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Speaker 1: Hello, lovelies, and welcome to another episode of the Limitless podcast. I am overjoyed to have a guest on the podcast. Today we're going to talk about what it really means to be an inner creative, or, sorry, I should say, unleash your inner creative, because there's something to be said about when you decide to walk into being an entrepreneur, to find your limitless self, to find who you want to be, it takes some creativity. It takes the, you know, having a little bit of tough skin to know who you are and share it with the world. So, Paige Ray is an award winning photographer and videographer.
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Speaker 1: She's been doing this amazing work to help people find their most creative selves, not only in the her, the photography she has, but also to share it on her podcast, the over the Edge podcast, which I got to be on, talking about releasing your inner rebel in business. So I thought it would be perfect to have Paige over here and go ahead and tell us about what it means, why we all get to be creative, but let's officially welcome her to the podcast. Paige, thank you so much for coming on.
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Speaker 2: Oh, thank you so much for having me on. I am so excited to be here. We're going to have a blast.
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Speaker 1: I mean, I feel like were going to talk for hours if we had the chance. So by all means, now we're just going to extend your episode into the limitless. So that's perfect. But, Paige, I gave just a little tidbit. You have a lot more to talk about. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
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Speaker 2: Well, I am a photographer here in Los Angeles, but I travel all over the US to do photo and video shoots, which is so exciting. It's so exciting to wake up and go, wow, I get to do. I get to make art every day for amazing people. That's just one of the coolest things that I just. It feels like I'm living a dream life. So I. Gosh, I've been doing photos for ten years now. This is actually as we're speaking. This is about to be my 10th year anniversary coming up in just a few weeks. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: Congratulations. That's amazing.
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Speaker 2: It feels like it. I mean, you know when you start out and you're like, how am I going to do this every day? How do I keep this going day to day, month to month? So I feel pretty fortunate I've been able to do that. Before I started in photos, I actually worked in media for about ten years. I was a magazine editor and writer, which was pretty. It was a good time. It was a really good time. So I feel like that actually supported me a lot when it comes to doing branded visuals for creatives and for brands, because we're telling a story ultimately. So it all kind of, like, folded together in the end for me.
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Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh, how fun. I didn't, maybe we talked about this. I forget now, but I actually started my career as a magazine editor as well. That's what's fun about it, is I will say that, like, you've worked for some really fantastic magazines already, and, like, there was a lot of things that you've done, but, like, I have it in front of me here, so just so I can toot pages horn. Here she was, she had, her work's been featured in Variety, Hollywood Reporter, glamour in Paris, okay, Huffington Post, even more. All of these things. But I think what's really fun about this transition, because I like, for me at least, being a journalism major, I was like, I'm gonna tell all the stories.
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Speaker 1: I'm curious about all the time in this form of, like, media that, like, I wanna go to the publishing city in the world. I had all of these opportunities. Like, I wanted to make sure I had that. And now with the shift of, like, you know, you can really create your own magazine online if you want to. You can really do anything that you want. You get to be this creative version of yourself because there's so many outlets. I feel like that work was so, like, absolutely, like, shifted to everything I want to do now, which I want to say, like, yeah, maybe I don't specifically use my journalism as a major, but I certainly use all the tools that were inside of it. So love, love that you had that similar experience.
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Speaker 1: But what took you from, you know, you said you're a photographer now, but what made you decide, okay, I'm going to run my own business?
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Speaker 2: Well, I was, I can remember the specific moment. So I did a lot of, I worked in a lot of trade magazines when I was an editor, and I remember dreaming of working at those bigger magazines, like Variety, glamour, Paris, Hollywood Reporter. It's so funny that I ended up getting in them with my photos instead of with my writing and my editing. But I remember dreaming of working at those magazines. And I was working in trades, which was also great, really fun industries, but I really love, what I loved the most in those jobs was long form reporting, really in depth enterprise reporting. And I was in the industry around the time we started shifting everything online, and reporting became a lot more about spot news, which is legitimate, like it's, you know, spot reporting is really important.
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Speaker 2: And so everything became about getting it online faster and faster. And that was not my jam. I wanted to take a long time to do in depth reporting on my pieces. And so I was feeling kind of this struggle as everything was shifting in the industry. And I just thought, you know what, I'm just gonna take some art classes. Why don't I get my mind off things? I'm just going to take some art classes. And I took painting. I'm not a great painter. I took drawing, I took a few things, and I took a photography class and a few things just clicked into place for me. And I did that for a year. I went back to, I went to school at night and took photo classes for about a year. And I loved it so much.
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Speaker 2: And I thought, I want to do this full time. And I was getting some clients by that point, so I just shifted into full time at the time, weddings and families, which is its own trip. What an industry. A lot of fun there. And then I did that for like four or five years, and then I shifted into commercial work maybe six or seven years ago and I never looked back. I love commercial work. It's so creative. It's so fun. Working with creative brands is just the highlight of my life. I love it.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. I love it, I love it. Okay, so we get to hear that, like, the art class has turned into exactly what you needed them to, which is perfect. Perfect. What we're talking about today. So you say you work with creative entrepreneurs. Let's just, let's just start this off talking about, like, what, how would you define being a creative entrepreneur? Sorry, how would you define being a creative entrepreneur?
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Speaker 2: So a lot of people think that they are not creatives. Like, they back, I see them back away from the term creative entrepreneur because they think, oh, I'm not a painter, so I'm not a creative, or I'm not a this or that, so I'm not a creative. But I deeply believe that we are all creatives. And being creative looks like so many different things, right? It looks like, how do you wake up every day and what do you make? What do you create? And different people create different things. Some people do create paintings, but some people create businesses, some people create families, some people create, I don't know, like car designs. There are so many different ways to be creative, and I do think that our purpose as humans is to create something. I think that's why we're here.
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Speaker 2: And I think all of those different forms of creativity are just so legitimate. And sometimes they all work together, sometimes they are different elements. But whatever it is, you're waking up every day and creating, that is you being a creative. And that's where I start with everyone. So when it comes to being a creative entrepreneur, if you are running a business, if you woke up one day and you were like, I'm going to make something from nothing, I have no business now, and I'm going to build it, you are creating something. You are being a creative entrepreneur. And so I want people to start feeling more solid in that title, because the creative spark inside of us is what builds so many dreams in our world. And so first you have to allow yourself to believe that you are creative.
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Speaker 2: And that's where a lot of it comes from. If you're listening, you were creating. You are a creative.
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Speaker 1: I find this just to be another form of almost like a perfectionism, some self doubt that creator. And even I've even said this to my community. Influencer. No one decides who gets to be called this or not, because if you influence somebody, you are an influencer. And that, yeah, there's a connotation to how people act. And then online, it's for a certain group. But what if you take that back and be like, I'm someone who influences women to love themselves more, someone who influences people to see, like, that they're more creative than they are. So I think there's a sense of, like, with the creator. Like, I just want to. I just want to be like, it's not for certain people.
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Speaker 1: It's like we, by definition, all humans, have the ability to be creative, to be a problem solver, to, in general, be a connector. So the idea that somehow it's off limits is just a way to keep you stuck. And I, and I really find that to be so sincere. So I love that you were kind of sick. I'm not a good painter. Like, I, my husband is a fantastic artist. Like, paints, does charcoal, says all the things, and I will be. I will happily do stick figures next to him if I need to. Like, if, like, that's the date night that we want to do. But I'm the words girl. I have random books, or I've, like, written little poems, but I've also. I'm also the person that's looking at filming and editing and how does this work and figuring those details out.
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Speaker 1: But I think there's such a block that if I walked into, you know, editing for reals or editing like, or creating really strong stories. If I walked into that going like, oh, I'm not creative. I'm just gonna, like, not have the energy to one finish it usually. I mean, maybe I'll do it once, but I won't want to do it again because there's just, like, that block. It's, you're just so stuck in this, like, everyone else is a creator but me, that feeling versus, like, going be able to say, like, I deserve to express my version of things, my perspective on life, and I find that to be, like, so essential. So what would you tell people who, let's say they're opening a business, and they're like, well, I opened the business because this is something I wanted for myself.
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Speaker 1: I didn't realize that I had to create photos and I had to create stories. This just doesn't mean, what would you tell someone who's just kind of, like, stuck and believing that they're not supposed to do the creative things in their business?
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Speaker 2: Okay, I love this because there are two things that I really center this on. The first one is that if you're having that perfectionism, that imposter syndrome, that's how I really identify it as imposter syndrome of, like, am I a creative. I don't know. I don't feel like I belong here. I want you to embrace that and take it as a good sign that it's happening, because, and this is something that I tell everybody in the midst of a project. People are like, can I do this? Am I really good enough to do this? Am I, is this, are people going to see me as this person that I'm trying to become? And once you experience that, please know that is an indicator that you are next leveling your stuff. Something is happening where you are doing something bigger, something you've never done before.
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Speaker 2: You're reaching, you're stretching. You're doing something exciting.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.
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Speaker 2: And good. So you should be feeling a little bit of that resistance, that worry, that imposter syndrome. Look for it. It's a good sign that you're on the right path. Yay for that. So celebrate that. And then the second thing is when you feel like, oh, I have to post today, how am I going to do this? That feeling really does drag a lot of things down. Right? So, and I get that feeling, too. I mean, I get to wake up every day and make things, but, like, there are absolutely things in my day where I'm like, how am I going to do this? Oh, my goodness. And so I don't I stop asking myself what I need to do today? And I let it all go. I say, you know what?
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Speaker 2: I don't actually have to do any of this because it is my business. I can run it how I want so I don't have to do any of this. But if I were going to do it, what would be fun? What do I want to talk about today? How do I want to talk about this in a way that makes me excited? Because when I get excited about something, other people get excited about something. Always true across the board. Right. And I come back to also, what am I excited to teach people about today? Because it does need to be about other people, obviously. And so if you want to stay in that kind of lane of like, how am I going to talk to other people's experiences? I start with what would be really fun to teach people about today?
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Speaker 2: And if I could find. Right. If you can find the fun in it, then, yeah, there you go. Mission accomplished. Like, you've won the day.
