Nurturing yourself is key to impacting others
You are the master of your creatively expanding self
In this week’s solo episode, I share a bunch of updates like transitioning from Libsyn to Buzzsprout as my media host and the improved user experience that comes with it, all-new ärtful reminders that I’m posting regularly on Instagram to inspire you, the Artist Spotlight of the month, and a wonderfully fulfilling summer camp for creative entrepreneurs that I’ve been a “camp counselor” for. I also share several recommendations for people to check out and follow that have made a positive impact in my life, and some of my favorite apps that have been helping me with building and maintaining habits that are nurturing my soul and helping me to stay motivated so that I can keep showing up for you.
NOTES
Recently I switched from Libsyn to Buzzsprout for media hosting because:
more features across the board
better pricing structure for my show format (number/length of episodes rather than size of data storage)
better data and analytics
more modern, advanced podcast player
I’ve been updating episode artwork and audio players on the website (slowly but surely)
I’m testing out some new layouts on the podcast pages
I’ve been posting ärtful reminders regularly on Instagram to provide more inspiration to your day as we walk this path of self-discovery, creativity, and growth together
Artist Spotlight on the homepage of the website with a new artist each month. This month’s artist is Steven John Irby
I’ve been a “Camp Counselor” at Creatives Ignite, a summer camp for creative entrepreneurs the whole month of July. The camp is hosted by Diane Gibbs and has so many amazing speakers like Chris Do, Jamal Collins, Michael Janda, Anneli Hansson, and Fin Al-Yousefi with relevant topics that have been timely for so many of us creative entrepreneurs in the camp.
I interviewed Diane recently on the show and you can listen to her interview here.
Last week I needed some nurturing myself and took a short break. We had a bit of a stressful week prepping to go to San Diego to pick up our two cats, Midi and Mojo, so we could bring them to our new home since we’ve decided to stay here for the time being.
I am a life-long learner and recently have been doing some things for personal and professional development as well as self-care that I wanted to share because I thought they might be of interest:
Diving deeper into my music software and working on music again
Working on a new experimental DJ mix under the Lukos moniker that is pushing me as a storyteller, DJ, and producer
Continuing to work on my feature screenplay — I’m currently 45 pages in so far. WOOT!
Growing as a creative entrepreneur through online educational resources like CreativeLIve (shout out to Chase Jarvis, co-founder, world-class photographer, entrepreneur, and host of The Chase Jarvis Live Show) and MasterClass, as well as the Creatives Ignite summer camp by Diane Gibbs
Learning about SEO and best practices for websites from Neil Patel and Google
I’ve been slowing downnnnn and enjoying time to relax and unwind
I’ve been using my time in the morning for self-care — things like exercise, yoga, and meditation
I recently started using the Streaks app ($4.99 one-time fee) to help me build and maintain habits with things that I want to do on a regular basis like:
Making the bed
Hydrating throughout the day
Exercise
I’ve been running 5-6 days a week with my own pyramid workout of crunches and sit-ups and doing Sterling K. Brown’s Pyramid Workout 3 days a week. The great thing is it’s bodyweight exercises so you don’t need weights or equipment!
Shout out to Matt D’Avella for his productivity tip on not skipping more than one day with exercise (or other habits). Matt and Thomas Frank have been great resources for me on my productivity and essentialist journey
Meditation (Insight Timer is a great app with tons of content and is FREE/donation-based)
Yoga/stretching (Yoga with Adriene is a very popular channel on YouTube but there are tons of options to choose from)
Reading a book
Journaling
Practicing Spanish (Duolingo is my app of choice)
Playing with music
Writing my screenplay
I’ve created daily reminders to myself in my native iOS app, like telling myself “I am enough” (Give it a try. It’s a nice reminder to start out your day)
LINKS
Instagram (my profile)
Artist Spotlight for July: Steven John Irby
Sterling K. Brown’s Pyramid Workout
Lukos (one of my DJ monikers)
TRANSCRIPT
[0:00] Music.
[0:08] Welcome to artful, a community committed to championing artists and creative misfits from all walks of life.
This show gives you an insiders look into the rial, scrappy lives of artists creating with purpose, including interviews with beatboxers, graffiti writers, DJs, chefs, photographers, designers, illustrators, filmmakers and music artists from around the globe,
as well as insights and inspiration from yours truly.
