Nion Radio With Nick Onken

Once you have the why, the how shows up. Today I am talking about creativity and abundance with my friend and transformational coach Chris Lee. Chris trains high level executives, entrepreneurs, CEOs, artists, musicians, and so many more, and he has trained a lot of buddies of mine. Chris has some amazing insights into how we hold ourselves back and what we can do to rid ourselves of barriers to create the life and career we want. We know that emotional intelligence is the key to creating a strong mindset, and mindset is the biggest key to success: your thoughts create your actions which create your results, so if we can learn how to better control and create the thoughts that we want, we’ll create a bigger and better lifestyle. An all around amazing, fun, energetic guy, Chris’s mission is to serve the world and create transformation from within. Listen in as we talk about creativity, abundance, ego, generosity, gratitude, and so much more.  We’re all artists of something. Everyone has the creative means to

Taking on a proper perspective can temper us for great success and creating a full life. We all go through funks in our creative journey. In fact, I’m going through one right now. It’s really challenging when your creative outlet is also your product and your living - it adds a whole other level of complication and can make your funk even worse because it can mean that not only is your creativity not at it’s best, but neither is your money making. When I get in a funk I find myself questioning everything: Am I good enough? Am I on the right path? Am I an impostor? When is the next job coming? My inner critic is raging, and it’s a constant battle not to take any rejection personally. We can’t choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we deal with them. So today I’m sharing some of my tips to help you get through a funk in your creative career. Even if it doesn’t make you money, just create things that make you happy. Some things we learn in this podcast: You have to keep it in perspective [4:35]

Are you willing to invest 2% of your day to make the other 98% better? Emily Fletcher is a three time returning guest. A meditation teacher and creator of the Ziva Technique, Emily taught me everything I know about meditation, and I’ve been a huge advocate of the practice every since I learned three years ago. Meditation has been a huge part of my creative journey and has helped me get rid of anxiety and stress. Emily has a new master class about just that: reducing stress. Listen in as she talks about different tools, meditation specifically, to help you de-stress your mind and body on a daily basis. She also is sharing new updated neuroscience around meditation, including new benefits and ways to use a meditation practice to hack your creative flow. Check out Emily's Stress Solution. To me manifesting simply means consciously creating a life you love. Some things we learn in this podcast: What’s new in the world of Ziva Meditation [4:10] The difference between mindfulness and meditation [5:10] How

It’s easy to find yourself analyzing everything and not actually creating. Today I want to talk about some of the mistakes I see people make when they are just beginning the journey of their career in art. And while these mistakes are common when you’re just starting, they can be made (and often are) no matter where you are in your career. I’ve been falling into some of these lately myself, and sometimes reminding myself of misplaced frustration or my own impatience can help me get back into my sandbox so I can keep creating. There will be ups and downs in your career, and the downs can feel really really down. Some things we learn in this podcast: Mistake 1: Doing it for the image or to “be cool” [1:50] Mistake 2: Being entitled [3:10] Mistake 3: Analysis paralysis [5:05] Mistake 4: Lack of patience [6:15] Mistake 5: If you can’t deal with uncertainty, get out now [7:55] Links mentioned: Read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Jewelry is not an organic kind of art: it’s a lot of measuring and calculating. Today’s guest, Gabriel Urist, is a big name in streetwear world. A jewelry designer and artist, Gabriel has designed for LeBron James, Jay-Z, and has collaborated with Supreme, Nike, and other big brands. In today’s show, we dive into Gabriel’s creative process, his background, and the story of how he got started and studied jewelry design. Hear how he connected with Nike for a collaboration, why he has mixed feelings about the jewelry industry, and the amazing project he’s working on right now. I feel like I have a responsibility to be an artist. Some things we learn in this podcast: Gabriel’s upbringing and education at an arts school [3:20] The influence of basketball on his craft [5:50] How Gabriel started making money early in his career [9:45] Why copying someone else’s work is weird [11:00] How Gabriel transitioned to fashion and what he would learn [13:00] Why Gabriel never feels like he’s quite in his groov

The art of the start is the hardest thing. One of the questions I get asked most often in my Nion Life Community is, “How do I start?” And it’s an important question. You can be someone with passion, you can be good at your art, but it’s completely different to take this thing and start to make a career with it. How do you spread the word? How do you start making money? Today on the show I’m going to give you a few pointers, a few of my thoughts on how to get started with a career in art. You must be patient, you must work hard, and you must create. Some things we learn in this podcast: Why you have to just start [2:20] Read The War of Art [3:00] You have to be willing to put in the time to make time to create [3:30] Why you should start small [4:30] Identify your fears [6:40] Dedicate time to your craft [7:55] Make and make and make [8:25] Links mentioned: Join the Nion Life Community and take the quiz for more content Read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Read Art & Fear by David

The only thing that was really holding me back was time and full-on commitment. Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the connection between fitness and the creative lifestyle. Bringing movement and fitness into my life and taking care of my body allows me more clarity of mind, which in turn helps me continue to press forward in my creative journey. Today I’m talking to Amanda Bucci, fitness expert and online entrepreneur and coach. Amanda started her creative journey when she fell in love with exercise. From there she started building fitness training programs and then transitioned over to entrepreneur coaching. I met Amanda through Lewis Howes and she hired me to photograph her for her brand. We quickly became friends, and I love what she’s up to. It all plays into the space of creative entrepreneurship and how we create a balanced lifestyle that integrates your relationships, business, spirituality, personal development, fitness, and creativity. It has been a result of my ambition, a result of my c

Business is always going to have ups and downs, and the creatives that succeed are the ones that push through that. Today I’m talking about something that has been on my mind for a long time now, something that relates to my own creative journey lately and what I’ve been going through, and that is art, fear, and resilience. I think especially in jobs as artists and creatives we have to deal a lot with the way the industries change, and you have to keep evolving and adapting while also confronting your own fears and doubts. Combine all of this with the fact that you are running a business and it can be a lot! This is why it’s so important to be resilient; Every creative journey has highs and lows and you have to push through those, bounce back from the hard times, trust in your vision, and push yourself. Be resilient, pick up, move on. Some things we learn in this podcast: You have to keep adapting and evolving in any creative industry [3:00] A quote I love from Art & Fear [4:00] The narratives that k

I’m very lucky that I get to do something that has a simple message but reaches so many people. Today I’m talking to returning guest James Goldcrown. I had him on in the early days of Nion Radio but James’ path has changed since then. These days he is known for the creation of the Love Wall. If you live in New York or L.A., you’ll recognize his murals because they’re everywhere and they give off this amazing vibe of love and positivity. His amazing layering of brightly colored hearts have gained him recognition that has led him to collaborations with TOMS Shoes, Sephora, and recently Rag & Bone. James and I talked about his journey since our last conversation, the creation of the Love Wall, and how he has gone about turning it into a brand with global recognition. Plus he shares how he has used the murals and social media to create a brand presence and a wider reach. Speaking of collaborations, I have also just released a special collection of crystal necklaces in collaborations with Made in Earth. I design

I was just in Mexico with a mastermind, which is a group of high level individuals who come together to help each other with life and business. My time there got me thinking about people, networking, and relationships, and how people can come together to create conversations that take your brain to the next level. So today I want to share some of my top tips for building strong relationships. I also want to encourage you to take the Nion Life quiz if you haven’t yet! It’ll provide you with a bunch of content for wherever you are in your creative journey. Some things we learn in this podcast: “Networking” and talking to people takes practice [2:30] How this podcast has helped me build relationships [4:00] My seven tips start now [4:50] Be a value adder [5:05] Push yourself to get out there [5:50] You have to ask questions [7:05] People don’t care until they know how much you care [7:55] Be a connector [8:30] Be a host [9:20] Follow up and reach out [10:20] Links mentioned: Read Thin

