Episode 7

[00:00:00] Michael Kvick: And the, and this was the quote, and this is really what stuck out to me. And something that I found, you know, very encouraging and it said, get lost in playing the game and stop worrying about the points points are just small tokens. Put here to distract and limit. If you live for the points, you will get rich and stop trying play for the love of the game.

[00:00:22] Welcome to the clueless creatives podcast. I'm your host, Mike Kvick, and I believe you deserve to thrive in your creative journey and that you don't have to settle and be another clueless creative doing this all alone. And that's what the clue is created. All about it's a community banding together, eager to learn, to listen and to live out their creative dream.

[00:00:42] We'll pull back the curtain on my personal creative journey, which at business mindset and motivation have some laughs and together, well, we'll figure this whole thing out. I'm so glad you like. Let's get started.

[00:00:59] [00:01:00] Welcome everybody to another episode of the clues creators podcast. This is episode seven. I am super excited. Uh, I've got some really cool things to share with you guys extra right now. Um, I just want to say a quick, thank you to everybody that listened over the past two episodes, uh, that I had with Jonathan.

[00:01:16] Jam packed full with really, uh, really awesome insight and inspiration and motivation and mindset. And I just want to encourage you if you haven't listened to them, uh, listen to part one and part two, they are fantastic and you will definitely not regret it. Okay. I wanted to give a little update on this podcast.

[00:01:35] Um, this is Sunday, so I'm releasing this tomorrow and I've been putting this off all week. I'm trying to get into the right head space for this and the right mindset for this. And finally I said, okay, I need to sit down and do this. I need to get this going and just share some of the amazing things that have happened.

[00:01:54] Some of the really interesting things that have happened. And yeah, so all that being said, [00:02:00] Right now we are sitting over 200 downloads. That means that. 200 different times the episodes have been listened to. And I just want to say a huge, thank you. I never expected this to, to get to this number. I actually just was doing this podcast, you know, for primarily for myself and for my business and for.

[00:02:21] For me to have this creative outlet where it was no strings attached, no, no expectations. And just something that I was passionate about and something that I wanted to share with people. And this way it would help me to be able to connect with people and help try to inspire them. But all that being said, I definitely did not expect.

[00:02:38] You know this to hit 200 downloads by episode six already. So this is absolutely amazing. We are being listened to in about 50 different cities and 12 different countries. And that's across Europe and north America. We've got a couple of listeners in south America and we even have a listener in Japan.

[00:02:55] And I just want to say a huge thank you to everybody who has taken the time. To listen to [00:03:00] any of these episodes. It actually means the world to me, it really does. And it, it means that we, as a community, we have something to share. We have something to, to, to grow together. And this isn't just about me talking and doing this podcast, but this is about us doing this creative journey together and that, uh, we are here to inspire each other.

[00:03:20] So I want to just say a big, thank you. And I want to hear your stories. I want to hear your, your creative journey. I want to hear what you have. I have to say, and to share with, uh, with so many different people. And I've gotten some amazing texts and, uh, people sharing, you know, uh, Jonathan sent me several texts and, uh, screenshots of different conversations he's had with people that were inspired by it and just really pumped to be listening to it.

[00:03:45] And I just want to say a big thank you to that. And I want to encourage you guys by all means. I reached out to me, uh, send me a text, send me a message on, on Instagram at Mike Vick, or even on my website, whatever, whatever medium you choose to use. Uh, I am all ears and I [00:04:00] am ready to listen to what you guys have to share and what inspiration you have for everybody.

[00:04:04] Because again, it's not all about me. It's about us doing this together and. You don't have to be another cluesless creative doing this alone. And that's the beauty of this is that you are not alone. And we are doing this together. Just like I am not doing this podcast alone. I am doing this with you guys.

[00:04:19] And we are banning together and eager to learn and listen to live out this creative journey. So all that being said, I came across this really interesting statistic, the other, the other weekend. There's something I shared with Danielle too. And something that I've actually kind of found is like motivation.

[00:04:34] So this is our trajectory as a podcast, and this is what we're working on. This is what we're focusing on just to be able to have a certain benchmark, to be able to work. And this has nothing to do with listener numbers or anything like that, or downloads or anything like that. But this just has to do with, uh, how long this kind of goes for.

