Create for No Reason

Quantal is a creative polymath. He's an artist, podcaster, brand designer, storyteller, and wrestling coach. And get this: he feels like he's just now figuring out his footing. Constant discovery is a big part of what pushes him forward. These days he's focused on developing a creative ecosystem. Community is important. Listening to others is important. Quantal is the host of The Creative Brew, a show dedicated to talking about creative endeavors and living a purposeful live—be it basketball, comics, comedy, or gratitude. Make sure you listen long enough to hear his story about a marshmallow who eats the fingers and toes of children who misbehave. It's brilliant and hilarious. He uses it to keep his grandkids on their toes. 

What do you believe about creativity? Kate and Shawn talk about what creativity means and what they would include in a Creative Manifesto. Things like all people are born creative, you don’t have to be a writer or musician or artist to benefit from creativity, and creativity brings us joy. What do you believe about creativity? Join us in the Facebook Create for No Reason Group to join the conversation.

In this episode, we talk to Flose LaPierre. She's a writer, storyteller, and creator of Write to Heal. Flose turned to poetry while dealing with trauma in her life. She also found comfort in writing. She believes that beautiful poetry reveals itself through the process of writing. Give yourself permission to turn to the page and write, even if you don't think you're any good. She recently stepped into her power and started hosting writing workshops to help others heal. She's a brilliant writer, an awesome friend, and a beautiful human. Enjoy.   

This week we chat with one of Shawn's longtime friends: the artist currently known as Tommy Kern. In addition to being a sought-after sculptor and furniture maker, Tommy is a brilliant photographer. We talk about what it means to be an artist and why it's so important to have a creative practice. How can we quiet our inner perfectionist? What do we do when we're intimidated by others' work? How can we develop our own voice and perspective and honor our own truth? We end this episode with a simple phone photography challenge. You should try it. We did. It felt really really good.  Go visit the Create for No Reason group on Facebook to follow along. We've got a good community started there. We'd love to know more about you.

We all know creativity can change your live. Millions of people have rediscovered their childhood passions in the middle of miserable careers or after significant life changes. It's healing. It feeds us emotionally and spiritually. But it's not always easy. Art is messy. Starting something new is messy. That's part of the process. It doesn't mean you're heading in the wrong direction. I means you're working on something that's worth your time. You're developing a creative practice. Let's talk about how to handle our creative mess.

In this episode we talk to Jennifer Liss, the founder of the Creative Commute community and podcast. She's interested in seeing more people get creative because of the joy it brings into their lives and the lives of the people they interact with. Creative joy is funny that way. It spreads. It has a ripple effect. When we make something--anything, we become a little kinder and confident and encouraging. That's a win-win-win in our book.

We talk to Alyson Seligman. She’s been a lifestyle blogger for more than 10 years. That’s a lifetime for authors online. Many people have started and stopped blogs, podcasts, and businesses in only a few months. Not Alyson. She stuck with it. She’s now an influencer with a fierce following. She’s found that consistency builds community, and community is what inspires her to continue to create.

Do creative spaces matter? Do you work better when you have a ritual and a place to go? A closet, a kitchen, an office, a coffeeshop? Many creatives designate spaces for work and they find that it helps them focus. When they find themselves in that space, they know what to do. It's time to get to work. Or is all of this an eccentric excuse? You can create something anywhere, right? If you're not a welder or craftsperson who needs machinery or heavy equipment to do what you do, you can do what you do where you are right now. At least, it's possible. 

On this episode, we have the very funny and very talented Michael Burke. He's a writer, performer, and comedian who had other IRL plans before COVID-19 kept him--and the rest of us--at home.  Instead of taking a break, he started writing and producing clips on TikTok and Instagram. We talk about what his process looks like, how to experiment, and what it feels like to have people engage with your material in real-time.  Our favorite quote from Michael: "If you're an artist, don't worry about the palette. Just use what you've got in front of you." Love this so so much.

We have our first guest! Brian Carter is an artist, comedian, and gentlemen chicken farmer who owns a digital media agency in South Carolina. Brian is a constant creative. We talk about ideas, risks, and why it takes a little bit of narcissism to make something new. More importantly, we talk about what it takes to practice being creative and what we find when we do.  The best art comes from being yourself and exploring your ideas.