Possibilities in Creativity: Let's Dive In!

Finding possibilities is the name of the game in this episode, and let me tell you, we’re diving into some seriously fun territory! We’re back with our Make Fun of Habit series, inspired by Mike Brennan’s workbook that’s all about injecting joy into your creative practice. I mean, who doesn’t want to turn their artistic endeavors into a playground of possibilities? Together, we’ll explore how to flip challenges into opportunities and uncover those hidden gems in our creative journeys. So grab your favorite drink, kick back, and let's chat about how we can all sprinkle a little more fun into the art-making process!

Making Fun A Habit Series

30 days to add fun to your creative practice. I will be going through Mike Brennan's Make Fun A Habit workbook and help you make fun a habit. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mike on my other podcast Find A Podcast About and talking about his podcast Creative Chats. This workbook leads you through steps to rekindle the fun in your life and get you into a space where you are your most creative. This is a 30-day book and I will tackle each day as if it were a week and provide insights on how to use his ideas in your creative practice. Each chapter is broken up with a short story, questions to ponder, action items, and tips.

Diving deeper into the conversation, Timothy unpacks some juicy questions posed by Mike Brennan in his workbook. One of the standout moments is when he reflects on where he struggles to find possibilities in his own creative journey, sharing a sincere insight about battling low energy levels due to MS. But fear not! Instead of sulking in a corner, he flips the script and talks about the limitless possibilities that art can offer, no matter the challenges. It’s a refreshing perspective that encourages all of us to pull on our creative boots and stomp through the muck of limitations. He also reminisces about past surprises that came from embracing possibilities, like the unexpected joy of experimenting with podcast formats — who knew spouting off into a mic could lead to such a rich tapestry of connections and conversations?

Takeaways:

• Creating art is all about finding possibilities, so don’t hold back on your creativity!
• Tim’s journey with MS shows how art can thrive even in challenging circumstances—energy is key!
• The podcasting world is wide open; there are no strict rules, just your unique voice!
• Homework doesn’t have to be boring; think of it as fun challenges to spark creativity!
• Reflecting on personal challenges can flip your perspective and lead to breakthrough ideas!
• Persistence is the secret sauce in creativity—don’t stop trying different approaches!

Links referenced in this episode:

• findingfindapodcastaboutxyz
• timothy.brian.substack.com
• tkbpodcaststudio.com
• findapodcastaboutxyz

How do I get such great guests?

PodMatch I use Podmatch to get the best guests on the show. Check out PodMatch if you want to guest on other podcasts or if you have a podcast and need guests for your show. Guests from Podmatch

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Episode Transcript

(00:04):
Create Art Podcast CommentaryFinding Possibilities part of the
Make a Habit series hello friend.
This is Timothy Kim O.
Bryan, your head instigatorfor Create Art podcast where I use
my over 30 years of experiencein the arts and education world to

(00:27):
help you tame your innercritic and create more than you consume.
So we've had a number ofinterviews in the past few interviews
and I wanted to get back intothe Make Fun of Habit series which
is from Mike Brennan.
And he hosts a podcast calledCreative Chats.

(00:48):
And this is from his book MakeFun of Habit.
Now I've had him on my othershow, Find a Podcast about which
you can find at Finding Find aPodcast about xyz.
And that's where I help youfind your next binge worthy podcast.
But with this book, it's a workbook.
It takes you through a monthof activities to help you do what

(01:11):
the book says, make fun a habit.
And as creatives, we all needto put that fun back into our creative
practice.
I think.
Anyways, so there's 30chapters in this book and it goes
through a whole month.
If you read it straightthrough, you'll read it through very

(01:32):
quickly.
I know I've gone through it anumber of times.
And this episode we're goingto be talking about finding possibilities.
This is chapter 24.
Let me talk a little bit aboutthe workbook and then we'll get right
into this.
Okay, so what Mike does ispretty much tell a story about the
topic, something that relatesto in his life, in his creative practice,

(01:57):
how he got the idea forputting this topic in the book, and
then he gives you assignments.
Yes, there's homework.
It's okay.
It's not bad homework.
It's good homework.
You're going to want to do it.
So he'll have questions foryou to answer.
He'll give you tips and actionitems on how to actually make fun

(02:18):
a habit in your creative practice.
All ties in very nicely.
What I've decided to do is totake each chapter and make it into
an episode for this podcast.
Links to his book will be inthe show notes there for you.
So if you want to go ahead andpick it up, tell Mike I sent you.
And he's a really great guy.

