Just Make Art

Ty Nathan Clark and Nathan Terborg are back! 
A career that ends because your body says “no” forces a kind of honesty most of us try to avoid. That’s why the Rafael Nadal Netflix documentary hit us so hard and why we couldn’t stop talking about it as artists.

We trace Nadal’s mindset back to the studio: the way victory fades fast, the way difficulty becomes the real teacher, and the way motivation can turn dangerous when it turns into obsession. We also dig into the difference between an athlete’s timeline and an artist’s timeline. Tennis can become a race against time, but art can be a lifelong practice, which means we get to adapt, evolve, and keep making work for decades if we stay present and keep training.

Along the way, we pull quotes from Nadal, his dad, and his coaches to talk about pressure, discipline, community, and perspective. We explore why “control the controllables” is a studio survival tool, how self-made deadlines can sharpen your focus, and what it means to compete with yourself without turning art into a zero-sum game. We also ask the uncomfortable question: what does “suffering more” look like for an artist, and how do we bring joy into the drive so we don’t regret the moments we’re living right now?
In the coming Part 2 we will discuss Georg Baselitz and his life long practice, comparing it to the short period of time Nadal was able to complete.

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The fastest way to kill creative flow is to turn art into an identity you have to defend. Nathan sits down with special guest host Michael Gazzo (@Michaelvgazzo), a coach, rebirth breathwork facilitator, master NLP practitioner, and platinum-selling music producer, to talk about what happens when external success still leaves you empty and what it takes to create from a more honest place.

We trace Michael’s path from childhood music obsession to major-label moments, touring, and high-pressure industry wins and then into the quieter work of rebuilding from the inside. Along the way, we unpack why curiosity and play create the “happy accidents” that make work feel alive, and why creative block often isn’t a lack of talent but a nervous system and heart issue. If you’ve felt stuck in perfectionism, overthinking, or the need to make something that “works,” this conversation offers a different frame: become a better receiver first.

We also get practical. We talk breathwork as a tool for regulation and deeper emotional release, how to redirect spiraling thoughts without bypassing your real feelings, and how journaling can become a direct dialogue with the work itself. Finally, we break down intention setting, focusing on a cleaner why, avoiding negative motivators that burn out fast, and serving the art instead of using the art to chase approval.

If this resonates, subscribe for more conversations on creativity and the inner life, share this with a friend who’s blocked, and leave a review so more artists can find the show.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram here:
@justmakeartpodcast   @tynathanclark   @nathanterborg
Watch the Video Episode on Youtube or Spotify,
https://www.youtube.com/@JustMakeArtPodcast
Send us a message - we would love to hear from you!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram here:
@justmakeartpodcast   @tynathanclark   @nathanterborg
Watch the Video Episode on Youtube or Spotify,
https://www.youtube.com/@JustMakeArtPodcast

One song can pull you back to a room you haven’t seen in 30 years, and that same song can push you into the studio with a totally different kind of courage. Nathan Terborg and Ty Nathan Clark go all-in on the music that formed their taste and still shapes their creative process, from early mixtapes and older-sibling tape raids to the ritual of Tower Records, used CD bins, and the album art that taught us as much as any design class.

We trade stories about the records that became emotional landmarks, the soundtracks that acted like secret portals to new bands, and the way certain albums become permanent studio companions. Ty shares how the Basquiat film soundtrack helped reroute his path as an artist, and we dig into the very real chain reaction of influence, like Jeff Buckley inspiring Thom Yorke’s approach on Radiohead’s work. Along the way we hit The Crow soundtrack, OK Computer awe, deep-cut favorites, and a few “no shame” listens that still surprise people.

Then we bring it back to craft: how to build a studio playlist with intention, how to match music to the energy you need, and why silence can be the most powerful tool when you’re trying to hear what the work is asking for. If you’ve ever wondered how music and creativity connect at a practical level, this one is a blueprint you can actually use.

If it resonates, subscribe to Just Make Art Podcast, share it with an artist friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. What album changes the way you make work?
Send us a message - we would love to hear from you!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram here:
@justmakeartpodcast   @tynathanclark   @nathanterborg
Watch the Video Episode on Youtube or Spotify,
https://www.youtube.com/@JustMakeArtPodcast

Cameron Crowe wrote for Rolling Stone as a teenager, rode alongside the biggest bands of the era, and somehow stayed human enough to turn those years into art. We use his memoir The Uncool as a springboard to talk about the real creative process: the awkward beginnings, the brutal winters, and the small daily choices that keep an artist moving when nobody is clapping yet.

We pull quotes and stories that hit hard for working artists. What does “opportunity favors the prepared mind” look like in practice when you’re sending work out, building taste, and stacking reps? How do you protect the “invincible summer” in you when the studio feels cold, the market feels loud, and your mind starts running worst-case scenarios? We also linger on the difference between being discovered and being ready, and why preparation beats panic every time.

Then we get into confidence and evolution. “Act like you belong” isn’t fake swagger, it’s a quiet claim to your seat at the table if you’re doing the work. And Joni Mitchell’s advice cuts straight through the fear of changing your style: stay the same and get crucified, change and get crucified, so you might as well keep it interesting. We close with a challenge we all need: notice the work you’re avoiding, because it might be the work that matters most.

If this conversation lights a fire, subscribe, share it with an artist friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one piece of work you’re going to start or finish this week?
Send us a message - we would love to hear from you!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram here:
@justmakeartpodcast   @tynathanclark   @nathanterborg
Watch the Video Episode on Youtube or Spotify,
https://www.youtube.com/@JustMakeArtPodcast

Art-making isn’t a vibe. It’s a practice that can feel exhausting, confusing, and sometimes flat-out miserable, yet we still wake up wanting to go back. We sit with a blunt question that every working artist eventually faces: what is making art giving us even when it doesn’t feel good?

We start by de-romanticizing the work through Hugo Winder-Lind’s reminder that painting doesn’t always feel good, especially now that artists are expected to be multi-faceted creators. From there we get honest about envy, creative cycles, and the kindness we owe other artists when they’re in the ditch. We also call out the social media highlight reel, the edited two minutes that hides the seven hours of staring, failing, quitting, and starting again.

Then we move into what the studio actually gives back. Mark Bradford frames labor as a way to slow down until you can hear yourself think and reach the quieter voice with the better idea. Sheila Hicks adds the bigger frame: discovery is part of being alive, so hang in there because you never know what the next discovery might be. Along the way we talk logistics, perfectionism, routines that prime the pump, excluding distractions so actions match goals, and Noel W. Anderson shares why the studio nourishes us in ways we can’t fully explain.

If you’ve been stuck, burned out, or questioning why you keep doing this, hit play. Subscribe, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review, then tell us: what does your creative process give you when it’s not giving you joy?
Audio artist clips from:
TimeStamps: https://www.instagram.com/time____stamp/
Louisiana Channel: https://www.instagram.com/louisianachannel/
Artists:
Hugo Winder-Lind: https://www.instagram.com/hugowinderlind/
Noel W. Anderson: https://www.instagram.com/nwa_studios/
Sheila Hicks: https://www.instagram.com/hastingshicks/
Mark Bradford: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2838-mark-bradford/

Send us a message - we would love to hear from you!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram here:
@justmakeartpodcast   @tynathanclark   @nathanterborg
Watch the Video Episode on Youtube or Spotify,
https://www.youtube.com/@JustMakeArtPodcast