The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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The Busy Creator 46 w/guest Lindsay Katt Feb 23, 2015

Show notes

Lindsay Katt (@LindsayKatt) is a multi-faceted artist & musician based in New York. Her musical work spans several genres across the pop & rock sectors, in addition to work for television and film.

Our discussion meanders a bit on the nature of art, cycles and seasons of creative work, the songwriting process — if there is one — and how creative pros can possibly keep up with today’s wacky world of social media.

Keep up with Lindsay via her many social media outlets, or on her website, Lindsay Katt Music

Show Notes & Links

Lindsay Katt’s website describes her as an Artist, Musician, Painter, Thinker, Tinkerer, Hugger, Dreamer, Lover, Maker … Still Deciding, and Ever Changing.
Lindsay wants to “do all the things”
She’s also a producer, director, merry-maker
“Really well-done DIY is learning how to hire people more talented than you” ← Click to Tweet
Art-shame culture; thinking “art isn’t a real job”
Lindsay worked three different day-jobs to pay her way through school (studying psychology & pre-med)
Lindsay was home-schooled on forty acres in Montana; learned arts and culture at home
Lindsay was “fired” by her piano teacher, but resumed playing as a rebellious teen
Studies show that during middle school you don’t learn anything
Deliberate Practice
There are seasons of creative flow
“It’s takes some dot-collecting before you can do any dot-connecting.” ← Click to Tweet
The Nature of Rest
The Avant Gardener, forthcoming project from Lindsay Katt, produced by Yakov
“Why do we have soundtracks to movies, but not filmtracks to albums?” ← Click to Tweet
Dark Side of The Rainbow: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon played over The Wizard of Oz (which allegedly helped break up Pink Floyd)
Beyoncé
“Art is how we decorate our space; music is how we decorate our time.” attr. aclayhutchings on Reddit
Post-It Pitching, as they do in Hollywood (e.g. Alien = Jaws in Space)
Product Hunt (e.g. Tinder for Dogwalkers)
Claude Kelly
“Everybody is chasing goosebumps.” —Claude Kelly ← Click to Tweet
My Happy, on Lindsay’s first album, Picking Out Boxes, came into being in about 30 minutes
Lindsay leans on the side of not-keeping-things-in-a-straight-line
“If I can’t be fearless, I at least want to be brave.” ← Click to Tweet
The Impostor Syndrome
Lindsay still struggles with a form of stage-fright
Lindsay Katt on Twitter
Lindsay Katt on Facebook
Lindsay Katt on Instagram
Lindsay Katt on SoundCloud
Lindsay Katt on YouTube

Tools

Evernote
Post-Its
Pro Tools, for more natural stuff
Logic, for commercial works
Boss BR-1200CD 12-track recording unit

Techniques

Rest your body and mind to improve your performance — in sports and in creative work
Take an “ear-break”
Commercial work is about diligence — writing multiple lines, fulfilling the brief, etc.
Look for lyrics to lead the melody, or vice-versa
Move away from handwritten notes and scribbles (there’s no space for all that paper in NYC)
Use trigger words to remind yourself of notes. Leave “breadcrumbs” for Evernote.
Ask for help; work on overcoming “artist shame”

Habits

Jot down ideas as they emerge
Take breaks from your work (to collect dots)
Converse and meet with other artists

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Get The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry as a free audiobook

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 46(MP3, 38:22, 18.5 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 46(OGG, 38:22, 29.9 MB)

The Busy Creator 45 w/guest Frank Truglio Feb 16, 2015

Show notes

Frank Truglio (@IamPeritus) is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of a new website, Peritus.nyc, which connects creative pros to companies and agencies seeking talent. Peritus is unique in their use of technology, creating a detailed information profile for candidates in their database, and indexing creatives based on their characteristics and experiences.

In this conversation, Frank discusses the founding of Peritus, how his team used off-the-shelf software to quickly build their first version, and how he keeps thing organized while developing in sprints and working double shifts.

