The Autonomous Creative

Cartoonist and publisher Spike Trotman publishes books she considers “strange and amazing.” Her company Iron Circus specializes in “underrepresented voices, underrepresented themes, stuff that has not got a big audience quite frankly or a lot of people catering to it right now.”Sounds like a recipe for struggle.Yet they’re KILLING it. “For the first time in my career, it feels limitless. It feels like I have so many possibilities.”Spike is a Kickstarter All-Star champ, and Iron Circus has gone from self-publishing her webcomic collection to putting out up to 15 books a year, riding a wave of pandemic-fueled popularity into new ventures (animation) and big plans for more growth.Spike does everything her own DIY way and is making it work (and then some), so give this fun episode a listen and find out why you’re better off better off making pineapple-anchovy pizza.Top takeaways:Despite reasonable competition for the hardest-working publisher and loving her work, Spike’s got hit with major burnout. feeling overwhelmed: "The answer isn't to work harder. The answer is to take a break."The importance of delegating tasks and asking people for help. You don't have to (and shouldn't) do it all.More from the episode...How the pandemic affected comics publishing (spoiler alert: 40% GROWTH.)Spike's struggle to shift her mindset from DIY indie comic to business owner: "I was still in that headspace where no one can do it correctly but me."The ins and outs of Kickstarter, including how the platform has evolved since Spike's first campaign in 2009.What is Spike's "cheese pizza" theory of mainstream media? And why are anchovies so awesome?"You do not have to be a New York Times best seller to make a living." — Why it only takes a thousand true fans.How sometimes, small indie creators can do better than mainstream authors. "There's still room for functioning independently.""We love our erotica and we love the people who make it." — How Iron Circus nurtures (one of) its niche audience(s).Spike describes her first vacation in over 10 years.The value of intentionally reserving some elements of life to be non-monetized in avoiding burnout.Balancing business and the need to be creative, Spike shares her low-stress method for making her own comics even while running an active publishing company.The value of NOT learning to do everything yourself...learning to accept help and delegating tasks within her small business: “I remember with crystal clarity the day I decided, oh wait, maybe it would be more efficient to hire someone who's been doing this for 20 years, than try and teach myself an entirely new system and do it myself.”More from Spike TrotmanC. Spike Trotman is a cartoonist and publisher. She started an imprint called Iron Circus to self-publish her own webcomic Templar, AZ back in the late aughts, and then built that little publishing effort into the largest indie comics publisher in the Midwest!Trotman is also known for the webcomics Lucas and Odessa (with Meg Gandy), Sparkneedle (with Matt Sherridan), and Blikada.Iron Circus now publishes a slate of a dozen or more new books every year. They're even getting into the animation game with a short by Tracy J. Butler's Lackadaisy that Iron Circus just Kickstarted for $330,000.Spike is also incredibly generous in helping younger and less-established creators figure out how to make this all work (check out her eBook, Let's Kickstart a Comic).Connect with Spike Trotmanhttps://ironcircus.comhttps://twitter.com/Iron_Spikehttps://twitter.com/ironcircuscomixhttps://facebook.com/ironcircuscomicsinstagram @ironcircuspillowfort @iron_spikeAdditional Linkshttps://law-arts.orghttps://mynoise.net