[00:04:55] And so this, this is the stat and I couldn't find the [00:05:00] exact, uh, evidence of the statistics. So you can take this with a grain of salt if you want. But I also found this really to be quite inspirational and quite interesting. Uh, there's about 2 million podcasts worldwide. So 2 million on average, about a worldwide and of those 90 pod, 90% of those podcasts don't get above, don't get past three episodes.

[00:05:24] So we're on episode six. So we are already above those, those 90%. So we're part of the 10% of podcasts that have made it past episode three, out of those 200,000 that are left only 90% will, 90% will make it to episode. So by the time that they get to episode 20, 90% more people will, will withdrawal in the towel.

[00:05:46] So that means that in order for us to be part of the 1% of podcasts that are constantly creating and pushing their, their mission and their vision, we have to get to at least 21 episodes. So that's our benchmark, that's our [00:06:00] goal. We are working towards getting to that 21 episode mark, just for the sheer sake of saying that we are a part of the.

[00:06:07] Of podcasters and, uh, and community. And I just want to say, I want to encourage you guys. I would love it. If you guys were to share this, this podcast and episodes that you find inspirational with with people that you, that you feel like could, uh, could, could learn from it and could, could, uh, could really use it.

[00:06:26] And also, um, I would love it if you guys were to share this on social media as well. It actually, it means the world to me. And the more people that listen, the, the more people will listen. So, um, the way that that works is that if you leave reviews on iTunes, if you leave, um, if you, if you share it, if you listen to it, all that kind of stuff, it actually makes a huge difference for the reach of it.

[00:06:48] And, um, all that being said, I am not. The numbers, but I'm about the impact and the more people that can listen to this kind of stuff. I think the more people will be able to be inspired and to be able to [00:07:00] act on their, on their creative, let's call it the creative urges and. And to fulfill their, their, their creative journey and to step into something new and step into something different.

[00:07:10] And so all that being said, I just want to encourage you guys. And I would just say, I, I sincerely appreciate all the, all the lessons and all the effort that you guys put into this. So all that being said, I want to get into this episode. It's not going to be another hour and a half episode. Don't worry.

[00:07:25] Um, this one's going to be a little bit shorter, a little bit sweeter, and I just want to talk about kind of my mental health head space in the past month. What I've kind of gone through the journey that I've gone through and what I'm kind of coming up to. And this whole past month with, with business and with work and with, you know, my, my own personal expectations on what it is that I'm doing and what it is that I have done this.

[00:07:47] I've really had to rewire my brain to just be so thankful for everything that I get to do. And, you know, back in, back in December, I decided to start going full-time [00:08:00] freelance. And that was, that was a, that was a leap that I had to take. And, you know, I was, I was absolutely grateful for it and I had all these different things lined up.

[00:08:08] And then, you know, we hit another lockdown here in Austin. And projects were moved into January and then are now being pushed into February. So all that being said, like I haven't had a whole lot of projects as past month and it's, it's been a challenge because, you know, we, us as creatives and as like, you know, trying to run a creative business, we evaluate our success based off of the production value that we, that we put out there.

[00:08:35] And so trying to rewire my brain. Uh, and my focus to be, to be okay with being uncomfortable with the uncertainty and also being okay with, uh, with just being thankful for, for the opportunity that I have to even do this and try this out. And in like in the past two episodes with Jonathan, we talked about how, you know, success or failure.

[00:08:56] Like you get to say that you've tried this and you get to say that [00:09:00] you've, you've gone on this journey. You've tried something different. That's really all that it is, is you've got to kind of break your, break, the mold and jump out there and be willing to, to explore and be willing to fail. And when you're willing to fail and explore you just, you come with such gratitude and thankfulness for the opportunities that you have.

[00:09:17] And I just want to say that that's exactly where my head space is right now. And I'm so thankful. For this opportunity and for this time, and for even just getting through this podcast and, and getting to do the creative work that I'm doing, even if, you know, for most of the month of January, I was sitting inside trying to restrategize and rebrand or reword my mission and my mantra and all that kind of stuff.

