Community and Becoming | For the Love of Creatives

Maddox & Dwight

Imagine a space where your creative spark is truly seen, your self-doubt is understood, and you do not have to fake confidence to belong. This is a community for heart-centered creatives navigating self-doubt, imposter syndrome, creative burnout, and the search for an authentic creative identity.On For the Love of Creatives, hosts Maddox and Dwight bring you weekly conversations at the intersection of creativity, community, and becoming. As your “connection and community guys,” they hold space for artists, makers, designers, dancers, writers, and everyday creatives who are learning to trust their authentic voice, move through comparison and fear of judgment, and step into the next version of themselves.Through storytelling, real-time coaching, and deep dialogue, Maddox and Dwight speak directly to creatives who feel isolated, stuck in self-doubt, or tired of constantly second-guessing their work. You will hear real stories of navigating imposter syndrome, rebuilding creative confidence, finding supportive creative community, and saying yes to who you are becoming.Expect:Practical insights you can use to quiet self-doubt and create with more confidenceFresh inspiration for your creative process, identity, and voiceReal stories from the worlds of art, design, dance, culinary, and beyond, shared with honesty and heartIf you are a heart-centered creative seeking clarity, connection, and the courage to trust your authentic voice, this podcast is your invitation. Tune in weekly to experience the magic of community-fueled creativity and continue your own journey of creative becoming. This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions such as: Why do I still feel like a fraud even when I am talented? How do I trust my voice as a creative? Why do I keep second-guessing myself? How do I stop comparing myself to other creatives? What does creative becoming actually look like in real life? How do I share my work without fear of judgment? How can I build creative confidence without pretending? What kind of community helps creatives thrive? How do I know if I have outgrown an old version of myself? How do I create consistently without burning out?

  1. #073: The Quiet Cost of Disconnection… and Finding Our Way Back With Ely Delaney

    3D AGO

    #073: The Quiet Cost of Disconnection… and Finding Our Way Back With Ely Delaney

    What happens to us… when we slowly lose the ability to connect? Not all at once… but little by little. A message we don’t send. A conversation we avoid. A moment where we choose our phone instead of the person in front of us. Ely comes into this conversation not just through the lens of email… but as someone noticing a deeper shift… especially since COVID. People sitting together… not talking. Wanting connection… but not quite knowing how to reach for it anymore. Underneath his work is something more human… trust. Not the kind you manufacture… the kind you build by showing up honestly… and following through. Because for many of us… it’s not that we don’t know what to say. It’s that being seen… being human… carries risk. And there’s a quiet cost to that disconnection. A loss of interaction… of understanding… of shared joy. This isn’t really a conversation about email… it’s about what it means to stay connected… in a time where it’s easier than ever to disappear. And maybe the real question is… What would it look like… to choose connection anyway? Ely's Profile Ely's Website Ely's Book This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    1h 5m
  2. #072: When Self-Sacrifice Stops Working: A Creative’s Journey to Power on Purpose With Kimia Penton

    APR 27

    #072: When Self-Sacrifice Stops Working: A Creative’s Journey to Power on Purpose With Kimia Penton

    What happens to our creativity when our whole life is built on keeping everyone else comfortable? In this tender, far-reaching conversation, Kimia Penton shares how growing up as a firstborn Persian daughter, an immigrant many times over, and a lifelong “strong one” slowly pulled her away from her own voice—until her body, spirit, and art refused to keep performing. She talks about the breaking point that came in her early thirties, when constant self-sacrifice, caregiving, and people-pleasing finally collapsed into exhaustion, resentment, and an inner scream to be seen as a whole human, not just a reliable role. From there, Kimia began the hard, messy work of unlearning old patterns, setting loving boundaries, and reclaiming her power—not against the people she loved, but for the sake of everyone’s healing. Along the way, she redefined “home” as people, not geography, wove together her Middle Eastern heart, British discipline, and American pioneering spirit, and discovered that real leadership—on stage, at work, and in community—is radical precisely because it is loving, truthful, and deeply human. This episode is for every creative who’s ever felt like a safe place for others but not for themselves, and is finally ready to step into a life—and body of work—that feels alive again. Kimia's Profile Kimia's Website Kimia's Book This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    57 min
  3. #071: The Moment Everything Burned… and Who Megan Hines Became After

    APR 20

    #071: The Moment Everything Burned… and Who Megan Hines Became After

    What do you do… when life doesn’t just nudge you… but completely levels everything you thought was stable? In this conversation, Megan shares a life that, on the surface, looks full… meaningful work, a growing family, a deep sense of purpose. But underneath it all is something even more powerful… a willingness to keep choosing who she becomes, even when life asks more of her than feels fair. From being called at a young age toward adoption… to building a life rooted in service, family, and intention… Megan’s story is already one of devotion. But it’s in the moment where everything is stripped away… where her home, her work, her stability are suddenly gone… that something deeper reveals itself. Not resilience in the polished, performative sense… but a raw, human moment of sitting in the middle of loss… and deciding, in real time, how she will respond. This isn’t a conversation about having it all figured out. It’s about standing in the middle of what you didn’t choose… and realizing you still have a choice. And maybe… that’s where becoming really begins. Megan's Profile Megan's Website This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    59 min
  4. #070: A Life Interrupted… A Self Reclaimed With Lisa McKenna

