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Andy J. Pizza

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

Creative Pep Talk

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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The Creative Pep Talk Top 5 BEST IDEAS from 2025.

This is a FUN BLITZ through the most essential ideas and tactics from our past year of episodes.

This was exciting and helpful for me to review, and I can’t wait for you to hear this jam packed, end of year episode!‌

SHOW NOTES:502 - How to Beat the Analysis Paralysis of "The Right Path"502 - How to Beat the Analysis Paralysis of "The Right Path"

513 - Why Creatives Have to Build Habits Differently and How to Do It513 - Why Creatives Have to Build Habits Differently and How to Do It

515 - Want to Quit Social Media? 3 Essential Considerations for Any Creative Practice515 - Want to Quit Social Media? 3 Essential Considerations for Any Creative Practice

529 - Escape Your Creative Rut with This 5 Part Creative Hygiene Checklist529 - Escape Your Creative Rut with This 5 Part Creative Hygiene Checklist

532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring

Petey USA on Rainn Wilson’s Soul BoomPetey USA Leans Into Life

Iain McGilchrist - Master and His EmissaryThe Master and His Emissary

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

535 - If You Only Listen to One Episode of this Podcast This Year Make it This One

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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This was one of my favorite chats!!!

DEEP DIVE with my friend and Filmmaker Seth Worley!

We get into:

1 - Finding the drive to stick to long creative quests, especially when you’re not sure you’re going to reach your goal!

2 - Why to make a proof of concept of your idea and put it out there!

3 - Why the path has to take a long time some times!

4 - A trick for finding your edge among your creative peers!

 

SHOW NOTES:

Seth Worleyhttps://sethworley.com

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

 

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

AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

534 - New Fire for Sticking to the Path with Filmmaker Seth Worley

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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This is a favorite!

Special edition of ask Dr. Pizza episode! This time the questions come from the hosts of the Grupo de Autoayuda de Dibujo podcast! THE CRUSHED IT!

 

SHOW NOTES:

Grupo de Autoayuda de Dibujohttps://www.instagram.com/grupodeautoayudadedibujo/https://www.youtube.com/c/GrupodeAutoayudadeDibujo

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

 

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

AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

533 - Make People Feel Things, Hope in AI Crazed World AND Create to Your Taste

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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Who doesn’t want better opportunities?

The key is standing out and having a unique creative offering. But that is much easier said than done, when it feels like EVERYTHING has been DONE!

How do you find your edge?

I have had some client opportunities come may way recently that felt SO perfectly custom tailored for me, and it got me thinking: how did these things fall into my lap?

This episode is what I think helped me position my work in a way that attracted those “perfect fit” opportunities and I hope it helps you do the same!

 

SHOW NOTES:

Landmark Schoolhttps://www.landmarkschool.org

“Standing out: an atypical salience account of creativity” Paperhttps://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(24)00111-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1364661324001116%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

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

 

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

AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring

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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If you’re used to doing work for clients, it can be tough to then create your own solo project. On the other hand, if you’re only used to doing your own thing, working for a client can feel impossible!

How do you find yourself and your creative voice in the mix of all of this?

This is one of the many topics I dive into on today’s episode with Composer Oli Julian. Oli is the composer for Netflix’s new animated Roald Dahl adaptation of “The Twits”, and has a huge wealth of experience doing music for television for the likes of Sex Education and The Complete Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

This was a guest from a very different side of the creative industry, hope you enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

Oli Julianhttps://www.olijulian.co.uk

The Twitshttps://www.netflix.com/title/81612165

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

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

AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

531 - Risks that Land Big Jobs, Be Your Own Client & Find Your Sound with Composer Oli Julian

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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FRANNERD RETURNS! Illustrator, Comic Artist and YouTuber Fran Meneses is a long time friend of the show and it’s been 6 years since her last episode!

We dive deep into:

1 - When mental health “gets in the way” of your creative plans and what has seemed to help both of us.

2 - How to think about creative crossroads and let go of things that don’t serve where you want to go and double down on the path you do want to take.

3 - How the pandemic impacted both of our careers and shaped out creative focus moving forward.

This chat was a blast and filled me with so much hope and comfort. Hope it does the same for you!

 

SHOW NOTES:

Fran Meneses AKA Frannerdhttps://www.frannerd.clhttps://www.instagram.com/frannerd/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/c/FranMeneseshttps://www.patreon.com/frannerd

Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

530 - Something Simple to Do When Mental Health Derails You with Frannerd

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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Like sleep, creativity is something you can’t force. It’s a brain state that you have to slip into. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create the perfect conditions for this state to be more likely to occur. If you have been blocked or in a rut, this episode will give you 5 ways to cultivate your higher creative states and unlock your next favorite piece of work.

 

SHOW NOTES:

Master and His Emissary by Ian McGilchristhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_His_Emissary

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameronhttps://juliacameronlive.com/book/the-artists-way-a-spiritual-path-to-higher-creativity/

Cultivating Life Force by Phil Stutzhttps://www.thetoolsbook.com/blog/practices-to-build-your-life-force

Christoph Niemann - Good Not Great Talkhttps://vimeo.com/130898948

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

 

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

AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

529 - Escape Your Creative Rut with This 5 Part Creative Hygiene Checklist

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

---

We cover a LOT in this episode. If you want some PEP but you’re not sure exactly what it is you need, we probably cover it in this episode! We explore:

When the reality of creating isn’t what we thought it would be.

How to find your flow when things got stale.

Escaping the voices that tell you to hide.

Finding that “magic thread” on your creative path again.

Creative Habits!

How to keep your taste fresh over a lifetime!

SHOW NOTES:

Jake Martin - Guest Host:https://www.instagram.com/stanky.art/https://stankyart.substack.com/

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

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

AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

528 - Overcome Urge to Bury Artwork, Escape Overthinking, Cultivate Your Spark & Re-Find Magic

Stay pepped ALL NEXT YEAR with our 2026 Calendar: creativepeptalk.etsy.com

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Visual journaling can unlock your creativity, but it can also enhance your life. If you are struggling to tune into your everyday life and find inspiration there, this is the episode for you!

Samantha Dion Baker has written the book on this! Well 3 books on this!! So much goodness in this episode!

SHOW NOTES:

Samantha Dion Bakerhttps://www.sdionbaker.comhttps://samanthadionbaker.substack.com

Draw Your Adventureshttps://www.sdionbaker.com/books

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

SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

527 - Visual Journaling: Generate Ideas, Mindfulness and Creative Voice with Samantha Dion Baker

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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Find your niche. Stand out from the competition. Find your unique selling point.

Easier said than done. Right? In this episode we explore where your creative edge might be hiding and how to strategically think about your place within the creative markets you find yourself in.

SHOW NOTES:

Get the Creative Career Path Handbook by signing up to the newsletter: andyjpizza.substack.com

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

SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

526 - Your Niche is Hiding in The Last Place You’d Look

Cathy's Interview With Me on her podcast: 
https://www.dontkeepyourdayjob.com/episodes/andy-j-pizza

Cathy Heller
http://www.cathyheller.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cathy.heller/

Cathy's Dreamtopia Workshop
https://cathy-heller.teachable.com/p/live-event

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CREDITS
Patreon Patron Shoutout!
Thank you Nicholas Goodger! Check out Nicholas' work:
http://www.goodsir.co
Instagram: @nicholasgoodger

Support Creative Pep Talk on Patreon: www.patreon.com/creativepeptalk

Thanks to Yoni Wolf and the band WHY? for our theme music.

Thanks to Alex Sugg for editing and the podcast!
www.alexsugg.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

215 - Don't Keep Your Day Job with Cathy Heller

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