Creative Itch: Recent Episodes
Jef Lippiatt
Topic hopping across the ways to survive and thrive as a creative in the modern age. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/creative-itch/support
When working with other creatives or vendors, things don't always go as expected.
So what can you do?
- Follow up communication. Try reaching out in multiple ways if you aren't getting timely responses.
- Cut some slack. We all experience a bit of unpredictability from time to time.
- Weigh your options. How might you think about responding to get a resolution? Take some time before reacting.
- Make a decision. Move forward and try not to second guess yourself. Make the best decision with the information you have.
- Revisit in the future. This is optional, but if you choose to revisit make sure there is time for the situation to improve.
- Set boundaries and thresholds. Know when to walk away. Start small and pay attention during the process.
Sometimes things will be resolved, sometimes they won't.
But don't let a bad experience ruin your character or principles.
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This week's episode is all about leveraging your work in new and novel ways to reach a different or larger audience.
Branch out and use a different medium to open your creativity, but if you lack the time or the skills consider collaborating with another creative that can complement your work and give you a new perspective.
Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. I personally really enjoy all the other creatives I collaborate with and look for reasons to work with them again again.
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So you failed, now what?
- Determine why you failed
- Carry what you learn forward to your next project, idea, etc.
- When is it time to change course?
- Remember, you failed – but you aren't a failure.
TNP Feature Bump:
That's the Name of the Podcast. Last week I was interviewed by the TNP crew in their first episode of their second season.
They are a great grew and I highly encourage you to checkout their podcast. All three hosts are talented artists and illustrators.
Hosts: hypemankyle, soulbrush, and superday_brand
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Understanding how we individually learn is a huge factor in our self-confidence and drive to keep learning.
If you don't understand what methods are most effective in learning new information, hopefully this episode helps.
Once you understand how you learn most efficiently, you can pause to reflect on how those around you learn most efficiently. By understanding that other people may learn more efficiently from other methods and techniques than ones you find familiar - you can more effectively connect and transfer information to others.
After you get comfortable with different types of learning styles you can adapt your communication to others so that information you are sharing resonates more strongly with them for a longer amount of time. You can also more confidently ask others if they can accommodate their information in a manner that is easier for you to learn because you understand what format and style that is.
Lastly, once you understand how you learn most effectively you can and will want to keep learning new things.
During this episode we go into some detail about the following learning styles:
- Visual
- Kinaesthetic
- Aural
- Social
- Solitary
- Verbal
- Logical
- Sensory
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Don't fall into the trap of the Hustle and Grind culture. It will leave you feeling burnt out and frustrated.
In this always-on, instantly available culture Grit has become
- Undervalued
- Under-appreciated
- Undermined
Sometimes having things instantly doesn't allow us to grow and appreciate the process.
Develop your Grit mental muscles. It will help you overcome challenges and bring needed perspective to yourself and others.
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Have you experienced creative burnout?
I'm guessing you have or at least known someone who has.
I truly want to help other creatives avoid this as much as possible. But at the minimum, I want to help you recover from creative burnout as quickly as possible if you are currently in a creative slump.
As counter intuitive as it sounds, you need to take a break.
You need to take an intentional, scheduled break (longer than 15 minutes).
Put time on your calendar once a week. Pick one day a week, it can change from week to week so don't over think this. Then block off a chunk of time, ideally 2 to 4 hours to really give your brain a break.
Now these are some things to try doing your scheduled break:
- Pick one of your hobbies
- Rest, Nap, Sleep
- Watch a movie, play video games, read a book
- Hangout with some friends, play board games, chat
- Get perspective, talk with other creatives on how they keep burnout at bay
- Go fresh air, go for a walk, ride a bike, hike a trail
- Try something new, a different route home, new store or restaurant
All these activities give your brain room to think in the background without adding to your stress or anxiety. You may be surprised that giving yourself a break can lead to great creative breakthrough. Just try to be present enjoying the activity away from your creative work.
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It is important to take on personal projects for growth and exploration.
However, you need to avoid:
- spec work (don't work for free)
- vanity work - things that are trendy but not practical
- lacking a focus on the outcome
Be specific and purposeful with your personal projects.
