Kick in The Creatives Podcast - We talk Creativity, Art and Writing with Creative Challenges and Gossip Tara and Sandra, met by happy accident. Tara had been listening to a Podcast that Sandra just happened to be being interviewed on, and having her own podcast at the time, she invited Sandra to be a guest. The two of them quickly hit it off and went on chatting, long after the recording had stopped… And they haven’t shut up since! Tara was a whizz at idea generation, but having been a graphic designer for 25 years, she had long lost her connection with a ‘real’ pencil. Sandra, on the other hand, was and still is, a realism painter, yet she had the inability to just ‘let go’ in her sketchbook. Over the following weeks, they began setting each other creative challenges. As a result, Tara rekindled her love for drawing by hand, and Sandra horrified to be handed a ‘chunky marker’ to draw with by Tara, was forced to let go of her pedantic sketching style and just ‘have fun in her sketchbook.’ It was clear that the two of them as a duo, were a good influence on each other and having finally met in the flesh, they became firm friends. Knowing the power that creative challenges had held for them, they decided that they wanted to help other people find and embrace their creative side and just ‘have a go.’
Episodes
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Today we are talking about dealing with negative feedback and we'll be sharing some of our personal experiences. Now, I am sure if you have listened to the show before you're thinking, ...but Sandra and Tara are way too fabulous to have ever had any negative feedback. That was what you were thinking wasn't it?! But it's true we have both had some gut-wrenching experiences - I don't think I need to elaborate anymore other than to say the words "nose whistle" and "the teddy bear got its revenge". It will all make sense when you listen.
Why are you receiving negative criticism?
Often it means you stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new or stretching yourself, which is actually a great thing. It’s just that people aren’t always that tactful about giving criticism.
Tips for dealing with negative feedback
We need to try and remember that feedback, whether good or bad is only someone's opinion. Sometimes the criticism can help us learn something and improve what we do, other times it's best to ignore it and realise it's more about the other person's insecurities, jealousy or downright tactlessness. We share how our negative feedback affected us at the time and how we might deal with it if the same thing happened now.
Ideas for ways to boost your own confidence
Along with dealing with negative criticism, we also make some suggestions on how to boost your own confidence and make yourself feel better. This does not involve eating copious amounts of chocolate, although we are open to testing if it has beneficial effects.
Our supportive Facebook Group are busy creating
We also give a mention to some of the fantastic members of our Facebook Group who are creating and sharing regular art in the group. You are welcome to join us.
Thank you for all of your answers to our previous question. It was fun reading some of them out,
This weeks question
What would be your dream creative project?
Monday Apr 16, 2018
Monday Apr 16, 2018
Today we share some tips on how to make your sketchbook more interesting. Plus, as usual, we go on a few tangents and talk about other things that pop into our heads, usually art related, but we can’t completely promise that!
We also mention our April Art Challenges which had just started as we recorded the episode - Abstract Art April, Imitation April and Quick Kick April. Quick Kicks are our monthly challenges that you can complete in 15 minutes or less, so most people can fit them into their day.
Anyway, just like the podcast, I have already managed to divert my attention away from the main topic of sketchbooks. First, we discuss different suggestions for making your sketchbook cover more interesting. Sandra is a big advocate of this, but I prefer to concentrate on the insides. It reminds us both of having to cover exercise books when we were back at school in the dark ages. Does anyone else remember Fablon that sticky plastic stuff or is it a figment of my imagination? Do kids still cover exercise books? Do exercise books even exist anymore or have they been replaced by holograms?......
Read the rest on the show notes
Monday Apr 02, 2018
Monday Apr 02, 2018
In today's episode we talk about the benefits of having a creative mentor and where you can find them. We are also encompassing the idea of having creative friends or allies. These are the people who help encourage you to create and improve. We also talk a little about our April challenges - Abstract Art April, Imitation April and Quick Kick April.
Monday Mar 19, 2018
Monday Mar 19, 2018
Hello again and welcome to another podcast episode. Today we are talking about how to find your style and of course there’s a bit of arty chat thrown in for good measure. We also mention some of the fantastic work we have been seeing for our two March Art Challenges March Mixed Media and 5 Minute March. There are a few shoutouts for the work that has really caught our eyes too.
So first of all, just how important is it to find a style?
I guess it totally depends on why you are drawing and painting.
If you are painting purely for fun, then it doesn’t matter in the slightest. You can just paint what you want without considering if people will recognise that it’s your work. You don’t have to try and impress a gallery in this case either.
But, if you want to stand out from the crowd, then, of course, it’s very important to have something about your work that makes it stand out as your own… Your ‘style’.
Monday Mar 05, 2018
Monday Mar 05, 2018
In today’s episode, we’re discussing whether or not you have to go to art school in order to become an artist. There is no right or wrong path to follow here. We're all different and where some of us will benefit hugely from going to art school, others will only be stunted by it.
Going to art school does not necessarily make someone a good artist! And NOT going to art school doesn’t make someone a bad one either!
Monday Feb 19, 2018
Monday Feb 19, 2018
Today’s guest is Tracey Fletcher King, an artist, illustrator, printmaker and teacher from Queensland, Australia.
This is an inspiring interview about following your passion, doing what you love and making time for your art, no matter what the obstacles.
Monday Feb 05, 2018
Monday Feb 05, 2018
That niggly voice of your inner critic
In this episode, we talk about that niggly voice in the back of our heads, our "inner critic”. It's the voice that questions everything we do and whether it’s good enough. As creatives, we can spend a lot of time on our own with only that one voice for company… and it’s really hard not to listen! We talk about our ways of dealing with that irritating inner critic.
Make the inner critic work in your favour
We all see our inner critic as our enemy. What we need to try and do is make it work in our favour. That voice is only really there to protect us from being hurt. We have to try and use it to help us strive to produce better work, without letting it crush our confidence.
A little about Art Journal January
We also talk a little about Art Journal January and some of the art we’ve loved. As usual, we brutalise people's names as we try to pronounce them. Plus I (Tara) talk about my experience of taking part in the challenge and trying to overcome my inner critic. Sandra who had been in the Carribean for the first half of January mentions how she felt she was missing out by not taking part in the challenge. It was quite a hardship for her to lie by the pool in the sun and drink cocktails (PS. Can you tell Tara is writing these show notes!)
A mention of our upcoming challenges
We also give a mention to our two upcoming challenges -
February Faces, an art challenge to create a face drawing (sculpture, collage, etc) every day of the month
February Fables, a challenge to write a children’s story during the month.
We will both be taking part in February Faces. We're also going to put a twist on February Fables by collaborating. I will write exactly 250 words, then Sandra will write 250 more until we have completed a story. Who know's what that will turn out like, but we're sure to mention it in an upcoming episode.
Facebook Group
If you haven’t already, you can join our Facebook Group, where you will find like-minded creatives. Plus we have some free downloadable inspiration pdfs for the challenges. They are also available when you sign up for our newsletter.
We hope you enjoy the show.
Sunday Jan 21, 2018
Sunday Jan 21, 2018
Megan is an illustrator, maker and teaching artist who lives in Connecticut. She is an amazing art journaller who tries to art journal every day. In this episodes she offers tips on journalling and creativity
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Monday Jan 08, 2018
This week is all about how you can kick the fear of sketching. We make suggestions on ways you can be more confident sketching and drawing and enjoy the process rather than worrying about the results. Plus we talk about some of the Creative Challenges that you can take part in this year
Sunday Dec 31, 2017