Don't Stay Stuck...Get Moving!
There are seasons in my creative life when I get stuck, unable to move. External factors pile on one after another resulting in internal doubt and despair. I know what must be done, I just don’t know what to do next, so nothing happens. The cycle loops infinitely, indecision buries me alive. I end up making bad decisions. I double-down on what I don’t want to do. I quit dreaming about what might set me free.
What’s an artist to do?
“...the spark of creativity often starts with what’s new and exciting to you, not necessarily what’s new to everyone.” – How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success by George Newman
At the beginning of 2026, I met Lara Blair, an amazing artist who creates art on a miniature scale. I knew before I met her I wanted to produce a short documentary about her work. But it wasn’t just the work, it was the journey to get to where she’s at today. Lara moved from providing services to producing art. She learned how to leverage her ADHD as a superpower. She listened to her intuition, embracing the clarity of being done with something. She followed her obsession.
Last Friday, she revealed a new piece at an art gallery and performed a miniature ribbon cutting ceremony. I wasn’t feeling great, but I knew this would make good b-roll for the documentary, so I went. I’m glad I did.
Yes, I got to celebrate Lara’s work and witness first-hand how it impacts the community. I also got a personal remind of why I do the work I do: To tell stories that matter. I got to roam invisibly through the gallery, capturing emotional moments as person after person celebrated Lara. I got out of my head and relied upon my body to chase the shot.
It was everything I needed.
“...you cannot form new ideas by staying still for ever.” – Slow Gods by Claire North
Spark Your Creativity!
If you need to spark your creativity, the one question I have for you is this: What’s new and exciting to you that will get you moving? Don’t worry whether it’s 100% original or if you’ll produce the next hit project, actually start making the thing.
You’ve got this.
Forging a Creative Life (GWTW893)
As I examine my life, I find that I am in the middle of a massive pivot. I’m no longer who I once was, the young entrepreneur who wanted to work for anyone and everyone doing anything creative. I’m slowly becoming someone different, the thinker, writer, and artist who wants for more than just relying on formulas and routines to make ends meet. Yes, you could label this as a midlife crisis, but frankly, it’s more than that, it’s a life-altering process of reinvention. It’s not easy, it hurts as I get forged by the hammer of reality, and I could easily bemoan my existence. I could blame the economy or AI or globalization or automation or about a million other things for inflicting this shift upon me. But the truth is that I’ve known what I needed to do for at least a decade, and I’ve been too scared to do it. Until now. In today’s episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to talk about how I’ve been forging a creative life of strength, exploration, and experimentation that’s been working behind the scenes preparing me for what’s next.
“The Antidote to Conformity” with Heather Crank (GWTW894)
When I find myself getting in my own way or needing a creative pick-me-up, I tune into what Heather Crank is doing with art, AI, design, and technology. She was one of the first artists in my circle to adopt AI, and since we last talked on Getting Work To Work three years ago, she continues to forge her message of shaping the future of AI by using and understanding it. In our conversation, we dive right into the topic of the decade: AI. We talk about what AI is as a tool, why we shouldn’t use it as it’s sold to us, trust, the importance of not being passive with AI, how she uses AI in her art and life, what the future of business might become, the boring nature of conformity, using AI to create propaganda, and maintaining our own cognitive sovereignty. Beyond AI, we talk about The Developing Life podcast and her recent participation in TEDxBend. If you are a creative wondering how you can challenge the status quo, Heather provides a few possible ways for you to take the power back.
Interlude: Strengthen Your Imagination (BYIS2E22)
I’m Chris Martin and today we’re taking a short interlude from the regularly scheduled program as Ryan recovers from some seasonal sickness and regains his voice. We collaborated on a few ways for you to strengthen your imagination, because let’s be honest, if you’re anything like us, you need to let your mind wander in the ethereal realm of creativity more often.
But how do you do that? I’m glad you asked. It starts with:
Searching for new ideas and stories.
Writing a one-page story.
Creating a challenge for yourself.
Newsletter Notes:
Today’s sonic soundtrack is The Moth (Deluxe Edition) Devin Townsend.
The photo in the graphic above is a still from the footage I shot last week at Gallery 408 in Camas, WA.
I set “Spark Your Creativity” in ITC Serif Gothic® and “On The Podcasts!” in Headline Gothic ATF Round.
Another great piece. Thank you.