This is the age old question ... How do you get hired to do work that you've never been paid to do before because you need experience. But to get that experience, you need to do the work. Here are a three ways to overcome this chicken & egg situation: Listen to the Podcast Get Involved The fastest way to learn is to get involved in the community. It can lead to new partnerships, new opportunities, and... read more ›
Apr
05
Mar
02
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, then you most likely know my M.O. by now: put your work out there early and often. Steve Martin famously said, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” But the other side of that is to have so much work out there that people can't swing a stick without hitting something you've made/written/built/produced/directed/etc. I talked about this with fellow sharing advocate, #cjLIVE alum, and all-around... read more ›
Feb
22
People ask me all the time if there's one thing that's changed my life the most, what is it? No question it's the ability to learn quickly...new skills whether they be for life, hobby, or career... Life long learning is quite literally what has created anything I would consider a classic "success" in my life. SO... In today's episode of #cjRAW I break down my own learning process into 3 clear, easily repeatable steps. And then I go... read more ›
Jan
11
A lot of my breakthrough creative thoughts come to me when least expected. I've talked about "finding creativity" and "creative inspiration" all over the place... on podcasts like this and this (twice for example) or given a keynote on it here at SWSW. That said, I've also learned from an entire life in the trenches as an artist what DOESN'T contribute to them (abusing myself, bad head space, partying too much), but more importantly, what... read more ›
Dec
14
Give. Whether to yourself or to a fellow artist in need. Every photographer, director, painter, writer, creative, entrepreneur, whatever mold into which you fit (or don't) has basic needs. And thankfully, these needs are mostly free of charge. I've read 100 artist biographies, studied my own life and the creative LIVES of those around me and distilled some of the commonalities -- and the outliers -- for how and when, under what circumstance creatives kick... read more ›
Sep
14
What I've learned over the years is that the truly remarkable people are not just masters of their craft, but a combination of craft + many other things that elevate their work. In fact, the best photographers I know, the best creatives, teachers, accountants, or --insert profession here--, are also entrepreneurs/intra-preneurs, authors, speakers, marketers, and more. We're ALL hyphens. Just as I started as a photographer, then learned skills to become a director, then a... read more ›
Aug
17
If you turn back the clock a couple decades, you’ll find me in the following situation: I’m sitting at my parents’ kitchen table, explaining to them that I’ve decided to drop out of med school and a PhD in philosophy to become a professional photographer. In addition to being a tough conversation, this was perhaps the biggest turning point in my career (and life). It was the moment where I walked away from what I... read more ›
Oct
23
Ever felt STUCK with something in your life? Blocked, like you can't get past this mental state, this hurdle, this creative block, this bad habit, this... Wait a minute. Why am I even asking that question? Of course you've been stuck before. We've literally ALL been stuck before. And by extension we all know how much it sucks to be in this state of mind. AND - on the flipside - how amazing it is... read more ›
Jun
05
Listen to the Podcast Congrats! You did it - you're graduating! Big ups on all the hard work and long hours. But here's the scary part. Graduation is the first day of the rest of your life. Last week by far the most popular question I saw in my social feed was around graduation. Either YOU were graduating, your friends or sons / daughters--and, naturally, there was a lot of concern. Generally you asked what... read more ›
Dec
05
Stop me if any of this sounds familiar: You’re lurking a peer’s social media account, and what started as a cursory browse quickly takes a detour down the rabbit hole of self-doubt and envy: “S/he is so much better at X or Y than I am - I’ll never catch up! Look at his/her amazing X or Y and s/he’s always hanging with X or Y celebrity and nobody even knows who I am -... read more ›









