Unpublished

WE NEED YOUR ART, STOP F***ING AROUND AND MAKE SOMETHING Mar 06, 2025

BOOK OUT THIS WEEK

00:00 Introduction and Holiday Hat00:30 Book Tour and Podcast Plans03:05 The Importance of Art04:05 Creative Blocks and Overcoming Them12:00 Role of Patience in Creativity25:31 Art reset challenge26:10 Rice Cakes26:44 Book Promotion and Blurbs33:18 Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing36:24 Expectations for the Book43:15 Podcast Reflections and Upcoming Events

BOOK TOUR INFO

USA EAST COAST

The BookMark Shoppe Brooklyn 11th March 2025 7pm - BUY TICKETS HERE

Head House Books, Philly, 13th March 2025 6:30pm - BUY TICKETS HERE

Taylor Co Books, Brooklyn, 14th March 2025 7:30pm - BUY TICKETS HERE (just scroll down the home page!)

Morocco Bound Bookshop", 25th March - BUY TICKETS HERE

Scheltema, 5th April, 2pm - BUY TICKETS HERE!

I am going to be all up and about your business. Please stay tuned.

UNITED KINGDOMAMSTERDAMBERLIN, SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE!

How NOT to Finish Projects and Improve as an Artist Feb 27, 2025

00:00 Introduction 02:13 Housekeeping and Upcoming Events03:39 25 Things to Avoid 03:45 Obsessing Over Details04:57 The Pitfalls of Excessive Research09:09 Setting Unrealistic Goals10:16 Managing Expectations and Pressure15:40 The Importance of Planning16:48 Guarding Your Creative Time19:31 Sharing Ideas and Seeking Validation22:38 Avoiding Comparisons and Judgments28:32 Over-Education and Procrastination31:30 Finding Your Own Rhythm33:23 The Importance of Consistency35:16 Navigating Critique and Feedback39:14 Embracing the Challenges of Writing46:28 Balancing Creativity and Well-being50:38 Avoiding Distractions and Staying Focused58:01 The Growth Mindset in Writing01:00:26 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts

USA EAST COAST

The BookMark Shoppe Brooklyn 11th March 2025 7pm - BUY TICKETS HERE

Head House Books, Philly, 13th March 2025 6:30pm - BUY TICKETS HERE

Taylor Co Books, Brooklyn, 14th March 2025 7:30pm - BUY TICKETS HERE (just scroll down the home page!)

UNITED KINGDOM & AMSTERDAM

Morocco Bound Bookshop", 25th March - BUY TICKETS HERE

Scheltema, 5th April, 2pm - BUY TICKETS HERE!

BERLIN TBA

We Need Men's Art Too! Feb 20, 2025

Today we're talking to the boys! Or, given our audience demographics, we're talking to the girls and gender non conforming folks about the boys...

Buy We Need Your Art here and be our best friend forever!

00:00 Introduction and Preamble00:47 Discussing Men and Creativity00:49 Housekeeping and Personal Updates03:13 How we're trying to be less tired07:10 Book Launch and Pre-orders12:12 The Importance of Men's Art27:37 The Gendered Nature of Art and Craft27:48 Men's Role in Art: Historical Context29:13 The Struggle of Monetizing Art for men and women32:33 Cultural Influences on Art Monetisation 33:33 The Australian Male and Creativity35:10 Encouraging Men to Embrace Art40:53 Breaking Gender Norms Through Art50:13 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

TOUR DATES

BROOKLYN event at the Bookmark Shoppe on the 11th of March ( I refuse to bow to the ludicrous American style of writing the date)

PHILLY Event at Head House books on the 13th

BROOKLYN event at Taylor & Co on the 14th (scroll down home page and you'll find it!)

Note those dates are actually different to the ones I've been talking about... misread an email!

Save the date for LONDON: 25th of March at Morocco Bound

And the 27th of March at the Marlow Book shop (our local!)

Save the date for Amsterdam: April 5th, 2-3pm at Scheltema

How to Make Heaps of Art Feb 13, 2025

Yes I kept Amie's preamble in on purpose because I thought it was funny!

Today we're talking about locking in, getting stuff done, and thriving as creatives. Expect a discussion about how to treat ourselves and our bodies well, not striving for perfection, and how to go from small steps to big goals.

TOUR THINGS:

We have LOCKED IN two bookshops in Brooklyn in the evenings of the 11th and 13th of March, so if you're in the NYC area, please save those dates. Plus we'll be in Philly on the 12th also in book stores. More to come as well as official links to the events.

We'll be hitting the UK hard after getting home on the 18th. So expect AT LEAST a London event and an event in the South Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire area.

Berlin will be something between the 31st of March and the 3rd of April. Amsterdam probably either the 4th or the 5th of April.

Sydney and Melbourne will happen some time between the 9th and the 23rd of April.

Sorry we can't give you more info. We are organising most of this ourselves and there are lots of balls in the air as we have to liase with each book shop individually.

We are excited though!

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Setup02:24 Book Tour Announcements03:54 Locking In and Productivity23:26 The Myth of the Perfect Day29:53 The Illusion of Freedom for Successful Creatives30:56 Balancing Offers and Autonomy31:24 Media Consumption and Influences35:51 The Level System for Creative Productivity38:07 Maintaining Creative Identity43:38 Navigating Different Levels of Productivity47:55 The Challenges of Professional Creativity52:45 Wrapping Up and Future Plans

Can Ambition be Healthy? Feb 05, 2025

We talk about ambition! How ambitious are we? Is it good to be ambitious? Is it HEALTHY to be ambitious?

Inspired by Amie's substack post.

We Need Your Art pre-order giveaway is now live! A chance to win a custom canvas love note when you submit your pre-order receipt here!

00:00 Introduction: Ambition and the Hustle 00:26 Recording Struggles and Podcast Delays 01:25 Guilt and Ambition: A Personal Reflection 02:08 The Toxicity of Ambition in Society 03:30 Money and Ambition: A Complex Relationship 05:19 Hustle Culture: Is It Still Relevant? 06:40 Historical Perspectives on Work and Leisure 12:23 Personal Ambitions and Creative Drive 18:21 Navigating Life as a Neurodiverse Individual

20:07 Facing the Fear of Misalignment 20:24 Struggles with Traditional Employment 20:58 Discovering Autism and Its Impact 21:46 Systematizing Ambition 22:47 Healthy Ambition and Personal Growth 23:39 Ambition in the Context of Capitalism 24:37 Community and Connection 25:21 Exploring Vulnerability and Teaching 30:13 Balancing Personal and Structural Ambition 36:04 Podcast Updates and Housekeeping

How to Be Consistent When You Have Multiple Projects, How We Rest, and Artists' Money Issues (Q+A) Jan 28, 2025

MORE AUDIENCE QUESTIONS PLS

00:00 Welcome to the Unpublished Podcast 01:16 Audience Questions Introduction 03:34 Multidisciplinary Creativity 16:18 Self-Publishing Insights 24:30 The Emotional Side of Money for Artists 28:56 Financial Stress and Relationships 29:24 The Myth of Pure Art 31:21 Collective Members' Questions 32:05 Balancing Work and Rest 35:43 Supporting Each Other's Strengths 42:09 The Importance of Shitty Art 53:27 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events

Pre-order Amie's book here!

We Don't Want Jobs! Jan 21, 2025

We don't want jobs, we want to make art! You can read Amie's viral substack article here and pre-order WNYA here.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Captain Hat

01:22 Discussing the Viral Essay on Not Wanting a Job

01:59 The Taboo of Not Wanting a Job

03:09 Capitalism and Meaningless Work

05:36 Artists and the Value of Work

15:21 Anti-Work Movement and Personal Reflections

18:44 Outsourcing Drudgery and Job Satisfaction

28:33 Middle-Class Jobs and Psychological Impact

30:08 Navigating New Territory: Vulnerability in Work Discussions

30:40 Viral Post Impact: Emotional and Psychological Strain

32:13 Criticism and Personal Reflections

33:42 Privilege and Its Role in the Conversation

39:03 Systemic Issues vs. Personal Empowerment

46:31 The Future of Work in the Age of AI

51:44 The Value of Education and University Degrees

54:31 Empowering Artists: A Call to Action

55:34 Book Launch and Community Engagement

59:03 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Artist, You're Allowed to Stay Small and Sustainable Jan 14, 2025

WTF why is the video so bright after I export it? Y'all, video is hard!

Don't Forget to pre-order We Need Your Art, out 11th of March in e-book, audiobook, and hardback! Martha Beck, you cannot lie said this about it:

"This book is desperately needed medicine for our hearts, our lives, and our culture. I will read it over and over until its many truths sink into every one of my cells. If you have ever felt the slightest impulse to create anything, I urge you to do the same. Well researched, beautifully written, and powerfully healing, WE NEED YOUR ART is not only a great read, but a manifesto for our personal and collective freedom. Thank you, Amie McNee!"

Timestamps for the ep:

What Can Artists Expect in 2025 (Last Prediction Will Shock You [Because it's So Not Any More Interesting Than Any Other Prediction and Just as Likely to be Wrong])? Jan 07, 2025

Join us as we predict creative trends for 2025! It's all speculation and probably going to be wrong... but we had fun.

Unfortunately, the video didn't work, but we will try again next week.

00:00 Welcome to the Unpublished Podcast 01:46 Why You Should Be Hopeful for 2025 01:57 The Importance of Hope in Creativity 02:41 Challenges and Pessimism in the Creative Community 06:30 Predictions and Hopes for Creatives in 2025 07:46 Building Personal Connections with Your Audience 08:05 The Rise of Micro Communities 15:48 Curating Media Consumption 20:01 The Value of Free Content 25:12 Podcast Production Costs and Realities 27:27 Competing with Industry Giants 28:53 Artists and Business 31:14 Class Consciousness Among Artists 34:00 The AI Dilemma for Artists 41:38 The Future of Human Art 52:09 The Importance of Art for Wellbeing 56:02 Final Thoughts and Housekeeping

Pre-order We Need Your Art Today and we will love you forever!

How Artists should Set Intentions for the New Year Dec 30, 2024

Let's go!!! Lachlan and Lachlina here getting ready to Lock In for 2025. Or are we? Come with us!

James did the mix/audio for the first time in two years. Let us know if you have any notes!