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Speaker 1: I love that. I want to go back to the imposter syndrome piece here, and I completely agree with you. I feel like I, whoever came with the up with the word imposter syndrome or whatever tone it was, I was like, well, there's a different way of saying this. Like, it's just like you're breaking out of your comfort zone. So of course it's going to feel like you're spiraling. Of course it's going to feel like they're, like your skin's tingling a little bit. And like, what am I doing? What are people going to think? Because it's a sign of growth. And I, and I absolutely love, I love that idea because I think there's like, how many times, like, how do I get over imposter syndrome? And it's like, no, you don't get over it. You just realize what's happening.
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Speaker 1: And then here's ways in which to continue to expand, to continue to get the support that you need. We're in agreement. Imposter syndrome is a good thing. We just need to, like, what's the word? We, like the creator. The creator's expansion or something. That's a better way of saying it.
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Speaker 2: We need to rebrand it.
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Speaker 1: And I think, too, though, with the second piece you were sharing, is that there's a lot to be said about, like, just the statement that, like, our perspective on life is allowed to be heard, it's allowed to be seen, and the only person blocking it from being seen, at least in the current, in the way we currently walk through the world is ourselves, because there's so many free places to just say, like, hey, this is how I seen anything. Like, as, like, you know, silly or unserious, as, like, going on a walk in a day versus how I get over this feeling of not trusting myself. Like, there's so much to be said about we get that opportunity, and the people who are getting to take that advantage are the ones that are like, wait, I deserve to be heard.
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Speaker 1: Even if it's just like, what do I want to share today? Yeah, of course, sometimes, like, consistently doing that, you got to, like, put yourself in those situations. But I think that, like, if we're wanting, or, like, if my hidden mission of this episode is that everyone sees themselves as a creative, is that being able to say, you deserve for your perspective on life to be seen. And we don't have to wait until someone appreciates it to put into an art gallery. We just need to put it online and other people get to see it. So I just. I just love that kind of share.
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Speaker 2: Exactly. And it's so interesting because I think a lot of people think, like, the way when they. When you look at, like, the people you kind of idolize or you. Or you want careers like them, I think our immediate assumption is, like, somebody came along and, like, plucked them out and said, you're special. Why don't we put you on stage? You're special. Let's hang your art up. That's just never how it happens. Like, when you actually talk to people who have done the things that you want to do, nine times out of ten, it's them facing their own imposter syndrome and telling it to just be quiet and sit in the corner. I've got better things to do than listen to imposter syndrome. Right. And, you know, you. You have to pick yourself first. Nobody else comes along to pick you.
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Speaker 2: You pick yourself first. You tell yourself first, I'm good at this. I'm worthy to do this. I can help people. I can change things for people. My voice matters. I can make a difference. And when you tell yourself that first, everything else gets a little more clear, then applying, you know, then trying to speak on stage, your message gets a little bit, like, gets a. It gets not easier to book, but, like, you have the fortitude to just keep going, right? Submitting your art, you have the fortitude to keep going, right? So, yeah, you've got to pick yourself first.
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Speaker 1: I I love it. I actually just finished listening to Matthew McConaughey's book Green Light, I don't know if you. I don't know if you. Which was the most. It's an insane biography for him, to be honest. Like, there's so much that they're going like, he didn't filter this. I'm like, okay. But, like, it's like him talking about his own creative process. And you can hear, like, as, like, he walks through each of his roles, he's like, he got a little bit more, let's say, weird about it. He got a little more courageous about it. He got it, like, you know, there was, he just, like, started being like, oh, let me understand this guy's backstory. And then, like, I think he was like a dragon slayer, and he was, like, talking about jumping off roofs and doing all these things.
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Speaker 1: I'm like, well, I guess he got really confident, and I really want to kind of get behind this idea of, like, the, you know, it sounds woo. It sounds like affirmations. But when we say, like, you deserve to be heard, your perspective is important. Your ability to express yourself and create evidence in its own way online is allowing you to show yourself that you just, that this is what you deserve. You got to believe it first. And then the more that you take action on it, the more that you put that out there, that one, of course, the better you get. Your skills are going to better and all the things, but also, there's not going to be any doubt in your mind that whatever you're trying to create is coming. Like, you're just like, it's like manifestation.
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Speaker 1: But first you got to believe it.
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Speaker 2: True. Like, somewhat like Matthew McConaughey is such a great example. This is not a man who has ever doubted himself. He just woke up and went, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to, I'm going to go be an actor. He just, and I think that's such a great example. And when it comes down to, like, the woo of it all or the way we talk about, like, manifesting, I really think, like, when we talk about manifesting, to me, I actually, like, I look at, like, the men I've worked with or looking at the men who run businesses that I've worked with or learned from, and they all believe the same thing, the same principles of manifestation that we kind of pick up along the way. They just don't call it manifestation.
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Speaker 2: And so a lot of what I see often is when we as women are, like, absorbing the manifestation messages, what we're really doing a lot of the time is just, we're learning how to operate in the way that men were always told to operate, to assume it's going to work out, to, if you spend money, you know, it's going to come back to you to just believe in yourself first and the abundance of everything first. Like, that's just how a lot of ways, like, if you look at Matthew McConaughey, like, those are all the principles of manifestation. They're just something that, like, you know what?
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Speaker 1: They're presented in a different way to men than they are to women because we both, because we just digest different information differently. I actually love it. I was just, my husband and I talk about this stuff way too much because I'm always the chatty, like, what do you think of this? That or whatever. But it was, it's a so, like, you know, in manifestation, we talk about, like, you want to act as if you are the person you're wanting to become stuff like that. And he'll, and he'll say, like, are you locked in today? And I'm like, so being locked in means we're focused.
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Speaker 2: I love it.
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Speaker 1: We want to create. We're not worrying about our doubts. And it's like, yeah, if I was talking to a client, I might be like, okay, let's act as if or visualize what we want. And then it's just like, now on the flip side, I'm like, oh, when I speak to my husband, and I'm like, yeah, are you locked in? I'm locked in. Okay.
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Speaker 2: I love it. That's exactly it. That's a perfect example. Men will just act as is, and they won't have the imposter syndrome of it. They'll just be like, yeah, whatever. Today I act as is. And that's why ignoring that imposter syndrome or not taking it so seriously, like, using it as an indicator of, like, you know what this means. I'm doing something bigger. Let's keep going. Right, but don't let it slow you down. Matthew McConaughey is not going to let him. Let it slow him down.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, if there's anything else, I would do, recommend listening to the audible, because, like, he does voices. It's the whole thing. Okay, but let's say we've, we've officially convinced everyone they are. You are a creator. You, you're embracing your creative side. Like, before walking in, what would you suggest to somebody who's, like, wanting to truly embrace their inner creative, and also to, like, kind of, like, how would you say you create your own creative process?
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Speaker 2: Ooh, okay. Creative process is so fun and unique. So first of all, your creative process gets to be whatever you want. If you need to wake up at 04:00 a.m. Have a diet Coke, and then start writing on your computer, that's your creative process. That's your creative process. If you want to wake up at noon, light a candle and read a book before you do anything, that's your creative process. It's all legitimate, and it's different for every single artist. So sort of what's fun and special about it is creating your own. So don't judge yourself or think that there's, like, a specific way that you have to be within your creativity. Whatever you're making, and that's legitimate and that's real. So I, trusting yourself, right? First picking yourself and then trusting yourself.
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Speaker 2: These are actually really hard things, but there's no different way to do it than to just do it. So your creative process gets to be whatever the thing is that sparks excitement inside of you and gets it flowing out of you, right? Because we are always the thing about us. Everyone is a creative. There's always that creativity flowing through us. Like, I am not somebody that believes in any creative blocks, right? Like, you hear people talking about, like, writer's block or anything like that. And for me, when I think about creativity, I don't think about blocks. I choose that they don't exist. Instead, for me, what's happening is just my creative channel. It slows down sometimes because it's hard to be in a rush or flow 24 hours a day. That's overwhelming. That'll burn you out.
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Speaker 2: So sometimes your creative channel just slows down because you need it to slow down consciously. You might be like, I want. I need to make something. I need to go, go. But maybe you just don't need to. Maybe you just need to take a breath and take a rest, right? So your creative process is yours. That creativity is there for you whenever you need it. If you feel like it's not there, take that as a hint to take a nap, take a rest, and know that you're doing it.
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Speaker 1: But even too, I love with what you're saying. It's like, we gotta, we've got to talk about it, is that there's no wrong or right way to create a creative process. I think that's a big part of it. But the. But I do think that, like, with what you're sharing, there's some things online that might be, like, really detrimental to some people when they're looking at these things. So, you know, I'm a. I'm a hybrid batcher. You like? Like, I like to, like, sometimes I'll feel really inspired and I will, like, stop. Let me write this idea down.
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Speaker 1: Let me make sure I kind of, like, think it through other times, but most of the time, if I want to actually, like, feel like I have freedom, I have blocked off times a few times a week to actually be doing the creative work, to writing it out, to putting the ideas to paper, and, like, and I have. I mean, my community is called the rising influence community. And I do that where every Wednesday we have our creative block time. And if you feel blocked, we can walk through the mindset or we can walk through the strategies just because I feel like that's just such a way of building up some self trust. But I usually get the flip side, where someone goes, batching doesn't work for me, and that'll be the commentary.
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Speaker 1: And I just go like, okay, well, I'm not trying to tell you that you should batch 30 days of every single piece of content right here, right now. You can. If that's. That's your vibe. Like, you absolutely can. Like, my capricorns in the room, they always got that 30 days going. They're ready to do it. But I think there's essentially, an idea of, like, the idea that we always have to be our best creative self is what's going to stop somebody from showing up and continuously doing that. So I think there's a sense of one, have a time, once, twice, three times a week, have a time. Wherever I. You do turn off the distractions, you allow whatever's coming to mind to just, like, flow out on paper or to.
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Speaker 1: If you're somebody who's, like, photographer or does video, like, let it be something like, okay, let me compile some of my ideas that we've done. Like, whatever it might be, have that time. But as far as, like, what's going to work for you, the only way you're going to figure out what's going to work for you is to try the things. And I can't do this for a long time. And don't make that a failure. Like, don't make that a failure. Like, I can't be batching like this. Yeah, you can't. What did you like about it? What didn't you like about it? Shift. Try again. This is your creative process.
