"I started asking and I started getting" (Dan Woodger bonus episode) - Daring Forever (Find your Extraordinary)

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[00:01]
A
Hey, welcome to this bonus episode of the Daring Forever Podcast. This is my opportunity to zoom in on a few standout moments from this week's interview, finding those moments that deserve a second look and dig deeper in what makes them special. This week I spoke to Dan Budger, who is a freelance illustrator, animation director, and a returning voice on this show. In our conversation, we talked about Dan's project titled Run London, Draw London as It's about what happens when a hobby and a hunch and a sheer vision collide. His project grew from 500 donations into a full crowd scene with 200 hand drawn characters, a cameo and connection with Paula Ratcliffe, and much more. The episode published a few days ago was titled Dare to Ask for what yout Want. And if you're an illustrator that's looking for new opportunities, you're in the right place. It's a pure masterclass in going after what yout Want. If you haven't checked out a full episode yet, let me share with you these four standout moments.
[00:55]
B
I have been so guilty of waiting and sitting and I've got an agent and I've been letting them do their thing and I've been chipping away at social media but I have not been asking. It is true. Don't ask, don't get. I started asking and I started getting and every time I was thinking, oh, this is really dark. And don't get me wrong, there was lots of things that didn't happen. I shot messages of people and they never responded. 60, 70% of the time I got something back from it and it's amazingly effective. Just asking for things and just being cheeky and just shooting a shot. I think it helps. I believed in this as well. I think it wasn't me just asking a random question. There was very much purpose behind what I was asking, but every time I felt like I shot for something, it came off.
[01:33]
A
The reason why I've gone for the title of the episode with Dare to ask for what you want is because Dan has really shifted his energy from being an illustrator who's commercially busy along with an agent before long with the social media presence, but momentarily actually waiting for things to happen and kind of reach him. Because in his own words he's been saying I've been guilty of sitting and waiting for what might come my way. But the idea of just pursuing what you really want, his love of running and illustration combined together on the back of many years of editorial illustrations for many different magazines that featured sports themes, this really started working for him and I'M really happy because I had the pleasure of sharing studio space with Dan. I've witnessed parts of his career kind of unravel and flourish. And it's a beautiful way of sort of showing what can be done if you really go after what you want. So when he was saying that some of the messages that he sent out, 60, 70%, you just don't get anything back, or most of the time, you don't get anything back. I still personally believe that sending just a few, three, four, five emails a day after what you want, oh, become the law of averages. Sometimes at some point, someone will reply to you, back to you, and give you what you really want. And I think in this instance, it's great to see what Dan has created because he had an idea of a project and he went after it and did it and didn't really stop until the end.
[03:02]
B
The challenge was that it could be anything. And then the idea was that with each donation, it would build up this huge crowd of runners and supporters on a image of the blunder marathon route. So I drew the entire tailored version of the London Marathon route that went past all the London landmarks, and then you had the crowd scene filled that space. And it was a bit of a mad idea because it required a lot of faith that the idea would work. The only way that it works as a piece is that if crowd scene is filmed. So I put a lot of faith in the idea and put it out there with basically nothing to show for it at the beginning. I had to start this project. The idea was that I was just going to show something extremely raw and open again. I've been talking a little bit about beginning, about AI and how I want to show the creative process from a completely open book. This is how it all works. These crowd scenes always only ever get shown at the end. I wanted to show how something like this is made in real time.
[03:55]
A
In Dan's career, he's created quite a few crowd scenes that normally get revealed once the work is done and finished. And what he's done with his London Marathon project was the fact that he built it in real time, kind of from beginning to the end, in front of an audience, especially mainly strangers. His love for running and illustration has been beautifully connecting through his passion for both of the topics in a way that it's combined in most perfect way. What he was doing with the London Marathon piece was the actual way of showing what goes behind the scenes in a way that potentially required quite a bit of imagination from some participants at the beginning. But Once the crowd scene started taking shape, it was a lot easier to translate it to people and actually get them to do the backing. And again, what's really good in here is the fact that we want to show what goes behind the scenes. Last week I spoke to Eliza Williams, who's the editor of the Creative Review magazine. And she's very much believed that showing the polished final piece is just fraction of the story and potentially some of the most boring part of the story. I'm paraphrasing, but there's some truth in it, because showing what really goes behind the scenes, what is the struggle, what is the logistics, what goes wrong and what goes well. It's kind of the part of the humanity of creativity, because we want to share with others the parts that are a little bit rough around the edges, but the ones that people can learn from one.
[05:24]
B
