Creative Pep Talk
Creative Pep Talk is a weekly podcast hosted by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Andy J. Pizza. It aims to help creative individuals build a sustainable practice by balancing creativity with discipline. Each episode features solo insights and interviews with top creatives, offering strategies to overcome creative blocks and silence inner critics. The podcast serves as a companion for anyone looking to turn their creative potential into reality.
Episodes
559 - Make Before Thinking, Sales Mode, Get Weird with It, The Opposite of Depression and MORE with Austin Kleon
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This episode is for you if you need:
1 - Tactics for escaping overthinking.
2 - More fun in your creative practice.
3 - Insights on how to find your child like passion for creating again.
4 - Something unexpected to spark you!
This is a phenomenal chat with the great Austin Kleon.
The guy is full
558 - Start, Do, Finish: Get Around What's Blocking You from Doing Stuff
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Most creative people don’t need help being creative.
You have the ideas. Where you trip up is the executive dysfunction. It’s getting yourself to start, middle, and finish the thing strong.
In this episode I want to share with you the number 1 things that’s helped me, a creative with MEGA ADHD, tran
557 - Finding Your Scene, IRL Creativity, the Hopeful Return of Indie / DIY with Hanif Abdurraqib
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Your genius might be hiding in your backyard.
This episode is for you if:
1 - You need to find real people to collaborate with.
2 - You need to cultivate real creative connection in real life.
3 - You need hope of a more human future for creativity.
4 - You want to be inspired by a brilliant creati
*FIXED SEE SHOW NOTES* 556 - Make This Shift to Reclaim Your Creative Spirit from Your Phone
This episode was initially published without the end of the story and the main point of the episode spelled out! We had one essential portion of this episode missing in the previous edit!! Thank you for those who sent me messages so that I could clear this up. I really love this episode and I am glad we fixed it!
Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word: invisibleth
555 - Overcome Dead Ends & Open Up to New Directions with Hrishikesh Hirway
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This episode is for you if:
1 - You have hit a dead end and need to open up to totally new directions.
2 - You are stuck doing nothing and need a small place to start.
3 - You need to find new guidance from an outside perspective.
This is a chat with musician Hrishikesh Hirway. You may know Hirway f
554 - Get Back to Creativity that Actually Helps Your Mental Health with Gemma Correll
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Most of us start making things because on some level it feels good! It feels like a meditation. It brings flow. It helps us process.
But if you ever get serious about your work, you may also accidentally lose all these positives and replace them with negative side effects like pressure, anxiety, and ev
553 - Recover Sense of Self & Creative Voice with These 6 Juicy Prompts
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This episode is for you if:
1 - You have been pretending to be someone else for so long that you have forgotten who you are.
2 - You want to put more of your real self into your work and need help understanding how to do that.
3 - You need some fun and unexpected exercises to get back in touch with w
552 - Listen to This if You Need Help Remembering Who You Are (Right Side Out 1 of 6) *RE-AIR*
Check out the rest of the “Right Side Out” series on it's own podcast feed here: andyjpizza.com/rso
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It’s been 2 years since we originally aired this episode.
This is part 1 of our 6 part audio memoir series “Right Side Out”.
On the surface it’s about my journey with ADHD and making peace with being “just like my mom”. But underneath, what it’s really about, is YOU. It’s about how to love y
551 - Consume and Create Art to Get Your Brain Back with Scientist Daisy Fancourt
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This episode is for you if:
1 - You’re feeling like you’ve lost the thread and your point of view as a creative.
2 - You’re fed up with consuming so much junk online and need tactics to start consuming better creative stuff that inspires you again.