Listen Now 00:00 00:00 Show Notes & Links

Peritus.nyc
Peritus means “Skilled” in Latin
Peritus is an “invite-only platform”
Frank has spent the last few years working in ski & snowboarding retail
Peritus was created to solve the problem with seasonal and on-demand recruitment
“Partner with us when all your other options fail.” ← Click to Tweet
Most recruitment websites are “repackaged job boards”
“We’re a team of two, but we have the backing of 253″ ← Click to Tweet

The Everything Store by Brad Stone On Amazon and On Audible

“Every new startup is a technology company operating within.” ← Click to Tweet
HEX, Peritus’s six-point indexing system
Pandora, creators of The Music Genome Project
Frank focuses on business relationships, back-end technology; his co-founder focuses on content, social media, and marketing
SEO & Web Optimization
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Drop-off rates/Bounce rates → target of 40%
Vanity Metrics
Aimee Mann has twice favourited tweets from Prescott
“Get it out quicker than you can build it” ← Click to Tweet
Loops and Arrays, in programming
Object-oriented programming
SQL and MongoDB
vis-à-vis
Pertius on Twitter
Pertius on Instagram
Email Frank with the subject line “Prescott’s Podcast Rocks”

Tools

WordPress CMS
Google Analytics
Bootstrap with PHP and WordPress
Dropbox
Google Drive
Zapier
TypeForm for registration
MailChimp
Basecamp
RelateIQ, CRM service which is the core of Peritus

Techniques

Use APIs to integrate point-of-sales technology with your CMS and software
Don’t get buried in KPIs; find a few important ones to monitor
Create a Google Sheet to track your metrics; update monthly
Avoid Vanity Metrics
Regarding features, ask “Do we need this now?”
Use Zapier to stitch together various web apps and services
Use Agile Methodology & Sprints to develop features
Find your passion; no energy will come without passion

Habits

Continually update content on your site, adjust your AdWords
Wake up at 6, check the calendar to plan the day
Check email, but don’t let it derail the day
Chunk the day; interviews from 10-3, client discussion after that, then more email
Avoid coffee to keep energy constant; avoid spikes

Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get The Everything Store by Brad Stone as a free audiobook

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 45(MP3, 34:57, 17 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 45(OGG, 34:57, 27.8 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

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The Busy Creator 44 w/guest Taylor Mathis Feb 09, 2015

Show notes

Taylor Mathis (@taylor_mathis) is a food photographer turned entrepreneur based in Charlotte, NC. Taylor has built an online following in the food photography industry, and authored several books. Lately, he’s turned to online entrepreneurship and helping fellow photographers earn steady income through his new venture and podcast of the same name, Business of Creatives.

This conversation covers his origins in photography, the challenges of shooting food, and how he transitioned into different business areas as a creative pro.

Check out Taylor on his sites, Photographing Food , Taylor Takes a Taste, and Business of Creatives, as well as his book, The Southern Tailgating Cookbook.

Show Notes & Links

Taylor describes himself as a “content creator”
Comes from a family of entrepreneurs
His food photography is run through his blog Taylor Takes a Taste
Does some commissioned work through his blog producing recipes and photos
Tabasco
Fresh Express
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Taylor graduated in 2008 with a degree in finance but due to the state of the economy decided to go back to school for photography
He attempted wedding photography in fall of 2009 but found more of an interest in photographing food
Created his blog in January 2010 with his mother, who happens to be a professional recipe developer, as a way to improve his food photography
Over the next couple of years his business became centralized around food; people were asking “how’d you do that?”
This lead to the creation of his site Business of Creatives where he teaches people how to use their creative skills to make a profit
Taylor traveled to 25 College Football games over 3 seasons, and wrote a book about it
Crush It! by Gary VaynerchukOn Amazon> and On Audible
Developed the educational side of his work through the questions that he was getting from the people who visited his blog
This led to the creation of his Photographing Food series ebooks
Growth Hacking
Instagram
Snapchat
Facebook, now pay-to-play
Life lessons helped to refine his business
Patriots vs. Seahawks, the recent Super Bowl contenders
Color Gamut & White Balance
Taylor found a way to create recurring income through things such as workshops, leasing stock photos, etc.
Bill Gates still does the dishes by hand every night
For recipes visit Taylor Takes a Taste
For tips on improving food photography visit Photographing Food
For tips and information on being an entrepreneur and creating your business visitBusiness of Creatives
He can be found on instagram as @TaylorMathis

Tools

Pinterest, which can drive ridiculous amounts of traffic
Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop
Paypal
Pen and paper
Online scheduling systems Acuity Scheduling, Calendly, and ScheduleOnce
Google Docs/Drive
Google Analytics
AWeber

Techniques

Use a simple flash with modifier for straightforward food photos at restaurants
Use fluorescent continuous lighting for video recording; they stay cool
Use a macro lens to capture the details of food.
Building an email list is very important; more important than social media platforms
Use Split Testing, aka A-B Testing, for email subject lines
Set reminders in your calendar for your side project
Get an accountability partner to kick your butt a little

Habits

Write three posts a week for the first two years of his blog, consistency is key.
Create an Editorial Calendar, plan out what you are doing a head of time for organization and to create viewer interest.
Block out days in your work schedule. (ex. weekends are always for weddings, posts every Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Find the work schedule that is most productive for you.

