About this podcast
What does it take to become a successful writer or artist? Go behind the scenes with amazing professional creatives in a wide variety of fields to find out what, exactly, it took for them to be able to quit the day job and build a creative career fully committed to the work they're most passionate about.
As a creative yourself, you know that whenever two artists or writers get together, inevitably the conversation turns to, “No, but seriously, how do you do it?”
This show is that conversation. And you’re invited.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 37 episodes
- How to build a self-sustaining creative practice without forced-march “productivity” culture (with Matt Griffin and Shelley Evans).mp3 · 53 min“My goal isn’t to win the hours. I want to be present.” — Shelley Evans When a “good career” starts to feel like a bad relationship, walking away is just the start. After you…
- From designer to course creator (without a huge audience): Marie Poulin's journey to Notion Mastery · 47 minWhat happens when you follow your curiosity down an unexpected rabbit hole…and it leads to massive business success? Marie Poulin started as a freelance designer, but her…
- How to find clients and build your audience without relying on social media, with Meg Casebolt · 56 minWhat happens to your business when you take an extended break from social media? Will it fall apart? Wither on the vine? What if the answer is…not much? Meg Casebolt is an SEO…
- How to quit undercharging for your work, with Rauni Higson · 58 minDo you struggle to figure out how to price your work so that it’s actually profitable for you…and then to actually say that price out loud, without mumbling or undercutting…
- How to make more money without investing more time, with Samantha Clark · 59 minSamantha Clark is an award-winning artist and lauded author who recently transitioned from an academic career to creative coaching. After a year of hitting her income goals and…
- How to move from intention to action, with ADHD coach Emily Zilber · 53 minIf you have a brain that doesn’t work the way it seems like everyone else’s does, or at least the way people tell you it should, that can be challenging. But can it also be a…
- How to end burnout and tap into creative flow, with Gabriela Pereira · 50 minGabriela Pereira, my friend and the founder of DIY MFA, interviews me about creative flow. I share my strategies for building focus and reducing decision fatigue, and we do a…
- How to find (and actually talk to) your ideal clients, with Sarah Marie Lacy · 1 h 1 minWhen painter Sarah Marie Lacy decided to double down on portrait commissions as her primary source of income, she was severely undercharging for her work, but had no idea what…
- Stop waiting for permission to be a professional creative, with Henry Thong · 55 minOn this episode, I’m joined by award-winning documentary filmmaker Henry Thong for a conversation about courage before confidence. Henry’s entire career is arguably based on his…
- How to handle your creative business finances—even if you’re “not a math person,” with Shawn Fink · 1 h 8 minOn this episode, I’m joined by fellow business strategist and courage coach, Shawn Fink, for a wide-ranging and empathetic conversation about the ****math you need to take…
- Are you exploiting your own creative labor? with Tara McMullin · 1 h 16 min“Self-actualization is not more important than feeding yourself.” In this episode, Tara McMullin helps us understand why solving for your needs first is essential to running any…
- Life is more than an endless slog of tasks, with Sarah Von Bargen · 1 h 4 minSarah Von Bargen was a highly productive blogger for 14 years, showed up constantly on Instagram, and had years of success on Pinterest. Sarah also ran several online courses…
- Embracing your limits in order to find creative freedom and fulfillment, with Oliver Burkeman · 1 h 9 minNYT bestselling author Oliver Burkeman has more than a decade of experience discussing topics like productivity, procrastination, and anxiety in his column for The Guardian…
- Discovering your creative system (and the perpetual motion machine), with Austin Kleon · 1 h 16 minAustin Kleon is the New York Times bestselling author of a trilogy of books about creativity in the digital age: Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work!, and Keep Going. Before all…
- The need to feel extraordinary, with Alison Bechdel · 1 h 0 minAlison Bechdel is an award-winning cartoonist best known for her long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, and her autobiographical graphic novel-turned-play, Fun Home: A…
- Making the leap from (art) school to pro creative, with Brendan Keen, Mariel Capanna, and Brittany Bennett · 1 h 12 minBreaking into a creative field, whether you choose to be self-employed or not, can really leave you feeling like you're up the creek without a paddle. Who are you supposed to…
- From full-time teaching to full-time comics, with Gene Luen Yang · 59 minGene Luen Yang is a prolific cartoonist whose personal work is deeply rooted in the Chinese-American experience. He’s best known for his original graphic novel American Born…
- Crazy artists making a living doing what they want to do, with Tomm Moore · 55 minTomm Moore is an award-winning animator and director, and the co-founder of Cartoon Saloon animation studio in Kilkenny, Ireland. His notable work includes Wolfwalkers, Song of…
- Pushing the limits of the possible with Josh O'Neill of Beehive Books · 1 h 3 minJosh O’Neill is a comics writer and editor, and co-owner of the Philadelphia-based publishing company, Beehive Books. Using Kickstarter, Josh and his business partner Maëlle…
- Running a creative business on your own terms, with Jenna Weiss-Berman · 1 h 0 minIn 2016, Jenna Weiss-Berman quit her job and decided to launch her own podcast company a month before her first child was born. It was an almost immediate success, and Pineapple…