3 - Need to dive deeper into the science of why your
550 - Get Back to Your Creative Path with These 3 Counterintuitive Things
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Listen to this if:
1 - You feel creatively off or can’t find your creative thread at the moment
2 - You’re in a season where you’re not making as much as you want to be
3 - You feel in a low place creatively and need to remember why you care about creating
4 - You feel ill from so much doomscrolling
549 - This is How Sensitive Creative People Make Big Changes with Eric Zimmer
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Listen if:
1 - All the habit advice doesn’t work you as an emotional creative type
2 - You are tired of fighting yourself to make the changes you want to make
3 - You need an exercise for discovering your deepest held values
If these hit home, this deep dive with author and podcaster Eric Zimmer was
548 - 5 Creative / Neurodivergent Friendly Productivity Hacks to Become a Doer
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This episode is for you if:
1 - You have so many ideas but struggle to realize many of them!
2 - Most productivity advice doesn’t work for you.
3 - You need to feel excited and hopeful again about your creative practice.
SHOW NOTES:
Creative Pep Talk Ep 548 with Jarod K. Andersonhttps://www.creativ
547 - Find the Creative Voice You're Holding Back with Claire Keane
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This episode is for you if:
1 - You have had a hard time tapping into your unique creative voice.
2 - You feel disempowered as a creative and feel like you need agents, managers, or talent scouts to succeed.
3 - You need help clearing out the noise in your brain and hearing your creative voice again.
546 - How to Transform What You're Drowning in Into High Octane Creative Fuel
This episode is for you if:
1 - You want to figure out how to put your deep personal experiences into your work, but you have never seemed to figure out how to.
2 - You are currently overwhelmed and can’t find the energy or ideas for your creative practice.
3 - You are ruminating on painful things from your life or from the state of the world, and it’s stopping you from taking action.
4 - You
545 - Make Your Life & Creative Work More Rich with Meaning with Jarod K. Anderson
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This episode is for you if:
1 - You need a reminder to feel how vital making personal creative work is to your life.
2 - You are a creative type or neurodivergent person needing an example of how to do lots of things well.
3 - Your soul could use some warmth and grounding!
This chat is with wonderful Poet and Author J
544 - Quit Focusing on Being Discovered and Sales and Do This Instead
You can join the Creative Pro Talk meetups by supporting the podcast on Substack here: andyjpizza.substack.com or on Patreon here: Patreon.com/creativepeptalk
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I got it wrong for so long. When I started my creative practice I thought I needed two things: 1 Get Discovered and 2 Make the Sale. I was missing the secret 3rd ingredient. In this episode we explore this secret hidden sauce and how t
543 - 3 Shifts to Make if You Feel Off Creatively
Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word http://invisiblethings.co
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It is VERY easy to get off balance as a creative person because creativity is a delicate balance of many things. In this episode, we will explore 3 areas that require creative tension and how to diagnose where you may be off and need a pivot.
SHOW NOTES:
Del the Funky Homosapien https://en.wikip
542 - When to Reboot Your Work + A Better Option than Beating Yourself Up with Zak Rosen
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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My editor Conner loved this episode, which is always a good sign!
Two reasons to listen to this:
1 - If your work feels stale or a long term project feels stuck, and you have been wondering if you need to switch it up, reboot, o
541 - Are You Afraid of The Art? How to Get Past the Fear and Have Fun Again
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This episode is for you if:
1 - The idea of making something often feels scary.
2 - You don’t like your work anymore.
3 - You forgot why this used to be fun.
4 - You want to stand out in your field but don’t know how.
5 - You want an exercise that unlocks the flowy fun feeling part of your creative brain.
SHOW NOTES
540 - Why the Creative Path Has to Be Twisty and Turny with Nishant Jain
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It’s so easy to forget what this is all about. If you need a reminder to embrace imperfection as part of your flavor, and rekindle your drive to just go out and make stuff you love about things you’re interested in, this is your episode!!
Guest Nishant Jain drops a billion good gems here. We talk about his sneaky public drawing practice, his insp
539 - This Super Easy Thing Will Make A Massive Impact On Your Creative Practice
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Do you have a toxic relationship with goal setting and New Year’s resolutions? Have you already given up this year?!
If so, this episode is for you. In this episode, we will explore the easy and impactful starting place that can help you make this season count for your creative practice.
At the end, I share the “Select
538 - Find Your Point of View, Story Insights, and Artist / Audience Dynamics with Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
Have you ever heard someone say that making creative work is about having a “point of view”? It sounds right, but what does it mean and how do you find yours?
I can’t think of any creatives that have a more compelling sense of their “point of view” than my guests today. Author Mac Barnett and author-illustrator Jon Klassen have such a strong voice, and I have been longing to have them both on the
537 - Reignite Creative Drive with This Energizing New Year's Exercise
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How do you get excited for the New Year when things feel so unstable? How do you get jazzed about planning and goals, when you don’t know what future you’re planning for?
In times like these, I find it more effective to tap into the creative drives you already have, than working towards a future that may or may not come to pass. Tune in to check out the 3 creat
536 - Rest and Retreat as a Neurodivergent Creative with Katherine May
This is a special HOLIDAY episode featuring the chat I had on Katherine May’s Podcast “The Clearing” where guests explore their ideal real or fantasy retreat. Here’s what Katherine said about the episode:
The ADHD and autistic tendency to rest in motion is fully realised in American author and illustrator Andy J. Pizza’s vision of the ideal retreat. Choosing an extraordinary fictional setting whi
535 - If You Only Listen to One Episode of this Podcast This Year Make it This One
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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The Creative Pep Talk Top 5 BEST IDEAS from 2025.
This is a FUN BLITZ through the most essential ideas and tactics from our past year of episodes.
This was exciting and helpful for me to review, and I can’t wait for you to hear
534 - New Fire for Sticking to the Path with Filmmaker Seth Worley
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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This was one of my favorite chats!!!
DEEP DIVE with my friend and Filmmaker Seth Worley!
We get into:
1 - Finding the drive to stick to long creative quests, especially when you’re not sure you’re going to reach your goal!
2 -
533 - Make People Feel Things, Hope in AI Crazed World AND Create to Your Taste
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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This is a favorite!
Special edition of ask Dr. Pizza episode! This time the questions come from the hosts of the Grupo de Autoayuda de Dibujo podcast! THE CRUSHED IT!
SHOW NOTES:
Grupo de Autoayuda de Dibujohttps://www.insta
532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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Who doesn’t want better opportunities?
The key is standing out and having a unique creative offering. But that is much easier said than done, when it feels like EVERYTHING has been DONE!
How do you find your edge?
I have had so
531 - Risks that Land Big Jobs, Be Your Own Client & Find Your Sound with Composer Oli Julian
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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If you’re used to doing work for clients, it can be tough to then create your own solo project. On the other hand, if you’re only used to doing your own thing, working for a client can feel impossible!
How do you find yourself an
530 - Something Simple to Do When Mental Health Derails You with Frannerd
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FRANNERD RETURNS! Illustrator, Comic Artist and YouTuber Fran Meneses is a long time friend of the show and it’s been 6 years since her last episode!
We dive deep into:
1 - When mental health “gets in the way” of your creative p
529 - Escape Your Creative Rut with This 5 Part Creative Hygiene Checklist
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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Like sleep, creativity is something you can’t force. It’s a brain state that you have to slip into. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create the perfect conditions for this state to be more likely to occur. If you have been blocked
528 - Overcome Urge to Bury Artwork, Escape Overthinking, Cultivate Your Spark & Re-Find Magic
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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We cover a LOT in this episode. If you want some PEP but you’re not sure exactly what it is you need, we probably cover it in this episode! We explore:
When the reality of creating isn’t what we thought it would be.
How to find
527 - Visual Journaling: Generate Ideas, Mindfulness and Creative Voice with Samantha Dion Baker
Stay pepped ALL NEXT YEAR with our 2026 Calendar: creativepeptalk.etsy.com
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Visual journaling can unlock your creativity, but it can also enhance your life. If you are struggling to tune into your everyday life and find inspiration there, this is the episode for you!
Samantha Dion Baker has written the book on this! Well 3 books on this!! So much goodness in this episode!
SHOW NOTES:
Sam
526 - Your Niche is Hiding in The Last Place You’d Look
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Find your niche. Stand out from the competition. Find your unique selling point.
