In this episode of Driven to Create, I sit down with Matteo Guastamacchio to talk about what it feels like to be a creative right now — in an unstable economy, with AI creeping into every corner of the industry, and the highs and lows of freelance life getting further and further apart.

We draw parallels to the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s. Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, artists trying to make sense of a world that didn’t quite work anymore, and ask if our generation of creatives is going through something similar.

We cover:

• Why so many creatives feel like a “lost generation” in 2025

• Freelancers as the original “born in the darkness” workers — no benefits, no cushion, just scrappiness

• The impact of mass layoffs, ghost jobs, and AI on creative careers

• How AI might eat the mid-tier, purely utilitarian work first

• Why that could actually create more space for human vision and weird, personal art

• The tension between art vs. utility when you’re making things for clients

• Moving away from algorithmic curation and back toward smaller creative communities

• The value of sharing your process, not just your polished final product

• Why human-made art carries memory, emotion, and context in a way AI can’t replicate (yet)

This episode isn’t about “the end of creativity.”
It’s about being honest about how weird and unstable this all feels — and still choosing to keep making, experimenting, and showing up.

Guest – Matteo Guastamacchio

• Instagram: @createdbyteo

• Website: teomultimedia.com

• Music: Brain Bag on Spotify

Host – Paul Melluzzo

• Website & full podcast archive: paulmelluzzo.com

If this resonated with you, follow the show, leave a rating, and send this episode to a creative friend who needs to hear they’re not crazy, just part of a generation trying to build something real in a very strange moment in history.

In the latest episode “Faded Memories of the Multi-Hyphenate”, Paul digs into the weird middle ground of being a creative generalist and how many multi-hyphenates struggle to stand out in the internet age.

We carry a wide range, but we also carry the tax of all the work unseen, whether it be context-switching, prep, and the feeling we’re always starting from zero.

In this episode he argues for having range as leverage and permission to leave some things unfinished with a little help from our old patron saint Leonardo da Vinci.

Show Notes

• What “multi-hyphenate” actually means - the work that spans skillsets. (00:00)

• The impostor loop - why generalists compare themselves to specialists and always come up short, and how to reframe progress. (02:10)

• The hidden labor - the energy drain you feel but can’t invoice for. (12:02)

• Using range as leverage - “I don’t need to stay in my lane, I can build the whole highway.” What that looks like in real client work. (06:03 / 15:58)

• Da Vinci - unfinished doesn’t equal failure; sometimes it’s a portfolio of bets. (16:57 / 18:06)

• Seasons of life - using constraints as scaffolding, not excuses. (19:18 / 25:31)

• Systems & discipline - making being “done” a habit so momentum compounds. (33:25 / 35:59)
  

Try this this week

• Pick one in-progress piece and ship a smaller version of it.

• Write a 3-line operating rule for your current season (hours, scope, stop-doing list).

• Replace one “perfect” pass with a repeatable system (template, checklist, or preset).

Where to Listen:

⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠

⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠

⁠⁠Google Podcasts⁠⁠

⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠

⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠

Stay Connected:

📸 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@driventocreate_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🌐 Check out more episodes and insights: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feedback:

💬 Did you learn something new? Are you sick of hearing me say “umm”? We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Drop your feedback at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Links:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠epicly.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Guided End-to-End Digital Ad Generation Platform

Video Script Timer

In this episode, Paul shares his origin story about the transition from car sales to small agency, to film, and beyond.

Key Discussion Points:

• Going from the Auto Industry to Media
• The switch from Monster Movies to Christmas Movies

• Failed Projects that Included Designer Crypto Socks
• The Continuous Journey to Improvement

Topics Mentioned:

• ⁠Pepboys
• Synthetic Cinema
• SockHodler
• Video Script Timer (Misc. Tool)
• Epicly AI

Where to Listen:

⁠Spotify⁠

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠Google Podcasts⁠

⁠iHeartRadio⁠

⁠YouTube⁠

Stay Connected:

📸 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@driventocreate_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

🌐 Check out more episodes and insights: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feedback:

💬 Did you learn something new? Are you sick of hearing me say “umm”? We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Drop us your feedback at ⁠⁠⁠⁠driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe and Follow:

👍 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content like this. Your support helps us keep creating and sharing knowledge.

Sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠⁠epicly.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Guided End-to-End Digital Ad Generation Platform

In this episode, Paul ponders what comes after AI Chat Windows and how embedding AI into workflows, apps, and operating systems is the next big step.

Key Discussion Points:

• The mental load of chatting with LLM's
• AI needs to be embedded in workflows to get full context

• Build a simple agent that solves one problem

Topics Mentioned:

• OpenAI Chat GPT
• Anthropic Claude
• Vercel V0
• Lovable
• Cursor
• Replit
• Midjourney
• Black Forest Labs Flux.1 Dev
• Stable Diffusion
• MCP Servers

Where to Listen:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

iHeartRadio

YouTube

Stay Connected:

📸 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@driventocreate_podcast⁠⁠⁠

🌐 Check out more episodes and insights: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠

Feedback:

💬 Did you learn something new? Are you sick of hearing me say “umm”? We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Drop us your feedback at ⁠⁠⁠driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe and Follow:

👍 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content like this. Your support helps us keep creating and sharing knowledge.

Sponsors:

⁠⁠⁠epicly.ai⁠⁠⁠ - Guided End-to-End Digital Ad Generation Platform

Episode Description:

In this episode, Paul reflects on the changing environment brought about by the rise of AI and predicts its impact on expertise as a whole.

Key Discussion Points:

• Deep domain expertise will become scarce
• Companies will automate away learning pathways for new talent

• Comfort breeds complacency

• Tips on how to stay relevant in a fast-changing landscape

Where to Listen:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

iHeartRadio

YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DrivenToCreate-Podcast⁠⁠

Stay Connected:

📸 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@driventocreate_podcast⁠⁠

🌐 Check out more episodes and insights: ⁠⁠https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast⁠⁠

Feedback:

💬 Did you learn something new? Are you sick of hearing me say “umm”? We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Drop us your feedback at ⁠⁠driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠.

Subscribe and Follow:

👍 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content like this. Your support helps us keep creating and sharing knowledge.

Sponsors:

⁠⁠epicly.ai⁠⁠ - Guided End-to-End Digital Ad Generation Platform

Episode Description:

In this episode, Paul draws the parallels from the experience of a Creative to themes from the critically acclaimed video game, "Final Fantasy X".

Key Discussion Points:

• The beauty and timelessness of a captured moment or idea
• Coming to terms with one's own existence
• Self-Reflection

• Collaboration with Peers

Where to Listen:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

iHeartRadio

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DrivenToCreate-Podcast⁠

Stay Connected:

📸 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@driventocreate_podcast⁠

🌐 Check out more episodes and insights: ⁠https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast⁠

Feedback:

💬 Did you learn something new? Are you sick of hearing me say “umm”? We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Drop us your feedback at ⁠driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com⁠.

Subscribe and Follow:

👍 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content like this. Your support helps us keep creating and sharing knowledge.

Sponsors:

⁠epicly.ai⁠ - Guided End-to-End Digital Ad Generation Platform

Paul’s on a solo mission to navigate the perilous seas ofbalancing work/family life in an ever-changing creative industry.

Key Highlights:

🌟 Self-Reflection on egoand drive in the creative fields

🌟 Adaptability andFlexibility

🌟 Figuring out what meansthe most to you, and building out from there

Show Notes:

• “We’re thieves in a world that don’t want us nomore” – Arthur Morgan (RDR2)
• Epicly.ai (The app that I’m building)

The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Googleand iHeartRadio. There is also a YouTube channel at ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DrivenToCreate-Podcast⁠⁠

Follow the podcast on Instagram at ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/driventocreate_podcast/⁠⁠ or check it out at ⁠⁠https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast⁠⁠

Official Website: https://www.paulmelluzzo.com/podcast

Did you learn something new? Sick of hearing me say“umm”?

Drop me your feedback at ⁠⁠driventocreatepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠…if you’re nasty.