I don’t know if it was the ghost of Elvis, denied entry in downtown Nashville, or retracing Tom Cruise’s steps but it was certainly memorable.

I’ve been reflecting on a road trip that I took during my college years. I referred to it as my “Triangle Tour”, as I had three major destinations.

I started at my sister’s house in North Carolina, then headed to a friend in Memphis, TN, over to another friend in Augusta, GA, then back to my sister in North Carolina completing my triangle.

I rented a car, and settled in with my music and snacks to embark upon my solo journey. These were days pre-cell phones and GPS maps, so I had a printed trip via AAA with highlighted routes and stops, and my trusty Rand McNally map that I dared not unfold for fear of never getting it folded back up again.

Although I had major destinations in mind, I left room for exploring along the way.

This was the first time I landed in Nashville, and right in the middle of some major music festival that shut the place down. I had no idea where I was, where I was going, nor did I know a soul. What I did have was a crush on Faith Hill, and an eagerness to try to find her and make her fall in love with me (all this from getting her first CD in a bargain bin, because I thought she looked beautiful. She was unknown at this point.) Alas, I never did find her.

Next, I found my way to Mud Island, the Memphis river museum, and the film location of the Tom Cruise movie The Firm (a clue to the time period). I took in the sights, the history, and the experiences.

Then I got locked out of my car by the ghost of Elvis (kidding… maybe) at Graceland. So I took the tour as I waited for a locksmith to come and bail me out.

I went to a huge drive-in theatre in Memphis and saw The Flintstones movie (bad choice), walked the streets of Memphis to see all the sights like Sun studios, and baked in the sun.

In Augusta, GA, I went exploring a local park, had heart-to-heart convos, and went to a college graduation with my host, and the family party that followed.

I wish I had taken a camera with me as all I have are these fading memories, mental snapshots of the trip.

I remember driving all that time by myself, wishing that I had someone to experience it with. Some things feel more real in the presence of others.

I remember being chatty at a gas station because I was looking for someone to connect with (unlike me as a NYer where you don’t talk to strangers).

Fragments of memories. Of a different time. Of a different me.

Yet, part of my journey, both physically and experientially.

Part of the reason why I was thinking about this road trip from long ago is that I’ve been reviewing my creative journey as I approach eleven years of daily creativity.

My creative journey has been like that road trip at times. I had anchor points and a lot of discovery along the way. Points where I got locked out of my car, creatively speaking. Points where the journey was lonely, wishing for some connection. And then thankful when I found some community among friends.

There were points of following my interests that led to new understandings, and then ones that led to dead ends.

It was a journey of self-discovery as much as it was a journey of destinations.

And for creativity, there is no final destination.

My creativity looks different today than it did when I came back to my art following my ten-year absence. I was broken. Suffering. Searching. I needed my creativity for me. To help me heal. To help me make sense of things.

These days, there’s less angst (thank God!), and I know a larger part of my journey is to help be a guide. To keep creating, and these days, it is much more than visual art. My creativity has enlarged.

And while the tools and technology have changed since my early days (much like gps replacing those paper maps) the desire to make something where there was once nothing has only increased.

I know the difference creativity has made in my life. And so this is why I’m on such a mission to help others step into their creativity, personally and professionally.

I really do believe that when YOU create, we all win.

We’re all on our own journeys, our own road trips. Different schedules. Different locations.

Yet, still so much the same.

Here’s to hoping to meet up at a gas station along the way, to fill up in more ways than one.

I’m glad we’re connected, even if it’s just for a season.

And if we go our separate ways, may we have some snapshots that we fondly look upon and recount the stories of days gone by. As we set out to new places. Creating as we go.

3 of My Current Favorite Creative Podcasts – Have You Listened to Any of These?

Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash

Everyone needs companions for the journey. But when you are starting a new business or venture (“solopreneur”) it can be pretty lonely.

That’s why I’ve found it so valuable to constantly surround myself with voices that can speak into my journey. We need to hear how others have or are dealing with a lot of the same issues we find ourselves faced with. We need the encouragement that comes with truly being understood, and the inspiration of those who have gone ahead of us.

Hearing these voices can be crucial, especially on days where we feel like giving up (We all have those days!).