00:00 Welcome to the 2025 Intentions Podcast 00:45 Introducing the Captaincy System 01:59 Goals vs. Intentions 02:46 Balancing Freedom and Structure 03:28 The Unique Approach of Artists 04:43 Setting Realistic Goals 06:58 Navigating Uncertainty 09:55 The Importance of Consistency 15:44 Taking the Podcast Seriously 22:55 Setting Kind Goals 32:02 Reflecting on Past Goals 33:26 Reflecting on Past Goals 33:45 Achievements and Challenges in 2017 35:03 Goals for 2022 and Beyond 39:13 Setting Intentions for the Year 39:47 James' Fitness and Writing Goals 40:56 Discussing Control and Goals 48:24 Amie’s Intentions and Goals 49:46 Building Community and Creative Goals 57:41 Fostering Patience and Trust 59:27 Wrapping Up and Looking Forward

Pre-order We Need Your Art now and we will be your best friend!

We Don't Want to Learn from Perfect People Dec 18, 2024

We're back from 3 months of family and work travel and ready to pod... just in time for the holidays...

Join us for a 15 minute cozy catchup and a little 15 minute rant about why perfect people are boring.

Preorder Amie's guide to creative living

Sign up to Amie's substack

And James'

Collaborating With Your Partner: How We Wrote Our Sci-fi Novel Together Oct 30, 2024

We finished our joint novel!

We take you behind the scenes of the on and off year and a half long project. Topics:

Writing to delight each other

The importance of planning

The number one mistake we noticed in each other's writing

Dealing with conflict

And much more!

What Does A Full Time Income Look Like for Artists? All About Our Finances Oct 23, 2024

Today we're talking about money! Specifically, our own finances.

Revenue streams

Emergency funds

Retirement saving

Book advances

Taxes

And other extremely interesting things...

Amie's book, We Need Your Art, is available for pre-order. This is super important to the success of the book! Pre-order numbers directly impact how much support publishers and booksellers will give to a book. If you buy one thing from us in your lifetime, this is the one!

The 18 Artist Archetypes! Which One Are You? Sep 19, 2024

Amie has made a list of artist archetypes to help you all figure out your strengths and weaknesses as artists.

We go through the archetypes and discuss each one.

Kind of like enneagram/Myers Briggs/astrology specifically for artists!

You can read more about it on Amie's substack!

Still two days to sign up to the Inspired Collective!

Creativity 101: Getting Started and Improving as an Artist Sep 13, 2024

Welcome back!

We're talking about: small steps and achievable goals; fostering scrappiness; behaving like an athlete; and much more!

Topic discussion begins at 4:42

The Inspired Collective

We Need Your Art Book

James' substack

Amie's substack

Preparing for Success, Picking Yourself First, and Why We Need Your Art Aug 22, 2024

We interrupt Creativity 101 for a special episode! Help us prepare for Amie's guest appearance on a big podcast.

Also, I'm writing this from the future AFTER the podcast recording happened. It went really well thank you for asking. I sat in on the whole thing and Amie killed it. For some reason, she speaks much better when she's talking to someone who isn't her husband (swirly eye emoji).

Hey! You can pre-order Amie's book now! Links are HERE!

Creativity 101: Perfectionism Aug 13, 2024

We're coming back to a topic we talk about a lot on the podcast, Perfectionism. This time, though, we're going back to basics. What is perfectionism? What are the most common ways it shows up our lives? Why is bad? And what can we do about it?

Amie was right, no cover reveal yet... But you should come to our live course: Selling Without Selling Out

Creativity 101: Procrastination: Striking the Balance Between Big Ambitions and Achievable Goals Jul 29, 2024

Most artists will procrastinate. That's just a fact. It's something people have dealt with in the past and will continue to deal with in the future.

Where it becomes a problem, though, is when it holds you back from being the sort of person you want to be.

We look at some common tools and techniques to help you cut through procrastination and make art with more ease and regularity.

Also discussed towards the end: procrastination for Neurodivergent creatives!

Creativity 101: Journaling For Artists Jul 22, 2024

Join us for our Creativity 101 series where we go back to foundational principles for being happier, more rested, and more productive artists. We'll be doing a 10 episode series starting here with Journaling.

Journaling is the foundational methodology for all our teaching. In all our courses, books, and online classes we always include journaling prompts. It helps you ask yourself important questions, and find your own wisdom which you can use to overcome blocks and problems.

If you're interested in learning more, you can get a free copy of Amie's Journaling Compendium when you sign up for her newsletter on substack.

Secrets of our Marriage Jul 02, 2024

I know a lot of you want to know a little more about how our partnership works. This week, we're answering heaps of listener questions all about our relationship!

How do we deal with conflict?

What're our attachment styles?

How do we help each other when one of us is upset or disregulated?

Our views on couple's therapy.

And much more!

James has a new substack post that talks more about our relationship and how we balance it.

Elitism in the Arts Jun 24, 2024

Today we're talking about people who think making art is only for the special few, who think you need double decker doctorates or generational talent if you want to create. We're talking about why they're WRONG!

You can find links to buy Amie's books (which she'll never have done enough research for to satisfy some people) here

Should Artists Do Free Work? Jun 11, 2024

Honestly guys, I have no idea what we said in this one. We recorded it over three weeks ago! Hope it's good... Let me know!

We have a summer sale on for the next week! 50% off all our courses.

Q&A Do we want kids, falling out of love with art, and fan fiction May 20, 2024

Q and A episode today people!

We're answering YOUR questions:

Do we want kids?

Is Fan Fiction a good way to practice writing?

What do we do when we fall of out love with our art?

And more!

We will be in an aeroplane in the sky when this goes out so hopefully it works!

You can join our San Francisco workshop digitally via A Writing Room! The session will be recorded so you can watch the replay too!

How To Deal with a Slump May 14, 2024

We're in a little bit of slump at the moment. How do we deal with it?

It's normal to not always feel motivated and enthusiastic with your work. We share what we've been struggling with lately, common reasons creatives get into slumps, imposter syndrome/the pain of leveling up and feeling like you aren't fully ready for that next level.

We also give you an update on our MUSCLES!

Did you want to come to come to one of Amie's live workshops but don't live in California? Our hosts, A Writing Room, are offering a livestream of the San Francisco event on June 1st! Replay included.

Are Books Dying Out? May 06, 2024

Today we're responding to a series of articles that have gone viral over the last couple of weeks. They're all about the publishing industry, and whether or not it's dying out.

Included: how big is the market for books? Is it growing or shrinking? Are publishers profitable? Is it even worth writing books anymore? What about indie books, self-publishing, e-books, and audio? What do publishers get right and what do they get wrong.

James says the C word twice and apologises to all the Americans for being Australian.

Main sources:

No One Buys Books by Elle Griffin

People Buy Books, Publishing Is Thriving, and Substack Will Never Replace Books, by Brooke Warner which also links to several other great pieces. The one we used most heavily was:

Yes, People Do Buy Books, by Lincolm Michel

Our Biggest Failures and What We've Learned From Them Apr 29, 2024

Failure is non negotiable. So how can learn and grow from our failures?

We share some of our failures, what they taught us, how we dealt with them at the time, and what we think of them now.

Included: dealing with rejection from gatekeepers, why failure should excite us, letting ourselves be upset, and more!

There are still tickets to both of our US workshops!

There's Nothing Wrong with Making Money from Art Apr 23, 2024

Another spice one provoked by some online discourse.

Is it wrong to make money from our art? Does making art with the intention to sell it sully it?

It's a strong no from us. Listen to learn why!

Don't forget we have two workshops in California coming up.

LA on the 25th of May

San Francisco on the 1st of June

Both are going to be 5 hours long (including a lunch break), with teaching, QandA, journaling, and a chance to mingle with other artists.

Cheapest tickets start at $50.

Perfectionism is Making You Worse at Art Apr 15, 2024

Back to our favourite punching bag: Perfectionism.

We talk about how perfectionism leads to stagnancy, stunts your growth as a creative, and ultimately leads to worse art.

LA and San Francisco artists (or anyone who wants to travel there!), we are coming to your city!

LA workshop: 25th of March

San Fran workshop: 1st of June

Pricing is on a sliding scale to accomodate different budgets.

Learn more here

Creative Would You Rather Apr 03, 2024

Join us on a walk and talk as we play a little game of Would You Rather, artist edition!

We would love for you to check out Amie's fiction.

Her witchy tudor novel, Regrettably, I Am About to Cause Trouble, and her Sexy medieval romp, The Rules Upheld by No One are available in audio, e-book, and print on most major platforms.

How To Fight For Your Art with Author Emma Couette Mar 25, 2024

This is one of our favourite ever conversations! Emma Couette, six novels in the last five years. All while holding down a full time job.

We talk about how she juggles a 9-5 job with this sort of release schedule, doing her own promo, fighting for her novels, finding good people to give feedback, making difficult choices about how to allocate resources to creative projects, and much more!

We learned so much about the Indie publishing space and came away with heaps of things we want to action.

We reached out to Emma and asked her on the podcast because we are blown away by how she fights for her writing. How diligent she is. How much care she puts into her promotion and her social presence (@emmacouetteauthor).

Here are links to Emma's novels, please support her:

Silent Night purchase link: https://www.books2read.com/guildtrilogybookone

Summer's Revenge purchase link: https://www.books2read.com/summersrevenge

Winter's Wrath purchase link: https://www.books2read.com/winterswrath

Emma's website: ⁠https://www.emmacouetteauthor.com⁠

Emma is @emmacouetteauthor on Insta, Tiktok, and Threads.

Amie's sister Kirsty on starting a business at 21, motherhood and, parenting. Mar 13, 2024

Welcome Amie's sister Kirsty to the show! At 29 years old, Kirsty is the founder and director of Made Home, a Sydney based home transition company, with fifteen employees and dozens of customers!

We spend a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of why Amie and Kirsty both became Entrepreneurs and what exactly it was about their childhood that made them bounce off traditional work.

We also discuss the challenges of more traditional businesses versus creative businesseses, how motherhood has changed Kirsty's relationship with work, and much more!

Do We Need to "Normalise the 9-5"? Mar 04, 2024

First off, friends, audio continues to betray us at every turn. We had multiple glitches again this week so, if James suddenly starts talking about the Patriarchy seemingly mid-sentence, we apologise for the non sequitur. I think things mostly make sense though? Let us know.

