Episode Notes: When we started the Creative DoubleShot, Ginger and I had one rule: We would do the podcast as long as it was fun. Along with that rule, we had a goal: Create content that would be useful to creatives no matter where they were in their journey. While it may not have always been pretty or direct, we feel pretty good about how far we'v…

Episode Notes: Join us as we talk about Ginger's experience at the Taubman Art Museum's Sidewalk Art Show this past weekend in Roanoke, Virginia. We discuss the convergence of art and commerce, being on display along with your art and the power of the broader community. You can't predict the weather, although it was great for the show, and you cert…

Episode Notes: If you've ever heard the idiom "greater than the sum of its parts", you know that Frankenstein's monster was a helluva guy. If you've ever heard someone say "less is more", they may have also been talking about Frankenstein's monster. But we digress. In this episode we shamble through the concept of leaving stuff out, not doing too m…

Episode Notes: We get so hung up on things like measuring productivity, keeping in line with our own impressions of ourselves, and perfection that we forget we have the power to lay all that stuff aside in service of getting the most out of our creative practice. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and examine our narratives and notions to u…

Episode Notes: Taking to time to examine what's come before has its utility. The trick is being able to tell the solid ground from the quicksand, but when you do, reflection works on so many levels, from the day to day to keep your focus and your enthusiasm, to recurring themes in your creative practice. And best of all, don't forget the mistake-a-…

Episode Notes: If you ever find yourself wandering the foggy moors of creative practice with nary a flickering lantern to guide you, it may be time to set some intentions, intentionally working with all the intent you can muster. Sound confusing? It is! But only when you look at the concept inside Jonathan's brain. In this episode we talk intention…

Episode Notes: In this episode we talk about focusing on the little victories to keep us going and keep the fires of begeisterung stoked. Too often we focus on the barriers to creating what we want, whether it be lack of time, immature craft, jealousy or a rug that needs a good vacuuming. Dump the negativity and seek out those little wins. This inc…

Episode Notes: This past weekend we left our home for a modest cabin in the woods for a couple of days dedicated to creativity. It's not about productivity so much as it's about having the permission to ignore everything else and dig into those things that fill the soul, such as reading, playing music, journaling or just staring at the fire with a …

Episode Notes: Most of us look back at one point or another and wish we'd had the benefit of the hard won wisdom we now possess, but would our younger selves have been receptive? And even if they had, would they have put that wisdom to use? In this episode we discuss some of the things we think might have been useful knowing full well it may fall o…

Episode Notes: Craft is something that forms and evolves over time. It's also one tool of several you apply to your creative practice, albeit more akin to a multi-plier than a flathead screwdriver. Okay, that's probably enough of the tool metaphor. In this episode we talk about craft, ways to hone it, pitfalls to look out for and how being a lifelo…

Episode Notes: Sometimes the idea you think you have is not the one you ultimately wind up with. We talk about ideas, not so much where they come from, but what to do with them once they drop into your skull like a quarter in a gumball machine. Because many initial ideas are born from things we've seen or heard, they may manifest at first as cliché…

Episode Notes: Hang on to your bagpipes because in this episode we talk about storytelling, the forms it can take, how to indulge in your inner minstrel or gleeman or busker by dragging the story(ies) inside you out into the world, bit by bit, or, as Anne Lamott would say, bird by bird. We reference a few of our favorite storytellers and in the pro…

Episode Notes: Sometimes too many choices can paralyze us in life and in our creative practice. In these instances it can be useful to set some limits whether it be in your choice of media, your time, your palette or your tools. And those limitations over which you have no control? You may just want to embrace the hell out of them and see what happ…

Episode Notes: Join us on a meandering, um, Journey (you'll see) of exploration on those features of our modern world that chip away at our creative practice. We don't have any tips about how to beat Father Time, but we do offer up some tips on how to make the most of our time while we're here. From the demands of the modern work life and the silic…

Episode Notes: With the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating headlines, we dig into creating while the world seems to be crumbling around us. What's the point? Why bother? Turns out there are many reasons to keep the faith and keep creating. Creativity in uncertain times may seem frivolous or a guilty pleasure but it's fundamental to our humanity…

Episode Notes: As Ginger prepares for her first day of her new job at the library, we talk about maintaining your creativity while holding down a day job. It might seem daunting at first, but there are ways, dude, and we want you to know. Also, If you have a full-time job and you just don't think you have the time for a creative practice, guess aga…

Episode Notes: Sometimes the answer to a question about, or a solution to, a creative conundrum lies within ourselves, we just need a way to get it out. Enter journaling. In this episode we talk a bit about our very different approaches to journaling and others that are out there. We also talk about the benefits of journaling ranging from the menta…