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Speaker 2: Exactly. I, you know, and this is something that I see when I talk to other photographers about lighting. Right. I'm really big on, like, you have to learn all types of lighting. You've got to be able to light anything at any point, at any time. And I see a lot of photographers who, like, it's easy to get scared of lighting because it's a lot of different elements and a lot of different moving parts. And how do you know if you've nailed it, right? And so I see a lot of photographers, instead of trying it and failing at it, they go, you know what? Sunlight, natural light, for me, is best. That's just what I like best. And I'm like, I hear you. And that might very well be the case, but we got to try some things first to make sure that's right. Right.
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Speaker 2: So the trying and failing of it or the trying and succeeding of it, like, that's how you figure out what works for you. Like, you got it. You can't be too afraid to, like, try something that you would, might not otherwise beautiful.
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Speaker 1: And I think part of it, too, like, it just came to mind, as you were saying, that is the idea that, like, the best creatives play, like, the best creatives are playful. There's not this, like, it's not a math equation. Even too, I always entertain, like, for instance, all we'll be, I'll be brainstorming a new offer idea. Like, offer name idea with a, with a client. And I'll be like, before we begin, shoot me down if you hate things. Because this is playtime. Like, brainstorming equals playtime. Because I want to throw out things that will get us to hopefully get us to the destination, but we're gonna know what we like and don't like along the way, because to be creative, you gotta, like, be able to shoot things down. You gotta be able to go like, that's not it.
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Speaker 1: Like, be able to not have, like, a thicker skin, maybe, but also just like, no, this is playful. And I think that's the same thing with talking about, like, learning how to edit on your phone. You do not want to be, you don't want to, like, expect perfection. You want to like, oh, I want to try this type of video. I want to try this type of pose. Whatever. I already know there's going to be, like, seven versions of this that absolutely stink, but they deserve, but one of those at least deserves to be put online or one of those deserves to be sent to a friend or whatever it might be. Because if we're expecting perfection as we're creating, it's just, it's going to just feel like we are trying to grade ourselves. And thankfully, we're not in school anymore. Thankfully.
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Speaker 1: It's about, okay, what's the purpose? What's the message? I want to put this out there.
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Speaker 2: Exactly. And I always think an imperfect message, like, lands better with people anyway. People really don't like perfection. It's not because I think subconsciously, as humans, we know that it doesn't exist. What really is perfect, I don't think that's a thing for anybody. That's achievable. So I think an imperfect message, an imperfect anything, lands pretty well with people. We like to see that. We like to connect with that and also like it. It does get hard to get online because it does look like everybody's, like, not only making great work, but succeeding at it all of the time. And there's just so much behind the scenes failure that, like, people aren't putting out there. And why would they? Like, that's. That's a hard thing to do. It's a hard thing to just sit with in life, but much less get online and say it.
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Speaker 2: So if there's one thing that's consistent from, like, all of the creatives I've ever met is, like, there is failure going on behind the scenes. But that is so much the reason why so many people succeed, too, because they're just out there trying to fail until they. Until. Until they figure out how to succeed. And I think that's great.
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Speaker 1: I love. I really feel like if we, like, expect, like, not in a. I feel like, before I say this, I don't want it to sound, like, really harsh, but, like, we should expect to fail. Like, we should expect to, you know, I like to jokingly say, like, eat shit, like, face, like, face plan and get back up, because, like, we're better off for face planning than the person that's like, oh, I guess I'm. This is working for me, or how. How long is this going to work? It's like, the adversity, the problem solving, like, gives us longevity. So I think there's a sense of that, but also just stop putting so much pressure on every little thing, having to be the thing. Like, it has to be perfect. It's got to be as good as the creator you've been following forever. Because.
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Speaker 1: Because I love. And it only rarely happens when. When someone who's got in there, like, hundreds of thousands of followers goes like, let me show you my first video.
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Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
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Speaker 1: So excited to see it. Like, thank you. This is so lovely. And, like, even, too, when somebody will say something to me, I'm like, my first Instagram post. Like, I remember I post, like, an iguana that was at a rest stop. Like, I. Like, I was like, I didn't know what Instagram Foley was. But the only way I got to even now is that I. I know what I know. I did all the blunders before I got there, and I didn't think they were blunders at the time, let's be clear. But still, I think that's part of it. We're talking about a creative process. We want to make sure there's play, we want to make sure there's play, and then also truly being able to set aside time to figure out what your best creative time is.
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Speaker 1: I feel like those are the two things we put on so far. What else are we missing with creating your own creative process? Us?
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Speaker 2: Well, I really like to find new mediums and new methods of inspiration. Right? Like, if I'm so. I do photography all of the time. I feel pretty confident in my level of photography. But the thing I like to do is I like to. I like going back to failing. I like to fail at other mediums. Like, I love to try painting. I'm not good at it. You know, I love to try drawing. I love to try sculpting. I love to do other things because it makes me feel like it gives me this sense of, like, inspiration. It turns on something in my brain, right?
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Speaker 2: So when I feel like I'm in a rut, when I feel like I'm not getting those new ideas, when I feel like my creativity is zapped, even though I know I still have my channel open, I try to go do other things I don't normally do because that turns on something, turns something back on in my brain that's like, oh, right. It sparks an idea for something else in photography. So my part of my creative process is just trying other mediums, trying other ways of being creative that I've never tried before. The funny thing with that is you will find that you have maybe told yourself some stories, like, oh, I could never do this, I could never do that. And then you try it, and actually, you're not bad at it, right? You actually could do that. I see it all the time.
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Speaker 2: People are like, I could never be a writer and then I'm like, send me a piece of your writing. Test this out, right? And they send me a blog post, and I'm like, this is ding dong amazing. Like, what do you mean? You can never be a writer. You're a writer. This is great. Right?
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Speaker 1: So doing something ding dong amazing. I want to borrow that. Amazing. Yeah.
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Speaker 2: So I, yeah. Part of my creative process is, like, just doing other things that I don't normally do as a creative and exploring those other options, it keeps something inspired and creative. It keeps me feeling like I'm, like, doing something new. Okay, wait, did you ever see bring it on? Remember bring it on? The cheerleader movie? Right. I think we, I think if you're a millennial, you've probably seen bring it on. And what you notice that they do is when they are completely reimagining their routine, they are looking at other forms of dance. Like, forms of dance from the fifties. They're looking at Bob Bossy, they're looking at all of these different forms and, like, drawing inspiration from them. Even though they've never done those forms of dance before, they're learning them. So I. That it's the same for me.
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Speaker 2: Like, when trying to come up with something new, going to these other forms of inspiration that you've never looked at before, looking at new artists, looking at just new ways of being is, for me, so important.
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Speaker 1: Okay. So you bringing this up is kind of interesting, too, because I think a couple of things. Like, first, I love the idea of, like, trying different mediums. I think part of it is that a lot is, there's a lot to be said about routine and creating and, like, building up your skill set. But there's also a lot to be said about, like, letting yourself try something new, because usually it, like, even if it's, like, even if it's not, like, what you're going to end up doing, like, even it's not like, oh, I'm not going to keep learning how to do this. It's about going like, oh, I could. I'm inspired by how this is different than how I normally do things. So it's like, it's helping you just get a new perspective. I totally agree with that. I love that.
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Speaker 1: But also the idea of copying, which is something to play with, because, like, I, like, we don't, of course, we don't want people to fully cry, but I think the biggest misunderstanding is that we think that what's on the Internet or what's on tv or any of the things that are considered, like, normally creative right now are completely original ideas, and it's. And people are full of shit.
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Speaker 2: Like, right. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: There hasn't been truly an original idea in a very long time. Meaning, like, no inspiration from anything outside of itself. Like, they want to do a different version of the same thing. And that's. And I think that's the number one thing of understanding. And I think they're. I'm trying to remember the name of the book. There was, like, everybody copies or something. I should find it.
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Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. I think I know what you're talking about. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: Everyone's. Or everybody steals or, like, I can't remember something along those lines. But, but the concept of, like, having permission to try on somebody else's shoes and go, like, what do I like about this? What's my shift on this? What's my view of this? And I think that's when you were talking about different mediums or bring it on, like, taking in these different inspirations. It's being able to say, like, one, you're allowed to be inspired by other people, other things in the world, and even to going out and exploring that. But also part of making sure you're not just, like, blatantly, like, copy pasting is exactly the understanding of who are you? Like, how are. What do you want in this? How would you like this to be displayed? So I think there's a, for anyone who ends up, like, I've seen, like, I.
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Speaker 1: To be frank, I've even had past clients before who, like, have copied and pasted my things and I have that full freak out a little bit of, like, how do they do that?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
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Speaker 1: Like, this, like, idea. And then I, sometimes I'll try to, like, calm myself down a little and say, like, okay, well, I think there's a self doubt going on for them. Clearly, if it continues, you say something to them. I'm not. Let me be very clear. But like, that. But the idea of, like, okay, the. There is the trying and being inspired. But, like, how do you, with kind of long way of saying this, how do you make sure that you are, even though you're trying and being inspired by everything else, like, find your own identity within, like, your creativity.
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Speaker 2: Yes, exactly. Like, and I. Same, like, I. Just by virtue of, like, if you've been in business long enough, somebody is going to copy you. And I also, I mean, I think that's what a good, like, a good difference between all of us. Like, bring it on really does highlight it because it starts with a cheerless cheerleading squad that steals a routine from another cheerleading squad. Like, they weren't just inspired, they were flat out stealing, and that was wrong. Right. And so then they had to go get, like, new inspiration from other places. Not copying other places, but, like, being inspired, learning the tools of it all and then putting it together into something that was something that they came up with. And it's a lot the same of being creative.
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Speaker 2: Like, I've had people, I had somebody, another photographer who just took, I spent months working on, like, one of my sales page copy for photography, and I had another photographer steal it word for word, format format. Right? And that's not great. And it's happened, you know, that's just happened a few times over the years. So there is a difference between copying and pasting, which we don't want, versus being so inspired by what somebody else is doing that inspires you to create your own process. It inspires you to make your own work. Right. And sometimes that line gets blurry. Like, I've had people contact me before. I had somebody contact me and say, like, hey, you know that one photo you have? Like, I have, like, one photo that's, like, pretty popular. And somebody said, you know that one photo you have?
