Art You Crazy

We hate to break it to ya, but not everyone is gonna love your work. (Sorrynotsorry!)
Facing rejection and criticism is part of the creative path we all must walk on the way to success.
But how we deal with nay-sayers is completely within our control, and can actually help us improve and level-up faster!
Find out how to both ask for—and give!—feedback that fosters your creative growth in the jam-packed Season 3 finale of Art You Crazy.
Here’s to reaching new heights!
xo Tessie, Erin & Mel

TOPICS:
00:00 - Introduction
02:06 - Rejection: the ultimate endurance test
08:30 - Reframing criticism
10:08 - Feedback isn’t personal…
16:53 - …unless it is
20:18 - How to ask for feedback: first, be ready!
22:27 - The key to getting useful information
26:28 - Who you ask matters!
28:17 - Request solutions, not problems
29:35 - Setting the tone
31:27 - The high stakes of giving effective feedback
32:58 - How to give effective feedback: The Sandwich Method
33:34 - 3 objective phrases to use
34:50 - When NOT to give feedback
35:50 - Planting the seeds of curiosity
39:11 - Respecting creative vulnerability
41:40 - Building connection
43:13 - Wrap-up

RESOURCES from this Episode:

READING:
The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

WATCHING:
The Triplets of Belleville (PG-13)

OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY ENJOY:
(305) on Perfectionism
(307) on Small Wins

If you’ve ever felt like you were failing as a creative because your work wasn’t “good enough” yet, you’re not alone.
In a world that puts celebrities on pedestals and only shows love for “the best,” it’s easy for budding creatives to feel like they have nothing to be proud of–yet.
But did you know there’s research that proves that celebrating all your little wins along the way to creative success actually helps you reach your highest goals FASTER?
In this episode, Art You Crazy is pulling back the curtain on the science of success and showing you exactly how you can learn to celebrate yourself even BEFORE you accept that award!
So press play and let’s get this party started!

TOPICS:
00:00 - Introduction
02:37 - Downplaying your successes
07:00 - Eldest child syndrome; Self-criticism vs. enjoyment
10:19 - Reframing your outlook on goals
14:56 - “Treat Bags”: small rewards, big impact
20:26 - Why small celebratory gestures are so powerful
24:32 - The dark side of NOT celebrating small wins
25:35 - 5 tips to learn effective self-celebration
26:29 - Strategy #1
29:16 - Strategy #2
32:10 - BONUS tip: super-charge your speed of progress!
33:49 - Strategy #3
36:08 - Strategy #4
37:26 - Tessie’s examples for celebrating herself
40:39 - Swapping jealousy for gratitude
43:20 - Planning your rewards in advance
45:45 - Strategy #5
48:41 - Wrap-up

RESOURCES from this Episode:
READING:
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Teresa Amabile & Steven Kramer
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

APPS:
How We Feel

TOOLS & SUPPLIES:
Intelligent Change Productivity Planner (Quarterly Edition)

We’ve all been there: a spark of a new idea excites us, but that excitement fades once the actual work of CREATING it kicks in.
But what if there were a magic potion that could bring that zest for creation back?
In this episode of Art You Crazy, we chat with special guest, David Blume, a writer-director on the rise, who shares his secret hack for staying motivated to complete projects when the enthusiasm for an idea fades … or when the finish lines seem just so far away.
David, who is currently completing his third film, also shares the valuable insights he’s gained through his own process of self-discovery as a filmmaker—including his #1 must-read book for building momentum in any creative endeavor.
Trust us—he’s dropping gems you don’t wanna miss!
And for even more, check out David’s films at https://www.blumestreet.com and give him a follow on IG @davidlblume!

