Viv Kruckow on owning your weirdness, tuning into your intuition, and growing through business.

This week on the Brand Your Passion podcast, I was joined by coach and creative, Viv Kruckow, AKA Rust Creative.

Viv is a creative herself, hosting a podcast, creating merch, writing books, and more, as well as coaching and guiding other creatives through their process and helping them embrace their creative magic. 

In this amazing episode, we talk about owning your weirdness, tuning into your intuition, and growing through business.

Hey everybody, and welcome to this week's episode of Brand Your Passion! I am super excited today to be joined by Viv Krackow AKA Rust Creative. Welcome to the show.

Yay. Thank you so much for having me Hollie. I'm so excited to be here!

Any time. Do you want to introduce yourself and tell the people a little bit about what you do?

Sure. I am a writer, an author, a podcast host, a creativity coach and a business owner. So I have lots of different hats that I wear under my very creative umbrella. And my purpose is to share stories and help people embrace their creative magic. So as you can probably gather, I do that in lots of different ways and I just feel like I'm in a very great place at the moment where I'm very aligned to my purpose and my brand and just everything's going really well and really fun.

Amazing. I love that you're feeling aligned with your brand. That's very on-brand with this podcast! And we will get into talking about your brand for sure. But first I want to know a little bit about your creative journey. So were you always kind of creative as a kid, when you were younger?

Yeah. Yeah. I really was. I was one of those dorky little writers who used to always make stories up. Or I wouldn't even really get to the stories. I would write character profiles on my old block computer with Windows 2000 and I’d type up a character profile and then I’d never do anything with it, I'd just saved them on floppy disks. That was back in the day, I'm talking like 2003. So that was my early memory of writing and definitely storytelling. 

And I spent most of my childhood outside playing with my friends, so we were always very creative in the games that we made up because we lived in a small town and we didn't have any of the activities that a lot of other kids got to do, so everything came from our imagination and what we could find in the backyard. So, yeah, I'd say it was always very creative. 

I also spent a good chunk of my childhood thinking I was going to be in fashion, which didn't happen, and it's probably for the best. So I've always been very creatively expressed and, I guess, owning that. I always was a little bit weird in terms of my outfits – my dad used to say I was like Cindy Lauper because I used to wear bubble skirts and layers. I've always known that I was a little bit kooky, a little bit creative, and I really love that about myself though. I kind of liked that. That's what made me stand out as a kid.

Yeah, definitely. I feel like all of us weird creative kids, we were unique, doing our own little thing, and it's what makes us super special now. So we’ve got to embrace the weird creativity!

I was never an art kid though. I used to be so jealous of the art kids because I just couldn't draw or anything, writing was my avenue. I love it. I mean, creativity, if you can blossom it in any young people that you know, is so, so special and it's going to completely change their lives as they're adults.

Yeah. And that's true. It does come in so many different forms, right? You probably think of creative kids as the ones who are drawing or painting or whatever, but there's writers and just dreamers and people who make up stories or outfits or are out building things in the forest. There are so many different ways that people can be creative as kids.

Definitely.

And so how did you get from thinking you were going to be into fashion and writing stories as a child to where you are at now? What does that journey look like?

It was a very interesting one. I went through high school, very certain – well, there were random bursts where I thought I was going to do something else – but I think my main goal was always to be writing in magazines. I always wanted to be an author, but I was told from quite a young age, I guess by teachers, you're never gonna make a living out of being an author. So I had to do something else. So I was very focused on music journalism, and I just really wanted to go and meet all of my favorite musicians basically. Back in the day when magazines were thriving. But I took a gap year. I got into the course that I wanted to at QUT in Brisbane, took a gap year, changed courses, did six months of that, moved back home, did a different course.

I ended up doing teaching for a year and a half. God knows why. I'd never thought about teaching my whole life, but I was definitely having an existential crisis. And I think all the negative little chatter, like, “Oh, writers don't make money and the magazine industry is dying,” I think that got to me and I panicked and I went with the safe route. But about a year and a half into it, I had another existential crisis and I'm like, “well, what the absolute f*ck am I doing with my life?” Yup. Quit my teaching course, ghosted all my lectures, and went into graphic design. 

