The Cold Drip Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Cold Drip Podcast
So, whether you’ve done your time at school or university, obtained a degree - switched over to a creative career - or just want to tune in to see how long you can listen to this for - welcome!
We’re keen to learn about what makes creative millennials and post-millennials tick.
This was the one where we really dive into what makes us uncomfortable and how understanding that being in a state of uncomfortable-ness is something that is crucial to the development of your work, life and just growth in general. We draw upon personal experiences that have let us where we are today as creative working professionals. So, give it a listen and maybe you can relate to a thing or two and get out of your comfort zone right now!
Ben and Lindy walk down memory lane to cap off the season of over 39 episodes while discussing their journeys from being a freelancer to being employed. Though, there is a lot more discovery on their creative journey - both find the challenge of a whole new lifestyle ahead something to look forward to and reflect on over the new season.
Quite the cliffhanger last episode wasn't it? Meeting your clients, understanding who they are, it's all a mental game. Now, we continue down the path of ‘the client’ and talk about when you get to the stage of 'actually' pitching your idea. You’ve probably learnt about pitching in high school or that inspirational Ted Talk you googled... but in reality, it's MUCH easier said than done. In Today's Episode, Ben and Lindy talk about their real-world experiences on pitching and how you can better your chances of winning that client.
From our previous episode, we left off with closing the initial meeting with your client. Now, let’s be clear, they aren’t your client YET. We call this a ‘lead’... Now you’re off and ready to give them a proposal of your idea for the project… You can either go down two different roads, “Do whatever you want, I trust you, I give you all the freedom” OR “I have a few concepts and I want you to do THIS and ONLY this”
One of the things that are often overlooked when you meet a client is getting to ACTUALLY know them… at this point you want to win them over in a cool, casual… oh yeah thanks for choosing me type way, not a PICK ME, PICK ME, I need money please.. type way.
Some people might think that they can just charm their way into winning BUT often at times that ain’t you.. That’s definitely not us... so the best way to win them over is to do your research and PLAN.
Imposter Syndrome Never Really Goes Away... As creatives or designers, we’ve all experienced impostor syndrome at one point or another. Heck, you don’t even need to be in this field to experience it. It could happen on a regular basis or in random episodes out of the blue. Whether you’re a student fresh out of design school, or an award-winning designer with years of experience, dealing with feelings of self-doubt is only human and completely normal.
Marketers have to REALLY try and grab your attention by getting into the nitty-gritty of what makes the individual tick, traditional advertising to the masses is no more… make way for CONTENT CREATION or in other words, content marketing - Sure you’ve heard of this before but do you REALLY know what it means? We sure as hell didn’t. Let’s see how this is quickly becoming a reality for us in the not-so-distant future.
You’ve heard all the reasons why working freelance can be the best thing in the world, but how can people NOT agree with all of the beauties of freelance? Neither lifestyle is bad but it's more what suits you, we’re going to dive into the reasons why the 9-5 Lifestyle might be for you.
We’ve talked about NUMEROUS TOPICS... 3 Seasons to be exact, that help and better yourself as a creative person in this world, but have you ever thought about the things YOU might be doing that hurts or even RUINS the industry? ...Your prices may be competitive but is it TOO competitive? How are your client or creative relationships going? What about that 5th revision you’ve done for a client only for them to be OBLIVIOUS to the time and effort you put into it? ...Can we just “quickly” change this?
As a creative, everyone goes through different stages of life, whether your goals are to keep money flowing constantly with a part-time job or you’re going balls to the wall freelance and diving straight into the deep end of life without any regard for cash, but only with the hope and confidence that you will succeed through sheer determination alone. But how do you know that you're doing the right thing? There are many ways that you can succeed as a creative, but today, we’ll be deconstructing an article that we stumbled across on Medium.com by Taylor Foreman that talks about the “7 Signs You’re on the path to earning a living from creativity.”
Free work lets your brain forget about the monetary value and gives you the option to focus on other things, however, at the same time this isn’t the invitation to say yes to every opportunity.