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 44(MP3, 40:18, 19.5 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 44(OGG, 40:18, 33.2 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

The Busy Creator 43 w/guest Bob Calvano Feb 02, 2015

Show notes

Bob Calvano (@bobcalvano) runs the digital media & design studio for A+E Networks, and oversees the development of mobile apps, websites, interfaces, and a variety of other design elements for A+E’s brands.

This conversation discusses his origins in digital and traditional design work, how he manages a diverse team of designers and programmers, and the challenges of working in the always-changing business of television and entertainment.

Show Notes & Links

TV is the first screen; computers are the second screen; mobile is the third screen
Bob describes himself thoroughly as a husband, father, son, brother, drummer, speaker, friend, designer … at different times
“Proudly hyphenated”
A+E, Lifetime, History, FYI — television networks under the A+E umbrella
Basement storage racks
Bob started as a fine artist & illustrator, later worked as an in-house designer for Panasonic
An early business found Bob and his partner painting & airbrushing motorcycles, boats, etc.
Oxygen Network
R/GA, digital agency
To move from creative agencies like media to less-creative agencies like pharma, banking, etc.
The Narcissism of Minor Differences
Bob’s team focuses on “digital execution” of many different projects
“mobile-first” mentality for the websites
“watch” apps for Android and iOS (for watching, not timepieces)
XBOX 360
Roku
AppleTV
Amazon Fire TV
“media agnostic” — problem-solving is more important than a particular execution
“integrated branding” or “360 campaigns”, putting all the pieces together
Erica Heinz, previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast (episode 10)
A+E’s studio is packed with “Product Designers”
“It’s a designer-slash-developer world.” ← Click to Tweet
Waterfall method, sort of outdated but still in use in many agencies/teams
“A show idea could come from anywhere.” ← Click to Tweet
Duck Dynasty, not-so-accidental smash hit
Netflix Original Programming
Amazon Original Programming
Vimeo Original Programming
A+E Studios, upcoming original content producers
Forthcoming Apple Watch
Responsive design vs. breakpoints
Microsoft changes rendering engine for Outlook
Vikings, on The History Channel
The History Channel app for iOS
No traffic department
We did an entire episode about Project Management Application & Collaboration Software
Vessel
“T-Shaped People“, originally an IDEO term
T-Shaped skillset
“The Static Photoshop Comp is slowly becoming extinct.” ← Click to Tweet
“Photoshop is a “mullet-shaped” tool; 90% of the users only use 10% of the features.” ← Click to Tweet
Vijay Mathews was a previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast (episode 32)
Designers should have a background in Calculus (jeez, what a cranky bastard)
Google Ventures design sprints
Lifetime app for iOS
Oxygen app for iOS
A&E app for iOS
All the networks have social media followings (too many to list, in fact)

Tools

Blank paper (for sketching during conversations)
“watch” apps
History Here app for iOS
Jira by Atlassian
Freedcamp (a free version of Basecamp)
Trello
Sketch

Techniques

Use Agile framework for your design+development projects
Use Scrum framework to keep teams together
Kanban board to manage project stages
Mine your own data
Set up “teams of three”, where Art Directors work closely with a UX/UI designer and a developer
Turn your Project Managers into Scrum Masters on a Product Team (same thing but on a different model)
Use an all-digital workflow
Hire T-Shaped People and encourage them to grow
Present clickable prototypes rather than flat comps — it yields better results, even if it takes slightly longer
Use transit time to prepare for, and recover from, the working day. Meditate or at least mentally plan.