[00:09:37] And I shared with that, I showed that on, on Instagram, uh, last week is just, you know, my, my new creative mantra and, and wanting to focus on. Telling the stories of people that, that inspired to live life wholly and with, with passion and authenticity. And that's a big mission for, for us on this podcast.

[00:09:56] And as, as a business owner, as a, as a photographer and [00:10:00] filmmaker, that is what I'm focusing. And I just, I'm so excited for what, for what the next month have to have to hold. Even though that it is Laden with uncertainty and questions, uh, it's going to be a lot of fun. And, um, all that being said, like I had a really, really great call this past week.

[00:10:16] Uh, I reached out to a couple different agencies here in here in Vienna and LA. Just trying to network and get connected with people. And I had, I came off a call with, with, uh, um, a creative director and, uh, and it, it went really, really well. And it was like, we, we connected really well as individuals. And then as, uh, as creatives and as people that are, you know, here to fulfill something for a client, uh, we really connected and there was a really, really great.

[00:10:44] And, you know, it doesn't mean that anything immediately came from it, but we got off the call after, you know, just sharing, like we'd love to work together and we'd love to see a project you'd be realized, even if it's just something small just to, you know, work on this relationship and build it up and then [00:11:00] see if it's, if it, if it works for us.

[00:11:02] And that to me is something super excited and, and just something I'm super thankful for. It's, it's a crazy journey. Um, and you know, Like I said sometimes with this, with this creative journey, it's Laden with uncertainty, it's definitely not your nine to five normal life. Where at the end of the month you get paid or every two weeks you get.

[00:11:21] Um, and trying to rewire your brain to be okay with that and rewire your, your sense of normalcy and all that kind of stuff is, is, is, is quite the challenge. And I found it this past month to be quite, quite challenging, to keep that perspective. And, you know, I've had several days where it's just been difficult and it's been difficult to be motivated.

[00:11:39] I like this entire past week trying to figure out how to do this episode and to be in the right mind space for it. And, um, Thank God for taking a walk for the wife and the dog and coming home, having some food and sitting down to do this podcast. So, uh, very, very thankful, um, all things considered. And I just want to [00:12:00] share, uh, something about, you know, my journey when it comes to, to thankfulness and something that we, that Danielle and I, we have, we have needed to have to do throughout our, our relationship to.

[00:12:14] And this is something that we started a couple of years ago when we were in, when, when we first met in college and all that, being all that being said, it was the simple idea that when we face a situation, we face a time when, when there's lots of questions. And then when there's lots of difficulty or challenges, we find that it's a time that it's very easy to.

[00:12:35] To keep a negative perspective. And so that doesn't necessarily mean that you know, that all things are bad, but it's just the perspective or the lens that you're seeing things through in that current time is, is more of a, with a negative skew. And so that makes it hard to, to keep perspective and keep, you know, keep purpose in, in your life and keep that joy.

[00:12:55] And. All that being said, I just want to say this is something that we used and [00:13:00] something that, um, we challenge each other with whenever we find it a difficult time or trawling time. And it's the whole idea that you, when you notice that somebody that, that you're in close relationship with is having a difficult time in this challenging time beyond the conversations you have with each other, you challenge the person in that moment to say five things that they're thinking.

[00:13:22] And those things aren't, it's not meant to diminish or ignore the experience that they're having. And, and it's, it's not to neglect the conversations that should be had, or you know, that to help people, um, process through their emotions or their situations or anything like that. But it's listing out five things that you're thankful for.

[00:13:42] It gives you a clearer lens to be able to take an objective perspective of your situation so that you are now sitting. Beyond that perspective of just, okay, this situation sucks, but you can say, okay, that situation does sock, but here are a bunch of other things that are, that are going really well. And that, that are really [00:14:00] exciting and really encouraging.

[00:14:02] And you know, so many times in life, we forget that to take a moment and look around, to be thankful for the situation that we find ourselves in. And we struggled to keep that perspective and just focus on, we just focus on this rat race and trying to do the next big thing or, you know, to, to evaluate. The next big thing, or the next thing is, is our trajectory is that, is that that's the purpose of it all.

[00:14:23] And that's the, that's the mission of it all. And this past month has been exactly that for me and with COVID moving deadlines and pushing projects back, it's just, it's been this challenge and I'm not saying this to like complain or to, to vent my feelings to, to the podcast listeners. I'm just saying that this is.