If I’m not excited about something the readers aren’t going to be excited either. Mark Manson has blown up over the last couple years selling over 2 million copies of his newest book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, which stemmed from his blog article and pdf. I recently met Mark though a mastermind group that I’m a part of and asked him to be on this podcast. Upon doing research on him, I found that he has so many good articles on success on his amazingly designed website, markmanson.net. He’s got so many interesting articles about life and I soon realized his writing and packaging skills he has beyond just the book he is known for. He’s got many articles about life and love that will help enrich your own life, and are the best short articles on various life subjects. What I love about this Mark Manson book is that it really taught me the meaning of not necessarily the subtle art of not giving a f, but really how to prioritize the fucks that I do give. Really, that’s an essence of modern day buddism. W

When you create a higher self, that elevates your game. Happy new year! I hope you celebrated and had fun sending out 2017 with a bang. I also hope you took the time to write down some goals for 2018, to think about what you want to build and create this year. I did a lot of learning in 2017, and on today’s episode I’m talking about the lessons I’m taking away from last year and applying to this new year. As always, I’d love it if you joined my online community to share questions, inspiration, and become a part of the crew. You can also take our creative quiz and get content that’s curated just for you. It’s about evolving to have a long-lasting career in creativity. Some things we learn in this podcast: Mindset is everything to success [2:10] You are a mean making machine [4:20] Focus on your zone of genius [5:30] Be of value [6:15] Create something every day, even if it sucks [6:55] Curate your surroundings [8:00] A novice says “I already knew that,” a master says “thank you for the reminde

We all have these things we want to do, and they’re all intangible until you speak them or write them down. Today I’m talking to Ben Nemtin, one of the founders of The Buried Life. When he was younger Ben struggled with serious depression and today he’s talking about how he got through it. From there he decided to make a life pursuing the dreams he always wanted to achieve like traveling the world and playing basketball with President Obama. It begs the question: why aren’t you living your life to the fullest right now? Ben has some great tips about living the life you want, plus he talks about giving back and being creative in all aspects of your life. He is a super inspiring guy who has really created some amazing moments for himself. If this is your first time visiting our new site, head over to take the quiz so that we can provide you with content picked just for your creative journey. Failure is an amazing thing: it either changes your direction that you need to go or at the very least you learn someth

Real artists will take the time to create a business around what their craft. Today I’m sharing with you some of the books that have helped me along my creative and entrepreneurial journey. Some of these books are what got me started down this path of art and commerce, and others are ones I have found helpful along my journey. If you’re an artist looking to build a business with your craft, I think you’ll find these books really helpful. I also want to invite you to join the Nion Life Community over on Facebook. There you’ll find likeminded creatives and an place where you can ask questions, get inspired, and collaborate. You have to figure out the puzzle pieces to put together the life that you want. Some things we learn in this podcast: Book #1: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield [1:45] What is the resistance [2:05] Book #2: Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins [2:35] How to become your own sponsor [3:00] Book #3: Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon [3:15] Why you should read the physica

It’s great to be able to communicate with people and to be able to get ahold of people as you’re getting through a country and making plans. I travel a lot, probably logging 75,000 - 100,000 miles flown every year. The majority of those miles are international, and I’ve learned a lot from traveling so much. So today I’m sharing my top 5 travel tips with you, from looking like a local to tackling jet lag and how to make plans and get around once you get to your destination. Do you have other travel tips? Join the Nion Life Community and share them with the awesome group of creatives, plus find support, inspiration, and collaboration. Vedic meditation actually really helps with jet lag. Some things we learn in this podcast: Try to look like a local [1:30] Accrue your airline status [1:45] Get international roaming on your cell phone [2:45] Use Google Maps [3:45] Get Global Entry and TSA PreCheck [5:00] How to beat jet lag [5:50] Links mentioned: Join the Nion Life Community Read more about

