Perspective Podcast | Fuel For Your Mind & Creative Grind

The Formula - No Time to Pump the Brakes & Feel Sorry for Yourself This week we're doing something different as I'm always looking to shake things up and bring you value. Since my son was recently born, I took last week and this week off from the podcast. I desperately needed to recharge. More importantly, I needed to find my groove in molding myself to be a kick-ass dad and baby raising partner to my wife. Instead of radio silence, I'm sharing an episode I was recently on for my friend Trevor Carlson's The Formula Podcast. This time around, you'll hear me interviewed on topics that are a staple in what I share with you on a weekly basis. Today, Trevor has me peel back the layers and give you the formula for: Tackling imposter syndrome Allocating hours to your dream Dusting yourself off after dealing with the "funk"? Getting out of your head and getting back to work Shownotes Listen to The Formula Podcast: Apple Podcast Stitcher Overcast Connect with The Formula Podcast: Website Facebook Inst

Active Brain, Inactive Body If you’re like me, it’s hard to turn off the switch and unplug from your creative realm. There’s always one more thing that you could get done or a new idea that needs to be flushed out. We get so wrapped up in work that we often neglect other important areas of our life...you know, like our health and well being? As you know, many creatives live a sedentary lifestyle. Busting your ass is great, but if you want a long successful career and life, taking care of yourself should come first. When you get away from your work and find an active outlet, you never know what new passion you may find. Even better, your new passion for your health may show up in your work, which could inspire others to focus on their health. Challenge Your Body, Challenge Your Mind with Andreas Pedersen Queue today’s guest, Andreas Pedersen AKA @andycloned on Instagram. He’s an avid runner and a graphic wizard out of Sweden who focuses on branding, illustrations, and lettering. Andy and I go back a few years

The Scotty Russell Special Summary of The Alchemist First off, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is by far my favorite book and has massively impacted my creative side quest. After reading it with my ears for the millionth time, I felt compelled to give you the Scotty Russell Special Summary. To start off, there's a young boy named Santiago who loves to travel and desires to be in control of his life. He decides to become a shepherd despite his father's wishes for him to become a priest. One day, he dreams of a buried treasure in Egypt by the pyramids. As he tries to decipher what this dream means, he makes acquaintances with an old king. The king states that this dream of treasure was part of his personal legend. Santiago spends years pursuing his treasure and personal legend. He deals with waves of adversity—as it seems there is a force trying to deter him from finding the treasure as he gets closer to his goal. Eventually, Santiago not only reaches the treasure, but he also realizes how much he's grown on the

Bricks vs. Sponges More often than not, you come across forks in the road where you have to decide to settle or push yourself to the next level. Maybe you think you have it all figured out and that good is good enough. Maybe you know you haven’t scratched the surface of your potential, and there’s no ceiling to what you can accomplish. You see, we face these forks all the time: in the gym, in the day job, in relationships, and more specifically, in our creative pursuits. It boils down to—are you a brick or a sponge? Since you’re listening to this podcast, you’re definitely a sponge. You want to soak up knowledge and find ways to seek out growth. Bricks, on the other hand, may think they’ve reached the peak of their potential. Some bricks even think they know what’s best. This topic was sparked by a deep conversation between my brother, Brian Manley, and I after slaying our Crafting & Delivering a Killer Talk workshop at Creative South. After reflecting deeply over copious amounts of quality Whiskey on the

Attack Fear With Unlimited Lives Once upon a time, your boy grew up as a pretty hardcore gamer. As a young lad in the early 90's, I remember watching my two older sisters throw down on Super Mario on the Nintendo. Safe to say, I was captivated yet terrified of Bowser and his minions. As I got older, I became borderline-obsessed with all the gaming systems and games like Mario Kart, ShaqFu, Final Fantasy, Crash Bandicoot, Zelda, Pokemon, Spyro, Skyrim, etc. What did these games have in common? There’s always a Boss you have to defeat to unlock the next level. Facing a new Boss always gave me a nervous pit in my stomach. If you wanted to get to the next level, you had to face the Boss and defeat it. If you didn't succeed the first time, you had to stay persistent and keep trying. The more I played these games, the easier it was to defeat the Boss. It became a normal routine after I figured out what did and didn't work. A Boss isn't so intimidating once you've faced it a few hundred times. Isn’t it funny how thi

Breaking Out of Your Funk Some days, it feels like you can’t catch a break. This funk can drag on— days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years. Believe me, I know what it's like to play the victim and feel like the universe is conspiring against you. I know it well... and it sucks. However, something I continue to preach on this show is this: everything boils down to your mindset and choices. You can’t control everything in life, but you can control those two facets. I personally believe, when you choose to approach things with a positive outlook, it attracts more opportunities and more of the right people in your life. Diving Deep with One Vibe Queue today’s guest: freakin’ Kenny Vidinich, aka Kung Fu Kenny of One Vibe, out of Honolulu. Kenny and I go back a few years on Instagram, and after multiple DM conversations, we finally got a chance to meet via Skype. I’ve watched him curate a unique style, find his voice, and grow a loyal fan and customer base with his work and product launches

Understanding Your Value and Monetizing Your Craft Maybe this is something you can relate to. Over the years, you've busted your ass behind the scenes to build a name for yourself. You've lost track of all the countless hours you poured into your craft as you strive for that "10,000-hour mastery." You've invested boatloads of money into school, books, online courses, workshops, and conferences to put yourself in a position to thrive. Now you're to the point where you're steadily building a monetized side hustle or full-time business doing what you love (if you're not there yet, stick with me). Here's the kicker—not everyone outside of your bubble will understand where you are in your creative career. Many people will perceive what you do as a hobby. They don't fully understand the value of your time and craft and feel they are doing you a favor by offering you the chance to work for exposure. Maybe you also don't fully understand your own value? Today's topic was inspired by two things: My good fri

Facing Forks in the Road Let’s start today off with a little bit of tough love. We all have dreams and wish they could manifest as quickly as it takes to put leftover pizza in the microwave, and _v__oilà!, _you have the best lunch in all the land. Unfortunately, we live in this microwave society, and it’s easy lose sight of the long game—and the slow and steady grind that goes with it. However, within that grind, we learn a lot about ourselves. We find our voice, our style and build relationships and hone our craft. The process allows us to grow on the way to the destination, but hopefully, we never fully arrive and cap our potential. To pursue your hobby and elevate it from side project to budding creative career takes courage, sacrifice, and risk. It requires late nights and early mornings. It requires saying yes and figuring it out along the way, learning to say no in the midst of it, and pushing your story forward even when it isn’t convenient—especially when it isn't convenient. I feel you’ll eventually

Give Yourself Permission to Be Curious While we were preparing the mural to go in Little Dougy Fresh’s room, my wife brought up this quote by Ursula K. Le Guin: “The creative adult is the child who survived.” I’ve heard it before, but this time, it really got me thinking. Kids pour out their ideas with crayons onto paper—and sometimes walls—without ever second-guessing it. They have no agenda. Kids strictly play and create when the mood is right. They don't stress about curation or Instagram's algorithm. They seek validation from their parents only, not everyone else, and work so their ideas grace the frigid front of the refrigerator. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in our pretty Instagram feeds that we don’t give ourselves permission to be curious and play as creative adults. We often restrict ourselves from pushing our limits, from branching out to different styles and mediums. It’s not only uncomfortable—but, holy shit, it may not perform well and cause you to lose a gaggle of followers! Pushing Your Limit

Balancing Life with Your Vision with Nick Sambrato of Mama's Sauce I’ve learned, over the years, that sometimes being obsessive over something is a good thing. It allows you to have tunnel vision and focus extraordinary effort in one direction. Obsessiveness with your goal or dream can radically transform your mindset and life—possibly for the better. On the flip side, being obsessed with too many things can spread you too thin. This can cause you to make minimal progress in a million directions—or worse yet—make you lose sight of what’s really important. There are priorities and limits in life. You can’t do all the things, and you can’t be everything to everyone. Saying no becomes just as important as saying yes. You’ll also learn that you can’t control everything in life. Yes, having ambition, a vision, and a mission is needed for your inner compass. Other times, it’s healthy and beneficial to be open to the unknown and swim with the current of the universe. Planning to Face the Unknown Queue today’s guest:

