27 | Holiday Special with Alexis & Ruby

Join host Alexis and editor Ruby as they wrap up an incredible first season of Through the Creative Door with a festive finale! Reflecting on their favourite moments, the duo shares six standout highlights from the season, featuring inspiring guests with standout moments.

From overcoming self-doubt and advocating for your creative journey to the profound truths about preparation, persistence, and passion, this episode is a heartfelt celebration of the creative spirit. Plus, there’s a special gift for listeners: a sneak peek into their brand-new bite-size series launching in 2025!

Tune in for some laughs, inspiration, and a sprinkle of Christmas magic!

This episode was recorded on 18 November 2024 on the lands of the Wadjuk People and the Wurundjeri People. We hope that this episode inspires you as a creative person and as a human being.

Thanks for listening, catch you on the next episode.

Psst! We are always on the lookout for creative people to share their story and inspire others. Have you got someone in mind who would love to have a chat? Get in contact with us via Instagram @throughthecreativedoor

00:09 - Ruby (Co-host)

Merry Christmas Alexis

 

00:11 - Alexis (Co-host) 

Merry Christmas Ruby. 

 

00:13 - Ruby (Co-host)

We're here, we're ready.

 

00:15 - Alexis (Co-host) 

We have gone through a season

 

00:20 - Ruby (Co-host)

We have. I cannot believe it. I was looking at the Spotify list of all the episodes and I can't believe. At this time we're recording this as the 24th. The 24th episode has just come out, so that's pretty awesome. 

 

00:33 - Alexis (Co-host) 

I know I'm so proud of all of us, absolutely and everyone on the season. everyone's the tapestry of season one and I think what better way for us to round off season one, yeah, and do a Christmas episode? I wish I had bells on.

 

00:49 - Ruby (Co-host)

We decided that we would both choose three standout moments that we both really loved and I'm so glad that we both chose three completely different moments and it wasn't rehearsed at all, no, no it wasn't. No, not at all. I'm glad that we chose. Um, we've got, yeah, so six beautiful moments that we're going to share. Would you love to go first Alexis? 

 

01:20 - Alexis (Co-host) 

I( would love to go first. Actually, my first one is in your hometown, James from Brass Party. He was so eloquent and so gracious and so, oh, just you could hear his enthusiasm of all of the creative ventures that he does as a musician. But I think the thing that just really sort of just I had this. 

 

01:54

aha, yes, like you know you know when people are at a comedy or like poetry and instead of clapping, they like click their fingers because they like agree. I just felt that you know one of the like major things that he said was like you don't need to be one of the critics. Yeah, there are so many people that will criticize you. There's like, yeah, you don't need to be one of them. You need to be your own advocate and like, be there to advocate and push and uplift yourself, and that I was just like yes yeah.  

 

02:36 -Ruby (Co-host)

Absolutely yeah.That's so true, and I think, as creatives, it's so easy for us to be so hard on ourselves, because how else are we going to make our art better if we're not criticizing it? But then you also got to put a bit of a line there like am I being too hard on myself or is it the right amount? 

 

02:54 - Ruby (Co-host)

and I feel like a lot of creatives don't have that line 

 

03:01 - Alexis (Co-host) 

Yes, very true, but it's like we live in a very critical space. 99% of the time, right, we are applying for funding, we're applying for festivals or we're, you know, pitching show ideas, you know, or gallery ideas, or you know there's so much that you're like, you know, like one of our guests that we've had this year, you know, he talked about how he couldn't get to work on the projects that he wanted, and so he just made all the projects that he wanted. 

03:34 - Ruby (Co-host)

Yes, was that Blake? Yeah, yes, yeah, very inspiring. 

 

03:36 - Alexis (Co-host)

You just if it's not already there, then you just, you parve the way forward. 

 

03:42 - Ruby (Co-host)

What's that saying? If you build it, they will come, or if we build it, that's it. Yeah, absolutely, and that's the thing. You can't just wait around for things to happen in the creative world like things going well, fingers crossed. Things will come towards you, but most of the time you do have to be the leader. 

 

04:02 -Alexis (Co-host)

Oh, a hundred percent. And you also. You know people talk about it's like, oh, oh, they were a overnight success or whatever. It's like, no, no, they did all the hard work and it just meant that when the time came, that a particular opportunity came, they were already ready you know., 

 

04:30 -  Ruby (Co-host)

That’s actually a beautiful segue into one of my favourite moments, which was from episode 18 with Ray Leigh. I was so what she said was if you're always in the right place and you're always prepared, eventually it will be the right time. And I loved that for the reason that exactly what you said was you do what? If you're prepared and things come towards you, it'll be the right time. 