[00:14:43] You know, I want to pull back the curtain on my personal creative journey and be honest and be upfront of how much this creative journey can be a mental game because you, and this is something that I truly believe in is that you are working against what it is that you've been taught for [00:15:00] many, many years.

[00:15:01] And so this is something that we said in the past episodes as well, is that, you know, as. Children of Western culture in general, we are taught, um, we're taught very early on to be, to be followers and just in general. And, and that, you know, we have people that, that break that standard and we have communities that break that standard and that's perfect, but for just broad stroke speaking, A lot of the experience that we have is, is being taught to be this kind of follower, or if you're a leader that you are a leader within boundaries, I guess you could say.

[00:15:38] And so all that being said to have this, this idea that all of a sudden that you are now the leader of your life and you are the one that is leading this creative journey that you're on. You get to essentially do whatever it is that you want to do and, and try to make a, you know, make a living off of it or just fulfill your passion and your purpose.

[00:15:57] And it all, it's very [00:16:00] difficult to rewire that and to be okay with that and to be okay with, okay, at the end of the month, I don't automatically get a paycheck, but I have to be working. It takes diligence, it takes intention and it takes struggle. And, and that's the kind of like the, the, the mental game that I've been in in this past month.

[00:16:17] And the biggest thing that I have. Is I have needed to overcome the hurdle of focusing on the production value and focusing more on the opportunity value. So what I mean by that is the production value is the value and validation that you receive as an individual based on the idea that you are only a value when you work and make money and that you are only successful when you can count it in dollars in.

[00:16:44] Whereas the opportunity value is more so focused on the value and validation that you receive based on the opportunity and bravery of stepping out and trying something new regardless of success or failure. And this is actually something that came up in a conversation the other night with, [00:17:00] with some friends, is this idea that, you know, more or less, what he said is that artists are the ones that change.

[00:17:09] So in the end, in order for, for culture to change or for something to change, it's the artists that express something. And then the remaining part of culture makes sense of it and then change that and then change happens. But what I would kind of want to focus on with this whole thing is that you, you, as an individual and you as a, as a creative person and what it is that you're doing, you have such opportunity value and.

[00:17:38] To, to not based your, your personal success or your value as an individual or your value as a business to not base that off of the production value that you, that you come up with. So not based off of the dollars and cents, but that you base it off of the opportunity that you have and the bravery that you, that [00:18:00] you have for stepping out.

[00:18:00] And that's something that's so easily forgotten about. You know, people, people starting a new business or starting a new venture, something like that. And people have this weird mentality that you are not less than, but you are, you are kind of like you have your, your head in the clouds. Like, you know, you're not a realist.

[00:18:21] You're, you know, you're just, you're just a dreamer. If you think about it, it more or less seems than that. A lot of people just have their heads stuck in the ground and that they're not willing to dream. They're not willing to explore. And, and be adventurous and courageous. And, you know, we even talked to another friend and he's going through this whole kind of situation in time where, where he's questioning, if he wants to pursue his creative, his creative passion as, as like an, as an employment or as a, as a job.

[00:18:50] And in the end, like, you know, we, we told him I'm like, we don't know anybody else that that can write lyrics in such a poetic [00:19:00] and sensible way. It, it actually impacts people when they listen to it. And that's something that really stuck out to me is that, you know, this individual was, has, has this amazing opportunity value, and you took this risk and you took this jump and now he's unsure about it, but that's okay.

[00:19:18] And that, that idea that, you know right now, maybe it's not the, maybe, maybe it's not the time or, or the, or the way that it was done or the. Uh, the way that it was that they went about doing it, that's totally. Okay. And that's all about all about keeping that perspective. The opportunity value is that you have this chance that you have this opportunity to, to make a difference, but you also just have this opportunity to say, oh yeah, like, you know, 20 years down the road, you can say, you tried and you failed.

[00:19:47] How much better is that than, than having this idea that 20 years down the road, it's like, yeah, I had this opportunity. I never, never had the guts to do. And so when you, when you successfully shift your focus from production to [00:20:00] opportunity you step out into this, you step out of that comparison game and into an elevating game.

