Andy J. Pizza shares his journey from a creative but unfocused child to a successful author-illustrator. He talks about a life-changing medical diagnosis, finding his artistic style, and the neuroscience behind artistic taste. Andy discusses overcoming creative blocks and the epiphany that led to his biggest breakthrough.

Discover the power of the mind in moments of creative need with insights from Andy J. Pizza, Juliet Funt, Charan Ranganath, Dan Doyon, and Tiago Forte. Learn about incubation, subconscious mind leverage, healthy mental diet, repetition for memory recall, and developing a 'second brain' for idea organization.

As data people, we tend to be more logical and analytical, which makes navigating creativity’s ambiguity a little tricky. So I called on Andy J. Pizza to help us out. To me, he is creativity personified — illustrator, author, podcaster, and more! He’s worked with big clients like The New York Times and Nickelodeon, and has a new book coming out where he illustrates “invisible things.” In this episode, Andy shares how his ADHD has become his superpower in his creative work, the little tricks he’s found that help him create, how he sees critique in a new way, and he shares his three phases of inspiration. Plus, Andy predicts what will be necessary for creators of all kinds in a future full of artificial intelligence. Even though he’s not a dataviz designer, you’ll see many parallels in your work. Let’s go! Show notes: https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/87

Andy J. Pizza is a creative genius who learned to not only accept the challenges of living with ADHD but to embrace the many wonderful qualities that come with it. With compassion and curiosity, Andy discovered how to navigate a path for his neurodivergent thinking to uncover and share his wonderful gifts with the world. In this conversation, Andy and Eric discuss how he learned to manage the ADHD brain to unleash his creativity as well as... Ways to use explore art and its inherent ability for self-expression and self-approval How our upbringing and surrounding environments affect our personal development journey Understanding the impact of ADHD on creativity and how it can open new realms of personal growth Learning to appreciate the critical role authenticity and taste play in nurturing creativity Recognizing that failure is a vital element in fostering a personal growth mindset To learn more, click here! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy J. Pizza shares his journey as a neurodivergent creative, childhood coping mechanisms, ADHD as a superpower, and the importance of storytelling. He discusses marriage, artistry, and ADHD struggles, embracing the shadow side for self-compassion, and self-evolution through archetypes and journeys. The podcast ends with mutual appreciation and gratitude in the creative journey.