Cartoonist and graphic recorder Lisa Frühbeis has made bold moves that have led to an incredibly rapid career trajectory in the last few years, starting with pitching a comic strip to a newspaper straight out of school...and then parlaying the end of that strip into a book deal, and then much more.But Lisa isn't bold because she's free from fear. Far from it. Although she long felt a strong pull to become a professional artist, she was held back by an intense fear of the financial instability that comes along with that path.What helped her overcome that fear and do the thing?Lisa learned to use some strategic tools, not to stuff down and ignore her feelings and needs, but rather to leverage them to make decisions in the full confidence that she's doing the right thing.And those deeply-rooted decisions are what make it possible for Lisa to, for example, renegotiate a with an international cultural agency to support her dream personal project.What are these amazing tools?Negotiation, a weighted priority matrix (?! Hang tight: We explain all), and...Envy?Yep.Lisa's story reveals that the secret to taking big leaps and inventing new paths to success isn't freezing your soul and becoming an art-making automaton, but on the contrary, using passion, inspiration, and even negative emotions as guides and anchors to what really matters, and what to do next.More from the episode..."I was scared to do art. My mother is a single mother and she always reminded me that it's very important, especially as woman, to be able to make money." - How Lisa found her artistic voice and overcame her scarcity mindset.Why does Lisa believe "envy is underrated" and what did paying attention to what she envied reveal about her career path?Instead of saying yes to unfulfilling work, Lisa explains how she uses a decision matrix to chose projects that honor her values.Lisa defines her criteria for accepting new projects, and explains how knowing your values can make you a more confident negotiator."I was always feeling like I was playing chess, but not knowing what the rules were" — Why Lisa believes learning to negotiate is the best financial investment any artist can make.How did Lisa convince a powerful cultural institute to adopt her passion project?The prestigious award Lisa's project almost didn't qualify for and the importance of being persistent.Lisa shares an epiphany that transformed her career: "The only thing she has that you don't have is courage."More from Lisa Frühbeis:Lisa Frühbeis is a comic artist and author. Her first book, the feminist comic strip collection "Busengewunder", appeared at Carlsen Bonnier in 2020 and won several awards. Her current webcomic "a fraction of time", about a single mother who works in the creative field, is available on tapas. She also teaches illustration at university and works as a graphic recorder (live drawing of word-image protocols) for sustainable companies. Lisa has been a voluntary board member of many associations, including the German Illustrators' Association, which she also represented as the German representative in the European umbrella organization EIF.Connect with Lisa Frühbeishttps://lisa-fruehbeis.squarespace.comhttps://instagram.com/lisa.earlybitehttps://facebook.com/lisa.fruhbeisAdditional Linkshttps://tapas.io/series/A-Fraction-of-Time/info

Martha Rich, a commercial and fine artist, made a leap to pursue art full-time at 37 after a series of unconventional jobs. She shares her journey of navigating life’s challenges and finding her creative calling, emphasizing how setbacks became opportunities for growth. Martha explores the importance of taking risks, trusting oneself, and the tension between creative passion and societal expectations. With optimism as her guiding principle, she inspires listeners to embrace their individuality and redefine success on their own terms.

"What theories about myself and my creativity am I willing to test? Am I willing to fail?"Sarah Firth is an awesome cartoonist and graphic recorder, among many other things.Sarah takes a bit of a mad scientist approach to her creative life. She embraces experimentation and testing to try to discover new ways to organize her life around her creative interests, always looking to answer the question: "How much value can I bring to something? And then also how much time can I buy back?"This openness to experimentation has helped Sarah build a more anti-fragile, flexible, stable, sustainable—and enjoyable!—creative life.Sarah has followed her curiosity to make life-changing pivots in the face of adversity, including the surprisingly positive aftermath of a traumatic car accident that derailed her post-college professional plans, and learning to use her neurodivergence as a filter, and even a sort of superpower.More from the episode..."Identity is utility" - How to embrace your personal identity without pigeonholing yourself.We discuss the benefits of being multi-passionate: "Having range as a person is actually really powerful and makes you anti-fragile. It makes you flexible. It makes you come up with creative solutions, mix things in from different industries together to innovate."How can multi-passionate people make the most of their diverse skills on a resume and in the workforce? Hint: "You don't have to show all your cards."From driving trucks to graphic recorder, Sarah explains what she looks for in a career: "How much value can I bring to something? And then also how much time can I buy back?"After a traumatic car accident upended her life, Sarah embraced comics as "graphic medicine." What happens when life crashes into your intentions?Sarah shares her experience of neurodivergence and physical disability, including how she meets challenges in ways that are empowering."People are like houseplants and we all have different needs." - Why discovering what works for you is so important.Why is Sarah cautious of the classic adage 'trust yourself'?Sarah offers tips for preventing social media burn out and dealing with hate online.More about Sarah FirthSarah Firth is one of the foremost practitioners of the art of graphic recording, and that's not all (or even most): she's also an Eisner Award-winning nonfiction cartoonist who takes on many of the most important issues of the day, including climate change, Covid, #metoo, and art-making with a disability. Her work has been published by ABRAMS Books, ABC Arts, Frankie Magazine, kuš!, Graphic Mundi, Penn State University Press, Penguin Random House, Picador, Allen & Unwin, The Nib, Black Inc, and Routledge. She's currently working on her first full-length book of visual essays, supported by a Creators Fund program grant.Connect with Sarah Firthhttps://www.facebook.com/SarahTheFirthCreativeServices/https://twitter.com/sarahthefirthhttps://www.instagram.com/sarahthefirth/http://www.sarahthefirth.com/Additional Linkshttp://www.sarahthefirth.com/shopsarahthefirth/graphic-recording-quick-skills-a-free-mini-coursehttps://assemblepapers.com.au/2021/02/03/unexpectedly-thriving/http://www.sarahthefirth.com/shopsarahthefirth/untangle-your-brain-and-think-on-the-page