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Speaker 2: I saw another photographer, like, recreate it, and it wasn't like a, it wasn't a shot by shot recreation. Like, they had just used my image as inspiration, and that was really clear to me. And so I said, actually, I'm totally fine with this. Like, good for them. Like, I want them to be inspired. Like, I want people to be inspired. Like, it does feel like a fine line. Like, and so that's part of what's interesting about being a creative. Like, don't. Yeah, don't copy paste, but inspiration. Yay. Making your own thing. Yay. So, you know, it's such an interesting conversation.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. So I think that I just want to come back to the idea of, like, how do you know, or how can you kind of build up what your identity is? Like, I know for me, I would talk all about branding and, like, really identifying these things for yourself, but, like, how would you help somebody find their own creative identity?
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Speaker 2: You know, I think this is the struggle of every artist. I don't know that I even ever feel like I am fully set within my creative identity. Every time I feel like I land in a place where I'm like, I know who I am as a creative, as an artist. A week later, I'm like, who am I as a creative? Who am I as an artist? And honestly, like, being an artist and being a creative, like, part of your job is to consistently, like, evolve. You always want to be learning and trying and reaching and growing. That's what connects you to a lot of the people who consume your art. And it. So staying in one place isn't even necessarily something that you can fully expect. And that's not bad.
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Speaker 2: Like, your identity as an artist, as a creative will change and evolve over time, right? If you. Going back to look at that first Instagram post, going back to look at that first, you know, Instagram Stories, like, who you are will change dramatically over the years. And that's a good thing. So keep trying on those hats. Keep letting yourself say, I'm inspired by this today. This is the message I want to share today, right? Your voice, like, your voice as an artist will change. The way you express things will change. The artwork you make will change. And that's really cool. So I really feel like identity as an artist is such a flow, right?
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Speaker 2: And maybe that's where the line starts to come back in between plagiarism and copy pasting versus inspiration, because trying on somebody's shoes, putting on somebody's hat, just being a carbon copy of them is not the name of the game. But looking at somebody's outfit and going, that fabric is so cool. I should. I want to explore something in velvet like that. Then you're inspired to, like, create your own little world. You know, things like that. So I would say keep evolving as an artist. Like, let yourself be in flow with your artistic identity and knowing, like, that's part of the game of it all.
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Speaker 1: I love that. I love that. I even too, I think for anyone, like, that's listening in and, like, is, like, wanting, like, a tangible cause they, like, don't even know where to start with what it is, they. Who they are or what. Or what they want to represent. I think there's a sense of, even if you don't know what you are, who you are yet, like, who are you not? There's a sense of being able to be inspired or look at examples or even just, like, we're talking about this in a big scale, but also just when you're swiping through your feet and going like, oh, I wouldn't do it that way, or, I don't like the way they do it, and then going, well, how would I like, what would be the better way to do it?
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Speaker 1: I think there's a sense of, like, we really do learn from examples and models and I, but also, like, owning that, like, you sometimes, like, your intuition, your own, like, your own life experiences goes like, doesn't work for me. What would work for you? Like, being able to know that those, like, I think triggers probably too harsh of a word, but those little tests whenever you are consuming media consuming content that say, like, I don't like this. But your ability to go like, what can I do? Or how would I do this differently can help you identify who you are.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.
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Speaker 1: I love it. So let's talk about seasons. Like, you were talking about this on a recent podcast of yours, which I loved. And I think there, and again, like, I think there's something I really love to hear about. Like, I really want people to not expect, like, they're always going to be at their peak. And I think that's something that's a big deal to talk about. But let's talk about, like, I would try to remember all the seasons you mentioned. You had limbo. You had, oh, my God, my brain just like, went straight to, like, limbo and rest and then, like, your, like, your flow state and then all of the different periods. So go ahead and tell us a little bit about like the five seasons of being a creative and kind of how you help clients think about through some of this.
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Speaker 2: Awesome. Okay, so we always think of being a creator. Like, we always think of ourselves. Like, okay, when I'm a successful creative, I am always going to be in flow, and I'm going to have the perfect amount of work in front of me at all times. And I'm going to get 8 hours of sleep a night, and it's all just going to work. Right. That's how we kind of picture in our head is like a system we finally set up that just allows everything to work perfectly. But the problem with that is like, yes, your creative channel is always on, it's always flowing, and sometimes it slows down, and sometimes it speeds up. And that puts you as a human.
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Speaker 2: Like, it puts you in different places that feel confusing, that might not feel like you're doing it right, but you are some of the, okay, so I have five seasons as a creative. So you are usually always in either autopilot, rest, limbo, overflow, or burnout. Right. And those can kind of flow into each other. Right? Like, let's start at rest. Rest is you've made your stuff. I need to take a nap. I need to take a break from projects. I need to wait a week before I say yes, to an incoming project so I can recharge. Right. Rest is a great season. It's necessary for all of us. Take a minute, take a breath. It's hard for us to do because we're afraid if we rest, nothing else will ever come in, and then we'll end up in limbo.
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Speaker 2: And limbo is hard because it's like, I want to make something. I'm waiting for something to make right. And limbo is that weird in between, period. It makes us a little bit uneasy. It's kind of like the awkward silence in a conversation. It's like, well, what do I do now? I've got the goods. I know how to do the things. Where's the project? Where's the art? What am I doing? And so that can be a hard season to be in. But limbo usually lends itself to overflow, flow or overflow. Some people love being in flow so much that they let overflow just feel great. I like an overflow season. I always want to be a little bit past my limit. That's where I feel like a lot of my best work comes from. But being in flow or overflow, everything's coming in.
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Speaker 2: You are meeting the moment you are making. You're not feeling stalled or confused or burned out. You're feeling just right. So flow overflow then, tends to lend itself to autopilot season. All of the work is coming in, and you've been doing it so often and so well that you've created systems that almost automate everything, and you can just show up, input your brain into it, and then, you know, clock out at five, which is great. Autopilot season, though, tends to lend us back into it gives us an uneasy feeling of, like, am I challenging myself? Am I really creating anything anymore? And so maybe we try to bring in more stuff to challenge us to create, to feel creative again, to get a new spark, and then that lends itself to a burnout season. We've just done too much.
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Speaker 2: We need to take ourselves back into rest season. So it tends to be kind of a circular thing. And the funny thing about it is, and I think this is true of being a creative, the funny thing is, you notice how none of those seasons feel fully comfortable. They always feel a little bit uncomfortable, and that's okay. I think that there's no complete. There's always a little bit of discomfort with being a creative, and I think maybe that's the way it should be. Like, that's kind of like part of the job that we're signing up for. We're signing up for unknowns. We're signing up for volatility. We're signing up for challenging ourselves and doing new things because that's part of it, right? We're signing up for putting ourselves out there. Right. For our vulnerabilities end up out there. That's hard.
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Speaker 1: I love looking at it as signing up for it, but there's also a sense of, like, we're just being realistic to the ability to evolve in life. You're going to have this cyclical seasons. And in general, you know, we want to be comfortable. That's great. But we all know that comfortable doesn't always mean safe. Like, comfortable. Like, being comfortable is something that, like, yeah, we want for a little while, and then we kind of go, like, what should we be doing? Where, where should we be going? So the idea of, like, how do you understand how you work as a human? How you work as somebody who wants to grow, wants to evolve? And, you know, there's good, and there's good and bad in that, and that's totally fine.
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Speaker 1: So I love looking at this as cyclical, like a cyclical Google idea, just for the fact that for many people, we all assume that we're machines or that went to school, we got a pluses, we did all the things that were supposed to do and, like, check, check. And, like, it had a lot to do with, you show up, you do the homework, you go, and then you repeat. And, like, this idea that, like, you didn't get to free think or you didn't understand your own rhythms in life. And I think that's something that, and what I loved about the five seasons is that how many times somebody will come in and go, I didn't get enough content done today. And it's like, it's that kind of day. What did you get out of today? What did you understand from today?
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Speaker 1: What does it look like? And just to kind of stop making this idea that if we don't perform the same way we did two weeks ago, five months ago, what is this season of life telling us? What can we take away from it? And that is something that comes up so often with clients where they're like, I'm not making enough sales. Like, what does this mean? And then it's going like, what have your patterns changed or have they changed at all? Like, what could this extra time give you to challenge yourself to do these things? So I think the idea of one, to stop making ourselves expect so much of each other every single day, but also to be able to go like, oh, it's just cyclical. I'll be back. Give me a second. I love the idea of it.
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Speaker 1: We'll make sure to link the cause. It's a great 20 minutes podcast that you gave. We'll make sure to link that into the show notes so everyone can lean into the seasons. But I was like, I need to make sure we talk about this before the end of the episode.
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Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's all cyclical. The pendulum always swings back. Don't let anything rattle you too much, because it's not going to be permanent anyway.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. Well, Paige, we talked so much about getting to own our own creativity, being able to find out who we are by trying things, doing things even, too, that we all get to evolve once we embrace our creative sides. I always like to ask my guests, because this podcast is called limitless, but I would love to hear, based off of just your life and also to what we talked about today, what does being limitless mean to you?
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Speaker 2: You know, I consider myself really resourceful. That's what my background really taught me. Not being a journalist, but also starting my own business is I don't believe that I know that everything. I don't believe that I have the solution to everything, and I don't ever need to believe any of that. I think this is something that stops people. They feel like I don't know enough. I don't know all of the answers to all of the things that might come up, but that doesn't matter to me because I know that I can figure it out. To me, the reason I'm limitless is because there's nothing I can't figure out. There's nothing I can't survive. There's nothing I. There's nothing that will shake my own faith in myself, to figure something out, to get it done, to survive, to keep going.
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Speaker 2: And so that's why I feel limitless. What's to limit me if I can figure it out? If I don't need to know the answer, I just need to know how to find the answer.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. I love it. The strong belief in self and a sense of self. I love that so much. Paige, thank you so much for joining us today. Where can we stay in touch with you?
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Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. You can find me at page ray.com or page ray creative on Instagram. That's paigeray.com or pageray creative on Instagram.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. Paige, thank you so much for joining us today.
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Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. This is great. Bye.
