know it does make sense and I think you're probably an amazing, I know you're an amazing coach, I can imagine yeah.
Speaker 1:Thanks. Does imposter syndrome ever come up for you, and if it does, how do you deal with it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it comes up for a lot of people. I've seen it come up more. I mean, I mentioned a little bit with art, with that. Yeah, I think if I'm feeling it, if I'm feeling like oh my gosh, what am I doing? Or like this is all socks, I hate it, then I'm really I probably need to either get off the internet and like go take a walk or go create something.
Speaker 2:go create some crappy work, or just like my imposter syndrome, I think, comes from. Do I think someone else is judging me? But you know, just being aware, like okay, what's triggering me? How would I tell other people to deal with it? I would say, so many people I talk to, everyone is dealing with something. No one is like walking around in the world saying, wow, I really have this figured out. And the one thing is because I get to talk to, like people at the tops of companies for my work, I see that, oh, I don't think anybody really hasn't figured out. So that also gives me a lot more confidence, like to do my best and put myself out there. You know, and just to know, like is if somebody's gonna judge me who's also not willing to put them themselves out there, that I need to not let that account for something. But if somebody that I might want their critique or feedback, then but they're doing the work and they understand it like that's a person I wanna talk to.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, it can be a real thing.
Speaker 2:I think so, yeah, yeah, and it's also like it's been like, as women, especially like when we look at all the cultural implications. I wanna say women because like being acknowledged or being of like gender fluidity and different things, but like historically, it's like women and people of color. I feel like we're being told like oh, you don't deserve to be in these places, so I've seen articles where it's saying there's an impact around. You know imposter syndrome like you're not gonna see in, like, say, white males, just because of how systems were set up.
Speaker 1:So I try to look at that as well. Yeah, yeah, that's a really good point. Yeah, what do you believe about your ability to create what you want?
Speaker 2:I guess that I can figure it out. Let me see or like to make the work I want, or that I can make things happen yeah whatever I think, as an artist I've learned to trust that I can figure things out. So not always an art like I can't always make what I want it to look like in my head I do that like sign me up.
Speaker 2:Wouldn't that be great? Yeah, but there's so many transferable skills. When they ask me at work to do something like, hey, can you figure this out? I know, as an artist, I know how to make decisions. I know how to improvise. I know how to get something done and take something nebulous to something that can be executed. I know how to ask questions, so that works. What I would like to work on is like I'll look at other people's art, who I'm like. Oh wow, it's so simple. But then sometimes I think I need to overcomplicate what I want to make, which is so funny. So that's something I need to work on.
Speaker 1:I hear you. I feel that all the time it's funny because what I'm drawn to thank you for sharing that what I'm drawn to visually, it's always very, very simple. And then what I do is like so complicated and it's not so complicated, but it's not simple, and I'm like what am I? It feels a little confusing in my brain. Is that what you're speaking of too?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like I need to give myself permission to just make super simple things sometimes, and let that be enough. What do I do? Sometimes I don't know or not feel guilty about, you know, not using all your art supplies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you know it's funny. I just moved my studio to my house and I found this place here in Atlanta where you donate your art supplies and then they sell them like super, super inexpensively. It was amazing. I'm like I wish I had known about this years ago, because then I wouldn't feel so bad. I know, Not using things, but you have to figure out what you like and that sometimes you just don't yeah, like, just how do?
Speaker 2:we, we have so much and I don't know if I just speak to probably more women than men about these things Like we put so much guilt on ourselves over what we don't use, what we don't do, or how much it's like wow, like no, yeah, you know, just like my husband. He's like no, there are supplies. He's like don't use them, don't hoard them. And I'm like, oh my gosh, you're right. Like I was using my colorade paper, which we got years ago for something, and I was letting my toddler use them now and I'm like what am I gonna do with it? You know I can use it. She can use it. Like we can buy and that's what he said he goes well, you know we can buy more art supplies.
Speaker 1:We're all like oh yes, you're right. Yes, yeah, yeah, I guess it's having a it's a little abundant mindset. And first is the scarcity mindset around all of that and it can be like, oh, I don't wanna use it up, it feels so precious but that's why we buy it and that's why you know that is part of us doing. Our job is to use those things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly cause it's like do you wanna have it dry up and you don't use it. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. Let's just remove some guilt. I think, overall, like that would be the one take away, I wanna do encourage people to not feel so guilty all this time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and get rid of the shoulds. Yeah, yeah, that's when I'm like, well, I should be doing this or I should have done this. Oh, come on, no, no no, let's not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what do you want to do, or what must you do?
Speaker 1:How do you celebrate your wins?
Speaker 2:Oh, getting better. I'm encouraging others to get better along the way, if you see a thread there.