The teaching and the graphic design were both online, so I never really got the uni experience that a lot of other people do. So I’m a little bitter-sweet about that because I was able to still work and study, which I'm really, really grateful for, but I never found a creative community through university. 

So I did my graphic design diploma online, which is really great. But then when I finished it and realized that I could do copywriting – I'd never even heard of it until studying design – I was like, “why not do both?” So I was working in a design studio at the time and doing all the copywriting for all of their clients’ websites and social media. And I was really fortunate in that all of my coworkers also had side hustles, so they really encouraged me just to give it a go and start an online business because there were no overheads, no risks. So I started Rust to do copywriting and social media. I registered the business name in February, 2018, so it's been two and a half years since I actually like launched the brand. So yeah, it's been, it's been a journey. And even since then, I started out doing copywriting and social media and then I got rid of social media because I just wasn't aligned to it. And then I got out of copywriting and started coaching and then even shifted directions in coaching. And even since then, I opened the online store, opened our gatherings, started a podcast. 

So I mean, I'm so, so grateful that I called it Rust Creative because it's so vague and it can basically mean anything. It's definitely come in handy because I have changed directions a lot, but I really embraced that. I really like that I am able to be agile and pivot based on what feels most aligned and what lights me up, because I can only do my best if I'm really, really excited about something.

“I was really fortunate in that all of my coworkers also had side hustles, so they really encouraged me just to give it a go and start an online business”

Yeah, definitely. It's great. I just love hearing people's stories and I'm like, “how did you get to where you are now?”

Lots of crises!

Yeah! And I think you're so right that it's kind of an amazing privilege that we have as online business owners that we can pivot and change pretty quickly and easily. And a lot of people have noticed recently that it's great to be able to pivot and to be agile and to change things up. So I think it's awesome that you're like, “no, I embrace that. Bring on the new thing! It might be scary, might be crazy, but bring on the new thing that excites me.” I think that's amazing.

Thank you. Well, I didn't used to be so, I guess, embracing towards it. I used to have a lot of resistance, but I've learned to, I guess, tune out everyone else's opinions and advice and really look within. That's been a really big thing I've been focusing on this year is just actually tuning into my intuition and my gut and being like, “what do you actually want to do? And does this actually feel good for you?” Because I think especially this year, we've all had to make a lot of decisions that, you know, may be survival based, which is completely fine. But then sometimes you do have the privilege of making a decision based on “what lights me up, what do I actually really want to do with my life?” I haven't taken that lightly and I've been really grateful to be able to have the time to explore that and shift my business once again. 

Yes. And so when you started Rust, obviously back in 2018, when you were doing social media and copywriting, is that when you started the visual identity that you have now, or did you start with something else?

Um yes. I started with something else.

Yeah? Tell me about that.

“I recommend to anyone to definitely, absolutely invest in your branding, even if you can't do it straight away...because it's just going to change everything”

It was always Rust Creative. I picked the name. I decided I wanted to go in with a very brand focus because I didn't know how the business was going to shape and evolve and expand. So I wanted to make sure it wasn't just my name in case I did change fields or bring on other people or expand into a studio. 

The original branding was done by me, so my graphic design diploma came in handy. I actually did the logo as part of one of my assignments. And it was funny because my lecturer was like, “I think you should change this font.” And I'm like, “no, no, it's the logo. I did it two months ago. I'm not changing this anymore.” So yeah, it served its purpose, and I think I had it for, I wanna say maybe like 14, 15 months before I invested in branding by an expert. 

Because yeah, one of the reasons why I went into copywriting is, I'm an okay designer, but I don't have that magic that I know so many other designers do. So I was happy to just kind of chuck something together for the time being. I still really felt good and it worked within the parameters of what I could do. 

