the zurkie show - why you’re scared of creating art

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

we need your art.too much of our best work is ruined by perfectionism. I'm not going to let that happen to you.sending you all love and peaaaaaaaaaaace!https://linktr.ee/thezurkieshow

In high school, I wanted to be in a boy band. I wanted to be in a group that created art together. That seemed like the coolest thing in the world. It seemed like a job that I was perfect for. I had all of these references, these things I wanted to do. But I had no idea how much work it actually took to get there. That was until I moved halfway across the country to live with two other guys I met on the internet and create for a living.

I was giving all of my energy, all of my time, into pursuing this dream of doing art full-time. And I was inspired by the likes of the people before me to do that. What I have learned is something that's going to save you a lot of time. If you're somebody who wants to create for a living, you want to make art, you feel called to do what people do online for a living. You need saturation. You need a lot of saturation.

I'm on this street in Corpus Christi because it is incredible. significant to my journey as an artist and as a creative. This is Brockhampton Street. For those of you who know, you know, for those of you who don't know, Brockhampton was a collective that was formed by Kevin Abstract here in Texas, and they famously took over my entire adolescence high school, and they scored a good portion of my life as an adult through their series, saturation and also lots of other records.

Brock Hampton has since disbanded. They're no longer together. But their impact will forever be studied. It will. Because they taught me the importance of just creating. And creating in a way that's relentless. And creating in a way that feels as if that is the only thing you are put on this earth to do. You need saturation.

If you're going into any kind of creative pursuit, if you're going into music, if you're going into art, if you're going into painting, drawing, whatever it is, creating, you need saturation in the sense that you need to do a lot of the thing that you want to do. A lot of us get caught in the loop of perfectionism. It's something that we see all the time, right? Like we often see an artist put out a piece of work like Channel Orange by Frank Ocean and think, man, that is perfect. What we don't see is the relentless grind to get to those 12 perfect songs. That's oftentimes lost in the vault. It's because that's not the glamorous part. It's the same thing in Rocky. Like, yeah, the montage of him training is cool, but that montage in reality is years.

It takes a long time to get good at something and to actually feel like you matter in what you're doing and that you have a good grasp on what you do. Want to go electric without sacrificing fun? That's the Volkswagen ID4. All-electric and thoughtfully designed to elevate your modern lifestyle. The Volkswagen ID4 is fun to drive with instant acceleration that makes city streets feel like open roads. Plus a refined interior with innovative technology always at your fingertips. The all-electric ID4, you deserve more fun.

Visit vw.ca to learn more. S-UVW, German engineered for all. Welcome aboard via rail. Please sit and enjoy. Please sit and stretch. Steep. Flip. Or that.

And enjoy. Via rail, love the way. It's totally normal that right now, if you're starting out, you might feel like you're not doing enough. You might feel like you want to create. You want to do something. You want to get good at something. And that doesn't even have to be artistic.

It can be a sport. It can be a musical instrument. It can just be the idea of being a better person. You need saturation. You need a lot of reps. You need to do it a lot. You got to put yourself out there quite a bit in order to get something. And this is where I think we fall short.

We often fall short a lot because we think that we are going to get it right away. That as soon as we start something, as soon as we get good at something, we're going to bear the fruits of our labor. But that's just not how it works. what I really appreciated about Brock Hampton was the fact that they put out so much they created a world for the people that loved them and dude I was a stand I was deep in their lore because they shared so much

of their creative process they made these incredible documentaries where they would showcase how they were making the albums in real time and me as a you know 16, 17 year old I took a lot of those documentaries to heart and replicated them in my small town of Palatine Illinois where I

grew up. Me and my friends, we made a, you know, silly SoundCloud rap album, but we treated it as if that was an album that we were making. Even though it was like a, you know, we're stealing beats off of YouTube and freestyling over them, it gave us this sense that we were going to make things and we were going to make a lot of them and it was going to be our lifestyle. For anyone that wants to go into creative pursuit, adopting this idea of saturation, of creating a lot of the thing that you want is kind of akin to. to seeing your profession instead of a hobby as that of a baker, as that of someone who is providing service to a greater group of people. We need your art. We need your brain. We need your thoughts. We need your ideas. Yes, it might seem like we don't need them. It might seem like there is an abundance of them. But in reality, it's actually really important that new ideas are continuously shared.

