Working Class Creatives

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Joe Griffin's work as a recording engineer, sound designer, and composer over the past 25 years encompasses a wide variety of media, including theatre, film, music, and advertising. He's one of the founders of Toxic Bag Productions, which in 1996 pioneered the field of sound effects specifically designed for use in tabletop roleplaying. Links

• Griffin Sound Design
• Toxic Bag Productions
• The Toxic Bag Podcast
• @griffinsound on Twitter
• Donny Who Loved Bowling on Bandcamp

Show Notes

• Joe's company Toxic Bag has been producing audio products for use with tabletop roleplaying games since the 90s. It grew out of their desire to add an audio element to their home Call of Cthulhu campaigns.
• Initially they intended to produce audio-enhanced scenarios, but chaosium didn't have the budget for it.
• They stripped away the scripting and actors and focused on sound effects.
• They put together their first CD, the 20th century, in 1996.
• They would sell these physical CDs at GenCon.
• Back in 1996 mp3 formats were terrible.
• After a few years doing sound for film and theatre, they got back into RPG sound effects but aren't doing CDs anymore.
• Convention sales are difficult to manage when you're selling digital files, but the modern internet provides more distribution options. Now they sell through DriveThruRPG.
• Toxic Bag creates their effects through foley and field recording rather than relying on commercial libraries.
• Their podcast started out as coldly promotional, but they revamped it to provide more content, including sketches, reviews, interviews, and parodies.
• Joe does the sound design, his partner Steve Baldwin does the writing.
• I have appeared on the Toxic Bag podcast with my Burning Brigid Media co-producer Kat O'Connor
• Joe's day job is in advertising as a recording engineer. His marketing wisdom: People don't like being sold to. Make it a conversation.
• Promotion is okay, but if all you're doing on twitter is marketing yourself, people will tune you out. Reveal who you are. Put yourself into it.
• You need to have a thick skin to put your work in front of people.
• Joe composes music for theatre and toxic bag projects.
• He performs as part of the experimental band Donny Who Loved Bowling
• Joe is doing sound design for John Klein's short film Limerence. The kickstarter was successful and they're moving into post-production.

Simon Whistler is a YouTuber who hosts 2 popular YouTube channels. He makes content that aims to both educate and inform on TodayIFoundOut and TopTenzNet. He also recently launched a third channel which focuses on global politics. Further, he also hosts a bi-weekly podcast where he interviews leading indie authors about their journey to success.  Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Links

• http://simonwhistler.com/
• Follow @simonwhistler on Twitter
• TodayIFoundOut
• TopTenz
• The Rocking Self Publishing Podcast

  Show Notes

• I had a co-host for this episode, in the form of the woodchipper outside my apartment. It makes periodic appearances throughout the interview.
• I've been on Simon's Rocking Self Publishing Podcast twice, episodes 37 and 154.
• He juggles multiple content-heavy projects by prioritizing his time carefully. After 150 or so RSP episodes he felt it was slowing down, and moved to a biweekly schedule.
• His youtube channels were picking up, so he focused on them, and produces 14 episodes a week.
• Building daily systems for himself keeps his workdays productive.
• Bringing other people into your creative process helps distribute the weight as well.
• Simon is always refining his process to be more effective and efficient.
• Google Sheets are his taskmaster. Each month he uses a new sheet that tracks each video's current production status.

• I use Trello as a production schedule.
• Simon started podcasting and YouTubing at about the same time. The podcast found a niche audience faster, but over time the YouTube channels have proven to have a broader potential audience.
• YouTube is a more competitive place and it took longer to gain a foothold.
• Standard advice often promotes finding a narrow niche over going broad, but if you break through as something broad the audience is far more vast.
• As you gain exposure to and an understanding of your chosen discipline's market, you get a feel for what "gaps" exist that you can fulfill for broad or niche topics.
• Simon was having difficulty finding work with his law degree in London due to the shaky economy.
• He found an opportunity through AIESEC to work with a grassroots organization in Sri Lanka, in their media department. While there he met his girlfriend.
• He returned with her to what was then the Czech Republic, and is now Czechia.
• He went to a meetup for the Tropical MBA podcast in Prauge, and was inspired by the connection between hard work and success. He gave up freelancing to focus on podcasting and youtube 12-14 hours a day.
• People often avoid discussing how hard they work to achieve their successes.
• The more content you can feed a consumer, the more they'll come back. People binge.
• Do what you can to get involved in the community of creators you can count on.
• When you work really hard and pursue something you really like, good things will happen.

