The Accidental Creative

The story you believe becomes your experience of reality, because it’s your filter for all of your experiences. If you filter your life through the lens of anxiety, everything will feel like a threat. If you filter your life through the lens of hopelessness, then when things are going well you won’t be able to enjoy it because you’ll always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. If you filter your life through the lens of envy, then you’ll always feel like others are getting a better deal than you, even when you’re doing better than you could have ever imagined. These inner narratives/filters are very stealthy and difficult to spot. I’ve developed what I call “color filter theory” to help identify areas where I’m slipping into unhealthy thought patterns or narratives. On this episode, I share those filters and how they affect us. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Distractions are a baked-in part of the modern workplace. Wouldn't it be great if we could eliminate them and just focus on our important work? Well... on this episode we share six strategies for dealing with distractions in your world, and how to focus on being fully present and effective. Thanks to Molekule for supporting the show. Get $75 off your first order at molekule.com code ac. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

The two most precious resources you have as a creative pro are your time and attention. They are under a constant onslaught from organizational needs, client demands, and personal anxieties. As a manager, you must commit to protecting these finite resources at all costs. On this episode, we share three principles for doing so from Todd Henry's book Herding Tigers. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Accidental Creative. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/ac.  The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.    

I have a confession to make: I’m a natural-born over-packer. When I go on a trip, it’s very likely that I’ll come home with a lot of unworn clothes and unnecessary weight in my travel bag. This is a tendency I recognized early in my business travel days, and that over the past few years I’ve tried to mitigate just a bit by packing only the essentials. You see, the problem is that my definition of “essentials” is a little… broad. On this episode, I share a few pieces of "extra baggage" that we carry with us as creative pros, and how to shed them so that we are lighter, more nimble, and better able to attach our work. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Yesterday I spent time with students at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and I shared with them what I believe to the the "killer app" that will help them achieve their goals faster and more successfully than they can imagine. On this episode, I share what it is and how you can use it to improve your work, your creativity, and your career prospects. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

So much stress and misalignment happens in organizations because conversations are left incomplete. There is misunderstanding, dissonance, and a general level of anxiety about expectations and next steps. On this episode, we share a few simple strategies for completing conversations and ensuring that you are aligned with your peers, your team, and your leadership. The core ideas in this episode are from the book Herding Tigers. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

You proably have goals you'd like to pursue or dreams you'd like to chase. It's also likely that there are limits that you encounter as you pursue them. However, some of those limits are self-imposed. On this episode, Laura Gassner Otting is here to teach us how to bust through those artificial limits with insights from her new book Limitless. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

At some point, you're going to encounter difficult times as a creative pro. It could be something that happens to you, or a situation you created yourself. How do you persist in your work in the face of adversity and challenges? On this episode, Austin Kleon is back to share his perspective on how to develop creative resilience in hard times. His new book is called Keep Going. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

What drives your creative work? Some fuels that drive our work burn "clean", and some burn "dirty", meaning they leave a residue that makes it difficult to continue producing great work over time. On this episode, I share the difference between clean and dirty fuels, and how to find motivation that lasts. Thanks to Away for supporting The Accidental Creative podcast. Go to awaytravel.com/ac and use the promo code ac to get $20 off a suitcase! The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

How do you define legacy? Or more importantly, what will be the legacy of your business or brand? Or, for you personally? On this episode, Lucas Conley shares insights from his reseach about how people and brands are building legacies that resonate and last. His book is called Legacy In The Making. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.    

Some ideas are so crazy that "moonshot" doesn't even do them credit. "Loonshot" seems more appropriate. On this episode, physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bachall is here to teach us how to nurture the crazy ideas that win wars, cure diseases, and transform industries with insights from his new book Loonshots. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

When you first step into your role as a manager, your entire work world changes. You are no longer simply responsible for your own work. Now, you are responsible for the work, the culture, the process, and anything else that happens on your team. It can feel overwhelming. On this episode, Julie Zhou (VP of Product Design at Facebook) shares insights for managers from her new book The Making of a Manager. Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental and enter The Accidental Creative in the how did you hear about us section. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

There are a number of ways in which we build "escape hatches" to relieve the stress and fear that we might under-perform. On this episode, I talk about three of those common "secondary ways of escape", and how to begin to counter them. === Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

What you surround yourself with can inspire new ideas and motivate you to keep pressing on when things get difficult. On this episode, I share the three categories of "mementos" that you can keep in your workspace to help you push through challenges and root your work in meaning. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. Get two months of access to over 25,000 classes absolutely free! To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

I sent a tweet (@toddhenry) the other day that addressed a pattern I'm seeing with people I've been interacting with. It seems that many people are losing the narrative. They expect results without adventure. Celebration with the risk of rejection. Pride without doubts. This doesn't happen. On this episode, I share a few areas where you need to be brave this week. Today’s episode is sponsored by Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Gusto.com/creative. Music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.