Helloooo creative friends,

A huge welcome to the indie makers and pro creatives who joined us recently 🙌 This drop's special guest is entertainer extraordinaire, Georgann Ireland.

Remember, this drop has 2 pieces: A newsletter, and a podcast.

You’re about to level up your creativity. Read on to...

🚀 Challenge yourself to help your audience feel less alone

🎤 Learn how Georgann Ireland fosters collaboration, perfects her craft, and aligns her multi-creative identity

🧰 Build 1 new, winning practice to help you finish your solo project

💭 Water your seeds of creativity with these questions

👁‍🗨 Use this phrase to help you recall this drop’s big lessons

​
Let's dive right in,
Jameson

Ask yourself these 4 questions in sequence to help your audience feel less alone by creating something that resonates with them.

Set a timer for 60 seconds for each question so you don’t overthink it.

1. Besides myself, who am I creating for? (Include their traits)
2. In a regular day, what makes them feel lonely, disconnected, or isolated?
3. If I ran into them on the street, what things could I say to help them feel more connected to me and each other?
4. How can I say those same things using my art forms?

Here’s an example of something I made after asking myself these 4 questions. Send me a link if you make something too!

For this drop's podcast, I connected with award-winning songwriter, producer, and UC Berkeley economics grad Georgann Ireland and to chat collaborative vibes, the value of art, and multi-creative identity.

I had a hard time picking out the best parts of our convo. The whole 90 minutes feels like a philosophical deep-dive into art’s value and the most vibrant parts of the creative process.

Here are the biggest slices of wisdom.

Trust your gut on creative chemistry

Have you ever hit it off with someone and felt like you knew them instantly? Georgann shares how that intuitive “I vibe with this person” is the root of the most fruitful and fulfilling creative collaborations. Tap here to hear more.

Train with craft, make with emotion
Great creatives have practiced enough they reflexively make things that are good, allowing them to focus on putting their deepest feelings into their work, resonating with their audience. Tap here to learn how it works.

​Art's value > art's utility

Current narratives seem way too focused way on art's surface-level entertainment utility. If you want to stand out, focus on how you can use your craft and works to bring people together. Tap here to get our full philosophical take.

Listen to the full episode on:

The problem: You have a solo creative project you’re stoked about, but it keeps getting put off and de-prioritized for more "important" work.

The solution: Accountability buddying/partnering

How to do it:

1. Write down a clear goal for your project (ex. published to 5 platforms)
2. Pick a deadline you can hit if you stay consistent
3. Find a friend whose opinion you value (they don’t have to be creative)
4. Reach out and ask them if they'll help you stay accountable on your goal. Here’s a blueprint for that message:
   
   Hey (friend’s name)! I’m working on finishing (your project’s name) and I’d love for you to help keep me accountable so I can get it done. Would you be cool being my accountability buddy on it?
   
   
5. Make sure it's okay that you send updates at least a few times a week
6. Tell them what you’ll have done by the next time you check in
   
   Use the phrase “next time I check in, I will have…”
   
   
7. Check in daily—weekly on your progress (ask how they prefer your updates)
   
8. If you miss a deadline, ask your acct. partner why they think you missed it
   
9. Commit to a new goal and repeat

A phrase to help you explore, reorient, and deepen thoughts on this drop's topics.

The best way to help Create Connected is to nominate someone creative (it can be you) to be interviewed for the podcast + newsletter. Just fill out this simple form so I can reach out.

If you aren't ready to nominate someone, invite a friend to subscribe here.

Don't miss out on new drops of Create Connected. Subscribe below to get each one delivered straight to your inbox.