Originally broadcast May 3, 2019.Jerzy’s begun a new comics project, and it’s been a while since we’ve had an art demo on the LIA Cast, so this week join Jerzy and Rob for a demonstration and discussion on designing sound elements in your co

LIA Cast 360 - Daily Creative Celebration AKA Victory Donut (CWC)

May 13th, 2021

Ready for another day of work, yet not feeling it. So many valid reasons to be in that situation… yet also having due dates and commitments to meet. Sometimes the work is rewarding and the outcomes too, people liking what you do, paying you

LIA Cast 359- Viewing Angle Tells the Story (MWS)

May 6th, 2021

Working on the thumbnails for your next comic and discovered you’ve sketched dozens of pages of talking heads? We cartoonists can put the reader’s eye wherever we can imagine, so why don’t we? But how do you know where to put the reader’s eye

LIA Cast 358 - Showing Up Socially, Balancing Quality and Effort

Apr 29th, 2021

Posting socially is something most independent creators need to work with. I've often been the show up when I've made something, share it, then mostly hang back and like other folks stuff approach.But I know that I can do better, reach folks

LIA Cast 357 - Write Posts Quickly With Prompts, Constraints, and Instinct

Apr 22nd, 2021

When you sit down to write a blog post is that a comfortable creative activity? Are there times when it feels like the words are stuck or just not sure how to say what you’re really trying to say?Recently Rob finished a 100 days in a row blo

LIA Cast 356 - Prioritizing Your Work

Apr 15th, 2021

We’ve all been there--you start out with the promise of a new day, a reasonably curated to-do list, and a commitment to make your art. And suddenly you look at the clock and it’s the end of the day and all you have to show for it is seven or

LIA Cast 355 - Training Your Analytic Eye

Apr 8th, 2021

Frustrated that you can’t find a way to bring the big feelings you get from others’ art into your own? Maybe you just need to train your analytic eye to level up your inferencing skills. Being able to look for and identify the ideas behind th

LIA Cast 354 - Creating Clarity or Inspiring Awe (CWC)

Apr 1st, 2021

Clarity competes with other concerns when writing and illustrating - what’s a useful approach to get enough information and emotion into the page? When should you be going for clarity vs inspiring awe?Sponsors for this episodeBoulder and F

LIA 353 - Listening With Notetaking to Understand and Facilitate Groups (MWS)

Mar 25th, 2021

Are you in meetings in person or on screen where you’re taking notes in front of folks? When we're listening to learn from a conversation even one other person or to work in a group we use a similar style of note-taking for both situations.

LIA 352 - Feeling Overwhelmed (CWC)

Mar 18th, 2021

Every once in a while we feel like we're in over our heads, whether it’s due to the number of tasks we've committed to, ambiguity of the tasks, or just feeling a bigger-than-usual sense of friction between the tasks and us. When this happens

LIA Cast 351 - Make Your Own Time Tracker (MWS)

Mar 11th, 2021

It’s no big reveal that time tracking and journaling can be invaluable tools to help you find the time to focus on your creative work. But how do you pick the one that’s right for you and how do you use it? We look at some options and use cas

LIA Cast 350 - Advocacy as Part of Your Creative Business

Mar 4th, 2021

Rob feels he has a variety of advocacy ideas tangled up and thinks it’ll be super useful talking with Jerzy on today’s show - he’s been doing advocacy through comics for years!Sponsors for this episodeFour Million Years LaterRob's Listeni

LIA Cast 349 - Panel Tools in Clip Studio Paint (MWS)

Feb 25th, 2021

Ever wonder what those paneling tools do in Clip Studio Paint? You’ll be surprised by how much they can speed up your work. Join Jerzy and Rob for a Mini Workshop episode where they demo 3 awesome power-ups in Clip Studio Paint.Sponsors for

LIA Cast 348 - Reading/Watching/Playing (CWC)

Feb 18th, 2021

When we make things, write stories, any creative work needs input. Sometimes that’s focused research, other times it’s the indirect idea fuel of taking time to recharge, play games, watch, and read things that give us energy.Join us for an e

LIA 347 - Create a Fast Frequent Comics Challenge (MWS)

Feb 11th, 2021

Ever think about participating in hourly comics day or similar comics events?Avoid entirely but think about it still?Or try and get stuck?We’re going to take the worksheet my students use in the Customizing Your Next Creative Challenge wor

LIA 346 - Projects that Frighten You (CWC)

Feb 4th, 2021

Ever not try an art project because you feel some fear about the work involved? This week Rob and Jerzy look at what they do when they feel frightened about making things.Sponsors for this episodeFour Million Years LaterRob's workshops an

LIA 345 - Quick Flatting in Clip Studio Paint (MWS)

Jan 28th, 2021

Jerzy and Rob share some tricks in Clip Studio Paint that will make flatting easy for beginners, and speedier for those who have been doing it a while.Sponsors for this episodeScience Comics: RocketsRob's workshops and coachingLean Into

LIA Cast 344 - Getting and Believing in Rest

Jan 21st, 2021

Join Jerzy and Rob for an exploration of how our relationship with rest affects our work.Sponsors for this episodeBoulder and Fleet: Mining for TroubleRob's workshops and coachingLean Into Art DiscordThanks to our top Patreon supporter

LIA Cast 343 - Shipping Every Day

Jan 14th, 2021

Some frequently shared advice among creative people hoping to build an audience or attract customers is to “post something every day.” Many of us find this plan reasonable, yet difficult to act out.Rob has chosen to take this practice on for

LIA Cast 342 - Should You Evolve Your Long-Term Project?

Jan 7th, 2021

This week Jerzy and Rob look at the Lean Into Art project itself as a case in point. When should you check in on your commitment to a long-term project, and how do you think about evolving it while you work on it?Join us for a discussion on

LIA Cast 341 - Ongoing Adventures in Illustration Using Clip Studio Paint

Dec 31st, 2020

Sponsors for this episodeFour Million Years LaterRob's workshops and coachingLean Into Art DiscordLinks mentioned:Bruce Lee: The Tao of Gung FuLynda Barry's SyllabusStan BushG.I. Joe: A Real American HeroClip Studio PaintThanks

LIA 340 - Year-end Extra Lean

Dec 24th, 2020

Jerzy and Rob celebrate the end of the year by practicing an Extra Lean episode, which are emergent discussions based on what we've recently experienced in our art. You can download more of them by subscribing to the Lean Into Art Patreon!Spon

LIA Cast 339 - Service-Driven Design can Make it Better

Dec 17th, 2020

What happens when you begin to navigate the creative constraints of a project with the needs of the client, the users, and yourself in mind? Are the needs behind a project simply a list of requirements, or can they be instigators of creative

LIA Cast 338 - R/W/P & Picking Tools for Your Experience

Dec 10th, 2020

Jerzy and Rob get together for another analysis of what they’ve been reading/watching/playing. In the second half they’ll look at how your own experience in the making of the thing can be a factor in choosing your tools.Sponsors for this epi

LIA Cast 337 - Where in the Blank Part 2: Creative Time Tactics

Dec 3rd, 2020

Last episode we started exploring creative time strategies and considering capacity as an overall foundation to help with being realistic about creative output.Here we continue exploring to help our future selves get the things we care about