Ep54: The Darker Side of Creativity | with Daniel Arnold

Daniel Arnold, is a world-renowned NYC street photographer who has been hailed by Gawker as ‘The best photographer on Instagram,’ by Wired as ‘Instagram’s ultimate street photographer,’ the New Yorker turned over their Instagram feed to Daniel for a week to document activity on the NYC subways, and his work is regularly featured in Vogue as well as The New York Times, just to name a few of his accolades. And in the interest of full disclosure...Daniel also happens to be my cousin.

In this marathon conversation Daniel and I take a deep, candid, and unfiltered look at the creative process. We leave no stone unturned and share both of our very honest experiences with both the amazing (i.e. manic) sides of creativity...and we also aren’t afraid to talk about our numerous personal experiences with depression and burnout. I thought this article would be both helpful and timely given that October 7th is the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week.

If you are dealing with mental health issues, whether or not you work in a creative field like us, know that you are not alone.

If you’ve ever felt like your creativity is a calling, a part of your identity, or something you simply must get out of your system in order to feel alive or be considered a productive member of society, you don’t want to miss this conversation.

And as soon as you’re done listening (or even while you’re listening), do yourself a favor and look up Daniel’s Instagram page. His photos will literally blow your mind. And I’m not saying that because he’s my cousin....his 200 thousands followers definitely agree with me.

Win a One 1-Yr Subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud or Frame.io?

» Click here to leave a review of this episode in iTunes (or Apple Podcasts)

Here's What You'll Learn:The social safety net of holding a cameraCreating art as a response to stressThe performative nature of being humanHow photography lowers the unreachable pedestal of cultural fameThe ways in which creativity is bred through confrontationCreativity as a positive relationship with the fear of inadequacyLegacy, wanting to be loved, and feeling like your contributions to the world give you internal valueProcessing expectations and moving past the disappointment of not meeting themDepression and it's relationship with creating"Stop trying to be a good photographer...just make a mess"Useful Resources Mentioned:

Daniel’s Instagram Page

Our Generous Sponsors:

This episode is made possible by our proud supporters Adobe. Leave a review of this episode in iTunes or Apple Podcasts and you’ll be entered to win a yearly subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud, an essential package of video creation tools that I personally can’t live without. What’s so cool about creative cloud is how easily you can move from ingest to editing, and from color grading to 3D compositing, thanks to smooth integration between Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition. To win yourself that yearly subscription, just leave an honest review of this show in iTunes or Apple Podcasts.

You can also enter to win the 12 month 'Pro Plan' from our sponsor Frame.io, an amazing online collaboration tool where you can comment and interact directly with your videos providing instant feedback, rather than constantly going back and forth via endless email chains. (And you know how I feel about email and productivity.) Even cooler your comments can be imported directly into your editing software of choice, and it’s so intuitive, easy to use, and dare I say “pretty” that Frame.io won an Apple Design Award. Leave a podcast review in iTunes to be entered to win your 12 month 'Pro Plan.'

This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat.

This episode is made possible by SitTight, my new #1 recommendation if you’re searching for a healthier, more ergonomically-friendly office chair that turns sitting into an activity that actually improves your health rather than damaging it. Yes, you can actually get fit while you sit. If you’ve never seen one, just imagine the most comfortable bar stool on the planet on top of a Bosu Ball. Trust me...it’s awesome. SitTight can provide fitness for your body, focus for your mind, and fun for your spirit. BONUS: Use the coupon code OPTIMIZE for 10% off your order!

Guest Bio:Facebook|Twitter|Instagram

Daniel Arnold could be the William Eggleston of Instagram. Using his iPhone (along with a Contax G2 and Yashica T5), he captures the daily rhythms of New York street life in moments of both high drama and sublime banality. When he needed extra cash in March (“I had 40 bucks in my bank account and 10 grand of credit card debt,” he said), Mr. Arnold told his Instagram followers that he would sell 4-by-6 prints of his photographs for $150 each. By day’s end, he was $15,000 richer.

In 2012, the gossip website Gawker published an article about how Mr. Arnold had been censored: He had posted a cheeky but artfully composed photo of two topless sunbathers at Fort Tilden beach. Though he had only 1,500 followers at the time, Gawker called his Instagram feed a “stream of brilliantly voyeuristic snapshots of New York City streets.”

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.