(02:39):
So you're going to enjoy thisbook as much as I have.
All right, so the title of thechapter is, you know, finding Possibilities.
And that's something that Ireally enjoy about it.
I mean, in the story he talksabout possibilities that he has found
in his creative practice.
And I know for mepossibilities are limitless you can

(03:03):
do anything with whatevercreative project you're trying to
get out into the world.
So let's dive into hisquestions, and the first one is,
where do you struggle to findpossibilities and why?
So for me, I really don'tstruggle to find possibilities.

(03:23):
My struggle sometimes, becauseI have ms, is to find the energy
to pursue these projects.
And I can tell you I've.
I've not been behind the micin a little while here, mainly because,
you know, a lot of things aregoing on in the world that directly
impact me and, you know,exaggerate my Ms.

(03:47):
So my, my energy levels havebeen really low.
So that's where my struggle is.
But for possibilities, I don'treally struggle with that because
I can take a look atsomething, at an idea that I have
and really go down that rabbit hole.

(04:08):
I don't know what it is aboutme, but I really don't have that
kind of an issue.
And I think one of the reasonswhy I do that is because, well, multiple
reasons.
Some of the music that Ilisten to is really experimental.
They're trying new things.
They're not always successful,you know, in terms of record sales

(04:32):
or whatnot.
I.
The type of art I enjoylooking at really does that for me
as well.
It's really experimental.
And so I try to surroundmyself with folks that really go
through all the possibilitiesthat they can go through.
So the next question is, whenhave you experienced possibilities

(04:53):
in the past that surprised you?
And podcasting for sure, thereare different formats, different
ways to do podcasting.
I do it this way because Ithink more people can relate to it.
You know, doing commentary,doing interviews.

(05:14):
That's the format of this show.
And but with podcasting, thereare no hard, fast rules.
I mean, yes, this format is effective.
I'm not going to, you know,try to blow smoke up ya, but there
you make up your own rules.
With podcasting, I can doanything I want.

(05:36):
I can do this all.
I've done multipleexperimental podcasts and podcast
episodes on different podcaststhat I run.
And that's what reallysurprised me, because podcasting
is kind of a technical art form.

(05:58):
What do I mean by technicalart form?
There's a lot of technologyinvolved with it.
There's not a lot of puttingmy hands on something and creating
it, or so it is.
I have an idea.
Let me talk about that ideaand maybe you'll get it, maybe you
won't.
Maybe you'll like it, maybeyou don't.

(06:18):
So for me, podcasting reallyturned into something that I can
do.
Solo if I want to.
I don't have to wait foranybody else.
Now, you know me, I'm.
I have a theater background,and with theater, you have to have
a lot of people there withyou, sharing your vision and, you
know, presenting it to an audience.

(06:39):
But with podcasting, I'm justsitting here in my man cave, spouting
off stuff, throwing music inthere, throwing artwork in there,
and that really surprised meas to where I take this art form.
For me, the third question is,in light of what you may be facing,
how would you answer thequestion, what does this make possible?

(07:03):
So, for me, what doespodcasting make possible?
Well, I'm actually starting upanother podcast.
I know, shocking surprise, butit's going to be about my journey
with MS, and I'm calling it mysolo journey with Ms.
And it's a documentary, whichI never.

