Spark Your Inner Fire for Creatives

Picture this: a sneak peek behind the curtains of my performances with the incredible python, Elvis. Weaving tales of unpredictability that stole the spotlight on stage. As we unravel the narratives from both the stage and the serpent's perspective, you'll uncover the profound lessons learned when assumptions are thrust into the spotlight. Although Elvis may no longer be a part of our present, this story of him lingers, reminding us that assumptions confine the mind, while curiosity and questioning unlock doors to endless perspectives. Join me in this episode filled with exploration, laughter, and enlightenment. Together, let's expose the untold stories beneath the surface of assumptions and embrace the transformative magic that curiosity brings.

Burnout. Overwhelm. Restlessness. It happens to the best of us! It was happening to me, and what better time to talk about it than when I'm in the midst of it?! In this episode I share 3 super quick easy tips you can do in the midst of a restless mind in 60 seconds or less... because who needs more "things" to do when you're tired as hell and overwhelmed. 

CELEBRATION! It's episode 100!!! **Insert popping champagne sound effects** What does one do for the 100th episode? Heck if I know, so I decided to take a trip down memory lane, a throwback to YOUR favorites. So sit back, grab some popcorn, grab a glass of wine, or whatever it is you do when you listen to podcast, and enjoy! Thank you for being a dedicated listener to this podcast. I couldn't have made it this far without you. Cheers to another 100 ;)  Episodes referenced: Ep.46: Waiting for Inspiration to Strike... and Why That Doesn't Work Ep.57: Let's Be Kind - The Ripple Effect of Impact Ep.86: Resistance... What's Stopping You? Ep.77: Your Impact On This World

Vaughan Liddicoat is a professional Ballroom dancer, studio owner, entrepreneur, speaker, coach, investor and content creator from Australia. His unique methods will help you create the best version of yourself, live out your purpose, and follow your own destiny. Vaughan is a 4-Time World Professional 10-Dance Representative for Australia & Professional Finalist in Ballroom, Latin, and New Vogue Dancing, and pioneered the world's first online dance lessons & live streaming of DanceSport in 2011, with an online audience of over 81,000 students and millions of views. He is the founding investor in an entrepreneurial startup with multi-million dollar valuation, founded three six-figure lifestyle businesses [Working less than 30-hours per week - after many years of working 70+ hours per week], in addition to multiple 5 and 6 figure online product launches, as well as being a long term crypto investor and dabbler of real estate. Dad to two beautiful children with an amazing wife and is seriously good at recovering from missed opportunities, failure, rejection with the ability to teach you how to do the same! In this episode: Defining your own definition of success, What the Dunning Kruger effect is, Getting to the next level success, Differentiating dis-contentment vs expanding, Conquering the comparison game, Risk vs reward in growth The beauty of imperfection. ========================= CONNECT WITH VAUGHAN Website  |  Blog  |  Dancer AF Podcast  |  Youtube  |  Facebook Book Your Deep Dive Coaching With Vaughan: https://www.vaughan.academy/deep-dive-coaching “Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run—in the long-run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for meaning

As creatives our imagination runs wild with possibilities, with ideas, moving head first into the unknown … but it also runs wild with the obstacles we create that hinder us for taking some leaps into our biggest goals and dreams. In this episode: Whats a false obstacle and how to identify it, Areas you probably haven’t even thought of that you, might be creating false obstacles, How to take your power back.

I recently did a huge project I've been working on for months and thinking about much longer than that. Seeing it come to fruition felt incredible, but in the process is when we're tested. Our patience is tested, our mindset is tested, our limiting beliefs are tested, and certainly our perfectionism tendencies are tested. Being fresh in the midst of all these "tests" I was reminded of some key aspects that are important to remember for any creative endeavor or project you are constructing.  Check out the Pivoting Performers Summit here: www.PivotingPerformers.com