[00:20:06] So it's no longer about the competition and what other people are able to do or what other people are doing better, but it's about the impact and purpose of what it is that you're doing. So how much, how much more purpose and how much more value in life does that have? If that's your focus and, and more on your own actions and not in just this comparison to other people.

[00:20:27] And this kind of comes back to this whole opportunity value in the amazing chance that we have to be creative people and, and to pursue it, whether it's success full or if it's a failure. And I just want to encourage you guys, if you, if you're questioning your, your creative journey right now, if you're questioning your, your objective or your purpose, I just want to.

[00:20:50] Continue to, to shift that focus to why it is that you're doing it and that passion that you genuinely have. And then it's not about, [00:21:00] um, it's not necessarily about the dollars and cents and while that's necessary, if you're trying to do this as a, as a full income or a full-time. I just want to say, uh, evaluate it first based off of the opportunity and evaluate it first off of the impact that, that you have on yourself and your, your own life, and then in the lives of other people, because when you do that, Um, it has so much, you see the value of it and you see the purpose behind it and you see how much more intention there can go into it.

[00:21:29] And, and when you have that, you, you kind of have these blinders of all these different things that are, you know, yelling at you or trying to distract you or, or pull your attention away and say, okay, well, you're, you know, you're not making six figures yet, or you're not even making five figures yet, you know, in the.

[00:21:47] If you can manage to get by and pay your bills and enjoy the life that you're living, that has a lot more the purpose and intention behind it than anybody that sits in an office for 12 hours a day, hating their life and [00:22:00] goes home and watches TV at the end of the day, just because they need to, to nurse the void.

[00:22:06] And I mean, that sounds very dramatic and sin sounds very kind of depressing. That's just kind of hyperbolized of my perspective of it right now. And keeping that perspective on, on the joy and the passion of what it is that you're doing. And I wanted to share this. This is a quote from, from a book and I, I don't, I don't have this book.

[00:22:24] I don't, I haven't read this book or anything like that, but this was on a, this was on a tick-tock video. And from this other creative he's, uh, uh, this creative is a. Social media, a videographer and filmmaker for four sport teams. And so he'll, he'll fall around teams and stuff like that make, you know, different content for them, for social media.

[00:22:44] And he does a really, really amazing job. And, uh, but this, this quote he read out was something that stuck out to him. And this is the, and it immediately, it stuck out to me. And I think I sent it to Danielle right away too. Cause it was like, okay, this is, this is the mentality that I need to remember. And the mentality that need to.[00:23:00] 

[00:23:01] And this is it's from a book called it's all in your head by Russell the talent. And it just says the book is by Russell or Russ. Um, but the, I think the author's full name is Russell . So it's all, it's all in your head. And the, and this was the quote, and this is really what stuck out to me. And something that I found, you know, very encouraging and it said get lost in playing the game and stop worrying about the points points are just small tokens, put here to distract and limit.

[00:23:29] If you live for the points, you will get rich and stop trying play for the love of the game. And I love that. I love this idea that if you just focus on the love of the game, regardless of the points, you will, you will find success. You will find joy in it. And all that being said, like, To play the game you play for the love of the game.

[00:23:52] You play for it, and you have intention and purpose behind it and you train and you love it. And the more that you do it, the more that you play the game [00:24:00] for the love of the game, the better you get at it. So then the more points you naturally will get, but that's a by-product, that's not the focus. And, you know, I've, I went through this past month and kind of reevaluating my business goals and strategies and decided to focus that.

[00:24:15] On inspiring people to take action rather than, you know, focusing on the, the, the, the points of, of a creative business game and rather to focus just on the income, but focus on the impact that I can have on other people's lives. Similarly to this podcast, I want my work not to be measured by the points in the game, but by the courage to continue and along the way, hope and work to inspire others to live with passionate.

[00:24:39] So I wanted to share with you real quick. My, my new creative mantra, my business mantra, even my mantra for, for this, uh, for this podcast. And this is something that I was actually encouraged to do as well. Um, and I, I get that to that in a second here. This is my new creative mantra it's to inspire audiences to action.

