How you can turn your creative passion into a lucrative business? Is giving up a reliable 9-5 job to pursue your creative career right for you?

The team touch on legalities such as contracts, proposals, the difference between a sole trader and a limited company, dealing with difficult clients and managing workload as well as refining your brand and how to target your ideal audience, finding your niche or broadening your offering and how to work out an hourly rate and place yourself amongst competitors.

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Learn Create Thrive Podcast

Host: Karl Taylor
Guests: Tim Gaudion (Creative Director & Illustrator), Ben Thoume (Video Production Lead) and Emma Harris (Creative Marketing Executive)

Episode Overview:
In this episode, Karl Taylor and his guests dive into the phenomenon of creative block—a challenge faced by creatives of all types. With lively discussions and actionable insights, the team shares personal experiences, coping strategies, and the role of external distractions and self-doubt in stifling creativity. Whether you’re a professional artist or an occasional hobbyist, you’ll find inspiration and practical tips to keep your creative juices flowing.

Key Discussion Points:

• What is creative block, and how does it manifest across different creative fields?
• Common causes: stress, burnout, lack of novelty, and self-doubt.
• The interplay of routine, deadlines, and external distractions.
• Effective methods for overcoming creative block, from changing styles to physical activity.
• The importance of giving yourself permission to fail and step back when needed.

Episode Highlights:

• Tim’s Perspective: Insights on how deadlines amplify creative block and how stepping away often sparks ideas.
• Karl’s Remedy: The refreshing power of switching genres, like moving from commercial studio photography to outdoor landscapes.
• Benjamin’s Creativity Hack: How music can transform the editing process and reignite inspiration.
• Emma’s Reflection: The importance of balancing work and personal passion to maintain creativity.
• Group Consensus: External distractions, especially social media, as major creativity killers—and how to combat them.

Welcome to Episode 8 of the Learn Create Thrive Podcast

Host: Karl Taylor

Guests:

• Tim Gaudion (Creative Director & Illustrator)
• Ben Thoume (Video Production Lead)
• Emma Harris (Creative Marketing Executive)

Episode Overview:
In this episode, Karl and his creative team discuss the core differences between photography and cinematography, exploring storytelling techniques, technical setups, and evolving industry trends. They share insights on how photographers can venture into filmmaking, leveraging their existing skills while adapting to new challenges like video editing and sound design.

Key Discussion Points:

• Technical differences: Stills vs. motion, lighting, and camera setup
• Storytelling: Crafting narratives through stills and moving images
• Transitioning: How photographers can expand into cinematography
• Tools & Techniques: Affordable gear, editing tools, and DIY tips
• Industry Insights: Professional film production workflows and client expectations

Episode Highlights:

• Tim on Storytelling: “In stills, the story is told in one frame, while video offers a timeline for creative storytelling.”
• Ben on Tools: “Modern cameras blur the line between stills and video — even major films use compact cameras now.”
• Emma on Marketing: “Video captures attention faster on social media. It’s a skill photographers should master.”
• Karl on Cinematic Style: “Lighting and sound play a critical role in setting the right mood for both stills and motion.”

Host: Karl Taylor
Guests:
Tim Gaudion (Creative Director & Illustrator)
Ben Thoume (Video Production Lead)
Emma Harris (Creative Marketing Executive)

Episode Overview:
In this episode of the Learn Create Thrive Podcast, Karl Taylor and his team delve into the fundamental yet often overlooked element of all visual art forms- light. From photography and cinematography to illustration and marketing, they discuss how understanding and manipulating light can elevate your creative work.The conversation is filled with insights, personal anecdotes, and practical advice to help listeners harness the power of light to enhance mood and emotion in their projects. They delve into how light shapes perception in photography, film, art, and design, discussing practical techniques and the science behind creating impactful visuals.Key Discussion Points:

1. Why Light Is Often Overlooked:
2. Artistic Perspectives on Light:
3. Scientific and Philosophical Insights:
4. Lighting Techniques in Practice:

• Tips on observing natural and artificial light to better understand its nuances.
• How to replicate real-world lighting in a controlled studio environment.

• George Eastman’s Quote on Light: “Light makes photography. Embrace it, admire it, love it, but above all, know it.”
• Practical Takeaway: Use the free Lighting Comparison Tool on VisualEducation.com to see how different modifiers impact studio photography.
• Karl’s viewpoint: ‘Light is the most powerful visual tool you can own, learn to use it wisely.’
• Practical Takeaway: Everything could be perfect, subject, makeup, hair, location, composition but a poor knowledge of lighting can destroy it all

  5.    Learning from Observation:
Episode Takeaway:
Join us in this deep dive into the world of light, and discover how mastering this essential element can elevate your creative work to new heights!

What does it mean to be creative? Are some people naturally more creative, or can it be learned and nurtured? In this episode, we dive into the value of creativity and how to bring it into practice in your daily life.

We’ll explore the role of what you consume—how absorption, inclination, and enjoyment shape your creative potential. Plus, we’ll tackle a common obstacle: does fear of failure hold you back from unlocking your creative self? Tune in for insights and inspiration to help you harness your creativity and embrace the joy of creating.

Why are creatives so bad at marketing?

It’s not always as easy as just having a passion - you’ve got to market it too if you want to actually make some money out of it! 

From why it’s so unnatural to show off your skills, to knowing where to spend your time in the overwhelming world of marketing. Delve into this topic with the Visual Education team - a bunch of creatives and marketeers themselves! 

In this episode of the Learn. Create. Thrive. Podcast, Karl Taylor (photographer/filmmaker), Emma Harris (marketing executive), Benjamin Thoume (video production head), and Tim Gaudion (artist and illustrator) tackle a thought-provoking topic: the excuses people use to avoid being creative.

The team dives into common creative roadblocks like "I don’t have the right gear" and explores why these excuses hold us back more than the tools themselves. They discuss how great art and photography have been created with minimal resources, proving that creativity thrives on mindset and skill, not equipment.

From photography to painting and even knitting (yes, knitting!), this episode uncovers the joy of the creative process and why investing in your craft doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. The conversation also touches on the democratization of tools in filmmaking and how modern gear allows creators to compete at the highest levels without Hollywood budgets.

Whether you're a seasoned artist, a hobbyist, or someone waiting for "the right tools," this episode will inspire you to start creating with what you have—and remind you that the journey is as important as the destination.

In this episode, Ben, Karl, Tim, and Emma dive into the murky waters of originality in creative work. When does borrowing an idea become stealing it? Is everything just a remix, or is there a clear boundary between inspiration and plagiarism?

From iconic lawsuits to everyday creativity, the gang debates the ethics, gray areas, and consequences of taking influence from others. Along the way, they share personal takes, famous examples, and tips on how to stay on the right side of the line. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that every creator needs to hear!

In this episode, join Karl, Emma, Ben, and Tim from Visual Education as they dive into a lively discussion on social media: Has it really ruined everything? Could they live without it, or do they wish it never existed? This thought-provoking conversation explores the highs and lows of social media in today's world, questioning its impact on our lives and whether it’s a tool for connection or chaos. Tune in for an honest look at what social media means to each of them—and maybe to you, too.

Is AI a threat to visual artists? Do we need to worry about losing our jobs to the algorithm? Is it already happening? Join Karl, Tim, Ben and Emma from the Visual Education team to see what they have to say about the rise of AI and their predictions for the future of the creative arts.