Speaker 2:No, that is a hard one, cause I feel like I did come from a family where, you know, like my mom's Asian, like my dad is very much well, he's passed, but like very, oh, I don't want anything for my birthday, yeah. So I think I internalized a lot of that and I needed to kind of unlearn and say you know what, no, we do need to celebrate things, you know, cause life is hard. Like I lost my brother in 2005 years ago, so like that's impacted my life but also sad things make me have perspective and make me wanna celebrate more, like the beauty.
Speaker 2:So I think, like I try to be better at being like, you know, maybe what is something I wanna buy to celebrate? Something like a great art book or I don't know, like a scarf or something that's meaningful to me. I like like meaningful gifts that are kind of celebrating something, or maybe an experience like go do something. That's a cool one. Yeah, yeah, Do you have an answer?
Speaker 1:for that. No, it's been fascinating. I've asked everyone that I've talked to and it's everyone's like, oh, we need to get better at that. I'm not very good at that and I feel like I'm like, yeah, it's like, even if it's just something really small, it doesn't have to be throw yourself a party, you know, it can just even just stopping for a moment and really feeling what that feels like to feel proud of yourself or to feel encouraged or surprised. Yeah, I think it's something that we would benefit from being better at and I think it would help. I think it helps our creativity too.
Speaker 2:Yeah and I think that space yeah, and when we allow each other to like celebrate ourselves. I wanna show my kids that too. I want them to feel like. So I remind myself you know, no, but I mean I just bought myself a beautiful public bike that's more like a Dutch bike. Oh nice, that's awesome. I wanted one for years. So that was kind of like a Mother's Day and also just because so.
Speaker 1:Oh fun. What color is it?
Speaker 2:It's navy blue and it has a little red like a cherry red bell and a basket in the front. It's awesome and I feel so happy when I ride it. It's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Do you commute to work on your bike, or is it just for pleasure?
Speaker 2:No, it's like 25 miles, but oh yeah, definitely I used to. When I lived in Philly, I rode my bike. It was awesome and I loved commuting to work, so, but it's just for fun right now, nice that's great, so cool.
Speaker 1:My guess is you have a lot of ideas. Is that true? Like create ideas, I guess right.
Speaker 2:How do you?
Speaker 1:decide what to follow through on.
Speaker 2:That's a great question. I think of, like what is my energy level? Where am I with my priorities? I'm actually it's funny I'm a strategist for my consulting job, but I am by nature and I think about what is most important to me right now, personally first, of course, and then professionally. So, like right now, my kids are 10 and four. They really need me a lot right now and I also this time is fleeting I really want to be present for them, so that's kind of impacted. What is it that I want to focus on right now? And I haven't been doing as much pattern design, because I don't want to be on the computer more around them.
Speaker 2:So what I've said right now is actually like my job and I'm enjoying like merging some of the things, like the coaching that I love doing for my professional career, and then on the side, I really just want my art to be kind of just for me right now, like exploration, pure fun, not feeling like I need to make money off of that.
Speaker 2:That's an example, but yeah, but I will say there's an example, like our publisher said hey, we had this idea, somebody you know, for a book idea, and they're like, would you want to do that? And I was like you know what? Like I know I could do it and I could see myself starting to brainstorm it. And I said you know what I love you guys, but I can't do this project because you know that would mean I would have to put it aside, time for my own art, to work on that book, and I really want to be making art. You know like I had to give up a lot to create the mother head of art book with Heather Kirtland, which I loved doing, but I knew intentionally like this is a sacrifice I'm going to have to make and is it worth it for me because of the message we want to put out in the world and the people we want to help. Yes, but I was very aware of what I would have to give up, so that's kind of how I approach things, yeah.
Speaker 1:Sounds like you're really good with boundaries.
Speaker 2:I would say maybe I am now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did that develop over time, or were you always that way? I don't think so.
Speaker 2:I don't. I think it's developed over time like one like the knowing yourself and also understanding oh, you know, this is where boundaries are really helpful and just knowing, like if you have to say no to something, like it doesn't have to be a no forever. It could be a no right now, like we can't do everything, we can't do everything well, and I'll think about, like, what is like, well, what's in it for me Is my ego, like, as I was saying, oh, if I created this book and put that out there, I was sure my ego, I'd feel great about it, sure, I would feel really proud. But then I thought my heart's not in it and I'd love to see that go to somebody else. You know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's a really smart way to look at it. Yeah, creating art for yourself, that is so wonderful. What does that look like? Is that more of a sketchbook practice Like? What does that look like for you?
