Working Class Creatives

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Part 2 of our interview with actor, author, podcaster, and all around bard Alyson Grauer. You can listen to part 1 of her interview here. Links Explore Warda at www.welcometowarda.com and check out the podcast at bit.ly/WardaPodcast. Personal website: http://www.dreamstobecome.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/WhimsyArtifice Episode Notes Understanding the fundamentals of story structure is vital to good RPG gamemastering. This can be learned through examination of the media we consume. Roleplaying games offer some of the purest immersive potential. This can help creatives learn to imbue their work with the same sort of quality. Tabletop roleplaying has really expanded the diversity of its core audience Warda is Drew and Alyson's current big project. It grew out of an impromptu worldbuilding conversation held while waiting in line for Disney World's Haunted Mansion. Alyson was reluctant at first but the conversation grew and blossomed and turned into the project's foundations. Two months later they ran a Fate RPG set in Warda, recording its audio. Alyson planned to take notes and write it up as a book later. The book wasn't working, and James D'Amato from One Shot asked them if they'd be interested in doing livestream gaming on their Twitch channel. They decided to start a new Warda campaign for the stream. They'd been streaming Curiosities every week since. It blew up in a way that they never expected. The audio from the Changes has been released as a podcast. Interactivity has been key to Warda's success, and is a powerful way to shape your creative efforts and engage with your fanbase. Drew and Alyson are moving to Florida, and have spent October wrapping up Warda with Glimpses, an anthology with different stories that bridge Winds of Change and Curiosities. Winds of Change will be released as a podcast when the patreon reaches the $300 milestone. They plan to recruit a new cast for further Warda podcasts in Florida. Final message: There's no one way, no single right way, to do anything. Give yourself permission to break out of your box.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Alyson Grauer is an author, actor, podcaster, and ukulele bard who has been based out of Chicago for the last decade or so, but is soon to relocate to Orlando, Florida. Her novel, “On The Isle of Sound and Wonder” was released in 2014, she has several published short stories, and has written pieces for a handful of RPGs and online publications over the years. She is an audiobook narrator, blogger, amateur photographer, and dreamer of big dreams. Her current project is an original fantasy world-turned-live stream-turned-actual play podcast, Warda: an Edwardian fantasy world of fey races, social intrigue, and class struggles. Warda is co-created between Alyson and her husband, GM/writer/actor Drew Mierzejewski. Links Explore Warda at www.welcometowarda.com and check out the podcast at bit.ly/WardaPodcast. Personal website: http://www.dreamstobecome.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/WhimsyArtifice Episode Notes I reviewed Alyson's novel On the Isle of Sound and Wonder in 2014. It's a great piece of Shakespearean steampunk fantasy fiction. She'd originally written it for National Novel Writing Month, and when the editors of an anthology she'd contributed to asked her if she had any novels to publish, she went with developing it for publication. Following that she suffered through a long period of imposter syndrome where nothing has felt like something she could work on. This June she broke out of that with a 45,000-word novel. It's important to cultivate a support system who will be objective and honest with their criticism. Her husband Drew is an excellent supportive creative partner. If you find someone who does work that you like, you will end up respecting their opinions more. Managing your priorities is a vital skill, not just for creatives, but for any adult. You can always go back to unfinished projects. They don't have expiration dates. Unfinished projects are not a waste of time. You learn from them. Self-care is important. Alyson didn't know anyone who was into role playing games until college. Her first experiences didn't go well because the established group didn't teach her anything about the game. A few years later she tried again and had an excellent time, but she didn't really get into it until she started dating Drew in 2014. She met former guest James D'Amato of the One Shot Podcast shortly after that. One of the highlights was the episode where they played Dogs in the Vineyard, a favorite of many listeners. Part 2 of Alyson's interview will air in two weeks. Some of the above are affiliate links. Ordering through them kicks a little money my way, helping to pay for this podcast's production and hosting. If you'd like to support it more substantially, I invite you to do so through my patreon.