Create Imperfect Anyway

Do you ever feel unmoored from who you know deep down you are meant to be? Do you struggle to grasp your creative side sometimes due to being in your head? In this cozy, tenderness-filled episode, Double-Doodle Play certified Art Facilitator and Author Coraline Bonzon recounts how learning to paint with both hands at the same time taught her to be kinder to herself in all parts of life, while her recently published book Laisser les Môts Surgir challenged her to try something she never envisioned possible in her creative life! Here are just a few things we explore together: Creativity’s “beauty of no escape” What can happen in your body when you disconnect from creativity? Remembering to love yourself first. Writing as an invitation to be brave Creativity as a journey of self-acceptance Courageous Visibility and asking people to believe in you How to access our inner softness and tenderness via creativity

"Live every day as if it were your last." It's advice we hear with almost glib frequency, and rarely take with much seriousness. For Mugabi Byenkya, however, his creative legacy was challenged when the reality of his mortality became much more stark. In this week's episode of Create Imperfect Anyway, we explore how Mugabi chose to respond boldly to that scary realisation, and the powerful wisdom he continues to glean every day. Get to know Mugabi: on Instagram on Facebook on his Website Buy Dear Philomena Support Mugabi financially: via Paypal at Mugabibyenkya (at) gmail.com Follow Create Imperfect Anyway on Instagram !

Starting anything is hard - and coming back to something you've started after giving yourself some much-needed time away can be JUST as hard! As we jump into Season 2 of Create Imperfect Anyway, I share a heart-to-heart with you on what necessitated a longer than expected break, and what I strive to bring to you in this upcoming season. Friends, let's create imperfect anyway... again!

We did it!! Season One is in the books. Here's a solo episode with what this first season has taught me. See you in season 2!

Have you had your heart broken? Did your creativity offer you a safe place for that heartbreak to land?  Today's "better done than perfect" solo episode explores heartbreak through one of its most classic vehicles: the breakup song.  This original song, entitled "Piccolina," was instrumental (pun intended) in reconnecting to what I hadn't realized that I had lost - have you created something similar? Connect with us: On Instagram: @createimperfectanyway By email: createimperfectanyway.podcast@gmail.com

Have you ever struggled to call yourself Creative? From her childhood beginnings in communist Poland to the corporate world and entrepreneurship, Anna’s relationship with the label of Creative has taken its twists and turns. Today, she reclaims it. In this episode, we cover: What “counts” as creativity? Freedom begets creating Have an “on and off” relationship with our creative side Heeding the call to create There IS space in the business world for creativity Wondering if what we do matters The power of surrounding ourselves with brave and diverse creatives Being seen helps us to grow What we might think when we see someone else’s brilliance - do we think the same thoughts in our own direction? Is there a Hierarchy of Creativity? The conflation of creativity and artistic accomplishment Negative Associations with Creativity: how they form, and how we can deconstruct them Making Do and Making it Happen The unexpected joy in embracing Progress over Perfection How imperfect creation feels freeing. Connect with Anna Stando: My Gratitude Challenge - Website, Instagram Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn!

What would happen if we spent an hour every day creating? In this in-depth conversation with watercolor artist Nyla, we explore how cultivating a creative routine impacts our relationship with ourselves (SPOILER ALERT: It takes time!) Here's a bit of what we cover: Mental Energy and the Spoon Theory Holding emotional space for someone else's natural talent Talent versus Skill The privilege of being well-taught The pros and cons of art education Geeking out on pens Talent without practice doesn’t take us very far. Competing with our own selves Dissatisfaction can either hold us back or drive us forward. Is creating imperfect anyway a copout? Loving what is while knowing what can be What if we let people see our process instead of just the end product? Nyla Bryant: On Facebook On Instagram Join @createimperfectanyway on Instagram Let's create imperfect anyway. I will if you will ;)

Does living loudly require you to be loud? Not at all, according to former broadcast journalist, documentary filmmaker, writer and story coach Cara Jones. In this conversation that is as friendly as it is frank, we explore the following topics: - Inspiration does not come from sitting in front of a blinking cursor. - The magic we're looking for lies in the work we are avoiding. - What is Idea Debt? - Social media as a tool for Creative Reconditioning - Who are my people? - I am here to see and accept myself as I am. - Can I be myself in a space where those who disagree with me can see me? - Loving ourselves through expression. - Feeling “on purpose” - Giving ourselves - and others - permission to be a little more free. - “There’s nothing you could do that would make me not love you.” Find Cara Online Instagram: @thisiscarajones Website: https://www.cara-jones.com

This episode digs into a subject that cuts deep no matter what else is happening in life, yet feels all the more searing these days: grief. In sharing my original song called Watercolor Memories, I examine the following themes and questions: How can creativity be a tool to support our grief? It's possible to project feelings of judgment onto our creative tools - and it's also possible to rewrite that narrative. Some creations take YEARS. And that's ok. Work with what you have. It's ok if you don't have all the techniques or skills you think you need. 

