Cathryn Lavery (@CathrynLavery) is an architect-turned-designer, entrepreneur, and maker. After leaving architecture, she created Calm The Ham, where she designs and sells posters and other products. Cat's next project is The Self Journal, a printed, bound journal with templates to help you craft a productive morning routine and accomplish your quarterly goals. Our conversation covers Cat's productivity habits, especially as they relate to morning routines, how she leverages her passions for design but leaves the marketing duties to other people, and how she takes a systematic approach to launching on Kickstarter by manipulating her media contacts. Catch up with Cat on her personal blog, LittleMight.com, or via CalmTheHam.com and TheSelfJournal.com

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[caption id="attachment_2565" align="alignnone" width="452"] The Self Journal, closed[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2566" align="alignnone" width="411"] The Self Journal, open[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2567" align="alignnone" width="411"] The Self Journal, open[/caption]

—Cathryn Lavery

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—Cathryn Lavery

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—Cathryn Lavery

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—Cathryn Lavery

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod as a free audiobook

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Todd Henry (@ToddHenry) is an author, speaker, and creative consultant who has written three books, including his newest, Louder Than Words, available August 11, 2015.

Todd Henry’s new book, Louder Than Words

Building on his previous writing efforts, Louder Than Words is aimed at creative professionals who struggle to find significance in the larger arc of their work and careers. Together, we discuss his unwavering writing methodologies, the struggles faced by creative pros at various points in their career, and what he’s discovered in writing and publishing three related books in seven years.

Catch up with Todd at ToddHenry.com, or AccidentalCreative.com

Angel Grablev (@AngelGrablev) is the CEO and Co-Founder of Freedcamp, an online project management and collaboration application. Angel began Freedcamp as a side project, but has since built a global distributed team, and now works full-time to improve project management for thousands of customers.

Our conversation covers Angel’s previous work as a web developer, Freedcamp’s origins and intents, as well as the trouble faced in conventional project management. We also discuss management style and company culture more generally, as it relates to measured results and keeping your co-workers informed.

Sign up for Freedcamp, for free, at Freedcamp.com

“No team is alike.”

—Angel Grablev

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“No one is interested in paying money to organize a camping trip.”

—Angel Grablev

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“The biggest gift I have is the people I work with.”

—Angel Grablev

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“Take one step, everything else will take care of itself.”

—Angel Grablev

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Get Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson as a free audiobook

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Ben Borowski (@TypeOneError) is a software developer and programmer based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In past years, Ben run a small studio doing web development for top agencies, but has recently made a move to create his own project, and is working on that full-time.

Ben is one half of Oki Doki, along with Designer & Digital Strategist Marie Poulin. Together, the duo are hard at work on Doki, a web platform to build and run online courses and communities. In this conversation, Ben discusses the creative side of programming, the definition of a “coder”, and the challenges of putting aside client projects for the endeavor of building your own app.

Catch up with Ben on his site, Type One Error, or check out Doki.io.

“I’ve met many computer science guys … who are completely stumped by CSS.”

—Ben Borowski

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“If you’re building a website and you write HTML tags, you’re a coder.”

—Ben Borowski

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“Programing is more technical … but making software is creative.”

—Ben Borowski

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You can’t have nine people make a baby in one month.

—productivity adage

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Get The Healthy Programmer by Joe Kutner as a free audiobook

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Matt Cremona (@MattCremona) is best known for his woodworking video channel on YouTube. Primarily self-taught, Matt challenges himself to build beautiful furniture, going so far as to cut and prepare the timber, documenting the forest-to-finished-piece process along the way.

Matt’s background is diverse, with previous work in software development, interface design, and economics. Together we discuss wood, carpentry and essential tools, and producing a weekly video show. Check out his videos and some of his work at MattCremona.com

“Everything I have that’s useful in my day-to-day life … I taught myself.”

—Matt Cremona

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“Every time [timber] changes hands, the cost doubles.”

—Matt Cremona

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Dovetail Joint

Half-Blind Dovetail Joint

“Geometry plays an incredibly large part in what I do.”

—Matt Cremona

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Drywall anchors, will be 3D printed as needed in the future

The First Metre

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Kristen Fischer (@KristenFischer) is an independent copywriter, author, and journalist living and working at the Jersey Shore. Following a stint as a cub reporter, she turned to freelance writing, making efforts to diversify her professional practice along the way.

A proponent of freelancing and professional issues around independent creatives, Kristen co-hosts Freelance Radio and has written When Talent Isn’t Enough, a business guide for creative professionals.

Our conversation covers writing tactics, the relationships between designers and writers, and how Kristen balances client work with authoring books. We also discuss the emotional trials of freelancing and some of the mistakes made and drama faced in her earlier years. Catch up with Kristen via her site, KristenFischer.com

“Sometimes freelancing ‘on the side’ is very difficult to manage.”

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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“Don’t ‘take the leap’, instead ‘build a bridge.'”

—Jeff Goins

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“The first few years [as a freelancer], I was a hot mess.”

—Kristen Fischer

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Get The Art of Work by Jeff Goins as a free audiobook

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes

For a full text transcript, see the show notes at http://busycreator.com/59

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Programming note from Prescott — The Busy Creator Podcast will switch release schedule for the summer to *every other week* rather than weekly. Episodes will resume Monday, June 1, 2015. Thanks for listening and supporting.

Karen Marston (@KarenMarston) is an independent copywriter and the founder of Untamed Writing. Dissatisfied with her earlier roles, Karen took to writing SEO-focused articles and now works with clients writing bold, memorable copy for websites and other projects.

Her latest project is a foray into teaching. She now instructs others how to be effective, productive freelance writers. Our conversation discusses her personal workflows and habits, as well as her outlook on teaching and client project management.

“As much as graphics and photos are essential on the web, it’s still mostly a written medium.”

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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“A brand is the human component of a non-human entity.”

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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“Serious and professional are not the same thing. You can be professional without being serious.”

—Karen Marston

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“I’m a best-selling author, not a best-writing author.”

-Robert Kiyosaki

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Lisa Simpson uses a kneeling chair

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Eric Peterson is a veteran cartoonist & artist who worked across a variety of industries and niches, through advertising & commercial art, and now as a independent artist. Eric has developed a signature style, based in abstraction and surrealism, and referencing silkscreen and printing techniques of centuries past.

Catch up with Eric and see some of his work on his Facebook page.

Eric Peterson is a veteran cartoonist & artist who worked across a variety of industries and niches, through advertising & commercial art, and now as a independent artist. Eric has developed a signature style, based in abstraction and surrealism, and referencing silkscreen and printing techniques of centuries past.

Catch up with Eric and see some of his work on his Facebook page.

THE BUSY CREATOR PODCAST WITH PRESCOTT PEREZ-FOX

Eric Peterson’s artwork

Eric Peterson’s artwork

Eric Peterson’s artwork

Eric Peterson’s artwork

Eric drawing a character, without formal sketching

Example of an engraving illustration

Crosshatch styles

“A true artist does things that are organic or abstract.”

—Eric Peterson

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“There’s something that happens in spontaneity that lends a huge visual aspect that fine-tuning just doesn’t have.”

—Eric Peterson

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“Coffee and drawing is perfect.”

—Eric Peterson

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Get The Learners by Chip Kidd as a free audiobook

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