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Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Paul Sating is the creative force behind no-less than 4 audio dramas, including Subject: Found, Diary of a Madman, Atheist Apocalypse and a new one on the horizon, Family Portrait. An aspiring writer since he was 8 years old, Paul has a number of short stories he's self-published and he's also putting the finishing touches on his first novel. Links

• http://www.paulsating.com/
• Subject: Found
• Diary of a Madman
• Atheist Apocalypse
• Support Paul on Patreon
• Follow @paulsating on Twitter

Show Notes

• One of the auidodrama's draws is the creative collaboration and supportive community.
• Paul started out without knowing anything, and hearing problems from his time in the military.
• The barrier for entry in audiodrama is very low with the tools and support available.
• Subject: Found was born from Paul's interest in American Horror Story's structure, which helps it stay fresh in with his tendency to get bored with long-term projects.
• Bigfoot happens to be the story's hook, but it's ultimately character-driven. Future seasons will focus on different monsters.
• The beauty of storytelling is that two authors can take the same basic story and write entirely different stories.
• Writing is a tough job, but ultimately satisfying.
• Paul went years without writing anything while in the military.
• We do a disservice to ourselves as writers by not talking about the business realities. Paul wishes someone had told himself at 18 that he didn't have to pursue the obligations he is now divesting himself from.
• Discipline and dedication allow Paul to be a writer, father, etc. while running multiple audiodrama production.
• Most creative professionals are accessible if you need advice or assistance. Learn from them. They tend to be friendly and approachable. Find these communities.
• The Audiodrama Production Podcast and its Facebook community are endlessly useful.
• Atheist Apocalypse is a satirical podcast that was Paul's first; he learned a lot about what not to do in audio drama. It's a little exhausting to stay abreast of current events and news, and this limits its shelf-life.
• Diary of a Madman was developed as something Paul could handle entirely on his own without feeling overwhelmed. The concept was 3-5 minute diary entries to teach himself production. It gets very polarized reactions; it's either loved or hated.
• As a creative, being able to reach people on an emotional level is so cool.
• We allow ourselves to be vulnerable when we share our art, because we are sharing a part of ourselves. Waking up to a good reaction on social media is the best way to start your day.
• Paul is working on a novel that's a spin off to Atheist Apocalypse. He loves being able to create associated products from his work. It's a horror prequel to the story.
• His recommendation is to only have one Patreon even if you have multiple shows.
• If you have questions, Paul would love to hear from you, so reach out.

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Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Bill Bullock is a comedian. He is a comedian based in Chicago. That's pretty much what you need to know about him, right?  Links

• http://billbullockisacomedian.com/
• Follow @BillRBullock on Twitter

Show Notes

• Bill compares the situation with his last day job to the movie Office Space. After finding an agent, he came to the understanding that he didn't care about the job, and that brought him a degree of serenity.
• He acquired an voice acting agent with NV Talent after a booking at the Laugh Factory; she was impressed with his performance and offered to represent him. He had contacted them seeking representation in the past, but did not get any response. He's further certain that they were not in the club looking for him specifically. You have to be ready for those opportunities as they arise.
• It's important to stay healthy; it's easy to fall into bad habits and neglect self-care. The creative community is rife with un-diagnosed mental health issues; everyone can benefit from therapy.
• If you avoid help or medication because you feel it would dull your edge, that is your issue manifesting to work against you
• Maintaining a dual life is incredibly stressful. "Yes you can" just quit, if  job is a means to an end and it's making you crazy, you need to leave.
• Realize how your mood affects everyone around you
• The creative path is ill advised. Don't do it if you don't have to. It may not make you happy, but it may keep you sane.
• Getting on stage and doing it isn't bravery after the first time. After that it becomes a compulsion.
• People don't get the day to day nature of the creative career. They only see the result.
• Open mic nights are not the same as professional comedy; go see a real show. Just google for shows in your area
• His current show is Links Hall Presents: It's Happening at the Constellation Theatre. He's emceeing a variety show that offers a broad spectrum of entertainment. Admission is free, donations are appreciated. Check it out if you're in Chicago.
• There is room for all kinds of voices in standup. Don't be a dick. You need to be sincere. You're not going to find instant fame, and if you go in with realistic expectations you'll be okay. Keep at it. Things will happen.
• Bill has performed the roles of Parker in the Synesthesia Theatre adaptation of Iron Horses Can't Be Broken, and multiple roles in the adaptation of Cold Reboot, which he also helped co-produce.

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Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS C.J. Julianus is a veteran actor, speaker, and theatre director, a tireless champion and performer's advocate dripping with altruism and self-deprecation. Show Notes I've personally worked with CJ on multiple projects, and have learned a lot from the experience. Give a listen, and you will too. Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes. If you appreciate what we're doing, please consider supporting us through the Patreon.  