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Speaker 1: Hello, lovelies, and welcome to another episode of the Limitless podcast. I am overjoyed to have a guest on the podcast. Today we're going to talk about what it really means to be an inner creative, or, sorry, I should say, unleash your inner creative, because there's something to be said about when you decide to walk into being an entrepreneur, to find your limitless self, to find who you want to be, it takes some creativity. It takes the, you know, having a little bit of tough skin to know who you are and share it with the world. So, Paige Ray is an award winning photographer and videographer.
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Speaker 1: She's been doing this amazing work to help people find their most creative selves, not only in the her, the photography she has, but also to share it on her podcast, the over the Edge podcast, which I got to be on, talking about releasing your inner rebel in business. So I thought it would be perfect to have Paige over here and go ahead and tell us about what it means, why we all get to be creative, but let's officially welcome her to the podcast. Paige, thank you so much for coming on.
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Speaker 2: Oh, thank you so much for having me on. I am so excited to be here. We're going to have a blast.
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Speaker 1: I mean, I feel like were going to talk for hours if we had the chance. So by all means, now we're just going to extend your episode into the limitless. So that's perfect. But, Paige, I gave just a little tidbit. You have a lot more to talk about. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
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Speaker 2: Well, I am a photographer here in Los Angeles, but I travel all over the US to do photo and video shoots, which is so exciting. It's so exciting to wake up and go, wow, I get to do. I get to make art every day for amazing people. That's just one of the coolest things that I just. It feels like I'm living a dream life. So I. Gosh, I've been doing photos for ten years now. This is actually as we're speaking. This is about to be my 10th year anniversary coming up in just a few weeks. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: Congratulations. That's amazing.
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Speaker 2: It feels like it. I mean, you know when you start out and you're like, how am I going to do this every day? How do I keep this going day to day, month to month? So I feel pretty fortunate I've been able to do that. Before I started in photos, I actually worked in media for about ten years. I was a magazine editor and writer, which was pretty. It was a good time. It was a really good time. So I feel like that actually supported me a lot when it comes to doing branded visuals for creatives and for brands, because we're telling a story ultimately. So it all kind of, like, folded together in the end for me.
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Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh, how fun. I didn't, maybe we talked about this. I forget now, but I actually started my career as a magazine editor as well. That's what's fun about it, is I will say that, like, you've worked for some really fantastic magazines already, and, like, there was a lot of things that you've done, but, like, I have it in front of me here, so just so I can toot pages horn. Here she was, she had, her work's been featured in Variety, Hollywood Reporter, glamour in Paris, okay, Huffington Post, even more. All of these things. But I think what's really fun about this transition, because I like, for me at least, being a journalism major, I was like, I'm gonna tell all the stories.
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Speaker 1: I'm curious about all the time in this form of, like, media that, like, I wanna go to the publishing city in the world. I had all of these opportunities. Like, I wanted to make sure I had that. And now with the shift of, like, you know, you can really create your own magazine online if you want to. You can really do anything that you want. You get to be this creative version of yourself because there's so many outlets. I feel like that work was so, like, absolutely, like, shifted to everything I want to do now, which I want to say, like, yeah, maybe I don't specifically use my journalism as a major, but I certainly use all the tools that were inside of it. So love, love that you had that similar experience.
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Speaker 1: But what took you from, you know, you said you're a photographer now, but what made you decide, okay, I'm going to run my own business?
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Speaker 2: Well, I was, I can remember the specific moment. So I did a lot of, I worked in a lot of trade magazines when I was an editor, and I remember dreaming of working at those bigger magazines, like Variety, glamour, Paris, Hollywood Reporter. It's so funny that I ended up getting in them with my photos instead of with my writing and my editing. But I remember dreaming of working at those magazines. And I was working in trades, which was also great, really fun industries, but I really love, what I loved the most in those jobs was long form reporting, really in depth enterprise reporting. And I was in the industry around the time we started shifting everything online, and reporting became a lot more about spot news, which is legitimate, like it's, you know, spot reporting is really important.
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Speaker 2: And so everything became about getting it online faster and faster. And that was not my jam. I wanted to take a long time to do in depth reporting on my pieces. And so I was feeling kind of this struggle as everything was shifting in the industry. And I just thought, you know what, I'm just gonna take some art classes. Why don't I get my mind off things? I'm just going to take some art classes. And I took painting. I'm not a great painter. I took drawing, I took a few things, and I took a photography class and a few things just clicked into place for me. And I did that for a year. I went back to, I went to school at night and took photo classes for about a year. And I loved it so much.
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Speaker 2: And I thought, I want to do this full time. And I was getting some clients by that point, so I just shifted into full time at the time, weddings and families, which is its own trip. What an industry. A lot of fun there. And then I did that for like four or five years, and then I shifted into commercial work maybe six or seven years ago and I never looked back. I love commercial work. It's so creative. It's so fun. Working with creative brands is just the highlight of my life. I love it.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. I love it, I love it. Okay, so we get to hear that, like, the art class has turned into exactly what you needed them to, which is perfect. Perfect. What we're talking about today. So you say you work with creative entrepreneurs. Let's just, let's just start this off talking about, like, what, how would you define being a creative entrepreneur? Sorry, how would you define being a creative entrepreneur?
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Speaker 2: So a lot of people think that they are not creatives. Like, they back, I see them back away from the term creative entrepreneur because they think, oh, I'm not a painter, so I'm not a creative, or I'm not a this or that, so I'm not a creative. But I deeply believe that we are all creatives. And being creative looks like so many different things, right? It looks like, how do you wake up every day and what do you make? What do you create? And different people create different things. Some people do create paintings, but some people create businesses, some people create families, some people create, I don't know, like car designs. There are so many different ways to be creative, and I do think that our purpose as humans is to create something. I think that's why we're here.
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Speaker 2: And I think all of those different forms of creativity are just so legitimate. And sometimes they all work together, sometimes they are different elements. But whatever it is, you're waking up every day and creating, that is you being a creative. And that's where I start with everyone. So when it comes to being a creative entrepreneur, if you are running a business, if you woke up one day and you were like, I'm going to make something from nothing, I have no business now, and I'm going to build it, you are creating something. You are being a creative entrepreneur. And so I want people to start feeling more solid in that title, because the creative spark inside of us is what builds so many dreams in our world. And so first you have to allow yourself to believe that you are creative.
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Speaker 2: And that's where a lot of it comes from. If you're listening, you were creating. You are a creative.
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Speaker 1: I find this just to be another form of almost like a perfectionism, some self doubt that creator. And even I've even said this to my community. Influencer. No one decides who gets to be called this or not, because if you influence somebody, you are an influencer. And that, yeah, there's a connotation to how people act. And then online, it's for a certain group. But what if you take that back and be like, I'm someone who influences women to love themselves more, someone who influences people to see, like, that they're more creative than they are. So I think there's a sense of, like, with the creator. Like, I just want to. I just want to be like, it's not for certain people.
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Speaker 1: It's like we, by definition, all humans, have the ability to be creative, to be a problem solver, to, in general, be a connector. So the idea that somehow it's off limits is just a way to keep you stuck. And I, and I really find that to be so sincere. So I love that you were kind of sick. I'm not a good painter. Like, I, my husband is a fantastic artist. Like, paints, does charcoal, says all the things, and I will be. I will happily do stick figures next to him if I need to. Like, if, like, that's the date night that we want to do. But I'm the words girl. I have random books, or I've, like, written little poems, but I've also. I'm also the person that's looking at filming and editing and how does this work and figuring those details out.
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Speaker 1: But I think there's such a block that if I walked into, you know, editing for reals or editing like, or creating really strong stories. If I walked into that going like, oh, I'm not creative. I'm just gonna, like, not have the energy to one finish it usually. I mean, maybe I'll do it once, but I won't want to do it again because there's just, like, that block. It's, you're just so stuck in this, like, everyone else is a creator but me, that feeling versus, like, going be able to say, like, I deserve to express my version of things, my perspective on life, and I find that to be, like, so essential. So what would you tell people who, let's say they're opening a business, and they're like, well, I opened the business because this is something I wanted for myself.
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Speaker 1: I didn't realize that I had to create photos and I had to create stories. This just doesn't mean, what would you tell someone who's just kind of, like, stuck and believing that they're not supposed to do the creative things in their business?
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Speaker 2: Okay, I love this because there are two things that I really center this on. The first one is that if you're having that perfectionism, that imposter syndrome, that's how I really identify it as imposter syndrome of, like, am I a creative. I don't know. I don't feel like I belong here. I want you to embrace that and take it as a good sign that it's happening, because, and this is something that I tell everybody in the midst of a project. People are like, can I do this? Am I really good enough to do this? Am I, is this, are people going to see me as this person that I'm trying to become? And once you experience that, please know that is an indicator that you are next leveling your stuff. Something is happening where you are doing something bigger, something you've never done before.
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Speaker 2: You're reaching, you're stretching. You're doing something exciting.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.
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Speaker 2: And good. So you should be feeling a little bit of that resistance, that worry, that imposter syndrome. Look for it. It's a good sign that you're on the right path. Yay for that. So celebrate that. And then the second thing is when you feel like, oh, I have to post today, how am I going to do this? That feeling really does drag a lot of things down. Right? So, and I get that feeling, too. I mean, I get to wake up every day and make things, but, like, there are absolutely things in my day where I'm like, how am I going to do this? Oh, my goodness. And so I don't I stop asking myself what I need to do today? And I let it all go. I say, you know what?
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Speaker 2: I don't actually have to do any of this because it is my business. I can run it how I want so I don't have to do any of this. But if I were going to do it, what would be fun? What do I want to talk about today? How do I want to talk about this in a way that makes me excited? Because when I get excited about something, other people get excited about something. Always true across the board. Right. And I come back to also, what am I excited to teach people about today? Because it does need to be about other people, obviously. And so if you want to stay in that kind of lane of like, how am I going to talk to other people's experiences? I start with what would be really fun to teach people about today?
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Speaker 2: And if I could find. Right. If you can find the fun in it, then, yeah, there you go. Mission accomplished. Like, you've won the day.