(07:24):
You know, 10 years ago, if yousaid, hey, Tim, you're going to make
a documentary about a chronicdisease that you're going to develop,
I would have said, dude, whatare you smoking?
And get it away from me.
So that's what surprises me iswhere I can take this art form and,
you know, meeting people fromacross the country, from across the

(07:45):
world.
Never would have thought thatwhen I first started podcasting in
2006, all I was trying to dowas reach out to my friends across
the country that reallyenjoyed poetry and poetry readings
and other poets.
And that was my.
That was my thing.
That was what I wanted to do.
Kind of reminded me of Pump upthe volume.

(08:07):
It's a 90s film with Christian Slater.
And I always go back to thatand go, yeah, that's initially what
I was trying to do.
And now I look at what I have.
I just took some.
Just took a look at somepictures that I have of my space
where I do the podcast at.
And it has gone from, youknow, just a little old laptop with

(08:31):
a crappy microphone, and nowI've got multiple microphones, multiple
laptops, you know, externalhard drives, multiple email accounts,
different accounts to dodifferent things.
And I have to sit backsometimes and go, wow, this is where

(08:51):
this rabbit hole led me.
And it's pretty interesting,and it's a lot of fun for me.
It's a lot of fun.
Hopefully, it's a lot of funfor you, too.
That's why you're listening to it.
All right, the next section isAction Items.
And this is what I really loveabout his book.
He gives you stuff that youcan do, gives you kind of some homework.

(09:11):
So first thing is reflect onyour current situation and identify
challenges or reasons why youwant that change.
So my current situation is,you know, I work a full time job.
I do, you know, three hours ofcommuting up to D.C.
every day.
So that can be challenging toget here in the studio, in the Man
Cave studios and knock outsome stuff because my energy levels

(09:36):
are so low.
So what am I doing?
Well, I've joined three online Ms.
Groups to, you know, kind ofhelp me deal with that aspect of
it and just, you know, beingmore cognizant of my time that I
have to devote to this.

(09:57):
As I'm recording this, it'sSunday morning, My wife and kids
are asleep, but I'm awake.
You know, I'm sitting heredrinking coffee and talking with
you.
So these are some of thechallenges that I have.
And that's why, you know, Iwant to be here with you and talk
to you about these challenges.
Maybe you're going through thesame thing and maybe I can give you

(10:19):
an idea on how to overcomethat challenge.
So the next action item isflip those challenges into a possibility
statement.
What the heck is a possibility statement?
Oh my gosh.
Well, the challenges that Ihave are, you know, just let you
know.
So with ms, you know, it'spossible for me to live and thrive

(10:46):
using Ms.
And help other people who arenewly diagnosed or who are having
challenges with Ms.
I can share my experience andknock that out.
As far as, you know, the threehour commute, it's my possibility
statement is it could be afour hour commute, it could be a

(11:07):
two hour commute.
But I'm working with my dayjob, with the job that pays for all
this kind of good stuff andfinding ways that I can cut that
commute down by moving to adifferent office, different location,
or trying to do some telework.
So that way I can have moreenergy to focus in on my art, which
is what I really want to do.

(11:29):
Also, with the lack of time,I'm finding new ways and using AI
so that way I can maximize mytime in creating there that I want
to create.
So using differenttechnologies, these challenges give
me the impetus to explorethese new technologies so that way

(11:49):
I can create the art that Iwant to create.
The third action item ischoose one or two alternate situations
and focus on those.
So an alternate situation forme would be to go back to remote
work or get more telework time.
So I'm pursuing that with, youknow, the organization that I work

(12:10):
for in the daytime to see if Ican't, you know, do more work from
home.
And that would be really great.
As far as my Ms.
Goes, I have a new neurologistthat I'm going to be seeing and,
you know, using the, theexperience of others in these online
groups, you know, helping memanage my Ms.