Habits

Sketch during conversations; think out loud
Capture and measure all possible statistics; use data & metrics to inform decisions
Don’t base everything off data & metrics; trust your gut as designers
Keep your finger on the pulse of design & digital media by going to conferences, taking classes, subscribing to magazines, take field trips
Wake up at 5:45
Eliminate Gluten & Dairy
Take the stairs! If you’re a commuter, they’re always right there.
On weekends, sleep as late as kids & dogs will allow

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Get Scrum Essentials by Troy Dimes as a free audiobook

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 43(MP3, 1:08:05, 32.8 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 43(OGG, 1:08:05, 56.0 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

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The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 42 with Artist, Designer, Illustrator, Animator & Writer Laurie Rosenwald Jan 26, 2015

Show notes

Laurie Rosenwald (@RosenWorld) is an artist, designer, illustrator, writer, and all-around creative spirit. Throughout her careers, she’s managed to fly under the radar of New York’s design and publishing industries and still be recognised for her distinct style and wit.

Our conversation focuses on her origins in the creative fields, her working style, and her new workshops. See some of Laurie’s work on her studio page, Rosenworld.com.

Show Notes & Links

Amazon refers to Laurie as a “professional nonconformist”
Intergalactic Arms Dealer, Bill Doran, previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast
Rosenworld, Laurie’s studio, which governs animation, design, illustration, and anything else
“So I Fired The Shrink”, animation by Rosenworld
Shouts and Murmurs, in The New Yorker
Laurie splits her time with 20% dedicated to each painting, writing, illustration, design, & animation
“The portfolio generation”
The New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Magazine
Laurie did the Target billboards in Times Square
Thomson travel (UK)
Bob Gill, founding member of Pentagram
Forget All the Rules You Ever Learned About Graphic Design: Including the Ones in This Book by Bob Gill on Amazon
RISD
Fiorucci, cool jeans from the late 70s
Lunch at the UN by Bob Gill
Email is, frankly, a disadvantage.
Email replacement software — could be anything that gets folks to stop emailing
Laurie’s name came up on a previous podcast episode with Felix Sockwell
Laurie never had a normal job
At The New York Times Magazine, Laurie was “like a mascot”
Antonio Lopez, the fashion illustrator
Jean Paul Gaultier
Jessica Lange
Coffee Shop in Union Square
Vogue Italia
Condé Nast, on and off, but never on a masthead
“I would do a whole bunch of layouts and then leave” ← Click to Tweet
GQ
Mademoiselle Magazine
Paul Rand
Alexey Brodovitch
Zeitgest
Purple + Teal, a definitive colour scheme of the early 90s
Free electrons
“I like to do the work itself … everything else, I have avoided.” ← Click to Tweet
“My days are spent making stuff. Sometimes I get paid for it; sometimes I don’t” ← Click to Tweet
New York Notebook by Laurie Rosenwald on Amazon
Chronicle books, San Francisco
And to Name But Just a Few, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue by Laurie Rosenwald on Amazon
Barnes & Noble
“Creating a book is organic. It happens because it has to happen.” ← Click to Tweet
Bloomsbury
All The Wrong People Have Self-Esteem by Laurie Rosenwald on Amazon
“Everything is middle school.” ← Click to Tweet
Abrams
How to Make Mistakes on Purpose, forthcoming book based on Laurie’s workshops
Post-It Notes, Penicillin, Viagra … all created by accident*
Adam Harrison Levy, Producer/writer for the BBC and [previous podcast guest]
Parsons, Pratt, NYU, CalArts, RISD, MICA — design schools in the US
Camberwell — art & design school in London
Jennifer, and extremely popular name in the 20th century
AIGA, Art Directors Club, Google, Starbucks — places where Laurie has conducted workshops
Erik Spiekermann, type designer in Berlin
Laurie can’t type. She “hunts and pecks and suffers.”
Marian Obando, up-and-coming designer and Laurie’s assistant
Laurie Rosenwald is on Facebook, as a brand and also as a person
Amy Porterfield is an expert in Facebook marketing and fbinfluence is her course
Encaustic
Challenge for the new year: make money
“Have your cake and eat it too … and then have more cake.” ← Click to Tweet

Tools

Squeeze Bottle
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Freedcamp (now with Kanban view)
Mod Podge, brand of glue

Techniques

Use email to flirt
Go on instinct (if your instincts are good)
Write down ideas and save them for later
Make something first, and find a place for it later
Don’t start with a blank page: Make a blob or something
Make your own pigments, paint, and gesso
Draw with a squeeze bottle
Photograph collages at various stages to add a digital component
Use Photoshop & Illustrator in the most “baby” way
Rent out your apartment when you’re traveling!