Easier said than done. Right? In this episode we explore where your creative edge might be hiding and how to strategically think about your place wi
525 - The Prerequisite to Connecting with Potential Fans
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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Do you feel like the stuff you’re putting out is white noise in an already noisy world?
In this episode we explore what you need to cut through and connect with the hearts of your potential fans.
SHOW NOTESStudy: “Seeing your
524 - How to Know Whether to Push On or Give Up
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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Does this sound familiar? You find a new thing. You’re certain this is THE thing. It all makes sense! You get started with tons of energy… but then you hit a wall. It all feels wrong. You bail. Find a new thing and the loop starts
523 - The Power of Finding Your Attention Aperture, Neurotype and School of Thought
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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This episode contains three small things that made a huge difference in my creative practice!
Tune in if you know you need a creative boost, but you’re not EXACTLY sure what it is you need because this is like THREE mini episodes
522 - The Unexpected Thing that Suddenly Unlocked My Creative Brain
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If you’re a creative type, you probably don’t quite fit into the systems you were born into. This can be VERY DIFFICULT. There’s a lot of pressure for folks like us to beat ourselves up into a shape that fits society.
In this epi
CPT Presents: Origin Stories - Dan Taberski on Hysterical
Sharing a new podcast from Campside Media called Origin Stories, about the creative process and the craft of writing and reporting. Each episode drills down on a single work. What inspired it? How was it created, and why? What kind of challenges and hurdles cropped up along the way? And above all, what can the rest of us learn from the guest’s creative process?
In this episode, Matt talks to Dan
521 - How to Quit Worrying About Other’s Opinions & Finally Create What You Want
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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Are you so worried about other people’s opinions you don’t make or share anything?
Need a tool for finding the thing you’re so passionate about that you’ll finally have the courage to put yourself out there?
If so, this episode
520 - Does Creating Feel Hollow Right Now? How to Unlock New Fire
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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This episode is for you if:
- The chaos of the world is making creative work feel meaningless- Need to remember why making creative work is your passion- You need a dose of art that makes you remember what life is about
SHOW N
519 - Access Imagination and Intuition that Ai Can’t Touch with Angus Fletcher PhD
This episode is for you if you need:
- To tap into your intuition and imagination in a deeper way than ever before
- A boost of hope for your creative future and the future of human creativity
- To hear two creativity nerds getting EXTREMELY excited about art, story and human potential!!!
Pretty much everyday you are told that AI is coming for your job, but NOT TODAY, because today we talk wit
518 - The Hope I Found in This Rapidly Changing Creative Landscape
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The chaotic changes we are currently experiencing are truly unreal. Tech. Platforms. Politics. Economy. It’s an upheaval. It’s very easy to slip into a full on panic when looking into your creative future. In this episode I want t
CPT Presents: The Ghost Frame Podcast Episode 1 "The Endless Hallway"
Check Out the rest of the Ghost Frame series:Ghost Frame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ghost-frame/id1814128797
Ghost Frame on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4dpUSAANUNsukVTMbkuEDC?si=1cbe0dba190045c5
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This week we are featuring an episode of the “Ghost Frame” podcast by animator / illustrator / director Sarah Beth Morgan. This 5 part narrative non-fiction s
517 - How to Turn Business Pressures into a Fun Creative Project with Yowei Shaw
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com
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WHOA! Loved this conversation SO MUCH! There’s so much to go at here and I could have spoke with Yowei for twice as long. Hope to have her back sometime.
Yowei Shaw is an “emotional investigative journalist” and the creator of th
516 - How to Recognize Your Ideas, Juggling Different Roles and More with Cartoonist Grant Snider
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I used to think I didn’t have ideas. I would hear other artists talk about how an idea presented to them and think “oh that never happens to me, I must not have ideas!”
But over time, I’ve come to realize that ideas present in different ways to everyone. That’
515 - Want to Quit Social Media? 3 Essential Considerations for Any Creative Practice
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Social media has become a very difficult space for artists and lots of folks are looking for other places to share their work.
