Create Your Art

Darren Cooper

I'm Darren Cooper, and I believe something that might sound crazy...every one of us is an artist. Not the kind with a paintbrush. The kind that looks at their life, their message, and decides it's worth giving to the world. Every episode, I sit down with ordinary people doing extraordinary things with their one life (coaches, leaders, entrepreneurs, pastors), those who had something worth creating, and finally stopped waiting for permission. My hope is simple. That somewhere in their story you hear your own. And that you walk away convinced that your voice matters and your art deserves to e

  1. 4d ago

    The Only Asset You Can't Buy Back with Sean Kirby | Create Your Art Ep. 021

    He spent his twenties chasing a million dollars by thirty. He got four kids instead. In this conversation, financial advisor Sean Kirby breaks down why time, not money, is the only asset you cannot buy more of. He walks through the exact goal sheet he uses with clients to stop lifestyle creep, build a real scoreboard, and decide on purpose where your life is actually going. If you have ever hit a number and felt nothing, this one is for you. FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit KEY TAKEAWAYS: ⚡️Time is the only asset you cannot buy more of, and most people never act like it ⚡️Run a yearly self assessment wheel before you ever touch a budget ⚡️Your net worth statement is a scoreboard, and most people are losing without knowing it ⚡️Give every dollar a job before lifestyle inflation gives it one ⚡️You can automate money, but the daily deposit into health, faith, and family is on you TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — The millionaire goal that changed 00:31 — Why "invest your time wisely" became the mantra 05:45 — The clock in the logo, and the question nobody asked 14:16 — Three practical first steps, starting with a budget 16:36 — The fishbowl problem and lifestyle inflation 21:53 — A word from 1898 Creative 22:18 — The goal sheet, step by step 23:42 — The self assessment wheel 25:32 — How to do a net worth statement 27:41 — The richest guy at the airport 29:38 — Your wins are not worth what they cost 34:48 — Why "peace" is now the goal at the top of the list 41:21 — The two year gap and the imposter syndrome 47:23 — It is not about the 99, it is about the one 52:27 — Three things to remember CONNECT WITH US: 👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com 👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper 👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead CONNECT WITH SEAN KIRBY: Website: https://performance.financial/ If this episode helped you, please: 👍🏻 Give it a thumbs up ⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with industry artists 📲 Share with a fellow creator who needs to hear this HASHTAGS: #createyourart #investyourtimewisely #financialfreedom #goalsetting #netbeforegross #podcast #thoughtleadership

    54 min
  2. May 26

    The One Line in a Contract That Cost Him Everything

    Most high-achieving men are carrying something nobody around them knows about. The failed exit. The marriage on fire. The financial hit. The faith that has gone quiet. In this video of The Create Your Art Podcast, Matt opens up about the 2018 exit that wiped him out, the one line in the contract that his lawyer missed, and the part of the story he is most ashamed of, that he did not tell a single person what really happened. Darren and Matt unpack why high achievers refuse to ask for help, why traditional manhood got buried under the toxic masculinity conversation, and the one move that actually changed everything. If you are a high achiever carrying something right now, this conversation is for you.FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/auditKEY TAKEAWAYS:⚡️ One line in an exit contract can cost you two years of profit. Take a multiple, never take a percentage of profit. ⚡️ Every high-achieving man you know is carrying something. The question is whether he has anyone to tell. ⚡️ The instinct that built you (handle it, do not flinch) is the same instinct that traps you when you finally need help.⚡️ Looking strong and being strong are not the same thing. One of them costs you the next decade.⚡️The growth only starts on the other side of saying the actual words out loud to one real person.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — The moment that broke everything 0:30 — The one line in the contract 2:25 — Why he hid the truth from his closest mentor 4:20 — Darren on rebuilding after the collapse 5:45 — Why high achievers cannot ask for help 8:30 — The growth that only comes from reaching across the tableCONNECT WITH US:👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpeadIf this episode helped you, please:⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with industry artists📲 Share with a fellow creator who needs to hear thisHASHTAGS:#createyourart #highachievers #vulnerability #entrepreneurship #mensmentalhealth #businesspodcast #leadership #mentorship #lighthousebrotherhood #businessfailure