Habits

Floss and use toothpicks (or those bristles things)
Wake up early and enjoy being home
Ride a bike whenever possible
Retreat to a secret place, perhaps a library, for writing
Write or paint to fill time between client projects
Never sketch

Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get Miss Mapp by EF Benson as a free audiobook

Or try the Ladies of Letters series by By Lou Wakefield, Carole Hayman (Narrated By Prunella Scales & Patricia Routledge!) as a free audiobook

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 42(MP3, 49:51, 23.9 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 42(OGG, 49:51, 41.4 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

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The Busy Creator 41 w/guest Joaquin Cotler Jan 19, 2015

Show notes

Joaquin Cotler (@ShinyIslands) is a musician based in Brooklyn, NY. In the ten years since finished his degree in music, he’s discovered the many strange sides of being a working musician, from recording and gigging with bands, to writing and performing solo, to teaching and conducting workshops.

This conversation covers the music industry, the struggle of working musicians, how YouTube is changing the game, and how musicians across the spectrum learn, perform, and produce music.

Catch up with Joaquin via his website, JoaquinCotler.com Check out our episode below, as well as some of his tracks embedded after the jump.

Show Notes & Links

The Busy Creator is recorded at a standing desk
BBC Radio mounts their microphones in the ceiling
BBC Radio 1
Shure SM7B mic
Blake Stratton, [now retired] singer-songwriter, appeared previously on The Busy Creator Podcast
“Musician” is an all-encompassing trade, according to Joaquin
Joaquin and The Hot Knives on Facebook
“Creative-class Hustler” who is part of “The Portfolio Generation”
Squarespace can be frustrating
Disney used to have working musicians, so did Warner Bros. Not so much anymore.
Carl Stalling, composer for Warner Brothers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers needed a guitar player for their tour
Mark Wahlberg, played the lead in the film Rock Star
Sir George Martin CBE, legendary producer for The Beatles
Ringo got sick, and was briefly replaced by Jimmie Nicol
“Ringo isn’t the best drummer in the world. He isn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles.” —John Lennon Jasper Carrott
“Baby Blue” by Badfinger
Cher
Steely Dan
Michael McDonald, legendary studio musician
Sound City, documentary by Dave Grohl
20 Feet From Stardom, documentary about backup singers
WTF with Marc Maron Podcast
The Beach Boys
The Laurel Canyon Sound
Bob Marley
Burning Spear
Stax Records
Motown Records
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Gold Records & Platinum Records
Spotify
Pharrell not happy with his $3000 check from Spotify
Gain
Slapback
Demo Tapes
Casio Keyboard
Sly Stone
Rhythm Ace or Rhythm King drum machine
Charles Penn’s previous appearances on The Busy Creator Podcast — episodes 1 and 17
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull
Auto-Tune
Anthony Kiedis
Ke$ha
Dr. Luke
Max Martin, Swedish songwriter who dominates the pop charts
“If it’s annoying enough, it’ll be a huge hit.” ← Click to Tweet
Performance Art
All the songs from 70s sound alike
Girl Talk
Pitch Perfect
Anna Kendrick, my crush
Anna Kendrick
Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off”
Toni Basil, “Hey Mickey”
Bulldog Pitbull, a singer, apparently
Accounts Payable
Dribbble, and how designers just flood it with junk
Vine, not just for twerking videos
“toiling away in obscurity”
“Wake up early and work hard all day” —Philip Glass ← Click to Tweet
Benjamin Franklin
Amelia Earhart
Johnny & June Carter Cash
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, forthcoming Spike Lee Joint, out Feb. 10 (Soundtrack on Epic Records)
“Space Patrol” by Illegalize : song on iTunes
“Doggies Don’t Ride The Train” by Chickentown : album on iTunes
Joaquin and the Hot Knives on SoundCloud
Ratfink on SoundCloud
Chickentown on SoundCloud
Illegalize on SoundCloud
Joaquin plays at The Manhattan Inn, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Tools

Pro Tools
YouTube
iPhone, or handheld recording device

Techniques

Diversify as much as possible; don’t rely on one source of income or type of practice (gigging vs. recording)
Learn to speak “Pro Toolsese” with the studio engineers; acquire as much technical prowess as possible
Best way to record drums is in a natural room sound. Create a room-within-a-room, and them mic that
Connect your social media accounts
DON’T conduct your job interviews by asking candidates to record themselves on YouTube
Change your routine and creative

