Creatives Off The Clock

Stephanie Whitehouse

Creativity is not just self-expression-it's resistance, survival, courage, and change. Creatives Off The Clock is a space for artists, makers, and thinkers no matter their profession, to share their stories, challenge the status quo, and explore how creativity fuels movements, healing, and transformation. Because in times like these, creating with intention, heart, and care isn't passive-- it's necessary.

Episodes

  1. Spicy Brain Soup: ADHD, Creativity, and Everything Everywhere All At Once

    01/30/2025

    Spicy Brain Soup: ADHD, Creativity, and Everything Everywhere All At Once

    ***NOTE: This episode was recorded back in January of 2024. In typical ADHD fashion (and wanting to wait to release the episode until Sean’s wife’s pregnancy announcement was fully announced!), this episode sat in the drafts folder….for approximately 1 year and 13 days. C’est la vie. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)*** In this episode, I sit down with my friend Sean Khuon-Paige to dive into ADHD and creativity—two forces that have shaped our lives in profound ways. We share our journeys of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, finally receiving a diagnosis (in college for Sean and later in adulthood for me), and navigating the challenges of medication. We also explore how we’ve learned to manage ADHD while working as full-time freelance creatives, balancing its unique challenges and benefits in our creative work. We unpack how ADHD has impacted us differently—whether it’s the struggle to focus on things we “should” be doing or the intensity of hyper-focus on creative projects that truly matter to us. While it’s not always easy, we talk about the systems and routines we’ve built to help bring structure to the chaos. We also reflect on how societal perceptions of ADHD influence the way we view ourselves and approach our work. Online communities and memes bring humor and connection, but they also remind us we’re not navigating this alone. And, naturally, we couldn’t resist talking about Everything Everywhere All At Once—a film that captures the layered, fast-paced chaos of an ADHD mind in a way that feels both relatable and validating. Finally, we share a glimpse into what’s ahead for both of us: I’m working on developing a workshop and course, while Sean is preparing for fatherhood and continuing to grow his creative business, Nice & Easy Films, with his partner Simone. This episode is jam-packed with an honest and personal look at living and creating with ADHD—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. If you’ve ever felt like your brain is a spicy soupy mix of challenges and untapped potential…this one’s for you. 3  —Find Sean Everywhere on all platforms at once: @seankp.bsky.social Sean’s latest projects: Nice & Easy Films (a PDX-based production company with a focus on brand stories, commercials, and documentaries. Nice people, easy workflow. (@niceeasyfilms on Instagram)Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/niceeasyfilms Special mentions:Jamie Brindle, freelance creative (@jamiebrindle on Instagram) Simone Scarpino, Partner at nice & easy (@simonescarpino on instagram) Monty Python and the Holy Grail opening credits as an example of "unhinged" creativity: Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Opening Credits About Sean: Sean Khuon-Paige (he/him) is a dad, husband, cinematographer, photographer, drone pilot, gaffer, small business owner, ADHDer, and wearer of probably too many hats. He is 1/2 of the creative agency,  Nice & Easy Films, where he works as a director of photography shooting commercials, short films, and documentaries.

    1h 4m
  2. Reclaiming Joy: A Conversation on Mental Health, Resilience, & Finding Your Creative Spark

    12/10/2024

    Reclaiming Joy: A Conversation on Mental Health, Resilience, & Finding Your Creative Spark

    In this episode, I sit down with Joy Espinosa, the amazing founder and creator behind the inspiring brand I Choose Joy. Joy shares her deeply personal story of how she turned to creativity and design as a way to heal and cope with some heavy mental health and medical challenges. We dive into Joy's journey, where she opens up about dealing with intense pain and intrusive thoughts, and how starting ichoosejoy.co became her lifeline—helping her rediscover joy, passion, and purpose. We get real about the challenges of balancing business goals with personal well-being and Joy talks about her vision for building a supportive, uplifting community around her brand. She also shares some powerful advice for anyone struggling to find joy in tough times, like curating what you see on social media, practicing self-care, and noticing the beauty and humanity in the world around us. We chat about her evolving perspective on creativity, the role music has played in her life, and her mission to inspire others through her vibrant, joy-filled designs. Check out the links below to connect with Joy and explore her work: ​Joy’s website: https://ichoosejoy.co/​Find Joy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ichoosejoy.co/​Find Joy on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ichoosejoy.co​The joy I’m wearing (aka the Retro Sweatshirt): https://ichoosejoy.co/products/its-all-about-joy-rock-retro-1​Music Joy Loves: - Royal Blood: https://www.royalbloodband.com/- Pretty Lights: https://prettylightsmusic.com About Joy: Joy Espinosa (she/hers) is the founder, creator, and designer behind I Choose Joy, an apparel brand launched in 2024 in Denver. After facing significant mental and physical health challenges, Joy created the brand to rediscover happiness and promote mental well-being. Each piece is crafted with care, using ethically grown U.S. cotton to ensure comfort and durability. Through her designs, she aims to spread positivity and remind others to embrace joy in their lives. Find Joy everywhere online with the handle @ichoosejoy.co.

    50 min
  3. Outside the Box: Creativity & Ritual As Radical Acts of Decolonization & Self-Love

    01/03/2023

    Outside the Box: Creativity & Ritual As Radical Acts of Decolonization & Self-Love

    Join me for this long-awaited episode I've been sitting on & letting percolate for the last few months of the year, for all the best reasons! I speak with THE Katherine Newell Okojie, spiritual leader & facilitator, systemic change strategist, speaker, author, and dear friend. This was such a deeply personal & spiritual conversation and I am so thankful to have birthed this together! We talk about the importance of ritual in our lives as divine creative beings, finding time and space to be in our bodies, how creativity is infused with ethical manifestation, and we break down (and take down!) the capitalistic, nuanced pressures/container of "productivity". (TW:) We talk about some harder things: quitting on purpose for things that don't serve us, systemic racism, boundaries, parenting, being "cringe", online haters, and making the decision not to take sh*t from people who aren't "in the arena" doing the thing. We celebrate positive affirmations, creative risk-taking, and daring greatly with our whole essences. ​Sign up for Katherine’s Courageous Leaders For Change transformative cohort starting 12/19: https://www.katherinenewell.com/courageous-leaders​MAKE MAGIC WITH KATHERINE: https://www.katherinenewell.com/offerings-2​Get a crash course in some of the paradigms we move in and touch on by listening to Katherine's appearance on the ReMembering & ReEnchanting podcast hosted by Sara Wolcott here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ii-3-untangling=manifesting-a-conversation/id1620018280?i=1000583531022​Watch the Netflix comedy standup special by Ronny Chieng "' referenced in this episode here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81267202 ​Love these creative convos? Consider supporting this podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/creatives-off-the-clock/support

    58 min

About

Creativity is not just self-expression-it's resistance, survival, courage, and change. Creatives Off The Clock is a space for artists, makers, and thinkers no matter their profession, to share their stories, challenge the status quo, and explore how creativity fuels movements, healing, and transformation. Because in times like these, creating with intention, heart, and care isn't passive-- it's necessary.