In light of that, here are some of my recent favorite podcasts – so whether you’re looking for a fresh source of inspiration, education, or just plain entertainment, consider checking these out. There are tons of great podcasts out there, but these have been really meaningful to me:

Podcast 1: CREATIVE PEP TALK

Andy J Pizza

Episode number #234 9 MARKETING TACTICS TO GAIN THE TRUE FANS YOU NEED TO THRIVE NOW

Andy J Pizza is a super creative with a style all his own. He’s been in the trenches as an illustrator and creative for years. And you can glean some wisdom and insights on his podcast the Creative Pep Talk.

If you make super great creative work, the word will spread. The problem is this: will it spread as fast as you need it to, to keep the lights on? Will you run out of steam before your time has come? The solution is good marketing. In this episode I want to share the 9 pieces of advice I'd give any artist whose work isn't catching on at the rate they want it to.

If you’d like to listen here’s the link.

Podcast 2: DON'T KEEP YOUR DAY JOB

Cathy Heller

Episode #47, Season 3 - How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome

How do you build confidence to take action when you constantly feel like a fraud? Cathy shares how she's dealt with that pesky impostor syndrome, how you can feed yourself with reminders of self worth, and how to replace the unattainable goal of providing "expertise" and "perfection" with empathy and authenticity - so you can start serving the world by being your true self. If you’d like to give a listen, here’s the link.

Podcast 3: The Brand You Podcast

Mike Kim

Episode #173: How I Deal With Rejection, Every Single Day

Ah, rejection. It's inevitable that we'll face it, yet we'll do anything possible to avoid it In this episode, Mike shares a little bit about how he deals with rejection. See, we often take failure as a personal rejection. It's not. If people don't know the real you, it's not possible for them to reject the real you.

Whether you're looking to start a side­-hustle, grow your own business, or just enter into a new phase of your relationships or career -- rejection is something you can not only deal with, but overcome.

Give a listen to the episode- here’s the link.

What are some of your favorite podcasts? I’d love to hear them — especially ones you’ve been creatively challenged by. Leave a comment below!

The moment it all changed. And it could for you, too.

It's even a sucky photo...

About 5.5 -6 years ago I picked up a pen and a sketchbook after a 10 year hiatus.

This is what I sketched. A Starbucks coffee cup.

I both hate this drawing, and love it. 

I hate it because it's embarrassing. It's a sucky drawing of a coffee cup. But I love this drawing because it signifies a rebirth. A phoenix moment.  The moment I decided to push past my fear, those voices that told me I couldn't draw because I couldn't draw photorealistic renderings. The moment I choose to get back to my art because I needed it, for my soul.

I showed up that day. And the next. And almost 6 years later, I haven't missed a day of creating art. 

This journey taught me about myself. I found my voice and style along the way. I connected my passions with my talents. I stepped into being an ARTIST, not just a graphic designer.

What is holding you back? What do you want to accomplish? It will never happen if you don't show up, and keep showing up.

Will today be YOUR phoenix moment?

Take a bold step, and leave me a comment on what you want to accomplish. That might be your first step, speaking it out loud!

Why I want to Help You on Your Artists' Journey...

Are you an artist who struggles with the idea of finding your voice or style? 

Have you ever found yourself wanting to get back to a place of creating your art, but you just don't know where to start?

Do you find yourself wishing for a creative comeback after a long hiatus?

Do you struggle with finding the time to devote to your passion of creating?

Do fear and excuses stop you from creating your art?

That's exactly where I was 5 years ago. And it SUCKED. I knew that I needed to embrace my art again. I just wasn't sure how to do that. I desperately wanted to ENJOY my art process and create with confidence. But that was far from my reality. I vividly remember watching other artists excel who seemed to have some sort of map that I was missing. And it was so frustrating and discouraging. 

Can you relate?

It was at that point when I stumbled upon something that radically altered the course of my art making journey forever. As a result, I'm in my fifth consecutive year of a daily art making practice.

Through talking with fellow artists, I realized I was not alone. The things that I was experiencing were common plagues. So when my art making finally started coming together, I knew that I had found a solution that wouldn't just help me on my journey, but others as well. That's why I created a self guided video course called "Your Artists' Journey: Finding Your Voice & Style Through Daily Practice". 

In this course, I share from my own struggles and experiences, along with several principles I learned during my 365 daily art making practice. (As I mentioned, I'm now in my fifth consecutive year with no plans to stop!)

