How paper sketchbooks help you think in creative ways that screens simply can't.

PLUS: Why six months of sketching literally changes how you see!

...with special guest Roland Allen, author of The Notebook: A History Of Thinking On Paper.

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00:00 Episode Start

03:15 Why We Don't Love Our Devices

03:45 How Paper Helps Us Think

08:39 Why Is The "Blank Page" Inspiring?

13:02 Fascination With Process

14:32 "Easy To Get Right, Hard To Get Wrong..."

16:22 How Paper Empowers Artists

23:36 The Problem Of Impermanence

25:24 How Sketchbooks Change Your Brain

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc.

Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support.

How and why illustrator Amanda "Din" Duarte (Disney Lorcana, Ubisoft, Blizzard) left her solo freelance career to form a virtual studio that now employs over 40 creative professionals.

PLUS: Burn out or burn it all down?

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00:00 Episode Start

08:52 Freelancing Vs. Running A Studio

10:26 "The Fear Of Failing Everyone"

13:25 Knowing When To Pivot

17:00 Finding The Right Artist For The Job

21:52 Best/ Worst Advice

26:41 Who Is Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

27:26 The Magic Feather

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc. Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support.

Thank you for listening!

Procreate's Kyle Webster, the Internet's favorite digital art brush builder, on why brush choice matters more than many artists realize.

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00:00 Episode Start

02:40  Why Brushes Matter At Studios

08:45 Why Brushes Matter For Beginners

09:27 Why You Should "Audition" Your Digital Art Brushes

10:55 Why Brushes Matter for Artistic Style

13:45 Why Brushes Matter To Kyle

15:44 How Brushes Inspire New Styles

18:09 Why Brushes Matter for Workflow

21:04 Why Brushes Matter for Speed

21:55 Best/ Worst Advice

26:51 Who's Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

28:49 The Magic Feather

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Shawn Pryor, author of over sixty published books and graphic novels (most for all ages), offers insights on outlining, working with artists and the essential role of conflict in story development.

01:55 An Expansive Bibliography

03:09 Finding Something To Say

04:37 The "Conflict List"

07:17 Developing The Outline

11:32 Placing The Act Breaks

13:56 The First Draft Transition

15:27 Working With Artists

21:00 Common Problems With Comic Scripts

22:09 When Is A Script Finished?

23:59 Best/ Worst Advice

25:44 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?

26:06 The Magic Feather

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Subscribe to You're A Better Artist Than You Think: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Get FREE digital art brushes every month for a year when you join The Magic Box Brush Club at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Connect with Shawn: https://ShawnPryor.com

KM Weiland, author of "Creating Character Arcs" and "Structuring Your Novel" reveals how to solve plot problems using "chiastic" or "mirrored" story structure.

Plus: Understanding "The Thematic Lie" and building the most important structural "beat" in storytelling!

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00:00 Episode Start
02:15 Introduction To "Mirrored" Storytelling
03:04 The Hook And Resolution
03:37 The "Normal" World & The "New" World
05:13 Mirrored Story Structure in "Toy Story"
06:40 Join The Magic Box Brush Club
07:06 How Act Breaks Mirror Each Other
10:25 The Thematic Lie
15:47 The Midpoint As A Mirror
28:51 Solving Story Problems With "Mirrored" Structure
31:07 Structural Timing
34:46 Why Story Structure Matters
40:30 Making Story Structure Your Own
42:59 Best/ Worst Advice
44:46 What Was Your Personal Midpoint As An Artist?
48:19 Mindset Shift
51:34 The Magic Feather
57:14 End Credits

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SPOILER WARNING: This conversation contains major spoilers for Toy Story and minor spoilers for The Godfather and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Find KM Weiland's books and blog at http://HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com and learn more about our mentorship program The Clockwork Heart at http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

In this episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think: Why "time management" so rarely works for artists and four tips for a more effective solution.

As creative people, we care a lot about time because our projects require so much of it. Furthermore, many, if not most of us want to spend more time working on our creative projects, not less. Even when we're successful in implementing "time management" strategies, the strategies themselves are not.

That's because "time management," as it's commonly understood, is not the solution, but rather, priority management. With these four priority management tips, you'll learn how to give your best energy to what matters most in your creative life.

00:00 Intro/ Theme Music

00:17 Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

00:56 Get Free Digital Art Brushes Every Month!

01:24 Give Your Best To Your Project

16:48 Tip #1: Make Early Easier

18:30 Tip #2: Plan For Smooth Transitions

29:16 Tip #3: Optimize Your Workspace

43:26 Tip #4: End With Preparation

Get new digital art brushes with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Victoria Ying, animation visual development artist (Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6) and comics creator (City Of Secrets, Harvey winner Hungry Ghost) joins for today's episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think!

Learn how to avoid overwhelm, burnout and art-related injuries, set realistic deadlines and push through the boredom when attempting ambitious, creative projects.

Plus: Why routines aren't for everyone...

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00:00 Episode Start
00:22 Tip #1: Start Small
04:04 Tip #2: Accept The Boredom
06:41 Tip #3: Know Your Timelines
09:25 Tip #4: Practice Finishing
11:11 Tip #5: Routines Aren't For Everyone:
14:21 Tip #6: Find The Friction
16:17 Tip #7: Work With What Ya' Got
17:44 Tip #8: Break Down Deadlines
19:27 Tip #9: Mind Your Body
21:56 Tip #10: The Longer The Project, The More Opportunity For Setbacks
27:32 Tip #11: Just Get To The End
28:36 Tip #12: Find Your People
32:42 Best/ Worst Advice:
34:16 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?
34:46 The Magic Feather:
36:09 Read/Watch/Play/Listen

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

The Jim Henson Company Archives' Director and Historian Karen Falk offers insights into Jim's creative process, his collaborative style of leadership and the evolution of his characters.

If you're listening on one of the audio-only platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I do want to encourage you to check out the video version on our YouTube channel where we'll feature images from the new edition of Karen's book titled "Jim Henson's: Imagination Illustrated" as well as photos and video clips from my visits to various Henson exhibits.

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00:00 Intro

00:11 Theme Music

00:35 Interview Begins

00:58 Jim Henson's Imagination Illustrated

03:19 More Than Muppets

06:02 Jim's Personal Touch

07:13 Jim's Fearlessness

08:32 Jim Henson The Character Designer

09:20 From 2D To 3D

10:30 A More Professional Finish

13:12 Jim Henson's Character Designers

14:27 Jim Henson The Director

16:14 Controlled Chaos

17:04 Joining The Jim Henson Company

18:22 Jim's Red Book Blog

20:35 Puppet Preservation

22:06 The Museum Partners

26:47 Character Design Evolution

30:30 The Historical Record

31:40 The Jim Henson Legacy

35:11 Karen's Unique Perspective

38:06 Credits

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com