    APR 13

    #070: A Life Interrupted… A Self Reclaimed With Lisa McKenna

    What happens when the life you’ve built… the work, the rhythm, the people… suddenly disappears? For many creatives, identity is quietly woven into everything we do. So when something disrupts that… it doesn’t just feel like change. It feels like loss. In this conversation, Lisa McKenna shares what it was like to move through a season where everything familiar fell away… her work, her community, her sense of voice. And not in a gradual way… but all at once. There’s a moment many creatives know but rarely say out loud… when you’re left alone with yourself, without the structures that once defined you. It can feel disorienting. Heavy. Even a little frightening. But something unexpected began to happen in that space. Without pressure to perform… without an audience to meet… Lisa found herself returning to something quieter. More instinctive. A form of expression that didn’t ask her to prove anything… only to feel. What began as a way to cope slowly became something else entirely… a reconnection… a remembering… a different relationship with creativity. This isn’t a conversation about success or reinvention in the traditional sense. It’s about what it means to lose your footing… and discover that something deeper has been waiting underneath the whole time. And maybe… if you’ve ever felt disconnected from your creative self… you’ll recognize a piece of your own story in hers. Lisa's Profile Lisa's Website This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    1h 1m
  5. #069: Erica Allaby-Finding Your Creative Identity by Having the Courage to Go Within

    APR 6

    #069: Erica Allaby-Finding Your Creative Identity by Having the Courage to Go Within

    What if creativity doesn’t begin with talent… but with the courage to look inward? In this conversation, Maddox and Dwight sit down with Erica Allaby, someone they’ve shared community with for years… yet realized they had never fully heard her creative story. What unfolds is a deeply human journey. Erica shares how she grew up with a quiet sense of being a lone wolf… connected to people, yet always searching for where she truly belonged. That search eventually brought her to Texas… a spontaneous move that became the beginning of a life shaped by curiosity, storytelling, and exploration. But like so many creatives, the recognition didn’t come quickly. For years, Erica was living creatively without fully seeing herself that way. Through travel, writing, yoga, and observing the world, something deeper began to surface… and ask for attention. And that’s where things shifted. Because creativity doesn’t just ask us to make something… it asks us to slow down. To sit with ourselves long enough to hear our own voice.  To face the discomfort of creating from within, instead of reaching outward. Erica reflects on how solitude became a turning point… a space where her creative perspective began to change. Not just expression… but becoming. And at the center of it all is vulnerability. Not the polished kind… but the honest kind. The kind that asks you to share what’s still forming. To trust the process before the outcome exists. This is a conversation about identity… belonging… and the quiet courage it takes to create from a place that’s real. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re truly a creative… or what it means to trust your own voice… You may hear yourself in this one. Erica's Profile Erica's Website This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    1h 1m
  6. #068: When Wall Street Success Isn’t the Legacy You Want to Leave With Jing Herman

    MAR 30

    #068: When Wall Street Success Isn’t the Legacy You Want to Leave With Jing Herman

    What happens when you realize the life you built… isn’t the life that will outlive you? For many creatives, the path is rarely straight. It bends toward practicality. Toward stability. Toward the careers that make sense on paper. In this episode, Maddox and Dwight sit down with artist Jing Herman to explore a journey that began in childhood creativity, moved through the high-pressure world of finance and strategy, and slowly circled back to art. Jing grew up in Beijing during the 1980s, in a world very different from the one she lives in today. As a child, art came naturally. It wasn’t a career path or a calculated decision… it was simply part of who she was. But like so many creatives, life eventually steered her toward more “rational” choices. Business school. Wall Street. High-performing professional environments where success could be measured clearly and rewarded generously. Yet somewhere along the way, another question began to surface. Not about success. About legacy. What actually remains after the work is done… after the promotions, the deals, the years spent building something that the world quickly moves past? That question slowly led Jing back to the studio. In this conversation, she shares the moment she began to reconsider what truly lasts, why creativity may be far more essential to human life than we’ve been taught to believe, and how identity plays a powerful role in the creative journey. This episode is not about abandoning one life for another. It’s about recognizing that creativity often waits patiently beneath the surface… sometimes for years… until we’re finally ready to listen again. Along the way, the conversation explores creative identity, the role of reinvention, the quiet influence of family and upbringing, and the powerful role community plays in sustaining artists. Because sometimes the most meaningful creative journey isn’t about becoming something new. It’s about returning to who you were all along. Jing's Profile Jing's Website This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    1 hr
  7. #067: The Connection Between Sexual Energy and Creativity With Myola Woods

