Heartful: living a wildly creative life

As I’m muting myself this week for the #amplifymelanatedvoices challenge I wanted to give some quick thoughts to consider and resources to get you started. DONATE: https://eji.org/ EDUCATE: https://onbeing.org/programs/patrisse-cullors-and-robert-ross-the-spiritual-work-of-black-lives-matter-may2017/

In this episode: -how to shake off the need for approval + stop comparing -the one magic question that makes everything in life WAY more fun (even the hard stuff) -why you don’t actually need to work on your weaknesses + what to do instead -how to always end up on top even if you’re not the most talented, popular, or rich

Allowing the full process of creativity--allowing it to be a rollercoaster, an up and down, not expecting it to be a straight up-only line. In this episode: -creativity is a rollercoaster and it’s meant to be that way! Here’s why that’s so freeing, not depressing -creativity happens in a cycle, but we often only see the finished product -the 4 phases of the creative cycle and how to move yourself through them for better creations + more of em Mentions: Heartful Strategy Sessions hello@brookeschultzphotography.com

Sustainability sounds terribly unsexy, but: When you operate unsustainably in your life and creativity, you're actually robbing your future self of leaving a creative legacy. And it's not fair. It's not fair to that future self, it's not fair to the creations that are meant to come through you, and it's not fair to the people you are meant to impact and serve with your creativity. (Did I get on a soapbox fast enough today? ha.) Whether it's your pricing, the time you're spending on social media or your expectations, let's uproot the sneaky unsustainability that creeps in. In this episode: -leaving a creative legacy without sacrificing everything else in your life -4 practical ways to uproot unsustainability in your creativity -the two mindsets that will make or break your creative contribution Mentions: Simon Sinek the infinite game: https://www.amazon.com/The-Infinite-Game-Simon-Sinek-audiobook/dp/B07DKHFTB7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HPNN6BJ850OF&dchild=1&keywords=the+infinite+game&qid=1589478212&sprefix=the+infi%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-1

If you feel like you haven’t created much of anything lately—this meditation shines a spotlight on the things you don’t even know you’ve created and are constantly creating. The goal of living a wildly creative life is not just to hole yourself up with your craft for as many hours as possible or see how many awards and accolades you can rack up to somehow prove your creativity; it is to expand it far past your formal creativity and approach each aspect of your life with ingenuity, intention, and playfulness. From your daily life to your relationships, discover how you already bring the hallmarks of creativity, and how tuning into these as creative practices can increase your capacity for them without any extra effort or need to ‘try.’ Mentions: Sarah blondin ‘make it sacred’: https://m.soundcloud.com/liveawakepodcast/s02-make-it-sacred Schedule a one on one Heartful strategy session with Brooke: hello@brookeschultzphotography.com

@nickonken is a photographer + creative entrepreneur who has photographed for brands like Nike, Coca Cola, Reebok, and more. He’s photographed Tom Hanks + Jessica Alba, and he’s as passionate about creativity as i am which is the coolest part. In this episode he shares what building brands for Nike + personal brands for people like Justin Bieber and Lewis Howes has taught him about building personal brands, key elements to make your personal brand resonant, how he stays creative under pressure, and the intersection between creativity + making money. In this episode: -why you should build a personal brand as a creative entrepreneur + key elements to make it resonant -how to stay creative under pressure -what success looks like over the long haul (hint: it’s not a straight line) -how to get in touch with your core creativity Mentions: Nick Onken: https://photographsbynickonken.com/ Nick’s podcast Nion radio: https://nionlife.com/podcasts/ Get more info about a Heartful Strategy Session with Brooke: hello@brookeschultzphotography.com http://brookeschultzphotography.com

Instead of all or nothing, what if you chose ‘a little something’? There’s a big difference between sitting around doing nothing and actively running experiments. Mentions: Decisive by chip + dan heath: https://www.amazon.com/Decisive-Make-Better-Choices-Life/dp/0307956393 Free online class to see if lifestyle family photography is for you: http://brookeschultzphotography.com/webinar Jim henson’s nightclub dream: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/09/before-the-muppets-jim-henson-tried-to-build-a-futuristic-nightclub/279945/ Famous artists who kept their day jobs: https://blog.patreon.com/famous-artists-who-kept-their-day-jobs Only 27% of college grads are in a job related to their major: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/05/20/only-27-percent-of-college-grads-have-a-job-related-to-their-major/