I let you in on my step by step plan for you to start your own creative journey through this course...
Your Artists’ Journey: Finding Your Voice & Style Through Daily Practice
>> http://theartistsmentor.com/yajmikebrennan

In this self-paced course you will:

• Find your own daily art habit
• Learn new insights and gain confidence in your art
• Discover tools to maintain your momentum

Click the link to meet me inside and enroll (you will get immediate access)!
>> http://theartistsmentor.com/yajmikebrennan

There's even a bonus: After you enroll, you will also get exclusive access to our private community group and discussions only for our students!

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

— Albert Einstein

Cruise over to the link above and check out my intro video. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. Remember, the reason I created this was to be a tool and a HELP to artists. Feel free to share with any artist friends you know who might benefit!

So is today the day you take ACTION? It would be my honor to come alongside you on your own artists' journey!

 

It's Bigger.

I was recently listening to a Burning questions video by designer and art thought leader, James Victore. Something that he talks about on a regular basis is the importance of “saying something”. Having an opinion that matters.

One of the things about having an opinion, and saying something through work that matters, is that you need to know yourself, before you can really share yourself. It sounds elementary but it's true.

And how do you get to know yourself? Time. Effort. Miles. You have to keep showing up. Process. Think. Discover. There are no quick routes. The goal isn't in the destination but in the road traveled. And on this journey you not only discover more of who you are, what your passions and abilities are, you'll also discover that maybe, just maybe, the things you thought you wanted (the things you pleaded and prayed and begged for) weren't the things you really wanted after all. Sometimes not getting what you want is actually the best thing. Because over time you realize that there's something better. More true to who you are. And you didn't settle for Good when Best was just ahead on your journey.

That word, Journey. That's a word that I've been thinking about a lot lately. My journey as an artist. Where I’ve been. What I’ve seen and experienced. What I have to share.

I saw this quote on Instagram the other day from Leonardo Da Vinci (I'm pretty sure it wasn't his account...): "The First step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."

“The First step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

— Leonardo Da Vinci

At this point in my journey, do I want to keep striving to create great art? Yes, but it's bigger than that. Bigger than Pet Portraits. Bigger than Pop Culture Art. Bigger than Graphic Design. Bigger than 100 Day Projects and 365 daily art making practices. Bigger. Bigger. Bigger.

What is it then? What's bigger than all of that? It’s ME. My life, insights, the way I see the world - my Journey. It's seeking to be a help and an inspiration to others. And currently, learning to embrace writing so that I might blog, or speak, or maybe even write a book about my journey and experiences (the thought of that sounds crazy to me, but maybe that's proof that I sound be leaning into it). So I'm doing my best to push my fears aside. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunities. Part of that is starting to blog again. 

So here’s your invitation: to walk alongside me. As we travel together, I’ll let you in on what I’ve learned and what I’m thinking about. And hope it encourages you. And maybe, in turn, you will share with someone else.

Meet me here on Wednesdays!  

Is there something about my journey as an artist you would like to know?

30 Paintings in 30 Days Complete Project

Here's a look at the 30 days all together in one collage. Enjoy!

Sketching with the NYC Urban Sketchers

If you've been traveling with me on this journey for any length of time, you know that I'm constantly looking for ways to "up the ante" so to speak. This past weekend I took yet another step. I joined the NYC Urban Sketchers group at the Central Park Zoo. I found out about the group through a post from someone else on Facebook. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had been emailing the group leader Mark during the week but aside from that I was flying solo and blind.

My experience left me so glad I did indeed join them. It was a small group this time around (about 5-6 of us). It's pretty open, as you just show up and join in. Sometimes there are a lot of people, sometimes few.

As we made our way around the zoo, we'd stop every so often and sketch whatever we saw. But this day ended up being more than 3 hours of sketching. Some great surprises were:

• We got to interact with people visiting the zoo. Children would come up and peer over to our sketchbooks. Parents would point us out and say "see that, They're drawing. Isn't that cool?" It was a great reminder that we all start out loving to color and draw, but most "outgrow" it unfortunately. It was like having a magical connection with the kids. So great!
• There's nothing like drawing from life - what you see in front of you. Even the most challenging, like when the animals would constantly be on the move!
• I got to meet 4 or 5 new people from all walks of life and parts of NY (and NJ) who all love to draw. You can't underestimate the importance of being with with like-minded people, especially for artists who usually are creating in isolation.
• A few of us went to a local pub following our sketch time, where we shared our sketches from the day, as well as pulled out some of our supplies and let each other try them out. We shared techniques and observations. Although I had just met these guys that day, I felt a bond by the time the day was over.

