It's been a little while since I've released an episode but I am back to reintroduce myself and this show and to give you some thoughts on: The Importance of Vacation The Perspective it Brings Some thoughts on artists and how to respond to the new world of Artificial IntelligenceBy John McDavitt

Andy Pinder is an amazing muralist. After leaving Art College, Andy began working in London as a Visualiser, Designer and Art Director, before relocating to Kent. Having spent many years creating illustrations and storyboards for film and television, painting wall murals became a natural development through which Andy could channel his creative and…

Pete Marin is the owner of Airbrush Events, revolutionizing private event entertainment through airbrushed party favors, providing take-home gifts and party entertainment activity, all in one! Pete’s story begins in Maine where he first encountered airbrushed T-shirts at his local mall. He pursued that aspect of airbrushing for much of his career a…

Corrado Mallia is a Toronto area muralist celebrating 25 years in the industry. Since a young child, Corrado has been drawing and painting since childhood. At the age of 23, he began his career painting murals, where the larger scale gives more space and freedom to transform a wall or whole room. A blank wall is just a blank canvas begging for some…

Alec Gillis is the co-founder of the Studio ADI, one of the largest practical effects houses in the film industry. Alec shares stories from his early career at Roger Corman's New World Pictures, his time at Stan Winston Studios (working on Aliens, Predator and more), how he and his partner, Tom Woodruff, Jr, formed ADI and his foray into writing an…

I love when I get to catch up with old friends like Kim Witte. Kim was one of my first guests on The Breakthrough Creative and I invited her back to catch us up on all she has been doing since we last spoke. Witte Artistry, LLC is a media company that specializes in creating educational and entertaining content around special effects makeup & tradi…

Mark Enright is a freelance artist, sculptor, house haunter & pumpkin carver who started Mortar Heads in 2004 with a series of bas relief, Star Wars characters sculpted in mortar. A former intern of Make up & effects labs and former employee of MEL products. In 2020, Mark took the skills and experience learned while working in the FX industry and d…

My guest today for our 100th episode is film & TV Composer, Greg Nicolett. Greg shares about his career, finding mentors and growing his business. Greg's television work includes the Disney animated series - T.O.T.S, Goldie and Bear and Pupstruction - as well as additional music for Smallville, The Vampire Diaries, Video Game High School and Puppy …

Anytime you decide to do something worthwhile it comes at a cost - energy, resources, pain. AND, if you stick with it, there are so many benefits - success, relationships, new skills and becoming a resource for clients to solve their problems. I share about how I stuck it out and found success. [email protected] https://www.instagram…

If you learn the Skill of Public Speaking you will be able to represent yourself to individual clients (super important), work in small groups (brainstorming) and persuade large groups (keynote speaking). You need this skill! I explain the benefits and break down how you can learn to speak to large groups with competence and confidence (and how you…

Flexibility is an underrated and under appreciated resource. Why you should intentionally work to have flexibility in your professional life. email [email protected] Follow at: https://www.instagram.com/artofjohnmcdavitt/By John McDavitt

It's been a little while... I wanted to check in on the episode to share my thoughts on licensing, social media, the benefits of working in a studio environment and flexibility in work/life. [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/artofjohnmcdavitt/ https://www.instagram.com/thebreakthroughcreative/…

I interviewed Cake and Sugar Artist, Kate Sartorious, about her career in March of 2020 and wanted to share it again in this Kate is a the owner and operator of Kate's Cake Design where she makes unique cake toppers for her clients. Kate also teaches an online Cake Topper course called 'Top Tier Cake Topper Masterclass.' You can find Kate and her w…

Dawn Murphy is a freelance artist currently residing in the Chicagoland area. She specializes in portraiture and costume illustration with a focus on pop culture. She has created numerous officially licensed artworks for Lucasfilm/Star Wars, Topps Trading Cards and RRParks Cards. Her work has been featured in the Star Wars Celebration Art Show, Sta…

It’s cool if you want to be an artist. It’s cool if that’s your hobby. But you need to be honest with yourself if it’s something to make money or something that’s simply personal enjoyment. If it’s a hobby - great! Enjoy yourself. If it’s a business - get to work.By John McDavitt

Please join 'THE BREAKTHROUGH CREATIVE' FACEBOOK GROUP. I'm looking forward to meeting you there. Episode 92: There are lots of good reasons to begin your career by working for a company BEFORE you start your own thing because there are so many things you don't know that you don't know. Why not make it a bit easier on yourself and learn on the job …

Mikey Wheeler is a professional tattooist who shares his journey from sandwich maker to apprentice to pro! Mikey also goes into the details of the business side of Tattooing. You can see Mikey's work and find him at: https://www.instagram.com/mikeywheelertattooer/ http://windhorserising.com [email protected] You can contact John at joh…

How does one find their creative style? How does one achieve their first published book? Kunal Kundu has done both! An animator, illustrator and sculptor, Kunal took leave from his career to find his 'style' and shares his process in this episode. Kunal also reveals his gritty approach to publishing his first book. For more on Kunal check out the l…

I share my thoughts on... (1:22) The Benefits of Becoming an ARTIST & DESIGNER (15:55) Managing SCOPE CREEP (22:12) SOFT SKILLS: Showing Clients Grace & Generosity Please share this episode with the pre-pro and professional creatives in your life. Contact me at [email protected] John McDavitt

This is The Breakthrough Creative's most dowloaded episode of 2021. Worth another listen - Ep 44 (2021) In my first Q&A Coaching episode, I answer questions from my guest, Jason de Knegt. We talk about Pricing, Managing your Workload and Finding your professional Niche. Jason de Knegt is a bartender & illustrator who balances his official ‘day job’…

Hey Breakthrough Creative Friends! This episode is about how my experience with airbrushing led to so many different opportunities in my life AND HOW the PROCESS I WENT THROUGH can do the same for you... whether it is an airbrush, a piano, acting, writing or WHATEVER YOUR THING IS. You can learn more about my AIRBRUSHING PAST by listening to... Ep …

Carlos Huante, master creature concept designer, is back! You have seen his amazing creature designs in some of the biggest movies made. In this episode, Carlos shares his experiences working directly with Rick Baker on MIB, Ridley Scott on Prometheus and Andy Muschietti on IT. Listen to my first interview with Carlos: https://apple.co/3GCMiMr You …

There are 3 MUST-DO practices you need to know and do with each new client to nurture your business relationship. Don't miss these. They are the secret sauce of building client relationships, ongoing business and increased income! [email protected]

Hi dear listener... This episode is about how our ups and downs, our attitudes and our gratitude along the way can enrich or derail our creative, professional and, yes, even our personal lives. I am grateful for my journey and I am grateful for you. Cheers - John Please subscribe to this podcast and share with the artists in your life. john@thebrea…

I explain my recent disappearance (Covid) and share my Haunted House Story (Art work and Income involved). Missed you all.

Paul Katte is the co-founder of MEG, Make-Up Effects Group, in Sydney, Australia. Paul and his partner, Nick, have created make-up FX for The Matrix, I, Frankenstein, Childhood's End and many more films and commercials. Paul shares the details of his creative and professional journey including stories of working with Marlon Brando and John Frankenh…

Ray Villafane is a master sculptor and pumpkin carver. He shares his journey the mindset it takes to become a highly sought after sculptor. Ray has created toys and collectibles for DC and Marvel, appeared on the Food Network and created sand sculptures across the globe. You can learn more about Ray and his work at: www.villafanestudios.com https:/…

Michael Spooner is an Animation World Designer. You can hear more about Michael's career in the previous episode (#79). In this episode Michael shares about: - working on the short film test footage for 'Popeye' - working with an animation director and on the team for Hotel Transylvania 2 - and specific designs for the film. Lots of amazing behind-…

This interview first aired in February of 2019. Michael Spooner is an Animation Visual Development Designer for the film and entertainment industry (he is also one of my closest friends). His credits include projects for Disney (The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo & Stitch), Dreamworks (Shrek), and Sony (Hotel Transylvania 2, Smurfs: The Lost Village). …

Mike Brennan is a storyteller who uses spoken work and visual art to bring life to his audience and to fellow creatives. In this episode Mike shares about his creative journey into advertising design, then into ministry and then back into art as an encourager of other creatives. Mike is the host of the podcast, Creative Chats (Great show! Please fi…

What should you do about your art education? There are so many ways to get from here to there but which is the right one for you? In this episode I share my thoughts on College, Degrees, Trade Schools, Learning online and Learning on-the-job. You can now support the show on Patreon and receive some amazing benefits! https://www.patreon.com/Thebreak…

Catherine Borzym has been making and selling her art and craft since middle school (that's right... middle school). Catherine's journey began by designing and selling jewelry to her friends to help them complete their look and then became a grass roots venture as she booked and sold at fairs and farmers markets in the midwest. Catherine's strong or…

We all face rejection and - certainly - as artists running our own business we are going to face it more on a daily basis! But Rejection does not have to stop you in your tracks... I break down the 4 Types of Rejection we face as creative professionals and break down what you can learn from each type and how to turn that knowledge into an advantage…

