The Accidental Creative

When you do any kind of difficult, problem-solving, creative work, tension is inevitably present. How you deal with that tension will determine whether it makes you stronger and more focused, or whether it sucks the wind out of your sails. On this episode, we share three tensions that every creative pro encounters daily, and how to deal with them while recognizing that they're not going away. ==== Today’s episode is sponsored by Freshbooks. To claim your free month trial – with no credit card needed – visit Freshbooks.com/accidental. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. End remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Discipline is sometimes perceived as a “dirty word” because it’s interpreted as pushing through the muck, doing the unenjoyable activities first, and forgoing the chocolate cake for the steamed broccoli. However, I think this is a gross misunderstanding of the word. Discipline simply means making an agreement with yourself, and keeping it. That’s all. Nothing more complicated than that. The problem with discipline begins when we don’t understand which commitments are worth our effort, when we make too many commitments, when our commitments conflict, or when we are subject to the unclear commitments of others. On this episode, we address how to deal with moments when you feel undisciplined. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. To get two months of Skillshare absolutely free, just visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. The remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

With the increase of information crossing your attention span each day, it’s easy to forget even the most impactful experiences. Make every effort to capture these, and to ensure that they become a valuable part of your creative process. On this episode, we share four key principles for keeping sparks and seeds of inspiration at the ready for those moments when you need a brilliant idea. 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. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

At some point in your career, you will feel stuck. Not stuck because you can't come up with an idea for a project, but stuck in the sense that you feel like you don't know how to go to the next level. How do you continue to grow, to develop your voice, and create more impact? On this episode, we share the two common places where creative pros get stuck, and how to continue moving up the curve into rare air where you can do work worth noticing. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. To get two months of Skillshare absolutely free, just visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. The remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

One force that’s ever-present in any form of creative work is uncertainty. The reality is that you will never know – really know – what’s right. Is this good enough? Is it finished? Is it the right strategy? How should I spend my time/focus/energy today? Which idea should I run with? How can I sell this to my manager? Uncertainty is an uncooperative dance partner. You have to move with it – in concert, drawing from it, following its lead at times, but always with an eye on your next move – in order to do your best work. The worst thing you can do is allow uncertainty to paralyze you into inaction. On today's show, we share three strategies for dealing with uncertainty. 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. Remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

Several years ago, toymaker Neal Hoffman had an idea for a new toy that would make his family's life much more fun. The problem was, he had another job at the time, and this "side project" was likely to take up much more time and resources than he could spare. On this episode, we discuss Neil's journey from idea, to an appearance on Shark Tank, to creating an internationally successful toy product that has changed the lives of families across the globe. 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.

I am frequently asked for career advice, and I very, very rarely offer it. Why? First, because I only intimately know my own path and those of a few others. Second, because all advice is local. What works for one person will be misery for another. Finally, when people ask for career advice, what they’re often asking is that you validate something they’ve already decided to do. However, in the past few days I’ve been struck by stories of friends and colleagues who are feeling the effects of a shifting creative marketplace, and a decreasingly stable job market. Just like when the stock market takes a downturn and everyone gets very conservative, I see many creatives jumping at the first opportunity to come along rather than thinking about their career as an investment portfolio to be build over time. With that in mind, here are three career investments that I think every single creative should be making now, and should continue to make consistently. These are the three aspirations that you should be chasing in order to ensure that you are positioning yourself to do increasingly meaningful and valuable work. This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. To get two months of Skillshare absolutely free, just visit Skillshare.com/AC. The intro music for the AC podcast is by Joshua Seurkamp. The remix is by DJ Z-Trip.

A few years ago we featured the story of Andrea Summer and her struggle to make a passion project album called Wanderlust. After years of work, the album is finally finished and releases today. On this episode, we re-visit that conversation with Andrea from 2017, and share insights into the making of a passion project. 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.

Your life is composed of days, and how you spend those days is how you spend your life. On this episode, I share a simple five-part daily planning process that will help you stay on-course, engaged, and focused on the things that matter most. 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.

It's tempting to gloss over small areas of misalignment or misunderstanding because they seem like no big deal in the moment. However, those small areas of misalignment can become big problems later. On this episode, we share a few ways this happens to leaders and teams and a handful of questions to help you stay ahead of them. 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.

Many people dream of making a leap into their ideal career, but have no clue what their first steps should be. On this episode, Ken Coleman (host of the Ken Coleman Show and author of The Proximity Principle) shares some simple, practical tips for identifying and stepping into your dream job. 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.

Stress. We all deal with it, and it affects our work in significant, and often unseen ways. There are actually two types of stress that we encounter in doing creative work, and on this episode we share what they are and how to deal with them so that they don't rob us of our ability to produce brilliant work. 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.

Have you ever had an idea for a new business or initiative but didn't know the next step to take? Today's guest Raegan Moya-Jones was in that exact place. In fact, she admits that she Googled her way through the first years of her first business, which she eventually built into a $100 Million brand. On this episode, she shares how she did it, and some of the challenging decisions she had to make along the way. Her new book is called What It Takes. 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 exactly does a great leader do? There are three key things that an effective leader of creative people provides for the team consistently and well. On this episode, I share the importance of focus, function, and fire to the creative process. Insights from today's episode are from the book Herding Tigers: Be The Leader That Creative People Need. 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.

Those who ask the best questions ultimately win. There are some questions that are obvious. These are the ones that directly affect our work and its outcomes. Then, there are questions that hover just beneath the surface of our work, and rarely get asked. On this episode, we share three questions that you're probably not asking, but definitely should be. 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.