- Start the project with a purpose. It could be as simple as trying a new style, technique, client industry, client demographic, etc.
- Go deep and immerse yourself in the details.
- Leverage your personal project. Think about how you will showcase your new knowledge. Perhaps you'll write a blog post, post the process, update your website, pitch potential clients, pitch a specific client, etc.
You'll be amazed at how much momentum a purposeful personal project can have when you leverage the time you invested in yourself.
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Mentorship isn't talked about enough in creative fields. Let's change that.
Are you looking for a mentor?
- Let your network know you are looking for a mentor
- Be specific about the type of mentorship you are requesting
- Be specific with the time commitment you are requesting
- Be specific about the outcome you hope to achieve
- Stay open-minded and teachable
Are you a mentor?
- Let your network know you are open to mentoring others
- Limit your mentoring to a few key areas to make it meaningful and potent
- Always be willing to do some mentoring for free
- Consider how adding mentoring to your current offering could lead to new income and products
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The problem of using Artificial Intelligence and maintaining Ethical standards.
I'm in an Ethical Pickle.
Problems with using AI:
- passing off the work as if you created it
- not giving attribution to the AI program used
- not knowing if the material the AI uses has copyright protection
- infringing on the copyrights and intellectual property of others
- not being able to protect the outputs from the AI with true copyright protection
What would give AI some great potential?
- allowing me to scope the inputs to only my work for research
- being given the choice to opt in or opt out of having my work consumed by an AI program
- make all AI generated content (illustration, written, music, etc.) a visual watermark and a digital watermark that is unremovable
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Make 2023 the year you really get confident with your pricing and take time to consider new ways to make money.
How are you currently charging?
- Hourly - hourly can be great when the work is ambiguous and ongoing
- Project - project pricing gives you the freedom to have known pricing for specific types of work, you can make packages and bundles of multiple services
- Service - service pricing makes it clear you are charging different rates or blocks for different types of creative services and possibly a flexible and better way to relationship build with clients
How should you increase pricing?
- You can set a date, like the beginning of the new year where the increase will impact all clients. Be sure to give existing clients ample notice so they do not feel surprised with the increases
- You can set a date and keep existing customers at the previous rate indefinitely while all new clients receive the new increased pricing
- You can set a date and give existing clients a specific number of months at the previous pricing before it increases to the new pricing for all other clients. Again, be sure to make the date of the increase clear while reminding them they can still leverage to the previous pricing for a while longer.
When are you getting paid?
- End of Project - This is frustrating and usually feels like the client is putting off paying as long as possible. This can be dangerous when the work is ongoing and the end isn't clear.
- Milestones - When there is a natural meeting or deliverable you exchange when the client, having a paywall for receiving the item is a good way to ensure you get paid for the work you've done so far.
- Paid in Advance - When the client is willing to pay 100% of the costs up front consider having a discount or some small extras baked into your relationship. Getting paid in advance is key for being about to execute on projects without the financial stress and uncertainty. Even getting paid 50% up front can be helpful.
Tier Pricing for Different Client Types
When you want to fill gaps between large project work, consider targeting smaller businesses and charge a rate that will keep you paid but entice them to working with you. By filling small gaps with smaller projects you can gain an entire new set of clients to work into your larger and more complex work. This also gives you variety and could be something really great to consider.
Inconvenient Pricing
By raising your rates, you may worry you'll lose clients. Perhaps you will, but typically those will be the irritating clients that want 24/7 access to you and expect unrealistic timelines while being unwilling to pay. Raise your prices and keep your sanity.
Offer Add-ons
Consider items you can add to your existing projects or services. Maybe you include a few additional hours to help troubleshoot or make small adjustments (these additional hours should be included in your project or service pricing but do not have to be called out separately). Something else could be offering a discount on a future project. Keep an open mind and be willing to try something to see if it is effective in repeat client work, word of mouth advertising or referrals.
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Setting goals is important, especially as a creative when many interests and potential project ideas can distract us from accomplishing things that are already in progress.
But, achieving goals can be a bit more complicated than just setting goals.
