199. The Artists Way To Fulfillment with Mitchell McCormack

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This is happiness solved with America's happiness. Coach Sandee Sgarlata.

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Hello, everyone and thank you for joining me today. I'm so happy you're here. I'm Sandee Sgarlata. I was born in Virginia Beach and raised in the Baltimore Annapolis area and had very humble and tragic beginnings. And as a result, my life was a hot mess.

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Thankfully, 33 years ago, I got my act together and since that time, I have dedicated my life to serving others and raising awareness that no matter what you've been through, you can choose happiness and live the life of your dreams. Happiness Solved is dedicated to giving you content that is empowering, motivational, inspirational and of course, a dose of happiness. It's my way to give back to the world and share other people's stories. This thing called life can be challenging and my guests share their amazing stories, wisdom and life lessons that demonstrate anyone can choose happiness. You see, happiness is a choice and the choice is yours.

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Today's episode is amazing and I am so grateful for you. Thank you for listening and don't forget to leave a review and follow me on social media at coach. Sandee Sgarlata. Enjoy the show.

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Mitchell McCormack, it is such a pleasure and an honor to have you on my podcast today. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here because I know you have so much going on in your life and you're so busy. So thank you. I just love it when people take the time out of their day to share their message with the world. Thank you, Sandy.

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It is an honor to be here. I'm super excited and yeah, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be amazing. I couldn't wait for this day. So what a great way to spend Valentine's Day.

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I know, right? I totally forgot about it because it's like, oh, yes, Valentine's Day. And on that note, this won't be released, obviously, today, but it is Valentine's Day and I'm just going to say to all of these people out there, valentine's Day is really about loving yourself. So no matter what day of the year it is, you can always celebrate Valentine's Day and love yourself. So on that note, I love what you're doing.

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You and I are in a couple of groups together with a mentor studio and you always show up for Speakers Theater on Thursdays at 03:00 p.m. Eastern time. And I love your energy and I love that you are so much about investing in yourself and we're going to talk about that in a minute. But just for those of us, for those of you who don't know who Mitchell McCormack is or haven't read the show notes, you are the founder and CEO of the Sketch Sculpt and Sell glass blowing Mastery Academy. And I love that because your mission is to inspire individuals both in their hobbies and full time artists, to refine their glaspering knowledge and skills to build a one of a kind product as well as construct a business that will last.

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So it's so amazing what you are doing. And we talked a few minutes before I hit the record button. And I want to dive into not only having art as a hobby and what that can do for you, but that you really can turn it into a business. So thank you for what you're doing and sharing this knowledge with the world. It's incredible.

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Yeah. Thank you. I have been really fortunate, right, to be a glass artist my whole entire life. I started when I was a little kid and I have wanted so obviously life goes up and goes down. It goes up and it goes down.

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It sure does. I've experienced really intense hardships, but I have been very fortunate to be able to stick with my craft. It is what I've wanted to do. And yeah, I feel like with Sketch Sculpt and Sell, it's now a responsibility right. To be able to show people that they too can do whatever they want.

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And I think I grew up with so many people saying that, oh, it's not a real job, and this and that, and I heard that a lot and it was very discouraging at times. I think the more we move into these newer times, I feel like we're jumping into right. People are realizing anything is possible. I can live the life I want to live. Absolutely.

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Yeah. So it's really exciting, especially with everything going on, how it's just funny to see how many people are gravitating to that mentality, how many people are starting to understand, like, oh, wow, I can do this and make money and make a living and do what I want, when I want, where I want. It's very exciting. Yeah, it sure is. Tell us your backstory.

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How did you get to where you are today? Because we all have a story and I love to share my guest stories with the audience because that's how we learn. That's how we grow. It's learning from other people. Right?

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Right. Absolutely. So how did I get to today? That is a story.

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Well, I started I'm going to give you the full run through, right? Okay. I started when I was when I was twelve years old. That's when I first found glass. Right.

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I was obsessed with it. I was like this weird little kid who was always at this glass blowing studio, not really going to school, and I grabbed a broom, I started to sweep the floors and I asked them to teach me and it was about 1314 when I started to really get into it. By 18 I was doing it full time, which I was really excited about. I had moved from Dallas. I'm from Dallas.

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I had moved to Austin. And throughout my twenty s and everything, I was all over the place. I was in San Francisco. I was traveling I was like, yeah, living like a little hippie life, I guess.

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And then the recent years so fast forward to recent years, right? And this is when the plot thickens, I suppose, is that I had gone through some really intense hardships, and this is kind of like what I tell people, too. Is it's possible to think your way into being a starving artist? Oh, yes. And my life really got it was full of negativity.

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It was really full of negativity and negative people, and it was just a constant fight, right? It was just like everything. Anyway, I was at the point where I had thought my way into being a legit starving artist, and I was homeless, and that's when I just figured out everything's got to change, everything's got to stop, and I need to start doing things only for me to benefit other people. That's really the only way I can explain that. You have to be selflessly selfish, I guess.

