Cold Email

Hey again from Cold Email!!!!!!! In this episode, we discuss the JUICIEST HATE we've received, the nature of online haters vs. IRL haters, Olive's fear of reading comments, and more! NYC influencer Codey James (instagram.com/codey___/) joins us to chat about the tension between video art and social content, his filmmaking practice, and how he deals with the bizarre, rude things people say anonymously. Also, hear Basia challenge Pitchfork to throw hands. Listen now!

P.S. We took a (much-needed and arguably well-deserved) break from cranking out the eps in our post-lockdown world. We're happy to be back today bringing you this unreleased one from 2022 & are stoked to bring you net-new shows soon.

Welcome back to Cold Email! After a much-needed break, we're here, and we’re answering YOUR questions. Basia and Olive discuss burnout, the useless things we learned in art school, ideal workspaces, and of course, the importance of taking breaks.

Is success as an artist determined by the number of likes you get on Instagram? Spoiler: NO!!!!!!! ❌ So, why does it feel that way? In this episode, we discuss the long-simmering trend of social companies pivoting from photo to video, debate if Instagram is dead, and attempt to figure out how to have fun online again. Amy Bravo @_amybravo_ & Bettina Makalintal @buttina speak to us about their relationships with social media and being “online,” comparing yourself to others, and the trap of reading your post metrics as successes and failures.

Bettina Makalintal: makalintal.com + @buttina on instagram + @bettinamak on twitter

Amy Bravo: amybravo.com + @_amybravo_ on instagram

Articles:

Did I do something to anger the Instagram algorithm? 

The Instagram We Loved Is Dead Why Instagram’s Creatives are Angry About Its Move to Video

* briefly mentioned: On The Internet, We’re Always Famous

Maintaining a work/life balance is wildly difficult, in no small part due to contemporary expectations of “the workplace,” as  well as largely-held societal ideals about how, when, & how often work happens. In the pandemic, the expectations and definitions of labor have become even more fraught. In this episode, we out ourselves as cultural Marxists (lol) and take a deep dive into the ethical rights and legal protections workers (including freelancers) are entitled to. We also remind ourselves why we shouldn’t take these rights for granted (see: “Ya gotta be alive in order to make work!”).

We went to the American Illustration Party!!!!! & we got to talk to some insightful people while we were there.

Interviews in order of appearance:

Julia Feingold: @j_feingold / juliafeingold.com

Griffin Reynolds: @griffinreynoldsart / griffinreynolds.art

Jane Demarest: @little.boy.blueeee / janedemarest.com

Maddy Price @coolfriendlyman / maddyprice.com

Joy Velasco: @joyfreudeart / joyvelasco.com

Robyn Phelps: @robyn_makes / robynphelps.com

Janelly Rodriguez: @jellyjanelly_ / janelly.myportfolio.com/

*** Huge thanks to Ella Lupo of Purple Rain Illustrators & Cold Email Alumni Alex Citrin for making it all possible.

Making ambitious work while operating under financial restrictions can be challenging, but YOU (yes you) can still accomplish a ton, even whilst working within a limited budget. We spoke with three very qualified creatives with very varied practices — Jennifer Xiao @jxiaoooo (illustrator & Cheeto-tiger maker), Sadie Dupuis of @wax.nine (a poetry journal & record label), and Manny Lemus of @citruscityy (a cassette tape label) — and heard about how they began & currently operate their projects in the absence of major funding. A few topics covered in these discussions include: the balance of investing money and time into your practice, managing finances, and how "doing it yourself" necessitates taking on a variety of day-to-day roles that extend outside of your """job description."""

This very spooky episode centers around “craft” — both as the idea of "skill," and as a way of creating that's said to conflict with design-centric thinking. We try to get to the bottom of what exactly craft is & we also try to settle the question of craft actually being at war with commercial design (?!). Joi Fulton (@thedaintyheart) & Adam Scheffler (@aimlessarrowembroidery) join us to discuss where craft intersects with design in their practices, the differences between digitally designing and physical making, the drama of niche craft communities, & more!