In this episode we talk about:

• What comes to mind when Melissa hears “Type A”
• The desire to have several “balls in the air” at one time
• The stovetop model of life design for passion pluralites
• How our identity as an artist is impacted by the internal struggle of reconciling what we do with who we are
• Placing yourself in “artist boxes”
• Perfectionist paralysis impacting your work
• What it looks like to be Playing in the Creative Sandbox
• Creating with the purpose of following curiosity and having fun rather than strictly making a piece of art that will make money
• The ways that creatives get in their own way by making excuses
• The importance of tiny, daily acts in your art that are ridiculously achievable
• How practicing self-compassion allows you to better accomplish goals
• Creativity as self-care versus creativity being seen as indulgent
• How engaging in things that interest you refreshes and replenishes your willpower
• The ways in which the left brain can tend to the right brain and the right brain can tend to the left brain
• Introducing creativity and play into a business context

Mentioned In This Episode:

The Creative Sandbox Way: Your Path to a Full-Color Life by Melissa Dinwiddie

Self Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal  

Lego Serious Play Method

About Melissa:

A full-time freelance artist and calligrapher for 15 years, Melissa Dinwiddie is now chief instigator and lead facilitator of Creative Sandbox Solutions™, a creative consultancy that helps organizations future-proof their people and their plans through the strategic use of play. She is also the founder of the Creative Sandbox Community, an online community and lab for women’s leadership through creative expression. Melissa hosts in-person creativity retreats, and is the host of the Creative Sandbox Way™ podcast, and author of The Creative Sandbox Way: Your Path to a Full-Color Life. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and Siberian cat, Nika, and plays ukulele in her not-so-copious spare time.

Connect with Melissa:

On Her Site

On Instagram

On Her Podcast

On Her Consulting

About The Type A Creative Podcast:

The Type A Creative is for those of us who feel like walking juxtapositions. You know who you are. You can balance spreadsheets just as easily as you can design a logo. Sometimes it’s a little disorienting because you’re a left-brain / right-brain blend that doesn’t always fit into the labels of “artist” or “numbers person.”

On the show we bring in fellow bosses, painters, creative directors, film makers, entrepreneurs, and writers — together we’re having conversations about what it is to be both Type A and Creative.

Don’t forget to rate & review The Type A Creative on iTunes! The more ratings & reviews you leave, the more happy couples we will be able to help navigate all that comes with being engaged!