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Yeah, that's a good way to put. It, you know what I mean? So after this big shift happened in the recent years, I've been really blessed being a part of these great communities that you and I are a part of, actually.

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That's when I actually became a part of the communities that were in, such as the Mentor studio, was because I had met these amazing mentors while I was homeless and didn't know what I was doing, and I guess just had the gumption. One day I saw who they were. I didn't know who they were. I just saw they were doing better than I was, asked them for some help. And it was amazing how that help was able to propel into the life I have now.

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And now I have a business. It's amazing. I'm living my passions. It's awesome. Oh, my gosh, that's such a great story.

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And thank you for sharing all of that. Because I tell you, I think that any of us, and people don't realize that because it doesn't matter that you have a steady job, people can run into hard luck. And I think most people are this close to being homeless at any point in time. It can happen very quickly. So thank you for being vulnerable like that, because I know that that's not always an easy thing to talk about.

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Yeah.

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So you were talking about how people were telling you, that's not a job, you can't do that. And it made me think of one of the worst limiting beliefs that I carried around from the fifth grade. And I loved art, and we had this project in art class here, so I'm a fifth grade, probably ten or eleven years old. I always forget because I was kind of on the younger end in school, so I was probably ten or eleven years old. And I put my heart and soul into this project and I was so proud of it.

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And I showed the teacher, and she took one look at it and she said, that is terrible.

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And I don't even know what she said after that. So you can imagine what that did to a child, right. Being told that something was terrible. But what that did for me, because I have a very artistic, creative side, it destroyed my self confidence, right. Because here it is.

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A teacher, somebody that you look up to, telling me that something that I did was terrible. And we all know artist objective anyway, right? It's just all in the eyes of one person can pay a million dollars for something. I'm like, okay, it looks like a kindergartner painted that, but whatever, right? If you think it's worth a million bucks, then that's your prerogative.

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Yeah. So I carried that with me for so much of my life, because at that young age, you don't know what you don't know. And it's hard for at any age to be told that. But you know, I've since let that go and and and it's definitely and I hate to say the word bucket list, but it really is on my bucket list. And I'm using air quotes here for those who aren't not watching.

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That's something that I want to get into. It's just I know my personality and I'm somebody that it's all or nothing, and I need to make sure I have the time in my life to devote to it. And I'm just not there yet in my life. But it is something that and you're inspiring me because of what you're doing and talking about what you're doing. Thank you.

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When you had people tell you to circle back to the original thought process, I was going here before I went on my tangent. When people told you that, how did you process that and how did you get to a point where you were able to know? No, that's not true, right? That's a really great question. I think looking back, it used to really anger me, actually.

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I can't imagine, because I feel like as the way I saw it and the way it is right. I was looking around with the perception that I am genuinely putting in I'm like 18 years old, I'm already putting in years of work, right. To learn something. Blood, sweat, and tears and like, all three of those, quite literally. And I think it would frustrate me, and it confused me.

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And I think this is that big confusion that I'm trying to eliminate, at least in what my passion and mission is in life. Right. And it's teaching people, it's using glass and it's using art more as a transformation process. Right. Not just for the sake of just learning something and be done with it.

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It's like, wow, you can do this. But yeah, just having the constant pressure of people telling you that negative thing that you're doing something that's a waste of your time is really how it translated. You know what I mean? Okay. How it can translate you're doing something that's a waste of your time.

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And it was only a waste of my time because I thought that and it just took me into very dark places. So obviously it does its damage. And I think a lot of people have that mentality that it's not a real thing. But then you look around and you say, wow, there are pieces going for millions of dollars. And people respect this, and people respect artists.

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And so you have this dichotomy that's happening of just like, what? And you get very confused of the matter. I feel like that answers your questions. Well, yeah, of course. So what do you do today?

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Because we all have that voice inside of us. So how do you deal with any of those negative, limiting beliefs today? Because you don't have time for that. Right? I don't have time for that.

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You are correct. So how do you, in your mind, flip the switch from negative to positive? What do you tell yourself? Yeah, and that, Man, I have to work on that every day too. And it's because we're constantly, as much as we all love to live in a very positive world, there are things around us.

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Right.

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I surround myself, for one, with very different people. I surround myself with people that respect what I'm doing, want to support what I'm doing, and want to see me excel.

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Anytime I come across anything negative, I have realized that I don't automatically jump to negative solutions. Whereas maybe you get really upset just learning. Sometimes it's easiest to just walk away. And that trust in the universe, I feel like, is just you walk away and then you've made your decision and everything good will happen. And it actually does.

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It's the only best way I can explain it. But just walking away from just if it feels wrong, back off. Just go do your own thing. And it always works out. It really does.

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I love that. Thank you for sharing that, because I love to give the listeners a golden nugget that they can apply to their life today right away. So what I love about art is that it is such a way to because when you're using that creative side of your brain that everybody has, it's a different side of your brain than the analytical side. It reduces stress. It builds your self confidence.

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There's so many benefits, physically and mentally. So how has that changed in your life? And how have you seen some of your students lives change as a result of using that creativity side of their brain? Oh, my gosh. Some of the transformations I've seen, it just makes me smile.