Habits

Be reliable. Deliver the goods, consistently.
Practice on your own. All the time.
Wake up early. Drink coffee.
Backup your phone; download your recordings and whatnot

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 41(MP3, 1:00:59, 29.4 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 41(OGG, 1:00:59, 52.7 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

The Busy Creator 40 w/guest Jay Seldin Jan 12, 2015

Show notes

Jay Seldin (@phototraveler8) is a fine art photographer, photo travel entrepreneur, and instructor. Jay has spent the bulk of his career as a teacher, whether teaching graphic design and photography at the high school level, or more recently conducting workshops and photo tours all over the world.

This conversation tracks Jay’s early career and how he got into teaching, his accidental discovery of the Macintosh, how he transitioned into leading workshops and tours, and how Prescott learned the graphic design trade in 1998–99 as a high school senior.

Environmental Portraits in Cuba, by Jay Seldin

Show Notes & Links

Jay defines himself as a teacher, a photographer, and world traveler. He is a curious person and a teller of tales.
His style can be defined as an “environmental portrait photographer”
Jay Seldin on YouTube
Jay’s photo career began when he was required to take a humanities class in college. That class was an introduction to Black and White Photography.
Developing a print in a darkroom was Jay’s “lightbulb moment” (and that lightbulb was probably amber)
When he was 18, Jay did his first cross-country road trip to San Francisco
On The Road by Jack Kerouac on Amazon and on Audible
Jay earned 60¢/hr at his first photo job, working in a photo studio in New York
Photography was considered “Industrial Arts” and “Art” depending on the school, and the state
Jay taught at West Orange High School, Dwight Morrow High School, and later Columbia High School
Ansel Adams, famous landscape photographer
Mary Ellen Mark
Eugene Richards
Lucien Clergue
Michael Kenna
Ruth Bernard
Apple Lisa & Apple Mac — The big decision in Jay’s teaching career c.1984
Floppy disks
“That mouse made all the difference in the world.” ← Click to Tweet
The Original Apple Macintosh
Adobe Photoshop 4.0
QuarkXPress 4.1
Aldus (later Adobe) Pagemaker
Mac Draw
Mac Write
Matt Kushner, now an animator
Sally Warner, now an oceanographer
Prescott credits his time on the newspaper staff as his first true graphic design role
Bluelines
Guildscript, Columbia High School’s literary magazine
Columbia High School had the first computer graphics lab in the state of NJ
Continuous Tone Print
Jay’s purpose-built studio above his garage

Jay Seldin in his studio, surrounded by gear and his work

In addition to printing, Jay also does mentoring/tutoring in his studio
The principal activity is [still] teaching
The workshop trips gained momentum slowly, with interest among friends
ICP asked him to run programs
It takes a year for Jay to put together a good workshop
The Newark Museum
Cuba Cultural Travel
“When you go to a museum, there’s no Cuban art. Because of the Embargo.” ← Click to Tweet
Locally grown Cuban coffee
The environmental footprint of coffee
Cuban-American relations are approaching normal, whatever that means.
The Cuban Free Internet, still to be determined
Cuban Baseball League? Maybe.
Cuba, The Accidental Eden, from PBS “Nature”, not the BBC
The Royal Ballet in Cuba, from Channel4, not the BBC
Jay and Not-So-Silent Bob on Facebook

Tools

Mac, printer, scanner — basically the same basic arrangement since the mid-1980s
Epson Pro Stylus 9600 first large format 44″ wide-format printer
Adobe Photoshop, even in Cuba
A Map with marked locations of places to go
1966 Corvette Convertible

Techniques

Learn on your own, and then teach it to others
Get a local “guide” who knows the area you’re looking to photograph
Gather ideas from your past students/attendees

Habits

Travel with someone who’s part of the “system” as well as some who aren’t
Wake up early, have coffee, and read the [physical] paper

Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get On The Road by Jack Kerouac as a free audiobook

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 40(MP3, 54:45, 26.5 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 40(OGG, 54:45, 48.2 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

The Busy Creator 39 w/guest Steve Dotto Jan 05, 2015

Show notes

Steve Dotto (@DottoTech) publishes a variety of videos on YouTube, mainly on the subject of personal productivity and software. Following a career in traditional broadcasting, he’s strategically moved into self-publishing and has since built a business with video, coaching, & speaking under his brand DottoTech.