And then I was so excited to outsource the branding and do an investment, I think it was September last year, with Jasmine Dowling. I was just so excited because she is one of my favorite creatives in the whole world, actually. She's one of my favorite hand letterers. She actually did hand lettering for the logo and she also did the branding for our podcast and it has just come together so beautifully. It kept all the original colors that I chose back in the day.

But yeah, it just feels so much more like, I don't know, more put together and just, it's beautiful. It's just exactly what I wish I could have done, but I didn't have the skills to do. It's really evolved nicely. And I recommend to anyone to definitely, absolutely invest in your branding, even if you can't do it straight away. I totally get that because starting a business can be very, very pricey if you don't have the skills behind you to DIY it. But yeah, I'd definitely recommend saving for it and doing it because it's just going to change everything. And I've got so many freaking compliments on that logo. It's insane.

‍Yeah. I'm not surprised. It really is beautiful. Her work's gorgeous. What inspired you to finally invest and make that happen? Was it just that you saved up, but you always wanted to? Was it that you reached a point where you just had to? What made you decide to invest?

‍Well it was partly the income, I had gotten to a point in my business where I was able to make larger investments. Around that time I also started investing in business coaching. So I would say yeah, it was about over a year from once I actually started taking on clients before I did any huge investments. And that was just a personal choice to kind of keep it lean and keep as much income coming in directly to me as I could. But yeah, I guess I just always knew with the logo, I liked it, but it wasn't the final iteration of Rust. And I knew that I was always going to want to outsource it eventually. And I just kind of waited until, I guess I was ready in a financial position.

But also I was just ready for that next step. So yeah, it all just tied together really beautifully. Jasmine was able to, I think it took like, I want to say less than two weeks. It was such a fast turnaround because I gave her some suggestions and she nailed it on the first go. It was crazy. It just all ended up coming together perfectly, and I couldn't imagine the brand without it. I couldn't imagine having a different logo and it really has just cemented it as a whole identity, especially as we've been evolving. And I want to do more like in-person events and stuff like that, hopefully next year when we're allowed. It's just become a really, really valuable asset and definitely one of the most valuable things I've invested in, if not the most valuable thing, because it's so instantly recognizable and I've been able to use that logo and the rhythm and words logo for merch. So because people just loved it so much, I'm able to use it in all these different ways that I didn't expect to initially. So yeah, it's paid for itself basically.

“[My branding] has just become a really, really valuable asset and definitely one of the most valuable things I've invested in, if not the most valuable thing”

‍That's great. And I mean, like you also have the fonts that you can use on your merch, you've got the colors that you're using for your merch too. It expands across so many different things that you can use it for. So that's awesome. And I love that you kept the same colors that you chose as well. That's really nice.

‍Yeah. Initially I went with a huge color palette. I had six colors, which I'm really glad I had. Then we simplified it down to three for the main logo variations, and ended up just rolling with those three across the website and other projects. It's nice to have those other backup colours, but I have found that naturally we've just gone to the Rust brown, the pink, the beautiful yellow, people recognize that as our brand now, because it's such a definitive colour scheme.

‍I was definitely going to say that you’ve got that recognizable palette. And I knew those colours you were going to say. I was like, “there's the brown, there's the pink and the yellow.” It's really recognizable. So I think it's great to narrow it down and have it so that it's a distinct combination.

‍Yes. So I would definitely recommend that even if you have to DIY your branding. That is completely okay. We all do it at some point. But pick the color palette that you want to stay with because then even if you change the logo or if you change the name, people are still going to associate your brand with those colors. And it's not going to feel as big of a change if you do something. Cause they're like, “Oh, it's still the same colour.” The brain just has that association, which is really nice.

‍Yeah. Color increases recognition by like 80%. So it's huge, colour is massive.

‍Yeah.

‍And so obviously as we know, branding isn't just about colors and fonts and logos. Those things are super important, but it's also about your message and your values and the audience and everything. Have you thought about those things and did you sit down and intentionally think about them and like set a time or have you just thought about them over time?

‍I would say both. I definitely think in the beginning I was very clear on my ideal customer and all of that kind of stuff, but because I have changed so many times, (like it's not that many, but it feels like a lot.) So I have changed. I guess the audience itself hasn't changed that much because the community that I have, particularly on Instagram, has always been really supportive and they've always valued the messaging behind the physical services that I do, which I think has remained really consistent. And I just tried to make sure that the brand is a very clear reflection of my personal values as well. And the things that I value in life in terms of lifestyle as well, and the things I prioritize. And I've made sure to carry that through.

I think particularly at the moment, it's really shining because the messaging has gotten clearer the more that I've gotten comfortable with showing up online as well. And I've gotten more comfortable with my writing, you know. It's just kind of all syncing up now and it feels like a really clear, aligned, nice little package of like, “this is exactly who Rust is. This is exactly who it's meant to be. These are the exact people that I'm hoping to attract.” So it does take time. 

And I actually have a document at the moment of who my ideal customer is. I was asked the other day actually, I was like, “Ooh, good question.” But I think I go for more of the feeling that I want people to feel when they join the community and what I hope they can get out of it other than the type of person. And I think, I mean, it sounds a bit like woo woo, but I think it will just naturally attract the right people when you're really clear on the messaging and the intention behind what you're doing. People will naturally find your stuff. Yeah. So yeah. I hope that answers the question a little bit around it.

“I think it will just naturally attract the right people when you're really clear on the messaging and the intention behind what you're doing.”

No, it definitely does. I think you're totally right. That the energy you put out there is the energy that you're going to attract. 

And I was going to ask you about the fact that you know, what your target audience is and how you want people to feel, but then how are you doing that? How are you getting that across? Is it through what you're saying on Instagram? Is it the content you put out there? What has been your kind of strategy, I suppose, if any, to get people to recognize you?

One thing I started doing, I think it was the beginning of last year, is quote tiles. I don't think they were as big as they are now, but it was a really great way for me to get my branding colors across to get the recognition. And I was doing different tiles and different color combinations with quotes around creativity and writing and lifestyle. And that was a really great way to kind of get the message across very visually and very easily. And a lot of people would share them. So now I'm still doing that, but it's a lot more of my own writing. It's not just outsourcing to like other quotes that I like. I had a post the other day where it had a crazy good response and I was not expecting it because the quotes that I share from like famous writers or creatives always do really well, but you never know how your own stuff is going to go. But a lot of people resonated with it.

So I think that's really valuable because sometimes people don't take time to read the captions, but you can fit a lot on a single post, on the tile. So I've been definitely prioritizing doing that and I also do captions. I love an IGTV, so I've made that a regular part of my strategy. Reels, I've also been doing a lot of which I'm really enjoying it's fun. And then I also do a weekly newsletter. Blogging, which I'm getting back into slightly. What else? Oh, the podcast. And then just chatting on stories. 

So a lot of my, I guess, content strategy revolves around Instagram, the newsletter, creating content for the website, and then creating weekly interviews for the podcast. So yeah, different avenues, but I think they all have the same messaging and the same vibe around them. So it keeps it quite consistent, but there's still something different on each platform, which I like.

Yeah. And it gives you an opportunity to really instill those messages across different avenues. It takes around seven times for someone to hear what you're saying or recognize what your message is about. So if they're seeing it on Instagram and then they listen to your podcast and then they watch it on Instagram TV, and your message and vibe is repeated, then hopefully by the seventh time they’ll say like, “Oh yeah, like this is what Rust is about, and I get it and I love it and this is my jam.” So I think it's awesome that you have those different avenues to repeat your brand message and to get people really clear on what it is that you do and what you're all about. So that's awesome.