    10 min
  3. May 19

    The Cost of Pretending You Have It Together with Matt Balducci | Create Your Art Episode 020

    Most high-achieving men have an operating system for their business and no system at all for their family. Matt Balducci built two multi-million-dollar companies, lost a major exit in 2018 because of one line in a contract, and almost lost his marriage along the way. He's now launching the Lighthouse Brotherhood for high-achieving men who are crushing it at work and quietly falling apart at home. In this conversation, Darren Cooper and Matt break down the silence that costs successful men their families, the quarterly family meeting that saved Matt's marriage, the daddy-daughter date when his seven-year-old picked out her own dress, and the one fear Matt says drives everything he does as a father. If you've been carrying it alone, this is the episode for you. FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit KEY TAKEAWAYS: ⚡️ The silence high-achievers carry costs them their marriages before it costs them anything else ⚡️ You can wing your business and survive. You cannot wing your family and survive. ⚡️ A quarterly one-hour family meeting can change a marriage faster than any retreat ⚡️ Thirty minutes a night with your phone in a different room beats two hours with it nearby ⚡️ The ROI of intentional time at home is not subtracted from your business, it's invested in it TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Cold open 00:29 — What is the Lighthouse Brotherhood 05:32 — The 2018 exit that cost him everything 08:23 — Why he didn't tell anyone the business failed 11:48 — The men's group every high-achiever needs 15:08 — Practical step one if you're struggling right now 18:50 — We wing our marriages, we wing being a father 22:42 — 1898 Creative break 23:33 — Why no one builds an operating system for their family 25:23 — The thirty-minute phone rule 28:21 — The one fear Matt carries as a dad 29:24 — The quarterly family meeting that changed his marriage 31:33 — The ROI of joy 36:32 — The daddy-daughter date and the dress 41:20 — How his dad broke the generational curse 43:34 — The vision of being eighty years old at a table with your brothers 47:43 — Where to find the Lighthouse Brotherhood CONNECT WITH US: 👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com 👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper CONNECT WITH MATT BULDUCCI: Lighthouse Brotherhood: https://lighthousebh.co YouTube: https:  @lighthousebhco  If this episode helped you, please: ⬇️ Drop in the comments, what's the thing you're here to create? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with industry artists 📲 Share with a fellow creator who needs to hear this HASHTAGS: #createyourart #mensbrotherhood #highachiever #fatherhood #leadership #christianentrepreneur #mensgroup #familyfirst #1898creative #thoughtleadership

    51 min
  4. May 13

    Why My Eighth Grade Biology Teacher Was an Artist

    There's one quiet test that determines whether you're creating art in your work or just collecting paychecks: if you stopped tomorrow, would anyone be different because you were there? In this video from Episode 19 of the Create Your Art Podcast, Darren Cooper tells the story of Mrs. T, the eighth-grade biology teacher who accidentally taught him everything he knows about mastery. As well as his CPA dad, who was secretly one of the most important artists he's ever known. Co-host Dustin Pead chimes in with his own Mr. Cummings story. This is the heartbeat behind why the show is now called Create Your Art. If you've ever felt like the word "artist" wasn't for you, this is the segment to start with. FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit KEY TAKEAWAYS: ⚡️ The art is always the part of you that wasn't required by the job description ⚡️ Anyone can transmit information, artists transmit conviction ⚡️ A CPA who treats accounting as a craft creates more art than ten "creatives" who clock in ⚡️ You don't need a different job — you need to stop showing up to this one as a clock-puncher TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — The heart behind the Create Your Art mission 00:57 — Mrs. T and the leaf moment 02:22 — Why Mrs. T was an artist with biology as her medium 02:25 — The CPA dad story 03:21 — How "boring" work funded a business and missions 03:52 — Dustin's Mr. Cummings story 05:41 — You as the listener — what's *your* art? 06:08 — Welcome to the Create Your Art Podcast 07:06 — Get off the sidelines and into the game 08:32 — The clock-puncher counterfactual CONNECT WITH US: 👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com 👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper 👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead If this episode helped you, please: ⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with industry artists 📲 Share with a fellow creator who needs to hear this HASHTAGS: #createyourart #mastery #personalbrand #leadership #craft #coachesandconsultants #creativebusiness #1898creative #findyourart #creatorjourney #creatorjourney #contentcreation