Speaker 2:A little bit of everything. I have been wanting to paint more, so that was one of my goals. Like this year, I have some canvases I'm painting on with acrylic and then I have actually some needlepoint. I wanted to have something like sit next to my kids, so I got some really gorgeous like Japanese threads and I used to knit for years and years, so like I love doing things with my hands in that way, but that's been really fun. And then gouache and collage and drawing, like those are all things, but I would like to be doing more painting. I think Painting and collage Collage is calling to me, though the simplicity, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love collage. I go through phases where I wanted to yeah, going back and forth, but it kind of all influences everything else, right? Definitely. Well, what else do you want to tell anyone, people, the way you have going on, where they can find you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm trying to think what I have going on. I mean, it's so funny. I'm trying to think about what I would love to take on some more clients at some point. I'm kind of thinking through that and that's saying right now. But I have been kind of thinking about doing some type of groups like type sessions. Yeah, actually, I'd love to chat with you on the side one day, for sure. Yeah, but around certain things where I see a lot of people saying I'm having trouble strategizing and getting focused, a lot of people I talk to right now are having trouble focusing on one thing and we're moving projects along, trying to do all the things, and that feels very overwhelming. So that's where I think, having about 10 years of navigating, that I've learned a lot, that I can kind of help with others, but that's too much to share. I'm happy to share my website, but just feel free to connect with me If you have any questions. You need encouragement. Yeah, I love having more friends on the internet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're a good internet friend. Yeah, do you. I'm going to backtrack a little bit. Do you find that the focus has been more of a problem or has been a bigger opportunity for people? Post COVID.
Speaker 2:I do think so. I see it in all types of people and I wonder if it's just the mental load of everything. We used to have more compartmentalization and it just feels like everything was just going on and on. These are my own thoughts, and even at some point during the prime pandemic, where you almost couldn't make a decision two weeks out, right, yeah, it was changing daily. So I think that there are some side effects that have kind of made us just a little bit maybe distracted or burnt out collectively.
Speaker 2:But I do think that I feel like the people that I see who are not feeling as focused it's sort of around. They've seen other people doing things as what they would define as success and they think I need to do my newsletter, I need to do this and I need to do all of these things, to be quote, like a real artist. Yeah, but when am I going to do all these things? Because they might be comparing themselves to somebody who has administrative staff or has been doing it for five to 10 years, and I think that's the hard part.
Speaker 1:We're in a different stage of life. Kids might be little. I mean, there's so many things, that's a good one, and what was the other thing around that with?
Speaker 2:let me see the focus of stuff and just like, sometimes things are going to take longer. Oh, I know, ok, so there's so many wonderful, wonderful courses and things and like, ok, all of the things. We'll just call it all of the things right now. But I feel like that can also be overwhelming for some people, because then they feel like you probably see it, oh, I got to take this class, I need to do this and I need to do all of these things first, when sometimes I can see people over not just artists, but over-engineering what we need to do, when we don't even know if we like doing that yet it's like, ok, well, I need to have a customer database system, but I don't know if I want to even coach. Yet it's like, well, if you have no clients, you might not need that. Yet Like, do you need to solve for a problem three years from now? Like, hopefully you have that problem. Great, hopefully you need a customer database.
Speaker 1:But in the meantime, like I see that all the time. It's like you know what you want, your end result today, but you're over here at the beginning, at the starting line, and then you look there and it feels so overwhelming because you know there's a bajillion steps to get you there. Yeah, and when I'm working with clients, we talk about the difference between massive and passive actions. So passive action, like you said, is research or learning or fussing with your website forever, instead of actually making things or telling people you're an artist or pitching yourself, things like that. So I know exactly what you're talking about and I mean I do it too, like starting with podcasts, I mean that and my brain forever. But I'm like I don't really know how to do this thing.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and then those like those little, the little things sat my energy and drain me like nothing else I would love, like an ad, I've a little robot assistant.
Speaker 2:One day we're at Roberts Earth, human, you know, yes, but I feel like, oh my gosh, I feel like I'm losing my train of thought. Oh, like the goals and the things that we need to do, like I might have an idea of what I want, but what might actually evolve might even be better, and I think we forget that the path to whatever it is that's going to be, or letting things unfold, is so important because sometimes it might be more of what you want, it might fit into your life better and it just like gives yourself grace. My goal for Carbot Time for Art was to publish 10 interviews and ask in see if maybe 500 people or might be tagged that hashtag, you know, and I thought that would be a huge goal. We're almost at one million people using that hashtag. I don't even know if people use hashtags anymore, but like I wouldn't have dreamed as big and if I had limited myself, then I wouldn't have all these friends and all these other things that kind of happened if we just said what if we did this?
Speaker 2:So I think having a partner and accountability buddy can help too. Makes you brave.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Because, we do? Yeah, for sure, because we are, by ourselves, a lot with the nature of our work and can get all up in your head way too much and it is nice to have some people or a person to bounce it off of, whether it's a friend or someone on the internet or a coach or a partner. Yeah, I totally agree. Yeah, getting wrapped up in the how, like then you know how am I going to do this Can stop some people in their tracks, and that's always such a bummer Because we're not, you're not supposed to know how You're figuring it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so do you have like a? If you don't know the, how do you like? I like sometimes I pause and I'm like maybe I'll figure that out tomorrow, or what do you do?
