Harnessing Hate: Fueling Creativity with Negative Energy

Hello, friend, this is Timothy Kimo, Brian, your head instigator for create art

podcast, where I bring more over 30 years of experience in the arts and educational

world to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume.

So this year in 2024, I am doing what's called the Making Fun a Habit series.

And that's based on the book by Michael Brennan, who also runs the

Creative Chats podcast, and who I had the privilege of interviewing on my

other podcast, Find a Podcast About.

What this book is, is a 30 day workbook to help you do exactly what it says.

Make fun a habit in your artistic practice.

practice.

So make sure that you get a copy of the book and it is in my show

notes for a link to that book.

And this is really going to help us out in putting the fun back into whatever

artistic project we're working on.

So what I've decided to do is, since it's a 30 day workbook, I'm

going to make 30 episodes out of it.

And this episode marks the halfway point.

That's right.

Day number 15, episode number 15 in this series.

So what are we talking about today?

Well, we're talking about, um, having, you know, more problems and more projects

and kind of using that negative energy in order to Fuel your artistic practice.

Now, for me, that can be dangerous and it can be very helpful.

So I, I have to be very careful with this type of type of stuff because

for me, it can get me stuck into a certain pattern and getting stuck

in a pattern is not a fun thing.

So what Mike Brennan does in his book is he.

Tells a little story at the beginning and then he gives us questions Uh, he

also gives us action items and tips.

So we're going to start with the questions that he poses to us.

First question is what do you hate and why?

So there's a lot of things that I hate.

Um, but I think one of the biggest things I hate is, um, the injustice and.

Uh, if we're talking in the world, I hate seeing injustice in the world.

It's just, it doesn't make any sense to me.

What do I hate in my immediate world that I can have an effect on?

Well, sometimes I hate, uh, well, all the time I hate that I

have MS and it zaps my strength.

And it sometimes is difficult to, uh, get tasks done during the day.

So that's what I hate about having MS.

It's just, it can be a nightmare.

Uh, you know, especially as a father of twin 10 year olds, you know, not having

the energy to go out and play with them all the time, uh, it really impacts me

and really does a number on my psyche.

So that's what I hate.

That's why I hate it.

What's the problem, question number two is what's the problem that

irritates you that has gone unresolved?

Well, I think a problem with me is that

I guess for me, the problem that I hate that I haven't resolved is,

you know, getting out of my own way, um, and believing that any success.

Uh, or any project that I do is worthy of, you know, showing to an audience.

And it's a lack of self confidence.

And I know, I'm sitting here on YouTube looking at you,

uh, and you're looking at me.

And yeah, I have four books of poetry out there.

I have art all over my walls.

I have this podcast that's been going on since essentially since 2006.

But for me, that's not enough.

And, uh, you know, I want, I want things to be very successful.

So that's something that's gone unresolved.

It's something that I'm continually working at.

So that's just one of the things that, you know, really resonates with me.

Question number three is, what are some of the challenges of using things

you hate as a source of inspiration?

So, for me, the challenge is, is two fold.

One, I get stuck, I get fixated on that negative energy, that thing that I hate.

And I keep on writing about it, or I keep on doing projects that remind me of it.

The second thing is, if I'm using that energy, I'm just, Focusing on

the problem, not on the solution.

So I always have to remind myself, yeah, you can be angry about this.

You can be mad about this, but what are you doing to get past it?

And that's something that I'm still learning how to

do get past certain things.

Question number four is what are some of the benefits of using something

you hate as a source of inspiration?

Well, hate is a very strong emotion.

When you hate something, you go out of your way to avoid it, to downplay

it, to get it out of your life.

Yeah.

And that's why it's such a strong emotion.

It requires, if you hate something, it requires action on you and

it requires energy on your part.

So, um, having that energy kind of negates the MS and, uh, it's

a little bit of a vicious cycle.

I, I know when I was first reading my poetry in, in public, uh, I looked at the

audience as people I wanted to fight and I used that energy to fuel my performance.

Uh, these days I don't really do that anymore.

I, you know, I do talk to the audience when I'm up on the stage, uh, doing

a poetry reading and uh, I, I do, you know, trade barbs with them, uh,

I could say, but it's more for fun.

It's more to kind of relax the atmosphere.

So, um, that's how I use, uh, that energy.

Um, do I like standing, standing in front of the audience and,

you know, burying my soul?

I must, because I do it week in and week out.

So I like the energy that it produces.

I don't like the subject matter or, uh, the fact that I focus on the issue or the

problem or the thing that I hate, uh, to the detriment of focusing on other things.

Let's go move into action items.

First action item is read a short story or a poem about something you hate.

I have done that so many times, so many times, but I, I think one

thing that I need to do is once I write about it, be done with it.

Get it all out, and just be done with it and let leave it out there in the world

and don't let it bother you anymore.