So, what's the episode about? Amie has an arch nemesis, and that arch nemesis is a man called Hubs who goes by the social media handle @Hubs.life (not normalise the 9-5 as we mistakenly say in the ep). Hubs doe not know Amie. Amie has never met Hubs. But Hubs made the mistake of making a series of reels and tiktoks urging his followers to "normalise the 9-5".

We talk about why we in fact do not need to do this (spoiler, because it is already incredibly normalised).

If you soldier through the "life update" section at the 2/3s mark, we go on to discuss our tips for those of you trying to create around your job (which we also have a full podcast episode on).

Xoxo Amie and James

P.s. Amie's novels are going gangbusters at the moment! Regrettably, I am About to Cause Trouble is flying off the proverbial shelf largely thanks to a massive shoutout from Emmi.Reads. If you've read Regrettably, we'd love if you could review it on goodreads, to get it higher in that sweet book nerd algo, or on the non-Amazon affiliated Story Graph. Remember it is both free on Youtube, and included in a Spotify Premium membership.

Planning and Preparing When You'd Rather Not Feb 26, 2024

REAL PODCAST STARTS AT ABOUT 07:00, everything before that is bullshit chat.

We talk you through how we like to plan out projects (or don't). Sit with us in a sort of ASMR, fly on the wall type way as we plan what we want to work on for the rest of the year.

We try to give our chaotic lives a loose structure. Which doesn't always work.

Expect: pros and cons of planning, what we think of ultra long term planning, how we choose projects to work on, finding our rhythm, and more rambles!

Guess what! We are offering two free, hour long masterclasses for anyone who's ever wanted to check out our live teaching. Sign up here.

Vulnerability over Comfort with Performance Coach Sion Cousins Feb 14, 2024

Today we have Creative, Performance Coach, Mentor and good friend Sion Cousins on the podcast.

An incredibly important episode for Creatives who have big dreams. In this episode we talk about what gets in the way between us and our goals. James gets his own mini coaching session, we talk about when I first started instagram, and lots lots more.

Our Rhode mics did not work (name dropping because I am pissed) so please bare with the audio!

Sions information:

You can work one on one with Sion, just email him and you can set up a free call!

Website: https://www.sondervail.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sondervail/

Artists need to learn to say NO, with Augustine Charles Jan 22, 2024

It's time to reclaim our creative power, and Augustine leads the way. An incredible conversation around putting up boundaries with gatekeepers and creative institutions, how to embrace your multi-disciplinary magic, and how to bring about all your creative dreams

Website: nfinitethreat.comCreative Mentorship page: nfinitethreat.com/creative-coachingCharlie and the Cloud Kingdom: https://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Adventures-Cloud-Kingdom-Adeventures/dp/B0BQ3WBD5Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MY3Q7HW4A9UE&keywords=charlie%27s+adventures+the+cloud+kingdom&qid=1673045241&sprefix=charlies+adventures+the+cloud+kingdom%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1Social Media: Instagram: @nfinitethreat
Other Link: Leenadria Books: https://cupcakepink.com/shop

How We Got A Publishing Deal With Penguin Jan 17, 2024

Today Amie and James detail the journey of getting a publishing deal! Who approached who? How did it feel? How long did it take? And much more.

Losing followers, cluttered desks, patience, and working together (Q&A) Jan 10, 2024

Thank you for all your questions! Today we have the first Q&A ep in a while.

We talk about Amie's experience losing 30,000 followers, our work spaces, how we balance being business partners and romantic partners, why James hasn't self-published his writing yet, and much more!

Apologies but I accidentally cut out the beginning of a question: "Why did you lose 30,000 followers." We stumbled a little bit over the first 10 seconds and I wanted to fix it up... but as you know, I have next to no experience editing an audio file! So I F'd it. Whoops!

Please excuse the new mics! Let James know if you have any tips for the Rode wireless IIs at support@amiemcnee.com.

The interview with amazing self-pubbed fantasy authors James wanted to share.

Our Live masterclass on January 13th

Are you Australian? We're doing a live masterclass in Sydney on the 27th of January!

Our Favourite Things of 2023 Dec 11, 2023

This topic is back after a break in 2022 for some reason...

We talk about all the "things" that brought us delight in 2023. TV shows, tech, books, and free things too!

If you like those rambly episodes where we overshare about our persona life, you'll enjoy this one.

Don't forget, you can get a free copy of Amie's Journaling Compendium when you sign up to our newsletter (where we also share random things we've been enjoying each week).

Artists Don't Have to be in Pain Dec 04, 2023

Today we're talking about the myth that artists need to be unhappy in order to create great art. Amie made a post on Instagram the other day which saw some hot debates in the comments! Join us as we unpack it.

Please check out Amie's latest video on Youtube: Impatient for creative success? Watch this video.

How to be an Artist on Social Media Nov 27, 2023

Amie's writing the description today because James burnt his hand on the oven. Today, we talk about being a creative on social media. We discuss the boundaries I have around it, how I try to keep a healthy relationship with being online, how I built my platform, and much more. We'll probably do more episodes on this, as it's a big topic and we have lots more to say. You can find a sample of Amie's audiobooks on her website along with links to spotify.

Our Top 5 Tips for Creatives Nov 25, 2023

We made lists! Join us as we discus our hastily thrown together lists of top 5 tips we would give to other creatives.

We also have a short section at the beginning where we discuss the state of podcasting and talk about how we see our own podcast, and specifically, what we think about ads on podcasts. If you aren't interested in that, you can skip to about 8 minute mark!

You can email James with you thoughts at support@amiemcnee.com

We have a Black Friday sale on our website! 40% off everything between Wednesday 22nd of November to Monday the 27th! Honestly, we are always super confused about when American based holidays are so apologise if those dates are weird...

Is Success Random? Nov 06, 2023

How much of success is predictable? Are there actions we can take to guarantee it? The answers? Not much and probably no. Creative fields are usually complex and involve too many variables to put any success down to definitive factors. That being said, there are some things we can to do better prepare for the randomness of life and our careers.

Join us as we try to talk through the complicated topic of randomness and what it means for creatives.

Topics discusses: black swans, the survivorship bias, the problems with predicting complex events, why publishing is a fairly low risk business (from a capitalist/business owner's perspective not a writer's), why randomness can be a good thing, embracing and preparing for randomness, and much more!

James was a little unhappy with his performance in this one so please let us know what you think (dm us on unpublished or leave a voice message through spotify)!

We send out a weekly email with what we've been reading, watching, thinking, and doing. It's really short, only a few hundred words. Even better, if you sign up to our newsletter you get a free copy of Amie's Journaling Compendium! Please join us here.

Publishing Industry Deep Dive with Seth Haddon Oct 30, 2023

We have the fantastic Seth Haddon back for the first ever repeat interview of the podcast!

Seth has come a long way since we spoke a year ago. He's been through the trenches of traditional publishing and is ready to share his insiders view with you! This one is interesting even for non-writers who want to understand what it's like to be a working artist who still isn't quite full-time but is on the way!

We discuss: the pressure of following up work that exceeded expectations, what it's like to be out on submission as an agented author, working on personal projects when you already have books under contract, the importance of social media to writers today, how we can push back against AI encroachment in the arts (including putting clauses in your contracts), and much more!

⁠Buy his latest book, Reborn.⁠ In the words of his viral Tiktok: Accidental marriage. Between two men. From warring countries. MAGIC. FATE. PAST LIVES!

If you like High-Fantasy with MM romance, Seth is the author for you. Please follow him on Instagram and tiktok where you can see how amazing he is at SELLING HIS ART!

You can also support him on Patreon where he shares behind the scenes content, writing snipets, updates, original art, as well as free writing samples.

Safely Increasing Your Output Oct 25, 2023

First of all, please enjoy the full, extended version of our new intro by the very talented Matilda Eyre. We talk a little bit about it at the end of the episode. Suffice to say, we love what Matilda has come up with and feel like it really captures the spirit of the show. Would love to hear what you think! Today we're talking about how to get more creative stuff done without feeling really tired! This is something we've both struggled with for a long time but have found some success with lately. We discuss, knowing your own rhythm and needs, why or why not you might want to increase your output, how annoying hustle culture is, and much more! We also give a big life update and talk about what we've been up to for the past month or so! Please support Matilda on Spotify and Youtube!

Self regulation, stagnation, and shyness. Sep 13, 2023

In another solo episode, Amie takes you through her notes app. What bizarre things has Amie jotted down in the past few months?

We look at what she's working on in therapy, self regulation, stagnation as a creative, notes for her books, feeling shy and much much weirder stuff.

Seth Godin on why Artists help solve the world's biggest problems Sep 06, 2023

Today is an unusual episode! James is on a sabbatical and Amie takes the wheel - will the mic quality be good? Who knows? Amie can't pay attention to those things, especially with one of her great creative idols, Seth Godin, on the pod. Amie came to this conversation with one question: Seth what would you say to creatives who feel like their art is frivolous and unneeded in a world full of pain? Seth, of course, has an answer that rings with so much truth and poignancy.

Progress Isn't Linear Aug 21, 2023

This is one of those episodes where we'll be working through an issue in real time. Join us as we try to understand how artists progress their skills, how long it might take to get better as an artist, plateaus, and why you're often progressing faster than you think.

Credit to James Clear for the concept of non-linear improvement (I can't remember if we actually name dropped him in the episode). We highly recommend his book, Atomic Habits.

Our Write Your F***ing Book course is on sale now! Don't forget, if you sign up before September 9th, you can submit any additional questions you have to us and we'll post our answer to the course page as a video.

Kitty and Al Tait Talk Pivoting, Baking and Ambition Aug 14, 2023

We are so excited to have recorded our first IN PERSON guest recording ever for today's episode. I want to give a little warning too about the sound. Since we only have two mics, we had to share! The audio might be a little choppy in places but I think it holds up.

We were so pleased to have father-daughter bakers, Kitty and Al Tait from the ORANGE BAKERY, around our kitchen table.

Kitty and Al are the authors of the award winning cookbook and memoir, Breadsong, where they not only share their amazing recipes, but also tell the incredibly moving story of how the creative act of baking completely changed their lives. Their story is so moving and I can't wait for you to hear them walk you through some of it in their own words.