    MAR 23

    #067: The Connection Between Sexual Energy and Creativity With Myola Woods

    What actually fuels creativity? Most of us think creativity lives in the mind… an idea, a talent, or a skill we develop. But what if creativity comes from somewhere deeper? Something that moves through the body… through emotion… through the very life force that animates us. In this episode, Maddox and Dwight sit down with Australian educator and facilitator Myola Woods to explore a topic many creatives sense but rarely talk about openly… the connection between sexual energy and creative energy. Myola shares her personal journey of discovering how sexuality, trauma, creativity, and authentic self-expression are deeply intertwined. At the heart of the conversation is a simple but powerful idea… the same life force that creates life is also the energy that fuels imagination, expression, and creative courage. Together they explore how cultural conditioning often disconnects us from that vital energy… and how reconnecting with the body can awaken creativity in powerful ways. This isn’t a conversation about technique or productivity… it’s about rediscovering the creative life force that has always been inside us. Myola's Profile Myola's Website This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    1h 7m
  8. Bonus #066: Creativity, Neurodivergence, and the End of Self-Shame With Lindsey Kirkendall

    MAR 16 ·  BONUS

    Bonus #066: Creativity, Neurodivergence, and the End of Self-Shame With Lindsey Kirkendall

    Have you ever felt like the creative world makes sense to you… but the rest of the world doesn’t? Many artists, makers, and dreamers grow up believing something is wrong with them… too sensitive, too scattered, too much. They struggle in classrooms, workplaces, and systems built for brains that move in straight lines. And quietly, many are living somewhere on the neurodivergent spectrum. In this compassionate conversation, Lindsey Carpenter Kirkendall shares what it feels like to move through life with a mind that doesn’t quite fit the mold. She reflects on her childhood, her creative wiring, and the realization that many struggles she blamed on herself were simply the way her brain works. Instead of fearing neurodivergence, this episode invites us to understand it… and even honor it. Lindsey speaks about the pressure to appear “normal,” the overwhelm of overstimulation, and why so many creatives feel misunderstood. Most importantly, she names a powerful truth: Struggling inside systems that weren’t built for you does not mean you are broken. It may simply mean you are wired differently. If your creative brain feels both brilliant and exhausting… this conversation might feel like someone finally turning on a light. You are not alone. And you were never the problem. Lindsey's Profile Lindsey's Website Neurodivergence Resources: AQ-50 RAADS-R **GQ-ASC CAT-Q The Aspie Quiz RBQ-2 Alexithymia Questionnaire This is Maddox & Dwight! More than anything, we want to connect and communicate with you. We don't want to think of you as listeners. We want to think of you as community. So, scroll to the bottom of the show notes and click the SUBSCRIBE link. Thank you! Thank you for listening to the For the Love of Creatives Podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please scroll to the bottom of the show notes and Rate & Review us. We would SO appreciate it. Support the show Become a SUBSCRIBER to Get Notified of New Episodes Want to be a Featured Guest? For the Love of Creatives Podcast Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Rate and Review the Podcast on Apple or Spotify

    57 min
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5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Imagine a space where your creative spark is truly seen, your self-doubt is understood, and you do not have to fake confidence to belong. This is a community for heart-centered creatives navigating self-doubt, imposter syndrome, creative burnout, and the search for an authentic creative identity.On For the Love of Creatives, hosts Maddox and Dwight bring you weekly conversations at the intersection of creativity, community, and becoming. As your “connection and community guys,” they hold space for artists, makers, designers, dancers, writers, and everyday creatives who are learning to trust their authentic voice, move through comparison and fear of judgment, and step into the next version of themselves.Through storytelling, real-time coaching, and deep dialogue, Maddox and Dwight speak directly to creatives who feel isolated, stuck in self-doubt, or tired of constantly second-guessing their work. You will hear real stories of navigating imposter syndrome, rebuilding creative confidence, finding supportive creative community, and saying yes to who you are becoming.Expect:Practical insights you can use to quiet self-doubt and create with more confidenceFresh inspiration for your creative process, identity, and voiceReal stories from the worlds of art, design, dance, culinary, and beyond, shared with honesty and heartIf you are a heart-centered creative seeking clarity, connection, and the courage to trust your authentic voice, this podcast is your invitation. Tune in weekly to experience the magic of community-fueled creativity and continue your own journey of creative becoming. This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions such as: Why do I still feel like a fraud even when I am talented? How do I trust my voice as a creative? Why do I keep second-guessing myself? How do I stop comparing myself to other creatives? What does creative becoming actually look like in real life? How do I share my work without fear of judgment? How can I build creative confidence without pretending? What kind of community helps creatives thrive? How do I know if I have outgrown an old version of myself? How do I create consistently without burning out?

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