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Latest Episodes:

Is Success Random? Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

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James was a little unhappy with his performance in this one so please let us know what you think (dm us on unpublished or leave a voice message through spotify)!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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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.

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