Tom Hart, a cartoonist and founder of The Sequential Artists Workshop, shares insights on defining success in creative careers. He emphasizes the importance of creative freedom and the invisible bargains we make for it. Tom addresses the emotional challenges artists face, including shame and financial precarity, while advocating for transparency in the creative process. He reflects on the impact of his memoir, Rosalie Lightning, discussing how personal experiences shape artistry and the balance between family life and artistic pursuits.

The only thing more challenging than using frenetic DIY self-publishing to springboard a career in children's books might be running a commercial salmon fishery on the Alaskan tundra from a cabin with no electricity, no toilet, and four kids. That's why I was so excited to talk to Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson, the illustrator-author-married-with-4-kids duo.Robbi illustrates, Matthew writes, and together they make picture books for kids and adults.Robbi and Matthew are a whirlwind of creative action, and their story is just a crazy tale of inventing a creative life that allows them to make the work that's 100% most aligned with who they are and what they value.They started on this path when Matthew got his "most withering rejection", which slammed the door on how they thought their lives would play out.They turned even this painful setback into an opportunity, so it's no surprise that their approach to life has opened the door to amazing lucky breaks.In this interview, we talk about the value of the right kind of day job, how to develop a unique and authentic brand, and why you should definitely NOT try to marry Robbi Behr.More from the episode...Robbi and Matthew joke about the rejection that inspired their creative partnership: "I applied to six graduate schools and I got seven letter of rejection. The University of Minnesota rejected me twice on consecutive Mondays."The two ways you can respond to life's challenges, according to Matthew: "You can have power of conviction behind a story and try everything you can to make that version of the story come true. Or you can pick a thread and follow the thread and let the thread itself be the driving force and see what story materializes.""We live a perfectly comfortable life while being full-time creatives and I just have this other thing on top of it that pays the bills." — Why Matthew still has a day job, despite their success making books.The chance encounter that led to Robbi and Matthew's first commercially published book and what it takes to make your own luck.How "leaping at the first possibility" led to Robbi and Matthew's biggest mistake, and what they could have done differently.Robbi and Matthew discuss developing their unique brand and why authenticity is so important: "I think if you're very deliberate and purposeful upfront about what you will and will not create and you stick to it, then you're more likely at the end where it starts to become more of a business or a profession or a money-generating mechanism for you and others to still be doing what you love."What are the benefits of commercial publishing, and why are Robbi and Matthew excited about returning to self-publishing one day?Robbi and Matthew consider their creative differences an asset. What makes their partnership productive and how do they resolve conflict?Alaskan salmon fishing: the forty-year tradition begun by Robbi's father that Matthew describes as "indescribably unpleasant and yet it's magical."A question about fate reveals how Robbi and Matthew met.More from our guests:Robbi is an illustrator/printmaker/commercial salmon fisherwoman with a BA from Williams College and an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Matthew is a writer/art director/blues harmonica player who has so far failed in every attempt to be swashbuckling.Robbi illustrates. Matthew writes. Together they make picture books for kids and adults. They’re also married. And they do all this with four kids.They’ve published books including Everywhere Wonder, The Real McCoys, Babies Ruin Everything, and more than 70+ self-published books before breaking into commercial press!Next up for this duo? They're converting a 24 foot school bus into a tiny home that they'll be living in with their four kids (and a puppy!) while they travel for a year and give away 50,000 free books to high-poverty schools! They're currently fundraising for this project, and you can learn more about it here.Plus, check out “The Daily Minute” — a series of daily videos exactly a minute long (there’s a timer and everything) that purport to be about their creative process, but often include marital antics, funny things that have happened to them, cameos by their kids, and lots of cheese balls on either Instagram or Facebook.Connect with Robbi Behr and Matthew Swansonrobbiandmatthew.cominstagram @robbi.and.matthewtwitter @drawingrobbitwitter @writingmatthewfacebook.com/robbiandmatthewhttps://ie.gofundme.com/f/robbi-matthews-busload-of-books-tourAdditional Linksidiotsbooks.combobbledybooks.comhttps://www.crowdcast.io/e/acpod-robbi-and-matthew

