Ep. 31: Creative Growth Tips for Artists: Crockpot Ideas, Side Projects, and Sustainable Success with Andy J. Pizza

In the second half of this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Stacie and Andy unpack the often unseen tension between creative expression and strategic thinking. They dive into what it means to be a “whole-brain” artist, someone who thrives in both creative exploration and structured planning, and why that's not a contradiction but a powerful gift. Andy shares his love for storytelling structure, the metaphor of crockpots for creative timing, and the concept of having a “main band” and a “side band” to stay creatively flexible. Meanwhile, Stacie gets real about balancing artistry with business, why structure doesn’t mean selling out, and how teaching became the career she never expected to love.

Today on Art + Audience:

• Whole-brain creativity: Stacie and Andy discuss flipping between business strategy and artistic flow.

• Plotters vs. pantsers: The balance between creating from intuition vs. structure, and how both are essential for long-term success.

• Redefining authenticity: Why resistance to structure is often just fear in disguise.

• Crockpot creativity: How putting ideas “on low” instead of trashing them can lead to surprising breakthroughs.

• Main band vs. side band: A powerful metaphor for pursuing multiple creative paths without burnout.

• Building creative careers with intention: Why starting slow, dabbling, and removing pressure can actually accelerate growth.
  
  

Connect with Andy J. Pizza:

• Website: andyjpizza.com

• Instagram: @andyjpizza

• Podcast: Creative Pep Talk Podcast
  

Connect with Stacie Bloomfield:

• Subscribe, Rate, and Review: Art + Audience Podcast

• Website: staciebloomfield.com | leverageyourart.com

• Instagram: @gingiber | @leverageyourart 

• Facebook: @ShopGingiber

• Pinterest: pinterest.com/gingiber

• Leverage Your Art: Stacie’s signature course, opening again this August 2025

• Got questions? Call the Art + Audience Podcast hotline: [phone]