I want to make sure that if I do it again, I do it with the same level of intensity and commitment. So I'm making sure that I give myself enough time to recover and build up again so that I can take it on with the same level of dedication. But yes, definitely active. Looking for ways that I can partner as well with brands or with organizations that could help take off some of the burden of me doing it all myself. Because this was really diy, this was fully me. And if there's any way that I could have the exposure of a running brand or a sponsor for one of the events to partner with me to help facilitate some of the things like the prints I did all myself, I used the money I took for money I made from the observer double page spread and put that all back into printing and shipping costs for the prints. And I did it all by hand, delivered the prints to myself in the office that we share, and they bagged everything up and sent it out by hand to the post office. Those things came out of pocket. If there's a way to help facilitate some of those things in a way that other people could cover those costs and help me take some of the burden off, that'd be amazing. But all things to work out for the next one.
[06:25]
A
I mean, let's be honest, this is a pure commitment to the cause. I have chatted to Dan about the fact that he managed to get his illustration printed in the observer as a double page spread just before the marathon. And it's one of those pieces that wouldn't have really happened. That double page spread wouldn't be there if he didn't decide to go on and pursue this whole project throughout a Full interview. Dan was telling me, like how he not only had a 16 week training block to get himself on track to be marathon or race fit, but at the same time as a, as a busy dad of two, he was also juggling client work. He was juggling this project, he was juggling so many other things. And I think we always tell ourselves that things are impossible until we realize that even the smallest of turbulences, going up to the major turbulences and hurricanes are worth in our lives because we can enjoy. What's the part of the outcome? Because what Stan created for himself here is remarkable because it's that one thing that it's ownable, it's his own. And he's managed to pull it off on his own, even from sending prints by hand in a post office, getting them delivered, commission, all of that stuff requires extra time and patience. But I'm sure we all agree the outcome is absolutely worth it.
[07:45]
B
I would love to say I had given that loads of forethought and that it wasn't a happy accident, it was combination of the two. I knew that there would be an element of if I could bring other people's stories into that, that would make the illustration more rich and interesting. But the unhidden thing that I didn't really consider was that when I was adding in the characters, I would tag them in Instagram and then they would then be able to share that with their followers. And it almost widened the reach. But it was really lovely to bring in these stories that I could highlight about what other people are doing. So it almost brought more people along for the journey. And when I almost, I brought them, gave them a level of investment in making this work as well, which is really nice. They had invested enough to sponsor, but when they see that their character is now in this too, it almost brings them along for the ride.
[08:30]
A
I guess the most important part I need to highlight here that the project wouldn't really have happened if it wasn't for Dan's brother George, who ran the marathon previously and connected with the real story of the real meaning of the marathon. Because yes, of course, you get the absolute weapons, the absolute incredible runners who can cover the distance in the fantastic time. But most of the other runners are there for other reasons. They celebrate in someone's life, someone's cause and their stories. I was telling Dan, I always admire how people can run the whole thing, like dressed as a phone box or a dinosaur or bin or something like that, or an ambulance, because that's a horrendous distance. And the extra weight, extra everything. But people do because they do really care. So Dan has kind of connected all of the points together illustration running human stories charity, but mostly the stories of people who are in the race for others. So him being able to create all sorts of different characters, more than a couple of hundred in his illustration showcases why people around, where they come from and how we can connect with one another. If you haven't checked out a full interview with Dan, would you please do because it's amazing always to see how many hidden or how many runners are in a creative sphere that show up as soon as I publish the episode and shared it on socials. A lot of people showed up and listened to the episode and it's a truly remarkable story of when you really go after what you want and ask all of the questions that you want to ask. Remarkable things happen. And I know from a firsthand for a firsthand account now that Dan, months later after the project, is very much working on the back of the project, getting more commissions and being mentioned in the interview that some of the work wasn't coming to him because most of the work is now under NDA. It's one of the ways of getting yourself seen, being out there. And again, let me repeat the title. No dare to ask for what you want. Thank you for joining me on this bonus episode and I'll catch you next week. If you enjoyed this episode and would like more accessible resources to help you discover your daring creativity, you can pick up one of my books on themes of mindful creativity, creative business, branding and graphic design. Every physical book purchase comes with a free digital bundle, including an ebook and audiobook to make the content accessible wherever you are and whatever you do. To get 10% off your order, visit novemberuniverse.co.uk and use the Code podcast. Have a look around and start living daringly.