We talk about: the life changing magic of baking, going into business with your Dad at 14, pivoting when something that is working on the surface isn't serving you, 20 year plans, and so much more!

I'm also very sorry it's such a short episode when we could have easily chatted to them for hours. They very generously gave us an hour and a half window, but I (James) ate up half of it talking about how good Australian coffee is before we started recording!

You can find Kitty on instagram and the Orange Bakery website here.

Why Do Successful Artists Seem Miserable? Jul 31, 2023

If you've ever wanted to hear Amie and James have an argument in podcast form, we have a treat for you! This podcast was inspired by a few podcasts and interviews with celebrities lately where they just seem to never be able to enjoy their success. We ask whether it's even possible for humans to enjoy their wins, or if we're doomed to always be chasing the next thing.

Our new course, Write Your F*cking Book is out on August 9th! You can check out the sales page now for more info.

The Books That Helped Us Build Our Business Jul 27, 2023

This is the non-fiction partner to our favourite fiction books episode!

We talk about reading to develop lateral thinking; changing your underlying assumptions about things; choosing books that will help you see the world in new ways; why we don't get much out of traditional "business" books; why we've been reading more fiction than non-fiction lately; and more!

Caroline Calloway on Writing in Gremlin Mode, Tasty Treats, and Finishing Novels Jul 18, 2023

We're interviewing writer, Instagram sensation, and famous "scammer" Caroline Calloway today on the pod.

If you don't know who Caroline is, there are barely enough words in a 5000 word article in the Cut to even begin to explain it to you. Amie will give you a little intro to her for the first few minutes of the pod (before the interview begins), so if you're already a Caroline Calloway scholar, feel free to skip to the 4 minute mark.

Regardless of your opinion on Caroline, there is so much to get from this conversation. We talk about running a creative business, the craft of writing, how we motivate ourselves to write (tasty treats!), finding the right level of rage to sustain your creativity, Caroline's incredible and unique approach to self-publishing her first book, and so much more!

This was maybe the most fun we've ever had in an interview. Amie and I both came away with ear-to-ear grins that we couldn't wipe off for days. There is so much value here for creatives. Caroline is often misunderstood and I hope this interview will help you see some of the method to what can seem like madness at times.

We loved Caroline's book, Scammer. It sucks you in and delights you from the first page. You can find the luxury first edition on Caroline's website.

Campbell Walker (aka Struthless) on Fearing Success and Working Through Creative Blocks Jul 10, 2023

We have the joy of interviewing, author, Youtuber, absolute legend, and receptacle of pure creative wisdom, Campbell Walker.

Topics include: how we self-sabotage when we get too close to success; how being a parent has made Cam a better creative; perfectionism; youtube; his experience writing a book and working with publishers (and the pressure of following up a successful book); his writing process; and much more!

Something I loved about this interview was Cam's curiosity about my and Amie's creative practice. We learnt a lot and you might find some of our answers to Cam's questions interesting too!

I highly recommend Cam's youtube channel. We've turned to it a lot for help on our creative journey. If you like Unpublished, you'll love Cam's videos.

You can find Cam's book, Your Head is a Houseboat: a Chaotic Guide to Mental Clarity, here. Check out the world's best reviewed goodreads page for it here.

And Cam's Instagram.

Our Favourite Modern Authors (and Why We Like Them) Jun 30, 2023

Today we're talking about authors we've enjoyed reading lately! This is not a ranked list or even an all time favourite author list. It's just a few people we've been liked recently! We go into why we like these authors, whether it matters if someone is a "good" writer (whatever that means), the joy of a great plot, how much we love a book with a strong "voice" and much more!

Stop Limiting Yourself to One Launch per Creation! Jun 15, 2023

Today we're discussing Amie's decision to relaunch her second novel 6 months after its initial release. Sub-topics include: how the concept of a single launch is driven by legacy institutions and gatekeepers; whether a "launch week" is important; strategies we're using to launch something a second time; the timelessness of your art; the benefits you might get from doing several launches rather than one (or how your ability to sell can improve with each launch of the same product); and more!

I was really late putting this up since we're still feeling a little out of routine with the move. Hopefully you all enjoy it!

We would love if you caused some trouble and bought Amie's book.

Should we Romanticise the Creative Process? May 25, 2023

Welcome back! We took a few weeks off while we moved country but excited to be back!

Today we're talking about whether it's possible to be too precious about our creative process or if we should be more workman-like when we attempt to make art.

Also see a life update and some ramblings on our move to England (a good 5 mins of this)!

NOTE: James is very conscious that, in this episode, he said Australia didn't have much history. This is, of course, incorrect. Australia has tens of thousands of years of history, most of which was erased by European settlers. What he meant was that we have very little visible history in our cities (due to colonisation).

Chat GPT: Friend or Foe? Apr 24, 2023

We have another Artificial Intelligence episode. We try to address some of the concerns artists have about AI like Midjourney and Chat GPT. We discuss the dark side but also try to talk about all the cool things that could potentially come from this weird explosion of machines that can seemingly think. Sub topics include:

- Why we will probably always want to know the HUMAN story behind art and how that gives humans an edge over algorithms.

- Whether or not it's cheating to use AI to support our artistic process.

- How artists might be able to use AI.

- The ethics of using AI that has been trained on the work of artists without paying them royalties.

- The importance of speaking openly about this topic and not letting fear rule the discourse.

- Possible regulations we could put on AI to help artists.

- Building the future society we want.

And more.

Disclaimer that Amie and I are not experts on this and this are are just a collection of our random thoughts. No one knows what the future and this is a crazy fast moving new technology. We expect to be wrong about almost everything here.

The wired article mentioned.

An interesting podcast with the CEO of open AI from the Lex Fridman Podcast that you might find interesting.

Creatives Don't Always Have to be Visible Apr 17, 2023

We're talking visibility, being seen, showing your face. The strengths and weaknesses. Why it's okay to get off social media, why great art can happen offline, whether it's possible to make money without socials, why you don't need to post everyday, and more!

Based on Amie's viral post (shared by Doja Cat no less!).

Backing Yourself, Optimism, and Self-Publishing Apr 11, 2023

QandA part 2! Thank you to everyone who listened to last week's episode and who interacted with me over at the Unpublished insta! I'm doing my best to respond to all Dms so if you want a chat, please come on over!

Questions this week are about: Self-publishing, the craft of writing, finding a workflow that works for you, building self-confidence, writing about trauma (incl. worries about triggering your readers), vision boards, returning to creative work after a long break, changing creative disciplines, writing about struggles and pessimism/ pity porn.

Q&A: Indie Revolution, Moving Countries, Our Books, and More Apr 02, 2023

We're answering questions from the members of the Inspired Collective (our membership program). We got so many great questions so we decided to make this part one of two!

Questions include:

What are your predictions for the indie creative scene in the next few years? How do you foresee traditional gatekeeping being further disrupted?

You interact and support so many creatives. What are the most common things that creatives seem to want answers/guidance on? And is it the "right" focus or are there themes you wish your community wanted to explore more?

Do you have any opinions (about creativity, the creative journey, etc.) or viewpoints that have changed in the last few years? What lead to that change and how did it impact your own journey?

You'll have seen a lot of creatives blossom and achieve their goals. Are there common traits or behaviour patterns you see amongst them that you think contribute to their growth? (Across creative disciplines)

For Amie: What's something you're particularly proud of or love about your latest published novel? Something maybe people haven't pointed out or commented on yet.

How do you think your move will effect your creativity/work - not just the positives, but also the potential negatives/challenges you might need to keep an eye on? & how do you hope to face them?

Do you have a recommendation on where to start? Should they be done simultaneously or separately? In a particular order to get the most benefit?

How is James' writing journey going, what is his intent for his finished books and his creative path, how he decided to abandon one novel, etc?

Enjoy!

Don't forget that Amie has FICTION you can buy. Witchy Book. Sexy-nuns Books.

Repairing Your Relationship with Achievement and Hustle Mar 26, 2023

Amie and James talk about the way hustle culture has ruined the way we look at accomplishment, painting it as an end in itself and a moral good where it should be a journey of self-discovery and joy. They discuss: their own fears about buying into hustle culture and how a reframe can help us to achieve the things we want to achieve in a more gentle, healthy way; the joy of achievement and doing hard things; the importance of protecting your energy and feeling safe; conversely, not letting safety hold you back from your goals, and much more!

Amie wanted me to link to the wonderful Amanda Jones' IG!

Lisa Olivera on Why Making Art is Great for the World Mar 12, 2023

Today Amie had the pleasure of interviewing the author of Already Enough, creator of Human Stuff on substack, and one of our instagram heroes, Lisa Olivera.

Topics Discussed by Lisa and Amie:

The magic of being introverted and quiet as a creative.

How to create when it feels like the world is burning

Why creativity and art is revolutionary

Creating when it isn't 'of value' to other people

How to promote your art when it feels really icky

And so much more.

You can find Lisa on instagram, substack, or her website where you can find links to buy her book!

How Much Work Do We Actually Do? Mar 05, 2023

Join us for a very casual conversation about our work life. We go through our past week and tell you what we did each day, why we might have done something or not done something, how we build rest into our week, why we don't work THAT much, and much more. This is one for those of you who like to just sit back and listen to friends chat. There isn't a huge amount to learn, just casual conversation. Let us know if you like these sorts of casual, chatty episodes and we might do more!

Is AI a Threat to Artists? Feb 19, 2023

In this episode, we prompt Chat GPT, an advanced chatbot, to ask us "What are ten surprising questions to ask a creative in an interview?". In the first half, we answer the bot's (scarily good) questions. Then, we discuss the ethics of AI art, whether or not we're scared of AI, how we as a society might prepare for more advanced forms of AI, and steps our society might take to protect artists from getting their work stolen algorithms.

You can sign up for the Art of Making Money course on Amie's website. Enrolments close 23rd Feb at 10pm AEDT.

Should We Pay Artists a Guaranteed Income with Morgan Grace Feb 12, 2023

We are thrilled to be interviewing Morgan Grace, poet, fantasy author, and recipient of one of Ireland's basic income for the arts grant. The grant guarantees Morgan and 2000 other artists 325 euro per week for three years, no strings attached.

