140: Know yourself so you can BE YOURSELF (w/ Dan Mumford)

Explicit content warning

08/26/16 • 27 min

Dan Mumford is a freelance illustrator working out of Studio100 in central London, UK. Over the past 10 years, Dan has worked within the pop culture and music scene creating everything from album covers, branding, and screenprints to new interpretations of classic film posters and albums.

His clients include Disney, Sony, Iron Maiden, Wizards of the Coast, Icon Motosports, CBS, and many bands and record labels from around the world.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danmumford

In this episode, Dan discusses:

-The path that he went down to begin to develop his unique style.

-The importance of embracing your many interests and passions and trying to find a way to combine them into your creative expression.

-The difference between passion projects and commissioned work.

-How he has never been able to get work done at home and needs to go to the studio in order to be productive.

-The importance of not pushing your body too hard, or else you could develop serious injuries that will take you out of the game completely.

-His formula for balancing his time, including getting e-mails and other work out of the way and off of his mind first thing in the morning.

-His best and worst creative moments.

-The value of having a gallery behind you to take care of the “extra” stuff.

Dan's Final Push will inspire you to be true to yourself and to keep making your work in a way that makes you happy! Quotes:

“I’d never really done anything on quite such a large scale before. It was really tiring as well.”

“Don’t worry too much about the outside world.”

“If you enjoy doing it, then you’re going to be better at doing it. You’ll find yourself creating work that is far superior.”

“Be yourself. Just be true to yourself and don’t try to be something that you’re not.”

“Keep making your work in a way that makes you happy.”

Connect with Dan:

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

His clients include Disney, Sony, Iron Maiden, Wizards of the Coast, Icon Motosports, CBS, and many bands and record labels from around the world.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/danmumford

In this episode, Dan discusses:

-The path that he went down to begin to develop his unique style.

-The importance of embracing your many interests and passions and trying to find a way to combine them into your creative expression.

-The difference between passion projects and commissioned work.

-How he has never been able to get work done at home and needs to go to the studio in order to be productive.

-The importance of not pushing your body too hard, or else you could develop serious injuries that will take you out of the game completely.

-His formula for balancing his time, including getting e-mails and other work out of the way and off of his mind first thing in the morning.

-His best and worst creative moments.

-The value of having a gallery behind you to take care of the “extra” stuff.

Dan's Final Push will inspire you to be true to yourself and to keep making your work in a way that makes you happy! Quotes:

“I’d never really done anything on quite such a large scale before. It was really tiring as well.”

“Don’t worry too much about the outside world.”

“If you enjoy doing it, then you’re going to be better at doing it. You’ll find yourself creating work that is far superior.”

“Be yourself. Just be true to yourself and don’t try to be something that you’re not.”

“Keep making your work in a way that makes you happy.”

Connect with Dan:

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Previous Episode

139: You’re not alone with your EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS (w/ Lisa Congdon)

Lisa is a Fine artist and illustrator from Portland, Oregon best known for her colorful abstract paintings, intricate line drawings, pattern design, and hand lettering. She works for clients around the world including the MoMA, Martha Stewart Living, Chronicle Books, Cloud9 Fabrics, among many others. She has exhibited her work around the country, including in shows at the Contemporary Jewish Museum and Bedford Gallery and is currently represented by Uprise Gallery in New York.

Amongst all of this, she is also a prolific author, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist, Whatever You Are, Be a Good One, Twenty Ways to Draw a Tulip and Fortune Favors the Brave.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/lisacongdon

In this episode, Lisa discusses:

-What makes a successful artist.

-The three main things that you need to be a successful artist: talent, curiosity, and dedication.

-The importance of putting your work out there even if you are not 100% satisfied or comfortable with it.

-How we assume that other people ahead of us on the artistic journey already have it figured out, but in reality, nobody has it completely figured out.

-How insecurity never goes away for any artist, no matter how far they have come in their career.

-One of her first creative moments which, in hindsight, was a true precursor to her becoming an illustrator.

-How the connection between what you loved as a kid and what you love now sometimes becomes very clear

-Her life and careers before becoming a full-time illustrator.

-Dealing with the stress and anxiety of being a college graduate without a direction on what to do with the rest of your life.

-The danger of paralysis by analysis and how you sometimes just have to dive in and try something to see if you like it and see if you are any good at it.

-The power of writing about and talking about the various things that hold you back from creating on a daily basis.

-Not having to deal with existential questions on your own, because we all have them.

Lisa's Final Push will inspire you to BEGIN ANYHOW! Quotes:

“Talent is 10% of what it takes to be successful.”

“I still struggle with insecurity about putting my work into the world. It still feels vulnerable. But the key is I do it anyway.”

“Eventually, people were like, ‘Hey I want to buy that.’”

“Sometimes you just have to dive in and try something.”

“Begin despite your fears or whatever roadblocks you think are in your way. Let go of the excuses and justifications and begin anyhow.”

Resources mentioned:

Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist

Connect with Lisa:

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Next Episode

141: Find your UNERRING DETERMINATION! (w/ Linda Blondheim)

Linda Blondheim is a landscape painter whose mission is to visually record the rural, agricultural lands and trees of her beloved Florida. She believes that painters are stewards of our history and culture, who record the experiences and lives of their own time. Her legacy as a painter is to leave a visual record of the beauty of rural Florida.

Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/lindablondheim

In this episode, Linda discusses:

-Why she loves Florida so much and why she makes it the central theme for her art.

-One of her first creative moments.

-The initial support and encouragement that she received from her parents in terms of artistic expression, and then their resistance when she announced that she wanted to do it as a career.

-Some of the things that held her back as an artist, including being legally blind in one eye.

-Some of her tips for artists in terms of thriving financially as an artist.

-The importance of understanding your collectors.

-The mistake that many new artists make of trying to hang out where all the other artists are hanging out.

-Her best and worst moments as an artist.

-The importance of letting go of your ego as an artist.

-Her formula for balancing her time.

Linda's Final Push will inspire you to find your self-confidence and self-discipline! Quotes:

“At thirteen, my dad made a studio for me in the attic where I dreamed of being a famous artist.”

“My dad wanted me to be an attorney. It didn’t work out well for him.”

“I didn’t really come to understand painting until I was in my forties.”

“There has to be an authenticity about being an artist. It is very important that you believe in what you paint, that you live it, and that you understand it.”

Connect with Linda:

Website / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter