50: Elle Luna – What It Means To Follow Your MUST

‘Must’ feels like being in love: when you know you just know.

As artists, it is important to allow ourselves the time and the space to create.

This is what artist and author Elle Luna calls play. And where does she play? In the sandbox. Creating a sandbox is key to creating art. Another key is recognizing the difference between “should” and “must.” To create authentically, we need to have the strength to relinquish “should” to make room for the “must.”

I find Elle’s philosophies on art and play fascinating and inspiring, and I can’t wait for you to hear them. She has a toolbox full of ideas and exercises all designed to pull you into your art and creativity.

Let’s leap into the sandbox that is this week’s interview with Elle Luna.

The creative journey is a battle, and ultimately you’re battling yourself.

Some things we learn in this podcast:

• How she fell into the art world [2:10]
• Stepping into the world of graphic design [3:00]
• Thee difference between should and must [6:20]
• Using money to buy time rather than material goods [6:50]
• The three different types of work [8:00]
• How to get paid for your work [12:10]
• How she started selling her work [16:20]
• The egalitarian power of social media [17:40]
• The community of the 100 Day Project [26:10]
• What is a sandbox [28:40]
• Why being unproductive can be valuable [32:50]
• How to create a space to make [35:10]
• What are morning pages [37:45]
• How she found her sandbox [41:50]
• The process of writing her book [47:00]
• How you can use tools to help you achieve your goals [49:35]
• What is does the crossroad between should and must look like? [51:40]
• The importance of being seen in our lives [54:10]
• The difficulty of choosing must [55:00]
• The value of seeing money as a game and being creative with time [55:55]
• How to find your must [57:35]

Links mentioned:

• Learn more about Ideo
• Pick up a copy of Elle’s book The Crossroads of Should and Must
• Read her article on Medium: The Crossroads of Should and Must
• Check out TED Talks by Stefan Sagmeister – there are a few…
• Learn more about Paul Octavius and #samehilldifferentday
• Read the story of Just Kids by Patti Smith
• Learn more about The 100 Day Project and The Great Discontent
• Check out Mary Lo’s Instagram
• Learn more about artist Constantin Brancusi
• The artist in his studio – Alexander Leiberman
• Julia Cameron – The Artist’s Way
• Joseph Campbell – The power of myth, The hero’s Journey, Hero with a thousand faces
• Learn more about the General Assembly
• Music Credit: Timo by David Charrier (Parra for Curva edit)

Connect with Elle Instagram | Twitter | Website