We discuss the incredible feeling of being recognised and supported by our society, how a basic income has impacted her creative practice, the basic income for artists program generally, why artists are undervalued despite being incredibly important and whether a guaranteed income could be a solution, and much more! Stay to the end for an amazing poetry reading by Morgan that brought Amie to tears. Seriously, it's incredible!

You can find Morgan on Instagram and tiktok where she shares her amazing poetry and creative journey.

Her website is bymorgangrace.com where you can find a more extensive sample of her work.

How Not to Go Insane as a Full Time Content Creator with Millie Ford Feb 05, 2023

We are super excited to have Tiktok sensation Millie Ford on the pod this week!

We discuss: how to evolve and mature personally when your life is so public, perfectionism and procrastinating content creation when it's literally your job, having a safe place to make and share shitty art (+ how that can help your brand and creativity), taking advantage of inspiration, organising your day when you are responsible for your own schedule and much more!

You can Millie on Instagram and Tiktok

She has her own podcast, Out of Character with Millie Ford.

You Have Bad Taste in Art Jan 31, 2023

Did we get you with the title? We're trying to be catchier! Today we have a rambly episode about how varied everyone's taste in art is, why it's actually a good thing that not everyone will like your (or your favourite creative's) art, why you shouldn't be mean about art that you dislike (and how that will help your own art), James' problem with Goodreads, radical self compassion and much more!

Regrettably, I am About to Cause Trouble, preview Jan 23, 2023

Did you know Amie has a new book out? You can listen to the first chapter here on the podcast feed!

A bit about the book:

1535, Oxfordshire.
Lady Maude Shaftsberry has it all sorted. She will marry the well-connected lord, ascend the ranks of the Tudor court, and be mother to a small battalion of boys. But Maude has a secret that she carries everywhere: a birthmark that stretches over her stomach and between her legs. Is it a mark of fertility? Did her mother rub her pregnant belly too vigorously on the full moon? Or is it the sign of a witch?
Her new husband is certain it's the latter. Maude, faced with annulment and the nunnery, must make her own way.
The witches in town are the only ones who will give her refuge, but staying in the apothecary comes at a price. She must help and assist the witches. Surrounded by potions, star charts, a fairy, who appears to be a very large and handsome man who helps around the house, Maude begins to realise there is a strange and seductive power in being outcast.
Regrettably, I am About to Cause Trouble is a tale about being ostracised, and finding our power and family in unusual places.

You can get the links buy the book here.

Alchemizing grief, disappointment and anxiety into art with Leenadria Barros Jan 05, 2023

Today we have our good friend Leenadria on the pod. We have watched Lee's creative journey for several years now and are amazed by the mountain of amazing work she's produced in the last several months.

Lee has one of the most incredible stories of anyone we've had on the podcast. This conversation is wide ranging and so important. We talk about "deservitude" versus gratitude journaling (a great practice for anyone who finds gratitude journaling doesn't work for them), grief and illness, self-publishing, and much more.

Please check out Lee's amazing creations:

Brother's Day Out

The Deservitude Coloring Book

As well as Lee's website

Would You Rather Dec 12, 2022

We're playing a game of "would you rather"!

Questions include: Would you rather have one extremely successful project in your life OR lots of moderately successful ones; Would you want the ability to write perfect first drafts BUT the word poo will appear once every hundred pages in your final manuscript; Be the strongest person alive BUT you do a huge fart every time you lift something; and much more!

Creating Playfully and Taming Anxiety with Lily Sais Dec 05, 2022

We're honoured to welcome psychologist, anxiety coach and our favourite Tiktoker, Lily Sais, on the pod. Lily runs a successful online business coaching people to better manage anxiety, panic, and OCD. Amie credits Lily with helping her get a handle on her health anxiety.

In the podcast we talk about: why you should be on Tikitok, anxiety, running an online business, creating online courses, membership programs, how to help a partner who has health anxiety, and so much more. This is, I think, our longest ever episode of Unpublished so we hope you enjoy the extended run time!

If you're interested in Lily's Course "find your peace within", you can learn more about it here.

Lily also puts out tons of free educational content on her instagram and on her Tiktok.

Tending To Your Nervous System and Avoiding Burnout with Gauri Yardi Nov 27, 2022

Today we have writer, naturopath, and creative burnout coach, Gauri Yardi, on the podcast. As people prone to exhaustion and burnout, we found this chat invaluable. Where much of the conversation around burnout centres on purely psychological factors, Gauri takes a holistic approach. In our podcast we talk about Gauri's four pillars of nervous system care, how to listen to your body when it's telling you you're doing too much, the importance of bare minimums, proactive approaches to prevent burnout before it occurs, signs you might be working too hard or approaching burnout, and so much more.

If you liked this podcast, you will love Gauri's course "Re. Creation" — A self-paced masterclass for tired and burnt out creatives who want more energy to make the art they long to make. I have done the course and could not recommend it more highly. Even as people who write and talks about burnout regularly, we have learnt so much from Gauri. Please support her (and yourself).

You can find the course here

And Gauri's instagram here

The Person Who Taught Me How to Journal Nov 21, 2022

Amie chats with her mama Kath McNee. They discuss each other’s journaling practice, how to journal with your kids and how to support your parenting journey with journaling. They also discuss what it is was like to be a mama to Amie, and an exciting new book coming out soon.

Ranking Our Products by How Much Money They've Made Us Nov 09, 2022

James has compiled a list of all the products we offer and ranked them by how much money they've made us. In this ep, he reveals the list to Amie in order and they discuss why they think certain products may have done better than others.

This is basically a complete inventory of our entire business and the lessons we've learned from it.

Apologies if the audio is shit, we recorded the whole thing in the car with one mic! Thank you to Paul for salvaging what was pretty dodgy at times!

Also, merch is out! Click here to see what's available.

Action Creates Information Oct 31, 2022

This week we're talking about how simply acting on a project is the best way to learn, research, get better. Every time you post something, write something, paint something, record something, you are producing information that you can use to do it better the next time.

For us, business and art have always been about learning by acting.

Merch is available on wednesday 2nd of November! It will be for sale on Amie's website.

Selling Art Under Capitalism (and Other Random Topics). Oct 23, 2022

We have the first ever James solo episode today! I talk about whether I mind taking a "back seat" to Amie in the business, what it might mean to run an ethical business under capitalism, what I'm writing at the moment and what my plans are for my novels, how Amie and I give each other space while working in close proximity and much more!

I'm a little nervous about this one as I've never done anything like this before. Would love to know what you think? You can always message us @unpublished.podcast on instagram or email me at support@amiemncee.com

We'd also love to hear your suggestions for any phrases or ideas (from the podcast or Amie's IG) you'd love to see on a t-shirt, hat, beanie, hoodie, or cup when our merch store launches next month!

Should We Lie? Oct 17, 2022

This is a slightly off topic episode all about LYING. Amie is on a mission not to tell any lies until the end of 2022. Why is she doing this? What does James think about it? What does it have to do with our creative journey? Check it out!

What Do We Owe Our Audience? Oct 09, 2022

This episode is all about getting negative feedback online. We talk about some heating discussion (and some trolling) we've had to engage with in the past week. We also discuss the stress of trying to ensure everyone in your audience feels seen, rules for dealing with negative comments, how to disagree with people well, and much more!

I guess I should link to something otherwise I'm wasting this space...

Ummm... you should still buy our lovely guest Seth's Queer Fantasy Romance novel.

Also, PRETTY PLEASE, leave us a review if you haven't already.

Queer Fiction and Debut Novels with Seth Haddon Oct 03, 2022

Join us as we chat to Seth Haddon about his debut Queer Fantasy novel, Reforged. We talk about Seth's experience landing his first publishing contract while working full time, letting go of old projects, how Seth successfully built a social media following from scratch to drive interest in his novel and massively exceed his publisher's sales expectations and much more!

I might be biased but I LOVED Reforged and highly recommend you pick up a copy yourself if you enjoy either Fantasy or Romance novels!

A bit about Reforged:

Since time immemorial the warriors of the Paladin Order have harnessed arcane powers to protect their rulers. For Balen, who has given up his chance at love and fought his way to the top of the Paladin Order, there can be no greater honor than to serve his king. But when assassins annihilate the royal family, Balen suddenly finds himself sworn to serve the very man he abandoned.
Now with their nation threatened by enemies both within and outside the kingdom, Balen must fight hidden traitors and unnatural assassins, while also contending with the biting wit and dangerous charm of young King Zavrius. To save themselves and their nation they will have to put aside their past and reforge that trust they lost so long ago.
Can a vicious assassination and a plot to usurp the king bring a second chance at love?

You can find Seth here:

sethhaddon.com

Twitter: @sethhaddon

Insta: @sethhaddon

Tiktok: @authorsethhaddon

And here are the link if you'd like to buy Reforged:

Australia

America

Kindle

FaeCrate exclusive special edition

Support Seth on Patreon here.

Choosing the Easy Path Sep 26, 2022

This is more of an "insight into our business" episode. We debrief about our coaching tour of Europe. What were our highlights and low lights? How did we handle the logistics? Was it financially viable? Why we chose ease over higher profits. And maybe a larger than usual amount of random chit-chat!

And yeah, this is Season 6 now because... I don't know... it is!

Sex and Artistry with MJ Unleashed Aug 23, 2022

Join us in Denmark in the home of our friend MJ (@mjunleashed_) where we discuss showing up as sexual beings through our art. We talk about: whether putting sex in your art is just a way to "sell". How do show up online as a sexual being. What holds us back from expressing our sexy sides. And, most important, what if our mums see it!

MJ has her own podcast, The Journals of MJ Unleashed, where she shares the raw, vulnerable side of her journey as a musician. If you enjoy Unpublished, you'll love MJ's pod! And, with 134 episodes already, there's heaps for you to dive into from creative burnout, trauma, journaling, procrastination, and much more.

Creating Outside of Routine/Reflections from Europe Aug 21, 2022

We're coming to you today from Stockholm! We start with a travel update, talk to you about what we've been up to in Europe, how our in-person one-on-one coaching has been. Then, we move onto a discussion of why breaking routines can be great for our creative projects and how we've found creating outside of our normal routine. At least, I think. We recorded a week ago and I have only a hazy memory of any of this...

Hope you enjoy!