    9 min
  5. May 5

    I Was Faking It and You Probably Are Too | Create Your Art Episode 019

    After 18 episodes of trying to be the "guru," Darren had a confession to make: he'd been faking it. In this turning-point episode, Darren and Dustin Pead break down why mimicking influencers will quietly kill your content, why clarity only comes through the work (not before it), and why every single person (even your eighth-grade biology teacher and your CPA) is an artist, whether they know it or not. This is the episode where Coaching with Content officially becomes the Create Your Art Podcast, and the heartbeat behind why.If you've ever felt stuck because you're not yet "clear enough" to start, this one's for you.FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/auditKEY TAKEAWAYS:⚡️ Mimicking influencers is the fastest way to kill your authentic voice⚡️ Clarity doesn't come before the work it comes through the work⚡️ Your eighth-grade biology teacher and your accountant are artists too⚡️ The first 18 episodes weren't a waste they were the price of admissionTIMESTAMPS:00:00 — "I am a fraud" — the confession02:35 — Why mimicking influencers backfires every time04:52 — Clarity-seeking vs. niching down11:39 — Easier to steer a moving vehicle12:33 — The myth of overnight success13:26 — Songwriters and the first dozen bad songs14:25 — Mrs. T, the eighth-grade biology teacher16:10 — The CPA who was secretly an artist19:38 — Welcome to the Create Your Art Podcast (the pivot)22:29 — Quick word from 1898 Creative23:24 — Everyone is an artist (the spiritual angle)27:08 — Midlife clarity, not midlife crisis30:48 — Your homework: write down your art32:15 — The Jeff Goins "I am a writer" exercise33:00 — You are loved. Now go create your art. CONNECT WITH US:👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpeadIf this episode helped you, please:👍🏻 Give it a thumbs up⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with industry artists📲 Share with a fellow creator who needs to hear thisHASHTAGS:#createyourart #podcast #authenticity #contentcreation #personalbrand #midlifeclarity #coachesandconsultants #creativebusiness #1898creative #findyourvoice #creatorjourney

    34 min
  6. Apr 28

    Why Nobody Can Find Your Podcast (And the Free Fix Most Coaches Miss)

    Most coaches publish a podcast episode and wonder why it's not growing their audience. The problem isn't the content, it's the foundation underneath it. In this segment, Darren Cooper breaks down what 1898 Creative calls the Poor Man's SEO: a simple, free, repeatable process that turns every episode into a compounding content asset on your website. From the three-part website formula to why your transcript is the most underrated SEO tool you already have, this is the foundational strategy that puts coaches in the top 1% of content creators, without a budget, an agency, or any technical expertise. ➡️ FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit 🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS: ⚡️ What the Poor Man's SEO is and why every coach needs it before anything else ⚡️ The three things every episode needs to live on your website: video, blog post, and transcript ⚡️ Why your transcript is the most underrated and most overlooked SEO tool available to coaches ⚡️ What the CCOS (Content Creation Operating System) is and how it turns one episode into multiple assets ⚡️ Why consistent website updates matter for search rankings more than most coaches realize ⚡️ How to get a free transcript in minutes using Riverside and leverage it immediately with AI ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 What is the Poor Man's SEO? 0:31 What SEO is and what it is not 1:56 The simple path to making your content findable 2:50 Breaking down the CCOS: Content Creation Operating System 5:08 The three places every episode should live 6:35 Why the transcript is your most powerful SEO asset 7:33 How YouTube learns who you are over time 8:26 Staking your claim on the worldwide web 9:25 The simple action that puts you in the top 1% 💼 CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://1898creative.com Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead If this segment helped you, please: 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content strategy insights 📲 Share with a fellow coach who needs to hear this HASHTAGS: #CoachingWithContent #ContentStrategy #PodcastingForCoaches #SEOForCoaches #1898Creative #ContentMarketing #createyourart

