Through the Creative Door with Carl Knox
What if being terrible at something isn't a sign that you're doing it wrong, but proof that you're on your way to getting better?
For multidisciplinary artist Carl Knox, learning to embrace that uncomfortable stage of being a beginner has become one of the most important lessons in his creative life. From teaching himself to draw manga and anime to becoming a 3D animator, mural artist, photographer and videographer, Carl's journey has been shaped by curiosity, experimentation and an almost unstoppable desire to learn.
His creative world is full of different disciplines and ideas. He works in astronomy and astrophysics at Swinburne University, creates commercial and personal artwork, and continually explores new skills. But behind all those projects is a thoughtful approach to creativity: make space for your ideas, give yourself time to explore them, and don't be afraid to make a mess along the way.
In this conversation with Alexis Naylor on Through the Creative Door, Carl shares how he built his creative career, why learning the business side of art was such a difficult lesson, and how he eventually found a way to balance earning a living with making the work that matters to him.
His advice is simple, but powerful: if you're not making mistakes, you're probably not growing.
1. A Creative Space Needs Both Space and Time
Walking into Carl's home, it's immediately clear that his surroundings are important to him. One room is filled with plants and natural light, while his workspace is thoughtfully arranged to support the way he thinks and creates.
He gravitates towards earthy materials, wood, ceramics and plants. He likes open space and doesn't want unnecessary visual clutter. Everything in his environment needs to have a purpose or be something he finds aesthetically pleasing.
But Carl is quick to point out that a beautiful creative space isn't essential to being creative. He knows he could sit in a cardboard box and still make something if he needed to.
The difference is that he spends so much of his time working from home that he wants his environment to be as inspiring and functional as possible.
His workspace also reflects the way his mind works. Instruments are within reach, and he often has several projects underway at once. If he gets stuck on one thing, he'll move to another project temporarily, allowing himself to think differently and loosen up.
One of Carl's most valuable suggestions is to acknowledge the ideas and ambitions that are already floating around in your head.
Perhaps you've thought about starting a podcast, creating a clothing range, learning an instrument or trying a completely new artistic discipline. Rather than dismissing those thoughts as passing interests, Carl encourages you to write them down.
He keeps a long list of things he'd like to explore. It contains hundreds of ideas, but he doesn't try to pursue them all at once. Instead, he chooses his top three priorities and focuses on those for a period of time.
If mural painting becomes a priority, for example, he might spend a year finding mentors, researching courses, buying materials and learning everything he can about the discipline.
And that brings him to another important part of his creative philosophy: you have to be willing to be bad at it for a while.
Carl also makes a connection between creative space and creative time. He draws on Einstein's special theory of relativity, which links space and time, to make the point that having a wonderful place to create is not much use if you never make time to use it.
You need to set aside time to play, explore, watch tutorials, learn from others and make mistakes without distraction.
A creative space isn't just somewhere you work. It's somewhere you give yourself permission to spend time becoming better at something.
2. Making a Mess Is Part of Getting Better
One of the projects Carl is particularly proud of is a mural of his beloved dog, Zen, who passed away two years ago.
The mural is painted on a garage door and features a Japanese dog, a Japanese-inspired starburst and cherry blossoms. It's a deeply personal piece, but it's also significant because it brings together two very different parts of Carl's artistic background.
His first formal creative skill was 3D animation. He designed the image using 3D software, including Maya and KeyShot, before translating that digital design into a physical mural.
For Carl, it was a wonderful opportunity to combine his 3D skills with painting. Digital renders usually remain on screens, but this project allowed him to take something created in a virtual environment and bring it into the real world.
It was also his first public mural.
The project had another layer of meaning. Carl had started learning mural painting during the COVID lockdowns, and he admits that he was terrible at it for a long time.
But rather than seeing that as a reason to stop, he gradually came to understand that being bad at something is often the first step towards becoming good at it.
The mural represents the dedication and practice that went into developing a new skill, as well as the personal connection he has to its subject.
It's a lovely example of what can happen when we allow ourselves to experiment without expecting immediate results. Carl didn't begin with the ability to create the mural he imagined. He had to learn, practise, make mistakes and keep going.
And the result became something uniquely his own.
For anyone who has ever abandoned a new creative pursuit because they weren't immediately good at it, Carl's experience offers a different perspective. The uncomfortable early stages aren't wasted time. They're part of the process.
