Create for No Reason

Shawn and Kate are life-long learners and explorers. They want to learn everything they can while they can. They’re good at parties. They ask lots of questions. They love listening to stories and figuring out new ways of doing things. They read a lot too, especially Kate—she’s gonna devour 50+ books this year. Shawn’s covering thousands of miles this summer to explore Central America and the Rocky Mountains. Are they reading and traveling as part of a creative practice or are they keeping themselves busy pretending to work by learning? Do a lot of us do the same thing? Do we hide from our creative work, by reading and watching videos about creative work?

Kate and Shawn talk about social media and long-form content (including the novel Joey Robert Parks wrote on Instagram). What works these days? What doesn’t work? If we’re artists, do we care? Or maybe an even more important question: How can we use social media to figure out if our ideas are a worthwhile or useful? Standup comedians test bits with different audiences to figure out “is this a thing?” How can we do the same?

Shawn's in Idaho hiking up beautiful mountains. Kate's heading to Oregon to visit her friend Kyle. Kyle always challenges Kate to ship her work. So in this episode, we talk about creating and getting your work out into the world. Being brave enough to share your ideas even when they aren't perfect. Because we know it'll never be perfect. Shipping helps the creative process because we get feedback. It also helps us get more comfortable sharing. Like how Shawn published his first book of poetry this year, I Believe in a God Who Rollerskates. What creative project will you commit to shipping this month? Join our Facebook community and tell us what project(s) you're working on. Or better yet, ship your work by posting something you've created. Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

In this episode, Shawn and Kate talk about what it takes to create good work. When you're in the creation process, is your work "real"? Shawn thinks it may just be a naughty puppet (listen to the episode). We know what great work looks and feels like, but it can only be accomplished by practice. It's hard to be consistent when we're creating mediocre work, but it's so worth it.    Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

Shawn’s in the Jungle. Kate teases him about his Eat Pray Love journey. We talk about gathering the ingredients to create something only you can create. We also explore whether or not we're good at giving and/or receiving information. Are you open to receive what the universe has in store for you? Are you prepared to create something magical simply because you're willing to listen to the signs around you? We would love your thoughts on this episode.  Join our Facebook community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

In this episode, Kate and Shawn chat with Bobby Del Rio. He's a repped Hollywood actor, writer, and director. Most recently, Bobby wrote and directed the feature film The Market. Bobby has become one of the top film moderators on Clubhouse, curating many influential rooms in Hollywood. Bobby creates what he likes. He's committed to the practice and believes the right people will find his work. Bobby is definitely confident in his own skin and isn't afraid to share his options and go after what he wants. It's just what he does. It serves him well. We hope this episode inspires you to step into your unique genius and create for you.  Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

In this episode, Kate and Shawn explore mindset vs. environment. Can you get out of a creative rut or even do your best work simply by changing your thoughts or environment?  Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

In this episode, Kate and Shawn talk to Jeff McMahon. He's had an incredible music career. In his role as keyboardist and vocalist, he has shared the success of hits and landmarks with the celebrated country superstar Tim McGraw. While juggling a successful touring and recording career, he also worked hard to raise awareness and support cutting-edge research for brain tumor patients through the Tug McGraw Foundation. Jeff believes that creativity lives in each of us as long as we're willing to put in the work and practice our craft. He's a really wonderful human and we're so glad  we're able to introduce you to him.  If you liked this episode, please leave us a review. And if you're not yet part of our Facebook community, join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

This is an episode about living with ourselves and becoming ourselves and stealing from other people to help make it happen. We talk about being happy exactly where you are while pursuing your dreams, where you find inspiration, and what you're willing to do to become the person you're meant to be.  Join our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason

When was the last time you flipped through a book and read from a random page only to discover the words were exactly what you needed? What does being mindful mean to you? How often do you sit in silence and let yourself notice what's happening? This is a fun episode where Shawn and Kate explore music and noticing things others may not see. Who do you get inspiration from when creating your work? Can you discover something different about a song you've listened to hundreds of times? We hope this episode inspires you to create.  Join the conversation in our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createfornoreason