Before we all bail, there are a few things to consider. This episode identifies 3 essential needs we have bee
514 - Tap Your Mood, Connect to Your Target Audience & Fun and Flow Process Inspo with Eliza Kinkz
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: andyjpizza.substack.com
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You know those people who are SO FREE and CREATIVE that spending time with them just opens you up and makes you want to be more authentic and creative yourself?
Eliza Kinkz is a human like that.
If you need some of that, THIS EPISODE H
513 - Why Creatives Have to Build Habits Differently and How to Do It
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter.
---You know that in order to make progress you have to show up in a disciplined way or have good creative habits, but no matter how hard you try, you always end up throwing in the towel.
If that’s you, listen to this episode! Let’s talk CREATIVE DISCIPLINE!
SHOW
512 - The Science of Realizing Creative Potential with Yale Researcher Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, PhD
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How does it feel to be on the path to realizing your creative potential? Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, PhD wrote the book on it and has the research to back it up!!
Listen to this episode if you:
Struggle to follow throughConstantly abandon projectsDon’t feel like
511 - A Message for Sensitive Creatives Who Are Struggling Right Now
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Listen to this if you are feeling overwhelmed, struggling to focus and unable to find the fuel you need to show up.
There’s a cliche that says artists are depressive types, and although this isn’t completely unfounded, this disposition creates a powerful oppor
510 - Remember How to Have Fun and Get Loose, ADHD / Being You, Storytelling, Ignoring the Industry & More with Picture Book Maker Bob Shea
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter.
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This episode is for you if you:
1 - Struggle to be productive like a “normal” human2 - Want to make your work more YOU3 - You want to get looser and have more fun in your work4 - Are interested in storytelling / picture books
THIS WAS A PHENOMENALLY FUN AND I
509 - Hack Motivation to Begin AND Finish Well + Unlock Creative Self with These Questions
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter.
---This episode is for you if you are:
1 - A beginner trying to make a splash2 - A seasoned creative who needs to try something new3 - Stuck and uninspired and lost the love of making stuff
We are all beginners at some point and we become beginners again and again
508 - The Real Magic of Finding Your Creative Voice with Brian Selznick
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How do truly embed yourself into your work?
Today on the show, we have a creative master who has done this at the highest level. In this episode, Caldecott winning author illustrator Brian Selznick joins me to discuss his new book “Run Away with Me”.
We dec
507 - How to Find Your Secret Creative Powers
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter.
---Do you feel like the competition is so steep you don’t have a chance? Do you ever look around online and think “why should I even bother? I am not even close to this level of talent!” If so, this episode is for you. Stop trying to be super and tap into your true
506 - The Career Defining Breakthrough I Found in Scary Slow Times
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---When times are hectic and industries freeze, it can feel like creative progress is impossible. In times like these, rather than bang your head up against the same wall over and over again, you can see this external block as a sign that it’s time to shift your foc
505 - How Demystifying Your Craft can Enhance the Magic with Maggie Smith
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This was an INCREDIBLE CHAT. I left so pepped.
If you are overwhelmed by the blank page, scared to try and fail, or feel the pressure to exist in a vacuum, this episode is for you!
In this episode, Poet Maggie Smith is back with her brilliant new book “Dear W
504 - Reduce Overwhelm and Unlock More Creative Work with This
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter here: andyjpizza.substack.com
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Are you overwhelmed pretty much no matter what you do? Are you overwhelmed by long to do lists? Short ones? Complex and simple ones? In this episode I will share a recent shift that has made a big impact on me that resulted in me fe
503 - Embrace Change and Reclaim Belonging with Morgan Harper Nichols
Feel like things have changed or are always changing?
Do you find yourself changing yourself to fit?
Where do you really want to be?
In this episode I am joined by artist and author, Morgan Harper Nichols. We discuss envisioning a future for yourself that you actually want to go towards and how to find the right creative home within all the possibilities.
https://morganharpernichols.com
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502 - How to Beat the Analysis Paralysis of "The Right Path"
Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter here: andyjpizza.substack.com
If you THINK more about making stuff than actually making stuff, this episode is for you! I tell a story that helped me realize that going the right way is overrated and what to do instead.
