Monday Meeting

In this week's episode, host Jen Van Horn speaks with Will Colón and Kathryn Taccone of Open Pixel Studios about navigating the current industry landscape, content strategy for 2026, and staying grounded as creative business owners.

This episode covers:

• Two years of nomadic living: Will and Kathryn spent two years traveling the U.S. after their lease ended, bookending the journey between two Camp MoGraph events, and using the remote nature of their work to make it possible.
• Economic uncertainty and the pivot to climate work: The slow market of the past couple years prompted Open Pixel Studios to launch Evident Narrative Lab (ENL), a climate-focused branch of their company — but the loss of EPA funding forced a sharp pivot back to their core work. ENL continues to look internationally for opportunities, including an upcoming speaking engagement at the Okinawa Institute of Technology.
• Cautious optimism for 2026: Kathryn noted that while there's no "new normal," client activity is picking up and she's excited about evolving into more of a strategy consulting role rather than purely execution-based work.
• Managing the news cycle: Will and community members discussed the importance of intentionally limiting news consumption — not to disengage entirely, but to protect creative energy and focus efforts where they can actually make an impact.
• Short-form vs. long-form content strategy: Open Pixel Studios shifted from a traditional podcast to short, standalone video answers optimized for social platforms, using Adobe Express to schedule and batch posts. The approach has strengthened their voice, re-engaged past clients, and reduced the friction of getting to a discovery call.
• Tiered pricing and stylistic constraints on the website: Will shared how publishing a visual pricing page organized into 3 categories and 9 tiers has shifted early client conversations from "how do I do X?" to "I want to do X" — creating a better starting point for negotiation and reducing the sales lift.
• AI as a liability without proper guidance: Community members shared real-world examples of AI-generated work creating costly production problems — from packaging that couldn't be manufactured as designed, to AI video shots requiring extensive VFX fixes. The consensus: studios that educate clients on where AI helps vs. hurts position themselves as strategic partners, not just vendors.
• Finding community as a survival strategy: Kathryn emphasized the importance of building multiple community networks — professional, advocacy-based, and personal — as a way to stay grounded and resilient heading into an uncertain year.

Upcoming Events/Schedule:

• Next week: Open discussion or themed discussion — details TBD
• Game night date TBD — Gartic Phone session being planned once scheduling aligns

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠

• Open Pixel Studios

• Evident Narrative Lab

• Camp Mograph

• Super Bowl Ads

• Stand Lee Documentary: Excelsior! The Life and Legacy of Stan Lee

In this season 11 premiere episode, host Jen Van Horn speaks with Executive Coach Dave O'Connor about navigating uncertainty, overcoming creative blocks, and strategic business development for freelancers and motion designers.

This episode covers:

• Post-2025 industry check-in: Community members share experiences ranging from career pivots and AI anxieties to steady growth, revealing widespread uncertainty about industry direction and personal positioning
• The power of "just try it": Breaking through decision paralysis by committing to small, low-stakes experiments rather than seeking perfect clarity before taking action
• Strategic tolerance assessment: Examining what you're willing to accept in your business—from client relationships to workload—as a framework for identifying necessary changes
• Reframing failure as experimentation: Shifting from fear-based decision-making to viewing unsuccessful attempts as valuable data collection rather than personal shortcomings
• Managing the freelance mental load: Practical strategies for studio owners and freelancers dealing with constant inbound demands, including dedicated planning time and intentional week design
• Building agency through constraints: Using limited resources or time as creative advantages rather than obstacles, and making deliberate choices within those limitations

Key Reflection Prompt: "With respect to your business development, what are you willing to tolerate?"

Upcoming Schedule:

• Next week: Will and Catherine from Open Pixel Studios discussing their 2025 cross-country journey and 2026 plans
• Game night coming later in February

Resources from Coach Dave:

• 5-Minute Future Worksheet (quick visioning exercise)
• Design Your Next Move (single commitment planning tool)
• Get Your Shit Together (25-35 minute weekly planning process)

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• Dave's LinkedIn
• Hey Coach Dave
• Messy Genius

• Anonymous Suggestion Box

In this open discussion episode, host Sam J leads conversations about developing creative side projects, scaling passion projects into sustainable income streams, and navigating the challenges of marketing creative work. 