 

04:49 - Ruby (Co-host)

so and I am like a huge advocate for being prepared, like overly prepared

 

05:01 - Alexis (Co-Host)

You are my spirit at all, because organized and I love that, because I like being organized. I hate being underprepared.

 

05:09 - Ruby (Co-host)

I mean there have been moments where I'm like, oh, I'm not like 110% prepared, maybe I'm like 80% prepared, but I feel like most of the time that's more than a lot of people. But I loved, I loved, loved how Rayleigh said that, because it is so true. You have to work on your craft every single day and people don't know what's going on behind the scenes, they don't know how many hours have been put into this one tiny project. It could just be one show that you're doing once a year, but you're working for months and months, and months and months, and then people see the final products and they go oh, that was pretty good, that was quite nice. Yeah, it's like six months work, it's a lot, it's a lot. So I just really connected with that phrase that she said. I loved it 

 

05:53 - Alexis (Co-Host)

It’s so true and like you're saying, like you put so much time and energy and effort into these projects, yeah, these shows, tours, these exhibitions, yeah, like it's so much of yourself in it. 

 

06:10 - 

Yeah, actually, speaking of segues, there's probably a good segue into one of my favourite bits yes oh look at us flowing into yeah, um, I think I from memory I think it was episode 19 yeah, okay, so actually another person that was up in Queensland, same as Ray Leigh yeah, my, she talks about how, like you know, you want this final product to be such a like strong representation, you know, and you want it to be good, um, because it's your baby, like you've spent so much of your, like, it's your life, it's um, everything intertwined in that for such a period of time. I don't want to be misrepresented. It's like, yeah, you're so like, oh, yeah, I can't even find the words I just like she was. 

 

07:09

Just when she said it, I was just like, oh my God, it's so true, like it is your baby. Yeah, but once it goes out into the world, world, you don't sort of own it anymore. But up until that point it's like every single you know, mix and master. Every single colouring decision, every marketing You don't want to misrepresent it until, like, it goes out in the worlddecision, everything is just you know. 

 

07:32 - Ruby (Co-host)

yeah, definitely, and your art is essentially like a small part of your soul, yeah, isn't it? So I feel like that's a and it's a quite an intimate thing. I mean, I know, speaking as a musician, you would get this as well. To put out music into the world is a huge thing recording and then you've got to do all the graphic design. Then you've got to do all the marketing like there's just, there's so much that goes into it, like, no wonder people are so they hold on to the rights to their music because it is yours and people will try and take that away. Like you know not saying all labels are like this, because they're not. There's some fantastic labels and representation out there, but you've got to read that fine print. Got to read that fine print. Got to read the fine print. That's right, that's it, absolutely. Oh. 

 

08:27

My next favourite moment would be episode two. So right at the beginning, with our friend Josh Wells, who he's an amazing photographer. Oh, friend Josh Wells, so amazing photographer. Oh, josh Wells, yeah, he did our Through the Creative Door photos and I think he is such an amazing role model for all creatives, not just photographers, and his quote that really stuck with me was I've always thought of art as something that humans are compelled to do to make sense of our lives and world together, and that kind of takes the heat off you a bit, which I loved. I love this because there was once a moment in our lives where we picked up a guitar or we picked up that first paintbrush for the first time. We didn't know it, but like that moment would change our lives forever, completely change it. I can't even remember the first time I sat down at a piano, but that definitely changed my entire life. It's who we are as a person, like I identify as a musician, and to step away from that would be very, very foreign. Yeah, what's your last favourite moment, Alexis? 

 

09:47 - Alexis (Co-host)

It would have to be with Carl Knox, because he talked I mean he talked a lot. That episode was like one of our biggest episodes and I know that was one of the hardest ones for you to edit. 

 

10:02 - Ruby (Co-host)

It was really. It was a long, long one, but it was full of gold. 

 

10:07 - Alexis (Co-host)

I know, I know I just walked away from this chat with this person being like I'm just so enamored with your brain. Who are you? What is happening?

 

10:17 - Ruby (Co-host)

It's always Carl. Carl does that. 