Often as creatives, we never feel like we’re getting paid what we’re worth. So throughout our creative journey, we feel like we say yes to things that feel beneath us and get paid less than what we believe is our worth but that shouldn’t deter you from free work.
Everyone wants this, you've probably read an article or two about how every billionaire starts their day and now you're just sitting there wondering, WTF? ...While reading, you realise you've woken up probably a bit too late and are now finding the motivation to get out of bed. Now, the same thought keeps looping, where the heck do I start? how do I get from here to THERE? Getting THERE might be easier than you think, by creating small positive habits in your life and removing the time-wasters. You set yourself up for success in the easiest way your mind can digest.
There are times on your creative journey where you find that the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting further and further away, or it just seems like the path isn't so clear anymore, obstacles appear, the tunnel gets a little small at one point, you might have to jump past that spiked trap that you SWEAR was just a little puddle just a second ago. Today, we'll get down and dirty with the infamous topic of losing that spark with your creative work. Or, really, losing the spark with whatever it is that you're doing. Sadly, it's true that when you do too little - you're lacking motivation, and then when you do too much you're over-doing it. A little confused? So are we... but here's what we know!
Imagine working a shitty 9-5 job, somewhere you just never saw yourself doing, clocking in, day in, day out with no light at the end of the tunnel, this could even be your reality right now... You then see your digital nomadic friend chilling in the latest and greatest cafe with the best view with some new monkey poop coffee they are always raving on about... You're wishing that was you BUT WAIT, don't take that road just YET... there is so much more to it than poop coffee. After a couple of years under our belt, there are A LOT of things we didn't know about freelance, let's talk about that.
Art in modern society can be a tricky one, some can be made through revolutionary, innovative ways where you can take a lifetime create... And there are others that make thousands just by sticking a banana to a wall. Where does this come from and at what point does art become a meme?
Trends appear and shift their way into our lives in some sort of way, whether you like it or not. They're almost like a little parasite. They're constantly changing and being able to keep up and implement them is an important skill for a creative to possess. However, to be a trendsetter, you need to be willing to push the boundaries of a trend. So what should you do?
When growing up, being creative felt like it was some sort of black-magic people could conjure from nothing. It was described as something that comes to you in a dream forcing you to handle it ASAP at all costs no matter what time, day, or occasion. With this image of creativity in mind, it comes with inconsistencies, lots of guesswork or just plain winging it. Quantifyingyour creativity can directly correlate to your worth as a creative and how you could more accurately calculate your value, so today we're starting the conversation of how to quantify your creativity and how other people are doing it.
This is a personal topic for us and for most asian teens growing up, there wasn't a lot of role models out there to look up to... finding someone that shares the same cultural background, maybe looks like you, talks like you AND killing it in the industry was something hidden and overshadowed by others that just screamed louder. Why do we want this? Because it gives you the hope and inspiration that maybe one day this can be you. Visualisation is important.
Yep, there's actually a difference. You might have heard people say, "I've failed." or "I'm a failure." and those words may sound as if they're the end of the world, albeit a bit negative or sad to hear. What does it mean? Why do people say it? And how is it different? Businesses fail, creatives fail, people fail - and it's normal. It's part of your journey. Sometimes, these words are used way too often without real context. So today, we want to help you deconstruct it so that in the future, it would help you understand when and why you would use such a term.
You've finally finished a project, you're ready to send it off to the client but TO BE SURE, you muster up the courage (because you know it's the right thing to do) to show your friends, mentors and family the draft first before it's sent off to the big dog client. Now, you're sitting there waiting while your anxiety levels are at an all-time high, hoping for any sign of validation. Hours go by and they get back to you... "It looks good!"... but a real creative, will look for more than just the words "It looks good."