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Part 2 of our interview with Jon and Jef, the hosts of System Mastery. Listen to Part 1. System Mastery Podcast System Mastery on Patreon @systemmastery /r/systemmastery Notes When picking games to evaluate, Jef and Jon look for unique games with something fresh to discuss, regardless of actual quality. Strange is better than 'good' or 'bad.' Ambitious moves whether or not they work. Disconnects in thought between intention and implementation gives them a lot to talk about. One of Jef's favorites is when designers inject a lot of their own personal opinions inappropriately. Kevin Siembieda, creator of Rifts, is a sweet dude and fun to talk to. Jon has so many opinions on Herbert Hoover. Their next patreon goal will move Expounded Universe to a weekly show. Jon and Jef have been working with the author of Strike! to develop the Blimpleggers rpg. They are working with James D'Amato on a game where you build the rules as you go. They'd also like to grow the house brand with a few more San Diego nerd podcasts produced by other people. They'd like to do video content, but there are significant logistical obstacles to surmount. The ultimate goal of any podcast is to have a pig butler, and System Mastery is no different. Advice: Don't go into podcasting with any kind of monetary goal. Go into podcasting to produce quality content, and allow people to support you if they wish. Do it for the love of doing it. Find the community that wants what you've got. There's a lot of luck involved. One of the weirdest things to Jef is that people now consider them experts.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Jef and Jon are the hosts of System Mastery, a podcast dedicated to exploring the silly and sordid history of roleplaying games through the ages. In each episode, they pick a new strange old RPG to read, discuss, and more often than not, make fun of. Over the four years they've been doing this, they've branched out into movies, skits, live action roleplay, and most recently, making fun of Star Wars. Note: This is part 1 of a two part episode. Listen to part 2. System Mastery Podcast System Mastery on Patreon @systemmastery /r/systemmastery Notes System Mastery started when Jef approached Jon with the idea of doing a game review podcast in August of 2013. He was inspired by the movie review podcasts at the time. Jon had been considering doing youtube videos at the time. A lot of System Mastery's format choices come from a mixture of podcasts and YouTube inspirations. Both Jon and Jef consider themselves natural entertainers. Jon had previously tried to make it as a stand up comic, but gave it up because he doesn't like living in a van. Jeff's attributes his taking that step to become a podcaster to being entirely driven by whim. Jon and Jeff have been friends for over a decade. They started talking about Nintendo, and the rest is history. A lot of their comedic bits come from just friendly casual riffing between the two of them. One of them comes up with an idea, and the other is willing to roll with it. 75% of what they come up with is too weird to put into their shows. Jon and Jef don't work from notes or plan their podcasts out, but Jef takes notes as he reads the material they'll be discussing, to help him remember. Expounded Universe is an exception; the material requires it. Other than that they have a strong 'no research' policy. They recommend not listening to the episode about your favorite game first. Listen to something you can be more objective about. Once a year they get a listener who will form an intense vendetta against them for about a month. The community and their fanbase are overwhelmingly podcasting. There's very little competition within their podcast sphere. It's all very supportive. Their fans send them a lot of old and obscure games. They started their patreon to raise the $6/month to pay the show's hosting fees. By the end of the first month they were bringing in $50-60. They never expected System Mastery to take off the way it has, and find the experience humbling. After a few months of releasing episodes they announced their podcast on the Something Awful forums, RPG net, reddit, and EN World. System Mastery has joined with former guest James D'Amato's One Shot Network.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS John McClain is the owner and lead sound designer for The Dog and Pony Show, a boutique audio house in Las Vegas, Nevada. They specialize in creative audio for all media but tend to work heavily in sound design, composition and mixing for long form and indie film. He was the recording engineer on George Carlin's "More Napalm and Silly Putty" which won a Grammy in 2001 and they've recently been nominated for a regional Emmy for a TV series they mix called Outdoor Nevada. Links: jmacvo.com www.dogandponystudios.net Show Notes: John started as a post audio engineer in the 1980s in Detroit working on car commercials He's been working in Las Vegas for the last 20 years for clients including MGM resorts. More and more of John's time is spent networking and chasing leads as competition in his industry increases. The key to building a client base is to find common ground and establish a relationship. He performs as the lead in Paul Sating's first season of Subject: Found. He will have a role in season 2, and will be doing sound design for it. They were nominated for a Parsec award. He's also appeared on an episode of John Grills's podcast Creepy. John prefers recording his own sound to using prerecorded audio. If you want to start doing your own sound, just get a recorder and start recording sound. Pay more attention. Try and emulate high quality work. Include sound in a soundscape as it serves the story. It's the subtle details that draw you into the story. Gimlet's Homecoming is an audiodrama that impressed John with its sound design. Quality is only half the work; you have to market yourself. Set aside time to do so. If you want to commission work from Dog and Pony Show, contact them through the website They do foley, they do sound design for independent movies. Use them to outsource some of your production to focus on other aspects of your production. Complex sound design is an untapped niche in the audiobook world, especially when it comes to childrens' books. John recommends the Sure MV88 microphone. (Affiliate link) Always have your actors record at the highest resolution: 28 bit 48k