Episode Notes: Sometimes you're just itching to share your work with someone. Anyone. But is that always the best indicator that it's time to put your latest creative project out there? In this episode we identify a few potential indicators that can help you know when the time is right. And perhaps more importantly, we examine some of the reasons w…

Episode Notes: It seems as if we're always striving to finish our creative work, but sometimes it seems as if the finish line moves or disappears altogether. Or maybe we never knew where it was to begin with. So how are you supposed to know when you're really finished? We throw out some sign posts that help us know when we're finished, but also whe…

Episode Notes: Sometimes we suffer from inertia in our creative practice. Whether just starting out on our creative journey or working at it for years, there are times when it all seems pointless or overwhelming or just blah. In those moments we find it hardest to take that first step, to put brush to canvas or fingers to fretboards. It's something…

Episode Notes: The way forward is not always clear, despite our best intentions, our diligent planning. What do we do when we find ourselves lost in the process with no map to guide us home? In this episode we explore the benefits of leaning into the uncertainty of the creative process (hint: it's where much of the magic happens) and some possible …

Episode Notes: In this episode we trot out everyone's favorite tired concept, New Year's resolutions. We delve into why they kinda suck and why they make us feel so bad. We put forth the idea that maybe, just maybe there's a better way to approach 2022. When we come from a place of self-compassion and curiosity, when we play to our strengths, we ha…

Episode Notes: In this episode we look back on six months of The Creative DoubleShot, give shoutouts to some great books and the power of face to face interaction. We bandy the idea of returning to the same concepts over and over again as guide posts to keeping that spark alive in your creative practice. Keep you eyes peeled for an annotated biblio…

Episode Notes: In this episode we pretty much hammer home the value of repetition in your creative practice over and over and over. From repeating techniques or returning to the same subject matter over and over and everything in between repetitions serves to free our minds, hone our skills and enter the flow state. That's why they call it a creati…

Episode Notes: Play is often scorned and maligned (I think we all know who does the scorning and maligning, don't we? Dour hats and shoes, both with buckles, hmmmm?). It's frivolous and unproductive. So how can it be so damn important? Well, listen up good, uh, listeners and we'll take you on a dizzying journey to find out why, touching on how play…

Episode Notes: When the winds of excitement have turned into the doldrums of disinterest, how do you revive that initial spark that got you pumped about the project in the first place? In this episode we discuss ways to keep the stoke alive in your creative practice by being curious about, well, just about anything from asking why the work of an ar…

Episode Notes: This week, in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, we talk about gratitude, the connotations of the word and some other ways to think about it. For our creative practice, how can we find it in the small places and use it to recenter? We also highlight a few things we're grateful for here at the Creative DoubleShot. This episode go…

Episode Notes: This week we do our best to wrangle the digital dragon and come to a middle ground of schadenfreude videos and nurturing our creative practice. Technology is everywhere and it can be amazingly useful. The flip side to that is it can be a time slip, a rabbit hole, oh come, a temporal vampire, if you will. One minute you're check the w…

Episode Notes: Creating deep meaning takes commitment and patience and awareness. In this episode we discuss what it takes to imbue your work with deeper meaning. We talk about that sweet, sweet convergence of technique, patience and begeisterung and the competency scale. We don't mention the Puritans, not even once. Links:Four Stages of Competence…

Episode Notes: This week we talk about the role of patience (non-GNR edition) in an enduring creative practice. We dig into the beauty of enjoying the ride, challenging those pesky narratives, and a willingness to slow down and be okay with what you perceive as your creative shortcomings. We all think we want to be great at our chosen creative outl…

Episode Notes: Both Ginger and Jonathan are transitioning into new creative projects and talk about what that looks like and the vagaries of such things. We talk about iterating as a way of figuring out what you really want to work on next, as well as limiting choices to keep from losing all those "egoic marbles" you're getting ready to pour into y…

Episode Notes: Gird yourself for a conversation on the power of creative community. While such a community may take time to cultivate, know there are many ways to do it and it's worth the wait. Whether through friendly, professional competition, sharing creative experiences or plain old "merc talk" (you'll see, we promise), creative communities oft…

Episode Notes What if you could turn those creative doubts into fuel for your creative practice? Harvest those doubt nuggets and toss them into the old notion conversion contrivance and fire up an inferno of inspiration. Except in this case the contrivance is your mind and the nuggets are electrical impulses, but still! When you doubt your work, fr…

Episode Notes Lest you think your creative practice will or should be a linear progression to mastery and achievement, we pull back the veil on some of our current experiences in our creative practices that really drive home the notion (you'll see what we did there when you listen) that creating is indeed a practice. Like most things we practice, w…

