Real Abstract
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsVeteran illustrator Eric M. Strong shares career and business advice for freelancers and creative professionals.
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Episodes
S2 Episode 8: Improve Your Craft, Be Useful, Become More Valuable (Pt. 3)
December 12, 2022 05:00 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBEric wraps up the three-part series on creating more value with your art and more value for your clients with more practical examples of putting the 8 rules into practice. Eric's 8 Made Up Rules of Value: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7MayHEjhtspnBWmKqjcUJ3?si=d34ed9c87a144db4 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2-episode-6-what-makes-art-valuable-erics-8-made-up/id1590675262?i=1000586060545 Do you agree with these? Disagree? Start a discussion in the Discord channel!...
S2 Episode 7: What Makes Art Valuable? Practical Ways to Add Value to Your Art, Pt. 2
November 28, 2022 05:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBEric continues his exploration of how to create more value with your art in part two of a three-part series. Today's episode takes a deeper look at Eric's "8 Made Up Rules of Value," outlined in part one, and lays out some practical examples of how you apply each of the rules to your own work and business practices. Do you agree with these? Disagree? Start a discussion in the Discord channel! https://discord.gg/YJW6qFSb Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com IG: @art4bu...
S2 Episode 6: What Makes Art Valuable? Eric's 8 Made Up Rules of Value, Pt. 1
November 14, 2022 05:00 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBIn the first of a three-part series, Eric explores the concept of value and, specifically, what makes some art valuable and other art... well, not. Today Eric explores the different types of value, and then offers his eight rules that make a thing valuable. Eric's 8 Made Up Rules of Value Rarity — the more rare something is, the more valuable it is Liability — the greater the risk, the greater the reward Expertise — the better you are at something, the more valuable you become R...
S2 Episode 5: The Basics of Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Protecting Your Work with Attorney Hillary Johns
October 31, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBEric invites attorney Hillary Johns, who specializes in entertainment law and represents a wide variety of artists and creatives, onto the podcast to discuss some of the big issues artists face when releasing their intellectual property out into the world. Artists are so involved in the creation of their art that they often forget, or are simply ignorant, to copyright their work and take steps to protect themselves from others taking credit -- and potentially future royalties -- for their wo...
S2 Episode 4: Managing ADHD and Creative Work with Artist Jeremy Regan
October 17, 2022 04:00 - 48 minutes - 44.9 MBEric invites graphic designer, copywriter, and long-time friend from art school, Jeremy Regan, onto the show to talk about working in the creative world with ADHD. Like most kids from the 80's, Jeremy was not diagnosed with ADHD, but he had all the signs -- short attention span, a tendency to fidget or need to move constantly, difficult beginning projects, and easily overwhelmed with large task lists. Over the decades of his art career, however, Jeremy has learned to manage his ADHD and find...
S2 Episode 3: AI Is Here... What Now?
October 03, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBIt's coming -- no, it's here, and the world of art and entertainment will change forever. Artifical Intelligence is creating beautiful art, and soon music, film, maybe even poetry! So what are we creatives to do? Eric explores some themes from past technological innovations in the music and film world, and how the industry changed as a result. He shares some of the things he's doing to stay competitve as the landscape changes, and he also makes predictions for the future of AI and how it mig...
S2 Episode 2: Planning for Change
September 19, 2022 04:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBIf the robots are coming for creatives (and it's happening, quickly!), then creatives need to be proactive in sustaining their business. Not to mention, the world (and the economy) is a little crazy these days! There's enough to spin yourself into quite a frenzy if you're not careful. Eric discusses a few ways you can plan in the face of world change and economic uncertainty, such as staying on top of emerging trends in your field, looking for related but different types of work, embra...
S2 Episode 1 - Don't Let the Robots Win! Rediscovering the Joy of Creation
September 12, 2022 04:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBEric is back with Season Two! My, how the world has changed in just a few months. The tension in the air is palpable, and some things that seemed only a slight possibility earlier this year are now probabilities, even actualities. Artificial intelligence has proven very effective at managing formerly human tasks in manufacturing, but is quickly taking over the creative world as well. AI-generated art, animation, music, scripts, and more is becoming good enough for commercial use, and only ge...