In this conversation, Steve shares his strategies for online community-building, his preferred sites and software, and his personal productivity habits.

Below are some examples of videos that Steve produces:

Show Notes & Links

Steve calls himself a YouTube Content Creator. His channel is DottoTech
“YouTube is not a broadcast network, it’s a social network.” ← Click to Tweet
Steve had the business acumen to create a profitable show from his time in television
Personal Branding, by whatever name, has to do with authenticity
The MasterCaster, part of Steve’s business that focuses on content creation for video & podcasts
“It’s not a broadcast; it’s a conversation” ← Click to Tweet
TV/Radio networks, as well as Facebook, tend to hold your audience hostage
iTunes doesn’t tell podcasters much about their audiences
Google forces YouTube commenters to use their Google+ identities; controversial but beneficial in the long run
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, the de facto place to search for “how-to”
Stephen Colbert’s final episode, viewed online rather than on TV
Some claim “Facebook video is going to be more viable than YouTube within 6 mos.“
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
“Search results on YouTube are based on merit, not Voodoo.” ← Click to Tweet
40% of Steve’s viewers aren’t subscribers, but instead find him through search terms
YouTube > Facebook for community engagement and overall social interaction
Prescott says Facebook is a “bizarro Hong Kong marketplace” of distraction
Mashable
Google+ hasn’t quite taken shape as a social network. But perhaps it’s not supposed to be a social network.
Martin Shervington‘s Google+ for Business
A Song of Ice and Fire (The Game of Thrones series) by George RR Martin, on Audible
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, on Audio CD (narrated by Jim Dale)
Stephen Fry
Ed Norton
“Present the type of content you would like to receive.” ← Click to Tweet
Green Screen effects
“People will not watch good video with bad audio.” ← Click to Tweet
Gary Vaynerchuk, high energy
Mari Smith, warm and fuzzy
The WayBack Machine
Tom Merritt, of Daily Tech News Show, earns massive income from Patreon
Chris Prillo
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Tools

Techniques

Get your crew to laugh; it’s a good indicator for your audience
Create a personality that is a slightly amplified version of yourself, not a fictional character
Ensure no one is holding your audience “hostage”; keep in touch with them on our terms
Tweet or Text Message your audience prior to a live broadcast/webinar
“Shine a light on your content” aka actively promote your own stuff; no one will find it naturally
Use [paid] Facebook ads to promote a webinar or other paid event
Use your community — perhaps a forum or Facebook group — to answer tough questions
Poke around with software and look for “a story” to share in a video
Push hard for a new video (within the first four hours); take advantage of YouTube’s algorithm which “honors momentum”
Honor Your Content, Steve’s term for abiding by best practices in promotion
Create a Photoshop template which you can quickly update
Build your mailing list! Change your CRM system if you outgrow the first one.
Before you post your Patreon effort, get friends and family to chip in.
Offer your Patrons access to your digital products as a bonus

Habits

Listen to podcasts/audiobooks while walking the dog.
Research an SEO-friendly title
Edit video to include calls-to-action, annotate thoroughly
Learn to predict problems with sound & lighting, so you can solve them early
Steal colors from other content creators (keep them in Evernote)
Wake up early, do community engagement first; reply to comments
Avoid email first thing in the morning
Read and respond to every comment on YouTube (even if it’s only a Thumbs-up/Plus)
Drink Smoothies

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Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 39(MP3, 58:13, 28.0 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 39(OGG, 58:13, 51.4 MB)

The Busy Creator 38, The InDesign Episode w/David Blatner & Anne-Marie Concepción Dec 29, 2014

