Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Author: Jules Schroeder

  • Ep278: Making Reality a Fantasy with Photo Artist Erik Johansson

    Ep278: Making Reality a Fantasy with Photo Artist Erik Johansson

    The blandness of everyday living can wear a person down, and bleach out the wonder of the world. But for the esteemed photographer and visual artist, Erik Johansson, the spark of surrealism is more alive in the common setting than we think. All we need is a little scenery and a lot of creativity.

    Raised in the countryside of Sweden, Erik’s spark for whimsical sceneries was brought by the beauty and simplicity of his life as a child. “Modifying realities has always been natural to me,” he says. Erik points out how he used to spend his time drawing rather than talking, and his work was inspired by the rural landscape he was born in.

    “It kind of came natural to me—to try to treat photographs as white papers, that I could fill with my imagination.” He spoke of his creative process and stressed how creativity isn’t something you can force yourself to have. Rather drawing is an activity that gradually improves the more you do it.

    “It’s not a gold mine that you’re digging out of creativity and one day you run out of it,” he says, referring to art as a whole. “I think it’s more about exercising the brain and thinking creatively.”

    When asked about the struggles of photography and dealing with the circumstances that we have today, Erik viewed it as a stepping stone for creative growth. “I think those limitations can sometimes be good for creativity as well…” while further stressing that, “the imagination is just so big, and sometimes limitations can be good to direct it in a certain direction.”

    Even though he only publishes a few of his personal work in a year, Erik takes pride in his pieces and the arduous artistry that goes into his photographs. “I think it’s a lot about trying to not just create something that looks realistic or impossible, but also trying to tell a story.”

     

    More from Erik:

  • Ep277: How to Stay Original with The Man Behind 100 Voices, Impressionist Charlie Hopkinson

    Ep277: How to Stay Original with The Man Behind 100 Voices, Impressionist Charlie Hopkinson

    The field of entertainment demands fresh ideas to keep the people watching, and with the massive presence of the internet, it’s impressive how far content creation can go. But how can someone make their content feel “original”? Professional Impressionist and voiceover artist, Charlie Hopkinson, says it’s about “authenticity” and staying true to your own ideas.

    Starting out as a math teacher and gradually shifting into his current career, he points out the misconception that people are born creative or talented. Rather he says that it’s more about the effort you put out and the passion that you have, which makes something feel “authentic”.

    It was the cumulative results of years of practice, planning, and experience that led to his success.

    And I’m talking about 100 impressions or so…

    Impressions of Morgan Freeman, David Attenborough, Rick and Morty (Rick and Morty show), Game of Thrones (Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Ser Davos Seaworth…), Breaking Bad (Walter White, Jesse Pinkman), Lord of the Rings (Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas…), Peaky Blinders (Tommy Shelby, Arthur Shelby, Alfie Solomons…) Cartoons and more!

    This dude can literally do a whole movie voicing by himself!

    “I think it’s quite strange though because the life I’m currently living is very much a mixed-mash of all these different fields that I’ve been involved with over the years.”

    Through his comedy career, as well as his growing YouTube community, he understood that people know when something feels authentic. He stresses that creators are chasing the idea of pleasing the audience and it ends up turning people off.

    “It’s really easy to get caught in the trap of trying to chase what the audience wants you to think the audience wants,” he stresses. “And it definitely takes you down the wrong road… as a comedy creator, I would say, If It’s not making you laugh. Don’t make it.”

    Being in the comedy industry for more than four years, Charlie clarifies that he has also been in creative slumps. His advice for anyone who feels as though they’ve become stale or just wants to improve is to put yourself in a “live environment”.

    “…The instant ‘oh, people are really enjoying that! I’m really enjoying that feeling, that connection with other people, that was like a big thing for me, finding my creative fulfilment and finding enjoyment.”

    He states, highlighting how it unlocks your creativity through performance pressure and connecting with your audience.

    Whose impressions you think are the best?

     

    More from Charlie:

  • Ep276: Making the Most Out of Your Mistakes, With Vocal Coach Arden Kaywin

    Ep276: Making the Most Out of Your Mistakes, With Vocal Coach Arden Kaywin

    The struggle for self-improvement is not an easy task. We try our hardest to be the best at what we do, gathering as much knowledge and tools as we can just to be a little better than we were yesterday. However, we sometimes feel as though we’re not getting the results we want and often end up stuck in a slump. Singer-songwriter Arden Kaywin believes that this sense of not-enoughness comes from our lack of mindfulness.

    The renowned songstress and vocal coach make it a point that the real problem isn’t in the small mistakes we make, but in the lack of foundation. As a performer, technique and artistry are essential, but to be connected and impactful requires mindfulness.

    Arden says that “The mind is the thing that can—and will—sabotage all the rest of it [technique and artistry], if not addressed.” A person could have the best training and it still wouldn’t matter if we lack the proper mindset.

    Having been with experienced and inexperienced singers alike, Arden knows that the mastery of techniques is not enough. To break through the blocks that prevent you from performing at a consistent and satisfying level, she emphasizes the need for meditation and mindful practice, even for non-artistic industries.

    She compares traditional training to a rocket ship where you add new technology to it, but it would never launch if it lacks fuel.