3. Creativity Can Make Someone Else's World Better
Another project Carl is especially proud of has nothing to do with commercial art or a public exhibition. It began with a problem his father was experiencing.
After Carl's dad had a stroke, he found walking and using his right arm more difficult. Each morning, he needed assistance getting onto a small exercise bike so he could complete his physiotherapy.
The pedals were weighted and would flip into an awkward position, making it difficult for him to get his feet into place independently.
Carl spent time thinking about how he could make the process easier.
The first solution was a pile of books to hold the pedals in position. It wasn't particularly effective, so he continued experimenting. After several iterations, he designed a small foam block with a low-friction surface. His dad could slide his foot into place, begin pedalling, and the block would fall away as he started moving.
It was a relatively small invention, but it made a meaningful difference.
Carl describes how proud he felt knowing that something he'd designed had made another person's life easier. His dad could begin exercising without waiting for someone to help him.
This project reveals something important about how Carl sees creativity.
For him, designing and making things isn't only about producing something beautiful. It's also about making the world a little better, reducing unnecessary effort and finding practical solutions to everyday problems.
He applies that thinking to his own home, too. He likes things to be easily accessible and arranged in ways that minimise the effort required to complete ordinary tasks.
Whether he's creating a mural, developing a digital image or designing a small device for his father, the underlying instinct is similar: identify a possibility and find a way to make it happen.
It's a reminder that creativity doesn't have to be grand or public to be valuable. Sometimes the most satisfying thing we can make is something that helps one person.
4. Being a Talented Artist Doesn't Automatically Make You a Successful Businessperson
Carl's creative journey hasn't always been straightforward.
After studying art and developing his skills, he discovered that making a living from his work was an entirely different challenge.
Art school had taught him how to become an artist, but it hadn't taught him how to run a successful business.
He had the skills to produce impressive commercial work, including illustrations and projects for well-known brands. From the outside, it might have looked like he was doing well. But he wasn't charging enough to cover the real costs of running his business.
He would estimate how many hours a project might take and calculate his fee based on that time. What he wasn't accounting for were the meetings, emails, client revisions, equipment, electricity, software and other overheads involved in delivering the work.
As a result, he was sometimes working at a loss.
Eventually, the financial pressure became too much. Carl found himself questioning whether he could continue making a living as an artist. He closed his first business, put away his paintbrushes and took a corporate job as a personal assistant.
It was a painful period. He had invested so much into becoming an artist, and now he felt he couldn't afford to keep doing it.
But the creative part of him never disappeared.
In his spare time, he eventually returned to drawing and painting — not because he needed to make money from it, but because he still had something he wanted to express.
When he later decided to return to working as an artist, he knew he needed to approach the business side differently.
A business mentor helped him look carefully at his skills and, just as importantly, at which types of work he actually enjoyed.
Carl had experience in a wide range of areas, including wedding photography, 3D animation, logo design and music videos. He was capable of doing all of them, but that didn't mean he wanted to build a career around all of them.
His mentor encouraged him to identify the work that resonated with him and focus on those areas.
That meant learning to say no.
Previously, Carl had been a yes person. If someone asked him to photograph a wedding or take on a project, he'd agree because he could do it and needed the income.
But being good at something doesn't mean you have to offer it as a service forever.
He also learned how to price his work properly, accounting for the time spent communicating with clients, making revisions and managing the practical costs of running a business.
It was a major shift in how he understood his value as a creative professional.
Carl's experience highlights an important gap in creative education. Developing artistic skills is one thing; learning how to turn those skills into a sustainable living is another.
If you're a creative freelancer or thinking about starting your own business, it's worth remembering that your price needs to reflect more than the hours you spend making the final product.
5. You Don't Have to Say Yes to Everything
One of the compelling parts of Carl's conversation with Alexis is the idea that creatives are often encouraged to say yes to every opportunity.
Whether you're a photographer, musician, designer or performer, there's a sense that you should take every gig, accept every job and never turn down a chance to be seen.
And when money is tight, it's easy to understand why.
Carl acknowledges that earlier in his career, saying yes to everything was sometimes necessary. Taking on different types of work gave him experience, helped him earn an income and allowed him to discover what he was good at.
But there's a difference between exploring opportunities when you're starting out and continuing to take on work that doesn't serve you.
Once Carl had the experience and financial breathing room to make choices, he began focusing on the projects he genuinely wanted to do.
His business mentor helped him recognise that he didn't need to keep offering services simply because he was capable of delivering them.