Today's guest, TJ Walsh, BFA, MA (b. 1985) is an: Artist, Psychotherapist, and Higher Education Administrator in Philadelphia. TJ received his BFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Received his MA in Counseling Psychology at Eastern University, Saint Davids, PA. Prior to his work in higher education administration and mental health, Walsh was a Creative Director and Director of Communications for several national and international nonprofit organizations. He has professional experience in brand development, corporate communications, non-profit marketing, social media engagement, fundraising communications, project management, and strategic planning. TJ's work as a painter has garnered acclaim at home in the Philadelphia region as well as across the country and overseas. In this episode: How to identify and bridge the gaps that can hold creatives and performers back, Mental health in creativity, His history with an eating disorder, Taking imperfect action in our lives, Creativity in the school system. How to find TJ: www.boldcreativescollective.com

Tammy Wise is a former Broadway dancer turned Tao minister and is a widely respected mind-body fitness expert, owner of BodyLogos, Inc., author of The Art of Strength: Sculpt the Body ~ Train the Mind, and creator of the The Mind Body Adventure App. Tammy was voted the Best of Fitness by Time Out New York (twice!) and has blogged for and appeared in Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine, New York Magazine, Natural Health, Shape, Thrive Global and more. She’s a Transformational Authors Contest Winner and regular contributor to Medium. In this episode: The mind and body and the importance to their alignment  Posture as a healing art Operating in survival mode and how posture makes a difference Redefining strength - Toughness versus strength Triggers and their association to our body https://www.themindbodyadventure.com/ Tammy was also one of the guest speakers on the Pivoting Performers Summit! Get your comp ticket here: www.pivotingperformers.com 

As we evolve and grow as individuals, we can outgrow our current careers, hobbies, and desires. Some choose to stay where they're at because it's comfortable, and some choose to make the leap. Today's guest shows us the latter as she continually grew in her career to keep herself challenged and continually asking the question, "What would my future self want me to do." In this episode: Going with the flow during change, Indications to know when its time for a pivot, Supersizing your goals,  Our evolving personalities aren't permanent, Staying true to yourself during your pivots. Sincerely Tam's stellar reputation as a strategist encompasses multiple industries. The list of corporate clients she has worked with reads like a who’s who of world-renowned brands. She worked in-house at Hilton Hotels Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Ogilvy, Playboy Entertainment, and DIRECTV. Her consulting and deal-securing success includes clients such as NBC, Disney, NETFLIX, Fox, The CW, HSN, MTV, VH1, Sports Illustrated, and more. Tam has authored engaging branded content for Cohn & Wolfe, The Marketing Arm, and Edelman to name a few. She has engaged in 100 brand activations and influencer marketing campaigns focused on boosting consumer engagement. After beginning her career in sports marketing, Tam became interested in talent management, which grew into her love of brand strategy. She currently helps creative entrepreneurs find clarity, get sh*t done, and win. "If you aren't given an opportunity, create your own!" -Tam www.SincerelyTam.com  www.SincerelyHER.com  @iamSincerelyTam See a pivot on your horizon? Ready to make a change? Check out the brand new Pivoting Performers Summit

You ever have a long list of to-do's, commitments to yourself and others that you've made, confident you can do it all in a day... then you get half of it done? It might be the result of not guarding your time! In this episode: Guarding your thoughts Guarding time with toxic people Putting attention into priorities Why it's so important to cancel that quick "30 min coffee date"

Ep.91: The Power Of Momentum and How To Get It Back I recall so many times that my momentum came to a screeching halt, though injuries, shows closing, and for many through the recent lockdowns. It can be difficult to get the pendulum swinging again after it’s come to a complete stop. In this episode: 4 easy steps to pick up momentum, Setting healthy boundaries so that your momentum becomes a priority, How to set your mind up for success to reach your goals through momentum. "The amount of effort needed at the start pales in comparison to what your momentum can ultimately produce in the end." -Lincoln Patz

Using Creative Criticism In Your Benefit Who gets to tell you if your work is good enough? What gives someone the right to judge if a piece of art is deemed worthy or not? Art is subjective to the viewer, and can muddle the waters for the view the creator takes on his/her creations.  In this episode: How to use criticism to your advantage The part resilience and criticism plays in relationships What underlying factors contribute to criticism on your creative journey? “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”- Aristotle