    “They’re not able to breakthrough in their career, they’re not able to quit that side job, they’re not able to do it sustainably, and yet they’ve been in voice lessons every week for years of their life. And the reason why is because this rocket, it’s got all this kick-ass technology in it, but no fuel.”

    This fuel is what she calls the Soul Piece or the purpose of a person called to do, partnered with the right mentality.

    She makes it clear that we have to acknowledge our emotions, thoughts, and fears because as she puts it “In trusting those blocks, not only do you get the sound that you want, but then you’re empowered to move forward, much more powerfully on this journey with not just your voice, but with anything else you’re doing”.

     

    More from Arden:

  • Ep275: Purpose and Effort Driving Passion and Success, With Muse Co-Founder Ariel Garten

    Ep275: Purpose and Effort Driving Passion and Success, With Muse Co-Founder Ariel Garten

    Pursuing something meaningful is a beautiful yet seemingly difficult endeavour for most people. We are sure about wanting to make or do something impactful. But finding the direction you want to go and deciding what you want to do are hard choices.

    There’s so much I want to do but which one is worth doing first?

    The driven genius Ariel Garten shows us that it’s not about choosing what to do first, rather it’s about choosing to take action and turn your passion into results.

    Being in a multitude of industries – fashion, neuroscience, psychotherapy, and technology – she’s gone through a lot of trial and error, and to her, it was in that journey that we learned what our real purpose is—and where to pour out our effort.

    “My outlet has changed but the intention has not,” Ariel states.

    Energetic and inspired, Ariel has always had this compelling need to make meaningful things in all areas of her life. Her burning desire and enthusiasm for creation have led her to branch off into different paths. Playing both sides of arts and science, finding that connection with her passions is the reason for Ariel’s success.

    “I was really weaving these worlds, trying to find the thread between art and science and pulling them together” she points out, “we really wanted to do something that was gonna make the world a better place”.

    Her big visions and her thirst for creation made it possible for Muse to grow into what it is today.

    Considering the difficulty of her goal, Ariel’s journey was heavily criticized for its scale. She notes that at the beginning of her journey it seemed too ambitious, but the eager innovator stressed, “I just had this undying, unfettered belief in myself: that it was possible to do this and I could figure out a way.”

    For Ariel, it was not just her talent and brain that made her successful, but also her unwavering determination.

     

    More from Ariel:

  • Ep274: Food Paired with Loving Intention, with Food for Life Co-founder Paul Turner

    Ep274: Food Paired with Loving Intention, with Food for Life Co-founder Paul Turner

    Food for Life is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the world and is serving more than 2 million vegan meals daily. One of its founders, Paul Turner, started their mission with the aim to teach people that there is more to food, and more to this world, than what we perceive.

     

    Young Monk

    Other than Food for Life, Paul has also served as a senior consultant at the World Bank, an entrepreneur Holistic Life Coach, and a vegan chef. But before any of that, he was a child.

    Born in one of the poorer areas of Sydney, Australia, Paul was introduced to the bitterness of life at an early age. It’s also at this young phase that he was fascinated with spirituality.

    “My dad was a small-time criminal,” Paul shared, “the friends of the family were also criminals so we grew up in a pretty crazy situation. And at the age of 15, I became interested in astronomy. That sort of planted the seed in my heart that there must be more to life than this.”

    In his teenage years, he joined a group of people that gathered near an abandoned hotel resort. There he stayed for six months. During this time, he realized his calling and began his journey to spiritual development. He joined an ashramat the age of 19 and dedicated 14 years of his life to being a celibate monk.

    A vital part of his learning came to him after his head was shaved and he became a part of the monks. “I looked in the mirror and realized, that vanity,” Paul said, “that person that I thought I was now is on the floor. Now I’m a little different. Who am I really? I’m obviously not this body, this body is just a vehicle. It’s how I’m expressing my consciousness.”

     

    Pure Food

    Learning from a Bengali celibate monk named Swami Prabhupada, Paul discovered Bhakti—Yoga of Devotion. Building upon the concepts in this practice, he began teaching it to others and through the mission of Food for Life.

    “Food, when paired with loving intention, has the ability to nourish mind, body and soul,” Paul said, “Food can shift consciousness.” He believes that the cause for world hunger isn’t the lack of food, but the lack of humanity.

    “Our mission is to unite the world through the sharing of pure food,” Paul stresses, “If we saw ourselves as a united global family, things like hunger would disappear because you wouldn’t tolerate your brother or sister going hungry.”

    Paul also notes that they’re the most cost-effective feeding program in the world, because of their vegan diet. Feeding up to 40 people from a donation of $10. On top of this, they are also educating people about the advantages of shifting to a vegan diet, as well as getting more members to help serve with loving intent.

     

    Cultivating the Self

    Paul shares that in his journeys, a lot of young people describe success as being an influencer or YouTuber. Concerned, he notes that there should be more to what we do. Part of balancing our lives should be taking care of our spirit.

    “We have to be responsible citizens but at the same time, we have to also cultivate our real potential insider,” he shares. “Because eventually at some point in time, this body is gonna stop working, and we’re gonna have to move on.”

    He shares that reincarnation is a fact that is happening now. People change every day. Once we were children and now, we’re adults. As the spiritual being we are, it’s the inner self we should work most to develop.

     

    More from Paul:

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