Yeah. It definitely takes a lot of work though. I realized last night that my Pinterest has been neglected, because I enjoy Pinterest, but I just haven't gotten into my regular programming, like with the newsletter and the podcast and Instagram. So that's something that I really want to work on because Pinterest is amazing for those quote tiles. The reach on them is crazy, and blog posts and stuff like that. So that's something I definitely want to prioritize. And even though I hate Facebook, I'm trying to share some stuff on Facebook because you can directly link. So as a business with under 10,000 followers on Instagram, I can't do the swipe up. So it's a little bit annoying when you have so many great things that you can share, off the platform, but you can't. 

I mean, people get annoyed when you're like, "link in my bio!" But that's all you can tell them. There's no other magic backdoor that I can show them unless they DM me for the link. So yeah, I try and do my best.

“In business you really are forced to throw yourself into the deep end and learn as you go. And there are so many unexpected dilemmas or hurdles that you have to just move through to keep going.”

Well, I think you're doing amazing! 

What do you think so far in this process has been the best part about branding your passion and turning what you love into your business?

I feel like I've learned so much having a business, and it's really been, I would say, the biggest period of growth in my life. It's been what, two and a half years? I feel like I'm a completely different person from when I started and even a completely different person from this time last year. The leaps that I'm having are just ridiculous. I feel like if I was in a regular job, I probably wouldn't have had those leaps so quickly. Because in business you really are forced to throw yourself into the deep end and learn as you go. And there's so many unexpected dilemmas or hurdles that you have to just move through to keep going. So it's definitely been a lot of less lessons, but I really enjoy that. But I'm also just really, really grateful for the lifestyle that I've been able to cultivate by having Rust. 

So I realized before I went full-time in August, I think it had been 10 years that I worked weekends, from when I was 14 to 24. I always worked weekends, whether that was through after-school jobs or uni and working, or Rust and uni and working. There was always so much going on and I was always working on weekends. So yeah, I've been able to take back my weekends and it's just been such a freaking joy. Like anyone who works a regular nine to five, like Monday to Friday, if you've always had that, you won’t understand the amazingness and the specialty of having a full weekend, like not one day, but two whole days. It's wild.

“I'm really, really big on my morning ritual, which takes, I would say like two to three hours now. So I start my day completely around me.”

So I'm really grateful to be in a position now where I don't have to work on the weekends if I choose and I can start my days when I want to, I can set my own schedule. I'm really, really big on my morning ritual, which takes, I would say like two to three hours now. So I start my day completely around me. And that in itself is like a huge, huge luxury. Because again, I didn't used to have that. I used to be the type of person who would roll out of bed, skull down a cup of tea, put on some clothes and go to work. And now I get to wake up and do all of these beautiful things and practices, and then start my day and be really excited for the work that I'm doing. And just really excited for the life that I've been able to make. It did take a lot of hard work, but now that I'm here, I don't have to work like long hours or anything like that, which is something that I really wanted. So it's exciting to be able to say that I've got it.

“now I get to wake up and do all of these beautiful things and practices, and then start my day and be really excited for the work that I'm doing”

“It did take a lot of hard work, but now that I'm here, I don't have to work like long hours or anything like that, which is something that I really wanted. So it's exciting to be able to say that I've got it.”

Yeah. That's amazing and awesome that you can recognize that and be like, “Whoa, I did that. I had that goal and I got myself there and now look at me, go! What goal can I set next?”

Right. It's such a pinch me moment, like every day. Because I do meditation and it asks you what you are grateful for. And I do really feel grateful every single day. I recognize that I'm in such a privileged position, especially this year with Corona and being where we are with our health, a beautiful house, and all my friends and family have their health and we have job keeper and job seeker for those who have lost income. And we're just being really supported by our government and also by each other. So I don't take that for granted. And every day I wake up and I'm healthy, I'm like, “this is amazing.”