If you want to take off, build your runway. Connor Beaton has taken a unique path. After graduating from college not really feeling passionate about his major in technical engineering, he became an opera singer. Normal, right? Connor’s path is unique, as is his message. His organization ManTalks aims to encourage men to develop and become self-aware, high-performing, vulnerable, and impactful. These days Connor focuses on creating peak performance through personal growth in your creativity and business. He does ManTalks all around the world, helping men create better lives and deepening their relationships with themselves and in their relationships. I think there is a lot to be learned from Connor for those in the creative realm who want to access their flow and vulnerability. In our fascinating conversation we talked about taking the leap, prioritizing, getting in the zone, and so much more. Life brings us things that we often don’t know that we need. Some things we learn in this podcast: What it was l

If you’re not taking care of yourself, there’s no way you can show up as your best self for others. Your inner world affects your outer world, your relationships, your art, your career. Understanding and knowing yourself allows you to pursue the things you care about. Today I’m talking to Vienna Pharaon from Mindful MFT. Vienna is a therapist in NYC, and she has a great Instagram account that has garnered a lot attention where she shares deep thoughts and amazing insights into our journeys as humans, creatives, partners, and more. In our conversation, Vienna and I talk about some common issues she sees in relationships, how to find a good therapist, the stigma around therapy, and why you have to take inventory of your life. Don’t forget to join the Nion Life community to share your own struggles, ask questions, and get inspiration to live a better creative life. A therapist can only take their clients as far as they’ve taken themselves. Some things we learn in this podcast: What drew her to marriage and

I thought it was so cool that this toy could interact with all my other toys. Today I’m talking to a truly unique artist whose medium is Lego: Adam Ward. Adam makes sculptures and murals, does commissions, and worked on the Lego Batman movie. He has a series with Soul Pancake on YouTube called Brick x Brick. He played with Lego a lot when he was younger but never dreamed it could turn into a career. But with a kickstarted campaign and some great connections, he has made with happen. Today Adam is offering us his insights into Lego world. He’s talking about his artistic process, and how he started to make money with his Lego work. It’s a pretty fascinating conversation - Adam’s story goes to show that truly anything is possible. It’s so fun to invite people to interact with art, to mess with it to put their own spin on it. Some things we learn in this podcast: How Adam started working with Lego [4:00] Adam reached out to Lego and was turned down [9:15] How Adam used Kickstarter to launch his company [

Now more than ever I have to keep reinventing. Today I’m talking about one of the biggest things that we as creatives deal with on a daily basis: uncertainty. It is easily the most challenging part of a career as an artist or entrepreneur. Some days it’s hard to imaging where your next job or your next paycheck will come from, sometimes it’s hard to find inspiration, other times it’s hard to motivate yourself to keep pushing and keep creating. Listen in to hear a couple of my tips on how to deal with uncertainty. If you have any insights on dealing with uncertainty, I’d love to hear about them. I get to wake up every day and create, and I’m grateful for that. Some things we learn in this podcast: You never know when the next job will come [1:10] The feeling of uncertainty will always be there [1:30] How gratitude helps you deal with uncertainty [2:10] How meditation has helped me deal with uncertainty [3:30] Get creative with business [5:20] Links mentioned: Join the Nion Life Community

You can come for a really sick lineup and know that you’re getting some feminism mixed in there. Being a woman in the music scene is very different from being a man in the music scene. Playing classical violin is very different that playing rock violin. And Anna Bulbrook knows a lot about these differences. Anna has been the violinist for Airborne Toxic Event and Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros. She grew up playing the violin classically, but everything changed after college when she realized that she loved to play her instrument in a less traditional venue. Years later, after touring with some great bands, she found a new passion: creating space for women in the world of rock and music festivals. Her new venture GirlSchool, is just that: a music festival by, for, and in support of women. Listen into this awesome episode as she talks about the life of a career musician, what it’s like being the only female in the band, and the moment that lit the spark for her latest project. In the process of letting that