I'm Gabriel if an award-winning artist, coach, entrepreneur, and fellow misfit. All right, let's do this.
[0:40] Music.
[0:51] Hegang Happy Friday. Hope you're doing well out there.
I wanted to make a note about last week.
My apologies for not having an episode out this episode. I'm gonna speak to nurturing yourself and how that's the key to impacting others.
I needed to nurture myself last week. We had a pretty stress E week.
We were prepping to go to San Diego to pick up our cats, Midi and Mojo and bring them to our new home, since we decided to stay here for the time being for obvious reasons and really wanted to get the episode cut.
But I just had a lot going on, and I'm still doing these week by week. For now, I haven't gotten into the batch ing process yet, and I'm still figuring these out, and I'm still wanting to keep them fresh.
There was a lot of weighing on us. We had a lot of stress is.
[1:44] Since we were, you know, getting back out, getting the cats, getting them back here and everything.
So and we were worried about them and what that was gonna be like for them. So I just wanted to let you know. That's why I went dark last week a little bit and didn't have anything come out on Friday.
I have, however, been posting artful reminders regularly on Instagram and the social.
So if you haven't been seeing those and take a look, let me know what you think.
[2:11] Really pushing those out to provide more inspiration to your days as we walked this path of self-discovery, creativity and growth together,
it's been good reminders for me to myself as well as to share with you guys cause I'm here to support you.
And I love pushing out positive everything.
Positive vibes, whatever you want to call it. I'm all about the woo.
Keep your spirits up, keeping inspiration coming your way, and is sharing something positive out in the world.
It's something that's not a huge undertaking, but it can put out some nice love and light to the world each day and give you a little boost and remind you that you're not alone.
We're in this together, so I hope you're like in those, Let me know.
Also recently, a switched from Lipson to bust Sprout for my media hosting for the show.
[3:07] I've been keeping an eye on the landscape this faras who's offering what and for what price and how do they have their pricing structures set up in all that stuff?
Features, analytics, all those things, and I've really been impressed with Buzz Sprout.
I'm seeing a lot of positive feedback from colleagues who were also podcasters just really digging what they're up to, this faras they're offering and the way that they're serving their audience.
So I am now one of their audience.
I've been going through and updating artwork and audio players on the website. Slowly but surely.
[3:52] Testing out some new layouts on podcast pages. Because of that, I really like their player.
[3:59] I think it looks way better, and it's got a lot more functionality as far sharing and just within the player itself.
How you can use it. I really like the more modern look and more functionality.
They're analytics air better, and I like their pricing structure. It's also really great because it's based more around your length of episodes and that kind of thinking rather than the data storage size.
I'm looking forward to that transition, but I wanted to give you guys a heads up that's transitioning over and that I've been working on that and making some more updates to the website.
[4:38] So I wanted to share that. I'm making this shift to bust sprout. I like sharing APS that I like to use.
I do that every week in the newsletter and talk about, you know, just recommendations I have, whether it be for films and TV series with the critical fandom or people that I love that are on the show.
You know, I've got an artist spotlight that I started some monthly spotlight of artists, I think, er being art full and creating with purpose and doing really great work.
Last month was Roberto Blake. This month is Stephen John Urbi, who was on the show previously.
I think it's just a really great opportunity to be ableto speak to things like that, and I also like to share APS and tools.
And resource is that can help you if you're doing a podcast or anything like that, whether it's in your business or in your personal development.
[5:35] I wanted to share another really powerful experience that have been going through this month.
Been participating in summer camp for creative entrepreneurs called Creatives Ignite toasted by my buddy Diane Gibbs, who was recently on the podcast on Episode 42.
[5:57] And it's just been an absolute tree to be a part of this.
She invited me to be one of the camp counselors.
It's this really wonderful concept with a presenter each day of the week,
on Wednesday afternoons for me and Saturday mornings for me in my time zone, we,
have, ah, hour long session.
We do what we're what we call fireside chats, and we talked about what we're learning, what the presenters we're talking about.
Several of the presenters are usually on the video chat so we can ask them questions.
And I mean, there's so many great amazing speakers like Chris Dough, Jamal Collins, Michael Jandola anally, Hanson and Finn all use a fee and so many more.
And that had so many relevant topics that have been timely for so many of us in the camp.
We're having conversations about limiting beliefs, about imposter syndrome, about.
[7:03] The specific topics, like fear that Christo speaks to so many topics that are relevant to us as humans as creatives and is entrepreneurs.