Summary5 min read

Episode Summary: "I started asking and I started getting"

Podcast: Daring Forever (Find your Extraordinary)
Host: Radim Malinic
Guest: Dan Woodger
Release Date: August 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This bonus episode dives into the career-defining mindset shift and creative journey of illustrator and animation director Dan Woodger, with a special focus on his community-driven project "Run London, Draw London." Host Radim Malinic uses this episode to revisit key moments and deeper lessons from their recent interview, zooming in on the transformational power of "daring to ask for what you want." Their discussion reveals the vulnerable, gritty process behind creative success, and explores how combining personal passions with proactive communication can lead to extraordinary opportunities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Asking

Dan reflects on passivity versus action: Early in his career, Dan describes being content with waiting for opportunities via his agent and social media. However, he noticed a real shift when he started to proactively reach out and ask for what he wanted.
Notable Quote:

"I have been so guilty of waiting and sitting and I've got an agent and I've been letting them do their thing... but I have not been asking... Don't ask, don't get. I started asking and I started getting... 60, 70% of the time I got something back from it and it's amazingly effective."
— Dan Woodger [00:54]
Radim highlights the law of averages:

"Sending just a few, three, four, five emails a day after what you want, oh, become the law of averages. Sometimes at some point, someone will reply to you, back to you, and give you what you really want."
— Radim Malinic [01:33]

2. Building the "Run London, Draw London" Project

Project genesis: Dan combined his passions for running and illustration, building a dynamic depiction of the London Marathon route featuring 200 hand-drawn characters.
Crowd-sourced momentum: The characters were funded via donations, each contribution resulting in a new illustrated runner or supporter. Dan exposed his creative process in real time, making the entire build transparent and interactive—counter to the typical behind-the-scenes process.
Notable Quote:

"The idea was that with each donation, it would build up this huge crowd of runners and supporters on an image of the London Marathon route... I wanted to show how something like this is made in real time."
— Dan Woodger [03:02]
Significance of public process: Radim notes the value in revealing the messy, human side of creativity, referencing a recent interview with Creative Review:

"Showing the polished final piece is just fraction of the story... showing what really goes behind the scenes, what is the struggle, what is the logistics, what goes wrong and what goes well... it's the part of the humanity of creativity."
— Radim Malinic [03:54]

3. DIY Commitment and Scaling Up

Personal investment: Dan handled every step of the project, from illustration to print production, shipping, and even hand-delivering finished prints.
Seeking support for future projects: Looking ahead, Dan is interested in partnerships with brands or sponsors to help minimize the logistical and financial burden.
Notable Quote:

"I did it all by hand, delivered the prints to myself in the office that we share, and bagged everything up and sent it out by hand to the post office. Those things came out of pocket. If there's a way... other people could cover those costs and help me take some of the burden off, that'd be amazing."
— Dan Woodger [05:24]
Juggling commitments: Dan managed the project alongside marathon training, client work, and family responsibilities:

"We always tell ourselves that things are impossible until we realize that even the smallest of turbulences, going up to the major turbulences and hurricanes are worth in our lives because we can enjoy... the outcome."
— Radim Malinic [06:24]

4. Building Community Through Creativity

Multiplying impact: Dan discovered that tagging contributors in his illustrations massively expanded the project's reach, as people shared their inclusion with their own networks.
Notable Quote:

"When I was adding in the characters, I would tag them in Instagram and then they would then be able to share that with their followers... it almost brought more people along for the journey."
— Dan Woodger [07:44]
The heart of the marathon: The project was inspired by Dan's brother, George, a marathon runner, and especially by the moving human stories behind most non-professional runners.
Diversity in stories:

"Dan has kind of connected all of the points together—illustration, running, human stories, charity—but mostly the stories of people who are in the race for others."
— Radim Malinic [08:30]

5. Results, Ripple Effects, & Final Reflection

Career impact: The visibility from the project led to new commissions and work for Dan, even if much of it is now under NDA.
Broader moral:

"It's a truly remarkable story of when you really go after what you want and ask all of the questions that you want to ask. Remarkable things happen."
— Radim Malinic [08:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Dan Woodger on Proactivity:

"Don't ask, don't get. I started asking and I started getting." [00:54]
On Building in Public:

"I wanted to show how something like this is made in real time." [03:02]
On DIY Dedication:

"I did it all by hand... those things came out of pocket." [05:24]
On Community Connection:

"When they see that their character is now in this too, it almost brings them along for the ride." [07:44]

