The Artist's Suitcase Podcast | Essentials for the Creative Journey

In this episode we broach the subject of health and fitness, and how compromises in those areas can have a negative impact on your creative life. I also share details about my exciting announcement this week: the brand new Fit to Create Challenge. It's a 40-day experience to sharpen your mind, energize your body and maximize your creative potential. You can find all the details and sign up on The Fit to Create page. (It's completely free!)  At the end of the podcast I share several reasons why you should take part in the FTC Challenge. What You'll Learn in This Episode 4 ways poor fitness affects your creative life: Poor fitness kills your energy level. Poor fitness kills your self-image. Poor fitness kills your momentum. Poor fitness kills your mental capacity. 4 reasons to join the Fit to Create Challenge: It's encouraging. It's challenging. It's stimulating. It's free. Episode Resources Below are resources that are either mentioned in this episode or recommended if you want to explore the topic further. The Fit to Create Challenge page Show Outline A detailed outilne for the show is available for download here. Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can share your thoughts in the comment section, send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

In this episode we go a completely different direction than the last few weeks. We're talking about Star Wars! Specifically, we'll dig into why Star Wars is cool again. With the announcement of a new batch of Star Wars moving coming up, fans haven't been this excited in a long time. But how should we approach entertainment and pop culture? Should we be mindless consumers, or are there some lessons we can learn if we look a little more closely? You'll find the answers in this show. I also share a very personal story about the worst period of my life, and how my family and I made a comeback. And the good news is that you can, too! Near the end of the show I have a brief interview with Kimanzi Constable about the recent launch of his new book, and some things he learned from the experience. What You'll Learn in This Episode 5 Reasons why Star Wars is cool again: The right timing. A great comeback. A fresh vision. An effective leader. A nostalgic connection. Episode Resources Below are several resources that are either mentioned in this episode or recommended if you want to explore the topic further. Book: Star Wars and Philosphy: More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine by Kevin S. Decker, ed. Book: Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment  by Brian Godawa Book: Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue by Robert K. Johnston Book: Are You Living or Existing? 9 Steps to Change Your Life by Kimanzi Constable Book: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Show Outline A detailed outilne for the show is available for download here. Quotables Be like the men of Issachar, who "knew the times and what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32). [Click to Tweet] You can learn a lot about a culture by what the people view as entertainment. [Click to Tweet]  Today can be the first day of your comeback story. [Click to Tweet] Never underestimate the power of nostalgia. [Click to Tweet] Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can share your thoughts in the comment section, send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much! (Disclosure: Some of the above links are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission from the sale.)

In this episode I have the privilege of interviewing Derek Olsen, who is the author of The Four-Week Financial Turnaround. I was on the Launch Team for this book and had a blast. Derek took the time to put together a great product that has helped many people. While the focus of that book is personal finance, he is turning his attention to self-publishing in his upcoming book From Your Head to Your Hands: How to Write, Publish and Launch Your Book. This will be a free eBook that is available at HisPlusHersEqualsOurs.com. In our interview, Derek shares lots of great insight and info about creating and launching a new product. If you want to write and publish a book, create and launch or product, or complete some other kind of creative project, you will be blessed! What You'll Learn in This Episode Derek's story and how he began launching products. How he took the first steps in writing a book. The biggest challenges you will face in writing and launching a book. Why getting feedback from readers is very helpful, and how to do it. The great things that launching a product has done for his personal brand. Episode Resources Below are several resources that are either mentioned in this episode or recommended if you want to explore the topic further. Website: HisPlusHersEqualsOurs.com Book: The Four-Week Financial Turnaround by Derek C. Olsen Book: From Your Head to Your Hands: How to Write, Publish and Launch Your Book by Derek C. Olsen Audio: It Takes a Village to Write a Book by Derek C and Carrie Olsen Book: Write to the Bank Toolkit by Dan Miller Live Event: Innov48 Conference (this has replaced the former "Write to the Bank" event) Quotables "A terrible first draft is not only OK, but necessary." [Click to Tweet] "If you don't put legs on your dream, you're not going anywhere." [Click to Tweet]  "The day that your book is published is actually the first day of your book's life." [Click to Tweet] Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can share your thoughts in the comment section, send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