new content and new music and new art and new film is being created. It's kind of the last thing we have that feels sort of human. And telling stories, telling ideas, this is the way that we're able to expand on what we have, man. Because I don't know about you, but I'm kind of sick of seeing the AI stuff all the time. Like, you know, it's cool to be human. It's cool to document that process.

And what a better way to do that than to be created. So stop viewing yourself as someone that needs to get everything perfect. You know, when I think of my favorite bakeries, it's not the one that has a perfect baguette, because that doesn't exist. It's the ones that just do the job good enough that consistently I can count on and that have a saturation of bread for me to eat. Because I love a good baguette, bro. A little baguette and some brie. Vamos meta. Famously Vamos meta.

Saturation was also so. special because there was a authenticity to the work that was being made. I think that in creative endeavors, we oftentimes get blinded by what other people are going to think of us, and that completely takes over our work. We don't allow ourselves to be funny. We have to be serious. We have to fit into a trope or a certain stereotype. Brockhampton didn't really do any of that. They kind of were who they were. It was a group of a bunch of different individuals from all over, and it felt that way and it felt very wholesome in the way that they were expressing themselves it felt fun and i think that's one of the other problems now it's like when you hold yourself to high such a high standard of

what you need to make and what you need to create you don't allow yourself to play things are feeling a little less human these days aren't they but isn't the whole point of progress to make things more human that's why at td when we design a product whether it's an app for making trading easier or monitoring your account for fraud, we ask one simple question. How does this help people? That's how we're making banking more simple, more seamless, and more intuitive. But most importantly, that's how TD is making banking more human. There's something else here now.

Something new. From exclusively on Paramount Plus, it's the series Stephen King calls Scarious Hell. Everything here is impossible. But it's also real. Sci-Fi vision calls it the best show streaming right now. We're running out of time and we still don't know the rules. Don't miss what the movie blog calls something you need to watch. Saving those children is how we all go home.

From Binge All Episodes exclusively on Paramount Plus. And I am very much of the mind that the types of work that you make, the energy in which you approach that work, it feeds the audience. You can feel it. I don't know if you guys have this same sensation, but there's certain records I've listened to where I can tell an artist was really angry making them.

Likewise, there's certain records where I could tell the person making them was in love. They truly were in love. It seeps into whatever you create. And when you start to think about it that way, it makes you have a very different relationship with your work. And if everything is serious, and it's almost like you are afraid to put ounces of yourself into what you do,

then, of course, the audience isn't going to receive that. They're not going to reciprocate that. And it's something that comes with time. You have to learn that. No one's teaching this. Like, it's something that over a lot of reps and a lot of saturation, you learn. Another thing I'm really grateful for with Brock Hampton is I think they taught me the importance of a creative community.

It's actually immensely important to find people who are like-minded in what they create and the way in which they make stuff. Now, don't find people who are exactly cloned copies of you, the same archetype. No, no, no.

Find people who are also artistically inclined or they are maybe in the same niche as you. Maybe they are also a filmmaker, but they do something completely different. Those are the people you're going to learn from. If you stay in a group of the same kind of, you know, neighborhood, You're not going to be able to learn new cultures, new cuisines, and meet new people.

You have to kind of transplant yourself into somebody else's world and just be a guest for a little bit. And what a better way to do that than finding cool people. So I urge you right now, man, whatever small town you live in, whatever place you feel like is home, but really you want to get out because there's nobody that seems like-minded than you. That might be the case, but I think that your prerogative should be to start being the first person to create whatever it is you want to make. You have to be the first initiator of this. And through the saturation, you're going to find other people.