This episode covers:

    •    Authenticity over perfection: Why unpolished, spontaneous content often performs better than highly-produced work—raw material feels more accessible and relatable to audiences

    •    Marketing as the real challenge: Success depends less on quality and more on how many people see your work and understand its value through consistent visibility

    •    Interactive audience engagement: Creating opportunities for audiences to participate in the creative process builds investment and community (like livestreaming with chat-controlled elements)

    •    Strategic scaling decisions: Planning ahead for what happens if a side hustle becomes too successful, including when to delegate, hire help, or sell to focus on creative work rather than logistics

    •    Platform strategy considerations: Understanding niche-focused social platforms and how different content types perform across Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and emerging platforms

    •    Licensing and copyright protection: Navigating intellectual property concerns in an AI-saturated landscape, including basic protections like timestamped documentation and understanding what can’t be copyrighted

Upcoming Schedule:

    •    No meetings for the rest of December and throughout January 2026—Monday Meeting returns in February

    •    Discord remains open for community connection during the break

    •    Seeking volunteers for hosting, video editing, social media, and content planning roles

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• Bye Frisbie
• Creative Dice
• Food Dice
• Music by Blanks
• Specific example of Music By Blanks followers making a song

In this open discussion episode, host Sam J leads conversations about AI's role in creative work, NFT technology's potential future, content creation strategies, and live streaming.

This episode covers:

• AI as a tool, not replacement: Understanding that AI should augment creative work rather than replace human artists, with the real issue being employers who prioritize cost-cutting over collaboration and quality.
• NFT technology's untapped potential: How blockchain and NFTs could return ownership rights to creators across industries like music, research, and visual arts, moving beyond the hype cycle to practical utility applications.
• Livestreaming as portfolio building: Sam shares his first livestreaming experience showing creative processes in real-time, demonstrating how creators can build trust and attract clients by revealing their work methods and problem-solving approaches.
• Content creation strategy: Converting long-form livestreams into multiple short-form pieces provides sustainable content pipelines without constant production pressure, using tools like Stream Elements for multi-platform broadcasting.
• Creative side hustles framework: Approaching side projects from genuine gift-making and passion rather than viral content goals, building sustainable income streams by demonstrating unique skills and connecting with audiences authentically.
• Community engagement value: How showing authentic creative processes—even imperfect work—encourages others to share and builds supportive networks that sustain careers beyond formal education or traditional employment.

Upcoming Events:

• Next week's episode: Scaling Creative Side Hustles - discussing how to grow creative projects that support your career and give creativity back to yourself
• Monday Meeting is taking January off to plan 2026 content
• Monday Meeting is still seeking volunteers for hosting, editing, and social media roles

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• Sergio Cilli’s “Will AI Actors Replace Us?”
• Behance Livestreaming/Adobe LIVE

Host Sam J leads an interactive session exploring creative exercises to unlock new thinking patterns.

This episode covers:

• The 9-dot puzzle challenge: Classic "thinking outside the box" exercise demonstrating how we create invisible constraints—the solution requires extending lines beyond the perceived square boundary, revealing our mental limitations
• Expanding creative boundaries: Progressive variations of the puzzle (folding paper, rolling into tubes, creative material manipulation) show there are always bigger boxes to escape beyond our current thinking
• Bauhaus composition exercise: Using only three basic shapes (circle, line, triangle) to create varied compositions—forces creative problem-solving through extreme simplification while exploring scale and arrangement
• Gesture drawing and timed exercises: Quick 30-second to 1-minute sketches help overcome perfectionism by forcing completion under constraint, expanding definitions of "done" and reducing overthinking
• Physical creative play: Kinetic sand, Rubik's cubes, paper snowflakes, and improvisational origami as tactile ways to exercise creativity without digital undo buttons—building commitment and spatial reasoning
• Community game recommendations: Gartic Phone for warm-ups, Exquisite Corpse drawing, squiggle games, and the Relocation Game (silent object arrangement exercise) as collaborative creativity builders

Upcoming:

We'll be continuing our "Creative Inspiration" theme next week!

