Creativity School

This week on Creativity School, I’m talking to Esther Maloney, a multidisciplinary artist, educator and mama. She’s the creator of award winning films, an author, a visual artist, and the founding director of Illumine Media as well as a founding member of the Creative Sovereignty Lab. Esther also facilitates The Vitality Collective and Making Sessions, two 10-week, online workshops offered for those ready to make powerful shifts in their creative work. Esther’s work is rooted in the belief that our creative life is inseparable from our spiritual life, and she shares how to begin the process of developing trust in ourselves, our creative process, and the forces larger than us. We also discuss the inner voice beckoning creative people to listen, and how we can make space to hear it even when it can seem so hard to do this. Esther also speaks on the connection between nature and our creative practice and how our menstrual cycles and our creativity are deeply intertwined.     WORK WITH ME!⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING 🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING CONNECT WITH ESTHER: Instagram | The Making Sessions | The Vitality Collective CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

How can you grow your visibility and impact through authentically being you and embracing all parts of yourself and the work you create? This week on Creativity School, I have an inspiring conversation with Saeng Douangdara, a popular content creator and personal chef who specializes in Lao cuisine. Saeng shares his journey of how he was born in a refugee camp in Southeast Asia after his parents fled Laos, to eventually working as a college counselor, to now creating storytelling videos that advocate, uplift, and center Lao cuisine. With over 700K followers and millions of views on social media, his work has been featured in numerous publications such as Delish, Buzzfeed, and the New York Times. We talk about the resistance Saeng faced as his visibility and platform grew, how to be authentic as you create meaningful work, and how he protects his mental health as he creates and shares online. Saeng also lets us in on what his creative process looks like, and his best tips on how to get started on TikTok.     WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING CONNECT WITH SAENG: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

This week on Creativity School, we’re talking about triggers! While triggers are extremely uncomfortable and can leave us feeling deflated and paralyzed, they’re ACTUALLY here to pinpoint where you have stuck energy and where you have the capacity to expand into your highest self. Learn how to use the things that trigger you as a way to know exactly where your limiting beliefs are, and bring these subconscious thoughts to the surface so you can expand and grow into your fullest and most authentic, creative being.   WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

Over the last 15 years of my career as a professional photographer, one of the compliments I’ve loved the most is when someone tells me they just *know* when a photo is mine.  It shows me that my work is recognizable and that I’ve been able to find my own unique voice as a creative. This week in our Cultivating Creativity Series, I’ll be sharing how to develop your own unique voice and style as a creator. Tune in for a deep dive on deconstructing the process of taking all your influences and inspirations, and turning them into something that is uniquely you (and WITHOUT copying others!)   WORK WITH ME! ⚡ 1:1 CREATIVE COACHING 🌟 AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH GRACE CHON: Instagram | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

Today’s episode is the first in a new series called Cultivating Creativity, where I’ll be sharing simple and practical tips on how to craft the way you think and ideate TO BE MORE CREATIVE! At the very foundation of cultivating creativity is a simple truth: know what you like and why. Tune in this week to learn about why it’s essential to: Get really clear on what you like. Embrace it wholeheartedly with bravado, and without shame or judgement. Allow this connection to yourself and to your own tastes to flow into your creative work.   WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

This week’s episode is all about HOW TO BE MORE CREATIVE! How to tap into it, how to follow the creative process, and how to feed your creative spirit by listening to your intuition. My guest today, Esther Loopstra, is a prolific artist and illustrator, specializing in food and travel, hand-lettering, and surface design. Her work has been used for print ads, editorials, books, stationery products, and textiles and her clients include Target, Frito Lay, Google, Jo Ann Fabrics, Eddie Bauer, and American Greetings. Esther’s insatiable curiosity drew her to learn as much as she could about the creative process, eventually leading her to teach people how to discover their innate creativity. She believes everyone is creative and is passionate about helping others find and express the creativity that resides inside of them. In this episode, she shares all about her insights as a creativity expert and teacher.   Mentioned in this episode: How Esther became an illustrator, burned out, and eventually discovered her intuition How creativity has a whole range of pathways and is something innate in all of us Exercises to develop our intuition, trust it, and act on it How to quiet your inner critic Why we need to feed our creative spirit Overcoming the fear of what people are going to think and the fear of sharing our work Giving ourselves the freedom to make mistakes How to find your passion using your intuition Open mode and closed mode - the two modes we need for the creative process The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron   WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH ESTHER: Instagram | Website | Courses   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