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Gordon Dymowski is a New Pulp writer whose work is published by Pro Se Productions, Airship 27 Productions, and Space Buggy Press. He's also a blogger for Chicago Now and I Hear of Sherlock, and runs the Chicago Doctor Who Meetup. Links Amazon Page Gordon Dymowski's Personal Page Follow Gordon on Facebook Pulpternative Hollywood Mystery The Crimson Badge at Last Ember Press Notes Gordon is a New Pulp writer. He has been featured in Legends of New Pulp, Tall Pulp, and Black Bat Mystery vol. 3 Pulp is turn of the century writing by authors such as Burroughs, Lovecraft, Howard, etc It's simple, direct, straightforward prose. New Pulp approaches the same style but avoids problematic tropes Media companies are hungry for intellectual properties suitable for tent-pole projects Moving to longer works has allowed Gordon to grow as a writer. Pulp forces the author to write efficiently. Gordon does a lot of freelance copywriting and blogging, forcing him to keep to a regimented schedule. Caring for a sick parent has also forced Gordon to be very flexible with his time. Being aware of and understanding your priorities is key to balancing life and work and art. Writing comics is fun but a different skill-set The challenge lies in knowing how much information to give the artist and how much freedom to give them There's a point where hustling becomes hiding Writers need to know what opportunities not to pursue, know their limits. You can only push yourself so far. When trying to promote yourself, your first outreach shouldn't be trying to sell your work. Build a relationship. Engage, and every so often post a link to your work as an afterthought. Author Sara Paretsky (@SaraParetsky) is an example of engagement done right. The key thing is to be genuine. Disclaimer: Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you enjoy Working Class Creatives and want to support the show, consider purchasing through them.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Robert Cudmore is a radio lecturer who specialises in audio drama. Formerly one half of the Audio Drama Production Podcast team with Matthew McLean, they recently handed the reins over to Fiona Thraille and Sarah Golding. He's starred in several Audio Dramas including Edict Zero, Hadron Gospel Hour, The Shadow of Lavenhan, and The Fiona Potts Interview. He's also the main character, podcaster Lee Powers, in `A Scottish Podcast.` Links Audiodrama Production Podcast A Scottish Podcast Show Notes For the first few years he was writing and acting, but for the last few years he's been mostly acting. Acting is easier, but he missing the writing Robert has a degree in radio, which helps him with the production side. His day job is that of a lecturer. He co-wrote Aftermath with former guest Matthew McLean inspired by their mutual love of the game Fallout 3 and the audiodrama We're Alive There's nothing wrong with fanfiction, but it's not conducive to the growth of the medium. Audiodrama has seen explosive growth in the last 3-4 years. Robert attributes this to the technology The older generation doesn't really know about podcasting Podcasting and modular content are the future More large companies are getting wise to content marketing and putting out audio drama To succeed monitarily, follow the rules of seriality and familiarity. Build a series, put out episodes regularly, build an audience. The Audio Drama Production Podcast was made to pass along information as Robert and Matthew learned it. Robert is a vocalist in a cover band on the side Professional competency is a pyramid as you grow in skill and opportunities become more limited. Persistence gives a remarkable edge. He attributes his success in part to the support of his wife's full time career. There are no permanent jobs in commercial radio. Matthew wrote the first season of A Scottish Podcast, and Robert will be more involved with the writing of season 2. People fall in love with characters.