Today we're discussing Amie's decision to relaunch her second novel 6 months after its initial release. Sub-topics include: how the concept of a single launch is driven by legacy institutions and gatekeepers; whether a "launch week" is important; strategies we're using to launch something a second time; the timelessness of your art; the benefits you might get from doing several launches rather than one (or how your ability to sell can improve with each launch of the same product); and more!

I was really late putting this up since we're still feeling a little out of routine with the move. Hopefully you all enjoy it!

We would love if you caused some trouble and bought Amie's book.

Welcome back! We took a few weeks off while we moved country but excited to be back!

Today we're talking about whether it's possible to be too precious about our creative process or if we should be more workman-like when we attempt to make art.

Also see a life update and some ramblings on our move to England (a good 5 mins of this)!

NOTE: James is very conscious that, in this episode, he said Australia didn't have much history. This is, of course, incorrect. Australia has tens of thousands of years of history, most of which was erased by European settlers. What he meant was that we have very little visible history in our cities (due to colonisation).

We have another Artificial Intelligence episode. We try to address some of the concerns artists have about AI like Midjourney and Chat GPT. We discuss the dark side but also try to talk about all the cool things that could potentially come from this weird explosion of machines that can seemingly think. Sub topics include:

- Why we will probably always want to know the HUMAN story behind art and how that gives humans an edge over algorithms.

- Whether or not it's cheating to use AI to support our artistic process.

- How artists might be able to use AI.

- The ethics of using AI that has been trained on the work of artists without paying them royalties.

- The importance of speaking openly about this topic and not letting fear rule the discourse.

- Possible regulations we could put on AI to help artists.

- Building the future society we want.

And more.

Disclaimer that Amie and I are not experts on this and this are are just a collection of our random thoughts. No one knows what the future and this is a crazy fast moving new technology. We expect to be wrong about almost everything here.

The wired article mentioned.

An interesting podcast with the CEO of open AI from the Lex Fridman Podcast that you might find interesting.

We're talking visibility, being seen, showing your face. The strengths and weaknesses. Why it's okay to get off social media, why great art can happen offline, whether it's possible to make money without socials, why you don't need to post everyday, and more!

Based on Amie's viral post (shared by Doja Cat no less!).

QandA part 2! Thank you to everyone who listened to last week's episode and who interacted with me over at the Unpublished insta! I'm doing my best to respond to all Dms so if you want a chat, please come on over!

Questions this week are about: Self-publishing, the craft of writing, finding a workflow that works for you, building self-confidence, writing about trauma (incl. worries about triggering your readers), vision boards, returning to creative work after a long break, changing creative disciplines, writing about struggles and pessimism/ pity porn.

We're answering questions from the members of the Inspired Collective (our membership program). We got so many great questions so we decided to make this part one of two!

Questions include:

What are your predictions for the indie creative scene in the next few years? How do you foresee traditional gatekeeping being further disrupted?

You interact and support so many creatives. What are the most common things that creatives seem to want answers/guidance on? And is it the "right" focus or are there themes you wish your community wanted to explore more?

Do you have any opinions (about creativity, the creative journey, etc.) or viewpoints that have changed in the last few years? What lead to that change and how did it impact your own journey?

You'll have seen a lot of creatives blossom and achieve their goals. Are there common traits or behaviour patterns you see amongst them that you think contribute to their growth? (Across creative disciplines)

For Amie: What's something you're particularly proud of or love about your latest published novel? Something maybe people haven't pointed out or commented on yet.

How do you think your move will effect your creativity/work - not just the positives, but also the potential negatives/challenges you might need to keep an eye on? & how do you hope to face them?

Do you have a recommendation on where to start? Should they be done simultaneously or separately? In a particular order to get the most benefit?

How is James' writing journey going, what is his intent for his finished books and his creative path, how he decided to abandon one novel, etc?

Enjoy!

Don't forget that Amie has FICTION you can buy. Witchy Book. Sexy-nuns Books.

Amie and James talk about the way hustle culture has ruined the way we look at accomplishment, painting it as an end in itself and a moral good where it should be a journey of self-discovery and joy. They discuss: their own fears about buying into hustle culture and how a reframe can help us to achieve the things we want to achieve in a more gentle, healthy way; the joy of achievement and doing hard things; the importance of protecting your energy and feeling safe; conversely, not letting safety hold you back from your goals, and much more!

Amie wanted me to link to the wonderful Amanda Jones' IG!

Today Amie had the pleasure of interviewing the author of Already Enough, creator of Human Stuff on substack, and one of our instagram heroes, Lisa Olivera.

Topics Discussed by Lisa and Amie: 

The magic of being introverted and quiet as a creative.

How to create when it feels like the world is burning

Why creativity and art is revolutionary

Creating when it isn't 'of value' to other people

How to promote your art when it feels really icky

And so much more.

You can find Lisa on instagram, substack, or her website where you can find links to buy her book!

Join us for a very casual conversation about our work life. We go through our past week and tell you what we did each day, why we might have done something or not done something, how we build rest into our week, why we don't work THAT much, and much more. This is one for those of you who like to just sit back and listen to friends chat. There isn't a huge amount to learn, just casual conversation. Let us know if you like these sorts of casual, chatty episodes and we might do more!

In this episode, we prompt Chat GPT, an advanced chatbot, to ask us "What are ten surprising questions to ask a creative in an interview?". In the first half, we answer the bot's (scarily good) questions. Then, we discuss the ethics of AI art, whether or not we're scared of AI, how we as a society might prepare for more advanced forms of AI, and steps our society might take to protect artists from getting their work stolen algorithms. 

You can sign up for the Art of Making Money course on Amie's website. Enrolments close 23rd Feb at 10pm AEDT.