Feeling Creatively Blocked? How to Find Your Voice, Stop Hustling, and Start Creating w/ James McCrae

If you've ever felt creatively blocked, stuck on the hamster wheel of needing to be productive all the time, or like the world just doesn't get the new version of you that you're becoming, today's episode is going to feel like a deep breath and a full-body permission slip. I'm joined by James McCrae, poet, meme artist, and modern-day philosopher behind the viral Instagram account @wordsarevibrations. His memes have reached millions, his poetry has been published in top literary journals, and he's the author of several books, Shit Your Ego Says: How to Laugh in Ironic Amusement During Your Existential Crisis, and The Art of You. Before all of that, James spent 10+ years as a brand strategist on Madison Avenue, working with clients like Target, Microsoft, and NBC until he walked away from the corporate climb to rediscover his inner artist and reimagine what success could look and feel like. This conversation is a portal, part artistic awakening, part spiritual reminders, and part meme-fueled existential truth bombs. We explore why words are more than just language. They're vibrations and how that changes the way we speak, post, and create. How to actually receive intuitive downloads even if you don't feel like you are spiritual or like you have an open portal. The yin and yang of creativity and why hustle might be killing your best ideas. The surprising moment that cracked James open and made him finally commit to a meditation practice. How to reclaim your inner artist after losing it to the rat race. What happens when you outgrow your hometown, your people, and your past identity, and the difference between metrics and message on social media, and why going viral isn't the goal. And of course, we talk about James's iconic memes and how he's able to illuminate really hard truths without massively triggering people in the process, all through the art of comedy. This episode will make you feel seen. It'll remind you who you really are, and it just might spark your next creative download. Okay, let's dive in. Welcome to the Makeshift Happen podcast. I'm your host, Samantha Daly, entrepreneur, life coach, and your no BS bestie, here to bring you all things mindset, manifestation, and personal development. This podcast is designed to help you expand your mind and uplevel your life. So turn the volume up and roll the windows down if you're coming along for the ride. Let's go make shit happen.

Welcome to the show, James. I'm so excited that you're here. We're in Austin. We're in person. It's so nice to connect. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling great. Thanks for having me on the show. It's good to meet you, and I'm excited to chat with you today.

Yeah. So I want to start by unpacking the name of the account that kind of is going to make you the most known for people, my listeners of the show at least. I'm sure a lot of them follow you. Words Are Vibrations. This is your kind of like famous meme account. A lot of people know it. It's got over 450,000 followers, so it's not a small account by any means. And we'll talk about kind of the journey of, you know, growing that and everything. But I first wanted to kind of unpack the meaning of that title of Words Are Vibrations. You know, words just in the sense of like language and our inner dialog and how that influences our view of the world. And then also the idea of vibrations being like frequency and how we attract things into our lives. Can you kind of share your personal outlook on why words are vibrations and what that means to you?

Absolutely. I mean, first of all, I feel like my best ideas just pop into my head sort of like spontaneously. So I remember when I changed my Instagram name to Words Are Vibrations, it just popped into my head. I didn't have any plan. I just— I knew I wanted to change my Instagram name. The original name was the name of my first book, which was Shit Your Ego Says. And I felt like I was sort of outgrowing that name. And I noticed how the name had both the word shit and the word ego in the title. So it was sort of like, it was kind of a joke, but it was also sort of like, do I want these words to be associated with me? Is this representing what I want to express in the world? So it felt limiting. It felt sort of like not, not the right vibe. And I just, um, I didn't know what I wanted to change my name to, and I just sort of sat with it and didn't change it for weeks. And then out of nowhere, just the words Our Vibrations just popped into my head and I just changed it like spontaneously on the spot. I didn't have a huge following at that time, but I'm a big believer in just sort of reinventing yourself and just changing your name if that feels relevant. And since I changed it, I've come to see a lot of meaning in that name. And, you know, the idea that words are vibrations. And I've been a writer my whole life. I do a lot of things, but writing is sort of my core practice, my core modality. And, you know, everything that we say and do and create, you know, sends a vibration into the world. It's sort of like the ripple effect of our energy. And words have energy and words have vibration and You know, for me it's just about being an example of the change you want to see in the world. You know, like, I try not to be too, you know, complain about things, but rather, you know, one of my— one of the memes that I created that sort of like represents that name is Be the glitch you want to see in the Matrix. So it's just sort of about like being very conscious and intentional with who we are, with our creativity, with our language, with our communication, with our art, with our social media. And, you know, it's sort of like being a magician because our words cast spells. Yeah. You know, and like the word abracadabra literally means I create as I speak. So it's sort of like a reminder that everything that we do is, is, is casting a spell into the universe. And, you know, to be intentional about the spells we cast, whether that's in a relationship, on social media, in our art, in our business, and, and, you know, being the change that we want to see in the world.

So good. I love that. I know I loved when I learned that about the word abracadabra. I was like, damn, as I speak, so I create. It's so true. And then you realize, I think that was one of the you know, biggest things in my own personal development journey that just like changed my whole life. But it seems so small and almost insignificant. But when you make the change of really understanding that your internal world creates the external world that you see and you experience, you really do change your entire experience of reality. And that was what changed my life so much, was just by learning how to become the third-party observer of what I was thinking, of what I was feeling, of what I was voicing aloud and exactly things that I was consuming too, um, and just being more conscious of that and how that really just started to change through, you know, the reticular activating system and all of that. Like, like what you pick up on and what you notice. Like, I don't really even notice a lot of like the negativity or like, you know, fear as much anymore. Of course we have that natural bias, but it's, it's something that I wish everyone in the world could really like grasp and like learn and understand because I think not only would it change their lives and allow them to wake up every day happier and, you know, more positive and more fulfilled, but just like the ripple effect that that has on everyone in their lives. And I think that the world really would be a better place if everyone was, you know, embracing that understanding that we are the creators of our reality. And in that aspect, it's so, so powerful.

Totally. Yeah, there's a certain mindfulness aspect to it too, because I feel like it's so easy for people to get caught up in this sort of reactivity And there's so much mental clutter in the world and there's so much, you know, so much all the toxicity of the news and of the political discourse and of just how we relate to each other, you know, in relationships, in politics. There's this certain level of sort of bickering that comes from this place of mental clutter. And the more I've practiced mindfulness and studied meditation and cultivated my own consciousness and my own inner world, you, you, you sort of can start to separate, you know, this kind of chatter from the ego and this reactivity that comes from all of the chaos around us. But you can actually, um, you know, pull from a deeper source of stillness to be more intentional about how we show up in the world rather than just reacting to what's happening around us. And I think as an artist, this is a core part of creativity, is sort of creating from the inside out and initiating your own reality rather than always reacting to everything that's happening around us.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You mentioned earlier that you kind of spontaneously get your best ideas. Mm-hmm. And I think that's— I mean, at least that's true for me. I think most people would probably agree that the more that you try to force creativity or like a good idea. It's almost like the more blocked you become. So I think with content especially, it's like if you block out a time in your calendar where it's like, okay, go be creative and come up with your best ideas, it can be very hard to feel like there's anything there. So I'm curious, because you have this quote that you've said, a mind too full of information has no room for inspiration. And I love that because it relates to exactly what we're talking about, how like the the spontaneity or just like the openness, the nothingness is what I often talk about with creativity. Like, I think the definition to create is like to, you know, bring something into being, like out of nothing. Right. And so the ingredient that I think is missing for so many of us so often is the nothingness is like the spaciousness that allows us to actually have access to source or divine wisdom or downloads or just even like our higher self or even just your own thoughts. Like we're plugging our ears so often all the time in this like age of overconsumption, of always listening to everyone else's ideas and everyone else's creativity, that then you feel like you don't have that. But I think that we can source that in the right conditions. So in your experience, because you're quite an expert in— I think, I think I admire writers so much because there was another quote I heard recently. It was like, writers hate to write. I'm like, I relate. Because it's like that— it's such a hard thing to do. Like, why is it so hard? But it is. There's like a discipline to giving yourself the spaciousness. So can you just speak to that a little bit of like where ideas come from and this idea of like accessing creativity?

Absolutely. Well, I believe strongly that the best creativity comes from the subconscious mind, not the conscious mind. And, you know, I talk a lot about the yin and the yang of creativity. And, you know, the tapping into the yin is sort of like, that's sort of like the feminine aspect of the universe. This is like about receptivity, not force. It's more about being rather than action or doing. And I think that when, you know, we live in a society that's very much yang-oriented, meaning it's more based on productivity and doing and like always being busy, but I think especially as an artist, if you're not rooted in that yin space, which is going to be about receptivity and stillness and again cultivating your inner world, it's sort of like, um, it's sort of like cultivating the soil before you can grow a garden. You know, you need to water the soil, you need to plant the seeds, or it's almost like the womb. It's— there's this sort of dark and mysterious place where new life grows. And I think that, you know, in order to be creative and be productive and to be busy, you need to be grounded in more purpose. And that purpose comes from the subconscious. I feel like all artists are channels, and I think that creativity is a spirit that moves through us. Rather than something that we sort of strategize with our logical mind. There's certainly a place for strategy. There's certainly a place for thinking, you know, like when you're, when you're editing your writing, that's more a place for the critical mind to step in and, you know, you know, be more judgmental and to kind of analyze what you did. But when it comes to that initial, you know, flow of creative expression, for me, it's less about thinking and honestly more about listening to see what is trying to come through me. So it's like, I like the analogy of the Muse in ancient Greece, where the ancient Greeks, you know, they would have different, um, gods or goddesses to personify different things. And the Muse was sort of this goddess spirit that would come down and whisper ideas into those who we're open to receiving them. And, you know, the muse is not literally real, but it is figuratively real. And I think that it's a metaphor for our own intuition. So for me, when I'm writing, my writing process is I'm not— I'm trying not to think. I'm trying to feel and I'm trying to sense what the muse is trying to say to me. And that muse could be, you know, you could say that's your own higher self. You could say that's God. You could say that's, you know, some people think they're channeling other entities or whatever it might be. But I think it's just connecting with your own intuition. And when you listen to that intuition, you know, my writing process is very much me sitting there with an open notebook and just sitting there in silence quietly. And I'm not writing, but I'm waiting for the words to form in my mind. Before I write them down. So I'm sort of trying to make myself like most people, a conduit. It's chill though, because you got music playing, you got, you've got your tea or coffee and you're just sort of in that zone. You're not, and you're not forcing it, you know? And I, and I think I never measure my productivity by my word count. It's not like the more you write, the better. I'd rather write 2 sentences that are pristine and like perfect than 6 paragraphs that I just kind of like, you know, forced out. So just going into that place of receptivity and flow and connecting with your own intuition, which, you know, I think thinking, the thinking mind can get in the way of that. So I think that there's a, there's a, there's a, a place for, you know, the yin, for being receptive, for channeling, for intuition. And then once you get it out, then you can then you can edit it, you can fix it, you can use your more strategic mind to like do something with it. But I think being open to what is trying to move through you and connecting with your emotions to really see what's trying to purge out of you, that's where my best ideas come from. And sometimes that could happen even when I'm not even expecting it. You know, sometimes if you just go for a walk in nature or you just create space in your life, create space in your day where you're not really trying to do anything, but you're in sort of just an open-minded place, then it's like my name, Words Are Vibrations, that just popped into my head one day. I wasn't even trying to think of it. So the best ideas can happen when you least expect it. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Yeah. And I think that because we have that addiction to productivity and doing and busyness, as you said, it can be it can be challenging to practice that, like, nothingness and to leave space for— and to see the value in it before the ideas come through. Because I think there's a lot of people that might try that and then be like, well, I just wasted an hour of my day because nothing happened, right? But it is kind of like that, that practice of clearing your channel in a way, I guess. You mentioned that, you know, you believe that artists are channels. Is there anything that you do or have done to clear your channel in a sense? Like you mentioned setting the space and kind of the mood and having the music and tea and whatever, but maybe even just on a daily basis or outside of those like specific, like writing type sessions, are there things that you do so that you can be a clearer channel and get those ideas like the words are vibrations randomly when you're on a walk or in the shower?

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Yeah, you know, I had to— I think it really is about— I had to make lifestyle changes. You know, I used to work in the advertising industry in New York City, which was a very fast-paced, demanding, you know, productive job. You know, I'm working 50 hours a week and you go straight from the— you start drinking in the office and then you leave the office and go out drinking with your coworkers, and then you're drinking coffee all day. And you are sort of in this rat race of productivity. And in doing that, I really did lose connection with my own imagination, intuition, and like that inner artist, you know, and I became very stuck and frustrated. And I really did have to make some pretty significant lifestyle changes to go from, from that, that career, from that version of myself, you know, to really accepting and embracing myself as an artist and, you know, going deeper into that practice. So a big game changer for me was when I discovered Kundalini yoga. Back in New York City. I'd never done yoga before. I'd never really meditated.

Great for Kundalini.

You know, it just— I found this studio. I didn't know what it was, and I just went there one day and I had no idea. And I felt— I felt like it was the right thing for me to do it. So instead of buying one class, I bought like a 10-class pack just to kind of make myself come back. So I knew I might not come back otherwise, but something told me to do that. And whenever I left class, I would be full of inspiration and just have an open channel because that particular practice, you're doing yoga, you're doing exercises, you're moving your body, but it's also a strong focus on meditation and on breathing. And it's sort of just kind of opens you up and the thinking mind goes away and you just sort of become, you know, a channel in a way. So that studying Kundalini really is what helped me develop a meditation practice. And that's something that I continue to continue today. I meditate every day and it doesn't have to be a lot. You know, when you're learning meditation, when you're like trying to, you know, integrate this into your life, I think it's helpful to be serious about it and maybe try to meditate for an hour. Once in a while just to really go deep, right? I don't do that much anymore. I really just meditate for 10 minutes in the morning, but it's more for me about consistency rather than how long you're doing it. So that's been a big asset for my creativity. And then, um, yeah, I just changed my lifestyle, you know, even things like diet and, and just your habits, you know. I stopped going out to bars as much and you know, eating junk food and, you know, watching, consuming as much media and watching as much news and watching as much sort of like trash TV or whatever. Because really, the, the mind is like a, is like a garden, and what you plant is going to determine what grows. So I remember I would spend a lot more time in Central Park just sort of in, in, in, in nature, you know, going, going on long walks, reading poetry. Because I, coming up, I was a poet. Like, that was my first, like, creative, you know, practice. And I would read poetry and I would write poetry all through my teenage years. And when I started working in advertising, I completely lost touch with my inner poet. Wasn't reading poetry, wasn't writing poetry. So I had to sort of make a concerted effort to get back into that. So I was just spending time in nature, reading poetry, meditating, and really changing the seeds that I was planting in my own consciousness. Going to more art galleries, things like that, sort of being a sponge for inspiration, because we can, we can be sponges for, you know, for drama, for chaos, for all sorts of like, you know, things that are affecting our consciousness in a negative way. But if we become sponges for inspiration, you know, listening to music, consuming art, reading poetry, spending time in nature, you're really just setting the conditions for creativity to naturally happen.

Yeah. Yeah. What were, what was it like, the people in your life at that time? Um, did they feel like you were, did they, were they witnessing a very stark kind of contrast with who you were and who you were becoming? Or did you have people around you that were just like happy for you and loved it? Or what was that like? 'Cause a lot of people, you know, when they go through those kind of seasons, okay, so now you're like deep in Kundalini yoga and you're meditating and you're like hanging out in the park and writing poetry and maybe some of the people at your job didn't know that you were a poet in the past or that there even was that side of you. I think that's a big thing that keeps people small is, you know, the outside projections and opinions of what people think. Oh, you know, or like how you're changing. So I'm just curious from in your experience what that was like being in New York City too, which is—

Yeah, yeah.

Not New Yorkers aren't really like that.

True. Yeah, it's a great question. You know, I've, I feel like I've, I feel like I've gone through several sort of personal reinventions in my, in my life. And it's true that not everyone in your life is going to be supportive when you change, especially because it, it, it, it maybe they feel threatened by it because it challenges who they are in a way and they have a hard time accepting it. So I've definitely had that experience. You know, I think that I've never really had to like intentionally cut people out of my life, but I feel like when you change your life, when you change your vibration, your energy, the—

you're a match for different people naturally.

You're a match for different people naturally. So like some people are going to fall out of your life and I think that is totally normal and and, you know, I think that new people will come into your life and the people that will come into your life are going to be more aligned and, you know, supportive of who you are, who you're becoming. So I just think it's important for everyone to, you know, not get too locked into their own self-perception. And our self-perception is often reinforced by the people around us who expect us to be a certain way and behave a certain way. And I just think it's more important to follow where you're led. And for me, I always, you know, found new friends. And, and it's important— that's why it's important to, like, when you— if you are going through a change, like, to go be proactive, uh, with what you're— how you're changing. So, like, I met a lot of friends in Kundalini yoga, or I met friends in different spiritual communities. That, you know, and before I knew it, you know, my whole life looked different and my friends looked different. And some friends, you know, grow with you and some friends are supportive and they're open-minded. And those are your real friends. You know, they're just— they love you for who you are and not like whatever, you know, whatever, you know, they don't—

What plans you're doing on the weekend.

Yeah, exactly. So it's definitely real, but it's you know, when you cross that bridge onto the other side, and, and it's, it's always worth it.

Yeah, I agree. I feel like my experience is quite similar. Like, I've never really had to intentionally set boundaries with people or be like, oh, gotta cut this person out because they were like really not supportive of who I was becoming. But there is that natural— I just think it's a consequence of authenticity and of growth that people don't talk about a lot, but that stunts some people because they fear that, you know, people in their lives are going to leave or not be aligned. But it's just that kind of natural fall away that, you know, like friendships or things fade when you don't relate on as much stuff anymore or you don't have as much in common. And then the new people that have always come into my life through all of my different, like, evolutions of self have always been— felt like such a blessing, you know, just like almost like— I don't feel like it's becoming a new shiny version of yourself, but for me it almost feels more like a returning to like who you've always meant to be. I almost feel like the younger versions of self were more like the conditioned self. Yes. And like now the evolved version is not this like, oh, new shiny version that we're unboxing that never existed. It's almost like that's the, that's the origin, like that's the original you. Yes. So more like an unbecoming rather than like a you know, unwrapping something brand new. And all the people that I've attracted in my life through that unbecoming process and like returning to the origin of like who my soul was always designed to be before I was, you know, manipulated or, you know, subjected to the conditioning of life and being a teenager and wanting to fit in. Those people have always been like such blessings in my life. And yeah, it's, it's, it only gets better. So I guess I think that would be my sentiment to add on to yours. So like, anyone who's feeling stuck by being in a personal evolution like that is that it just continues to get better.

100%. We are not meant— the human spirit is not meant to be put inside of a box. And there's so many external perceptions and expectations that get kind of thrust upon us at different parts in our life, whether it's through coworkers, friends, or family. And it's really limiting. And Honestly, one of the best things that I've done in my life is moved from different to different cities. Yeah. It's to really, to really give yourself a chance to start over and to just show up, you know, based on who you are today, not who other people expect you to be based on who you were in the past.

That's such a good point because environment like influences so much of how we show up and who we are. And I don't know if you know this about my story, but like when I was 21, I met my fiancé when I was studying abroad in Spain, and I decided, like, crazily enough, that I was going to move to Spain after that and not go into corporate America or get jobs. So I was like, all right, I guess I'm just packing my bags. I'm gonna see what happens with this, with this guy. So I moved to Spain. I ended up living there for 6 years, and that is where, like, I had all of my, you know, personal, like, spiritual awakening, like really evolution of self. And I think a lot of it was in part to your point of like being in a whole new environment where you feel like you can be anybody. Like you could be Brit— nobody knows me here. Exactly. I have no past perceptions. I have no— you know, there's no one calling me saying, hey, let's go to this spot or do this thing that we always do. Like you're kind of forced to be a whole new you. You have to reinvent yourself because who are you in this city? Who are you in this country? You know, what kind of friends do you want to make? What kind of things do you want to do? So Yeah, I think that's a huge, huge point. And I see that, you know, with people that never leave their hometowns. Like, I think it's beautiful to return to your hometown and want to grow a family there or be close. But I do think there's so much value in getting out of those four walls. Yeah. Because you just like are forced to see yourself in like a whole new way.

Absolutely.

Absolutely. Where was the first place that you moved like when you got out of Minnesota?

Well, I moved a lot in Minnesota. You know, I've— I came from a really small town and, you know, I was an artist and I was a poet, but I didn't know— I didn't really have any direction or mentors because there weren't a lot of artists around me or creatives. So I didn't really know what path to take to really become an artist. So I went to college initially.

Did you have that intention, though? Were you like, I'm going to be an artist?

I did, right in high school. You know, it started with poetry and then in my later teens I got really into painting. I've always been sort of balancing like the visual arts and then the, the language arts.

Well, advertising makes sense.

Advertising makes sense. And so does social media content and even my books. I always illustrate my own books and do all the graphics in them and things. So I'm always doing both. So I knew I wanted to be an artist. I just didn't know how. Like I just thought like, oh, you just make great art and then maybe wait for someone to notice. Someone will discover you, you know, or like however that happens. I had no idea.

I feel like that's also kind of how we approach like social media and content nowadays, which is like, let me— if I just like post really good stuff, then it'll just work.

Yeah, yeah. Which doesn't always happen. And for me, I went to college and I, I dropped out because I hated it, and, and then I just became like I spent a year as a starving artist and I was moving around the country, um, working odd jobs and just like working on my art at night. And I'm glad I gave myself that freedom to explore because I think you just really need to like really, really, really go for it and, and, and really, um, even fail at what you're trying to become good at. Like, you— I think that you can't be a good artist until you're first a bad artist and you can't find your way in life until you've— until you've tried out all the ways that are not yours. So I think that failure is a beautiful part of the journey. And I don't think that you can find success without first stumbling into failure. And even as an entrepreneur, you know, most people will fail at business before they succeed. So I think it's important for everyone, even no matter where they are in their journey, to give themselves permission to fail and to try things and to experiment. Because without that freedom, you're not going to find, you know, the voice and the direction and the style and the idea that is really uniquely yours. Yeah. But so I was, I was exploring my own creativity, but I also got super depressed and didn't have any direction, didn't, didn't have any mentors. So I finally went back to college, but to an art school and studied graphic design. And that gave me a lot of direction with my creativity and Eventually got into the advertising industry first as a graphic designer and then a brand strategist. Um, then I moved from Minneapolis to New York City and, you know, worked for 10 years on Madison Avenue in, in brand strategy, you know, creating names and messaging and, um, ad campaigns and websites and apps and all these things for different clients and very creative, but it was also sort of like it wasn't my own creativity, you know, it was working in a corporate sort of environment. But yeah, New York City was the first kind of like big place that I, that I moved. And I've lived in L.A. and now I live in Austin and different lessons along the way and sort of a personal reinvention along the way as well with each, with each stop.

I'm sure. Do you think that the— because when did you start your because you're like famous for being like a meme artist. Yeah. So how did that come to be? And do you think— I mean, I would imagine so, but I don't know when you started it to really like line up this timeline— that your experience with brand strategy and, you know, the visual side plus the messaging side and knowing what works and what grabs attention, was that background really helpful in you succeeding on social media?

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I, I would say so. I think that everything that we do informs like what we do next. In other words, like we all have different journeys, we all have different career backgrounds, you know, we all learn different lessons in our lives. And I think when we truly step into our own power as a creative, as an entrepreneur, as a podcaster, whatever it is, I think that we're pulling from our, you know, all of our lessons along the way, even if they're not directly related to what we're doing. You know, we sort of internalize them and we find a way to to alchemize them and sort of, that's why our offerings become this sort of signature recipe that is uniquely ours because we're pulling on our own lessons and life experiences. So I would say that yes, it's probably helped me on social media, but really to answer your first question, you know, I wasn't, I was never great at social media. I just had a personal account like my account now, Words Are Vibrations. That was just my personal account. You can go back years and just see pictures of me and my friends drinking or whatever.

I love that because I'm such a fan of that. I was like, personal, like, just, just transform your personal account.

Who cares? Exactly. It's more natural. It's more you. Yeah. So I never really had any plan to grow it per se, but in in like 2015, '16, I got really lucky. I got a book deal with Hay House and it was just like this serendipitous moment because I had no audience. I had no social media following.

They didn't want you to do social?

Well, yeah. I mean, it's kind of— it was kind of a long story, but they sort of like gifted me a book deal. But they strongly encouraged me to grow my platform. And then I still didn't know how to do that. But what, you know, the book eventually came out and I needed to promote it and market it. I guess I needed to, you know, it happened backwards for me. Like most people grow their platform, they grow their audience, they have to now, they define their message, and then they, they work their way up to getting a book deal. Yeah, complete opposite for me. I got a book deal when I was working in advertising and I had no audience whatsoever. I just happened to write a book that they really liked, but then I had to figure out how to grow my brand, how to promote my book, how to grow an audience. I had no idea. And I remember the, the Hay House, like, marketing director was giving me some advice, and she was like, just do memes. No, no. Well, what she said was— she— her exact words were, do whatever makes you jazzed. That's what she said. And so at that time, like, when I was looking at other Hay House authors, you know, it was like people like Gabrielle Bernstein, right? And she's a— she's— she's a great, like, self-help speaker, and like, she makes these videos, and she's like a spiritual cheerleader. So I thought I had to do, like, that, which just kind of wasn't my personality. So I didn't know what to do. But when Hay House— Hay House told me to do what made me jazzed, I'm like, well, what makes me jazzed? Like, it's not talking to a camera.

I know, to what makes you jazzed.

It's like, what make— like, what— but it's true. Like, what makes you really excited? Like, what do you feel excited about? Like, if you could just— if you're just left to your own devices, like, what would you have the most fun doing? And the first thing that came to my mind was drawing because I was always, you know, again, a visual artist. I just like to sketch and just doodle. Not that I'm a great drawer, but I love to doodle and I always had done that. So my first sort of phase on social media was making these little drawings and they were almost like little cartoons with little lessons in them. So they were almost like early memes, like they're almost like me— memetic in a way because it was like a little bit funny and a little bit like characters maybe talking, but with some spiritual message or something. Um, and I'm not a great drawer, they were just kind of stick figures, but that's kind of how I started to kind of find my voice on social media. And I, you know, I, I, I grew a little bit but not a lot, and we moved from New York to, to LA, and this was right when the pandemic happened. And, you know, I think like a lot of people during the pandemic, I really started to just sort of analyze my own life and my voice and like what's working, what's not. You sort of take inventory of your life because you're sort of like on timeout and. And the conclusion I came to is that I was, I was trying to be this self-help author because I was, I was like a Hay House author, but it didn't feel natural. I felt like I was trying too hard to be an inspirational speaker or like, you know, like you're trying to fit the mold. I was trying to fit the mold and the world was in such a weird place and like a chaotic place, and everything was just sort of, um, sort of absurd in a way. Like, especially in LA, we had—

I know, I was gonna say, damn, you just moved to LA right for the pandemic. That's unfortunate.

No, it was the best thing because we were in a one-bedroom apartment in this old building in New York City that was just like in a very crowded place. And then we ended up in Topanga in a house with a yard and hiking trails in our backyard and the ocean. So it was actually— couldn't have been a better place to land for that. Yeah, um, that was thanks to my wife's intuition who told us to move there.

Give her all the credit.

Totally. But you know, it was just such a weird time. There was, there were— there was a, there was a pandemic happening. There was, um, um, LA was um, was having all these like Black Lives Matter, uh, riots. And like all the stores and buildings were boarded up. The National Guard was lined up all along the streets with like tanks and machine guns.

And it was intense.

And there was all these conspiracy theories going around the internet. And it was just this very intense time. And Um, it felt like it— for me, it felt like being a self-help motivational person was not what I felt like the world needed. I felt that I needed personally to really return to being an artist, and I felt like that was the only way I could draw from a deeper place to share something that I felt might be even more useful was to sort of break the mold and stop trying to be something that I thought I was supposed to be, but really go back to being an artist. And that's when I started writing poetry again, and that's when I started making memes. And for me, those two really were hand in hand because it, it was like they were both ways to express myself creatively that were just sort of more experimental And I felt with poetry and with memes, you could say things that you can't necessarily say otherwise.

Right.

Yeah. And like, it's, it's the language of metaphor. It's the language of myth. There's, there's, and with memes, there's some humor built into it where it's almost like a joke. So I got tired of this idea of trying to be, you know, um, like you could stand up and give a lecture and you could like say things that some people will agree with and some people won't, or you could write like an essay trying to make a a point and like, you know, form this linear logical argument about what you want to say. And some people will relate to it, some people won't. But I was more interested in poetry and memes to say things in a way that kind of bypasses the intellect and sort of hits you in the heart or hits you in the gut.

That's so true. I didn't really think about it that way, but it's like it, it's less of that. I feel like it bypasses the binary of like, I agree with this, I don't agree with this. And it kind of just like creates this feeling of like, oh, haha, that's relatable.

100%. With a meme, it might be haha, that's relatable.

Or the poetry might be like, that's beautiful.

Exactly. Exactly. It's like, what a beautiful thought. And you can sort of bring people out of this like rigid mindset of like binaries and of this like intellect. And you— it's sort of like if you're at a dinner table and everyone's bickering. How do you raise the level of conversation above the level of bickering? And that could be through humor, that could be through something that's more inspiring. Um, it's like, or you could just be— you could just play a song and suddenly the song sort of breaks through the noise and it kind of gives people this beautiful space to share together. So that's when I started making memes and writing poetry and And honestly, that's when my account started to grow, was when I stopped trying, when I stopped trying to fit the mold of a self-help author or motivational speaker and allow myself to honestly to talk shit or to make a joke or to say things that weren't politically correct and just to really be more of myself. And And memes gave me like sort of, uh, the freedom to do that.

So interesting. And I think, well, so many people are probably frustrated by the idea that like, it started working as soon as I stopped trying. It's like what you hear so often, but it's so frustrating that that's, you know, the advice. But it is kind of goes back to what we were talking about earlier about the creativity. Like, yeah, when you're in the openness of not trying to force an idea, it's usually when something comes through.

But I will say this though, I definitely I did try because when I found my lane, when I found my voice in memes, I started creating content more than ever before. Like I was in a, I was in a zone where I was maybe posting once a week and I had to kind of like get yourself to do it, get myself to do it. I had to like think of a, I had to write out a caption and like, it was more of a laborious process. But when I found my voice with memes, I found a flow and it was just coming out of me and I started doing it all the time because it was more fun. So I would make memes in the morning, I would make memes at night, and sometimes I would make 5 a day. And suddenly I had this backlog of content that I, that I had to post. So I started posting every day and then probably for a year I was posting twice a day just because I had— I was making so much stuff. So Yes, in a way I wasn't, I wasn't trying to be someone who I wasn't, but at the same time I was, I was, um, like exploring, working, writing, and, um, sort of creating more than ever before because it was coming through more naturally.

Yeah, yeah. And I think like to your point earlier, you kind of have to fail and go through those cycles of, again, trying to fit the mold or thinking, okay, this is who I'm supposed to be and like doing it that way to then only realize through the doing what is actually authentic to you. And then when you find that kind of zone, the ideas just start pouring in and it kind of flows from there. But I think people get discouraged too early in the process of not feeling like it's easy for them. But that's another thing, even, you know, outside of social media, but I'm sure with writing and business and, you know, everything else that you've done as an entrepreneur, I think there's this theme, especially at least in like the spiritual space, that like it is supposed to be easy. But I think it can become easy when you find that zone, like you mentioned. But there is so often that the seasons where it's not easy, like you said, it's more laborious and you are trying and you are failing. And that's a very real side of it too, that I don't think we just get to start and skip all of that and go right to the magic.

Yeah, no, there— I mean, life is full of seasons, and, you know, some are easier than others. I, I think that the creative process— and when I say the creative process, that could mean writing a book, it could be making social media content, it could mean starting a business— the creative process is a journey into the unknown. There's no way of knowing in advance exactly how it's going to turn out. You know, to think about if someone sits down to write the first words of a book, there's no way that they are going to know in advance the exact sequence of words that's going to lead to the best book and exactly how, how it's going to end. You know, it's, it's a, it's a process of exploration and discovery. And sometimes that comes easier than others. You know, there are parts of writing a book that come super easy, and there are parts where you feel like you're completely lost and you're like, none of this is working. I've got to rethink the whole thing. And, you know, it's usually not as bad as you think in that moment, but I've definitely felt that way many times. And, um, and it's about continuing to explore and put one foot in front of the other and not— and just being where you are in the process. Like, if, if you feel stuck, that's part of the process, and there's a breakthrough that's going to happen when you feel stuck, because that's why you feel stuck, because you're on the precipice of a breakthrough. So sticking with it and like, um, you know, not abandoning ship when things don't go easy, and to also reinvent yourself if it's no longer working, you know, even you know, I was making memes and posting memes once a day, twice a day for years. And there was a time where my audience was growing like 1,000 people a day for like months, it seemed. And but that changes too, you know, the algorithm changes. At a certain point, memes became way more ubiquitous on social media and like suddenly everyone's making memes and, and my voice wasn't as unique as it used to be, you know. So I had to rethink my whole strategy. And, and, and, and, and again, we said this earlier, but it's like not getting stuck with who you are based on who you were in the past or who other people expect you to be, but continuing to reinvent yourself when— whenever, um, whenever you feel stuck. So for me, like, that meant like maybe making less memes and, and For me, it was like, okay, can I make a meme without an image? Meaning, can the words be so— can the words be so clear and be so, you know, carry the message on their own without the need of an image? And that sort of became like a new challenge. So like just words on a slide, but words that carry that same almost energy that a meme would. So that was sort of became a new challenge for me. So it was kind of back to writing, but writing in a style of memes almost, if that makes sense. Um, so just because something worked in the past doesn't mean it's going to work in the future. So you've always got to sort of— that's why I like this, um, um, there's this concept in Zen Buddhism called beginner's mind, and I think this is one of my favorite things, is, is to always show up every day no matter what you're doing as a beginner. Because they say that in, in an expert's mind, there few solutions because you, you think you know the answer. You're like, I'm an expert, and my years of expertise, I know that this is the right thing to do. But if you're a beginner, you're open to all possible solutions because you don't really know the answer. And I think that's a great approach to have in life, in art, in business, is, is having a beginner's mind and staying open-minded and not continuing to do things the way you always did them but to show up how you feel that day. Um, and that might mean trying things that are completely new and continuing to allow yourself, yourself to make mistakes as you find the new way forward.

I want to circle back to the idea of humor that is kind of layered in that, and like a huge part of the journey of you creating memes and, you know, bypassing that part of our mind that wants to be so Critical, and just kind of talk about the importance of infusing humor into this whole, you know, personal development journey. You know, you kind of mentioned feeling like the personal development guru or like the self-help speaker, like, wasn't really you. But in a lot of ways, your work still really helps people grow and kind of like examine new parts of themselves. But by infusing it with humor, I think it allows us to stay really grounded in like topics that can sometimes feel really like heavy. Or I kind of refer to this idea as like the healing trap, which is where once you get really into this type of work, you feel really addicted to the idea that there's always something about you to be fixed. Um, and so you're always kind of looking for the next limiting belief, or like the next, ooh, like where am I stopping myself, or you know, how can I break through to the next level because I must— there must be something else that I should or could be doing. And I think humor allows us to, like, anchor back into just, like, the present of, like, this is— this is all just, like, a funny trip that we're on anyways.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's why my, my second book, uh, is called How to Laugh: An Ironic Amusement During Your Existential Crisis.

I know, I love that title.

And that's actually a book of poetry and memes that that, you know, um, and, uh, yeah, I noticed that just especially in, in spirituality in particular, things can become so serious.

Yeah.

And I don't know, like, that, that when we take things so seriously, we're— we can make things harder than they need to be. And I think that sometimes the most honest thing to do is, is exactly that, to laugh in ironic amusement during your existential crisis. And that's sort of a, for me, like a breakthrough moment where you realize like, okay, the reality is like we don't really know what's going on. And I think we've become too serious when we try to, um, be so certain about what we know and what we think and what we need to do. And, um, we put all this pressure on ourselves to perform at a certain level, or to, you know, or to be healed, or to be enlightened. And it becomes like this struggle. And I just think that that is helpful sometimes. Like, I, I, you know, humor can definitely be a form of bypassing if, if, if you, if you refuse to see things, um, ever seriously or refuse to, you know, see the darkness or to feel the darkness or to feel pain. I think it's important to feel your feelings, to embrace your own darkness, to admit when you feel sad or confused or lonely or upset and the full range of the human experience. But humor is part of that human experience as well. And And for me, laughter is liberating. And it's, uh, with memes, it's a good way to challenge people's preconceptions and to express different ideas. And, uh, at times I've gotten some comments on my page, like maybe if I shared a meme that was especially sarcastic, for example, and I, I always get comments that are being like 'Oh, what kind of vibrations are these words?' Like, make— like, like calling me out for my name and the fact that I'm maybe being like sarcastic or something.

Or like they've put you in— they've categorized you in their own mind. You should be like this spiritual—

exactly. But I would, I would respond back and be like, 'Well, laughter is the, is the highest vibration,' right? So, um, so I just, I just I just don't believe in taking life too seriously. I mean, of course we take our, um, you know, certain parts of life. You take your friendship seriously and your family, and you take love seriously. And it is, it is serious in, in so many ways, but at the same time, it's, it's sort of a cosmic joke at the same time, just existence itself. And I think it's, for me, it's been so honestly healing to get out of your own ego mind and to be able to laugh at the cosmic joke. And I think that's an aspect of spirituality too.

Humor is such a high frequency. It is such a high vibration, like being able to laugh at things. And I think in a lot of ways, like, the world has gone in a direction where we're so obsessed with, like, being politically correct or, like, caveating everything, or— and we're probably even doing that in this episode right now, like, well, of course it's kind of serious, but it's like, yeah, like we can barely ever say what we actually want to say, because of course everything has nuance, you know. Of course there's multiple sides to every single coin. Um, but I think with comedians even especially, like, they are in such an interesting climate. They're artists in, in their own way, and like, the world that we live in doesn't really lend to them being able to be as provocative or sarcastic or, yeah, like putting themselves out on a limb as, as they might, might have been able to, you know, a decade or two ago. But there is such value also in creating things that are polar in some way. Like, I always teach that to my clients, of this idea of you have to polarize to magnetize. Like, a magnet is only magnetic because it has those polar opposite ends. And so if you want your content, your presence, your brand, anything to be truly magnetic, you have to be willing to have those polar ends. And that means there's going to be people that really reject you or dislike you or disagree with you. And then there's going to be people that are like, this is my person, like, I'm obsessed, I love your content. So I'm curious about your relationship with— you know, you've mentioned some of those comments which aren't really fully hate comments, they're just, you know, someone being a Karen on the internet. But if you have received that type of energy when you are a little bit more polar, of, you know, yeah, people being haters.

Yeah. Oh, I've definitely had my share. Um, there, you know, I'm pretty— I think I'm more tame now than I used to be. I used to more sort of intentionally push buttons in a way, or, um, I used to say, you know, just be a little more triggering, triggering, whether that's like making fun of the spiritual community or making fun of different political ideologies. You know, I sort of make fun of things that I feel are too rigid. And I think that, um, that's why humor is so important. Humor is almost— it's funny because you're, you're almost saying something that you're not supposed to say.

Yeah.

And that's why it's funny.

Yeah.

And it's sort of like, that's why you laugh. It's sort of, it's, you're, it's sort of like liberating to hear someone say something that you sort of agree with, but you probably thought but would never— exactly, you've thought it maybe, but but they actually say it and it's sort of liberating to hear. So it's sort of like, humor is sort of like a pressure valve where if there's too much pressure in something, humor is just a way to kind of like let out some of that pressure. And it's like, and it feels good to let it out because otherwise you're too pent up. So for me, my like philosophy and in being funny online or on social media or with memes, I would never make fun of people or, um, it's like I would always make fun of what I felt were rigid ideologies, you know what I mean? So I would never want to be— I would never want to insult anybody, but I would more challenge them with their full—

it's like using humor to expose the hypocrisy of something or the rigidity of something. Or yeah, more like concepts rather than—

yeah, there was a, there was a yoga teacher, um, that I, that I had that talked about this idea of you need to poke and provoke in order to elevate. Something like that, something like that. So it's like to get someone— if you want to— if someone's going to elevate, the first thing you need to do is get them out of their sort of, um, patterns. So humor is a way to sort of like poke and provoke and almost trigger, lightly trigger with love, um, that gets people out of their maybe rigid ideology or mindset. Let them see sort of the humor in that way of thinking, and then they can sort of liberate themselves from carrying that sort of rigid ideology.

Well, it's almost like, you know, people say like, your triggers are your biggest teachers. Yeah, like if there's something that's meant to be funny really triggers you, it also maybe is the eye-opening moment of like, why am I so offended by this thing that everyone else is laughing at, or that everyone else thinks is hilarious, to kind of breaks the bubble, to your point, of like opening up the perspective to maybe see something, something outside of that.

Yeah. And humor, you know, I guess humor can be mean-spirited in a way too, but my, my philosophy was always to make fun of ideologies, not people, but also to make fun of ideologies equally, where whether that's the right or the left or someone who's too spiritual or too much of an atheist, like whatever, whatever extreme, I'd always make fun of the extreme. You know, so I was kind of sort of like a very inclusive in my triggering. And also, you sort of make fun of yourself too, because like at the same time, I'm part of the spiritual community. Yeah. And I do go to yoga and I do, you know, I have drank ayahuasca and I have, you know, done these things. So I'm also making fun of myself. So that kind of makes it less mean-spirited because I'm also ultimately just making fun of myself.

Yeah, no, I love that. I've done like little skits before of things like it, personal development stuff or spirituality things, or even like coaching industry specific stuff. Like, and I love it because like I'm included in it and it's something that we all like accept, but it's almost pointing out the things that we've like, we've all like just created this ecosystem where it's like this is normalized. But when you can like zoom out and be like, this is kind of fucking weird that we're all doing this. Yes. And then it's funny.

I like that. You're kind of zooming out of the, of the, of the narrow and just seeing the big picture for, for one second. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. So to close, is there any, any other advice that you might give to young entrepreneurs or people wanting to build their brands utilizing social media where artists now in this age of algorithms. You have a quote, "Born to be an artist, forced to make content," which I think is hilarious. But we've talked about a lot of it so far, you know, already of getting into the flow and being in that state where you are not forcing or pushing the authenticity piece, failing forward. Is there anything else that you might say to someone who's in the, in the come-up stages of their career in that sense?

Yeah, so many things. You know, I think that for like, like I've said in this conversation, I had so many— I tried so many different styles and voices on social media before I really found my, my voice. So that's the first thing. If you're just starting out, like, give yourself permission to experiment, to explore. Both in voice and style, right? Those, those are the, those are the two things to master on social media are voice and style. And your voice is really what you have to say and really, you know, dig deep with that because a lot of people say a lot of things and a lot of people maybe have a similar message or the same message, which is fine. You know, there's a lot of companies that sell similar products. So you don't have to be the only one that offers a certain idea or message or service. But I would, I would question what makes your approach different? How do you see the world differently than others? How can you, um, say things that people want to stop and listen to? And, and, and that's gotta be different, especially social media. You gotta think how people are using it. They're just, how quickly we scroll. And the reality is you only have a couple seconds to get someone's attention. So you've got to say things that are, that are different and that matter to people. And it's not going to matter to other people unless it matters to you. So I feel like I'm always finding my voice on social media. I feel like I've been stuck lately. And the other night I was, um, feeling super tired and I I wasn't even planning to make content. I was just going to— I just started to write out all the reasons I was tired and like what I was tired of. And it was just like, I'm tired of this, I'm tired of that, I'm tired of this, I'm tired of that. And I'm like, screw it, I'm just gonna post this on social media. And then like that got way more engagement than other things recently. So, um, being honest and saying what matters to you in this moment. Don't feel like you have to say what other people are saying, you know. Don't feel like you have to speak on every single, you know, thing that comes along, um, in the media, in the news, in whatever, but really what matters to you in the moment and try to be as honest as possible. And, um, if it doesn't matter to you, it's not going to matter to others. So, so, so really get in touch with yourself and your message and, and, and what you want to share with the world and get really clear on that and try a lot of different things. You know, don't worry about the metrics on every single post, because if I had done that, then, you know, I wouldn't have got where I am today. You have to like, you know, you never know what's going to click. So you've got to try a lot of different things and don't worry about the metrics, but worry about, you know, I always say focus on your message, not your metrics, and your metrics will grow in proportion to the clarity of your message. Right. Um, and then style is another thing. And that's just like, what's your style online? Like, do you, do you make memes? Do you make reels? Do you make carousel posts where you're teaching a lesson? Do you share short inspirational quotes? So like what, what style works best for you? Like, I'm not great with reels. I make some, I like to do them. I want to do more of them, but it's not my go-to because I don't, it's doesn't come as naturally to me, but some people are great on camera or speaking. So find the style that works for you and like, and then repeat that. And I'll also try different things like, you know, mess up, you know, mix up your style, try a meme, try a poem, try a more like a carousel teaching post. But, um, I always say different people go viral for entirely different reasons.

Yeah. So true.

So it's not about copying someone else's format or formula. It's about finding the style that is uniquely yours, that is gonna be easy for you to replicate.

Mm-hmm.

Like if it's hard for you to do and it feels like a chore, you're just not gonna do it.

You won't be.

You're gonna resist it. It's not gonna be fun. It's gonna feel like work. That's why I don't make reels. For me, reels feel like work. I got to think of what I'm going to say. I got to set up my camera. I got to edit it. And I still do them because I see value in doing them. And I, you know, for me, you have a certain level of tolerance. Well, as a meme artist, I realized that like a lot of people didn't know who I was. They're like, oh, that's— this is a meme page. So I intentionally will do photos and videos so people do know how you feel.

You know, like, because it was largely faceless.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I sort of had to get out of my comfort zone and insert myself in it more so people did know that I was the person behind this. Um, but find the style that's most fun for you, that, that, that you can do that doesn't feel like work. And then that's just gonna, you know, if you— if it's not fun, you're not going to do it. So find the style that's fun for you, whatever that is. Whatever makes you jazzed is Hay House.

Yeah, we'll just close with that. The best advice. I don't know if you remember who that was from Hay House, but shout out. Yeah, whatever makes you jazzed. That is the expert tip. Thank you so much for coming on, James. This was so much fun. Love this conversation. We're going to link all of your work and books and everything for everyone to check out. It's been such a pleasure.

Oh, the pleasure's all mine. Thanks for having me on. This was great chatting with you and looking forward to doing it again.

Yeah. Yes.

All right, well, that wraps up the first episode from our Austin tour where we got to record live in person with some incredible guests, more of which are coming soon. If you enjoyed this conversation, please, please, please head over to my Instagram right now at _samanthadaily. It'll take you literally less than a minute, and just comment James under the trailer video for this episode to win a free copy of James's book, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity. He's been generous enough to offer free copies and free shipping directly to your door. So go leave a comment now to enter to win. As always, your engagement on the trailer videos on social media helps show our guests that the audience is loving their episode, and it also helps position us to be able to get other amazing guests on the show. So thank you guys for commenting and sharing. It means the world and is such a simple but powerful way to support the show. All right, I love you guys. Stay tuned. We'll see you next week.