Creative Pep Talk

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**Creative Pep Talk**

A Weekly Podcast Companion for Your Creative Journey

Transform your creative potential into reality by making your creativity a practice. A “creative discipline” can feel like an oxymoron. Creativity is about doing something new. Discipline is about doing something consistently. The aim of this podcast is to help you strike that elusive balance.

Each week, New York Times Bestselling Author Illustrator Andy J. Pizza shares everything he’s learning about building a thriving creative practice. Through solo episodes and interviews with top-tier creatives, Pizza brings you the strategies and stories that you need week in and week out to keep your inner critic at bay, bust through creative blocks and stay creatively pepped to the max!!

Learn more: creativepeptalk.com
Check out the host: andyjpizza.com

Latest Episodes:

547 - Find the Creative Voice You're Holding Back with Claire Keane Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word: invisiblethings.co

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This episode is for you if:

1 - You have had a hard time tapping into your unique creative voice.

2 - You feel disempowered as a creative and feel like you need agents, managers, or talent scouts to succeed.

3 - You need help clearing out the noise in your brain and hearing your creative voice again.

This is a chat with phenomenal author-illustrator Claire Keane! We chat about her new gorgeous picture book “Who Are You” and her visual development art for movies like “Tangled” and “Frozen”.

This was a magical chat and I can’t wait for you to listen!

SHOW NOTES:

Claire Keane
https://www.claireonacloud.com
Claire Keane’s Substack
https://claireonacloud.substack.com
”Who Are You” Picture Book
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/779600/who-are-you-by-claire-keane/
Know Yourself Substack Post
https://claireonacloud.substack.com/p/know-yourselfupdated
Hamnet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamnet_(film)
Glen Keane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Keane
Bil Keane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bil_Keane

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com
Spotify Playlist of WHY? Songs Used on This Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZIE7PHG5I1Ddg1BuVGRzj?si=4x_BzDZjQgqSpoaLXdVACg&pi=h4HsIKG0SP6Kg

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

546 - How to Transform What You're Drowning in Into High Octane Creative Fuel Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

This episode is for you if:

1 - You want to figure out how to put your deep personal experiences into your work, but you have never seemed to figure out how to.

2 - You are currently overwhelmed and can’t find the energy or ideas for your creative practice.

3 - You are ruminating on painful things from your life or from the state of the world, and it’s stopping you from taking action.

4 - You feel your best ideas are in the past or escaping you, and you can’t seem to “bottle that lightning” again.

SHOW NOTES:

Bittersweet by Susan Cain
https://susancain.net/book/bittersweet/

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

545 - Make Your Life & Creative Work More Rich with Meaning with Jarod K. Anderson Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word!

---

This episode is for you if:

1 - You need a reminder to feel how vital making personal creative work is to your life.

2 - You are a creative type or neurodivergent person needing an example of how to do lots of things well.

3 - Your soul could use some warmth and grounding!

This chat is with wonderful Poet and Author Jarod K. Anderson AKA The CryptoNaturalist!

SHOW NOTES:

Jarod K. Anderson
https://www.jarodkanderson.com

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/798888/strange-animals-by-jarod-k-anderson/

Cyptonaturalist Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cryptonaturalist/

“Something in the Woods Loves You” by Jarod K. Anderson
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jarod-k-anderson/something-in-the-woods-loves-you/9781643262291/?lens=timber-press

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

544 - Quit Focusing on Being Discovered and Sales and Do This Instead Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

You can join the Creative Pro Talk meetups by supporting the podcast on Substack here: andyjpizza.substack.com or on Patreon here: Patreon.com/creativepeptalk

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I got it wrong for so long. When I started my creative practice I thought I needed two things: 1 Get Discovered and 2 Make the Sale. I was missing the secret 3rd ingredient. In this episode we explore this secret hidden sauce and how to make it the centerpiece of your creative strategy!

SHOW NOTES:

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

543 - 3 Shifts to Make if You Feel Off Creatively Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word http://invisiblethings.co

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It is VERY easy to get off balance as a creative person because creativity is a delicate balance of many things. In this episode, we will explore 3 areas that require creative tension and how to diagnose where you may be off and need a pivot.

SHOW NOTES:

Del the Funky Homosapien https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_the_Funky_Homosapien

542 - When to Reboot Your Work + A Better Option than Beating Yourself Up with Zak Rosen Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com

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My editor Conner loved this episode, which is always a good sign!

Two reasons to listen to this:

1 - If your work feels stale or a long term project feels stuck, and you have been wondering if you need to switch it up, reboot, or pivot, this episode is for you. We talk a lot about how to navigate this with Zak Rosen, who just did a big rebrand of his podcast.