SHOW NOTES:
Co-Writing / Editing: Sophie Mill
501 - How To Create Gentle Habits with Sophie Yanow
How do you develop discipline as an artist?
Can you hack your behavior and form creative habits?
What tips or tricks could help you to create more often AND more confidently?
In this episode I'm joined by Eisner Award winning cartoonist Sophie Yanow. Sophie has so much insight on this topic and found great value in creating what she calls a 'Gentle Comics Habit'. We talk starting, stacking
500 - 5 Steps from ADHD Serial Quitter to Podcaster with 500 Episodes
Discuss this episode, share creative wins and obstacles at our next monthly meetup! Join this month’s Creative Pep Rally by supporting the show on Substack or Patreon:
andyjpizza.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/c/creativepeptalk
If you’re like me, you have more trouble with following through with ideas than you do coming up with new ideas. I am a serial quitter. I have ADHD and I am often wo
499 - Which of These 3 Pitfalls is Stopping You and How to Overcome
Discuss this episode, share creative wins and obstacles at our next monthly meetup! Join this month’s Creative Pep Rally by supporting the show on Substack or Patreon:
andyjpizza.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/c/creativepeptalk
On this Ask Dr. Pizza episode we hear from 3 artists in totally different creative pitfalls and explore what action you can take to get past each of them!
This episod
498 - The Hidden Skill You Need to Develop with Cheyenne Barton
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https://www.patreon.com/c/creativepeptalk
Do you feel like you’ve lost your way a bit creatively? Maybe you feel lost or in a creative rut. Today on the show we chat with Artist / Actor / YouTuber Cheyenne Barton about a recent creative crisis and we find some aha moments along the way! Loved this epis
497 - Find Your Creative Zone Today: Which of These 7 Types of Ideas Come to You Naturally? **REPLAY**
Join our January Virtual Pep Rally by supporting on Substack or Patreon!
andyjpizza.substack.com
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Some people say that creativity is all about perfect timing, but in my experience, the best work comes from those spaces where you lose track of time completely.
If TIME has become a brutal master and “staying relevant”, “hitting the cultural zeitgeist”, “kee
496 - How to Know What to Start, Continue, Double Down On or Quit
Go to http://andyjpizza.substack.com to sign up to our newsletter and get the “Passion Mastery Table” download mentioned in this episode.
If you feel like you have to do everything but none of it actually works, listen to this. We are in the midst of outrageous chaos and change. The last thing you need to be doing is focusing on what doesn’t matter in your creative practice. In this episode, you
495 - 3 Steps To Get Un-Lost As A Creative
Are you in survival mode?
Do you feel like something is failing, broken, wrong?
In this episode I talk through 3 things that help me when I'm feeling lost on the Creative Journey.
Join our next Virtual Pep Rally by supporting on Substack or Patreon!
andyjpizza.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/c/creativepeptalk
SHOW NOTES:
Co-Writing / Editing: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Ed
494 - The Paradoxical Key for Creative Habits, Career Path Models & More
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Special edition of Ask Dr. Pizza! Mega creative, long time listener Jen Kwok asks Andy questions around navigating transitions, parenting as a creative, getting stuff done and the key to keep longer projects interesting.
SHOW NOTES:
Co-Writing / Editing: Soph
493 - Grief, Creativity, and Re-finding Your Magic with Rebecca Green
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Has an unexpected life event ever derailed your creative journey?
When I reached out to illustrator Rebecca Green to join me on the podcast for the second time, she graciously volunteered to speak about a tragedy she had experienced in recent years, that bro
492 - 7 Steps I'd Take If I Was Starting My Creative Practice From Scratch in 2025
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Things change fast these days. If I started my creative practice in 2025 I would do things very differently than when I started out over 15 years ago. Tune into this episode to hear the 7 sequential steps I would take if I was starting out today.
