Creative Pep Talk
Andy J. Pizza
A Weekly Podcast Companion for Your Creative Journey
- 1 hour 13 minutes549 - This is How Sensitive Creative People Make Big Changes with Eric Zimmer
Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word: invisiblethings.co
---
Listen if:
1 - All the habit advice doesn’t work you as an emotional creative type
2 - You are tired of fighting yourself to make the changes you want to make
3 - You need an exercise for discovering your deepest held values
If these hit home, this deep dive with author and podcaster Eric Zimmer was made for you!
SHOW NOTES:
Eric Zimmer
https://www.oneyoufeed.net/about-eric-zimmer/How a Little Becomes a Lot by Eric Zimmer
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/how-a-little-becomes-a-lot-eric-zimmer?variant=43996638838818The One You Feed Podcast
https://www.oneyoufeed.netProducer / 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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 April 2026, 4:00 am - 35 minutes 15 seconds548 - 5 Creative / Neurodivergent Friendly Productivity Hacks to Become a Doer
Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word: invisiblethings.co
---
This episode is for you if:
1 - You have so many ideas but struggle to realize many of them!
2 - Most productivity advice doesn’t work for you.
3 - You need to feel excited and hopeful again about your creative practice.
SHOW NOTES:
Creative Pep Talk Ep 548 with Jarod K. Anderson
https://www.creativepeptalk.com/draft-episode-for-mar-04-2026545-make-your-life-creative-work-more-rich-with-meaning-with-jarod/Jim Collins - Jim the Bug
https://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/TheCurseOfCompetence.htmlProducer / 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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 March 2026, 4:00 am - 1 hour 8 minutes547 - Find the Creative Voice You're Holding Back with Claire Keane
Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word: invisiblethings.co
---
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_KeaneProducer / 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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 March 2026, 4:00 am - 28 minutes 6 seconds546 - How to Transform What You're Drowning in Into High Octane Creative Fuel
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/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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 March 2026, 4:00 am - 1 hour 12 minutes545 - Make Your Life & Creative Work More Rich with Meaning with Jarod K. Anderson
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.comStrange 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-pressProducer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.comSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 March 2026, 5:00 am - 35 minutes 7 seconds544 - Quit Focusing on Being Discovered and Sales and Do This Instead
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
---
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:
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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 February 2026, 5:00 am - 39 minutes 55 seconds543 - 3 Shifts to Make if You Feel Off Creatively
Pre-Order My New Book “Mysterious Things” and Help Us Spread the Word http://invisiblethings.co
---
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
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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 February 2026, 5:00 am - 55 minutes 14 seconds542 - When to Reboot Your Work + A Better Option than Beating Yourself Up with Zak Rosen
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
---
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/aboutWeirdly Helpful
https://weirdlyhelpful.showProducer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.co
Audio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.co
Soundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.comSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 February 2026, 3:18 pm - 43 minutes 49 seconds541 - Are You Afraid of The Art? How to Get Past the Fear and Have Fun Again
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_ThingsAngus Fletcher - Wonderworks / Primal Intelligence
https://www.angusfletcher.coProducer / 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=h4HsIKG0SP6KgLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 February 2026, 5:00 am - 1 hour 23 minutes540 - Why the Creative Path Has to Be Twisty and Turny with Nishant Jain
Pre-Order My New Book Mysterious Things Here
---
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.comSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 January 2026, 5:00 am - 38 minutes 20 seconds539 - This Super Easy Thing Will Make A Massive Impact On Your Creative Practice
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/ampStudy on Result Goals vs Process Goals
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2116723#abstractThe 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.comSPONSORS:
SQUARESPACE
Head to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALKAEROPRESS
Check out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.comLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 January 2026, 5:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App