Things to keep in mind:
- You need to dream big, but take small practical actions
- Break larger harder to achieve goals down so they are easier to manage
- Multiple small goals is better than one large goal
- Don't judge yourself too harshly based on current progress
- Don't quit - be willing to reset or rebalance your goals and keep moving forward
- Be willing to set new deadlines
- If your goals change, remove items no longer aligned to your goals
- Be willing to track goals at multiple levels (daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly)
- Don't just capture goals, track reasons you've been unable to complete them
- Consider asking people you trust to check on your progress - and give them honest answers
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How do I process that?
Understanding our personal processes is important for our own sanity, but also key to completing our work.
I believe there are 3 main types process:
- Planner
- Procrastinator
- Frantic
There are positives to planning and procrastinating, but being frantic doesn't appear to have any upside. By planning we can schedule things out and have an understanding of what is coming and what needs our attention. However, procrastinators may put off work not because they are lazy but because they do their best work when the pressure is on, but it can be a slippery slope. Finding the balance for your personal approach is what really matters.
I could tell you my exact approach for the different types of work I do, but it may be a waste. My work style and process could stress you out. I'm not saying my process is perfect without room for improvement, but it works for me. When am I working on this? Currently it is slightly after 2:30 AM. Some of my process is cranking on ideas late at night (or early depending on your perspective). That is just how my mind works, so I work with it and have made it part of my process to do things late at night.
Set yourself up with a helpful checklist or reminders. The reminders can be written on paper or setup in an app. The main thing is finding ways to keep yourself focused and on task. Determine what tasks are repeatable or frequent and others that are one off specific to a project or work type. When you create your process leave some room for flexibility especially if the work you are doing is new or different from previous work. Give yourself room to breathe and adapt as you learn. The only time a rigid process will work without making you crazy is if you only take one type of work and it is very specific.
Remember that understanding your process and work style is just to help you become more efficient at what you are already doing. Your process doesn't have to impress anyone, it just has to work for you. After completing a project, take a few minutes to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Use those ideas for improvement as a tool to enhance and refine your process. Your future self will hopefully thank you for that.
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Imposter Syndrome is something we all have experienced at one point or another. But what is imposter syndrome? It is a general feeling that we are going to be found out to be a fraud, inexperienced, or just misinformed about something we thought we knew. Imposter Syndrome can lead to feelings of hopelessness, depression and dread.
However, we can overcome imposter syndrome once we know how it sneaks up on us.
What causes Imposter Syndrome?
- When we stop learning we think we've mastered everything. Our skills start declining as new tools, technology and changes in our audiences or process happen. The best way to overcome this is remaining teachable and being willing to learn new things.
- When we are constantly learning we think we haven't mastered anything. This is not true as the new information is absorbed and applied to the skills and knowledge we already have. Constantly learning helps us make new and novel creative connections between different information. The best way to overcome this is writing down progress or what we've learned during the process.
- When we overly compare ourselves to others we think we are behind or not good enough to continue. This can overwhelm us when we see the achievements of others or hear about the success the have. We can become envious or jealous of what they have achieved. The best way to overcome this is reaching out to those that inspire you and ask them about their process, tools or what inspires them. Learn from them.
- When we chase perfection we think that things aren't good enough to share with others so we prolong completing anything. Chasing perfection will decrease your creative output and may lead to feelings of anxiousness if you are concerned others will dislike or not understand what you have put so much time and effort into creating. The best way to overcome this is to share your work anyway. If you are feeling brave ask for constructive criticism. Working on more ideas will help you refine your skills and techniques faster than constantly trying to hone something that is already pretty great.
- When we get unearned praise we think that what others are telling us is not honest or truthful. We start thinking that the feedback we receive was just to not hurt our feelings or ego - not that the individuals meant what they said. Chances are if people are taking the time to give you feedback most of the time it will be obvious if it is genuine or trolling. The best way to overcome this is to give people the benefit of the doubt and trust that if they took time to comment instead of just skipping by - they likely mean what they said. Take the compliment and keep creating great work.
- When we chase praise we think that what we are doing is only valuable if we get feedback from others that is is great. We all want our work to connect with audiences, but some people are more vocal than others. Do not let the lack of feedback derail you. It can take time to get traction and that is okay. Remember, what would you be passionate about creating regardless of whether people liked it or not? Then keep doing it. You'll attract the right audience just be patient and keep creating.