He could choose the work that suited his interests and direct his energy towards the clients who needed those particular skills.
This is an important distinction for anyone building a creative career.
Sometimes saying yes is part of the learning process. It helps you discover what you enjoy, what you're good at and where opportunities might lead.
But as your experience grows, so can your ability to make more deliberate choices.
You don't have to be everything to everyone.
And you don't have to keep doing work you dislike just because you know how to do it.
Being able to say no can be a sign that you're beginning to understand what kind of creative life you actually want.
6. Curiosity, Tools and the Joy of Learning
Carl describes himself as someone who is addicted to learning. He's constantly looking for new skills to develop and new ways to approach his work.
His curiosity is reflected in his creative environment, particularly his impressive computer setup.
At his desk, he has multiple screens, a projector and plenty of space for reference material. He likes having emails, images, fonts, colours and other resources visible while he works.
For Carl, access to information and inspiration helps him get into a creative flow. He wants to be able to move between references without constantly opening and closing windows.
If he's working on a design, he might have the client's brief open on one screen, reference images on another and other resources available nearby.
Even when he only has a laptop, he'll try to keep a notebook beside him.
It's not necessarily about having the most expensive equipment. It's about finding tools that support the way you think and work.
Carl also encourages creatives to set aside a small monthly budget for learning and development.
That might mean purchasing an online course, trying a new artistic tool or paying for a subscription service that gives you access to useful resources.
One example he recommends is <a href="https://www.masterclass.com">MasterClass</a>, which offers lessons from people working across creative disciplines, business and sport.
He also mentions The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin as a creative reference.
The important idea is to think of learning as an investment in yourself.
A course might cost $50, and it's easy to talk yourself out of spending that money. But if it helps you develop a skill you've been curious about, it may be a worthwhile investment in your creative future.
Carl's approach is to keep learning, keep experimenting and stay open to the possibility that there's always something new to discover.
7. Being Bad Is the Beginning of Something Good
When Alexis asks Carl what advice he'd give to another creative, he returns to the idea that runs through so much of his story:
Being bad at something is the first step to being good at it.
He believes we have to be willing to spend time struggling with a new skill before we can become proficient. Too many people give up when they discover that something is harder than they expected.
But Carl sees that difficult stage as part of the fun.
Making mistakes, creating a mess and pushing through frustration are all opportunities to grow. They teach us how to deal with challenges, how to keep going when something feels uncomfortable and how to develop skills we didn't previously have.
He also points out that if something is easy for everyone, it may not feel particularly special to achieve. The skills that take time and dedication can become part of what makes us distinctive.
This doesn't mean we should deliberately make things difficult for ourselves. Rather, it's about changing our relationship with the discomfort that comes with learning.
Instead of interpreting mistakes as evidence that we're not talented, we can begin to see them as evidence that we're trying something new.
Carl's own journey is full of examples: learning 3D animation, developing his mural painting, experimenting with different creative disciplines and finding his way back to art after a difficult experience running a business.
He didn't become good at these things by avoiding the uncomfortable stages. He became good by working through them.
And perhaps that's the most useful lesson of all.
If you're learning something new and finding it difficult, you might be exactly where you need to be.
Final Thoughts: Keep Learning, Keep Experimenting and Don't Be Afraid to Suck
Carl's conversation with Alexis is a celebration of curiosity and the many different ways creativity can show up in our lives.
His journey reminds us that we don't have to fit into one creative category. We can have multiple interests, combine different skills and allow our work to evolve as we discover new things.
It also highlights the importance of creating an environment that supports our ideas — not just a physical space, but time to explore, experiment and learn.
Carl's experience with the business side of art offers another valuable reminder: creative talent and business knowledge are different skills, and both matter when you're trying to make a living from your work. It's okay to seek support, learn from mistakes and change the way you approach your career.
But the message that stays with us is his willingness to embrace being a beginner.
We live in a world where it's easy to see the finished work and compare ourselves with people who have spent years developing their skills. We don't always see the practice, frustration and failed attempts that came before the result.
So the next time you try something new and it doesn't go to plan, remember Carl's advice.
Make a mess. Try again. Stay curious.
Because if you're not making mistakes, you're probably not growing.
A x
Listen to the Full Conversation
Listen to the full conversation with Carl Knox on Through the Creative Door S1. E16, to hear more about his journey across 3D animation, mural painting, photography and design, the lessons he learned building a creative business, and why he believes the best way to grow is to be willing to make mistakes.