Creating Around Your Job Jul 18, 2022

We tell stories from when we were writing and trying to be creative around non-creative work. We give some advice and, as one recent reviewer put it, engage in "indulgent chit chat"!

Rate it or Hate it Jul 11, 2022

Today we're playing rate it or hate it! Listeners have written in with various topics and Amie are James say whether they rate (like) or hate it as well as why. There can be no middle ground! It's either rate or hate!

Topics include: Game of Thrones, capitalism, working on multiple projects, J.K. Rowling, extroverts, and several more!

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter!

The Apprenticeship Phase Jul 03, 2022

Do you need to take a step back and let yourself be a learner again? OR, have you been stuck in the learning phase and aren't letting yourself put your art out into the world. We talk about the advantages of both and how to tell which you need.

Creating Without Gatekeepers Jun 26, 2022

We're talking about how to build a creative career without gatekeepers (e.g. publishers, galleries, casting agents). This is about turning your creativity into a small business with YOU as the boss. We talk about some of the practicalities of how you might do this and give examples of creatives who're making careers without gatekeepers.

There's a 30% off sale on our website until 30th of June, 11:59pm AEST! Check it out here.

Discovering Your Creative Rhythm Jun 19, 2022

We talk about why it's so important to understand your own creative rhythm and work to it. This was a classic "ramble" episode. I've made a section on the podcast website where you can formally give us the ramble score for the episode. Submit your score here. While you're on the website, consider signing up for the newsletter! Click here. gd3zN3b2qW78yffpBtDb

Creatives Will Lead the Work Revolution Jun 05, 2022

We're talking about how, as creatives, we have the freedom to experiment and innovate not just in our art, but in our schedules, our rhythms, and the way we choose to work. Creatives have always been at the forefront here, the world is simply attempting to catch up with us. We can, if we choose, stand up and show the rest of the world that there are better ways to work.

Our Controversial Opinions May 29, 2022

This is mostly a joke episode but we try to bring most of our "controversial" opinions back to something that will be relevant to your creative life... From how clean your house should be, to the riskiness of starting a business, to why being childless is sort of a superpower. We hope you enjoy one of our weirder eps so far!

You can watch the recording of our podcast on Spotify or via Youtube.

Don't forget Amie's European tour is happening from July 28th to the end of August and there are still five spots available for her one on one sessions (as of this writing). You can book here.

Extracts From Our Journals May 23, 2022

Join us as we read and reflect on several entries from our journals. Some highlights are: entries from the early stages of our business where we're struggling with money, anxiety over our upcoming trip to Europe, cyclical old stories that are hard to shake, moments where we soothe and mother ourselves. Journaling has been transformative for both of us! We wanted to be vulnerable with you about how exactly we use it.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.

How To Make Good Business Decisions May 15, 2022

So, first up, trick title! It's almost impossible to follow a formula and simply arrive automatically at a good business decision. It also 100% applies to any of your creative projects. This episode is more about making sure you come up with ideas that are true to you, giving yourself time to rest and ideate, treating the ideation phase with the respect it deserves, and not being afraid of bad ideas. Is that right? We recorded four days ago and I'm sure I'm missing something!

If you're enjoying the pod, subscribe to our newsletter! I'm doing my best to respond to everyone when they reply to my emails and I'm really enjoying the conversations happening there. So if you want to chat with us about the episode, sign up to the mailing list and come talk! Sign up here

Also, don't forget the podcast is now available as a video on Youtube and Spotify!

If you want to listen to Naval Ravikant on the Tim Ferris Podcast, follow this, this, or this link (he's in three eps!)

Learn What You Can Control May 01, 2022

We talk about how much easier your creative journey becomes when you start to get an understanding of what you can and can't control. That means taking a moment to filter as much as you can through the lens of: controllable, not controllable. Just doing that sorting can help relieve stress and alleviate the sense of helplessness we can sometimes get when things don't go our way. This is a tool you can use to stay more process driven, not get rattled as much by setbacks, and generally enjoy your journey more. When I don't actively practice this, I feel way more out of alignment.

Don't forget that James will be sending out a newsletter every week reflecting on the podcast episode and giving you some life updates! You can sign up for it here.

As always, we sustain ourselves via the juicy succulence of your ratings and reviews!

A Conversation with Jay Kristoff Apr 25, 2022

This week, we interviewed the NYT bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicles and my favourite fantasy novel of last year, Empire of the Vampire, Jay Kristoff. We had so much fun interviewing Jay. It’s great to talk to a fellow Aussie and he was both extremely funny and wise. We discussed: transitioning from muggle job to writing full time (even though Jay's "muggle" job was as a creative in the ad industry, it's still a really interesting story); why writing and doing creative things is a worthwhile pursuit regardless of the end result; how Jay has had to learn to slow down after an intense first few years as a full time writer; why studying history is great for fantasy authors; and much more!

If you want to check out Jay's books (and I strongly recommend you do), you can find all the relevant links through his website. He also writes great YA novels with fellow Aussie writer Amie Kaufman.

Don't forget, we will be sending out a newsletter to accompany our podcasts starting this week. You can sign up here.

Lessons for Artists from a Crossfit Games Athlete with Natasha Kaz Apr 10, 2022

Today we have an awesome guest for you: two time Crossfit Games Team Athlete, owner of multiple businesses, actor, and head coach at our gym, Natasha Kaz. We talk with her about the similarities between elite sport, business, and creativity. Going back to being a beginner when you've already been an expert/master in another field. The importance of admitting to yourself that you want to be great at something. Talking to friends and family about your creative dreams when they already have an established idea of "who you are". The lessons that Tash took from sport and business that she now applies to acting. Seeking out embarrassment and rejection to inoculate yourself against fear of judgement. And much more!

We're really excited about this episode because we've been banging on for years about the intersection between sport and creativity and Tash is a living example of it!

You can checkout Tash's instagram here

There's Room For All Of Us — Why Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter Is Good For Artists Apr 04, 2022

This episode is largely a discussion of Fantasy Author Brandon Sanderson's incredibly successful ($40 million) kickstarter that finished recently. We talk about why other artists being mega successful is a good thing for us. Why we should be excited to see big names pursuing avenues usually used by indie artists. How there isn't a finite amount of money to go around each artistic industry and much more!

Don't forget you can now watch the video version of the podcast on Spotify and Youtube.

Thank you for being on this journey with us!

Artists Are Playing the Long Game Mar 27, 2022

Why is it so hard for non-artistic types to understand what we do? And why is it so hard to commit to a consistent creative practice? These two questions seem unrelated but they actually stem from the same issue: We are unable to conceptualise of sticking at something that we aren't making money at for 5+ years.

Let's grapple with this concept and learn how to use it to make us better artists!

Thank you so much for your support and your reviews.

A reminder that the Procrastination intensive is happening on the 2nd of April, 6 PM AEDT. You can find more about it here.

Coaching Session: On Feeling Hopeless Mar 20, 2022

James asks Amie to coach him through a rough patch as he starts receiving rejection letters for his second novel. They talk about how much rejection can hurt, why it's so painful trying to get people to notice our art, how hard it is to ask for help, and how to support yourself or loved ones when you're feeling hopeless.

Recording this episode helped me (James) so much. Thank you Unpublished community for giving me a place to talk through the struggles of being a creative!

If you'd like some coaching from Amie, don't forget she's running masterclasses on Social Media and Procrastination over the next few weeks. Details are on her website, or click here.

Also, we're releasing the full video of this episode on Spotify (might try for youtube?), so interested to see what you think if you end up watching it!

How Should We Respond to Failure? Mar 13, 2022

Let's talk about failure! We tell the story of a recent "failed" product launch and how they bounced back. We talk about the power of reframing, seeing mistakes as a guiding light, soothing ourselves through failure, treating adversity as a necessary step on the path.

This isn't about not feeling pain, or denying our reality, it's about giving you a tool that can help when things aren't going perfectly.

Amie is running two intensives in a few weeks' time. One on Social Media and one on Procrastination. We'd love to see your faces there.

As always, we love to read your reviews so thank you to everyone who's been saying nice stuff about us recently :)

Making Longterm Goals Feel Urgent Mar 07, 2022

We're talking about how to trick our brains into taking action on long term goals. Humans aren't great at working on big, abstract things with distant or ill-defined deadlines. So, we need to think of ways to make our brains think we are accomplishing something RIGHT NOW. That way, we can feel good about our work, start early, and generally have an easier time of things.

This ep a little rambly as we try to get our head around this concept. Thanks for being with us at our earliest stages of idea generation!

News of the week! We're running two online workshops on Social Media (27th March) and Procrastination (2nd April) respectively. Come join us (mostly Amie!) for two and a half hours of magic. Click here for more.

Your Business Questions Answered Feb 28, 2022

We're following up from last week's episode by answering your questions! How do we deal with taxes? Thing we wish we knew when starting our business. How do we handle variable cashflow? And much more. We also remind you that this is how we do things. Your business will be unique to you and you should always do what works for you!

Leave a review for the world's sweetest podcasters!

Running A Creative Business Feb 20, 2022

Amie and James take you through their path to "going pro". How did Amie first make money from her creativity? What were her early failures like and what was the shift Amie had to make to turn them into "success"? How do we decide what business decisions to make? How much do we put back into the business? What are our next steps.

We strongly reccomend you checkout Gauri Yardi (@gauri.yardi) and Tanja Ernst (@corpholia_design_studio) on instagram to see great examples of creators hitting home runs in the early stages of their creative businesses.

REVIEWS FOR US CUTIES PLS!

What If You Never "Make it"? Feb 13, 2022

In this episode Amie and James confront the idea of "making it". What does "making it" even mean? How is it different to success? How do we move through our self-doubt?

Amie's Journaling Compendium is now FREE when you sign up to her mailing list. You can join here.

Stop Quitting Before Things Get Easy Jan 31, 2022

Yes, we are super in favour of quitting things that don't serve you. But, sometimes we give up before we find flow and ease. This is especially true of a lot of the bullshit that surrounds a creative practice: websites, accounting, tech-shit, marketing. Thing is, those things all get easier over time. You're already doing the hard part, making art. If you can do that, you can handle all the peripherals! Come listen to us chat about this in the FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 5!

Did you know, you get Amie's first book, The Journaling Compendium, for free when you sign up to her mailing list? Join here.