In this session of The Artist's Suitcase podcast, we explore the second half of a 2-part series on how to improve your church's singing. This episode looks at singing from the worship leader's point of view. Specifically, we look at twelve practical suggestions for worship leaders. Even if you're not a worship leader, you will learn a good deal about what goes into crafting an effective worship service in terms of music, and some of the challenges that worship leaders face. Learning to appreciate others' perspectives and roles is always a good thing! What You'll Learn in This Episode 12 Tips for Worship Leaders to Improve Your Church's Singing: Commit to helping your church sing well. Keep the volume at a healthy level. Be a participant in the service. Demonstrate authentic love for people. Be a servant to others. Keep your arrangements simple. Use positive reinforcement. Trim your existing song list. Don’t overwhelm people with new songs. Put songs in a singable key. Practice your music thoroughly. Memorize your music. Episode Resources Below are several resources that are either mentioned in this episode or recommended if you want to explore the topic further. Book: Revolve: A New Way to See Worship by Nelson Searcy and Jason Hatley Book: God Songs: How to Write and Select Songs for Worship by Paul Baloche and Jimmy & Carol Owens Book: The Art of Worship: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modern Worship by Greg Scheer Show Outline A detailed outline for the show is available for download here. Quotables "Our first priority in worship leading is to help others express their worship." [Click to Tweet] "Practice doesn't make you inauthentic. It makes you so well prepared that you're free to be authentic." [Click to Tweet]  Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can share your thoughts in the comment section, send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

In this session of The Artist's Suitcase podcast, we'll begin a 2-part series exploring how you can improve your church's singing. Singing is the most widely practiced art form every week around the world, as millions (billions?) of people gather in churches to worship. My guess is that every congregation has room for improvement. This episode examines examples of singing from the Bible, the purpose of singing, reasons why people often don't sing much in church, and some practical suggestions for the congregation. In the next episode we'll look at some specific guidelines for worship leaders. What You'll Learn in This Episode 4 reasons why it's vital to address this issue 4 purposes of singing 7 reasons why people often don't sing at church 12 practical suggestions anyone can use to improve his or her worship and singing at church Resources Mentioned in This Episode or Recommended All the Music of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer Reversed Thunder by Eugene Peterson Revolve: A New Way to See Worship by Nelson Searcy and Jason Hatley His Story, Our Response: What the Bible Says About Worship by Dinelle Frankland Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster Show Outline A detailed written outline for the show will be available for download soon. Please check back! Quotables God doesn't grade our worship on a curve. Hold tightly to the timeless message, and hold loosely to the timely styles. Decide that you will “gossip positively” about the church and its leaders. Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can share your thoughts in the comment section, send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

In this episode I Interview Jeff Goins, an prominent author who blogs at goinswriter.com. He is the author of the book "Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life" which released last year. He is also the creator of Tribe Writers, online writing course that has been very successful. I have been following Jeff's writing for about a year and took his Tribe Writers course. He is a huge proponent of generosity and has a great deal of practical wisdom for all of us who are creating art. What You'll Learn in This Episode How Jeff became involved in writing Why we should be generous, and what it means to be generous in concrete terms Why sometimes people don't value things until they have to pay for them How we can surprise and delight those we serve Why Jeff doesn't consider his books and products truly "his" and why he doesn't take total credit for their success Why charging people for some things actually serves them better The surprising story of why Jeff created the Tribe Writers course What kind of guitars Jeff plays! Resources Mentioned in This Episode Blog: GoinsWriter.com Writing Course: Tribe Writers Book: Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life by Jeff Goins Book: You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins Book: The Writer's Manifesto by Jeff Goins (you can also receive this free when you sign up for Jeff's newsletter) Quotables "Being generous is its own reward. When you give, you get." "I always want my audience to be getting more value than I'm getting." "There is a small difference in terms of effort between the status quo and generosity." "Art is not engineering; there are surprises along the way in the creative process." "Sometimes the best way you can serve your audience is to raise the barrier for entry." "If something is important to you, you will pay something for it. The more you pay for it, the more you value it." Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

