For the misfits, the ones who create instead of follow.
Most creative people aren’t stuck because they lack talent or ideas.
They’re stuck because nobody taught them how to build a life around their creativity: how to finish the work, find the audience, make it sustainable, and actually enjoy the process without burning out.
Whether you’re just starting to take your creativity seriously, navigating a major life transition, or trying to grow a creative business beyond where it is right now, the problem is the same.
You need someone who has been there and can show you what actually works.
That’s what The Standout Creatives is for.
Who This Is For
The Questioning Creative
You know something needs to change. You’re just not sure what yet. You keep putting the creative work last and telling yourself someday. This is for the someday people who are ready to make it today.
The Transitioning Creative
You’ve made the leap into a creative life. Things are messy and uncertain and more alive than they’ve felt in years. This is for the in-between.
The Building Creative
You’ve committed to your creative life and want to grow: projects, revenue, or both. You’re looking to make it sustainable or grow beyond your current capacity. This is for the ones doing the daily work.
Who I Am
My name is Kevin Chung.
For 17 years I had the stable job, the dream house, the life that looked great on paper. I was also a designer, a marketer, a podcaster, and someone who kept telling himself he’d get to the creative work someday.
Someday never came. Until it did.
On Valentine’s Day 2025 my wife Anita and I sat at a Mexican restaurant, while everyone around us had a romantic evening, and made a list that changed everything. Six months later we sold the house, sold most of what we owned, and moved to Costa Rica.
I’m not telling you to move to Costa Rica.
I’m telling you that the life you actually want is closer than it feels. And that the creative work you keep putting off is usually the exact thing that leads you there.
That’s what this publication is about.
Designer. Marketer. Podcaster. Author.
17 years in the industry. Host of The Standout Creatives, Standout Authors Unbound, and Standout Reinventions podcasts. Author of We Are All Creative.
What You’ll Find Here
Inside The Standout Creatives you’ll find honest writing and conversations about creativity, reinvention, and what it actually takes to build a life by design.
You’ll find real stories from real creative people about what it actually looks like to leave one life behind and build something truer on the other side:
Personal essays about creativity, reinvention, and the messy reality of building a life by design
Conversations with authors, creatives, and reinventors who did the thing you’re thinking about doing
Practical help finishing the work that matters: the book, the business, or the life you actually want
Memoir updates as I document our own reinvention in real time from Costa Rica
Honest takes on what’s working, what isn’t, and what I’m learning along the way
No hustle culture. No posting seven times a day. No optimizing every part of your life for maximum engagement.
Just the work. And the people doing it.
Start With These
Not sure where to begin? These three posts will tell you everything about what we do here:
Or go to the Start Here page for the full map.
Free vs. Paid
Free subscribers get interviews, essays, personal stories, and honest writing about creativity and reinvention.
Paid subscribers get access to Creativity Parties, behind the scenes memoir updates, and the best of what I know about building a creative life by design.
Annual subscribers also get early access to my upcoming books including the We Are All Creative rerelease and my memoir before anyone else.
Become a paid subscriber if you want to go deeper.
What We’re Building
The Standout Creatives Podcast
Real conversations with creative people: the projects, the struggles, the process. If you want to see what the work of standout creatives actually looks like day to day, start here.
Listen here
Standout Reinventions
Real people, real reinventions, no highlight reels. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually looks like to blow up your life and build something better, this is where that story lives.
Listen here
Standout Authors Unbound
Real stories from writers and indie authors who made it through the hard part. If you’re working on a book, these are the people who’ve already walked the path.
Listen here
We Are All Creative — Updated Version Coming Soon
52 weeks of creative inspiration with original artwork. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re creative enough, this book is your answer. Spoiler: you are.
The Memoir — Coming Soon
The story behind the philosophy. How my wife Anita and I sold everything, left Florida, and moved to Costa Rica to build the life we actually wanted, and what that journey can show you about your own.
*Creativity Parties are low-pressure gatherings where creative people reconnect with their work, connect with other amazing creatives, break through roadblocks, and actually have fun doing it. Details on the next one coming soon. Subscribe to be the first to know.