That's a way to get, get rid of that, to go through those

feelings and just get rid of it.

Number two, design a product or service that solves a problem that you hate.

I have to think about that one, but that does sound kind of interesting is, you

know, something that you hate, you know, maybe you design the next robot robo

vacuum or something along those lines.

So, uh, that's something I'm going to have to really think about.

Uh, you know, what do I hate so much that I could do a product or

a service that would get rid of it?

Who knows?

Number three, start a blog or podcast about the things you hate.

Oh, that would be a huge podcast because there's a big list of things that I hate.

So, uh, I think I have enough podcasts right now, but maybe a blog would be

something or, you know, add a blog to podcasts about things that I hate.

Um, so maybe that would be a good.

Uh, thing, uh, good newsletter type thing, or a, uh, blog post

for my find a podcast about, so I, that one I can take to heart now.

Mike's tips.

He has three of them.

First one is look for the silver lining.

So he's talking in this, uh, in this chapter about, you know, addressing

the things you hate, using that as your fuel, using it health, healthily.

And I think also with this tip, you know, the thing that you hate

isn't going to be there forever.

And if you're working to get rid of it, you're at least doing something

with that emotion, with that energy.

So, you know, envision a time when that thing won't be around, when

that issue will be resolved, or that thing you hate will be resolved.

Second tip is turn your hatred into humor.

I love that.

I love humor and turning the thing that I hate into something humorous,

that's an easy do and that we can start working on right away.

You know, if we're laughing at something we hate or we may realize how ridiculous

it is that we hate that thing.

So try some humor and try adding some humor to it and see

if that doesn't work for you.

And then the third tip is use your hatred as a source of energy.

I've done that for many, many decades.

Uh, and it, it's a cheap way of doing it.

Uh, but you have to remember that it can't be your only source of energy.

So try other things.

Uh, such as meditation, such as, you know, long walks in the park, or, uh, if your

astrological sign allows long walks on the beach, you know, I'm a Sagittarius.

So I'm always doing long walks on the beach, but you know, you can use that,

uh, hatred as a, as a source of energy.

Just don't fixate on it.

Just don't let that overtake you and become what you're known for.

And, uh, you know, be able to expand yourself.

Use it for a time, but then let it go.

Find that silver lining.

Think about when that thing that you hate won't be around anymore and use that.

I definitely want to thank you for joining us here on, uh, create our podcast.

That's right.

I said us, and that means me and our new cat socks.

Um, he's in the background here.

You may hear him.

He may decide to pop in on future podcast episodes and share his mind with you.

He's a really lovable cat.

So, um, make sure you can.

Send emails to me, Timothy at createartpodcast.

com, uh, send questions to Socks the Cat about how much he

enjoys belly rubs around here.

Uh, no, but seriously, folks, definitely want to thank you for joining me

here today for this episode and uh, thinking about, you know, what fuels

your creativity and maybe using things that you hate to fuel your creativity.

Just want to give you a couple of announcements.

Um, first.

Is that as many, you know, I do, uh, I do have guests on the show

and how do I get those great guests?

Well, I use a service called pod match and it gets me.

It gets me matched up with fantastic guests.

Now, if you want to be a guest on shows, you can use my affiliate link, sign up

for pod match, and there's thousands of shows there that are looking for your

expertise that are looking to talk to you.

So definitely check that out for yourself.

Another thing I want to talk to you about is, you know, making

it easier to share my podcast.

Um, I have joined up with podcast beacon and what they have is they

have these little beacons that you can wear like a wristwatch or key fob.

And if you have a podcast, you want to definitely check this out because Instead

of, you know, heading somebody a card or a sticker or something along those lines,

you can have them just hold their phone over the wristband or the key fob, and

it'll automatically bring up your podcast.

So check that out.

If you have a podcast, check it out.

I do have the links in the show notes, and that is my affiliate link there for you.

So

that's what I have for you here today.

Again, you can reach out to me and tell me what you like about the show,

what you don't like about the show, what you'd like to hear more of less

of, or if you want to become a guest, go to timothyatcreateartpodcast.

com.

I would love to hear from you and what's going on where you're at in your

creativity, in your creative journey.

I want to also let you know that I do run another podcast called find

a podcast about you can find it at find a podcast about dot X, Y, Z,

and that's where I combed through millions of podcasts to find you the

ones that are the most binge worthy.

Check that podcast out and let me help you outsmart the algorithm.

And this is all part of the TKB Studios network.

TKB Studios, we help you.

Through all the noise.

We lead you through all the noise in podcast production.

So that way your message can cut through.

Yes, TKB Studios, we are the quiet professionals.

Alright, that is all that I have for you here this week.

Again, thank you so much for listening on in.

Now go out there and tame your inner critic.

Create more than you consume.

Use that thing you hate as a source of energy for you, if that helps.

Go out there and make some art for somebody you love, yourself.

I'll talk to you next time.