START HERE (Welcome to The Standout Creatives)
Where you discover how to live a life by design.
For the misfits, the ones who create instead of follow.
We don’t do idle chatter. We don’t shrink in the face of noise.
The Standout Creatives Manifesto
That’s what this place is about. But it didn’t start that way.
This publication was formerly called Standout Authors.
It made sense at the time. I was helping writers with their books, launch projects, and systems around their creative work. The audience was clear. The message was focused.
But something kept happening.
The people showing up weren’t just authors. They were writers, designers, entrepreneurs, photographers, podcasters, and people who didn’t even consider themselves “creatives”.
They all had one thing in common: they were people trying to figure out how to do work that actually matters to them. Not in a, I am trying to change the world way. In a, I finally discovered what kind of life I want to live way.
Underneath almost every conversation was a bigger question than “how do I market my book.”
It was: how do I build a life I actually want?
That question is what this publication is really about. So it’s time to evolve. Standout Authors is now The Standout Creatives (which also happens to be the name of one of my podcasts). It’s a broader home for anyone doing creative work and trying to build something meaningful around it.
That doesn’t mean I’m no longer working with authors. In fact, that means I get to work with more types of authors.
A Little About Me
My name is Kevin Chung.
For 17 years I had a stable job, my dream house, and a 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 kept getting delayed.
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 our lives. Six months later we sold our 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 the creative work you keep putting off is exactly what leads you there.
That’s what this publication is about.
Where Are You Right Now?
The Questioning Creative
You feel the gap but haven’t made the leap yet.
You’ve built a life that looks right on paper. Stable job, decent money, all the things you were supposed to want. But something feels hollow. You know you’re capable of more. You just haven’t figured out what more looks like yet.
My mission and creative manifesto for SLART’s Global Zine Project:
I used to hide from my creative potential, now I’m going all in on it:
I was on my friend Christi’s podcast where I talk about what living a creative life really looks like:
The Transitioning Creative
You’ve decided something needs to change
You’re in the middle of it. Maybe you’ve already made a bold move or you’re about to. Either way the old life isn’t working and the new one isn’t fully built yet. You need both inspiration and practical help.
Why your creative dreams are worth pursuing:
Why I started Standout Reinventions:
The beginning of my series talking about my move from Florida to Costa Rica and the foundation for my upcoming memoir:
The Building Creative
You’ve made the leap and now you need to build
You’ve committed. Now you need to finish things, show up consistently, and build systems around your creative work so it actually sustains you.
Advice on how to stop censoring yourself and let your creativity guide you:
How to transform your quirks into a superpower:
I am amplifying voices who usually don’t get the spotlight. These people have made the leap, see how:
What We’re Building Here
Here’s everything being built inside The Standout Creatives, and where each piece fits in your journey.
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 you’re on.
Standout Reinventions
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. Real people, real reinventions, no highlight reels.
Standout Creatives
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.
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.
Untitled Memoir (Coming Soon)
The story behind my new 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.
Stay Connected
The Standout Creatives is a place to help you stop living by default and start building the life you actually want to live.
Become a paid subscriber to access *Creativity Parties (coming soon), early releases of my upcoming books, and honest writing about what it actually takes to build a creative life by design.
Note: This is not a hustle culture publication. You will not find advice about posting seven times a day or optimizing your personal brand for maximum engagement.
What you will find is honest writing about creativity, reinvention, and what it actually takes to build the life you actually want.
If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re in exactly the right place.
*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.
Nice. I like the transition. Looking forward to what comes next. Also, more reports from the beaches of CR, please. Convince me to visit.