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How are you currently handling haters?
- I ignore them
- I respond to them
- I believe them
- I am one
At some point we are all likely to have some haters. Having haters is unpleasant, but if no one is being salty or argumentative with us about our creative work, perhaps it isn't our best work. It is nearly impossible to create something that everyone likes and that is okay. However, having individuals share a different perspective with us, even if it isn't one we appreciate can be beneficial.
Different types of haters require different strategies.
- Trolls -Ignore individuals that have a pattern of just trying to frustrate you. Their goal is upsetting you in as few words as possible. This is a bad situation because the more time you spending thinking about what they said you lose out on productive creative time.
- Abrasive - Respond cautiously to abrasive individuals. They may genuinely want to give you feedback that could be beneficial for refining your work and making it better. But, abrasive individuals usually don't communicate the feedback in a way that feels helpful. Take a deep breath and ask for clarification.
- Long Con - You may never truly known if someone is playing the long con on you. But typically individuals playing the long con celebrate your work and give you positive reinforcement. However, some of them may not be doing so because they truly want you to succeed. This could mean they are talking badly about you or your work behind your back or just not really being honest with you.
- Internal - You must remember that you can be a hater of your own creative work. We all struggle with our work and our process, especially in a world of instant comparison with the entire world of creatives. Reframe what your goals are and focus on pushing beyond the feelings and thoughts that may limit your creative work or passion.
Most importantly, be proactive about asking for feedback and remain open-minded. Ask for honest feedback and be willing to follow up for more context if the feedback received feeling like a personal attack. Some people don't have a lot of practice giving feedback in a way that feels positive.
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This episode goes beyond the labels of artist and designer. I dive into why this labels can be misleading for the creator to properly understand the context of their work. Additionally, I cover several of the reasons that cause artists to lose their focus and passion for their true art. I also talk about the dangers of designers assuming the role of an artist by truly ignoring context and the intended audience for their work.
The line between art and design isn't alway clearly definable. The terms "artist" and "designer" also carry specific meaning. But it is important to understand the context of what you are creating and the intended audience.
So, how are we defining Artist and Designer?
- Artist - an individual that is creating work that they are passionate about without regard to any audience.
- Designer - an individual that is creating work that has specific utility or function for a specific audience.
Episode Sponsor:
BUNKER83 LLC
Bunker83 games are designed to be unpredictably hilarious and temporarily frustrating on purpose to amplify your social competitiveness.
You can pick up a copy of their card game Odds of Chaos on their website at Bunker83.com
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We all have an inner creative compass. If you know where you are going the compass can help keep you on track, but if you aren't sure where you are going hoping the compass will determine the destination is risky.
There are four main categories of creative work that impact our creative journey and goals:
- Work that pays our bills
- Work that engages others
- Work that pushes you to try new tools and techniques
- Work that excites you
We need to protect our journey by ensuring the work that we do is not moving us further away from our goals. This may mean our work temporarily isn't as engaging to other people while we focus on making things that excite us and reignite our passion for our own work.
Additionally, we can't allow laziness or entitlement cloud out our goals. I highly encourage reading through Talent is Never Enough by John C. Maxwell when you have a chance. One of the main takeaways for me is, someone that is willing to work hard can surpass a talented person that is lazy. Ouch. I think deep down we all know this, but it isn't easy to hear. I'm not suggesting that we hustle and grind until we burnout, but we need to be intentional and reevaluate often to keep ourselves on track for achieving long term goals.
Big shoutout to Diego Vilela for creating our new podcast art. I had a blast collaborating with Diego. Definitely check out his work on Instagram @superday_brand. I'm hoping to collaborate with him again in the future.
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Divergent Lenses
Have we lost our sense of imagination or just how to properly use it? I propose that we collectively need to fall down the rabbit hole with purpose on a recurring basis.
Approaching a problem through your own context creates a narrow solution funnel. You must be willing to get out of your own head for a bit and think about a problem from other vantage points.
*"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions"
- Albert Einstein*
Jumping straight into solution generation can lead to only making modest steps forward. If you are only focused on solutions, you are actively cheating yourself out of unique discoveries and novel combinations that only come through deep thought.