Creativity is NOT math - there isn’t one defined, clear answer on what’s right or good. Everything is simply an opinion, completely subjective and in the eye of the beholder. I recently had a portfolio review and had the chance to share my latest photo series with top industry people from photo festivals and museums. This week on Creativity School, I share my top takeaways to remember when you have a disappointing response to your work. Here’s a gentle reminder: The point of creating what matters to us, isn’t so that it matters to everyone! Feeling like our work is ENOUGH is a key part of building confidence in this wildly subjective world of creativity, and I’m here to walk you through how to do it.      WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

Here’s Part 2 of my conversation with Jess Keating, a scientist, bestselling author of 23 books, shamanic guide, and holistic money mentor. Jess bridges the gap between science and spirituality, guiding creatives and entrepreneurs to healing their deepest blocks so they share their medicine and message with the world. In the second part of our conversation, we discuss how to build a sustainable creative business through slower deeper moves, rather than the flashy stuff that sells on the internet. Jess shares the most common forms of self sabotage she sees with creatives, and how to build a business that actually feels good and is aligned with your creative spirit and soul in a way feels right for YOU.     WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here   CONNECT WITH JESS KEATING: Website | Instagram

This week I’m talking to Jess Keating, a scientist, bestselling author of 23 books, shamanic guide, and holistic money mentor. Jess bridges the gap between science and spirituality, guiding creatives and entrepreneurs to healing their deepest blocks so they share their medicine and message with the world. Jess brings a unique perspective to creativity and the way she intersects the world of science, spirituality and creative expression. She shares how there’s a more holistic and natural approach to creative living and money making. We also talk about the connection between nature and our creativity, and how we can look to nature to find the answers we seek because we are all wired to be connected to it. Stay tuned for Part 2 where we dig deeper into building a sustainable creative practice and business by looking to nature for learning how to make slower, deeper moves and blending the natural world with our creative spirit.   WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING 🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here     CONNECT WITH JESS KEATING: Website | Instagram

There are times in life when you’re totally going to suck at something…. and that’s okay! But how do you support yourself through the discomfort of being so bad and new at it? And how do you keep going when it’s so uncomfortable you want to quit? Tune in this week to hear how to allow yourself to be comfortable with being uncomfortable so you can continue to expand and strengthen your creative muscles.     WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING 🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start creating what really matters to you, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

What happens when the thing you love to make the most completely burns you out? This week on Creativity School, I have a very honest conversation about mental health and burning out with Korean chef and author Seung Hee Lee. Seung Hee is a self proclaimed “disease detective” by day as a full time Epidemiologist, and a classically trained chef and side hustling pop-up chef by night. She’s also a traditionally published author of a Korean cookbook, which she worked on and released while working at her day job. We talk about her journey to becoming a chef and author, and how she uses social media to dispel stereotypes about Korean food. Seung Hee also shares how her weekend pop-up events became burdensome and left her feeling depressed and unhappy. She discusses how she began the process of overcoming her burnout and why it’s essential to create work that makes you happy instead of making work to please others.   WORK WITH ME! 🌟 BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start creating what really matters to you, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH SEUNG HEE: Website | Instagram   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here

Happy 2023 friends! What if this new year is all about stepping into the OLD YOU? The most authentic, aligned, and real you, that’s hiding under feeling afraid, unworthy, and not being good enough? And what if your creativity is just the thing to help you remember? I believe creativity is powerful pathway to transformation because when we create what really matters to us, we reconnect to ourselves. The more you create, the more you learn about yourself. The more you learn about yourself, the more you heal. The more you heal, the more you remember the old you. And the old you is where the magic lies.     WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING     CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