Somewhere along the way maybe I put off the air that I have it all figured out when it comes to creativity/creative living. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this episode I share: -3 things i’m struggling with right now (+ the things that have helped me in the struggle) -why we need periods of non-creativity to ultimately generate our best work -how to enjoy the journey + stop yourself from focusing only on the next goal Mentions: Heartful Podcast Ep 46: The 3 gifts of terrible ideas: https://soundcloud.com/brooke-schultz-568659304/ep-46-the-3-gifts-of-terrible-ideas Heartful Podcast Ep 81: Creative quarantine: https://soundcloud.com/brooke-schultz-568659304/ep-81-creative-quarantine

In this episode: -how creations can be the balm we all need -how being a high quality fan makes you a better creator -what to consume right now to make fertile soil for your creativity to flourish Mentions: Ep 66: the ideal creative diet how to curate the best creative input for you https://soundcloud.com/brooke-schultz-568659304/ep-66-the-ideal-creative-diet-how-to-curate-the-best-creative-input-for-you http://brookeschultzphotography.com/webinar

In this episode with @disfunkshionmag's Hugette Montesinos-Rodriguez: -why you don’t need to wait for more money or resources to make your dreams reality -why all creative people should STOP striving and the thing they should do instead -the one phrase that will keep you focused and abundant no matter what -how to think about balancing multiple creative endeavors in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you even more Mentions: Hugette on instagram @disfunkshionmag https://www.dfsmag.com/ hello@brookeschultzphotography.com for details about Heartful Strategy Sessions to get unstuck in your creativity Taste of what a strategy session is like: Ep 57: Brooke helps Carrie create the business she truly wants https://soundcloud.com/brooke-schultz-568659304/ep-57-brooke-helps-carrie-create-the-business-she-truly-wants

What if Coronavirus is the best thing to happen to your creativity? There is no great art without a great story. And there is no great story without conflict. We often wouldn’t choose the conflicts and struggles of our lives, yet they are the necessary ingredients in pushing our lives, stories, and creative work forward. In this episode we uncover the possibilities that are buried in this big hard thing we’re all facing and how to maximize your quarantine time--not necessarily so you can make the most or best work of your life, though that might happen--but to intentionally create this time so you can look back on it + stand behind how you showed up and what you created. Mentions: Ryan holiday the obstacle is the way: https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-Triumph/dp/1591846358 Brooke Castillo’s the life coach school podcast: https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcasts/ My 5 Step Framework for Shooting Families with zero burnout: http://brookeschultzphotography.com/webinar/

With the Coronavirus craziness of the past week, desperation can start to creep up whether it’s financial, social, or feeling desperate for autonomy. Even if you think creativity is just “extra” in a time like this, it’s actually the key to making it through--creativity is just problem solving, and with more problems than you had last week, creativity is your best friend. In this episode: -how desperation helps or hurts creativity (+ how you can use it to help yours) -the type of desperation that gets you functioning at max creative capacity -when desperation will be your big break + when it’ll ruin everything you’ve built + how to tell the difference -the biggest upside to desperation to utilize right now Mentions: Love soaked family photography free class: http://brookeschultzphotography.com/webinar Book a creative strategy session with Brooke: hello@brookeschultzphotography.com Harvard poverty impedes cognitive function study: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/341/6149/976 Desperation scale: https://justinjackson.ca/desperation Medium writer who reaped after he sowed in a time of desperation: https://medium.com/publishous/want-to-be-more-creative-try-desperation-a115b389c6da

This episode is something a little different--a meditation/spoken word piece/thoughts to consider as you embark on the creative process. We fear the unknown but as a creator it is your playground; a space that while unfamiliar, can become your sacred home. Mentions: Contact me to be seen/photographed at hello@brookeschultzphotography.com

Does self doubt hold us back from our best creations or fuel us toward them? In this episode we explore what the head kidnapping negotiator from the FBI can teach us about dealing with self doubt, why we need self doubt to tell interesting stories (that make people connect to our creations!), and how to blend self doubt + self confidence into your creative process to keep it spicy. Mentions: Never split the difference: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/B01COR1GM2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1MGPC9CMWZFNB&keywords=never+split+the+difference&qid=1583347672&sprefix=never+split+the+diff%2Caps%2C288&sr=8-3 Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-campbell-monomyth.html

Do you identify as indecisive? In this week's episode I've got the CURE! Listen in for some practical tips on how to be more decisive to make yo dreams a reality! Mentions: -Brooke Castillo's The Life Coach School podcast Ep #206 Being Decisive https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcast/206/ -Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath https://heathbrothers.com/books/decisive/