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|------------| | Introducing the standout moments | 00:00–00:54| | The shift from waiting to asking | 00:54–01:33| | The genesis and real-time build of project | 03:02–03:54| | The importance of sharing process, not just product | 03:54–05:24| | DIY logistics and calls for partnership | 05:24–06:24| | The extraordinary personal commitment | 06:24–07:44| | Social impact and multiplier effect | 07:44–08:30| | The heart and human-connection of the project | 08:30–end |

Takeaways

Dare to ask: Most opportunities don’t arrive unless you actively pursue them—sometimes just a few extra emails can be transformative.
Combine passions: When your creative projects connect to personal meaning, the results can be unique and deeply resonant.
Share the process, not just the outcome: Inviting others into the journey—messy, raw, real—builds community and makes the work more meaningful and interesting.
DIY is powerful, but sustainable collaboration scales impact.
Celebrate the everyday extraordinary: The richness of human stories—whether running marathons or making art—often lies in the motivations and connections behind them.

"No dare to ask for what you want."
— Episode Closing Message, Radim Malinic

Loading summary

Transcript9 lines

[00:01]
A
Hey, welcome to this bonus episode of the Daring Forever Podcast. This is my opportunity to zoom in on a few standout moments from this week's interview, finding those moments that deserve a second look and dig deeper in what makes them special. This week I spoke to Dan Budger, who is a freelance illustrator, animation director, and a returning voice on this show. In our conversation, we talked about Dan's project titled Run London, Draw London as It's about what happens when a hobby and a hunch and a sheer vision collide. His project grew from 500 donations into a full crowd scene with 200 hand drawn characters, a cameo and connection with Paula Ratcliffe, and much more. The episode published a few days ago was titled Dare to Ask for what yout Want. And if you're an illustrator that's looking for new opportunities, you're in the right place. It's a pure masterclass in going after what yout Want. If you haven't checked out a full episode yet, let me share with you these four standout moments.
[00:55]
B
I have been so guilty of waiting and sitting and I've got an agent and I've been letting them do their thing and I've been chipping away at social media but I have not been asking. It is true. Don't ask, don't get. I started asking and I started getting and every time I was thinking, oh, this is really dark. And don't get me wrong, there was lots of things that didn't happen. I shot messages of people and they never responded. 60, 70% of the time I got something back from it and it's amazingly effective. Just asking for things and just being cheeky and just shooting a shot. I think it helps. I believed in this as well. I think it wasn't me just asking a random question. There was very much purpose behind what I was asking, but every time I felt like I shot for something, it came off.
[01:33]
A
The reason why I've gone for the title of the episode with Dare to ask for what you want is because Dan has really shifted his energy from being an illustrator who's commercially busy along with an agent before long with the social media presence, but momentarily actually waiting for things to happen and kind of reach him. Because in his own words he's been saying I've been guilty of sitting and waiting for what might come my way. But the idea of just pursuing what you really want, his love of running and illustration combined together on the back of many years of editorial illustrations for many different magazines that featured sports themes, this really started working for him and I'M really happy because I had the pleasure of sharing studio space with Dan. I've witnessed parts of his career kind of unravel and flourish. And it's a beautiful way of sort of showing what can be done if you really go after what you want. So when he was saying that some of the messages that he sent out, 60, 70%, you just don't get anything back, or most of the time, you don't get anything back. I still personally believe that sending just a few, three, four, five emails a day after what you want, oh, become the law of averages. Sometimes at some point, someone will reply to you, back to you, and give you what you really want. And I think in this instance, it's great to see what Dan has created because he had an idea of a project and he went after it and did it and didn't really stop until the end.
[03:02]
B
The challenge was that it could be anything. And then the idea was that with each donation, it would build up this huge crowd of runners and supporters on a image of the blunder marathon route. So I drew the entire tailored version of the London Marathon route that went past all the London landmarks, and then you had the crowd scene filled that space. And it was a bit of a mad idea because it required a lot of faith that the idea would work. The only way that it works as a piece is that if crowd scene is filmed. So I put a lot of faith in the idea and put it out there with basically nothing to show for it at the beginning. I had to start this project. The idea was that I was just going to show something extremely raw and open again. I've been talking a little bit about beginning, about AI and how I want to show the creative process from a completely open book. This is how it all works. These crowd scenes always only ever get shown at the end. I wanted to show how something like this is made in real time.
[03:55]
A