Donald Walker is a master muralist. His journey has included airbrushing t-shirts, owning and operating a sign shop (from painting letters to printing and cutting vinyl) and painting murals full-time for the last 15 years. Don is a wise and knowledgable creative entrepreneur and we have once of my favorite interview/conversations yet. You can find …

I spoke with a potential guest for the show last week (an amazing artist) who questioned whether an artist could really make a living from their art. This was a real surprise to me... so much so I had to do an episode on how an artist can REALLY MAKE MONEY! I offer 3 simple (but not easy) steps and support them with several interviews and personal …

A few months ago, Craig Burgess (ep 60), interviewed me for his show - The Get Doing Things Podcast. In this episode, we have an in depth conversation about art, design and my professional and creative journey. Thanks for the interview, Craig! You can learn more about Craig at https://getdoingthings.com/ Follow @craigburgess on Twitter. Learn more …

What is Marketing - Is it Branding? Storytelling? Selling? Marketing expert, Andrew Deutsch of Fangledtech.com, is my guest on this episode that brings some clarity to the tool of Marketing, what it is and how to make it work for your business. You can connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3ykQxIq You can find Andrew’s show, ‘Fangledcast’…

Efficiency in your creative business gives you an amazing opportunity to experience a really GOOD LIFE! It is a game changer. In this episode, I touch on... Efficiency of SERVICES Efficiency of REGULAR CLIENTS Efficiency of INCOME Learn more about my Creative and Business Coaching service. I can't wait to meet and work with you! Follow John on inst…

Last week I interviewed Dan Berry in Part I. Today we continue our conversation in Part II. In this episode, we discuss working on your craft, we learn about Dan's sketchbook (which he uses as a preproduction tool for planning his books), Dan shares about the joy and pain of 24 Hour Comics and we hear about all the things Dan makes. Dan is a cartoo…

I had a great time chatting with my guest, Dan Berry, in this episode. In Part I, we learn how Dan became a cartoonist and discuss how criticism is beneficial when used for good, the importance of storytelling (and its structure) and the need for a healthy work/life balance. I cannot wait to share Part II. Dan is a cartoonist, podcaster and educato…

Andy Strote is a Copywriter who founded two creative agencies and has written a book, How to Start a Successful Creative Agency, that documents his expertise. Andy shares his journey into copywriting as a creative employee, his transition to freelance and then the formation of not one but two agencies. He and his partners sold the first while Andy …

In Episode 35 I shared 'How I Mad e$11,000 Airbrushing T-Shirts in One Month'. It was one of my most viewed episodes on Youtube. I decided it needed a forensic look and came up with the '3 Reasons WHY' I was able to find financial and creative success... 1. Pick a Target 2. Take Action 3. Build A Systematic Approach to Hitting Your Target (Much sim…

It is so important to find and work with good people. My friend and business associate, Chris Liechti, has been a part of my professional and personal life for the past 24 years! Finding good people to work with who complement your skills and also care about you and your success are one of the most important discoveries you will make in your life. …

In this Q&A Coaching episode, I answer questions from my guest, illustrator, Joe Johnson. We talk about getting noticed by clients, how to find illustration in during COVID and the effects COVID may have on the marketplace moving forward. Joe Johnson is a recent college grad who is building his illustration career. He has a unique style rendering p…

We all have those stories we love to watch, read or tell over and over again. There are 4 particular elements in many of my favorite stories that I see play out in the successful careers of creatives. I unpack them in this episode. Ep 3 - Mentors: Your Secret Weapon! Please subscribe and share with the artists in your life. Email john@thebreakthrou…

Artists crossing into professional territory often struggle with seeing themselves as professionals. Maybe it is because of the stigmas attached to creative work. We often hear statements such as: “You can’t make a living from art.” “If you do this work for me (for free) you will get exposure.” “You’ll end up a starving artist...” I think what arti…

Craig Burgess is a graphic designer and visualizer who has spent his career developing the skills to become a FULL STACK CREATIVE, partnering in his own design agency, leveraging Twitter to build his following and becoming an author. You can learn more about Craig at https://getdoingthings.com/ Follow @craigburgess on Twitter. Please subscribe to T…

Catherine and Jeffrey Ross are partners in Ross Creative Works. Catherine oversees the marketing and advertising. Jeffrey handles the commercial photography. We discuss sales and learning how to sell, the importance of coaching and education in the growth of their company, navigating the pandemic and the benefits of partnering together in life and …

I met Maggie Capettini several years ago after both of us were selected for a public art event. I was captivated by her work and am so glad to have her on the show to hear her story and learn more about her creative process and business practices. Please subscribe to The Breakthrough Creative and share with the artists in your life! If you had aske…