    11 min
  7. Apr 21

    How to Make Your Coaching Content Findable Without a Big SEO Budget

    Most coaches hit publish and wonder why nobody finds their content. The problem isn't the quality of what you're creating, it's the foundation underneath it. In this episode, Darren and Dustin break down what they call the "Poor Man's SEO", a simple, repeatable process that turns every podcast episode into a content asset that compounds on your website over time. From transcripts and blog posts to meta descriptions and the emerging world of Answer Engine Optimization, this is the behind-the-scenes strategy that makes your coaching business findable without a big budget. FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit KEY TAKEAWAYS: ⚡️ What the Poor Man's SEO is and why every coach needs to implement it ⚡️ The three things every episode needs to live on your website (video, blog post, transcript) ⚡️ Why your transcript is the most underrated SEO tool you already have ⚡️ What a meta description is, how to write one, and where to put it ⚡️ AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): the next frontier coaches need to pay attention to ⚡️ Free tools (Riverside, Notebook LM) that make this whole process faster TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Welcome and intro 2:25 What is the Poor Man's SEO? 4:52 What SEO is and what it is not 7:36 Breaking down the CCOS: Content Creation Operating System 9:49 The three places every episode should live on your website 11:14 Why the transcript is your most underrated SEO tool 15:02 What is a meta description and how to use it 18:10 AEO: Answer Engine Optimization and why coaches need to start watching this 20:56 How to implement the Poor Man's SEO starting today 24:14 Free tools: Riverside and Notebook LM CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://1898creative.com Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead If this episode helped you, please: 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content strategy insights 📲 Share with a fellow coach who needs to hear this HASHTAGS: #CoachingWithContent #ContentStrategy #PodcastingForCoaches #SEOForCoaches #1898Creative #ContentMarketing #createyourart

    28 min
  8. Apr 14

    You Don't Have an Idea Problem You Have a Capture Problem

    You're not running out of ideas. You're running out of places to put them. In this segment from Coaching with Content Episode 017, Dustin Pead walks coaches through the first two steps of building a content system that actually works: the brain dump that gets your ideas out of your head, and the simple three-tab spreadsheet that turns those ideas into a production schedule. Plus, how to use a Claude project and a voice memo to build your Story Vault automatically while you're driving. Get the free Podcast Production Schedule Template: email Darren at Darren@1898creative.com FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit KEY TAKEAWAYS: ⚡Why ideas that stay in your head never become content ⚡The Lego analogy that explains every coach's content problem ⚡How the podcast production schedule spreadsheet works ⚡What the Story Vault is and why coaches need one ⚡How to voice memo your stories into Claude and populate your spreadsheet automatically ⚡Why simple, reachable systems are the only ones that actually get used CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://1898creative.com Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead If this segment helped you, please: 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content strategy insights 📲 Share with a fellow coach who needs to hear this HASHTAGS: #coachingwithcontent #contentcreation #podcastingforcoaches #contentstrategy #coachlife #businesssystems #storymarketing #createyourart

    10 min

About

I'm Darren Cooper, and I believe something that might sound crazy...every one of us is an artist. Not the kind with a paintbrush. The kind that looks at their life, their message, and decides it's worth giving to the world. Every episode, I sit down with ordinary people doing extraordinary things with their one life (coaches, leaders, entrepreneurs, pastors), those who had something worth creating, and finally stopped waiting for permission. My hope is simple. That somewhere in their story you hear your own. And that you walk away convinced that your voice matters and your art deserves to e