Seeking Validation: The Artist's Paradox

It’s a neat little paradox we live in as artists, isn’t it? Our job is to stay focused on creating solely from our vision, and yet, we can’t help it . . . sometimes we have to look up to see if anyone else is paying attention. Srini Rao, the host and founder of The Unmistakable Creative Podcast, has a lot of great wisdom on this topic as someone who has interviewed over 700 highly creative people and who just published his latest book, “Audience of One: Reclaiming Creativity for Its Own Sake.”  Srini talks about finding validation in your work, surfing as a creative practice, dating as a self-proclaimed B-List Celebrity and answers the question, “Which should take precedence: morning sex or your writing habit?”

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About Your Host, Holly Shaw

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely