The Creative Life Podcast

You’ve made it to the finish line, the creative project you’ve put your heart and soul into is finally done and dusted… but the real fun has only just started. In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast, Holly and Thea talk about all things editing. What do we mean by underediting and overediting? Is there a scientific method to the art of the edit? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you know...

Holly and Thea are back and this time we’re talking about the creative equivalent of running a marathon… and then refusing to cross the finish line. Why is finishing so hard?!?! Why do we happily start twelve new projects but suddenly develop selective amnesia when it comes to wrapping one up? In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast, we dive into the strange fear of finishing creative work —...

In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast, we’re joined by actor, producer (and Holly’s cousin!) James Schofield. If, like Holly and Thea, you know next to nothing about acting, then buckle your seatbelts and prepare to be enlightened! We chat to James about the importance of support from teachers early on in a creative career, how he found his current role at The Living Theatre, and the joy of...

Grab a cuppa and join Holly and Thea on The Creative Life Podcast as we chat to indie author JJ Larkey about all things bookish! From drafting chapters on her phone whilst juggling family life, to applying to a Call for Submissions on a whim, to landing her first book deal, JJ gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at her debut novel, Royally Half Elf. We learn a few secrets of the trade such as how sh...

​​Holly and Thea are back with less of a bang and more of a gentle fizz… it’s the end of a busy creative year and we’re talking burnout! On this episode of The Creative Life Podcast we discuss what creative burnout looks like for us and offer a variety of helpful tips — whether you want to get straight back to creating or make the most of a full rest, we’ve got you covered!  It’s been an absolute...

Oh God, I do not belong on this podcast, I don’t have anything insightful to say, oh God, what am I doing here, oh help, oh… wait, is this thing on?  On this episode of The Creative Life Podcast, we’re talking all things imposter syndrome. Have you ever had an underlying feeling that you’re not good enough? What about a moment of crisis, where everyone else in the room seems to know what they’re d...

This week, Thea and Holly swap their paintbrushes and word docs for something a little more… movement-based. We’re joined by guest Dance Artist Catherine Sleeman (@inkstainedballerina on Instagram), whose creative journey takes us from a childhood fondness for pink tutus (thanks, Little Pink Ballerina ) to the rich, tangled world of contemporary dance, folk traditions, and finding meaning through...

Your favourite podcast is back with a special Part 2 on that juicy old chestnut, social media for creatives. Here you can expect to find the quick and simple 5 step formula to millions of social followers… not. This is the podcast where we delve into interesting questions like - is social media replacing physical forms of art such as going to an art gallery? And why does the scroll exacerbate our...

It’s been a minute, but Holly and Thea are back! In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast we begin our treacherous journey through the toxic wasteland that is social media – hold onto your hats and watch out for the gatekeepers! Holly and Thea share anecdotes on how they use today’s overabundance of social media sites as creatives, whilst navigating such perils as short attention spans and dis...

Do you have a million creative pursuits and feel the pressure to ‘niche down’? In this episode, Thea and Holly dive headfirst into the gloriously chaotic world of being multi-creative . From novel-writing woes (cue dramatic violins) to mood board mania, we chat about the joys and perils of juggling All The Things. Why settle for one creative identity when you can dabble in ten, burn out in five, a...

This week on The Creative Life Podcast Thea interviews Holly and Holly interviews Thea as they get their teeth around the question of entrepreneurship as a creative. In this episode we discuss why the word ‘entrepreneurial’ feels so scary for creatives, how to go about adding business skills to your creative toolkit, and some of the benefits and downsides of using your business head when thinking...

Jealousy, comparison, and bitterness walk into a bar… and ruin your creative confidence. In this episode, we’re talking about why you want your friend’s book deal, hate your own draft, and feel weirdly competitive with that one random acquaintance from university who is now on Richard Osman’s House of Games. In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast we unpack the messy emotions creatives face (...

SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME! I bet that got your attention, just like a shiny new creative project just begging to be embarked upon. But how do you know when to say yes or no to a creative opportunity? Thea and Holly are back with another episode of The Creative Life Podcast, sharing the best times they’ve said yes, the times they’ve felt creative remorse, and how they decide between saying no or leapin...

In the immortal words of Kool & The Gang: celebrate good times (COME ON!) You’re listening to the tenth episode of The Creative Life Podcast and this week we’re all about celebrating our creative milestones! Holly and Thea discuss why it is important to celebrate your wins (no matter how small) and share ideas for some ways you can let your hair down. Takeaway? Yes please! Thank you for sticki...

Perfectionism—our old frenemy. In this episode, Holly and Thea get real about the creative struggle of wanting everything to be just right … and how that usually means making life a whole lot harder for ourselves. Expect a totally not perfect pause, some mildly embarrassing personal stories, and Holly going on a full-blown rant about what sketchbooks are ACTUALLY for. We’re also sharing the (somet...

Well, look who’s back! After a slightly-longer-than-usual break, Holly and Thea return to present an episode of The Creative Life Podcast all about work/creativity balance. They discuss the validity of being an artist with a day job, share tips on juggling art with a traditional 9-5, and discover that they have very different ideas on the perfect job for a creative…. Also featuring: Holly’s double...

What happens when you put Holly and Thea in the same room to talk about mood swings as a creative? No, it’s not the setup for a dramatic plot twist… It's this episode of The Creative Life Podcast! We dive into the emotional rollercoaster that comes with making art—how creative highs can feel euphoric, and how the inevitable lows can make you want to quit altogether. Holly and Thea share their go-t...

If you really enjoyed our last episode on “Accepting your calling as an artist” and were hoping we’d chat about it more  – good news! (If you really hated our last episode on “Accepting your calling as an artist” and were hoping we’d chat about it less  – bad news!) Holly and Thea are back for round two, this time discussing the question: does accepting your calling as a creative mean making a car...

What does it mean to truly accept your calling as an artist? In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast, we look at the shame and self-doubt that often accompanies identifying as a creative person. Holly shares her struggles to embrace her artistic identity and Thea asks the question: is everyone inherently creative or are some of us uniquely called to the artistic life? Tune in for an honest, v...

Rev up your engines and get those creative brains in gear, because Holly and Thea are back and here to chat about “Starting power”! In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast we discuss why it’s so difficult to get going on a project, how we motivate ourselves to find our flow, and whether “a ploddy, mundane start” could be something to aspire to rather than avoid. You won’t want to miss this on...

What happens when you put Holly and Thea in the same room to discuss “Putting yourself out there as a creative”? No, it’s not the start of a corny joke… it’s what happens in this episode of The Creative Life Podcast! Together we discuss our biggest fears (looking silly for Holly, getting negative feedback for Thea), why it is important to push yourself to face them, and some of the steps we have m...

Have you got the cringe factor? Holly and Thea certainly have when they look back over their past creative work! In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast we delve into why it’s so hard to judge your previous output objectively, remind ourselves why reflection is important, and consider how we can look back in a kind and healthy way (Hint: Oasis had the right idea… not Wonderwall, the other one...

It's happening! Welcome to The Creative Life Podcast! In this episode we take our first wobbly steps into the world of podcasting as we umm and ahh our way through the topic of “Making time for creativity”. We discuss what holds us back – from fear of the blank page, to absent muses, to prioritising taxing the car – and the ways in which we overcome these obstacles. Have you tried setting gentle d...