Open call for 2026 hosts and volunteers—reach out via Discord if interested in contributing.

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• David Judelson’s Nine Dot Square Exercise
• Jen’s Creativity Worksheets
• Dixit Game
• Abstract Pokemon Artist “8th Project”

In this open discussion episode, host Sam Judelson leads conversations about personal creative spaces, inspiration sources, and community resilience.

This episode covers:

• Workspace personalization: How motion designers curate their environments with meaningful objects, from family artwork and memorial pieces to collections like vintage Nancy Drew books, field notes, and anime figurines that fuel creativity
• Community over negativity: Intentionally creating positive spaces by avoiding divisive online engagement, prioritizing people over algorithms, and actively promoting fellow creatives instead of participating in fear-driven discussions
• AI narrative construction: Understanding how tech industry narratives are pushed by design to create urgency around adoption, while recognizing that community power remains strong when people band together
• Books and analog inspiration: Seeking creative fuel from physical media including art books (Spider-Man 2 concept art, Cuphead), typography guides, and philosophy texts rather than feeding from the same online sources
• Strategic online boundaries: Recognizing when social media arguments serve engagement rather than truth, choosing to invest energy in direct relationships and meaningful work instead of public debates
• Peer support systems: Building authentic relationships where creatives can share unfiltered experiences and seek advice without judgment, emphasizing that helping others grows the entire community

Upcoming Events:

• Game night Wednesday, December 3rd - Details on Discord
• Next week's call: Bring paper and pencil for a creative exercise led by Sam

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• Well Control Pegboard
• BrickBling
• Logos That Last
• Hope for the Flowers
• Freedom to Create
• The Last Question short story
• The Art of Loish
• The Animator’s Survival Kit
• Classic Human Anatomy in Motion
• Advertising Concepts and Copy by George Felton
• Japanese Design Motiffs
• The Power of your Subconscious Mind
• The War of Art
• The Nordic Theory of Everything
• The Art of Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Brandon Zachary Indie Animation Interview
• Sunny Side Down Animation
• JumpStart Designers

In this episode, host Jen Van Horn welcomes Hayley Akins, founder of Motion Hatch, to discuss business systems, client relationship management, and social media strategies that help motion designers build sustainable freelance careers.

This episode covers:

• The power of systems: How implementing basic business systems like CRMs and client outreach processes prevents the feast-or-famine cycle that plagues freelancers, with real examples of designers discovering lost opportunities worth thousands
• Client relationship management: Why a CRM is the single most important system for freelancers, tracking past clients, prospects, and networking contacts to ensure consistent follow-up and relationship building
• LinkedIn strategy evolution: Current best practices including posting native video content, using polls for engagement, maintaining authentic voice over AI-polished writing, and understanding the 4 A's framework (awareness, attraction, action, advocacy)
• Niche positioning without perfection: How to start establishing expertise in a specific area by posting about your interests before having everything figured out, using personal projects as proof of concept
• Reaching direct clients: Strategies for targeting dream clients including researching their Facebook page transparency for active ad campaigns, finding the right company size, and connecting with marketing managers on LinkedIn
• End-of-year planning: The importance of starting client outreach now for 2026 projects, as brands are currently planning beyond Q1 and have year-end budgets to allocate

Upcoming Events:

• Gartic Phone Game Night - December 3rd
• Sam Judelson (LUX3D) hosting for December
• Black Friday deals available including Motion Hatch's Client Magnet Bundle at 60% off

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• Motion Hatch
• Hayley’s Email
• Black Friday Deal Motion Hatch
• Creative and Coin
• School of Motion Black Friday

In this open discussion episode, host Kendall Hotchkiss leads a candid conversation about navigating challenging client relationships on pro bono projects!