Speaker 1:I have a couple of things that I like to do. I like to kind of it's almost like a game I have to play with myself. I'm like well, let's pretend I did know how. Like, let's just pretend, which for some reason helps my brain get into more curiosity rather than judgment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Or like I'll ask myself I say this all the time what's the next right step? Like I can figure out one step, yeah, you know, and then that kind of gets you momentum, and then sometimes, if I've got nothing, I'm like, okay, just put your butt in the chair for five minutes at a time, or for five minutes and see what you can get done.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like the bite size, like the mini, mini steps that can help Cause you're like okay, I'm gonna reach my website. Okay, well, that's not one task Like I need to. I need to like update my bio, I need to get headshots, whatever.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And also like you have to put your. We see this, like I do a lot of pitches for work and we have to, like you have to put the pencils down at some point and know that it's not gonna be perfect. So when is your pencils down deadline? Like you can always update it later. You're like everybody hates their website a little bit, you know, I don't.
Speaker 1:Oh for sure, yeah, yes, yeah, the coaching program I went through. They have the same being okay, doing B minus work, which sounds like the same, like that whole, like done is better than perfect or whatever. Yeah, I mean, we can't fuss with the painting forever. They'll never get out of the door. You have to be done.
Speaker 2:I kept to call it, but and I think that one is so good, like the done is better than perfect. I read this book years ago called the 12 week year, and it was it's by Brian Tracy. I like, yeah, I threw up the years. I've kind of like done like a bootleg version of it for myself.
Speaker 2:But, it was awesome Cause he said if you know what you can measure to actually get towards a goal, you can accomplish it. And he's like, even if it's 60%, you're gonna get so much further. And like, but it was so cool Cause he would say look at it like in 12 weeks, and say what can you do in 12 weeks, instead of saying I need to do 15 things, what can I prioritize? And, you know, pick one thing, like maybe it's your website, and you're like brain dump everything. And then you just say, okay, okay, this week, I do this, did I do it?
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, 100%, if I didn't, 0%. And instead of being mean to yourself, you're just being curious, like you said, and saying, oh, okay, seems like I was really busy. I don't, I think I had too much on my plate, Like what is it? But one of your goals could be like I want to eat more fruits and vegetables. And then I'll put that down on my calendar and say, all right, well, if I have three green smoothies this week, that's my goal and it doesn't feel like you know, difficult, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like I just have to do one thing. Mm-hmm, yeah, and it's like setting a minimum baseline for what you will get done and like breaking it down, like you said. But for me I was actually, before we got on a call, I was like what is my minimum baseline for this project that I'm working on like to get done, because I feel overwhelmed, honestly, by it. Yeah, okay, so what can I just get?
Speaker 2:Yes, call me anytime yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm just like, okay, I said yes to this thing, that I'm not exactly sure how to do, but what do I know I can do, what's the minimum I can get done this week and make sure I least get that minimum done. But you would, I mean, most of the time you end up doing more and then you don't you feel pretty good about yourself because you got that part done.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it like snowballs in a good way, or you get traction.
Speaker 1:I guess I should say yeah, like knowing that you have your own back, that you'll say you'll do what you set out to do with such a big deal. I think I love that stuff. Yeah, I do too. So good, well, this is my thought. I could talk to you all day.
Speaker 2:No, I know and I'm like I'm always when I'm driving home and you've ever wanted to chat, let me know. You know what. I have some like. I think I have some freebies on my website, Like I wrote on connecting with friends on the internet, because I had a coaching client years ago who was kind of asking and I said here's my free ebook, so I'm happy to share that link with you. Yeah, did We'll put it in the show? That's a fun one. Yeah, just like some tips on finding those friends, finding that support, if that's helpful to anybody.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, carve out time for art is definitely a place to start. Oh, I just made a run. Huh, ah, ha, ha, ha ha. That's so good. Well, it's good to see you. Well, I'm so excited for you, yes, and I'm so excited for you.
Speaker 2:Stay connected, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, please do. Thank you, I appreciate it. All right, it's good to see you. Thank you. Bye, leanne, take care Bye. Thank you so much for listening to Mind Over Medium podcast today. If you found the episode inspiring, please share it with a friend or post it on social media and tag me on Instagram at Leanne Slotkin, or head to my website, wwwleannslotkincom. To book a discovery call to find out more about working with me one on one. You can also head to my website to get a great tool I've created for you to use when planning your own online launch of your artwork. It's an exercise I've taken many of my coaching clients through and it's been very helpful. It's my way of saying thank you and keep creating.