ALSO, do you want show Joe Rogan who's boss? Well, if everyone reading this left a review, we reckon Joe Rogan would feel totally inferior. "Who are these upstarts getting so many reviews and why aren't those reviews MINE", he will say (probably). So you should defs leave a review!

Our Favourite Things of 2021 Dec 20, 2021

In our last podcast for the year (and for season 4), we talk about some of the things we've enjoyed most lately. From books to TV shows to tech, we try to come away from this weird year with a focus on the small joys derived from other people's art and creativity.

People and Creators we talked about in this episode

Books:

Jay Kristoff and his book the Empire of the Vampire.

Breath by James Nestor

Laziness does not exist by Devon Price

Social Media presences we have loved and learned from:

@laurahesp

@_peacefromwithin Lily

@hankgreen and the VLOG brothers youtube.

Podcasts:

MJ unleashed. - With Mary Jean.

Intentionally blank. - with Brandon Sanderson

Tim Ferris show

Artists

@copholia_design_dyufio - By Tanja

Taking up Space with Sharon Walters. Dec 06, 2021

In this episode Amie interviews Sharon Walters, @london_Artist1. Sharon is a London-based artist who creates hand-assembled collages celebrating black women. Within this episode Amie and Sharon talk about what it is like to unashamedly take up space as a creator. They cover many topics, including; social media, art education, resistance, failure and Sharon's unbelievable success this year in the art world.

If you want to follow Sharon and witness her incredible art you can find her here: https://www.londonartist1.com/

Apologies for the audio on this one. Zoom had a little bit of sound trouble but it's not too bad!

Should You Grit or Should You Quit? Nov 28, 2021

We return to one of our favourite topics: the power of quitting stuff! Many of us have adopted the story that quitting is always a failure. But how could this be true? If we never quit anything, we'd end up doing a whole stack of things that no longer have any value to us and wasting our time. We definitely need to push through hard things sometimes, but we also need to learn when something isn't serving us anymore and when to move on.

Remember, if you need encouragement to get through the challenges of your creative calling, Amie's paid podcast It's Time To Write, is here for you.

Raising Creative Children feat. Amie's dad! Nov 21, 2021

VERY SPECIAL GUEST EPISODE. On the pod today we have Amie's Dad—Steve, Etches, Thomas—a poet. We talk to him about raising a creative child like Amie; how best to encourage creativity in children; finding creativity in the day-to-day; growing up with adults who don't support creativity; getting back into art later in life, and much more!

We loved having Steve, Etches, Thomas, on the pod. He has been so wise, gentle, strong, calming, supportive to both of us and we want you to bask in some of his wonderfulness!

Also, stay to the end for a poetry reading :)

Putting Yourself Out There Nov 16, 2021

We talk about the difficulties of trying to connect with other people. Whether that's sending a DM asking to be on someone's podcast, or emailing a gatekeeper asking them to look at your work, this is something all creatives have to deal with and it can be really hard. How do we do this well and how do we stop ease some of the pain and discomfort that comes with the vulnerability?

Stop Waiting For Your Big Break Nov 07, 2021

Are you waiting around for you big break? Do you find it hard to celebrate the little steps on the path to your success? So do we! Let's chat about how we can reframe this conversation and celebrate the journey.

Don't forget Amie has a new paid podcast out, you can check it out here.

It's Time To Write preview Nov 01, 2021

In this episode, we talk about Amie's new paid podcast, It's Time To Write and then play you three sample episodes from it!

It's Time To Write is available through Amie's Website.

Why Is Art Important? Oct 24, 2021

We discuss the importance of art. Far from being frivolous, art forms our public conversations—our culture! Art is a sandbox for exploring ideas, big and small, intimate and worlds spanning. It can do things that an academic paper, an essay, an article, a documentary, or a non-fiction book can't. This is some of the most fun we've had on the podcast! Join us!

Everything about our private lives (Q&A4) Oct 18, 2021

Ever wanted to know how we met? What muggle jobs we've had? What are our fave video games are? This is the episode!

Amie's new paid podcast "It's time to write" will launch on the 29th of October! Keep your eyes peeled!

Stop Making Excuses For Wanting to be Creative Oct 10, 2021

In this ep we talk about the need many of us feel to defend our desire to create. "It's just a hobby", "I'm not very good anyway", "It's just an outlet". You don't need to make excuses. Creativity is an essential human desire.

At the same time, you don't need to expend energy convincing people who are committed to misunderstanding you. We talk about this delicate balance.

Amie's website: https://www.amiemcnee.com/

All Things Laziness with Dr Devon Price Oct 03, 2021

This is perhaps my favourite episode of the podcast ever! We had the privilege of interviewing social psychologist, writer, activist and professor, Dr Devon Price. They are the inspiration behind so many of Amie and my ideas around rest, laziness, and hustle culture. We talk about: the ways the "laziness lie" uniquely impacts creatives, balancing ambition and burnout, abolishing time, finding your own definition of success, the importance of meaningful engagement versus high but shallow follower counts, their new book, Unmasking Autism, and much more!

You'll also get to hear me in full "I've see a celebrity" mode for at least the first fifteen minutes. Not at all embarrassing... So enjoy that!

You can find Devon on instagram @drdevonprice

On medium at: devonprice.medium.com/

Their book, Laziness Does Not Exist is available to purchase at your preferred retailer (the audiobook is also great) and their upcoming book Unmasking Autism is available for pre-order.

Enjoy the ep!

Also, Amie's courses are all on sale until the 8th of October!

Do You Need a Big Social Media Following? Sep 26, 2021

Today we talk about minimum viable audiences. We discuss why follower counts don't mean much, why having a few devoted people in your corner is way better than having millions of fly-through followers, pricing your art, and much more. We also have a real chat about how difficult it can be when we finish a project and actually have to try to share it.

Come follow us on the unpublished instagram account.

WTF are NFTs and why should artists care? Sep 19, 2021

We talk to our friend Henry—a lawyer and expert in transformative technologies—about the weird and wonderful phenomenon of NFTs and digital art. If you've ever wanted to impress your friends with your incredible knowledge of words like "blockchain", "minting", "Proof of Stake", "fungible", this is the podcast for you! We talk about: what NFTs are, how to make them, whether they're a fad or here to stay, the environmental impact, criminal uses, valuing digital art.

Amie is there the whole way to ask the "silly questions" and keep the conversation grounded.

We try to get to grips with this new technology and have an honest conversation about what it means for artists. Our hope is that, by the end of the conversation, NFTs will lose their intimidation factor.

A bit more about Henry:

He Worked as a lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons, focusing predominantly in the areas of FinTech, blockchain, and big data. Recently finished his Masters in Political Philosophy at LSE where he focused on the political and ethical challenges of transformative technologies. Is soon to start a job with the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance working on a regulatory innovation project.

And, perhaps best of all, he runs his own legal shop called 'Nomadiq Legal' helping Australian creatives and entrepreneurs launch startups and side hustles.

You can look into his services here.

You Can Take Your Time Sep 09, 2021

There's no need to rush your creative journey. There's no place you need be RIGHT NOW. You are on the path. What are we talking about? Come see.

Come find us on insta: @unpublished.podcast

Fear Of Success part 2 Sep 02, 2021

We finish answering questions about success. Included: making our definition of success, how to protect ourselves from the physical stressors of success, making sure we are already planning how we will be good people when we become successful, the desire to stay safe in our stagnancy, and how addicted we can get to suffering.

The Rules Upheld By No One – Chapter One Aug 30, 2021

Amie reads you the first chapter of her new book, The Rules Upheld By No One. Enjoy!

If you like what you hear, the book is currently available on Amazon in all major regions.

Click here for US.

Click here for Australia.

Otherwise, simply google the book's title and it should point you to the correct store for you.

Also available through Barnes and Noble and soon to be available through Book Depository.

Amie's Writing Process Aug 26, 2021

James "interviews" Amie about her book The Rules Upheld By No One which is now available fro pre-order!

They talk: writing process, Amie's writing style, the difficulty of fitting our books into narrow genres, gatekeepers, and how much love all of our listeners. Amie also reads out the first page of her book! Stay tuned, we'll be releasing the whole first chapter as a podcast sometime soon.

You can buy Amie's book on amazon (soon to be on multiple other platforms).

Click here for the US

Cilck here for Australia

UK

Canada

You should be able to search your own country's amazon store for the book if you aren't in any of those places!

Fear Of Success Aug 19, 2021

Why do so many of us fear success? Amie and James expand on the conversation Amie had on her instagram stories about success. We respond to the polls and comments from those stories and dive into why success can seem scary and what we can do to help ourselves push through our fear.

Memoir Writing and Traditional Publishing with Rebekah Campbell Aug 11, 2021

We talk to debut author Rebekah Campbell about her recently released novel: 138 Dates. Amie and I are both massive fans of the book—an incredibly vulnerable, funny, moving, true account of Rebekah’s quest to find love by battling her way through dates with 138 different men. I (James who writes the descriptions) read this book in two days. Could not put it down! James met Rebekah in a writing course they did together, and in this podcast we explore her whole journey from first time author to publication with a major publishing house.

We talk: writing process, the challenge of sharing personal stories through out art, the pain of rejection (both in life and in creative industries), being kind to ourselves as creatives, and much more.

if you live in Australia, you can buy Rebekah’s book here.

If you live outside Australia, you can buy it (with free worldwide shipping) here.

Follow her on insta at: @rebekahcampbellwriter

A bit more about Rebekah:

Rebekah Campbell is the co-founder of Hey You, a mobile app used by more than one million Australians to order and pay at cafes. She has kept a blog about her experiences as an entrepreneur which was named ‘Best Business Blog’; by Smart Company and became a New York Times column in 2012. Rebekah writes a monthly opinion piece for AFR BOSS Magazine and has contributed to Mamamia, Women’s Agenda and Stuff. She is a high-profile public speaker who spoke at TEDx Sydney (2012) and numerous events for Business Chicks. Rebekah was named a Woman of Influence in 2015 and APEC Young Woman Innovator. She is currently the host and curator of the City of Sydney’s virtual event series ‘Reboot’ supporting 18,000 Sydney business owners to recover from the impact of COVID 19. Rebekah’s personal passion is her everything which she found at the end of this book.

Q and A # 3 Aug 05, 2021

New mic week!