Focused thought will uncover numerous potential solutions by evaluating the underlying issues thoroughly. The biggest problems aren't always the most obvious. You must be willing to review your thoughts several times to see the small gaps.
We all have our own unique areas of expertise, but the insight granted through expertise always comes with blinders. This produces unintentional information unawareness. Refusing to acknowledge your blind spot will likely cause you to not consider what is beyond it.
*"A specialist is a man who knows more and more about less and less"
- William J. Mayo*
The best way to mitigate an information bias is by constantly changing your routine.
- Force yourself into intellectually uncomfortable areas
- Consciously decide to deviate from your normal daily routine
- Seek information outside of your professional sphere
- Find commonalities between two different items
Using Divergent Lenses as a metaphor, let us consider several ocular devices and how they impact our understanding.
- Glasses - A pair of glasses will bring additional clarity when properly prescribed. The tradeoff with glasses is that our peripheral vision may be partially blocked and we may miss subtleties on the fringes.
- Telescope - This helps us understand distance (or what is potentially in the future) but limits our perception by only focusing the lens on one eye. The information gained will be useful but incomplete. It will lack the depth that comes with using both eyes.
- Microscope - A microscope is great at lending awareness and detail to situations that may go unnoticed by the unaided eye. The drawback with this level of detail is that we may be oblivious to the larger vision or trend around us.
- Binoculars - These will give us more accurate depth perception than a telescope, but they will completely block our peripheral vision. Constantly using binoculars would also make completing close range tasks challenging.
- Periscope - A periscope is similar to a telescope with the advantage of adding vertical awareness. We may be able to see over some obstacles, however, it has the same drawbacks of the telescope. It will limit what you can see peripherally.
- Kaleidoscope - This device may not directly aid or enhance our vision, but it does have its place. It provides a unique approach for discovering patterns. I also believe this device is essentially a form of visualized imagination. The kaleidoscope still limits our vision without enhancing it in ways the other devices do, but it gives us away to interpret things completely differently.
Using some or all of the devices mentioned would produce a more reliable, detailed and interesting result. This is also the benefit of using divergent lenses. Using multiple vantage points and perspectives will produce more compelling and robust solutions.
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The focus of this episode is Creative Productivity.
Three Plus One Equals Improvement
Improvement really is this simple. But that doesn't mean it is easy. Why does it seem so easy to get distracted? I'm not even going to try to answer that question today. But we all get distracted from time to time.
How can you limit distraction? You need to have a plan. I'm going to give you a plan that has been working for me.
3 + 1 is my plan. Its simplicity is key.
First, the 3 stands for 3 things you are planning to focus on tomorrow. Yep, it is pretty basic. The only added complexity is ranking those 3 items by importance. When you write them down, write them in order of priority.
- High Priority
- Medium Priority
- Low Priority
By ranking your 3 items, you are mentally preparing yourself for tomorrow and how you will spend your time. When tomorrow comes, keep your list nearby (try sticky notes or a smartphone app). Revisit your list throughout the day. Has your attention been diverted from your most important task? Refocus your energy back on the task with the highest priority. Give completed tasks a strikethrough to reinforce to yourself that you can move on to the next time.
At the end of the day look at you list one last time. Did you accomplish all 3 items on your list? If you weren't able to complete all items, carry them forward to tomorrow, but take time to prioritize any new tasks against your carryover. Just because something was on your list of priorities today, doesn't mean it has the same priority tomorrow (it may not even make the next day's list).
The "+ 1" carries a different meaning than your list of 3. Its purpose is to harness your personal goals. The "+ 1" is about capturing 1 thing that you want to improve on the next day personally. Focus on the word "improve". Perhaps you want to improve your knowledge on a specific topic or improve your presentation skills. Whatever your 1 thing is, add it to your list but keep it separate from your prioritized tasks. Over time you'll swap this focus out for something new you want to improve in the future.
Are you willing to give this a try? If so, I'd appreciate hearing how this approach works for you.
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We are in the final stages of preparing to really kick off Creative Itch. The destination for authentic discussions on all things creative. You're invited to join us as we cover creative culture, hot takes, lessons learned, resources, tools, and more.
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