 

10:23 -  Alexis (Co-host)

But it was one of those things where so much of what he was saying just really hit home. 

 

10:30

He talked about just that struggle with money and having to sort of step away from being an artist and feeling like you have your tail between your legs because you weren't quote-unquote successful at it and having to go back to a corporate job and you know. And obviously talks through how he manoeuvred through that with getting you know a mentor and figuring out his pricing and all that kind of stuff. But I think, off the back of the financial, which really resonated with me, one of the major things that he said which again really hit home was this notion of like I couldn't kill the artist inside. It's like the artist inside still had something to say and still needed to be an artist. And this sort of goes back to what you were saying about how you identify and you are a musician, like you are a creative. It's like innately you. And that is exactly yeah. As soon as he said that sort of phrasing, I was just like oh, yep, oh yeah, got me right in the kicker. 

 

11:33 - Ruby (Co-host)

Yeah for sure. I feel like a lot of creatives can connect with that, because it's so true. There have been so many times where I don't want to do music anymore because I couldn't do this. I remember when I was 15 and I tried to quit music because I couldn't go to a friend's birthday party because I had a show or I had a rehearsal or something, and I said, mum, that's it, I'm quitting music. And I think I lasted about 24 hours and I wrote a song about it. So there is, it's just like, it's just, it's just in us, isn't it? Yeah, it's very hard to shake that, I think. 

 

12:12 - Ruby (Co-host)

But I don't want to shake it. 

 

12:14 - Alexis (Co-host)

We don't want to shake it unless we're shaking it like a Polaroid picture. 

 

12:22 - Ruby (Co-host)

You know you're not meant to shake Polaroids, you're meant to put them down. 

 

12:24 - Alexis (Co-host)

No, you're meant to put them down. Yes, exactly, neat and dark. 

 

12:28 - Ruby (Co-host)

There we go. My last favourite moment of season one through the creative door was with the amazing Mark Turner in episode 10. Yeah, I really loved the phrase when he said take the pressure off yourself and it'll work out, and I loved. I loved that because, like we've said in this chat, it is so easy to make ourselves our own worst critic. That's not good enough. That wasn't on time. I played that like terribly and all of that negative energy. Then we eventually project that out. We don't want to do that. 

 

13:17

And I remember Mark said as well he's like you see those people out there in the creative industry and they're just in this natural flow state and you're like why are things happening for them? Why are they just consistently going up and up and up? It's because I wouldn't say that they're not judging themselves. They probably are. You never know what's going on behind closed doors. But I think they've probably found that line of supporting themselves but also being, you know, their own critic. But but being nice to themselves. And I personally have learned that very in a very, very hard way. I used to be so hard on myself and I continuously can be, but I think I've learned to pull it back to like a reality. Is this actually serving me, or am I just being silly? Am I just looking for attention? 

 

14:06 - Alexis (Co-host)

Yeah, but I also think that in this business there is a culture of you know you should be saying yes to everything. 

 

14:14 - Ruby (Co-host)

Oh, absolutely, because it's like this opportunity will never come up again. I should be doing this, should be doing that. If it doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel right and that's okay. But I just really, I really loved what Mark said about that. Just take the pressure off and it'll work out, and you end up getting yourself into this flow state and eventually things will just naturally come in like they're meant to. 

 

14:39 - Alexis (Co-host)

And I think you end up then gravitating to other creatives that are in that flow state. 

 

14:44 - Ruby (Co-host)

In that flow state, absolutely, I also loved the fact that when you're in that flow state, like you said, that you attract these people. That you're in that flow state, like you said, that you attract these people that are in that same flow state, but sometimes they're actually on that next level of their business or the next level of the career or whatever, and then eventually you will get yourself up, like it's as a musician it's. I heard that saying it's always good to play with people that are better than you, because then you become better, it pushes you to be better. Yeah. 

 

15:14 - - Alexis (Co-host)

They always say that you don't want to be the smartest person in the room. Exactly, always want to be the smartest person. Rubs off on you, yeah, good one. 

 

15:24 - Ruby (Co-host)

I really love that. That's a good one. Yeah, and then our shared favourite moment together was episode 14 with Anna Davis. 