SHOW NOTES:
491 - Determining Your Current Creative Stage and Shifting Focus with Illustrator Chris Piascik
What should you focus your creative energy towards right now? It helps to tune into the creative stage you’re currently in. Today on the show we chat with Illustrator Chris Piascik about how he went from a daily drawing practice to shifting gears and focusing on building his YouTube to nearly 100k subscribers.
If you’re feeling out of sync with your creative season or need inspo for reigniting yo
490 - An Unlock of Motivation in the Face of Chaos on Repeat
If you’re struggling to find motivation in the face of bad habits and bad news, this episode is for you. Repeat episodes of burn out, procrastination or lack of progress can wear you down, so if you’re looking for a fresh perspective, check this episode out!
THIS EPISODE IS INSPIRED BY MY LOVE OF THE SHOW SEVERANCE, BUT CONTAINS NO SPOILERS!
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489 - How to Make Your Work More Personal with Comedian Alice Fraser
Andy sits down to have a joint podcast episode with master storyteller and comedian Alice Fraser for both of their podcasts.
In this episode we explore:
- Making work that’s more personal and meaningful
- The things to consider when sharing elements of your personal life in your work
- Being a parent when you have a creative practice
- Navigating the different stages of life / the creative journ
488 - Frozen During Slow Times? How to Activate Self Starter Energy
Freeze up during slow times? Waiting for a BIG IDEA to get started? Overwhelmed by the blank page? In this episode, we explore how to tap into your effortless creativity and get yourself to start TODAY.
Join our January Virtual Pep Rally by supporting on Substack or Patreon!
andyjpizza.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/c/creativepeptalk
SHOW NOTES:
Co-Writing / Editing: Sophie Miller SOPHIE M
487 - Apathetic About Goals? Uncover A Different Source of "Infinite" Motivation
If you’re struggling to create goals that feel motivating, this episode is for you! Goals have their place, but sometimes we need to tap into a more renewable motivation. In this episode I share a shift that freaking changed the game for me! For real! Hope you get the same boost from this that I did!
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486 - How to Transform Your Frustrations into Fertilizer in 2025
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If you’re struggling to find an exciting vision for your creative future this new year, this episode is for you. This is episode one of “The Grounding Series”. While others may be shooting for the sky this January, we start with the opposite: getting ground
485 - A 3 Question Year-End Reflection to Awaken Your Creative Spirit
Prompts for reflection, intention and hope with Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller.
Step back from the holiday hustle, consider your 2024 year of creativity and look forward into the year to come.
In this fun Christmas Carol themed episode (not too Christmassy so don’t let that put you off!)
we are visited by 3 Ghosts: Past, Present and Future. Each Creative Ghost asks a question and we each answer
484 - Creativity vs Discipline: Finding Balance Between these Oppositional Forces with Andy J. Pizza
10 Years of the Creative Pep Talk Podcast. Can you believe it? In this episode the tables get turned! Bestselling Author Katherine May interviews Andy J. Pizza about this ten year journey of a creative project.
In this vulnerable behind the scenes chat we cover:
How to unlock the creative discipline to keep showing up in your creative practice even when you may want to quit sometimes.
Why you m
483 - Artist Case Study: The Niche Shortcut with Olivia Rafferty
How do you find a creative niche? It's become a Creative Pep Talk classic cliche!
In this Artist Case Study episode we talk through the creative journey of Scottish Singer-Songwriter, Olivia Rafferty. Olivia is such a great example of an artist who has found a novel way to cut through the noise by stepping out of her industry and dipping into another.
From the creative sparks, to all the confus
482 - The Key Ingredient for Maximizing Discoverability
Episode 4/4 of The Journey of The True Fan Series
How do you find an audience for your work?
Does it feel like you're sat quietly with your fishing rod, just waiting patiently for something to bite?
Have you really considered what you're hoping to catch and how best to get its attention?
In this episode we explore the DISCOVERY of the 3 part plan: Discovery, Trust and Sell.
We get into the e
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