#23 - Appearances, Staying Competitive, and Multiple Income Streams with Photographer Brant Waldeck
May 16, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 44 MBTo call him just a photographer is a little misleading, because while he's an excellent one, he's a lot more too! Brant Waldeck joins the show to talk about his work in photography, video, and design, and how he has built a profitable, long-lasting freelance career working with corporate clients. Brant Waldeck Website: http://www.my-creativeteam.com IG: @brantwaldeck
#22 - Understanding Shame/Guilt and Banish Your Inner Critic with Lois Hollis
May 09, 2022 04:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBLois Hollis has accomplished many things in her 78 years on this Earth -- for over 30 years she worked as an RN with a focus on nephrology, helping establish the first dialysis clinic in the country. Despite a long and successful career in healthcare, however, the abusive traumas she suffered in childhood continued to weigh on her and her health began to decline. Eventually she left the field of traditional medicine, seeking holistic remedies and emotional counseling. After regaining her vit...
#21 - Train Your Brain Like Memory Athlete Nelson Dellis
May 02, 2022 04:00 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBToday's guest can remember your name, your number, and, oh, about 10,000 digits of pi while he's at it! Nelson Dellis is a 5-time USA Memory Champion, and when he says he's an athlete, he means it. In addition to his incredible feats of memory, Dellis is a former elite Crossfit games athlete and a mountaineer, having climbed Everest three times. Nelson Dellis describes his unique method for memorizing large amounts of information very quickly, associating words and numbers with notable...
#20 - Tracing Your Influences with Actor Ray Buffer
April 25, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBEric chats with actor, voiceover artist, producer and director Ray Buffer about his personal influences in life and career, as well as how he hopes to influence others in his work. Ray stays very busy, with a wide range of roles in both high profile TV, film, and commercials as well as independently financed film and theater. He also works as a voiceover artist, and has even owned and managed production companies. One key piece of advice for staying in-demand in the competitive creativ...
#19 - Making More Money
April 18, 2022 04:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBMo' money mo' problems right? What are you talking about?! More money, more house, more pools, more happiness! Well, maybe that's overselling it a bit, but making more money has some obvious benefits. Such as, more money in your bank account! But there are some hidden benefits to raising your rates that go beyond the money, like better clients, fewer projects, and more satisfaction. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com IG: @art4business
#18 - Give Yourself a Raise
April 11, 2022 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.6 MBIt's tax season, and everyone's mind is on their money... and also, how to make more of it! In today's show, Eric offers three strategies for increasing your income this year, including raising your rates, subcontracting your work, creating your own content, and more. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com IG: @art4business
#17 - The Road of Passion: A Chat with Filmmaker George Johnson
April 04, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBEric sits down with a good friend and accomplished filmmaker George Johnson to talk about the difficult, exciting, occasionally terrifying life of a freelance filmmaker. George has made 5 feature length films and thousands of short films, music videos, and more. His work has won numerous awards and received distribution on major streaming platforms, but his road to success was not always easy. George shares the ups and downs of his artistic career with a passion and zeal for the craft of fil...
#16 - An Indie Actor's Survival Guide with Michelle L. King
March 28, 2022 04:00 - 40 minutes - 37 MBMichelle King is an actress... and much, much more. When she's not acting, you might find her writing screenplays, writing songs, working her family's hobby farm, running one of her non-profits, or being a mom of 10! Despite her impressive array of commitments, Michelle is deeply comitted to the art and craft of acting. She has starred in 8 independent films as well as a number of TV series and commericals. Michelle loves to stretch herself creatively, and has played both comedic and d...