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS James D'Amato is the host of the ONE SHOT Podcast, co-founder of the ONE SHOT Network, and half of Paracosm press. Links: One Shot Podcast One Shot's Youtube Twitch One Shot Network's Patreon The Dungeon Dome Kickstarter Show Notes: James views his creative work as using tabletop roleplaying as a storytelling medium. It's harder to build an audience than it was 5 years ago, but the podcasting buy-in is lower. Marketing is one of the primary challenges. James learned about and fell in love with RPGs in college. James practiced stand-up comedy in high-school. Other comedians just seemed like sad tired old men, and that didn't look like it led to a good place. He took an improv class and saw that the instructors didn't seem unhappy. He moved to Chicago to improve improv, and was introduced to Earwolf's "Improv for Humans." He and his friend Alex decided to create a show of their own Podcasting doesn't require passing through a rigid system to book gigs, and allowed them to set their own schedule. They created the Overshare, which was picked up by Peaches and Hot Sauce Patrick O'Rourke approached James and asked him to create an Actual Play RPG podcast. James saw that most Actual Play shows were DnD focused, when gaming is so much broader. They came up with a format that allowed them to tour different game systems with a rotating cast of guests. Their focus on a broader game base and high caliber performances helped them take off quickly. Starting now would be more difficult as podcast quality has generally risen over the years. Everyone has their own path into how they do what they do, and directly following someone else's path isn't effective, but if you look to the successes of a lot of people, you can figure out how to make "you" work. One of the big factors in One Shot's success was Pat O'Rourke's focus on quality equipment. If you're dong an Actual Play podcast, have a microphone for each player to have a competitive footing. James recommends the Yeti Blue Pro. It offers both USB and XLR line options, and is thus upgradeable. The free software Audacity is a perfectly adequate piece of software for every level of podcasting. James believes that Twitch is the future of entertainment along with Netflix and HBO. The successful production companies cater to narrow niches. Podcasting is radio on demand, Twitch is the equivalent of live television. Twitch is where the money is going to be. Time is their biggest limitation; One Shot Podcast is a full time job, but Twitch is also a full time gig. You will soon see RPGs designed to operate within what opportunities Twitch provides. James's new project is the Dungeon Dome, his first attempt to really take advantage of the medium. It's a PvP gladiator game, and he's running a kickstarter to fund it. The story arises from the procedural stories generated by the interactions between the characters. Spectators will be able to impact the matches. Backers will have greater influence. They can create items and events that are featured in matches. High level donors will be able to co-create characters that will exist within the context of the game space. The key is that they are offering engagement rather than exclusivity. After Dungeon Dome's first season of 15 episodes, James will focus on game design and new narrative projects. The bulk of One Shot's income comes through Patreon Patreon is not a place to build an audience, it is a place to monetize the audience you already have. You need to have the actionable audience. This audience is going to be 5-10% of your total fans for podcasts, less than 1% for less engaging art forms. Give yourself the time to grow before deciding if you're a success or failure. Podcasts are higher engagement than other media. You spend an hour or so a week with the hosts in your ear. This creates an intensely intimate investment. You are acting on this good will. You don't need to treat it like a product, or a kickstarter. You are giving the people who think of you as a friend the opportunity to contribute to your existence. Don't let Patreon pressure you to the point where your life suffers. Successful milestones focus on how your life will improve, rather than potential future projects. Have faith in yourself as an artist, and never break yourself on a project. If something requires you to destroy your life, it's probably not worth it.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Natalie Santiago is a professional henna artist and Phd. candidate interested in the rhetoric of body art. Links Bodhi Tree Mendi Bodhi Tree Mendi on Facebook Show Notes Henna (or Mendi) is a natural dye made of Henna Leaf mixed up with water or lemon juice, essential oils, and sugar, and applied via cones to create intricate patterns on various parts of the body. Different skin complexions take henna applications to different degrees. Some people don't take them at all. Patterns must be adapted to suite the individual's body contours. Henna art involves a great deal of research and large communities of practitioners. Professional artists mix their own pastes, and this is what separates them from the hobbyists. Pattern books are sold and patterns can be replicated to internalize the nature of the art, but Natalie prefers to design her own, and has numerous sketchbooks full of potential patterns. She will do henna at street fests for up to 10 hours a day. Henna artists wear their own designs, including their mistakes. Henna stains the top layer of epidermis, and will slowly flake off as the skin exfoliates. Hands and feet typically stain for two weeks, on the legs stains stay for three weeks. Backs and stomachs sometimes don't take pigment because the skin may be too thin. Henna is more similar to tattoo than a lot of other forms of body art. Clients will often share emotional stories while being worked on. Historical records show that Henna originated as a practice among Christians, Muslims, and Hindi, until the Spanish Inquisition, when the Church wanted to discourage anything reminiscent of Islam. Henna grew in popularity with middle-eastern and Indian immigration in the 1980s. Body art can be a form of communication. Natalie started practicing Henna as a form of healing after an armed robbery, as a form of meditation to avoid fixating. Living in a college town with a large transient population gives Natalie great exposure to other cultural influences. She has a non-competitive cooperative business model.