How can you keep following what you authentically enjoy and allow one thing to lead you to the next? Raúl B Fernández is an award winning commercial director and has received recognition for his work for brands such as Chevy, Amazon, and Coca-Cola. But in 2020 when the film industry came to a complete standstill and Raúl found himself out of work, he started making veggie planter boxes for fun. His pandemic hobby unintentionally turned into a business and Victory Garden LA was born. With a booming new business, Raúl quickly hired other out of work film industry types to help “pay our bills, one beautiful planter box at a time”. Listen this week to hear all about his incredible journey of pivoting from unemployment to building a thriving business that has been written up in Sunset Magazine, the LA Times, and has attracted a celebrity following. Raúl shares his tips on how to take action without overthinking, how to increase your personal magnetism to attract what you need, and why it’s so important to create for the sake of creating. He also shares what it’s like to create while struggling with anxiety and depression, and his tips on how he works through imposter syndrome and feeling not good enough.    WORK WITH ME! ⚡ BOOK 1:1 COACHING🌟 BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH RAÚL B FERNÁNDEZ: Instagram | Website   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

What is energy healing and how can you use this modality to release creative blocks and shift closer to the dream, transformation, and manifestation that you desire? This week on Creativity School, I’m talking to Missy Toy Ozeas, an Energy Healer and Transformation Guide. Missy says she did not ever set out to be an energy healer and for most of her life, hid her unusual gifts of being able to see energy and energetic patterns. She eventually left a career in television to become a Healer, and has been impacting countless lives ever since. We talk all things energy this episode - how our thoughts and beliefs relate to our energy field, how every problem has an energetic root, and how we can begin to clear blocks by getting to the root of the problem at an energetic level. Missy also shares why energetic hygiene is so important especially for creativity, and how when you change your energy you change the world around you. Missy also gives me a profound Energy Healing at the end of this episode, and stay tuned until the end where she shares a beautiful message for YOU! If you want to learn all about how consciously working with energy can shift your creative life, be sure to tune in!   🌟 WORK WITH ME! BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING Now booking December appointments. 🌟   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH MISSY TOY OZEAS: Instagram | Website   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.  

When asked about the number-one ingredient in creative achievement, more than 140 creativity researchers identified growth mindset as the key to success. So what exactly is growth mindset, and how can it help you live to your fullest creative potential? Tune in this week to learn about how traits like intelligence, creativity and the ability to be successful are things that can be cultivated and developed, and how a fixed mindset is actually holding you back from growing and expanding into your highest and most authentic expression. The Power of Believing You Can Improve - Carol Dwek Ted Talk What to Say When You Talk To Yourself - Shad Helmstetter   🌟 WORK WITH ME! BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING Now booking November appointments. 🌟   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs How was I able to go from a science degree and a corporate job, to creating a dream career as an internationally acclaimed animal photographer and author? I learned how to listen to my intuition and have used it to guide me every step of the way! My intuition has truly been my superpower for how I’ve lived such an aligned, creative life and it’s a tool that’s available to everyone. Intuition is our inner intelligence system, and it’s always trying to guide us to our highest good. And when you learn how to listen to your intuition and use this higher guidance, it can lead you down a magical path beyond what you could even imagine. Tune in this week to learn how to develop your intuition (here’s a secret - we’re ALL intuitive and have these abilities!) and how to get into the flow of creation through taking inspired action.   🌟 WORK WITH ME! BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING Now booking November appointments.   🌟   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