We're still a tiny little baby in this world trying to navigate our way through this podcast space, with tiny words of encouragement from strangers and friends, it helps drive us to be better. Recognition is key to knowing if you're going in the right direction. Like our ancestors, the baby boomers - we share a universal desire to be acknowledged and desired for the work that we do. However, compared to them, we are now reshaping the recognition and incentive industry more than ever.
As creatives, especially freelancers there's no doubt that we take a lot of risks and hustle to build our business. There will be times where you find yourself without anything to do. There will ALSO be times where a year of planned work gets wiped by a pandemic. Work has ground to a halt and you simply don't know what to expect for the next coming months or maybe you're currently on a different planet without rona & it's just a quiet period - (in a parallel universe) You just don't know, what the fuck to do.
Doing one thing at a time and focusing your attention in the moment, seems to have become a lost art. Our ancestors discovered it but it soon became a lost thing in the hands of our generation - ya feel? In the digital age of Millenials today, there's some inherent need to hustle, find your passion, get that hot summer bod, swipe through tinder, see your friends and do million other things plus keeping up to date with that one friend that you never really find the time to see. So what do we try to do to compensate this? Multi-task.
In many ways, creatives and artists alike find themselves fulfilled with what they do. At least that's what they're aiming for. It's much like finding the meaning of life but for creatives. Ask yourself... What fulfils you? What is your purpose? Today Ben, Lindy and Alex break-down the three most common characteristics that give artists purpose... Problem-Solving, Self-Expression and Recognition. Which one is yours?
People can easily lose sight of their goals and find themselves jumping the gun on their creative journey. When you see the pillar daddies of the creative universe, they seem to have an abundance of energy and do things so effortlessly. Our personal favourites include Chris Do, Donald Glover, Jakob Owens, Andy. J Pizza and the all-time OG's Wong Fu productions. Their art looks as if they have conjured it from their own genius, well not exactly. One thing that sets them apart from most people is simple. They all have a process.
Why do we want to talk about this? We know some of ya'll don't have it easy. Why isn't it easy? Because even in today's age, some parents don't even know what the fuck Creative Industries is. That's just one of the problems though. It's hard enough trying to make a decision on whether you'll reach into the unknown or stay in a safe bubble formed by your parents. But if you're here, then you may have already chosen to step out of the safe bubble. Sure, maybe you've had those late-night thoughts thinking about something dumb you've said but nothing beats thinking about how to break it to your parents and the 1000 ways you'll end up dying from it.
There's always that predicament of doing what you're good at or do what you love... since the beginning of time, every single human has faced this issue. Buuut.... do these phrases have a lot more in common than we think? Do what you're GOOD at till you love it or Do what you LOVE till you get good at it?
In 5 to 10 years from now, cars are flying, boards are hovering, Kanye is president. Are we still going to have a job? With Technology on the rise and businesses now having the convenience of making their own content using DIY platforms such as Canva, Squarespace and a multitude of other alternatives. Will the creative race eventually die out?
When starting your life as a creative, believe it or not. The people that you surround yourself around are crucial to the development of a creative. Ben, Lindy and Alex discuss their experiences and possible effects of their long term friendship and what they might've missed out on being so tied to their own friendship circles. Not to mention their issues finding other creatives navigating through university and social media.
Who the f*ck cares about looking good. Why should I look good for the validation of others? Does it even matter...? Well, kinda... Starting off your career in the creative industries can be a tough one, looking the part can really affect your perception and change the way people see you. Ben, Lindy and Alex talk about their experiences while attempting to figure out how to change without compromising their authenticity.
The Trio setup for a new season and over the pandemic, they quickly realise that working freelance doesn't come without its cons, Ben, Lindy and Alex discuss how they can better prepare themselves for the next pandemic diving into topics such as passive income, part-time jobs and other streams of income.
The Cold Drip Podcast is about three young creatives that find themselves a little lost but seem to navigate their way through life from relatable experiences from each other. In hopes to promote a more open conversation about the struggles of an upcoming creative, Ben, Lindy and Alex aim to make the world a little smaller by talking about things you don't usually learn anywhere else.