And it's been wonderful to be a part of this experience, making new friends all over the world.
Several of them have already been inviting to be on this show, so I'm looking forward to sharing several of the folks with you as we move forward in the on boarding process of getting him on the show.
But I wanted to call it out because Diane's just doing some really wonderful work and she's brought such a great group of people together to provide this camp and to bring these people together.
It's been so powerful to be having access to some of the conversations that we're having, whether it be in the fireside chats or in one of the various slack channels that we have going.
And there's been a lot of vulnerability, a lot of sharing, a lot of similar stories, and it's just been a wonderful experience to be a part of that as a creative and,
a business owner just having,
this connection with,
my people and it's It's just so great toe have so many people all over the world coming together.
[8:25] And I wanted to shout out to Diane for this camp because we're now just halfway in and we've got a big.
[8:36] Got a big workshop coming up tomorrow with Dave Clayton's like a 2.5 hour workshop.
So looking forward to that, Speaking of which, you know, I'm a lifelong learner, and while we've had this time to reassess where we are in life, I've been doing all kinds of things personally.
You know, I've been getting back into music again. I'm working on a new D J mix.
That's a really new experimental way to do a mix I'm very, very excited about. It's gonna be under. My moniker is logos.
I put out a tease the other day on Social just to see what people are thinking and, you know, get people excited for it.
But I'm really excited about it. It's It's It's something new, and it allows Meteo tap into the storyteller element of how I like to do mixes and go even deeper than just a journey.
But really try and tell a story. I did a project in 08 called The Instant Diaries I had written out this outline for this, like fantasy story was, you know, the usual,
save damsel in distress kind of a thing and you know, the the evil villain and.
[9:50] Big battle scenes and all the stuff.
And I took all this music like Seguros and Aim on Tobin and Nine Inch Nails, and I produced a track as well for it.
And took all of these songs that let me up.
So Instant Diaries is a play on words. It's I love word play and it's It's a play on the word incendiary and I was taken all these songs that were incendiary to me that that let me up because I love ambient l of scores.
And I did this. This project where I compiled, curated and produced this score basically with music.
And then I mixed it together and it takes you on this journey. And I love that about music, that it's universal language but that you can take people on this journey musically.
I studied Sasha and Digweed when I got into deejaying, and I really connected with their journeymen style of music,
and how they deejay music, whether it was on a mix like Northern Exposure East Coast, that's my favorite.
[11:01] Or in a in a live setting.
For decades now, they've been doing this and it's just been,
such a big inspiration to me, and so this has kind of been my way to continue pushing that forward of taking my years of experience in filmmaking and.
[11:22] Deejaying and podcasting and and just putting all that together and looking at how can I continue to evolve?
Taking people on a journey with music by last mix I did,
marooned that I recorded when we were in Sri Lanka was when I started to kind of tap into this and keep going with how this could go.
And I had this whole visual of, you know, this this spaceship.
[11:52] Being marooned on this ice planet A found a wonderful image from an artist's that I took and use that to design the cover and then did a video with it and had such a blast.
I did audio of Relate with what wind and also did a visual video interlace overlay off like I have Blizzard and set up this whole scene.
Put that up on YouTube and it's just so much fun to take it beyond just putting a mix together.
But you putting the time into compiling the music and taking on this journey.
But having this sort of North star around the theme of the mix, you know, it's kind of akin back to like albums back in the seventies where there was like this theme or a topic.
[12:47] You know, art rock albums. Operas are rock operas and things like that.
They have these themes, and that's something I just have always connected twos story, and so this new project I'm working on,
it's called Escape Two Arrows, and it's another sort of scifi story,
and I've doing this very similar thing where I've written a script and have laid out these characters in this whole story,
where there's this, you know, Maverick space jockey who's gotta take refugees to Eros.
They've being there. Been hunted by bounty hunters have been sent out around the galaxy by the space pirates that have invaded their planet.
You know, it's you don't need to do that. It's a mix.
But when, uh, so it's something that really lights me up and it's pushing me as a storyteller is pushing me as a deejay. It's pushing me as.
Ah, producer to think of like, how can I do this and created even deeper experience for people listening to music?
And, you know, it's something that lights me up. It's something that nurtures my soul.
[14:06] And that's part of what I wanted to speak to in today's episode, you know, is around nurturing yourself so that you can give to others and keep paying it forward.