We answer listener questions! Our numbers are usually lower on these episodes but I really recommend you listen. The questions we get are usually relevant to far more people than just the questioners. Think of it as a SUPER EPISODE.

This week we cover:

Is it ever too late to start creating?

When to know we’re done with projects.

How long we should spend planning projects.

Are we a real creative if we don’t want to quite our day job?

Creativity becoming fast fashion.

Crowdfunding.

What we like about the Enneagram system.

If you haven’t already, come and join us on our new instagram @unpublished.podcast

Do We Need To Be Cautious of Ambition? Jul 29, 2021

How are we supposed to be happy with what we have RIGHT NOW and still strive to be better/more succesful? Amie and James talk about why Ambition and contentment aren’t necessarily opposed to each other.

Amie’s Website: www.amiemcnee.com

James’ Website: www.jameswinestock.com

Should We Have Multiple Projects On The Go? Jul 22, 2021

So many people in this community don’t just do ONE thing. Does that go against the party line to “niche down”? Amie and James talk about why it doesn’t, how it can be a huge advantage for creatives to branch out, and some tips for making sure you still finish projects when you have several going at the same time.

If you want to support us, check out Amie’s website: www.amiemcnee.com

Amie’s Journey With Anxiety Jul 16, 2021

Amie shares the journey she’s been on with her mental health. She talks about her positive experience with medication, how journaling has helped, and how anxiety affected her creativity and ability to do business. James shares his perspective as a partner supporting her through it.

Amie’s journaling course: https://www.amiemcnee.com/journaling-course

Podcasting Could Be Your Creative Calling: An Interview with Sarah Werner Jul 08, 2021

We have an amazing guest for you today. Someone who has built a life as a full time creative outside the grasp of the gatekeepers as a podcaster and whose work we are massive fans of, Sarah Werner. We talk about how she got started with her podcasts, building multiple income streams as a creative, the day to day life of a full time creative, transitioning from muggle work to being a full time creative and so much more. Trust me, you want to listen to this one!

A bit more about Sarah: Sarah Rhea Werner is a professional writer and podcaster who loves to help creators find confidence and success. She is a contributor to Forbes and the creator of the Write Now podcast, which helps writers to find work/life balance while pursuing their creative passion. She is also the writer, creator, and executive producer of the hit audio drama Girl In Space. Sarah currently lives in the midwestern US with her partner Tim and two rescue cats.

And people can find her online at: https://www.sarahwerner.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahRheaWerner

Instagram: https://www.sarahwerner.com/

Do You Trust Yourself? Jul 01, 2021

We can’t build a sustainable creative practice without trusting ourselves a artists. Amie and James talk about how to build trust in ourselves as creatives so that we can show up regularly to our creative calling.

Treating Your Art as a Business Jun 24, 2021

Do you treat your art as if it were a business? You need to start treating this as an investment, just as someone starting a more traditional business would. Amie and James talk about the why and the how of doing it.

Insta accounts mentioned

Viv — @rust_creative

MJ — @mjunleashed_

Nanna — @_justnanna

Kay — @startupcreative

We have an EOFY sale on! 20% off store wide until midnight 30th June AEST!

Why Shitty Art Matters Jun 10, 2021

Amie and James clear up some of the confusion around the concept of “shitty art”. Does it mean we are meant to be bad creatives? Does it mean we can’t ever make good art? Well, no… in fact, it’s the key to making great art! This episode involves live listener questions.

You can support our podcast by purchasing something from Amie’s store: www.amiemcnee.com/shop

Structures and Routines for Creatives Jun 03, 2021

Amie and James talk about their new daily routine, why they decided more structure would help their creativity, and how people with a 9-5 can build a creative routine.

Coming Up With Ideas May 27, 2021

This week, Amie and James talk about the importance of taking time to slow down and think; the balance between thinking and acting; and what sort of activities we use to help our brains tick over.

Amie’s new course—her most comprehensive offering yet with guest appearances from James—is out now: https://www.amiemcnee.com/we-need-your-art-course

Q and A #2 May 12, 2021

We’ve so many great questions in the last few weeks that we thought it was time for another Q and A! Topics covered include: boundaries, imperfect workspaces, whether creativity is selfish in a world with so many problems, and more!

You’re Doing Product Launches Wrong May 05, 2021

Are you launching a product soon? Or did you launch recently and felt like your product flopped? Amie and James discuss what they’ve learned from eight product launches (including a massive flop) and talk about how to give your art the best chance of success.

Amie’s website: www.amiemcnee.com

Brooke Solis: Rest and Rebellion (Re-Release) Apr 29, 2021

We’re re-releasing this magical podcast after it fell off the catalogue in the website re-build. Brooke has taught us so much about rest and creative abundance. Listen to the magic!

You can find Brooke on insta @thebrookesolis

Learning How To Look After Yourself Apr 23, 2021

Amie and James talk about how to rest effectively; how to find what sort of rest works for you; and what good rest feels like.

Amie’s book on burnout is available on her website: amiemcnee.com

The Power of Quiet Creators Apr 16, 2021

This episode is for you the quiet artist, the slow artist, the artist who thrives on peace, the artist who does so much good work but unseen amongst all the BIG personalities. It’s a hug from us to you.

We forgot to mention it in the pod, but, Quiet by Susan Cain is a great follow up read!

Q and A #1 Apr 08, 2021

Amie and James answer listener questions including: how do you deal with lulls in business; how to pick and focus on one project; and when to quit your job and create full time PLUS several more.

Discovering Your Own Pace Mar 29, 2021

Let’s face it, the pace the world wants us to go at is fucked. Amie and James talk about how we can find our own rhythm; why your boss is an idiot; how the best way to be productive is often to do less; and the importance of recognising how different our energy levels are.

Amie’s website: www.amiemcnee.com

James’ website: www.jameswinestock.com

Comparison and Jealousy Live on Clubhouse Mar 19, 2021

Amie and James join Viv Kruckow of Rust Creative live on clubhouse to talk about the positive side of comparing ourselves to other artists.

If you want to be a part of the podcast, look out for links to our clubhouse chats on Amie’s instagram and find Amie on clubhouse, username: Amie Mcnee. We’ll hopefully do another one next week.

Why You Should Just Do The Bare Minimum Mar 04, 2021

Amie and James talk a lot about small goals. Here, they talk about a key metric you can use when setting those goals: the bare minimum. It’s a lifesaver that will help you create with energy and can actually help you create more in the long run.

Amie’s Website: amiemcnee.com

Ego And Creativity Feb 25, 2021

Amie and James are back for Season 4 to talk about times their egos have gotten in the way of their creativity. They discuss the good and bad of ego, and how to cope with the times where it needs to be soothed or curtailed.

Consistency: the Antidote to Hustle Feb 19, 2021

Perfectionism and Race: A Conversation with Talise Burton Feb 19, 2021

Why are these old epidodes suddenly appearing in your feed? When we re-did Amie’s website, we also had to change over our podcast feed. This meant we needed to re-upload every Unpublished episode. I (James) really couldn’t face the task at the time so I’m doing it now!

Getting Your Partner To Support Your Creative Journey Dec 18, 2020

In the last podcast for the year, Amie and James talk about how we can be in relationships that help support our art.

Creating Over The Holidays Dec 03, 2020

December and January can be challenging times for creatives. It’s tricky to find a good balance between rest and keeping momentum. We also often have to field difficult questions from family. Amie and James talk about how to keep momentum going and how to deal with unhelpful friends and relatives.

Does Creating Have To Be Fun? Nov 27, 2020

Is it okay to feel like creating is a bit of grind sometimes? Or should it always be like play?

Check out Amie’s new website: www.amiemcnee.com

If you’ve noticed some old eps disappear, it’s probably due to the website switch over. We’ll be working to put them all up over the next few weeks.

Comparison and Jealousy Nov 24, 2020

Do you compare yourself to other artists? Do you find yourself playing small because you think other people are “better”? Amie and James talk about how they approach comparison and how to use comparison to enhance your creative journey.

Amie’s Website: www.amiemcnee.com

James’ blog: www.jameswinestock.com

Can You Learn to Be More Creative? Nov 24, 2020

Amie and James talk about the importance of having a growth mindset as a creative. You are not stuck where you are now! You can grow and learn. Stop thinking about where your skill and craft are right now; start thinking about how you can grow.

This is also a good one for anyone who thinks they aren’t creative. We talk about why this isn’t true!

Do You Need To Be On Social Media? Nov 24, 2020

Our wonderful friend, writer and creative Aubrey Tate, joins us to talk all things Social Media. We look at questions like: Is it necessary for artists to have a social media presence? Should we quit social media? Are there upsides to being on socials?

It’s a wide ranging conversation that touches on business, mental health, and creativity.

A bit about Aubrey in her own words: My name is Aubrey. I’m currently based in the Portland, OR metro area. I am a writer of fiction and non-fiction, maker of things, deep thinker, and advocate for self love and mental health. I am on a mission to create a life of my own crafting and make art that speaks to my soul, while encouraging other artists to do what calls them (not what they are told).

Here’s where you can find Aubrey:

Website: artistoflife.net (this is brand new and she is adding features all the time).

Discord link: https://discord.gg/ZaMyxh6

Tips for NANOWRIMO Nov 24, 2020

NANOWRIMO is coming up in a couple of days. Amie and James are both taking part (with caveats). They share their tips for participating in a creative sprint and how to avoid some of the pitfalls involved.

Do You Need To Be Lucky To "Make It" As An Artist? Nov 24, 2020

Is creative success purely dependent on luck? It’s not an easy question to answer. Like everything in life, luck plays a part. In a sense, it’s luck that you’re reading this podcast description right now.

But we are living in an exciting time where there are more opportunities for artists than ever before. The internet makes Renaissance Florence look like a backwater.

In this episode, Amie and James discuss the delicate balance between luck and making our own opportunities.

www.amiemcnee.com

Consistency: the Antidote to Hustle Oct 08, 2020

We're re-uploading old episodes now that we've switched to Anchor. This is a bit of a test!

Still a great episode worth checking out!

When Your Projects Aren't On Track Oct 03, 2020

Got another old episode for you! Not even sure what this one is about, just got the title. I have no memory of recording it... Hey, don't look at me like that! You try and remember something you did for 15 minutes on a random date last year! Let me know what you think/what it's about.

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