2 - You are sick and tired of fighting yourself on everything. This is the time of year when New Year’s Resolutions have gone up in flames. If that’s your situation, Zak asks me what thing is “weirdly helpful” to me, and it addresses this frustration head-on!

Hope you love the episode!

SHOW NOTES:

Zak Rosen
https://zakrosen.com/about

Weirdly Helpful
https://weirdlyhelpful.show

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

541 - Are You Afraid of The Art? How to Get Past the Fear and Have Fun Again Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word!

---

This episode is for you if:

1 - The idea of making something often feels scary.

2 - You don’t like your work anymore.

3 - You forgot why this used to be fun.

4 - You want to stand out in your field but don’t know how.

5 - You want an exercise that unlocks the flowy fun feeling part of your creative brain.

SHOW NOTES:

Stranger Things
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_Things

Angus Fletcher - Wonderworks / Primal Intelligence
https://www.angusfletcher.co

540 - Why the Creative Path Has to Be Twisty and Turny with Nishant Jain Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

Pre-Order My New Book Mysterious Things Here

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It’s so easy to forget what this is all about. If you need a reminder to embrace imperfection as part of your flavor, and rekindle your drive to just go out and make stuff you love about things you’re interested in, this is your episode!!

Guest Nishant Jain drops a billion good gems here. We talk about his sneaky public drawing practice, his inspiring philosophy around creativity and his new book “Make Sneaky Art”.

I could have talked to Nishant for another hour or more!

This will fuel your creative tank!

SHOW NOTES:

Nishant Jain https://www.sneakyartist.com

Book: Make Sneaky Art https://www.sneakyartist.com/the-book

Kendyll Hillegas http://www.kendyllhillegas.com

Roald Dahl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl

Quentin Blake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Blake

Sneaky Art Podcast - Hosted by Nishant Jain https://www.sneakyartist.com/podcast

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

539 - This Super Easy Thing Will Make A Massive Impact On Your Creative Practice Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word!

---

Do you have a toxic relationship with goal setting and New Year’s resolutions? Have you already given up this year?!

If so, this episode is for you. In this episode, we will explore the easy and impactful starting place that can help you make this season count for your creative practice.

At the end, I share the “Select Your Seed” Venn diagram exercise for figuring out where to focus your energy and how to kick things off in an easy, deep, holistic way.

SHOW NOTES:

Fresh Start Psychology
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/4000-mondays/202412/fresh-starts-the-psychology-behind-new-year-motivation/amp

Study on Result Goals vs Process Goals
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2116723#abstract

The One Thing https://the1thing.com

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

AEROPRESS
Check out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com

538 - Find Your Point of View, Story Insights, and Artist / Audience Dynamics with Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever heard someone say that making creative work is about having a “point of view”? It sounds right, but what does it mean and how do you find yours?

I can’t think of any creatives that have a more compelling sense of their “point of view” than my guests today. Author Mac Barnett and author-illustrator Jon Klassen have such a strong voice, and I have been longing to have them both on the show for such a long time!!

This is an instant all-timer episode for me. These two legends from the picture book world just knocked it out of the park, and we have an incredible chat exploring how to find your point of view, the artist/audience relationship, storytelling, and so much more.

Buckle up. This mega episode starts off with a bang and just gets better and better all the way til the end! This episode will make for a great companion for a long creative session or long drive!

Hope you love it as much as I did!

SHOW NOTES:

Substack: "Looking at Picture Books"
https://lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com

"Mac B. Spy Kid"
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=%22Mac+B.+Spy+Kid%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

"The Skull" by Jon Klassen
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725351/the-skull-by-jon-klassen-illustrated-by-jon-klassen/

"Sam and Dave Dig a Hole" by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
https://www.macbarnett.com/sam-dave-dig-a-hole

"Extra Yarn"
https://www.macbarnett.com/extra-yarn

"Where the Wild Things Are"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Wild_Things_Are

"Goodnight Moon"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Moon

"The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Remains_of_the_Day

"Swim in a Pond in the Rain" by George Saunders
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609280/a-swim-in-a-pond-in-the-rain-by-george-saunders/

"Outside Over There" by Maurice Sendak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outside_Over_There

"Sam and the Firefly" by P.D. Eastman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_and_the_Firefly

"Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls

"Let the Right One In"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Right_One_In_(film)

"Ponyo"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponyo

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind

"Mysterious Things" by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Miller
http://invisiblethings.co

"Making Comics" by Scott McCloud
https://www.scottmccloud.com/makingcomics/

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com

SPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK

AEROPRESS
Check out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com

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