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Speaker 1: I love that. I want to go back to the imposter syndrome piece here, and I completely agree with you. I feel like I, whoever came with the up with the word imposter syndrome or whatever tone it was, I was like, well, there's a different way of saying this. Like, it's just like you're breaking out of your comfort zone. So of course it's going to feel like you're spiraling. Of course it's going to feel like they're, like your skin's tingling a little bit. And like, what am I doing? What are people going to think? Because it's a sign of growth. And I, and I absolutely love, I love that idea because I think there's like, how many times, like, how do I get over imposter syndrome? And it's like, no, you don't get over it. You just realize what's happening.
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Speaker 1: And then here's ways in which to continue to expand, to continue to get the support that you need. We're in agreement. Imposter syndrome is a good thing. We just need to, like, what's the word? We, like the creator. The creator's expansion or something. That's a better way of saying it.
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Speaker 2: We need to rebrand it.
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Speaker 1: And I think, too, though, with the second piece you were sharing, is that there's a lot to be said about, like, just the statement that, like, our perspective on life is allowed to be heard, it's allowed to be seen, and the only person blocking it from being seen, at least in the current, in the way we currently walk through the world is ourselves, because there's so many free places to just say, like, hey, this is how I seen anything. Like, as, like, you know, silly or unserious, as, like, going on a walk in a day versus how I get over this feeling of not trusting myself. Like, there's so much to be said about we get that opportunity, and the people who are getting to take that advantage are the ones that are like, wait, I deserve to be heard.
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Speaker 1: Even if it's just like, what do I want to share today? Yeah, of course, sometimes, like, consistently doing that, you got to, like, put yourself in those situations. But I think that, like, if we're wanting, or, like, if my hidden mission of this episode is that everyone sees themselves as a creative, is that being able to say, you deserve for your perspective on life to be seen. And we don't have to wait until someone appreciates it to put into an art gallery. We just need to put it online and other people get to see it. So I just. I just love that kind of share.
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Speaker 2: Exactly. And it's so interesting because I think a lot of people think, like, the way when they. When you look at, like, the people you kind of idolize or you. Or you want careers like them, I think our immediate assumption is, like, somebody came along and, like, plucked them out and said, you're special. Why don't we put you on stage? You're special. Let's hang your art up. That's just never how it happens. Like, when you actually talk to people who have done the things that you want to do, nine times out of ten, it's them facing their own imposter syndrome and telling it to just be quiet and sit in the corner. I've got better things to do than listen to imposter syndrome. Right. And, you know, you. You have to pick yourself first. Nobody else comes along to pick you.
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Speaker 2: You pick yourself first. You tell yourself first, I'm good at this. I'm worthy to do this. I can help people. I can change things for people. My voice matters. I can make a difference. And when you tell yourself that first, everything else gets a little more clear, then applying, you know, then trying to speak on stage, your message gets a little bit, like, gets a. It gets not easier to book, but, like, you have the fortitude to just keep going, right? Submitting your art, you have the fortitude to keep going, right? So, yeah, you've got to pick yourself first.
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Speaker 1: I I love it. I actually just finished listening to Matthew McConaughey's book Green Light, I don't know if you. I don't know if you. Which was the most. It's an insane biography for him, to be honest. Like, there's so much that they're going like, he didn't filter this. I'm like, okay. But, like, it's like him talking about his own creative process. And you can hear, like, as, like, he walks through each of his roles, he's like, he got a little bit more, let's say, weird about it. He got a little more courageous about it. He got it, like, you know, there was, he just, like, started being like, oh, let me understand this guy's backstory. And then, like, I think he was like a dragon slayer, and he was, like, talking about jumping off roofs and doing all these things.
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Speaker 1: I'm like, well, I guess he got really confident, and I really want to kind of get behind this idea of, like, the, you know, it sounds woo. It sounds like affirmations. But when we say, like, you deserve to be heard, your perspective is important. Your ability to express yourself and create evidence in its own way online is allowing you to show yourself that you just, that this is what you deserve. You got to believe it first. And then the more that you take action on it, the more that you put that out there, that one, of course, the better you get. Your skills are going to better and all the things, but also, there's not going to be any doubt in your mind that whatever you're trying to create is coming. Like, you're just like, it's like manifestation.
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Speaker 1: But first you got to believe it.
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Speaker 2: True. Like, somewhat like Matthew McConaughey is such a great example. This is not a man who has ever doubted himself. He just woke up and went, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to, I'm going to go be an actor. He just, and I think that's such a great example. And when it comes down to, like, the woo of it all or the way we talk about, like, manifesting, I really think, like, when we talk about manifesting, to me, I actually, like, I look at, like, the men I've worked with or looking at the men who run businesses that I've worked with or learned from, and they all believe the same thing, the same principles of manifestation that we kind of pick up along the way. They just don't call it manifestation.
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Speaker 2: And so a lot of what I see often is when we as women are, like, absorbing the manifestation messages, what we're really doing a lot of the time is just, we're learning how to operate in the way that men were always told to operate, to assume it's going to work out, to, if you spend money, you know, it's going to come back to you to just believe in yourself first and the abundance of everything first. Like, that's just how a lot of ways, like, if you look at Matthew McConaughey, like, those are all the principles of manifestation. They're just something that, like, you know what?
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Speaker 1: They're presented in a different way to men than they are to women because we both, because we just digest different information differently. I actually love it. I was just, my husband and I talk about this stuff way too much because I'm always the chatty, like, what do you think of this? That or whatever. But it was, it's a so, like, you know, in manifestation, we talk about, like, you want to act as if you are the person you're wanting to become stuff like that. And he'll, and he'll say, like, are you locked in today? And I'm like, so being locked in means we're focused.
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Speaker 2: I love it.
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Speaker 1: We want to create. We're not worrying about our doubts. And it's like, yeah, if I was talking to a client, I might be like, okay, let's act as if or visualize what we want. And then it's just like, now on the flip side, I'm like, oh, when I speak to my husband, and I'm like, yeah, are you locked in? I'm locked in. Okay.
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Speaker 2: I love it. That's exactly it. That's a perfect example. Men will just act as is, and they won't have the imposter syndrome of it. They'll just be like, yeah, whatever. Today I act as is. And that's why ignoring that imposter syndrome or not taking it so seriously, like, using it as an indicator of, like, you know what this means. I'm doing something bigger. Let's keep going. Right, but don't let it slow you down. Matthew McConaughey is not going to let him. Let it slow him down.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, if there's anything else, I would do, recommend listening to the audible, because, like, he does voices. It's the whole thing. Okay, but let's say we've, we've officially convinced everyone they are. You are a creator. You, you're embracing your creative side. Like, before walking in, what would you suggest to somebody who's, like, wanting to truly embrace their inner creative, and also to, like, kind of, like, how would you say you create your own creative process?
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Speaker 2: Ooh, okay. Creative process is so fun and unique. So first of all, your creative process gets to be whatever you want. If you need to wake up at 04:00 a.m. Have a diet Coke, and then start writing on your computer, that's your creative process. That's your creative process. If you want to wake up at noon, light a candle and read a book before you do anything, that's your creative process. It's all legitimate, and it's different for every single artist. So sort of what's fun and special about it is creating your own. So don't judge yourself or think that there's, like, a specific way that you have to be within your creativity. Whatever you're making, and that's legitimate and that's real. So I, trusting yourself, right? First picking yourself and then trusting yourself.
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Speaker 2: These are actually really hard things, but there's no different way to do it than to just do it. So your creative process gets to be whatever the thing is that sparks excitement inside of you and gets it flowing out of you, right? Because we are always the thing about us. Everyone is a creative. There's always that creativity flowing through us. Like, I am not somebody that believes in any creative blocks, right? Like, you hear people talking about, like, writer's block or anything like that. And for me, when I think about creativity, I don't think about blocks. I choose that they don't exist. Instead, for me, what's happening is just my creative channel. It slows down sometimes because it's hard to be in a rush or flow 24 hours a day. That's overwhelming. That'll burn you out.
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Speaker 2: So sometimes your creative channel just slows down because you need it to slow down consciously. You might be like, I want. I need to make something. I need to go, go. But maybe you just don't need to. Maybe you just need to take a breath and take a rest, right? So your creative process is yours. That creativity is there for you whenever you need it. If you feel like it's not there, take that as a hint to take a nap, take a rest, and know that you're doing it.
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Speaker 1: But even too, I love with what you're saying. It's like, we gotta, we've got to talk about it, is that there's no wrong or right way to create a creative process. I think that's a big part of it. But the. But I do think that, like, with what you're sharing, there's some things online that might be, like, really detrimental to some people when they're looking at these things. So, you know, I'm a. I'm a hybrid batcher. You like? Like, I like to, like, sometimes I'll feel really inspired and I will, like, stop. Let me write this idea down.
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Speaker 1: Let me make sure I kind of, like, think it through other times, but most of the time, if I want to actually, like, feel like I have freedom, I have blocked off times a few times a week to actually be doing the creative work, to writing it out, to putting the ideas to paper, and, like, and I have. I mean, my community is called the rising influence community. And I do that where every Wednesday we have our creative block time. And if you feel blocked, we can walk through the mindset or we can walk through the strategies just because I feel like that's just such a way of building up some self trust. But I usually get the flip side, where someone goes, batching doesn't work for me, and that'll be the commentary.
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Speaker 1: And I just go like, okay, well, I'm not trying to tell you that you should batch 30 days of every single piece of content right here, right now. You can. If that's. That's your vibe. Like, you absolutely can. Like, my capricorns in the room, they always got that 30 days going. They're ready to do it. But I think there's essentially, an idea of, like, the idea that we always have to be our best creative self is what's going to stop somebody from showing up and continuously doing that. So I think there's a sense of one, have a time, once, twice, three times a week, have a time. Wherever I. You do turn off the distractions, you allow whatever's coming to mind to just, like, flow out on paper or to.
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Speaker 1: If you're somebody who's, like, photographer or does video, like, let it be something like, okay, let me compile some of my ideas that we've done. Like, whatever it might be, have that time. But as far as, like, what's going to work for you, the only way you're going to figure out what's going to work for you is to try the things. And I can't do this for a long time. And don't make that a failure. Like, don't make that a failure. Like, I can't be batching like this. Yeah, you can't. What did you like about it? What didn't you like about it? Shift. Try again. This is your creative process.