In this beautiful conversation, Meditative Painting Coach Anisa Zafar reminds us that creativity is energy, and that it can serve as a powerful container in which to face our thoughts while questioning their verity, to process our emotions, and to find peace in our daily lives. Contact Anisa: Her website: https://www.treeoflifeguru.com On Instagram: @anisa_treeoflife On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreeofLifeGuru, https://www.facebook.com/groups/231618178536077

Have you ever felt like your life was scripted by someone else? Did you choose to walk away? If so - what did life begin to look like when you started living it on your own terms? I have the privilege of exploring this theme in conversation with Limi Marie Bauer (@writingwithlimi), a writer and visual artist from Long Island, NY currently living in Austria. Here are some of the topics we laugh and cry about as we dig into them: Creativity and Curiosity are my right and left feet Learning to not give our greatest work away for free Letting a work of creativity have value while not defining the value of the creative Failing forward: Rejection is part of the trajectory The gift of sharing our creativity Our inner critic is creative too! Resting is enough Creative footholds Accepting our cycles of emotion Trauma is trauma is trauma Safe shelters exist for our most tender creativity. The sacred art of curation Resources: http://www.persephonesdaughters.tk

This conversation with musician Nasca is, on its own, a magnificent exploration of the value of showing up for our dreams. And as current events have darkened with the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the importance of daring to put our authentic and imperfect expressions out into the world took on a newfound sense of urgency. Some highlights: - How Nasca created her own home studio - "What works is work." - What spice markets have to do with creativity Where to find Nasca: Check out her Youtube or Instagram FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @createimperfectanyway

What if admitting our mistakes could help us to connect more intimately with our creativity? In this episode, I share my song "Wrong With Me", which was recently featured on the podcast Blessed Child during a discussion on what it's like to date after leaving a cult. After a lifelong unhealthy relationship with rightness and wrongness, this song was my heart's call for more authentic connection. What I only just realized is how that invitation doesn't only work with other people - it works inwardly, too. Ready to get nakedly honest with your inner critic? Let's dive in :)

On today's episode, I sit down with Iwona as she tells her story of becoming a creativity entrepreneur. We explore creativity - and especially our unique expression of it - as both a privilege and a responsibility to ourselves. She offers insightful wisdom which can benefit even the most timid creative minds, and shares how her business works directly towards helping global creativity to grow. CONNECT WITH IWONA: Iwona Fluda on LInkedIn Creative Switzerland: Check out her Website or Instagram Organic Cosmetics: Check out her Website or Instagram FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM! 

Without Arianne, there might never have been Create Imperfect Anyway. In this heartfelt conversation, I explore how Arianne's progression through life - and particularly how she was educated - gave way to the bold, resourceful and inspiring journalist and content creator she is today. She offers candid and compelling advice for anyone who knows deep down they are a creative person, but struggle to take that next brave step.

In today's episode, I go solo, daring to take some very cool feedback from one of our listeners and sharing one of my own original songs.  "Hide & Seek" is a love letter extending an invitation to emerge with trust - although just WHAT that emerging looks like has evolved over time. I share what it took to write this song, what it means to me today, and what invitation it can extend to YOU, my fellow creative :)

In today's episode, I speak with painter, tattoo artist and deconstruction activist podcaster Renée (also known as RenRobot), who shares how she chose to make friends with her creativity, and how that friendship supported her in building a life of profound resilience, caring connections and healthy relationships. Renée: Instagram: @RenRobot Podcast: Blessed Child - https://anchor.fm/blessed-child2 Cathlene (Host of Create Imperfect Anyway) Instagram: @CreateImperfectAnyway, @cathlene_sublimates

In today's episode, I speak with artist, graphic novelist and dancer Harmony, who shares how she connected to her creativity as a child, and how she relates with it today. 

This is the very first episode of Create Imperfect Anyway, a space for open, honest conversation about the thoughts and beliefs that hold us back from taking the leap into our own creative expression. In this episode, I share a bit about who I am, what I hope to do as host of this podcast, and what I hope you'll receive from it, as well as share an exciting glimpse into what this season holds.