It's so good. I mean, last Friday, I was so thankful for, like you say, my job and the position that I've built for myself because first of all, I have recently started taking Fridays off, which is amazing. Because I want to have time to do my own creative things outside of my business and things like that. But I was able to take my friend to a hospital appointment and I was like, “imagine if I was at a nine to five and I had to ask somebody if I could take the morning off or I had to say no to her because I had to go to work”. Just little things like that, they make you super grateful for it. It was super weird, because one of my strengths is as a futurist so I don't often think about what I'm thankful for right now, but on Friday I was like, “man, I'm thankful that I can just take the morning off and I can go and help my friend.” And I felt very thankful for this life that I've built for my little self. 

Yeah. It's interesting how there are all these huge, exciting, big things and milestones that come with business, but when you start taking notice of the little things that have shifted and that you've able been able to do within your life outside of business, it almost feels a lot more special than what you've done in the business. Because you're like, “okay, yeah, I have this thriving thing, which is great, but when I clock off, I still feel good. I don't feel exhausted and dreading tomorrow.” Knowing that I get to wake up and I feel good about the day is such a luxury because two years ago I did not like the job that I was in. I used to dread going to work. I used to cry all the time about it and hate Sundays because that meant I had to go to work on Monday. And now that I don't have a boss, I don't have a toxic workplace, I have gotten my body back to a good, healthy state in my mind, I'm just like, “all of these things are so, so important.” And they really add up when you close the laptop and you realize, this is the life that I've wanted and this is life I've worked towards and now I get to live it. And so I want to make sure I enjoy it as well. And, like you said, be really thankful for all the little things.

“there are all these huge, exciting, big things and milestones that come with business, but when you start taking notice of the little things that have shifted and that you've able been able to do within your life outside of business, it almost feels a lot more special than what you've done in the business”

And I think it's important for people, if you're listening, maybe you're where Viv just said she was and hating her job...

I feel you

One: know that we've all been there and you're not alone. And then two: encouraging that you can achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. So if it is that you want to have Fridays off, like I have just started doing, or you want to be able to get up and have a two to three hour morning ritual every day, whatever it is that your dream creative life looks like, if we can do it, you can do it.

And I also encourage anyone listening, if you're in a really sh*tty position this year – and I know a lot of people are – maybe you were planning to leave your job, but you just can't right now because of the global climate, that's totally legit. And you know, you have to do what's best for you. Sometimes we don't get to make decisions based on what we want, we have to do it based on our survival and to make sure there's food on the table. 

But I encourage you to look throughout your day and see if there's a pocket of time that you can take for you. Even if that doesn't mean directly working on a creative project, that maybe might just mean doing a meditation or reading a book, or listening to a podcast. Something really simple that you can be like, “this is my 30 minutes, nothing else in the world matters,” that will really help you get through it. Finding those little pockets of time was paramount to me surviving working, studying, and running a business. I couldn't have done it without it.

“But I encourage you to look throughout your day and see if there's a pocket of time that you can take for you. Even if that doesn't mean directly working on a creative project, that maybe might just mean doing a meditation or reading a book, or listening to a podcast.”

And also that, you don't have to give up on those dreams just because they're not happening right now. They're just on hold. Doesn't mean that they're not going to happen. It's just that the freaking world's imploding and, you know, things can slow down a little bit there. It doesn't mean that your dreams are not going to happen.

Yeah. And it might even work out better than you imagined. I've found that so many times, if I've experienced a failure and I've had to shift directions, it's actually been in my best interest and the best thing for my brand and my personal evolution. So yeah, I guess just try and keep an open mind and look after yourself. I know that even if your creativity feels like it's disappeared, it will come back. I promise.

For sure. And so you said what has been the best part, but what do you think has been the biggest lesson that you have learned while you've been growing your brand and branding your passion?

Definitely to listen to my instincts. I don't know if anyone listening is into human design, but it's something I've been really nerding out over lately. And I found out that I'm a generator in the type of way that I make decisions. And I realized that I actually was so out of alignment with my energy and that I was taking on so, so much of other people's sh*t and not even in an empathetic way. They would tell me something and I'd be like, “yeah, that is the best way to do things.” And I wouldn't actually stop and sit and ask myself the question, ���do you think this is the best way? Do you actually want to do it that way? Do you feel good about doing it that way?” And I used to just run with it, taking people's advice, thinking that because they had more experience or years, or they were older than me, whatever it was, that they knew best for me and my business. And they never did. It's always going to be you. 

