Blog
Articles on finishing self-generated work and building expertise-based creative businesses, with the Creative Engine, Ground Truth, and Capacity frameworks.
the autonomous creative
How to build a self-sustaining creative practice without forced-march “productivity” culture
Listen to the episode: “My goal isn’t to win the hours. I want to be present.” Shelley Evans When a “good career” starts to feel like a bad relationship, walking away is just the start. After you escape the grind, you realize the grind is YOU, and the work has just begun. Shelley and Matt share how crisis-mode and productivity hacks kept them reactive—and what changed when they chose a self‑sustaining creative practice over the fool’s gold of trying to do it all, all at once. In this open, honest discussion, we look at why mainstream productivity culture fails creative people—and what actually works instead. Shelley describes realizing her Hollywood career was akin to an “abusive spouse”. After she chose…
From designer to course creator (without a huge audience): Marie Poulin’s journey to Notion Mastery
Listen to the episode: “And so I thought, why don’t I just try? I’ll just make a course on this. What could possibly go wrong? And then, sure enough, my whole business took a very sharp left hand turn.” Marie poulin What happens when you follow your curiosity down an unexpected rabbit hole…and it leads to massive business success? Marie Poulin started as a freelance designer, but her obsession with systems thinking and digital organization evolved into something much bigger. In this candid conversation, she reveals how a side project teaching Notion exploded into a thriving business, and the hard choices and major pivots it took to get there. For anyone who’s ever wondered if their niche fascination could become…
How to find clients and build your audience without relying on social media, with Meg Casebolt
Listen to the episode: “With relationships, it’s not about numbers. It’s about depth.” Meg Casebolt What happens to your business when you take an extended break from social media? Will it fall apart? Wither on the vine? What if the answer is…not much? Meg Casebolt is an SEO expert and the founder of Love at First Search, an agency that helps online businesses get found in search results, and to turn new readers into leads, subscribers and sales. Meg’s business used to be super active on social media, until a few years ago when she took a 100-day social media break. Kind of by accident. That’s when Meg discovered that even though social media had been taking up a ton…
How to quit undercharging for your work, with Rauni Higson
Listen to the episode: What has been a game changer for me is flexibility because I love flexibility. But if you are responding to things that you don’t feel like you can actually say no to, then there isn’t flexibility. And what I’ve done now is design sort of big projects and it can all be turned off. So, I can take a break from it and do something else wholeheartedly, rather than always feeling like there’s not enough time. rauni higson Do you struggle to figure out how to price your work so that it’s actually profitable for you…and then to actually say that price out loud, without mumbling or undercutting yourself? Do you find yourself rushing to offer…
How to make more money without investing more time, with Samantha Clark
Listen to the episode: “The more I get into this, the more it strikes me that actually running a business isn’t that unfamiliar. The process is really creative. You just try something and then you see what happens. It’s an iterative process. It’s like writing a book. You don’t expect to get it right on the first draft.” Samantha clark Samantha Clark is an award-winning artist and lauded author who recently transitioned from an academic career to creative coaching. After a year of hitting her income goals and filling her roster with clients, Sam hit a revenue ceiling. Sam realized she needed to earn more—a lot more. Especially if she wanted to build up her savings and plan for retirement….
How to move from intention to action, with ADHD coach Emily Zilber
Listen to the episode: “We’re often taught as artists the myth that having the passion to do something should be enough, without taking a step back and saying, what tools do I need to actually move from intention to action?” Emily ZIlber If you have a brain that doesn’t work the way it seems like everyone else’s does, or at least the way people tell you it should, that can be challenging. But can it also be a source of strength. On this episode of the Autonomous Creative, we’re talking about neurodiversity and how to identify the tools you need to move from intention to action. I’m joined by Emily Zilber, a curator with twenty years of professional experience in…
How to end burnout and tap into creative flow, with Gabriela Pereira
Listen to the episode: “There were so many times where I would imagine that if I followed my passions enough, if I worked hard enough, if my work was good enough, somehow, you know, a fairy godmother would wave her magic wand and all the other things would fall into place…and they so don’t fall into place.” Gabriela Pereira Gabriela Pereira, my friend and the founder of DIY MFA, interviews me about creative flow. I share my strategies for building focus and reducing decision fatigue, and we do a major deep dive into one of my favorite topics: how to end the never-ending cycle of burnout and design a sustainable creative career. More from the episode About Gabriela Pereira Gabriela…