[00:24:59] And so this is [00:25:00] something that I tried to write in a way that both conveys a very clear message to businesses and brands that want to work with me. But also as a, as a let's call it a sole mission, um, uh, like a, like a creative intent for myself. And so this is what it says through our stories. We amplify the voice of those in pursuit of living life, wholly with passion and authenticity, we tell these stories to inspire that, call the call to pursue the extraordinary.

[00:25:31] And that's, and that's what I want out of my business. That's what I want. That's what I want out of my personal life. And that's what I want out of this podcast is, is this idea that I am here to help tell other people's stories. I'm here to tell my story and I'm here to help people pursue a life lived fully and not just in, you know, uh, just watching it go by because.

[00:25:56] In the end, we only have one life. And if you don't live it [00:26:00] with passion and purpose, then, then you will find more and more challenges as you kind of go along. But if you, if you're very intentional with your life and the pursuit of living it fully and being okay with breaking down norms and breaking down the standards that you've been taught or shown or.

[00:26:20] Uh, that's something that will, will bring so much more fruit in your life and other people around you will see that, that, that joy that you have in life and that purpose that you have in life. And that is something that is very contagious and something that people truly want. So, um, that's actually all that I, that I, that I wanted to share is this.

[00:26:40] And I, and I wanted to challenge you guys to, to really focus on the thankfulness aspect of your, of your creative journey. And whenever, and, and this is my tip for you guys too, is that whenever you you're in this doubt or sense of frustration, whether it's creatively or personally, or with work or anything [00:27:00] like that, that you just state five things that you're currently thankful for and they can be anything, and they don't have to be specifically about your creative journey.

[00:27:08] Um, but when you, when you start from the platform of thankfulness, you see the situation completely. And you, you approached that situation then with more caring, compassion for yourself and for those around you. And when you do that, then you have this next level of this next level of thankfulness, this next level, level of joy and perspective.

[00:27:28] And that to me is what, you know, this mental game of the creative journey is really all about. Learning to be thankful. Um, and to challenge yourself to, to rewire that focus from, from production value to opportunity value and that at the end of the month, you don't necessarily just get a paycheck, but at the end of the month, you get to say, this month, I achieved these different things and I had these opportunities and this thing happened and that thing happened, and this was really cool.

[00:27:56] And I'm looking forward to the next couple of months and I'm looking forward to, [00:28:00] to what is in store for, for these, for this. So I want to challenge you guys this next week. Whenever you find yourself in time, when you're frustrated or you're questioning things, or you, you know, you, you're just having a difficult day, whether that's, you know, with work or relationships or personally, or anything like that, take, take five minutes set aside and take a little breather.

[00:28:23] Save five things that you're thankful for and see, see if that helps change your perspective and your situation just a little bit and how you can handle and how you can navigate that situation then differently when you, when you're approaching it from, uh, our, with this lens of thankfulness, rather than this, the sensor, this feelings of negativity.

[00:28:44] Um, and it's, again, it's not to invalidate those emotions or invalidate those different things that you're going through. Those are very, very real things. Um, but if you approach it from a place of thankfulness that despite all the different things, you still have things to be thankful for. That is, that is the most important.[00:29:00] 

[00:29:00] Um, and in the end, uh, what I always say at the end of this podcast is to be creative, inspire others into. So this next week. So this next seven days after you listened to the podcast, whenever it is, I want you to take a look for opportunities to take a perspective and a look from an opportunity value perspective, and see how it would impact your life.

[00:29:22] See how it will change the way that you focus about those different situations and the different challenges that you haven't, uh, haven't had. And in the end, you know, what I always say is be creative, inspire others, and just have fun with. Well, that's all from us today on the clueless creatives podcast.

[00:29:43] I'm your host, Mike Kvick, and I believe you deserve to thrive in your creative journey and that you don't have to settle and be another clueless, creative doing this all alone. Let me know that you've listened to this episode by heading over to Instagram and shooting me a message at Mike Vick. I would be thrilled to get to know you and hear [00:30:00] about your creative journey.

[00:30:01] If you enjoyed listening, consider leaving me a review. It makes a huge difference. I hope you feel encouraged and empowered to take the next step in your personal creative journey. You're amazing. And you deserve to have a thriving, creative journey. So go be creative, inspire others, and have fun.