And I'd also say to really trust your gut on what you do. It can be really hard at first, again, because there are always a thousand outside opinions, a thousand articles, a thousand podcasts telling you to do it a certain way. But I think it's really important to definitely seek out that information and take it in and take notes, but then make your own plan and do it your way. Because if you follow someone else's structure to the T, 9.9 times out of 10, it's not going to align with you and it's going to just implode down the track anyway. It might work for a little while, but eventually it'll catch up to you and sh*t will hit the fan and you’ll just have to start over again, and that's okay.

But I've learnt that if I just listen to my intuition and if it's a no or it just feels a bit uncomfortable and icky, just to say straight away, “thanks but no, thanks” and move on. Because it's those times when you say yes when you don't really want to and you have that cringy feeling, that it's such a bad yucky experience and you always regret it. But, like I said, that all comes with a grain of salt. Sometimes you have to take on the job, you have to take on the client, but if you can avoid it, when you just know it's not going to be a good situation, get out of there as fast as you can. And just trust yourself. It's really hard when you're young and you're starting a business, but you're going to know what's best. You're always going to know what's best for you. Just try and honor that and back yourself. Because it's hard. Everyone will try and say otherwise, everyone will probably try and doubt you, but just know that you have everything that you need inside of you and you will make the right decision for you.

“just know that you have everything that you need inside of you and you will make the right decision for you.”

And like, you might hear this today and be like, “Ugh, whatever.” But one day it will click for you and you'll be like, “yeah, actually, yes.” I've had that so many times where I've taken on knowledge and it just hasn't really resonated with me at the time, but then I've heard it again, whether that's months or years later, and it just all falls into place perfectly. And it's just so like, on-point exactly what I need helps me go forward. So yeah. Even if it doesn't make sense to you right now, I bet it probably will down the track. 

I think it's such good advice and a really big and important lesson that you've learned along the way. So I love that. Thank you very much for sharing them with us. I think the people are going to love to hear that. 

So do you want to let the people know who are listening, where they can find you and what they can check out online that you have on offer?

As I said, Rust does an umbrella of things. So I feel like there's just so many things I can tell you about and offer. 

Firstly, I would recommend checking us out on Instagram, which is Rust underscore Creative. And from there we kind of have links to everything. So I have the Rhythm and Words podcast, which is a podcast exploring the rhythm of our twenties and they're beautiful, deep dive, long format conversations. Season two is currently coming out as we speak on every Tuesday. You can catch that on Apple or Spotify or wherever else it's linked. 

We also have a beautiful online store, which I'm really excited about, which has products like our Creative’s Companion workbook and merch, which is like hats and tote bags and jumpers and mugs and lots of cute stuff like that. Basically just tools to help you embrace your creativity and also explore it and just look really nice while doing so. 

And we also have gatherings, so that's like an events umbrella which includes Rust Reads, our monthly book club. I'm also going to be opening up creative community calls which will be like a monthly free call. So anyone who is creative from anywhere in the world can jump on and share their wins and any blocks that they've had throughout the month and just connect with the new community, because I know it's really hard. Even though we do have Instagram, which is great, it can be hard to directly connect with other people beyond like a one-on-one. So yeah, I'm hoping that the call has kind of opened that up and yeah, we all meet so many people and make some new connections.

That all sounds amazing! Thank you so much for joining me and for having this conversation with me. I hope that everybody loves this conversation, I'm a hundred percent sure they will. 

Thank you so much for having me, Hollie, it's been such a pleasure.

Thank you so much to Viv for joining me on this episode of Brand Your Passion – I LOVED this conversation and I hope you are too. Viv’s approach to embracing your creative weirdness, trusting your intuition, and living your dream life, is so inspiring.

Please follow Viv on Instagram, and support her work however you can! 

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