TOPICS:
00:00 - Introduction
01:19 - Loving the process first: David’s journey
06:00 - Action > motivation
09:11 - Systems to promote action
12:31 - Finish vs. fast
15:17 - Defeating writer’s block
17:31 - The beauty of following your own path
22:37 - Motivation with team members & waiting periods
26:10 - Releasing control in collaborative art forms
31:32 - Dealing with actual burnout
34:32 - Knowing your needs
36:37 - Effort and attention spans
40:04 - David’s recs for sparking motivation
42:56 - Wrap-up

RESOURCES from this Episode:
READING:
Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age by Jeff Goins
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

If you consider yourself a polished performer but secretly dread making “mistakes”…
If you feel paralyzed to start writing until the conditions are “just right” (or a midnight deadline forces you to start at 11:00pm) …
Or if you can never finish a painting because you obsess over details…
Then you might be doing battle with the inner beast known as—
PERFECTIONISM!
What’s worse is you might not even know it’s happening. And it’s killing your chances of real creative success.
In this episode of Art You Crazy, we are waging an all-out war against the perfectionism monster!
We’ll tell you
what it is,
where it comes from,
how it shows up in your creative life (and just your life-life)…but best of all...
what you can do about it (before you end up like Natalie Portman in Black Swan).

We’re arming ourselves with proven methods from science, psychology, and self-compassion to kill perfectionism once and for all…
So gird your loins, press play, and join us on an epic quest to slay this dragon!

TOPICS:
00:00 - Introduction
05:14 - How Mel, Tessie and Erin wrestle with perfectionism
09:30 - What is “perfectionism?”
10:11 - 2 types of perfectionism
10:59 - 10 common traits of perfectionism
16:16 - Cultivating a “f*ck it” attitude
20:45 - Examples of perfectionism in different creative fields
26:35 - The true cost of perfectionism
28:38 - Erin’s low self-esteem and indecision
29:34 - Where does perfectionism come from?
33:53 - Tessie, Mel and Erin’s personal roots of perfectionism
40:16 - Handling emotions as a “perfectionist”
48:07 - When perfectionism has blocked our own creative goals
53:50 - 6 simple shifts to overcome perfectionism
59:33 - Wrap-up

RESOURCES from this Episode:

READING:
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by Dr. David D. Burns, M.D.
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Dr. Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.
The Mastery of Life: A Toltec Guide to Personal Freedom by don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

LISTENING:
Binaural Beats [for pushing past mental blockers in your creative work, check out tracks in the Mind Power category, especially “Flow State,” “Creativity Boost,” and “Super Brain Power”]
LofiGirl: lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
A Lofi Soul: Upbeat Lofi - Deep Focus & Energy for Work [R&B, Neo Soul, Lofi Hiphop]

TOOLS & SUPPLIES:
Intelligent Change Productivity Planner (Quarterly Edition) [teaches a system for setting S.M.A.R.T. goals]

Self-care can often feel either like a luxury that we can’t afford to indulge in—or like a guilty pleasure we should be ashamed to make time for. But self-care is actually critical to maintaining your productivity AND creativity!
In this episode, Art You Crazy is sharing 5 easy self-care practices that won’t break the bank or require you to take vacation time.
Just press play, relax, and say “ahhhhh!”

TOPICS:
00:00 - Introduction
01:35 - What is self-care?
03:28 - The trap of feeling selfish
06:50 - Practice #1
10:36 - Benefits of “box breathing”
13:21 - The Vagus nerve
14:50 - Practice #2
17:54 - Practice #3
21:42 - Benefits of sensory visualizations
23:52 - Practice #4
25:50 - Practice #5
29:01 - How to create a regular self-care routine
30:07 - How self-care works
32:38 - Why self-compassion is necessary
34:27 - Wrap-up

RESOURCES from this Episode:
GUIDED MEDITATIONS:
Box Breathing for Beginners
Box Breathing (5 Minutes Guided)
Mental Reset (Calm Anxiety)
Self-Care for Mind and Body
Self-Love Meditation
5-Minute Meditation for Self-Care
APPS:
The Five Minute Journal