 

15:35 -  Alexis (Co-host)

I just adored we both adored the fact that she just was so sure, so sure from the get-go. She didn't have a backup plan. And that was what a beautiful thing. She was like, nope, didn't have a backup plan. Everyone was like what are you going to do after school if you're not going to be a photographer should have a backup, like she was like nope, I'm going to be a photographer yeah,

 

15:59 - Ruby (Co-host)

That’st absolutely.  And you know what? I'm sure that there have been moments in her life where she's thought I might do that or I might do that, but the next day she'll wake up and go no, I'm a photographer, you know. Yeah, she was so sure and I love the fact that she was saying that confidently to other people when those people asked, well, what's your backup plan? And it wasn't. Oh, I'm not too sure, I think I might. No, she was like I'm a photographer, that's who I am. And I think once you get that in your mind sort of like who you are as a creative and what you do and what you offer and what you put out into the world things just you just get creative and make it happen. Like that's what my mum would always say. You've just got to get creative and think outside the box oh, I like. I like that one, because I have had an array of jobs. 

 

I've worked at Grilled, I've worked admin and at Backpackers so many different things and I think it's good to try different things. But if you keep coming back to the same career, it doesn't necessarily have to be music. I'm just relating it to me. I've just found I've always gravitated back towards the arts, always gravitated back towards music, and you just get creative and make it work 100% yeah, I just can't. 

 

17:20 -Alexis (Co-host)

100% yeah, I just can't. I'm a lesser person without it in my life, and I'm sure you're the same oh, I don't know. 

 

17:25 - Ruby (Co-host)

I mean, I could not think of my life without music, but mainly because music has helped me meet so many amazing people like yourself and like Mark. 

 

17:39

You know so many creative people and I don't actually think that I would have had the confidence to be a full time musician without the community that we have around us, because that's also another thing. Some people don't have the support of their families. My mum and my family were so supportive of me in doing my creative pursuits, but I do have friends who their parents weren't supportive and that can be really hard. So having this community around us is so important, yeah. 

 

18:12 - Alexis (Co-host)

I thoroughly enjoy the uplift that our community gives us. Absolutely. I wouldn't be doing half the stuff I get up to, if it wasn't for someone being like okay, yeah, you've got an idea. How are you going to make it happen? That's it. 

 

18:25 - Ruby (Co-host)

That's where you've got to get creative and think outside the box. 

 

18:31 - Ruby (Co-host)

That's right your mum. 

 

18:33 - Ruby (Co-host)

Well, that is a wrap of season one through the creative door. I'm so looking forward to jumping into next season. We've got some awesome people coming up, awesome creatives left, right and centre, and I think it's going to be an awesome 2025. 

 

18:50 - Alexis (Co-host)

I'm so excited. I love this journey with you. Rubes Me too. 

 

18:54 - Ruby (Co-host)

It's been lovely. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself for the whole year. Every time it pops up it's like ding, ding, ding, please edit through the creative door. Oh, we've got today. What are we doing? What are we talking about. No, I love it. It's so good. Thank you so much for bringing me onto the team, the TTCD team. 

 

19:17 -  Alexis (Co-host)

So we have some very exciting news that's coming up in 2025, don't we Rubes? Yes, we do. Another team member coming into the fold of Through The Creative Door, and the man of the hour is Sam Timmerman, who is going to be joining me on a new segment called B-Side 

 

19:43 - Ruby (Co-host) 

Yes, that's right and B-Side are little, bite-sized episodes, with Alexis and Sam talking about their favourite vinyl records. Vinyl's for you was a huge part of your childhood. With your dad growing up, you talked about the covers, you talked about the music, you talked about the concept of everything. That's something that you hold really dear. And now you get to do it with Sam. 

19:51 - Alexis (Co-host)

I know my dear, you continue that legacy along yeah. It is beautiful and, yeah, it's just such a joy to share love of art, covers, music and just how it resonates and sparks something when you listen to these tracks on these vinyls and vinyls. Just such a beautiful warmth, so good. 

 

20:27 - Ruby (Co-host)

That's a wrap.  It's been such a wonderful year. Thank you for bringing me on to the team, alexis. I really appreciate it had a lovely time and I'm really looking forward to 2025 and seeing what creatives we get on, because I love it.

20:38 - Alexis (Co-host)

oh my goodness, Rubes, I love that you have been ready and willing to receive this journey with me and yeah, it's just such a joy love your face, oh love yours. 

 

20:58 - Ruby (Co-host)

 oh love yours. Merry christmas, merry christmas and happy new year. Happy and safe new year. Look after yourselves and keep creating through the festive season.