Subscribe via: iTunes | Google Play | RSS Leslie Kung was born in the 80's, a child of immigrants. She survived speech delay as a child, Sensory Integration Disorder, the Chicago public school system, growing up Asian in America, the upheaval and reinvention of college (earning a dual bachelor's of English and Philosophy), the traumatic birth of her first child, domestic violence and PTSD. She writes a variety of fiction, all enriched with cultural, social and experiential depth drawn from lived experience. She resides in Iowa with three small humans, two leopard geckos, and a mysteriously self sustaining tank of guppies. Links

• Leslie's Patreon Read her works in progress, support her here
• Click Here to go to the first chapter of her serial
• Follow Leslie Kung on Facebook

Show Notes Author Leslie Kung shares with us her story as an author and single mother trying to make it as a creative professional. You'll have to forgive me if the audio is a little wonky; there was a little bit of lag on the call, but I patched it up as well as I could.

• Leslie is a single mother, and writing is currently her sole income. She releases science fiction and fantasy stories through her patreon.
• Last year she published a short, "At Long Last," in the anthology Story of a Kiss. She was not a romance writer, but knew someone who was putting the anthology together and took advantage of the opportunity.
• The most difficult part of being an author as a single-mother is that there is little time to work, and the difficulty of building creative momentum with the constant interruptions. The patreon serial format works well for this.
• A large part of the author's job is the organic process of self-promotion.
• Leslie tells us about how Sensory Integration Disorder shaped her growth into books and writing as a child. Speech delay meant she didn't communicate much, but she had a rich inner life, and reading written dialog was a way she could process interaction visually.
• She wanted to write things that moved people.
• In 2017 she wants to take the Twinborn serial and rewrite them as a cohesive series grouped by character viewpoints.
• She has shifted in view from wanting to write as doorstoppers to more manageable sized books.
• She submits writing to open submission calls.
• Check out Elm Books, they're just getting started and are looking for writing.
• She has found tremendous value in her local writing group, the Ceder Room, an extension of the Iowa Writer's House.
• Creative careers may be the only way some people can work around their situations to provide for their families.
• There is hope.

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Ruth Kaufman is the Amazon bestselling author of the Wars of the Roses Brides trilogy (At His Command, Follow Your Heart and The Bride Tournament) and My Once and Future Love. Accolades include 2016 Booksellers Best Award Best Historical and Best First Book winner and Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award winner.

An actor, storyteller and speaker with an M.S. and J.D, Ruth's credits include independent feature films, web series, pilots, national TV commercials and hundreds of voice-over projects.

Links

•  www.ruthtalks.com
• www.ruthkaufman.com
• http://rjkaufman.blogspot.com/

Show Notes We launch Working Class Creatives with an interview of author and actor Ruth Kaufman. I've had the pleasure of working with Ruth on several audiodrama projects, including the production of Synesthesia Theatre's Cold Reboot, where she put her excellent vocal skills to work recording the majority of artificial intelligence-delivered lines. It was a joy to have her as my first guest, and I look forward to working with her again in the future.

• Versatility brings creative professionals more work and more opportunity.  Ruth's career is 50% acting and 50% writing. The acting is split evenly between voice acting and live action.
• Ruth prefers live auditions to self taped audition; self-taping provides more scheduling freedom, but live auditions allow you build relationships and get feedback.
• She does not have a day job. A run of slow weeks makes it hard to sustain the process; you have to be self-driven to keep getting things done.
• Self confidence is important, but you need to have faith that other people will believe in your work. These are elements you do not control.
• Changes in Amazon's Select program have made marketing books more difficult. Reviews are also harder to come by.
• There are a lot of marketing choices that need to be made and evaluated every day. Self-driven creatives don't have anyone else to rely on, and ultimately are responsible for all these choices.
• Theatre experience is valued by casting directors, but does not itself bring in much money.
• Most people don't understand the nature of voiceover acting. There's more than commercials: e-learning, phone prompt work, etc.
• Vocal skill and quality is less important than personal discipline to find work and get clients, and being able to read the clients to deliver the copy they way they want.
• Cartoon voice acting is mostly done on-site in Los Angeles; very little is remote work.
• Before quitting your day job, use that job's money to prepare yourself taking classes and covering marketing costs. You will be competing with people who are already established.
• I have worked with her on several occasions; she voiced the main artificial intelligence in Synesthesia Theatre's second season story Cold Reboot and in the standalone Simple Harmonic Motion. She was cast in the unproduced web series Sleep Study.

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