I think about what I would have missed out on had I let myself listen to the introvert side of me. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Experience something new. And depending on how you are wired, that may be a no brainer or it might seem completely impossible. But as I've been saying for some time now - just take the the right next step for you - where you are and who you are!

If you're local to NY and want to join in the Urban Sketching fun (no need to be a professional artist - most are people who just love to draw!) they meet up every Saturday! Go sign up to receive info. Even if you make it once, I think you'll find it well worth your time.

Oh yeah - and I was asked to do a guest blog post on the Urban Sketcher site. Check it out!

Arrival

This piece was inspired by something I read in "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.

Remember that art is process. The process is supposed to be fun. For our purposes, “the journey is always the only arrival” may be interpreted to mean that our creative work is actually our creativity itself at play in the field of time.

(Cameron, Julia (2002-03-04). The Artist's Way. Penguin Group US.)

And then there was this on Danny Gregory's blog:

Because being an artist is a cause you choose for yourself, the rewards are in the journey, and there is no Promised Land. You have to want to proclaim your vision, to broadcast your voice, to change the world. The finish line doesn’t lie at the doors of the Whitney Biennial, it lies at the grave. Every day is a lesson and a revelation and they follow one after the other to the horizon, providing their own reward.

I was also listening to Switchfoot's song Thrive, where this lyric struck me:

Feel like I travel but I never arrive. I want to thrive not just survive.

Perhaps if you have a divine discontent, a restlessness of the soul, you can relate. I need to constantly remind myself that it's not only about the future, the end result. When the dream is attained. But I need to enjoy the NOW, the journey, even though I know I am undone. So today, I create again. I start the cycle again. And when Today comes to a close, Tomorrow brings a fresh start. And I must begin again. Every day when I awake I am back to zero. It doesn't matter what I did yesterday. The act of creating helps me live in the moment. So, I must keep creating. I want to THRIVE, not just survive.

What's your next step?

I've been pondering the question of "What's next?" as of late in terms of my passion to create. That is, when I'm not taken in different directions in the busyness of my project lists and the tasks of life. The question is always there in the quietness, when things do finally slow down.

To be honest, I have no big revelations. At least not yet. But what I am convinced of is simply showing up and taking the right next step. Some days that's making sure I get myself in my sketchbook. Or recently, signing up to take a watercolor class (which I'm loving BTW). Still, others days, it's finishing a project I've set out to do (like the art above, commissioned to do based on a page in my sketchbook project) or reading another chapter in The Artist's Way. The only thing that is certain for me is that I must find new ways and opportunities to keep creating more. Creating the stuff that flows out of my heart, and hopefully finds a way to touch someone else.

Part of me feels like it's starting to wake up to more of what could be. I'm leaning into a phrase found in the Bible in the book of Ephesians - Immeasurably more. I want to know what that looks like in my life. For my Art to be immeasurably more that I could ask or imagine - for it to go places and touch people that I don't know.

I'm not talking fame or success. I'm talking usefulness, and being a blessing in some one else's life. I'm not talking grandiose dreams. I'm talking me - fully alive, using my gifts and abilities, and trusting God to use what He desires to - in breathing life into what I create. You might think that's crazy talk. Or prideful. But, you see, for far too long I haven't given my art the value it deserved. And at one point, I almost let it die.

So at this stage in my journey, I'm not interested in "playing" art. I'm interested in real and true creation. Creation that moves me and the people around me. Creation that somehow brings a smile, or a tear, or an acknowledgement of some beauty around us that we miss most of the time. Creation that I'm is born out of passion.

I saw the following video by artist and design Elle Luna (love her name BTW) on a talk she gave entitled "Find Your Must". That's where I am. Where I've been. Where I will continue to be... (at least for a little while I think). Finding and rediscovering my "Must" - what I and only I can & must do.

I resinate with the journey. Maybe you will too. And just maybe it will help you take the right next step on your journey, leading to a new path.

http://vimeo.com/77436516

The Journey

Art isn't a result; it's a journey. The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and your soul.

Godin, Seth (2012-12-31). The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? 
(Kindle Locations 228-229). Penguin Group US. Kindle Edition.

{Photo Credit}