853 How To Find Your Creative Calling with Chase Jarvis

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Lewis Howes and Chase Jarvis explore creativity as a universal human capacity, not a niche talent. Jarvis argues creativity is a practice, like exercise, that can be integrated into daily life, helps people build meaningful careers and lives, and is essential for the future of work, education, and problem-solving. He also reframes the “starving artist” myth, emphasizes community and amplification, and shares his own path from sports to creative entrepreneurship.

Main Topics: Creativity as a universal human birthright (Priority: 5/5): Jarvis argues that every person is creative by nature and that culture, not biology, trains many people to suppress it. He frames creativity as fundamental like nutrition, movement, and connection. From athlete to artist: personal origin story (Priority: 4/5): He recounts childhood performance, sports identity, skate culture, and a turning point after his grandfather’s death that led him to photography and a creative life. Creativity as a habit and muscle (Priority: 5/5): Jarvis insists creativity is not just a trait or skill but a daily practice that strengthens with use and helps people shape their lives intentionally. Debunking myths about artists and money (Priority: 5/5): The conversation rejects the ideas that real artists must be starving or tortured, arguing that creativity can and should coexist with financial success and practical work. The IDEA framework for creative execution (Priority: 4/5): Jarvis outlines a repeatable process—Imagine, Design, Execute, Amplify—for turning ideas into outcomes in art, business, and life. Community, networking, and amplification (Priority: 5/5): He stresses that success depends on building relationships, participating in communities, and helping others, not just making great work in isolation. Creativity in everyday life and the future of work (Priority: 5/5): Jarvis extends creativity beyond art to cooking, coding, meetings, side hustles, and entrepreneurship, arguing it will underpin future solutions and careers.

Key Arguments: Everyone is creative, but many people are culturally taught to hide or diminish that identity. Creativity should be treated like a muscle: the more it is used in small ways, the more it expands one’s capacity to create a life and career. The “starving artist” and “tortured genius” myths are harmful and unnecessary; creativity and prosperity can coexist. You do not need to quit your job or become an obvious artist to be creative; daily acts like journaling, photographing, cooking, or intentional conversations count. Creative work needs a process: imagine, design, execute, and amplify; many people stop before amplification, which limits impact. Community is not optional; building relationships, supporting others, and joining existing communities are key to success. The future of work rewards creativity because the most valuable modern companies and careers rely on novel combinations of ideas, tools, and storytelling. Pursuing one’s calling is worthwhile even when unclear financially because it provides direction, meaning, and self-trust. Creativity and love are deeply linked; meaningful life creation comes from both personal expression and human connection.

Data Points: Episode number: 853 - This transcript opens as episode 853 of The School of Greatness. CreativeLive classes: 1,500+ curated classes - Lewis describes CreativeLive’s course library. CreativeLive instructors: 650+ world-class instructors - Lewis highlights the platform’s instructor base. CreativeLive students: 10+ million students - Lewis cites the platform’s reach. Side-hustle statistic: 50% by 2020 - Jarvis references a statistic that half of U.S. employed people would have a side hustle by 2020. Academic/educational duration: 12 years / 12,000-15,000 hours - Jarvis uses this to describe the factory-like nature of schooling and how long it trains conformity. Apex of creative identity: Second grade - He remembers a teacher telling his mother he was better at sports than art, which shaped his early view of creativity. Europe trip duration: 6 months - After receiving his grandfather’s cameras, he traveled through Europe and taught himself photography. App recognition: App of the year in 2009 - Jarvis mentions his iPhone app, which predated Instagram by a couple of years. Example of huge creative platform: Tens of millions of people - He describes CreativeLive as a platform that helped millions pursue creative passions.

Pivotal Quotes: "Every person is creative." — Chase Jarvis: He states this as one of the core truths of his book and the foundation of the interview. "Creativity is a habit. It's not a skill. It's something we're born with and it's something it's a practice, not a product." — Chase Jarvis: Jarvis explains his central thesis that creativity should be trained like a muscle. "We are endowed with limitless creativity that can power not just one life, but a billion lives." — Chase Jarvis: His answer in the final three truths question summarizes his worldview on human potential.

Implications: Listeners are encouraged to stop treating creativity as optional or elite. The episode suggests that daily creative habits, community, and purposeful experimentation can improve work, fulfillment, and adaptability in a changing economy.