Episode Notes In this episode we talk about the kind of narratives in our lives that are like icebergs. We tell a story about a kid on the playground who just wanted to imagine he was on a ship. And then we bring him again. And again. Our narratives, whether we create them ourselves, they're handed to us, or a little of both, shape who we are and h…

Episode Notes This episode marks a new four-ish part series on narratives, what they are, how they affect our ability to start or maintain our creative practice, and what you can do to change those narratives that are not so helpful. We start with everyday narratives because those are the low hanging fruit of introspection, the gateway fruit-meat o…

Episode Notes This episode goes a little long because that emotional ball of twine is tough to unravel and chock full of good stuff. We attempt to characterize what exactly comprises our why and fail. But we fail forward and upward in a spiral! Our why has nuance and evolves just like we do, so it can be hard to pin down. If you're not sure what yo…

Episode Notes Say hello to your Inner Critic, the wet blanket part of you that is happy to point out all the reasons you shouldn't start or continue your creative practice. We take a look at the myriad ways the inner critic manifests, as well as offer up some suggestions to take charge and keep a healthier perspective on the weight the inner critic…

Episode Notes Everyone is busy, just ask them! Have we traded our precious time to just spin our wheels in the name of seeming productive, valuable or needed? Is being busy a badge of honor or is it a shield to keep us from the creative practice we know we want? We discuss what being busy means (what it reallllly means) and have a go at working aro…

Episode Notes In which we poke fun at fingerless gloves and work through some ways of overcoming that ever important need of all creative practices: space. We fly dangerously close to the sun that is physics, talking not only at space availability, but time as well (insert mind blown animated gif here). Also explored: the virtues of being flexible,…

Episode Notes Ginger and Jonathan talk about what it's like to get stuck, like those times we decide to vacuum the entire house instead of doing the thing we love to do. Whether it's housework or social media or just general ennui, it happens to everyone and that's okay. The question is how do we get past that feeling or that resistance? Well, chec…

Episode Notes Ginger and Jonathan discuss the interior struggles and rewards that go along with your creative practice. We discuss Ginger's transformative residency at MASS MoCA and the nature of frustration and breaking through. Toss in the lyrical concept of Begeisterung (be-spirited-ness), the use of metaphor to examine the world, curiosity and …

Episode Notes What does it mean to be in the "flow state" or "in the zone"? Probably the most common application is in the context of sports, but it's something we all experience and it's an important part of our creative practice. Ginger and Jonathan talk about our experiences with flow state and how we get there. We discuss its benefits and why w…

Episode Notes Part 2 of Why We Create digs in to the yin to process's yang: product. Try as we might, we can't ignore product altogether in our creative practice, nor should we! In this episode we explore what product can mean outside of the standard definition of a marketable thing. We talk about bringing a childlike wonder to what we make instead…

Episode Notes: Ginger and Jonathan talk about the daunting task of facing the blank canvas/page/unmolded clay/etc. and whether we are really creating something from nothing. Talk veers into the quasi-metaphysical and things get weird... Wait, no. We discuss the difference between the physical blank page and all the stuff we bring to each project. W…

Episode Notes: Jonathan takes you on a magical journey of how he developed his creative practice, the obstacles he faced (including the ones he created himself) and what has sustained him through the years. This episode is kind of like a case study of what we presented in Episode 4, Creativity on Your Own Terms. Visit us online at... http://creativ…

Episode Notes: There is no right way to go about building and sustaining a creative practice. Whether it's ten minutes at lunch or three hours on the weekend, working out of the garage or in the woods, the practice that works best with your specific life is going to be the most effective. Ginger and Jonathan delve into some of the limitations our l…

Episode Notes: Ginger talks about how her creative practice has roots in the woods by her house and the natural world. We take a meandering journey -- through no fault of Ginger's -- following Ginger's path from exploring an interest in visual art to developing the full-blown practice and career she has today. As per the usual, we digress, we laugh…

Episode Notes: Ginger and Jonathan discuss the myths of who gets to be called a “real” creative, everything from tortured geniuses to fame to education. We go down six or seven tangential rabbit holes all of which provide pearls of unparalleled wisdom or at least some useful/entertaining tidbits. We talk about ways to overcome those myths or at the…

Episode Notes: Ginger and Jonathan Danz, a couple of creatives (creative couple?) push the Creative DoubleShot podcast out of the garage into the sunlight for the first time and fire it up. The Creative Doubleshot (never mind that we call it the Art Garden podcast, that was a long time ago) is all about helping listeners like you discover your own …