Analysis paralysis has been following me around for a long time, I never really understood how much making minor decisions affected my success in all areas of life. The power to make a decision quickly without the need for approval is an important skill to practice and if our you're like me, you weren't born with it.  In this episode: How to practice making decisions quickly, How to stop relying on outside sources for approval, 1 cool excercise you can do today to make the a decision. "Do not plant your dreams in a field of indecision, where nothing ever grows but the weeds of 'what if'." -Dodinsky

What kind of creative would you consider yourself to be? A cluttered one who swears that the clutter helps your creativity? Or the tidy creative who feels most productive when your environment is clean? I've definitely been both extremes! In this episode: Subtle shifts you can implement today to un-clutter How your environment effects your energy What small things you can do to save time that can be better served creating.  “The only thing that holds you back from living the life of your dream is the emotional and physical clutter you are holding unto.”

You know the feeling of the possibility and inevitability of not being able to perform some day? Or maybe for you its the possibility of getting fired or losing someone. What would you do?  In this episode: Preparing for the inevitable shifts without it destroying you, Using your current successes as stepping stones, The courage needed to explore new possibilities, Why putting too much stock into your identify can set us up for future failure. 

As artists sometimes we lose sight of our resilience. We wake up to work when no one is watching, we dance through the pain, our capacity to show up when it hurts, to willingly attend opportunities that we’ll be rejected day in and day out, we keep going in spite of failure.  In this episode:  Taking the superpower of our inner bred grit,  How to package our tenacity and resilience into a new path,  The pivot and transformation our our inevitable shifts.

Resistance likes to rub elbows with perfectionism, imposter syndrome, fear, and it's cousin, procrastination. Resistance rears its ugly head just when the project at hand is about to hit the finish line. Heck, I had this entire episode outlined and right before I was about to record, resistance wanted me to take a nap. Lol yea, I get it.  In this episode: 3 techniques for combatting resistance, Developing a mind of finishing what your start, Stoic philosophy tied into aspects of resistance, Judging your project less and giving less stock into others judging your work. "Courage is the resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain

Production shows can demand strict standards for how a dancers body looks. This can also cause problems later on when dancers are no longer in the productions show, causing the standards to spill into other aspects of our lives... even when it comes to setting goals. Never feeling "enough." Regardless if you're a dancer/performer or not, you likely have goals that you weren't able to follow through as much as you would have liked. I've identified some key aspects that get in the way of reaching our goals, and how to set your goals up for success.  In this episode: Distorted self image and how to make healthy shifts, Finding your why on a deeper level than you ever have, Distraction proofing your goals, What the skinny mirror vs fun house mirror effect is. "The lens we look through determines what we see." -Renee Swope

I brought my husband, James Pfeiffer, on to share some principles he's found to be helpful on the topic of fear. He shares some relatable stories and tips he does in his day-to-day to prevent the grip of fear from ruling his decisions and life.   In this episode:  What perfectionism has to do with fear,  Practical steps when faced with fear,  Some hard lessons that turned from regret to reminders.   “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” -Marcus Aurelius  "Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice." -Will Smith

The beginning stages of creation and imagination are fragile. Brand new ideas haven't had a chance to take root which is why it's so important to know where logic plays a role in that delicate time.  In this episode:  Why too much logic or risk mitigation too early in the creative process will kill your creativity,  When to insert logic and when common sense will suffice,  What personality types can tell us about how we handle creativity in various stages,  A summarized Myers-Briggs personality test and how to find yours in under 5 minutes,  The differences between personality types in a relationship and how to navigate them.   "Logic will get you from A to Z. Imagination will take you everywhere." -Albert Einstein  "We are afraid of ideas, of experimenting, of change. We shrink from thinking a problem through to a logical conclusion." -Anne Sullivan To access the Free Resource Arsenal go to www.sparkyourinnerfire.com to subscribe