In a similar way to how Brock Hampton met on a Kanye subreddit, you know, Kevin already had a huge amount of work that he was able to show that he did, right? And everyone else in this group was also able to chime in and show their work. And that's how Real recognizes Real. I've noticed this in my life, too. when you have something that shows that you're trying and that you're going somewhere and you're putting in the effort, people are a lot more willing to help you and they're a lot more willing to see and take your vision seriously. Because trust me, I've also been that person who was the dreamer, the visionary.

Oh, I'm going to drop out a high school and move to L.A. and, you know, be a Jake Paul level vlogger. But I wasn't even making or filming anything. I just had these grandiose delusions in my mind. When you start actually creating and you start taking yourself seriously and you stop overthinking every small detail in your work, you realize how difficult it is to, A, stay consistent, and B, make something that you're really proud of. It's a process. But over time, that saturation, that catalog, is something you become very, very proud of.

A lot of people also like to point to saturation. as being the best albums of Brockhampton's discography. And I also see that argument. I like other records. Don't get me wrong. I like euryrdescence. I even like some of the cuts off of Ginger Roadrunner and some of the other records.

But I think saturation, what it did was it captured a feeling. There was a rawness. There was a lack of expectation. And there was just a focus on the creation, the making. And I think a lot of people get lost in that. Why do you need to have an expectation of what you're making? Why can't you just treat it as a sliver of a greater discography, of a greater life? Would you judge yourself at your life right now if you knew you were going to change?

No, you would appreciate these moments. I've started looking at my work as more of a postcard. That's why I like filming at different locations. I want to look back one day and be like, oh, that was cool that I went there and I filmed there and I talked about this thing that was on my mind. It doesn't need to be perfect. It never will be perfect. Rosen lasagna, medium power, 15 minutes. Sounds like Ojo time.

Let's play. Feel the fun with Play Ojo. The online casino with all the latest slot and live casino games. What you win is yours to keep with no wagering requirements, instant payouts, and no minimum withdraws. Hey, I just won. Woo-hoo. Feel the fun. Play Ojo.

Honey, forget about the lasagna. Let's celebrate. Ontario only, please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you. Call 16-531-2600 or visit connectxonetario.ca. Okay. When I sell my business, I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids and I want to give back to the community. Ooh, then it's the vacation of a lifetime. I wonder if my out-of-office has a forever setting.

An IG private wealth advisor creates the clarity you need with plans that harmonize your business, your family, and your dreams. Get financial advice that puts you at the center. Find your advisor at IGPrivatewealth.com. Amazon presents Jeff versus Taco Truck Salsa, whether it's Verde, Roja, or the orange one. For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian roulette with a flamethrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea, and milk. Habaniero, more like

Habinier, yes. Save the everyday with Amazon. It just really needs to be good enough and it needs to feel genuine. Like it's coming from a place where it matters and you've created something that honestly you like. Because there's a good chance if you like it, one other person likes it

and if one other person likes it, there's a good chance 10 people like it, etc., etc., right? The domino effect goes down. Who are you creating for? Who are you making the things that matter to you for. Is it for yourself? Because if it feels like it's for yourself, that's a good thing.

Would you watch it? Are you a fan of your own work? If the answer is no, then I think you got some reconsidering and you should make some stuff that feels fun and good for you to create. These are all thoughts that I got from watching the copious amounts of documentary footage that Brockhampton had posted.

These are all thoughts that I've learned after succeeding and failing. And I have failed more than I have succeeded in creating. Trust me. Trust me. I have tried to do different kinds of work. But I think the main thing I always realized is I knew it was a point in my life and I knew I was experimenting.

And that's also something that is so good to do. Through saturation, what it allows you to do is it allows you to experiment. It allows you to have a different mindset on what you create and be like, you know what? I'm going to use some crazy horns at the beginning of a song on Boogie, and that will become an anthem for high school kids across the country. You never know until you make a bunch of stuff, and you kind of get bored, and you realize, all right, I'm going to experiment. Like, what do I have to lose?

