Ever felt like you can't switch off from your creative work? Like every moment not creating is somehow wasted? You're not alone.

Lyndon and Breallyn get vulnerable about the dark side of creative passion. They explore 'Opportunity Cost Anxiety' and ponder whether they've mistaken creative anxiety for ambition. They also discuss the pervasive feeling of creative guilt and the myth of "making the most of every minute."

It's a candid conversation that gets to the heart of what it means to be a creative in the modern world.

Share this episode with a creative friend who might need to hear they're not alone in their struggles.

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do silo art, classical music at train stations, and a council mural in a quiet suburb have in common? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon explore the subtle power of art in public spaces, and how public art and crime prevention have become unlikely partners in shaping the places we live. From revitalised shopping strips to the politics of “beautification,” they unpack how creativity gets used not just to inspire, but to influence.

With a healthy dose of skepticism and a few personal stories, they dive into the murky overlap between community engagement, urban design, and crime prevention strategies.

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Silo Art and The Great Ocean Road Tag Along

Kirrily Anderson

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At some point, the hustle gets old—and so do we. In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon reflect on creative growth in midlife and the Chip Conley idea of improving not proving: that quiet shift from chasing approval to following creative curiosity. They talk ambition, internal momentum, and the unexpected freedom that comes with loosening your grip on who you thought you had to be. It’s a conversation about growing up creatively, with a few detours and exactly zero TikTok strategies.

Get the transcript

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the key to creative momentum isn’t a perfect system—but just doing something, however small, every day? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon reflect on building a creative practice through slow, steady progress and how easy it is to lose momentum—even when things are finally going to plan. It’s a conversation about staying in motion—even when everything’s pulling you sideways.

Get the transcript

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does art lose its power if no one sees it?

In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon unpack the value of unseen work—where it lives, who it’s for, and whether the audience gives it meaning. From Emily Dickinson’s drawer to the Wu-Tang album no one can stream, they ask whether the act of making is enough… and somewhere along the way, Lyndon also demands recognition for being an early adopter of Crocs.

Get the transcript

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is doing your taxes so emotionally exhausting—especially if you're a creative? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon wade through the chaos of EOFY as artists, from mismatched thinking styles to getting sacked by accountants (I know right!?) It’s a painfully relatable look at why the financial world feels like another planet—and what it costs us just to exist on it.

Get the transcript

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to master your passion—and is it worth it? Breallyn and Lyndon dive into the obsession, transformation, and long-haul grit behind creative mastery. With a little help from RZA, they explore how mastering one passion sparks others—and how the journey reshapes who you become. Plus there's the usual detours and chats about parenting pit-falls, dentistry and adventures in DIY acupuncture.

Get the transcript

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caffeine rituals, bedtime Milos, and an AI assistant named Pablo—Breallyn and Lyndon swap notes on the low-effort habits that are helping them stay upright (for now).

What’s actually keeping us sane?

In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon trade notes on the tiny comforts and daily habits that are helping them stay upright—most of the time. From caffeine rituals and bedtime Milos to creative windows, soft starts, and a suspiciously supportive AI assistant named Pablo, it’s a low-stakes list of what’s working right now (with zero promises it’ll still be working next week).

Get the transcript

Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.

Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife

For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:

http://www.paininthearts.life

Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.

Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:

http://www.lyndonwesley.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.