Have you upgraded to YOU 2.0? (Best of YCP: Alex Cherry)

Alex Cherry is an LA-based digital artist who blurs the lines between art and design.  He draws his inspiration from film, music, and pop culture to make stunning images that will always make you think. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/alexcherryagain In this episode, Alex discusses: -The story behind his piece, "Starman" a tribute to David Bowie. -Art versus design, and how we don't watch design the way we watch art. -How to pursue your creativity by leaning on what you know, and for him that started with music. -His first creative moments and his creative journey from there. -How incredibly amazing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Nintendo are. -How we are lucky to live in the time of the internet, and we should immerse ourselves in how easy it is to share and find new things. -Kanye West and his polarizing character. -Bret Easton Ellis's idea of "Post Empire." -How many people have separate selves that they put forth on the internet. -How having a character or a persona can give you a confidence you don't have with your actual identity. -The issue of copying and how we have to get over it. -The importance of thinking about new things every day. -A recent negative experience he had and how it led to an "artistic PTSD." -The story about how he met his fiance through his art. -A rapper suggestion for Youngman Brown to help him with his insecurities about his own monotone voice. -The last words his grandmother said to him, and the impact that it has on his life. Alex's Final Push will grant you permission to create! Quotes: "It's always these pictures that take the least amount of effort that resonate the most with me, and other people." "I love music, and for me it was an easy thing to do, to piece something together and to find a song to connect that to." "We have the Internet and tumblr.  Just immerse yourself in it and don't be afraid to take inspiration from it.  Be ruthless about that." "The creative world is the exact opposite of the real world." "I heard that 90% of communication is non-verbal, and it's so true.  We put too much value in words." "It's not the what.  It's the how." "You never know in which ways you influence people or potentially change someones life.  You may never find out about that." "You have to be lovingly detached from the ego." "The best way to not produce any work is to think about the identity of that work." "Just create what you think the world needs." "Celebrate the difference." "So much of creativity is like capturing lightning in a bottle.  You can't really control the lightning, so you have to create an environment to capture the lightning." "You don't tell a tree how to grow.  You just water it and then it grows.  That's how creativity is." Links mentioned: The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast Gang Starr Connect with Alex: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter