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Description

Today’s very special guest is a reformed corporate mechanical engineer turned painter and muralist in Los Angeles, CA and one of Ashley’s beloved family members, Jared Karp, aka KarPart. In 2018, Jared followed his calling to leave the cubicle behind and pursue his creative vision full-time. Since then, he’s scattered dozens of colorful, whimsical murals around the world, and he continues to help brands with grassroots creative campaigns that uplift artist communities along the way.

Together, Ashley and Jared discuss their experiences in creative fields, sharing insights about discovering and pursuing one's true calling, overcoming external validation, and maintaining creative output. They also dive into the difficulties of negotiating value as artists, the importance of owning one's identity while running a business, and the need to communicate the value of their work to justify their fees. 

You will hear Ashley and Jared’s personal journeys of discovering their creative sides; overcoming challenges such as identity formation, grief, and trauma; and the importance of self-validation, self-awareness, and support from loved ones.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The universal truth that everyone who sets out on a creative venture eventually hits a wall, finds boredom, and questions their journey
• The early stages of pursuing your creative projects, self-belief, and overcoming imposter syndrome to get paid for your work
• Years of failure, learning the hard way, and picking up lessons to embody the identity of an artist and business owner
• Looking at what separates talent from success and the non-linear distinction between how hard you work and how well you do
• Why everything is inherently meaningless and it’s all about perceived value
• The meditative process of creating art and how beneficial it can be for our mental health
• Family dynamics and the role they play in our self-identity
• Seeking validation from the external world and how to consciously shift into self-validation
• The importance of permission to not put yourself in a box
• A heartfelt moment of Ashley and Jared sharing their admiration for each other now as adults and the inner work they’ve done to get to this place