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It's awesome. It really is. It just keeps me willing just to keep pushing forward, especially in business, in art, because I see this happening in other people. And it's funny because sometimes we can't see it in ourselves. Right.

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But we can always see, right? Yeah, for sure. I want to brag on a student of mine, actually, for a second. Please do. Her name is Tracy Stuck.

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She is total rock star and she's fairly new to she's fairly new to art in general. She's made things in the past, but she joked deep with glass. It was really phenomenal. She works in finances and she's looking to get out in the world and meet more people and just have more of a community. Right.

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And I have had about two months of classes with Tracy. We do them once a week right. Where we have four hour sessions and then we have weekly masterminds coaching calls together. It's very cool. So I've gotten to know her very well.

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And Tracy is, like I said, she's in finances and now we're sculpting gnomes. And in a matter of a month and a half, about maybe about a month actually, she started being able to do it and she bought all the equipment and she's like turning her garage into a little studio. And it's so exciting to see how someone who had never thought about making art like this, especially something as intense as glass blowing, it's an intense process. But to see someone believe in themselves and believe that this is going to change their life right. And it fully has.

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Tracy and I are like, even as a beginner, she's learning the ways of like, okay, we're going to do some shows together, then we're going to teach your business framework and it's like, you're going to do this. You are now becoming a glass blower. She's like, she's 55, so she's in her 50s. So it's crazy that and it's just really amazing. It actually really brings.

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Like it makes me almost emotional sometimes because it's so inspiring to see that in someone dive so deep into something that they never thought before and then excel in ways they never thought they could and be amazing at things that not a lot of people even know is something you can do in the world. So it's exciting to see that spread of energy. Absolutely. Oh my gosh. And that's such a great example because her day job is in finances, which is one side of the brain.

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Art is a totally other. And when you have an opportunity to use that other side of the brain and I'm not a neuroscientist, but I've talked to some and I've done reading, it really strengthens your brain. It's a way to improve memory loss and just strengthen how your neurons fire in your brain. So she doesn't even realize it, but she's adding years to her life because she's reducing her stress. She's doing something that she loves.

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It's exciting. She probably has a new lease on life, like something that she's passionate. I mean, that's just what a great story. Wow.

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Well, the thing is too, that she's in her fifty s and it doesn't matter how old you are, right. You can do anything. Right. It doesn't matter. Right.

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It's really cool to see too. Like, her thing, she's sculpting gnomes. And it's funny because with the whole sketch sculpt and sell, I want to make sure people do what they want to do. Right. But like, another student of mine, Angie, she wants to do butterflies.

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And it's like, of course, we all start off very small. We do the basics, we get it all out of the way. But it's so exciting to see people flourish like that. And you're right, too. I mean, taking something from so, like, finances, just analytical to glass blowing creativity, it's amazing to see that transfer.

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And that's the really exciting part about this type of art, is that you don't have to just be a creative.

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You can add analytical and logical thought to the process of glass. And it's exciting because everyone can actually experience that. It's very neat. Oh, my gosh, that's incredible. So where can people find you and learn about your courses if somebody is interested?

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Like, wow, let me check into this. This sounds really exciting. Yeah, absolutely. So best ways right now are on Facebook. You can check out the sketch sculpt and sell glass blowing mastery.

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Or if you text the word glass to 26786, that will get you registered into my 1 hour virtual intensive that I do every other week where I explain more of the glass blowing process for anyone who's interested. And if anyone's in the Orlando area, they can do one on one classes with me, and that's the best way to get a hold. I would definitely text the word glass to 26786. In that way we can actually stay in some contact. So that would be amazing.

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Awesome. I will make sure that is in the show notes. I just wrote it down to make sure. And here's the thought. So many people visit Orlando, take a break from Disney, and go do a class with Mitchell.

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Absolutely. Yeah, for sure. I'm actually in the process of moving studios right now, so I'm moving to a lot larger space to accompany more people. So it's really exciting.

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On the Facebook page, I'll have where that's going to be. But yeah, if you're in Orlando, man, let's do it. That's exciting. Yeah, because that's like, you can plan, like, a destination. Let's learn glass blowing and we can take the kids to Disney World.

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I love it.

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That's awesome. I will make sure all of this is in the show notes. Mitchell, thank you so much for joining me today. This has been an absolute delight. I love what you're doing.

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One of these days I'm going to take a class on glass blowing because just sounds really cool. I was like, I'm thinking, would I do angels? I probably would want to sculpt angels. I can help you sculpt some angels, that is for sure. Yeah, that would be beautiful.

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I love angels. That would be beautiful. I can't wait. Oh, yeah. All right.

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Mitchell, thank you so much for joining us today and keep doing amazing things. Thank you so much, Sandy. Thank you for having me. What a blessing. What an honor.

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And I just I'm so thankful. Well, thank you to everybody listening today.

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I certainly hope that you enjoyed today's interview. Thank you so much for joining me. And as always, I hope that you and your family are healthy and safe and that your lives are filled with peace, joy, and happiness. Take care, everyone.