In this episode I interview Jen McDonough, who is an motivational storyteller and author. She and her family have an amazing story of meeting challenges head-on and overcoming adversity. Some highlights of her story include paying off $182,000 in debt, competing in the Ironman Triathlon, navigating the stress of a child's chronic illness, and becoming a bestselling author. I know you'll love this interview! As a special bonus, I also interview my son Ben, who turns 9 next week. We talk about creativity from a kid's viewpoint, building with Legos and Minecraft, and the sad but true story of what happened to our dog Dolly. What You'll Learn in This Episode How she and her family paid off a huge amount of debt. What gave her the courage to face challenges head-on every day. How focus, attitude and action allows you to deal with adversity. How she became an Amazon Top 100 author. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Blog: The Iron Jen Community: 48Days.net Books by Jen McDonough: Living Beyond Awesome; Living Beyond Rich; 5 Minutes a Day to Living Beyond Rich Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

In this episode I have the privilege of interviewing Kimanzi Constable. He is an author, speaker and entrepreneur, and he's done what a lot of people would love to do: he took charge of his life and started living his dream. In the span of a couple of years, he went from being a bread delivery man to an author selling over 80,000 eBooks, and speaking traveling all over the world. I have been encouraged by his story and know you will enjoy it also. What You'll Learn in This Episode The story of how Kimanzi went from a bread delivery guy to a successful author and speaker. How everything changed when he focused on helping others. How guest posting on blogs helped give him momentum. Why he chose traditional publishing over self-publishing for his new book. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Blog: Kimanzi Constable Blog: Dan Black on Leadership Blog: Dan Miller Blog: Jon Acuff Blog: Michael Hyatt Book: The Millionaire Messenger by Brendon Burchard Book: 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller Books: The Art of Non-Conformity and The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau Subscribe If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! (You can also access the show through podcast apps such as Stitcher, Downcast and Instacast.) iTunes        RSS     Feedback and Ratings I want to hear from you! If you have an idea for a guest or a show topic, please let me know. You can send me voice message by clicking the "Send Kent a message" link on the right side of the website, or you can email me at kent@artistssuitcase.com. I'd also be grateful if you rate the podcast on iTunes to help keep it visible so others can discover it. Thanks so much!

I'm very excited to announce the first episode of my weekly podcast, The Artist's Suitcase. The show focus on the same themes as the blog: essentials for the creative journey. My goal is to equip and encourage you to fulfill your creative potential. I truly believe that each person has creative gifts to develop, and has something unique and wonderful to offer the world. In this episode I interview my friend Jared Latigo on the topic of personal branding. Jared is an author and web developer, and has a great deal of wisdom and insight to share. If you want to know why "personal branding" is so important, or are struggling to know where to start with a website and other technology, you will love this interview. Before I get into the main content of the interview, I share a bit about my background and goals for the podcast.I also share four things I believe about you: You are an artist who has creative gifts (even if no one has told you that before). You can learn from anyone. That's why in future episodes I'll feature people from various backgrounds and types of work. But the common thread is that they all are engaged in creative work. You have amazing potential that is untapped. You are hungry to learn and grow. (Otherwise, you wouldn't be reading or listening to this!) What You'll Learn in This Episode: What personal branding is, and how you can benefit from it. What advice Jared would give someone who doesn't have a website to get started with personal branding (and why you shouldn't be intimidated by the technical stuff). Why you shouldn't be discouraged by people who are well ahead of you. Why it's so important to build deep connections with people (or what is called "relationship marketing"). The three elements of connection branding, and why Jeff Goins, Dave Ramsey, and Michael Hyatt are great examples of these. Jared's thoughts on why Kindle is a great platform for releasing an eBook. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Website: JaredLatigo.com (you'll also find his podcast there) Book: It's Not About the Tights by Chris Brogan Video: The Short Guide to Launching a Self-Hosted Blog in 8 Minutes or Less by Jeff Goins. (We also mention a similar video by Michael Hyatt; both cover similar material.) Publishing: Kindle Direct Publishing Book: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz Book: Start With Why by Simon Sinek eBooks: Creating Effective Messaging to Brand Your Lovely Face and Symphony: A Manifesto of Purpose, both by Jared Latigo. (If you visit Jared's site and sign up for his newsletter, you will receive both of these free.) Post: Interview with Jared Latigo I want to say a huge thank you to Jared for being my first podcast guest! The show will be on up on iTunes and other services soon, but I will likely wait until I have 2-3 episodes so people know there is more than one available.