(12:34):
In a better way than I havebeen managing it in the past few
years.
So that's where I would liketo be in a year or two is to, you
know, have, have that managedvery well and to have my time managed
very well so that way I cancreate more things.
And number four action item iscommit to taking small actionable

(12:57):
changes to your currentsituation to explore the possibilities.
Well, I am taking thoseactionable changes right now.
I've joined up with threeonline Ms.
Groups.
So that is, you know, a change.
And I've got, you know, the,the schedule in my phone.
So that way I know, you know,exactly where I'm going to be on

(13:19):
what day I'm going to be there.
And, you know, the otheractionable item, step I took was
to, you know, find aneurologist and get going with that
aspect of my life to manage mytime better with my creativity.
You know, I'm using differentAI tools and I'm using different

(13:42):
project management tools andI'm getting back into the, hey, this
is a project management kindof thing.
And that's going to help meschedule my creativity better and
organize it in a better formatso that way you can get it.
As much as it lives in myhead, it needs to come out of my

(14:04):
head and come in over theairwaves, over the ether and into
your ears and into your head.
So those are the small actualitems or steps that I'm trying to
do.
Okay, so Mike gives us.
He ends it off with different tips.
And the first tip is to talkto people.
Well, I'm talking to you.

(14:25):
I'm talking to people onlineabout my Ms.
I'm talking.
Actually, I'm.
In September, I'm going to apodcast conference in North Carolina
called the Empowered Podcast Conference.
So I'll be talking to thosepeople about what they're doing to
manage their time better.
You know, different templates,different tricks that they're using.

(14:46):
So I'm already doing this kindof stuff and it's fantastic and,
you know, it's going to helpme and it's going to make more possibilities
for me in the future.
His next tip is to be creative.
Oh, my gosh.
While I'm talking to a bunchof creatives in every episode here,
whether I'm interviewingsomebody or just talking directly
to you.

(15:07):
So be creative in the waysthat you're bringing possibility
into your artistic practice.
That's, that's the whole thingis we are creative.
You and I are creative.
We do things that most peopledon't do, and that's okay.
I mean, I do.
I think most people shouldabsolutely, you know, the art that

(15:30):
I've created, that's broughtjoy into my life.
I know you've experiencedthat, too, otherwise you wouldn't
be listening to this podcast.
So let's be creative on how webring those possibilities about.
Let's think outside of the box.
I know that's a cliche, but,you know, whatever we're what, whatever
the tried and true method is,let's turn that on its head and find

(15:53):
different ways to createpossibilities for ourselves.
And then the last thing, thelast tip he gives us is to be persistent.
You know, things aren't goingto change unless we change them.
Think about that for a second.
Things are not going to changeunless we change them and unless
we work to make the changethat we seek to have.

(16:16):
So if one thing doesn't work,try something else.
Keep going at it.
There are an infinite amountof ways to bring possibility into
your life.
So get to work on that.
Okay?
That's what I have for you today.
I hope you've got somethingout of this.
I know I certainly gotsomething out of it.

(16:37):
And just a few things to leaveyou with.
I'm still running the newsletter.
You can get that over on Substack.
You can go totimothy.brianubstack.com and Brian
is spelled B R I EN.
I know, actually, you don'tneed to put a dot between the Timothy

(16:57):
and the Brian.
You just do Timothybrian.substack.com and there I post,
you know, notices on, youknow, hey, this episode is coming
out.
And then I use Google NotebookLM to do a kind of a deep dive into

(17:18):
whatever topic I'm talking about.
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Share the podcast with friendsyou have.
If you're.
Whatever podcast app you'relistening to, you probably have a
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By all means, if you getsomething out of it, share it with
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(17:40):
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(18:01):
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(18:21):
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(18:42):
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Now I do run another podcast.
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You can find it at Find aPodcast About X, Y, Z.
And that's where I help youfind your next binge worthy podcast.
So give that a look.
See for yourself.
And then lastly, I started upmy own business here in 2025.

(19:05):
It's called TKB Podcast Studio.
You can find that@tkb podcaststudio.com and what I do there is
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(19:25):
So definitely check me out onthat website.
All right, that's all I gotfor you today.
I need to get on with my Sunday.
I can hear my kids waking up.
So go out there, tame thatinner critic, create more than you
consume, and go out there andmake some art for somebody you love.

(19:45):
Yourself.
I'll talk to you real soon.