Adam Grason: Responding to Adversity While Not Being a Dick From the outside looking in, we tend to think the rockstar creatives we look up to are living a perfectly curated life through the social media lens. However, when you peel back the curtain, things aren’t always what they seem. We all deal with adversity whether you see it or not. At the end of the day, it’s about how you respond. Are you the type of person who cowards in a corner when you take an L? Or are you the type of person who dusts yourself off and takes the blow to the chin as a learning experience? It all boils down to a choice. Creating Something That Lasts Queue today’s guest: branding, design, and Illustrator Goliath Adam Grason of Grason Studio out of Orlando, FL. Adam has crushed projects for design brands like Google, Vayner Media, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Target to name a few. Behind the social media lens, he’s just a normal, down-to-earth, genuine dude who deals with his own adversity as a father, husband, and designer. In this episode,

Reframing the Lens with Propaganda Sometimes, we get so stuck in our way of thinking because of what’s been force-fed to us. Often we must unlearn what we’ve been taught and reteach ourselves to see things from different perspectives. Perspective is key. When you reframe the lens you look through, you can better deal with issues in both your creative and daily life. Simply visualizing yourself in someone else’s shoes can radically change the way you think, speak, and act on a certain subject. When you are able to see a bigger picture at stake, you begin to find ways you can contribute to a greater cause. That’s what this show is about. I’m no one special, but I feel I have a special privilege and duty to invest a large chunk of my existence into pouring something “good” into this world. I feel called to be a player on a star-studded team that’s going to accomplish something phenomenal in the grand scheme of things. You could be a pivotal role player, too. Fail and See What Sticks Queue today’s guest: Jason Pe

Show Your Weird & Banish the Vampire Trend Suckers A wise philosopher once said,"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." This wise soul was Dr. Seuss. We live in a society where you are brainwashed to feel like you're missing out if you aren't jockin' the latest trend. Sorry bruh, but you're doing it wrong if you don't have the freshest $120 Supreme t-shirt or the top of the line headphones that break within a month. This culture can also parallel the creative world you and I operate in. There are waves of trendy work being featured and many of these geniuses are being hired by the big wigs with deep pockets. Who doesn't want to catch features and have these businesses make it rain dollar bills on you? This fear of missing out or being irrelevant causes us to lose sight of who we are at our creative core. More than ever, I feel it's crucial to get back in touch with your weird quirks that make you you. It's time to stop being a vampire trend suck

The Peaks & Valleys of Nick Misani How many times have you put yourself in a position to land an opportunity only to be rejected? That shit hurts doesn’t it? It not only leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, but it also makes you reluctant to get back on the saddle and try again (I’m not a country fan but always wanted to say that). That’s the curse of being a creative. You’ll always face adversity and fall on your ass from time to time. It’s inevitable. It’s also the beauty of being a creative. It's an every day challenge and you have the ability to dust yourself off and keep fighting. This is how breakthroughs manifest. Responding to Rejection Queue today’s guest, Mr. Nick Misani. His one of a kind majestic Fauxsaic masterpieces has allowed him to quickly make a name for himself in the lettering realms. However, that’s not the only style he excels at as he’s landed juggernaut clients such as Target, PepsiCo, Airbnb, Vanity Fair, etc with his diverse range of skills. The only thing that matches his incred

Play, Fuck Up & Experiment I pursue this podcast because I love it. I pursue drawing and creating because I love it. Being a creative, you got into this whole mess because you tried it, you loved it and you figured it out along the way. Sometimes along the way you forget why you loved it and you can steer of course for a season or even a few years. I’ve been there as it’s also easy to get wrapped up in the validation of creating for others on social media instead of creating what you’re vibing too. When you give yourself permission to play, fuck up and experiment, amazing things can happen. Brian Steely: Big Work, Chill Dude Queue today’s guest, Brian Steely of Steely Works. Brian is the most chill, down to earth rock stars in the creative game right now. He’s done work for big brands like Element, Toyota, Nike and big bands like Phish, Mumford & son and My Morning Jacket to name a few. However, he’s not too proud to throw down with your average Joe brand looking to make a splash. He’s made a name for