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Lainie Petersen is the bishop of a small, independent church and a full-time freelance writer and podcaster. She is a founding member of Hard Lens Media, a new media group based in the Chicago area.  Links www.lainiepetersen.com www.necessarystrivings.com www.hardlensmedia.com Show Notes Lainie was one of the first guests I considered when conceptualizing the podcast. She's day job is as a web content development freelancer, largely blogging and news aggregation. This day job allows her to pursue activities with her church and with Hard Lens media. She just started a blog called Necessary Strivings. Freelancers need to treat their day job as a business to develop skills and command higher rates. Lainie has been building her freelancing career since 2010. Creative professionals must accept their situations to get out of their predicaments. Your day job, if managed correctly, can be your liberation. You have skills that someone is willing to pay you for, and this is a noble thing. Being an employee does not train you to be a business owner. It's up to you to take it upon yourself to improve your skills. Understanding and aligning yourself with economic reality is important. You can have all the skills in the world but if no one is willing to pay you for them, you will be struggling. Set your goals, and don't feel like a sell out for trying to stay alive. When we set our rates we need to build into them everything we need to run our businesses effectively. Coursera is an excellent resource for freelancers looking to educate themselves. Respect your own schedule because nobody else will. Don't answer family and friends who text or message you during your work time. Protect it. Teach them to respect your work. Demand respect for your body's limitations and wear and tear when setting your prices and deadlines. Prior to the ACA the way insurance worked made it very difficult for the self-employed to start their own businesses. How Healthcare develops in the US will have an enormous effect on freelancers. Guaranteed Basic Income works, but is far off because of the politics of cruelty. Hard Lens Media are a group of people with backgrounds in media reporting on news from an independent perspective Have faith in your ability to grow and improve and change.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Joe Griffin’s work as a recording engineer, sound designer, and composer over the past 25 years encompasses a wide variety of media, including theatre, film, music, and advertising. He’s one of the founders of Toxic Bag Productions, which in 1996 pioneered the field of sound effects specifically designed for use in tabletop roleplaying. Links Griffin Sound Design Toxic Bag Productions The Toxic Bag Podcast @griffinsound on Twitter Donny Who Loved Bowling on Bandcamp Show Notes Joe's company Toxic Bag has been producing audio products for use with tabletop roleplaying games since the 90s. It grew out of their desire to add an audio element to their home Call of Cthulhu campaigns. Initially they intended to produce audio-enhanced scenarios, but chaosium didn't have the budget for it. They stripped away the scripting and actors and focused on sound effects. They put together their first CD, the 20th century, in 1996. They would sell these physical CDs at GenCon. Back in 1996 mp3 formats were terrible. After a few years doing sound for film and theatre, they got back into RPG sound effects but aren't doing CDs anymore. Convention sales are difficult to manage when you're selling digital files, but the modern internet provides more distribution options. Now they sell through DriveThruRPG. Toxic Bag creates their effects through foley and field recording rather than relying on commercial libraries. Their podcast started out as coldly promotional, but they revamped it to provide more content, including sketches, reviews, interviews, and parodies. Joe does the sound design, his partner Steve Baldwin does the writing. I have appeared on the Toxic Bag podcast with my Burning Brigid Media co-producer Kat O'Connor Joe's day job is in advertising as a recording engineer. His marketing wisdom: People don't like being sold to. Make it a conversation. Promotion is okay, but if all you're doing on twitter is marketing yourself, people will tune you out. Reveal who you are. Put yourself into it. You need to have a thick skin to put your work in front of people. Joe composes music for theatre and toxic bag projects. He performs as part of the experimental band Donny Who Loved Bowling Joe is doing sound design for John Klein's short film Limerence. The kickstarter was successful and they're moving into post-production.

