Creative Crush: Lisa Rowan

Creative Crush is a monthly series featuring amazing creators that we love. Each post will have helpful advice, a definition of creativity and, of course, a cocktail recommendation. Read last month's creative crush featuring artist Fawna Xiao. 

What do you do? 

I co-host Pop Fashion, a weekly podcast about fashion, business, culture and creativity.

When did you first discover podcasting?

I was a fashion blogger and vintage seller for several years before I even listened to my first podcast. My co-host, Kaarin Vembar, was a friend and neighbor who had a styling business, and she noticed both a lack of women in podcasting and also very few podcasts about fashion. She wanted a teammate to start her own show, and here we are almost two years after recording our first episode.

(For the record, our first episode ended up in the virtual trash bin after we learned that recording at Kaarin’s kitchen table was no way to ensure any sort of sound quality. So our first episode on iTunes is really our second episode. #Honesty)

Why did you decide to pursue a podcast?

I wanted a new method to build my authority in the fashion and business world. I love writing, but the audio format is so intimate and authentic. Plus, you do it and you’re done -- sure, we edit for clarity, but once the words come out of our mouths, that’s usually what you hear in the final episode. It’s a one-take, gotta-get-it-done situation, and it’s a bit exciting to follow that formula week after week. When we started, I thought it would be a fun side project. Now, producing a show takes up a good chunk (and a very enjoyable chunk) of my week.

How do you combine fashion and pop culture to make pop fashion?

One of our goals when we started talking about fashion news on the podcast was to make fashion accessible for everyone. We’re not here to tell you how to look cool. Instead, we want people to understand how fashion, which might seem superficial, is intertwined with politics, religion, business, and history. We see and talk about those connections more than I ever expected we would in each episode.

How do to overcome a creative block?

Coffee? Wine? Cookies? It depends on the day. When I’m blocked -- and usually this affects my writing, not the audio side of content creation -- I promise myself to write the first draft, however crappy it might be. I just get it down, put it aside for a little while, and revisit it when I’m feeling more driven.

Sometimes, working through a problem with a trusted friend does wonders. I have an informal brain trust of smart women I know I can call on when I need advice or a second set of eyes on a project.

And if all else fails, I go outside for a walk. It’s amazing what even a stroll around the block can do for your frame of mind.

The Pop Fashion fort where Lisa and Kaarin record their weekly podcast.

How do you define creativity?

Creativity is the thing that nags at you if you don’t do it on a regular basis. That thing that you find yourself saying, “I wish” about all the time. “I wish I had more time to….” “I wish I could work more on…” The finished product can vary widely from one person to another, but it’s this deep internal motivation we all share that manifests itself in creative works.

Photograph by Stacey Viera

What's one thing you have to do everyday?

FaceTime with my sister. OK, we don’t video chat every single day. But we talk, text, or Gchat seven days a week. She’s the sun to my moon -- we couldn’t be more different, but we somehow know how to make each other laugh without fail. My day is always better after I talk to her.

What one piece of advice would you give to a podcaster just starting out?

Don’t worry about copying the format, tone, style, content, or branding of any other podcast you listen to. There’s still plenty of room for experimentation. Go with your own flow, but do focus on sound quality from the very start so you have a show people will love to listen to right away.

What’s your favorite cocktail?

A hot toddy with plenty of lemon. I’ll even drink them in the summer.

Follow Lisa on instagram, listen to the Pop Fashion podcast, watch Pop Fashion on YouTube, and follow her on Twitter.