This week on Creativity School I’m talking to Justine Tiu, co-founder of The Woobles, a company that makes learn-to-crochet kits for complete beginners and helps them build confidence and see their own potential to grow not just in crochet, but in life. Justine shares her story of how she went from working as a User Experience Designer at Google to starting up The Woobles. In just 2 years, Justine has taught 100,000 people how to crochet, sells her crochet kits in retail stores, released a new book, and been on Shark Tank! We discuss the ups and downs Justine experienced as she built her company and how she overcame self doubt along the way. Justine also shares how she grew her self confidence through learning crochet, and why she loves helping people remember that it doesn’t matter how old you are, how busy you are, or how crafty you are - you can always learn something new and grow your self confidence, one baby step at a time. Join us as we share why having a growth mindset is crucial to learning and why you don’t need your work to be 100% perfect before you release it into the world. 🌟 WORK WITH ME! BOOK AN AKASHIC RECORD READING Now booking November appointments. 🌟 Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH JUSTINE: Website | Instagram   CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

Why does sharing our authentic gifts and talents with others oftentimes feel so scary? And what could be possible if we all had the courage to let them out and allow them to shine, even if we feel afraid? This week on Creativity School I’m talking to Sofia Araya, an international spiritual life coach, teacher, and Akashic Records Reader. Sofia shares her story of how she transitioned from a career in interior design to one that has allowed her very unique gifts to develop and shine. We talk about how Sofia kept following her desires and the things she felt called to explore, ultimately creating an entirely new path and career for herself. She also shares about the importance of being self aware of what’s holding you back from sharing your gifts and why it’s important to work with your triggers instead of avoiding them. Sofia’s inspiring journey shows us what can happen if you courageously share your gifts with others, especially as you see triggers as an opportunity to heal and move forward in your life mission! I also share a little bit about what I’ve been up to, and some new ways of working together so you can heal your triggers and move forward with creating your best life! If you’re interested in booking at Akashic Record Reading with me, here’s how.   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH SOFIA: Website | Instagram CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

How much expansion could be possible in your life if you allowed yourself to stay open to new opportunities (even if you feel completely unqualified) and just said YES? This week on Creativity School I’m talking to my good friend and creative powerhouse Sonya Sanford. Sonya is a multi-passionate creative and a chef, food stylist, food writer, and screenwriter for television and film - all while being completely self taught. She shares her story of how she got started in her various careers by consistently allowing her curiosity to lead, and saying yes to new opportunities when she had no experience. We talk about how a near death experience made Sonya realize “life is too short to be crying in a parking lot every day doing something you hate” and why it’s so important to do what you love. Sonya also shares what she learned from the failure of having her beloved restaurant close down, and how she balances all her creative interests and passions. Sonya’s inspiring journey shows the magic of what can happen if you stay open, say YES, and allow life to unfold in the most unpredictable and delicious way!   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH SONYA: Website | Instagram CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.

How can you find the courage to believe in your work and keep going with it, despite all the obstacles and rejections that come your way? Our guest this week is Crystal Z. Lee, a Taiwanese American bilingual author. Crystal shares her inspiring story of how she went from working in the corporate world to becoming an award winning author despite facing nearly 100 rejections on her journey to being published. Crystal says she always knew deep down since childhood that she wanted to be a writer, but never had the courage to pursue it until later in her life after working in Public Relations for a decade and becoming a mom. Crystal talks all about her journey to finally finding the courage to write, how she handled her negative self talk when she received nearly 100 rejections while pitching her manuscript to publishers, to ultimately becoming an award winning author of books with beloved readers all over the world! Her novel Love and Other Moods has been a finalist in multiple book awards and received a Gold Award, and her children’s book A Unicorn Named Rin was listed in the "Top 120 picture books to add to your kids' reading list in 2021" by PopSugar.com. She also shares with us the importance of knowing who you are as a creator, staying true to your vision, and why she walked away from 2 publishers when she knew it wasn’t the right fit for her book. If you’re someone that struggles with finding the time for your creativity, or want some inspiration on how to keep going when it feels like the world keeps telling you “No!”, this episode is for you.   Thank you so much for listening. If you're interested in being on an Office Hours episode with me for some 1:1 creative coaching so you can start manifesting your wildest creative dreams, fill out this form.   CONNECT WITH CRYSTAL: Website | Instagram CONNECT WITH CREATIVITY SCHOOL: Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me online! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook If you have any questions or comments for the show, click here.