On the professional side have been doing this summer camp with Diane classes on Creativelive. I'm a huge advocate of creative live, I asked, Actually used to work for craftsy, a k A blueprint.
They were competitors.
But after I left craftsy and went off on my own, I fell in love with creative life and their model.
And I love Chase Jarvis. I'm a huge fan of him and his work.
I just got his book creative calling and I'm I'm just She's just another. He's an artful.
He's out there, creating with purpose and serving as his creatives and entrepreneurs, whether it's with Creative Live or his book or his podcast, the Chase Travis Live show.
Whatever it is, he's out there giving, giving, giving, and I love what he's up to and will be an advocate for him forever and.
[15:20] I'm also doing stuff that's not as pretty, you know, learning about S E o best practices for websites, things like that from Neil Patel and Google.
You know, looking at ways that I can get out there and connect more with you guys, get more eyes on what I'm trying to do for you guys, but I'm also slowing down.
I'm using an app called streaks. It's five bucks on the APP store, and you could do up to 12 things that you want to track.
And so I'm tracking things like a simple is making the bed, even though I like doing that anyway, I make it when I get up.
I'm tracking you, practicing Spanish, working on the screenplay, working with music, exercising, yoga, meditation, the things that I want to be doing to take care of myself and that are important to me.
And so, as we've been spending a lot of time thinking about that over the last several months, those are things that came up for me, you know, taking time for self care.
And so I wanted to share that. It's another app that I'm a big fan of. It's called streaks and It's been awesome, It spits.
It's been great to be able to have that sort of Gamification, and it's got notifications to remind you I'm up to, I think, 33 days straight on practicing Spanish.
[16:45] And I've been working out six days a week last week because of going to get her cats.
I kind of threw that off a little bit, but that's OK. I took a break and then I got back onto it.
And so this week, I've been going strong again. So you know, it's it's it's practice.
Like I've been saying recently, It's practice.
You gotta practice, you know? And if you got to take a break, take a break.
One thing I love that I've really been working on following this routine is by Matt D. Avella and Big Shout out to Math.
[17:21] Love him in his work. If you're in a productivity and minimalism, which I am, he's, ah, wonderful person to follow him. And Tom Frank.
The routine he has is don't take more than two days off.
[17:36] So, you know, like with exercise, if you take a day off, get back to it the next day.
But don't take more than two days off. And that's something I've been practicing last week, like I said, going to get the cats that definitely threw things off a bit.
I got right back to it and have been going strong, you know, even if it's just, you know, whatever going for a walk, going for a jog, whatever it is, making sure that I do it, check it off on my app.
But it's been really great having those things to help get my day going before I sit down and do things like this or before I talked to a client or before I do work, whatever it might be.
So I wanted to share a little bit about that because, you know, I know I've been reading.
Some people are having to buy a size up in jeans and making fun of, you know, their their coverted 19 that they've added and things like that. And however we need to take care of ourselves.
You know, I applaud people, keeping it light in the midst of things that are pretty heavy, and there's a lot of serious seriousness going around.
[18:48] But it's also reassessing. You know what's important and how do you want to show up?
That's those. Some of the things I've been talking about or what's important to me, is, you know, wellness.
And I'm all about continuing to grow and,
also doing fun stuff like deejaying and working on music, having those all kind of keep me and in a place of sanity and.
[19:16] Moving forward. So I thought I'd share some of those things. Just kind of check back in and given update of where I am right now.
And my cat just came out with so many since this episode, I wanted to speak to nurturing yourself and how that impacts others.
I want to just call out some of these APS and tools and resource is that I like to use in case they might be helpful to you. I'm gonna have links in the show notes, so feel free. Teoh, check those out. See if it can help you.
And I hope you have a great weekend.
Keep being artful. Check you next time.
[19:53] Music.
[20:00] Well, that's it for this episode. Whether this is your first time listening or you're already a fan. Thanks for being here.
I hope you enjoy the show. All links and show notes from this episode can be found at the artful dot co slash podcast.
If you haven't yet, please subscribe to the show and leave a rating. A review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
If you like what you hear and want to be a guest or know someone that's a good fit. Go to the artful dot co slash guest.
And if you want to leave me a note about an idea or topic for the show, go to the artful dot com slash speak pipe.
Thanks again for listening until next time keep being artful.
[20:39] Music.