In this interview, Alexander and I talk a lot about money, and specifically, about how asking for money and negotiating for what you want and need is a key piece of building a healthy relationship with your work and career. We also talked about the myth of the solitary artist, and the reality: that community and relationships are key to not just success, but survival. Finally, Alexander is the source of an incredibly pivotal insight for me: that caring for your creative process IS self-care, and when you allow yourself the margin to take care of your work process, it benefits not only your body and mental health (and that of your family and loved ones) but the work itself. More from the episode... The importance of collective action in securing the rights of authors. The role of community in creative career-building. How is writing "a community project"? What is the "golden thread" and how does it help creators build relationships with their followers? The word "networking" sounds "weirdly clinical" to Alexander— why at some point he figured out that's what he was doing, and that it was a key to his success. What's a better way to look at this fraught term? Alexander breaks down why writers should always ask for more money: "Sometimes people are like, how come the Queen of the Night took you so long? And it's like, well, I did waste a lot of time writing essays for $150." What was in the folder writer Denis Johnson (Jesus's Son) labeled "answers"? Instead of running himself into the ground because he's eager to please, Alexander lays out his process to not overschedule himself. How earning with your work can help you make more work, in a literal as well as an emotional sense: "It won me ...a typewriter that I then used to write for a long time. And that typewriter became a talisman at a time that I needed a talisman. I wrote this typewriter into existence. I'm now using it to write more stories." "Don't be so grateful that you let yourself down." —What Alexander would tell his younger self if he could. Why it's so important to trust yourself and recognizing when self-doubt is holding you back from pursuing your creative goals. Alexander lays out several important pieces of advice to novice pro writers, including "There's no reason to think that just because you're an unknown writer you can't somehow get a decent fee for your work." More from our guest: Alexander Chee is the author of the novels Edinburgh, The Queen of the Night, and the essay collection How To Write An Autobiographical Novel as well as many short stories and essays. He is a contributing editor at The New Republic, an editor at large at VQR, and a critic-at-large for The Los Angeles Times. He currently teaches creative nonfiction and fiction at Dartmouth College. Connect with Alexander Chee alexanderchee.net twitter @alexanderchee instagram @cheemobile facebook.com/alexanderchee https://alexanderchee.medium.com/ querent.substack.com Additional links authorsguild.org https://thesewaneereview.com/articles/the-autobiography-of-my-novel https://alexanderchee.medium.com/your-questions-answered-how-have-you-overcome-writers-block-fc5525bab1cb https://www.crowdcast.io/e/acpod-alexander-chee