Diane Gibbs: A Champion for Creatives Somedays you just lack the spark. You know, that feeling or reason that gets you stoked to jump out of bed and work on shit that lights your soul on fire. Often it’s hard to see the gold we have buried within us. The inner critic blinds us from catching a glimpse of our potential. Sometimes having an outside voice of reason can help break through that wall and give you the needed push to light that spark again. Sometimes you just need a champion or cheerleader in your corner. While it may not be easy to be your own champion, you always have the ability to champion someone else. People appreciate being appreciated. You never know the impact you can have on someone by spending a few moments of your existence to pepper them with a verbal pat on the back. Maybe it’s just my background in coaching as I’ve had some asshole coaches who would destroy my confidence when I played sports. Its shown me the power of building someone up to help them perform at their best. Someone who i

Going the Extra Mile to Catch Your Breakthrough with Matt Vergotis Let’s get real for a second… We live in a digital age where human zombies are glued to their screens and expect instant stardom after hitting publish. When overnight success isn’t unlocked, It’s easier to quit and hop on board the next trend that may help them strike gold. One of the harder lessons I’ve learned in life is that there are no shortcuts—everything takes time. I’m talking countless hours, days, weeks, months and years obsessively hammering away at honing your craft. Something we have to remind ourselves is that continuing to show up when it’s not convenient and going that extra mile in your work can help you edge closer to catching that looming breakthrough. Patience, Disconnecting & Chin Wags This brings me to today’s guest, Matt Vergotis AKA the Verg. Matt is the prime example of being surgical with practice, having patience while knowing when to disconnect from the digital world. When he’s not surfing the Gold Coast and spen

Elevate Your Instagram Lettering, Build an Audience & Attract Work NOTE: Read the full blog post on Lettering-Daily.com. The following is just an overview. Hopefully, you know by now that I’m all about experimenting and pushing things to the next level. I realize many people in my audience are focused on lettering as they found me on Instagram. However, I know the majority of my audience wants to learn how to improve their craft and get more eyes on their work. That’s why today, I’m switching things up with a collaboration blog post / episode with my brother Max at @Lettering_Daily on Instagram. Not only does he curate a successful lettering feature account, but he also loads up his website full of education, inspiration and resources for aspiring or seasoned lettering artists. He reached out to me in March asking if I wanted to publish a tutorial on his site, but I had a different idea. I’m not one to do tutorials because everything I would basically teach is done by someone else who probably did it bett

Making Shareworthy Work That Lights up Your Soul Do you struggle creating and promoting work that puts a pep in your step? Do you want to learn how to create an engaging side project that people can’t resist sharing? I get it, this shit can be difficult and stressful. It’s easy to overthink and take the path that you THINK people want to see. However, creating to please others is a slippery slope that can suffocate the joy of what it feels like to create work that lights you up and resonates with the right people. What makes you different and what interests you could lead to a goldmine of work that generates a massive breakthrough in your creative career. Instead of trying to fit in, why not try to stand out by being you? Queue today’s guest, Lauren Hom of Hom Sweet Hom. Lauren’s built quite the reputation of combining her lettering, illustration, unique ideas and quirky sense of humor into side projects that takeover the internet and go viral. It seems she’s cracked the code for creating work worth sharing w

The Dynamic Duo That is Super Team Deluxe Our past experiences have the ability to positively or negatively impact and shape the future versions of ourselves. So many times we let the bad things we’ve done or the things we don’t like in life define us. In reality, we should push our story forward by using those experiences as a guide to strive to do the best and to be the best we can. As creatives, I feel we should constantly experiment, share our weird and let our freak flag fly. Your experiences, interests and quirks are the secret ingredients that’ll help you rise above the noise. Sprinkling in a dose of kindness will really add gas to the fire. This brings me to today’s guests of Rogie King and Justin Mezzell. Rogie King is a prolific coder, developer and illustrator who can name every Disney character from A-Z. Justin Mezzell has built a stone solid reputation for his illustrations and witty yet whimsical copywriting. His love for Pokemon and people are second to none. Together this dynamic duo makes up