Show notes

Show Notes & Links

David Blatner
Anne-Marie Concepción
Previous 3-Way Episodes on The Busy Creator Podcast #4 and #11
Three-way Calling
InDesign Magazine
Anne-Marie had aspirations to become a teacher … until she met Mac
LaserWriter
Font/DA Mover
ClarisWorks
“As a teacher of software to adults, you could charge whatever you wanted.” ← Click to Tweet
Design Geek, an early newsletter-turned-blog from Anne-Marie
David is an author, but NOT a novelist
QuarkXPress, powerhouse page layout software in the 90s
Aldus PageMaker, predecessor to InDesign
Armin Vit’s episode of The Busy Creator Podcast
Remote Keyless Entry on your car
S-Shaped Curve aka Sigmoid Function, for learning
“The hardest part is not learning the feature, it’s remembering to use the feature.” ← Click to Tweet
The Paint Format tool in MS Word
Pet Peeve: Using Character Styles where a better tool is more appropriate
Paragraph Styles panel should be called “Text Styles”
Unsharp Masking or Appearance Panel — wishlist features for InDesign
Smart Objects created in InDesign should be placeable in Photoshop
ePUB – the open-source standard for ebooks
“Dangling Modifiers” Prescott’s name for features unbuilt or errors-not-fixed since 1996
Gradient Mesh or 3D Revolve in Illustrator
Prescott is a member of the Pre-release Team for Illustrator
Scrubby Sliders in InDesign – an oft-requested feature from Photoshop
Anne-Marie invented “Mr. Spanky” aka Pan Tool
“The Donut” aka Content Grabber
Real World InDesign by David Blatner
Lynda.com videos

Tools

Adobe InDesign
A two-button mouse
The Apple Menu
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop Elements, Muse
Adobe Dreamweaver, which can’t open ePUB files, btw
InDesignSecrets.com has a ton of resources, downloads, tutorials, videos, forums, etc.
Adobe InCopy
InDesign Secrets Podcast, and the Obscure InDesign Feature of The Week!

Techniques

Use the Text Frame in InDesign rather than an image frame
Utilize GREP styling and Text Styles more generally
Use Quick Apply
Remove Character Styles and replace with Paragraph Styles for longer passages of text
Use InDesign for page layout … NOT ILLUSTRATOR (Japan) and definitely NOT PHOTOSHOP (psychopaths)
Learn ePUB from Anne-Marie, she’s the best (fixed-layout or flowable)

Habits

Repeatedly use features so they become a habit
Continue to learn by watching videos, experimenting, reading articles

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Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 38(MP3, 37:45, 18.3 MB)
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The Busy Creator 37 w/guest Felix Sockwell Dec 22, 2014

Show notes

Felix Sockwell is an illustrator and graphic designer based in New Jersey. Following a storied early career in some of New York’s top agencies, Felix changed direction to pursue his solo practice as an illustrator. For him, setting up outside the City didn’t mean obscurity; instead, he’s developed a unique signature style and works with a varied of high-profile clients like Facebook and The New York Times.

See more of his work on his website, FelixSockwell.com

Audio Player

00:00 Use Left/Right Arrow keys to advance one second, Up/Down arrows to advance ten seconds. 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

Felix Sockwell for WQXR, his signature continuous-line illustration style, click to enlarge

Show Notes & Links

Felix describes himself as both a designer and illustrator, from a family background in design, illustration, and advertising
“Illustrative Designer” Von Glitschka
East Texas State University, Felix’s almost mater
DDB Needham/Tracey-Locke, ad agency in Dallas
The Richards Group, communication agency in Dallas
Brian Collins
Ogilvy‘s Brand Integration Group (BIG) in New York, known for their 16-hour days
Rick Boyko
Laurie Rosenwald
Luke Hayman
Tom Vasquez
Alan Dye
Felix’s style is continuous vector line illustration
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, cover artwork by Felix Sockwell
T.S. Monk — one of Thelonius Monk’s similarly-named sons — lives in South Orange, NJ
Charles Anderson
Eric Johnson
Starwood Hotels
Le Méridien, a Paula Scher/Pentagram client at the time
Christine Blackburne, photographer and previous podcast guest
Highlights Puzzle
Pushpin Studios, an influence for Felix
Prescott worked with Seymour Chwast
Norman Rockwell‘s style
Joe Marianek, formerly of Michael Bierut‘s team at Pentagram and past guest on Design Matters with Debbie Millman. (Bierut and Millman have both been guests on The Busy Creator Podcast, by the way)
karlssonwilker
Paul Sahre
South Orange “feels like Williamsburg, Brooklyn” (according to Felix, at least)
Felix’s recent calendar poster for NPR –
Jonathan Selikoff, founder of Vote for Letterpress in South Orange, NJ
“Squirrels are our friends”
Kyle Webster, illustrator

Tools

iPhone
Adobe Illustrator (not Photoshop, not InDesign)

Techniques

Work with a rep/agent only when it’s a really big job

Habits

Save tedious or intricate pieces for yourself, for later use (ex. drawings of hands)
Embrace the slow evolution of your own style
Build a personal zone, which can involve coffee, music, or weed

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