Simon Whistler is a YouTuber who hosts 2 popular YouTube channels. He makes content that aims to both educate and inform on TodayIFoundOut and TopTenzNet. He also recently launched a third channel which focuses on global politics. Further, he also hosts a bi-weekly podcast where he interviews leading indie authors about their journey to success.  Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Links http://simonwhistler.com/ Follow @simonwhistler on Twitter TodayIFoundOut TopTenz The Rocking Self Publishing Podcast   Show Notes I had a co-host for this episode, in the form of the woodchipper outside my apartment. It makes periodic appearances throughout the interview. I've been on Simon's Rocking Self Publishing Podcast twice, episodes 37 and 154. He juggles multiple content-heavy projects by prioritizing his time carefully. After 150 or so RSP episodes he felt it was slowing down, and moved to a biweekly schedule. His youtube channels were picking up, so he focused on them, and produces 14 episodes a week. Building daily systems for himself keeps his workdays productive. Bringing other people into your creative process helps distribute the weight as well. Simon is always refining his process to be more effective and efficient. Google Sheets are his taskmaster. Each month he uses a new sheet that tracks each video's current production status. I use Trello as a production schedule. Simon started podcasting and YouTubing at about the same time. The podcast found a niche audience faster, but over time the YouTube channels have proven to have a broader potential audience. YouTube is a more competitive place and it took longer to gain a foothold. Standard advice often promotes finding a narrow niche over going broad, but if you break through as something broad the audience is far more vast. As you gain exposure to and an understanding of your chosen discipline's market, you get a feel for what "gaps" exist that you can fulfill for broad or niche topics. Simon was having difficulty finding work with his law degree in London due to the shaky economy. He found an opportunity through AIESEC to work with a grassroots organization in Sri Lanka, in their media department. While there he met his girlfriend. He returned with her to what was then the Czech Republic, and is now Czechia. He went to a meetup for the Tropical MBA podcast in Prauge, and was inspired by the connection between hard work and success. He gave up freelancing to focus on podcasting and youtube 12-14 hours a day. People often avoid discussing how hard they work to achieve their successes. The more content you can feed a consumer, the more they'll come back. People binge. Do what you can to get involved in the community of creators you can count on. When you work really hard and pursue something you really like, good things will happen. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Paul Sating is the creative force behind no-less than 4 audio dramas, including Subject: Found, Diary of a Madman, Atheist Apocalypse and a new one on the horizon, Family Portrait. An aspiring writer since he was 8 years old, Paul has a number of short stories he's self-published and he's also putting the finishing touches on his first novel. Links http://www.paulsating.com/ Subject: Found Diary of a Madman Atheist Apocalypse Support Paul on Patreon Follow @paulsating on Twitter Show Notes One of the auidodrama's draws is the creative collaboration and supportive community. Paul started out without knowing anything, and hearing problems from his time in the military. The barrier for entry in audiodrama is very low with the tools and support available. Subject: Found was born from Paul's interest in American Horror Story's structure, which helps it stay fresh in with his tendency to get bored with long-term projects. Bigfoot happens to be the story's hook, but it's ultimately character-driven. Future seasons will focus on different monsters. The beauty of storytelling is that two authors can take the same basic story and write entirely different stories. Writing is a tough job, but ultimately satisfying. Paul went years without writing anything while in the military. We do a disservice to ourselves as writers by not talking about the business realities. Paul wishes someone had told himself at 18 that he didn't have