#15 - 7 Ways to Trick Yourself to Motivation
March 21, 2022 04:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBEven creatives get bored and distracted! Creative work is, well, work, and all work gets to be a drag at times. What separates the real pros, however, is their ability to focus and get work done even when the job is difficult or their motivation is waning. To that end, Eric offers seven ways to trick yourself into getting motivated next time you run into a block. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com IG: @art4business
#14 - Why Creative Pros Will Always Have Work
March 14, 2022 04:00 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBArtists get a bad rap when it comes to career. Any artist or creative has heard from so many people that his or her field of work is risky, unstable, the first thing to go in a bad economy... you name it, he's probably heard it. Eric argues that art is not a luxury, it's a necessity, and that man has been painting on cave walls since the dawn of history. Creatives will always have work, despite the shifts of technology, economics, and politics. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.co...
#13 - What Is Art Anyway? A Talk with Karl Schudt
March 07, 2022 05:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBFormer philosophy professor turned seminar leader, lover of great books, strength coach, and polymath Karl Schudt joins the podcast to talk about art. What is it anyway? You'd think artists would know, but philosophers have long grappled with this question and found that great artists don't necessarily have great insight into this question. Nevertheless, it's worth asking and exploring, Karl says, because artists can wield great power... hopefully for good! Karl Schudt leads seminars a...
#12 - The Three Attributes of Creativity
February 28, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBEric offers up a theory of creativity, and why we should celebrate the "problem solvers" in the creative world as much as the "self-expressers." Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com IG: @art4business
#11 - Ten Things NOT To Save Money On
February 21, 2022 05:00 - 9 minutes - 9.24 MBCreative freelancers have a lot of competition for their hard-earned dollars: shiny new equipment, software, lessons and continuing education, trade shows, more shiny new equipment... Creatives also don't tend to have a lot of money, especially when starting out, so it's understandable that they want to save money wherever they can. There are some things, however, that you DON'T want to save money on. Pull up your chairs and let Eric explain. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstr...
#10 - The Elements of Artistic Style with Kevin Mellon (Archer, Marvel's Hit Monkey)
February 14, 2022 05:00 - 52 minutes - 48.7 MBEric chats with his old art school buddy Kevin Mellon, who is now working as art director for Marvel's Hit Monkey and storyboard artist for FX's long-running hit series Archer. As an art student, Kevin spent a LOT of time thinking about his own artistic style, what it means to have a style, and whether an artist should have one style or many styles in his or her tool belt. He drops a lot of fantastic knowledge bombs in this episode about style, voice, managing other artists, how to give cons...
#9 - Turning Limitations Into Creativity
February 07, 2022 05:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBEvery creative has faced the dreaded "blocks" at times: writer's block, etc. Eric has a theory why these blocks pop up, and a strategy for reigniting stalled creativity. What you perceive as limitations may actually be the secret to your creativity. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com IG: @art4business
#8 - 3 Rules for Turning Prospects Into Clients
January 31, 2022 05:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBSales can be a scary word, especially for creative professionals. Nobody likes to be sold to, and no one wants to be seen as a pushy salesman! But like any business, sales is a crucial part of making your art into a career. Luckily, it doesn't have to be a torturous or sleazy task -- in fact, as Eric outlines in his rules, it starts with building friendship and trust, long before any money changes hands. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com
#7 - How A String of Insults Led to a Career in Comedy Writing: Scott Dunn (Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, CMT Music Awards)
January 24, 2022 05:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBEric chats with stand-up comedian turned comedy writer, Scott Dunn, about his work writing jokes for a variety of television and live awards shows. After a brief stand-up career, Scott the met up and coming Lisa Lampanelli, an insult comic, and struck up a friendship. He would occasionally send her jokes, and eventually they collaborated on her slot in the Chevy Chase roast for Comedy Central. Realizing he enjoyed seeing people laugh at his jokes whether he or another comic delivered the lin...