You don't have anything to lose. Saturate yourself, man. Make a bunch of stuff. Don't look at it as this is a defining, moment for you. Just look at it as having fun and building little building blocks of your life for a greater Lego building set. It doesn't have to feel like you are trying to be the next two Hollis or Netspend or Osamason. Like you don't you don't have to make music that is perfect. Just focus on making something. Like I cannot reiterate the importance of just making a lot of stuff.

It's my biggest regret. When I was younger, I was so perfectionism-brained and I wish I just made stuff. Friends around me were making magazines. They were making journals. They were making, you know, little silly short films. And that's really cool. That's something that they can look back on. Yeah, is it a little bit cringe?

Yeah. I mean, yeah, sure. But those are the things that you learn from. And if you don't decide to make the first bad video, you're never going to make a good one. that's the, that's just the truth. I think there are a lot of reasons to be thankful for Brockhampton. I think above all, I'm very thankful they soundtracked, basically, my entire high school existence. And I'm grateful that I got to cry to summer on the guitar solo, those who know, no.

Yeah, I think a thing I want to close off with is the idea that you don't know who's watching. I don't think Brock Hampton really understood that they would connect so many people. When I look at the Zirky Show fam, these are all people that resonate with my message, and they resonate with who I am, and that feels so beautiful. She knows. How? Did you Blow? No. The Devil Wares Prada 2. He's the movie event 20 years in the making.

Honestly, can't with the secrets anymore, so I think we just should tell her. Will you two please spit it out already? This Friday, be the first to experience it only in theater. In light of the recent scandal, I'm here to restore your credibility. Oh, because we're a team now. That's a nice story. The Devil Wears Prada 2 in Theat's Friday. I'm incredibly grateful for it, and the fact that it might have brought some people together,

it might have made some people go on a $60 Chili's date. That's really special. That's really special. I never thought that that would be the case either. You don't know until you create. You have no idea. And there's a good chance you're holding yourself back because you're waiting for perfection. There's a good chance that you're not starting your journey and whatever you want because you're waiting for the perfect moment.

And I'm telling you that's never going to come. And what if you are like 10 videos away or a couple art pieces away from meeting your best friends, moving into a house together in Van Nuys, California, and making some bangers that will be forever cemented in, you know, late 2010's history. I'm immensely grateful for this street, for the person who named a whole collective after this street, and for the work

that they did. And I'm very thankful that now that time is over, and we have so much to look forward to of all of them in a solo context. But above all, I'm happy that I learned the importance of making a lot and treating

what you do with the utmost respect and like it matters, not like a hobby, but as a lifestyle and something that feels important to you. So Zerky Show, ask yourself what that is. What do you need to saturate? What do you need to make more of? What do you need to make less of in order to make more time to do the thing that you want to do? And maybe it's not an artistic thing. Maybe you want to be just a better friend. That's okay too. But in order to be a better friend, you got to practice it lot. You've got to do it more. And that all starts with intentionality and being aware of the fact that you need to change. Today's episode of The Zirky Show was filmed in beautiful sunny Corpus Christi, Texas. If you're ever on the coast, come check out Corpus Christi. It's really pretty. And also

shout up Rockhampton Street for the one time. Did you know that the Zirky Show is everywhere you go? That is correct. You can watch it. You can scroll it. You can stream it. The choice is yours. If you want to tap into the Zirky Show, this is the best way to tap in. do the things that bring you joy. It's good to be out in the sun. Take a break. Go on a bike ride. Listen to a record that you haven't listened to in a while.

Get some memories back in your brain. We've been bumping Brockhampton a lot on this street. And it's brought me back to some awesome basements in high school. When I was in high school. That's what you do in America. You hang out in basements when you're in high school. Other than that, Zerke's show, try something new. And if you are trying something new, just know I believe in you.

as always, I am sending you lots of love and peace.