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Speaker 2: Exactly. I, you know, and this is something that I see when I talk to other photographers about lighting. Right. I'm really big on, like, you have to learn all types of lighting. You've got to be able to light anything at any point, at any time. And I see a lot of photographers who, like, it's easy to get scared of lighting because it's a lot of different elements and a lot of different moving parts. And how do you know if you've nailed it, right? And so I see a lot of photographers, instead of trying it and failing at it, they go, you know what? Sunlight, natural light, for me, is best. That's just what I like best. And I'm like, I hear you. And that might very well be the case, but we got to try some things first to make sure that's right. Right.
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Speaker 2: So the trying and failing of it or the trying and succeeding of it, like, that's how you figure out what works for you. Like, you got it. You can't be too afraid to, like, try something that you would, might not otherwise beautiful.
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Speaker 1: And I think part of it, too, like, it just came to mind, as you were saying, that is the idea that, like, the best creatives play, like, the best creatives are playful. There's not this, like, it's not a math equation. Even too, I always entertain, like, for instance, all we'll be, I'll be brainstorming a new offer idea. Like, offer name idea with a, with a client. And I'll be like, before we begin, shoot me down if you hate things. Because this is playtime. Like, brainstorming equals playtime. Because I want to throw out things that will get us to hopefully get us to the destination, but we're gonna know what we like and don't like along the way, because to be creative, you gotta, like, be able to shoot things down. You gotta be able to go like, that's not it.
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Speaker 1: Like, be able to not have, like, a thicker skin, maybe, but also just like, no, this is playful. And I think that's the same thing with talking about, like, learning how to edit on your phone. You do not want to be, you don't want to, like, expect perfection. You want to like, oh, I want to try this type of video. I want to try this type of pose. Whatever. I already know there's going to be, like, seven versions of this that absolutely stink, but they deserve, but one of those at least deserves to be put online or one of those deserves to be sent to a friend or whatever it might be. Because if we're expecting perfection as we're creating, it's just, it's going to just feel like we are trying to grade ourselves. And thankfully, we're not in school anymore. Thankfully.
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Speaker 1: It's about, okay, what's the purpose? What's the message? I want to put this out there.
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Speaker 2: Exactly. And I always think an imperfect message, like, lands better with people anyway. People really don't like perfection. It's not because I think subconsciously, as humans, we know that it doesn't exist. What really is perfect, I don't think that's a thing for anybody. That's achievable. So I think an imperfect message, an imperfect anything, lands pretty well with people. We like to see that. We like to connect with that and also like it. It does get hard to get online because it does look like everybody's, like, not only making great work, but succeeding at it all of the time. And there's just so much behind the scenes failure that, like, people aren't putting out there. And why would they? Like, that's. That's a hard thing to do. It's a hard thing to just sit with in life, but much less get online and say it.
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Speaker 2: So if there's one thing that's consistent from, like, all of the creatives I've ever met is, like, there is failure going on behind the scenes. But that is so much the reason why so many people succeed, too, because they're just out there trying to fail until they. Until. Until they figure out how to succeed. And I think that's great.
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Speaker 1: I love. I really feel like if we, like, expect, like, not in a. I feel like, before I say this, I don't want it to sound, like, really harsh, but, like, we should expect to fail. Like, we should expect to, you know, I like to jokingly say, like, eat shit, like, face, like, face plan and get back up, because, like, we're better off for face planning than the person that's like, oh, I guess I'm. This is working for me, or how. How long is this going to work? It's like, the adversity, the problem solving, like, gives us longevity. So I think there's a sense of that, but also just stop putting so much pressure on every little thing, having to be the thing. Like, it has to be perfect. It's got to be as good as the creator you've been following forever. Because.
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Speaker 1: Because I love. And it only rarely happens when. When someone who's got in there, like, hundreds of thousands of followers goes like, let me show you my first video.
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Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
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Speaker 1: So excited to see it. Like, thank you. This is so lovely. And, like, even, too, when somebody will say something to me, I'm like, my first Instagram post. Like, I remember I post, like, an iguana that was at a rest stop. Like, I. Like, I was like, I didn't know what Instagram Foley was. But the only way I got to even now is that I. I know what I know. I did all the blunders before I got there, and I didn't think they were blunders at the time, let's be clear. But still, I think that's part of it. We're talking about a creative process. We want to make sure there's play, we want to make sure there's play, and then also truly being able to set aside time to figure out what your best creative time is.
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Speaker 1: I feel like those are the two things we put on so far. What else are we missing with creating your own creative process? Us?
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Speaker 2: Well, I really like to find new mediums and new methods of inspiration. Right? Like, if I'm so. I do photography all of the time. I feel pretty confident in my level of photography. But the thing I like to do is I like to. I like going back to failing. I like to fail at other mediums. Like, I love to try painting. I'm not good at it. You know, I love to try drawing. I love to try sculpting. I love to do other things because it makes me feel like it gives me this sense of, like, inspiration. It turns on something in my brain, right?
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Speaker 2: So when I feel like I'm in a rut, when I feel like I'm not getting those new ideas, when I feel like my creativity is zapped, even though I know I still have my channel open, I try to go do other things I don't normally do because that turns on something, turns something back on in my brain that's like, oh, right. It sparks an idea for something else in photography. So my part of my creative process is just trying other mediums, trying other ways of being creative that I've never tried before. The funny thing with that is you will find that you have maybe told yourself some stories, like, oh, I could never do this, I could never do that. And then you try it, and actually, you're not bad at it, right? You actually could do that. I see it all the time.
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Speaker 2: People are like, I could never be a writer and then I'm like, send me a piece of your writing. Test this out, right? And they send me a blog post, and I'm like, this is ding dong amazing. Like, what do you mean? You can never be a writer. You're a writer. This is great. Right?
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Speaker 1: So doing something ding dong amazing. I want to borrow that. Amazing. Yeah.
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Speaker 2: So I, yeah. Part of my creative process is, like, just doing other things that I don't normally do as a creative and exploring those other options, it keeps something inspired and creative. It keeps me feeling like I'm, like, doing something new. Okay, wait, did you ever see bring it on? Remember bring it on? The cheerleader movie? Right. I think we, I think if you're a millennial, you've probably seen bring it on. And what you notice that they do is when they are completely reimagining their routine, they are looking at other forms of dance. Like, forms of dance from the fifties. They're looking at Bob Bossy, they're looking at all of these different forms and, like, drawing inspiration from them. Even though they've never done those forms of dance before, they're learning them. So I. That it's the same for me.
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Speaker 2: Like, when trying to come up with something new, going to these other forms of inspiration that you've never looked at before, looking at new artists, looking at just new ways of being is, for me, so important.
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Speaker 1: Okay. So you bringing this up is kind of interesting, too, because I think a couple of things. Like, first, I love the idea of, like, trying different mediums. I think part of it is that a lot is, there's a lot to be said about routine and creating and, like, building up your skill set. But there's also a lot to be said about, like, letting yourself try something new, because usually it, like, even if it's, like, even if it's not, like, what you're going to end up doing, like, even it's not like, oh, I'm not going to keep learning how to do this. It's about going like, oh, I could. I'm inspired by how this is different than how I normally do things. So it's like, it's helping you just get a new perspective. I totally agree with that. I love that.
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Speaker 1: But also the idea of copying, which is something to play with, because, like, I, like, we don't, of course, we don't want people to fully cry, but I think the biggest misunderstanding is that we think that what's on the Internet or what's on tv or any of the things that are considered, like, normally creative right now are completely original ideas, and it's. And people are full of shit.
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Speaker 2: Like, right. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: There hasn't been truly an original idea in a very long time. Meaning, like, no inspiration from anything outside of itself. Like, they want to do a different version of the same thing. And that's. And I think that's the number one thing of understanding. And I think they're. I'm trying to remember the name of the book. There was, like, everybody copies or something. I should find it.
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Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. I think I know what you're talking about. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: Everyone's. Or everybody steals or, like, I can't remember something along those lines. But, but the concept of, like, having permission to try on somebody else's shoes and go, like, what do I like about this? What's my shift on this? What's my view of this? And I think that's when you were talking about different mediums or bring it on, like, taking in these different inspirations. It's being able to say, like, one, you're allowed to be inspired by other people, other things in the world, and even to going out and exploring that. But also part of making sure you're not just, like, blatantly, like, copy pasting is exactly the understanding of who are you? Like, how are. What do you want in this? How would you like this to be displayed? So I think there's a, for anyone who ends up, like, I've seen, like, I.
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Speaker 1: To be frank, I've even had past clients before who, like, have copied and pasted my things and I have that full freak out a little bit of, like, how do they do that?
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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
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Speaker 1: Like, this, like, idea. And then I, sometimes I'll try to, like, calm myself down a little and say, like, okay, well, I think there's a self doubt going on for them. Clearly, if it continues, you say something to them. I'm not. Let me be very clear. But like, that. But the idea of, like, okay, the. There is the trying and being inspired. But, like, how do you, with kind of long way of saying this, how do you make sure that you are, even though you're trying and being inspired by everything else, like, find your own identity within, like, your creativity.
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Speaker 2: Yes, exactly. Like, and I. Same, like, I. Just by virtue of, like, if you've been in business long enough, somebody is going to copy you. And I also, I mean, I think that's what a good, like, a good difference between all of us. Like, bring it on really does highlight it because it starts with a cheerless cheerleading squad that steals a routine from another cheerleading squad. Like, they weren't just inspired, they were flat out stealing, and that was wrong. Right. And so then they had to go get, like, new inspiration from other places. Not copying other places, but, like, being inspired, learning the tools of it all and then putting it together into something that was something that they came up with. And it's a lot the same of being creative.
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Speaker 2: Like, I've had people, I had somebody, another photographer who just took, I spent months working on, like, one of my sales page copy for photography, and I had another photographer steal it word for word, format format. Right? And that's not great. And it's happened, you know, that's just happened a few times over the years. So there is a difference between copying and pasting, which we don't want, versus being so inspired by what somebody else is doing that inspires you to create your own process. It inspires you to make your own work. Right. And sometimes that line gets blurry. Like, I've had people contact me before. I had somebody contact me and say, like, hey, you know that one photo you have? Like, I have, like, one photo that's, like, pretty popular. And somebody said, you know that one photo you have?