This episode covers:

• Pro bono work requires boundaries too: Even volunteer projects need contracts, timelines, and scope definitions to prevent scope creep and maintain professional relationships
• The contract as your bouncer: Setting up agreements after a project starts is still valuable - frame it as helping everyone get organized rather than creating friction
• Design by committee challenges: When working with clients who have some technical knowledge but lack expertise, lead with questions about their goals rather than telling them what's wrong
• Time as leverage: When there's no payment involved, your availability and timeline become your primary negotiating tools for maintaining boundaries
• The 50% rule for resistance: If clients consistently push back on expert recommendations, especially on accessibility standards, you may need to accept their limitations and focus energy elsewhere
• Walking away professionally: Always have a referral ready and offer project files when exiting a difficult engagement - how you leave matters as much as how you start
• Client communication strategies: Mirror client language back to them, keep emails brief with links to detailed notes, and break feedback into specific review rounds to manage expectations

Upcoming Events:

• Next week's guest: Haley Akins from Motion Hatch!
• Garlic Phone Game Night: December 3rd

Open call for volunteers: Monday Meeting is seeking hosts and behind-the-scenes help for 2026

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠

In this episode, host Kendall Hotchkiss welcomes Jake Bartlett, and they discuss his journey from motion designer to educator, his latest course launch, and his embrace of AI tools for creative work.

This episode covers:

• Animation Principles course launch: Jake's new course focusing on 8 core principles of motion design (condensed from the original 12 Disney principles), featuring projects like the Ease-N-Out Burger animation made with Blender and After Effects' Advanced 3D render engine
• Generous course giveaway: Jake offered free access to his Animation Principles course to all live attendees, demonstrating his commitment to education and community support
• AI-powered tool development: Jake's exploration of vibe coding with Claude AI and Claude Code to create After Effects scripts and extensions, marking a significant shift in how motion designers can build custom tools
• Career evolution through generalist experience: How starting as a generalist at a production company (doing motion design, editing, camera work, and graphic design) helped Jake identify his passion for kinetic text and animated lyric videos
• Lyric video specialization: Jake's journey to becoming known for lyric videos, culminating in work for Norah Jones and establishing a niche that combined his motion design skills with his music background
• Software exploration beyond After Effects: Jake's experiments with Blender, Rive, Figma, and interest in DaVinci Resolve's Fusion, while maintaining After Effects as his primary tool
• YouTube content strategy: Jake's spontaneous approach to video creation based on excitement rather than strict planning, and his upcoming 30-day series covering every panel in After Effects
• Efficient production workflow: How Jake optimizes his home studio setup with integrated camera, lighting, and teleprompter to streamline the tutorial creation process from recording to editing
• Teaching as ultimate career path: Jake's progression from full-time motion designer to freelancer to full-time educator, discovering that teaching was his true passion after trying different roles
  

Upcoming Events:

• Game Night: Wednesday, December 3rd - Gartic Phone and other games (watch for announcement in Monday Meeting channels)

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠

• Jake’s YouTube
• Jake’s website
• “Level Up” Free SOM Course

• Norah Jones - Flipside (Lyric Video)
• MUTEMATH - Walking Paranoia (Lyric Video)
• Plastic Planets - Useless (Official Lyric Video)
• The Pink Dust - Night Vices (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
• The Pink Dust - Open Your Eyes (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
• Jordyn Jones - I'm Dappin (Lyric Video)

In this open discussion episode, host Jen Van Horn chats with community members sharing Halloween stories, Adobe MAX updates, professional wins, and seasonal projects.

This episode covers:

• Halloween and seasonal celebrations: Community costume sharing including K-pop Demon Hunters and sensory rope bunny looks, plus discussion of declining trick-or-treaters and the rise of trunk-or-treat events replacing traditional door-to-door visits
• Adobe MAX announcements: Firefly boards emerging as collaborative mood boarding tools combining inspiration collection with AI generation, Content Aware Fill advances enabling 3D subject rotation, and increased availability of sneaks content for remote attendees
• Industry alternatives gaining ground: Affinity design suite now permanently free for all users with newly added vector trace functionality, challenging Adobe's market position for design-focused workflows
• Professional wins across the community: First-time live panel moderation at major industry events, unexpected client partnerships from social media posts, recovery milestones enabling return to full creative work, and Monday Meeting team expansion with new editors and hosts
• Personal project momentum: Custom streaming setups with animated alert boxes and Arduino integration, year-end business strategy development for 2026 launches, hand-drawn animation work for independent films, and TA positions providing skill refreshers

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠
• Adobe MAX Sneaks
• The Lemelson Foundation
• Motion Hatch's Creative and Coin Community