to pursue the obligations he is now divesting himself from. Discipline and dedication allow Paul to be a writer, father, etc. while running multiple audiodrama production. Most creative professionals are accessible if you need advice or assistance. Learn from them. They tend to be friendly and approachable. Find these communities. The Audiodrama Production Podcast and its Facebook community are endlessly useful. Atheist Apocalypse is a satirical podcast that was Paul's first; he learned a lot about what not to do in audio drama. It's a little exhausting to stay abreast of current events and news, and this limits its shelf-life. Diary of a Madman was developed as something Paul could handle entirely on his own without feeling overwhelmed. The concept was 3-5 minute diary entries to teach himself production. It gets very polarized reactions; it's either loved or hated. As a creative, being able to reach people on an emotional level is so cool. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable when we share our art, because we are sharing a part of ourselves. Waking up to a good reaction on social media is the best way to start your day. Paul is working on a novel that's a spin off to Atheist Apocalypse. He loves being able to create associated products from his work. It's a horror prequel to the story. His recommendation is to only have one Patreon even if you have multiple shows. If you have questions, Paul would love to hear from you, so reach out. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Bill Bullock is a comedian. He is a comedian based in Chicago. That's pretty much what you need to know about him, right?  Links http://billbullockisacomedian.com/ Follow @BillRBullock on Twitter Show Notes Bill compares the situation with his last day job to the movie Office Space. After finding an agent, he came to the understanding that he didn't care about the job, and that brought him a degree of serenity. He acquired an voice acting agent with NV Talent after a booking at the Laugh Factory; she was impressed with his performance and offered to represent him. He had contacted them seeking representation in the past, but did not get any response. He's further certain that they were not in the club looking for him specifically. You have to be ready for those opportunities as they arise. It's important to stay healthy; it's easy to fall into bad habits and neglect self-care. The creative community is rife with un-diagnosed mental health issues; everyone can benefit from therapy. If you avoid help or medication because you feel it would dull your edge, that is your issue manifesting to work against you Maintaining a dual life is incredibly stressful. "Yes you can" just quit, if  job is a means to an end and it's making you crazy, you need to leave. Realize how your mood affects everyone around you The creative path is ill advised. Don't do it if you don't have to. It may not make you happy, but it may keep you sane. Getting on stage and doing it isn't bravery after the first time. After that it becomes a compulsion. People don't get the day to day nature of the creative career. They only see the result. Open mic nights are not the same as professional comedy; go see a real show. Just google for shows in your area His current show is Links Hall Presents: It's Happening at the Constellation Theatre. He's emceeing a variety show that offers a broad spectrum of entertainment. Admission is free, donations are appreciated. Check it out if you're in Chicago. There is room for all kinds of voices in standup. Don't be a dick. You need to be sincere. You're not going to find instant fame, and if you go in with realistic expectations you'll be okay. Keep at it. Things will happen. Bill has performed the roles of Parker in the Synesthesia Theatre adaptation of Iron Horses Can't Be Broken, and multiple roles in the adaptation of Cold Reboot, which he also helped co-produce. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS C.J. Julianus is a veteran actor, speaker, and theatre director, a tireless champion and performer's advocate dripping with altruism and self-deprecation. Show Notes I've personally worked with CJ on multiple projects, and have learned a lot from the experience. Give a listen, and you will too. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.  