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Speaker 2: I saw another photographer, like, recreate it, and it wasn't like a, it wasn't a shot by shot recreation. Like, they had just used my image as inspiration, and that was really clear to me. And so I said, actually, I'm totally fine with this. Like, good for them. Like, I want them to be inspired. Like, I want people to be inspired. Like, it does feel like a fine line. Like, and so that's part of what's interesting about being a creative. Like, don't. Yeah, don't copy paste, but inspiration. Yay. Making your own thing. Yay. So, you know, it's such an interesting conversation.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. So I think that I just want to come back to the idea of, like, how do you know, or how can you kind of build up what your identity is? Like, I know for me, I would talk all about branding and, like, really identifying these things for yourself, but, like, how would you help somebody find their own creative identity?
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Speaker 2: You know, I think this is the struggle of every artist. I don't know that I even ever feel like I am fully set within my creative identity. Every time I feel like I land in a place where I'm like, I know who I am as a creative, as an artist. A week later, I'm like, who am I as a creative? Who am I as an artist? And honestly, like, being an artist and being a creative, like, part of your job is to consistently, like, evolve. You always want to be learning and trying and reaching and growing. That's what connects you to a lot of the people who consume your art. And it. So staying in one place isn't even necessarily something that you can fully expect. And that's not bad.
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Speaker 2: Like, your identity as an artist, as a creative will change and evolve over time, right? If you. Going back to look at that first Instagram post, going back to look at that first, you know, Instagram Stories, like, who you are will change dramatically over the years. And that's a good thing. So keep trying on those hats. Keep letting yourself say, I'm inspired by this today. This is the message I want to share today, right? Your voice, like, your voice as an artist will change. The way you express things will change. The artwork you make will change. And that's really cool. So I really feel like identity as an artist is such a flow, right?
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Speaker 2: And maybe that's where the line starts to come back in between plagiarism and copy pasting versus inspiration, because trying on somebody's shoes, putting on somebody's hat, just being a carbon copy of them is not the name of the game. But looking at somebody's outfit and going, that fabric is so cool. I should. I want to explore something in velvet like that. Then you're inspired to, like, create your own little world. You know, things like that. So I would say keep evolving as an artist. Like, let yourself be in flow with your artistic identity and knowing, like, that's part of the game of it all.
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Speaker 1: I love that. I love that. I even too, I think for anyone, like, that's listening in and, like, is, like, wanting, like, a tangible cause they, like, don't even know where to start with what it is, they. Who they are or what. Or what they want to represent. I think there's a sense of, even if you don't know what you are, who you are yet, like, who are you not? There's a sense of being able to be inspired or look at examples or even just, like, we're talking about this in a big scale, but also just when you're swiping through your feet and going like, oh, I wouldn't do it that way, or, I don't like the way they do it, and then going, well, how would I like, what would be the better way to do it?
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Speaker 1: I think there's a sense of, like, we really do learn from examples and models and I, but also, like, owning that, like, you sometimes, like, your intuition, your own, like, your own life experiences goes like, doesn't work for me. What would work for you? Like, being able to know that those, like, I think triggers probably too harsh of a word, but those little tests whenever you are consuming media consuming content that say, like, I don't like this. But your ability to go like, what can I do? Or how would I do this differently can help you identify who you are.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.
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Speaker 1: I love it. So let's talk about seasons. Like, you were talking about this on a recent podcast of yours, which I loved. And I think there, and again, like, I think there's something I really love to hear about. Like, I really want people to not expect, like, they're always going to be at their peak. And I think that's something that's a big deal to talk about. But let's talk about, like, I would try to remember all the seasons you mentioned. You had limbo. You had, oh, my God, my brain just like, went straight to, like, limbo and rest and then, like, your, like, your flow state and then all of the different periods. So go ahead and tell us a little bit about like the five seasons of being a creative and kind of how you help clients think about through some of this.
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Speaker 2: Awesome. Okay, so we always think of being a creator. Like, we always think of ourselves. Like, okay, when I'm a successful creative, I am always going to be in flow, and I'm going to have the perfect amount of work in front of me at all times. And I'm going to get 8 hours of sleep a night, and it's all just going to work. Right. That's how we kind of picture in our head is like a system we finally set up that just allows everything to work perfectly. But the problem with that is like, yes, your creative channel is always on, it's always flowing, and sometimes it slows down, and sometimes it speeds up. And that puts you as a human.
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Speaker 2: Like, it puts you in different places that feel confusing, that might not feel like you're doing it right, but you are some of the, okay, so I have five seasons as a creative. So you are usually always in either autopilot, rest, limbo, overflow, or burnout. Right. And those can kind of flow into each other. Right? Like, let's start at rest. Rest is you've made your stuff. I need to take a nap. I need to take a break from projects. I need to wait a week before I say yes, to an incoming project so I can recharge. Right. Rest is a great season. It's necessary for all of us. Take a minute, take a breath. It's hard for us to do because we're afraid if we rest, nothing else will ever come in, and then we'll end up in limbo.
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Speaker 2: And limbo is hard because it's like, I want to make something. I'm waiting for something to make right. And limbo is that weird in between, period. It makes us a little bit uneasy. It's kind of like the awkward silence in a conversation. It's like, well, what do I do now? I've got the goods. I know how to do the things. Where's the project? Where's the art? What am I doing? And so that can be a hard season to be in. But limbo usually lends itself to overflow, flow or overflow. Some people love being in flow so much that they let overflow just feel great. I like an overflow season. I always want to be a little bit past my limit. That's where I feel like a lot of my best work comes from. But being in flow or overflow, everything's coming in.
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Speaker 2: You are meeting the moment you are making. You're not feeling stalled or confused or burned out. You're feeling just right. So flow overflow then, tends to lend itself to autopilot season. All of the work is coming in, and you've been doing it so often and so well that you've created systems that almost automate everything, and you can just show up, input your brain into it, and then, you know, clock out at five, which is great. Autopilot season, though, tends to lend us back into it gives us an uneasy feeling of, like, am I challenging myself? Am I really creating anything anymore? And so maybe we try to bring in more stuff to challenge us to create, to feel creative again, to get a new spark, and then that lends itself to a burnout season. We've just done too much.
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Speaker 2: We need to take ourselves back into rest season. So it tends to be kind of a circular thing. And the funny thing about it is, and I think this is true of being a creative, the funny thing is, you notice how none of those seasons feel fully comfortable. They always feel a little bit uncomfortable, and that's okay. I think that there's no complete. There's always a little bit of discomfort with being a creative, and I think maybe that's the way it should be. Like, that's kind of like part of the job that we're signing up for. We're signing up for unknowns. We're signing up for volatility. We're signing up for challenging ourselves and doing new things because that's part of it, right? We're signing up for putting ourselves out there. Right. For our vulnerabilities end up out there. That's hard.
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Speaker 1: I love looking at it as signing up for it, but there's also a sense of, like, we're just being realistic to the ability to evolve in life. You're going to have this cyclical seasons. And in general, you know, we want to be comfortable. That's great. But we all know that comfortable doesn't always mean safe. Like, comfortable. Like, being comfortable is something that, like, yeah, we want for a little while, and then we kind of go, like, what should we be doing? Where, where should we be going? So the idea of, like, how do you understand how you work as a human? How you work as somebody who wants to grow, wants to evolve? And, you know, there's good, and there's good and bad in that, and that's totally fine.
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Speaker 1: So I love looking at this as cyclical, like a cyclical Google idea, just for the fact that for many people, we all assume that we're machines or that went to school, we got a pluses, we did all the things that were supposed to do and, like, check, check. And, like, it had a lot to do with, you show up, you do the homework, you go, and then you repeat. And, like, this idea that, like, you didn't get to free think or you didn't understand your own rhythms in life. And I think that's something that, and what I loved about the five seasons is that how many times somebody will come in and go, I didn't get enough content done today. And it's like, it's that kind of day. What did you get out of today? What did you understand from today?
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Speaker 1: What does it look like? And just to kind of stop making this idea that if we don't perform the same way we did two weeks ago, five months ago, what is this season of life telling us? What can we take away from it? And that is something that comes up so often with clients where they're like, I'm not making enough sales. Like, what does this mean? And then it's going like, what have your patterns changed or have they changed at all? Like, what could this extra time give you to challenge yourself to do these things? So I think the idea of one, to stop making ourselves expect so much of each other every single day, but also to be able to go like, oh, it's just cyclical. I'll be back. Give me a second. I love the idea of it.
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Speaker 1: We'll make sure to link the cause. It's a great 20 minutes podcast that you gave. We'll make sure to link that into the show notes so everyone can lean into the seasons. But I was like, I need to make sure we talk about this before the end of the episode.
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Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's all cyclical. The pendulum always swings back. Don't let anything rattle you too much, because it's not going to be permanent anyway.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. Well, Paige, we talked so much about getting to own our own creativity, being able to find out who we are by trying things, doing things even, too, that we all get to evolve once we embrace our creative sides. I always like to ask my guests, because this podcast is called limitless, but I would love to hear, based off of just your life and also to what we talked about today, what does being limitless mean to you?
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Speaker 2: You know, I consider myself really resourceful. That's what my background really taught me. Not being a journalist, but also starting my own business is I don't believe that I know that everything. I don't believe that I have the solution to everything, and I don't ever need to believe any of that. I think this is something that stops people. They feel like I don't know enough. I don't know all of the answers to all of the things that might come up, but that doesn't matter to me because I know that I can figure it out. To me, the reason I'm limitless is because there's nothing I can't figure out. There's nothing I can't survive. There's nothing I. There's nothing that will shake my own faith in myself, to figure something out, to get it done, to survive, to keep going.
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Speaker 2: And so that's why I feel limitless. What's to limit me if I can figure it out? If I don't need to know the answer, I just need to know how to find the answer.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. I love it. The strong belief in self and a sense of self. I love that so much. Paige, thank you so much for joining us today. Where can we stay in touch with you?
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Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. You can find me at page ray.com or page ray creative on Instagram. That's paigeray.com or pageray creative on Instagram.
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Speaker 1: Beautiful. Paige, thank you so much for joining us today.
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Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. This is great. Bye.