How A String of Insults Led to a Career in Comedy Writing: Scott Dunn (Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, CMT Music Awards)
January 24, 2022 05:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBEric chats with stand-up comedian turned comedy writer, Scott Dunn, about his work writing jokes for a variety of television and live awards shows. After a brief stand-up career, Scott the met up and coming Lisa Lampanelli, an insult comic, and struck up a friendship. He would occasionally send her jokes, and eventually they collaborated on her slot in the Chevy Chase roast for Comedy Central. Realizing he enjoyed seeing people laugh at his jokes whether he or another comic delivered the lin...
#6 - How I Find Work
January 17, 2022 05:00 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBEric shares his strategies for finding new jobs when his pipeline starts running low. There are many ways to find new work as a creative freelancer -- referral business and word of mouth are powerful tools -- but sometimes your pipeline needs a boost. Eric discusses his favorite freelancing sites, his approach to bidding for jobs, and how to build your online presence to win the best jobs. Eric M. Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com
#5 - The Power of Underestimating Yourself
January 10, 2022 05:00 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBSo... how is your New Year's resolution going? Have you gotten frustrated yet? It's common for people to set big goals at the beginning of the year, promising themselves they will make major changes or take on a large challenge. In other words, they imagine the best version of themselves, with the most discipline, the most willpower. As Eric argues in this episode, maybe the best thing you can do for yourself when approaching a new goal or resolution is to underestimate yourself and embrace ...
#4 - Do You Need a Sales Funnel? Yes... and No
January 03, 2022 05:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBEric discusses the key to getting work -- your marketing sales funnel. Do you need one? Of course! But maybe not... there's a few different ways to get new leads, and Eric breaks down your options as a freelancer. Eric M Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com
#3 - Should YOU Become A Freelancer, The Hardest Freelance Jobs, and Eric's Freelancing Story
December 20, 2021 05:00 - 48 minutes - 44.9 MBEric is back with more tales from the dream world of freelance creatives. Just kidding -- it's not as dreamy as it looks... well, maybe, but it depends on who you are! As he explains, freelance work can be fantastic, fulfilling work where you set your own schedule, work the jobs that you want to work, and decide your own workflow. On the other hand, you are responsible for bringing in every dollar of work that you make, as well as accounting, quarterly taxes, marketing, etc. It's a lot of re...
Should YOU Become A Freelancer, The Hardest Freelance Jobs, and Eric's Freelancing Story
December 20, 2021 05:00 - 48 minutes - 44.9 MBEric is back with more tales from the dream world of freelance creatives. Just kidding -- it's not as dreamy as it looks... well, maybe, but it depends on who you are! As he explains, freelance work can be fantastic, fulfilling work where you set your own schedule, work the jobs that you want to work, and decide your own workflow. On the other hand, you are responsible for bringing in every dollar of work that you make, as well as accounting, quarterly taxes, marketing, etc. It's a lot of re...
#2 - Are You Ready to Go Pro, Todd McFarlane, and the Craftsman's Journey
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 35.8 MBProfesional illustrator Eric M. Strong shares advice on when it's time to go pro, why the person you most need to convince about being a pro is yourself, the genius of Todd McFarlane, and the long, winding journey of a professional craftsman. Todd McFarlane interview with the Kubert School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEyZctFKQpU Eric M Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com
#1 - 5 Keys to Logo Design, How to Answer the Question "Does This Outfit Look OK?" and More!
November 22, 2021 05:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBIllustrator and freelance artist Eric Strong outlines five things you need to make your logo stand out in the great sea of graphics out there. He also shares a bit of relationship advice -- a strategy for answering the inevitable question: does this outfit look OK? Eric M Strong https://www.ericmstrong.com
Welcome to Real Abstract: A Podcast for Freelancers and Creative Professionals
October 16, 2021 16:23 - 1 minute - 1.61 MBIf you could go back in time 20 years and give yourself advice about your career as a creative professional and freelancer, what would you tell yourself? Well, that’s exactly what this podcast is all about. Eric M. Strong is a professional illustrator with over 20 years of experience and thousands of projects under his belt. He has made many mistakes in the course of his career, and launched this podcast to share his wisdom and help other creatives navigate business, time management, c...