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Leslie Kung was born in the 80’s, a child of immigrants. She survived speech delay as a child, Sensory Integration Disorder, the Chicago public school system, growing up Asian in America, the upheaval and reinvention of college (earning a dual bachelor’s of English and Philosophy), the traumatic birth of her first child, domestic violence and PTSD. She writes a variety of fiction, all enriched with cultural, social and experiential depth drawn from lived experience. She resides in Iowa with three small humans, two leopard geckos, and a mysteriously self sustaining tank of guppies. Links Leslie's Patreon Read her works in progress, support her here Click Here to go to the first chapter of her serial Follow Leslie Kung on Facebook Show Notes Author Leslie Kung shares with us her story as an author and single mother trying to make it as a creative professional. You'll have to forgive me if the audio is a little wonky; there was a little bit of lag on the call, but I patched it up as well as I could. Leslie is a single mother, and writing is currently her sole income. She releases science fiction and fantasy stories through her patreon. Last year she published a short, "At Long Last," in the anthology Story of a Kiss. She was not a romance writer, but knew someone who was putting the anthology together and took advantage of the opportunity. The most difficult part of being an author as a single-mother is that there is little time to work, and the difficulty of building creative momentum with the constant interruptions. The patreon serial format works well for this. A large part of the author's job is the organic process of self-promotion. Leslie tells us about how Sensory Integration Disorder shaped her growth into books and writing as a child. Speech delay meant she didn't communicate much, but she had a rich inner life, and reading written dialog was a way she could process interaction visually. She wanted to write things that moved people. In 2017 she wants to take the Twinborn serial and rewrite them as a cohesive series grouped by character viewpoints. She has shifted in view from wanting to write as doorstoppers to more manageable sized books. She submits writing to open submission calls. Check out Elm Books, they're just getting started and are looking for writing. She has found tremendous value in her local writing group, the Ceder Room, an extension of the Iowa Writer's House. Creative careers may be the only way some people can work around their situations to provide for their families. There is hope. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Ruth Kaufman is the Amazon bestselling author of the Wars of the Roses Brides trilogy (At His Command, Follow Your Heart and The Bride Tournament) and My Once and Future Love. Accolades include 2016 Booksellers Best Award Best Historical and Best First Book winner and Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award winner. An actor, storyteller and speaker with an M.S. and J.D, Ruth's credits include independent feature films, web series, pilots, national TV commercials and hundreds of voice-over projects. Links  www.ruthtalks.com www.ruthkaufman.com http://rjkaufman.blogspot.com/ Show Notes We launch Working Class Creatives with an interview of author and actor Ruth Kaufman. I've had the pleasure of working with Ruth on several audiodrama projects, including the production of Synesthesia Theatre's Cold Reboot, where she put her excellent vocal skills to work recording the majority of artificial intelligence-delivered lines. It was a joy to have her as my first guest, and I look forward to working with her again in the future. Versatility brings creative professionals more work and more opportunity.  Ruth's career is 50% acting and 50% writing. The acting is split evenly between voice acting and live action. Ruth prefers live auditions to self taped audition; self-taping provides more scheduling freedom, but live auditions allow you build relationships and get feedback. She does not have a day job. A run of slow weeks makes it hard to sustain the process; you have to be self-driven to keep getting things done. Self confidence is important, but you need to have faith that other people will believe in your work. These are elements you do not control. Changes in Amazon's Select program have made marketing books more difficult. Reviews are also harder to come by. There are a lot of marketing choices that need to be made and evaluated every day. Self-driven creatives don't have anyone else to rely on, and ultimately are responsible for all these choices. Theatre experience is valued by casting directors, but does not itself bring in much money. Most people don't understand the nature of voiceover acting. There's more than commercials: e-learning, phone prompt work, etc. Vocal skill and quality is less important than personal discipline to find work and get clients, and being able to read the clients to deliver the copy they way they want. Cartoon voice acting is mostly done on-site in Los Angeles; very little is remote work. Before quitting your day job, use that job's money to prepare yourself taking classes and covering marketing costs. You will be competing with people who are already established. I have worked with her on several occasions; she voiced the main artificial intelligence in Synesthesia Theatre's second season story Cold Reboot and in the standalone Simple Harmonic Motion. She was cast in the unproduced web series Sleep Study. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.