In Dan's career, he's created quite a few crowd scenes that normally get revealed once the work is done and finished. And what he's done with his London Marathon project was the fact that he built it in real time, kind of from beginning to the end, in front of an audience, especially mainly strangers. His love for running and illustration has been beautifully connecting through his passion for both of the topics in a way that it's combined in most perfect way. What he was doing with the London Marathon piece was the actual way of showing what goes behind the scenes in a way that potentially required quite a bit of imagination from some participants at the beginning. But Once the crowd scene started taking shape, it was a lot easier to translate it to people and actually get them to do the backing. And again, what's really good in here is the fact that we want to show what goes behind the scenes. Last week I spoke to Eliza Williams, who's the editor of the Creative Review magazine. And she's very much believed that showing the polished final piece is just fraction of the story and potentially some of the most boring part of the story. I'm paraphrasing, but there's some truth in it, because showing what really goes behind the scenes, what is the struggle, what is the logistics, what goes wrong and what goes well. It's kind of the part of the humanity of creativity, because we want to share with others the parts that are a little bit rough around the edges, but the ones that people can learn from one.
[05:24]
B
I want to make sure that if I do it again, I do it with the same level of intensity and commitment. So I'm making sure that I give myself enough time to recover and build up again so that I can take it on with the same level of dedication. But yes, definitely active. Looking for ways that I can partner as well with brands or with organizations that could help take off some of the burden of me doing it all myself. Because this was really diy, this was fully me. And if there's any way that I could have the exposure of a running brand or a sponsor for one of the events to partner with me to help facilitate some of the things like the prints I did all myself, I used the money I took for money I made from the observer double page spread and put that all back into printing and shipping costs for the prints. And I did it all by hand, delivered the prints to myself in the office that we share, and they bagged everything up and sent it out by hand to the post office. Those things came out of pocket. If there's a way to help facilitate some of those things in a way that other people could cover those costs and help me take some of the burden off, that'd be amazing. But all things to work out for the next one.
[06:25]
A
I mean, let's be honest, this is a pure commitment to the cause. I have chatted to Dan about the fact that he managed to get his illustration printed in the observer as a double page spread just before the marathon. And it's one of those pieces that wouldn't have really happened. That double page spread wouldn't be there if he didn't decide to go on and pursue this whole project throughout a Full interview. Dan was telling me, like how he not only had a 16 week training block to get himself on track to be marathon or race fit, but at the same time as a, as a busy dad of two, he was also juggling client work. He was juggling this project, he was juggling so many other things. And I think we always tell ourselves that things are impossible until we realize that even the smallest of turbulences, going up to the major turbulences and hurricanes are worth in our lives because we can enjoy. What's the part of the outcome? Because what Stan created for himself here is remarkable because it's that one thing that it's ownable, it's his own. And he's managed to pull it off on his own, even from sending prints by hand in a post office, getting them delivered, commission, all of that stuff requires extra time and patience. But I'm sure we all agree the outcome is absolutely worth it.
[07:45]
B
I would love to say I had given that loads of forethought and that it wasn't a happy accident, it was combination of the two. I knew that there would be an element of if I could bring other people's stories into that, that would make the illustration more rich and interesting. But the unhidden thing that I didn't really consider was that when I was adding in the characters, I would tag them in Instagram and then they would then be able to share that with their followers. And it almost widened the reach. But it was really lovely to bring in these stories that I could highlight about what other people are doing. So it almost brought more people along for the journey. And when I almost, I brought them, gave them a level of investment in making this work as well, which is really nice. They had invested enough to sponsor, but when they see that their character is now in this too, it almost brings them along for the ride.
[08:30]
A
I guess the most important part I need to highlight here that the project wouldn't really have happened if it wasn't for Dan's brother George, who ran the marathon previously and connected with the real story of the real meaning of the marathon. Because yes, of course, you get the absolute weapons, the absolute incredible runners who can cover the distance in the fantastic time. But most of the other runners are there for other reasons. They celebrate in someone's life, someone's cause and their stories. I was telling Dan, I always admire how people can run the whole thing, like dressed as a phone box or a dinosaur or bin or something like that, or an ambulance, because that's a horrendous distance. And the extra weight, extra everything. But people do because they do really care. So Dan has kind of connected all of the points together illustration running human stories charity, but mostly the stories of people who are in the race for others. So him being able to create all sorts of different characters, more than a couple of hundred in his illustration showcases why people around, where they come from and how we can connect with one another. If you haven't checked out a full interview with Dan, would you please do because it's amazing always to see how many hidden or how many runners are in a creative sphere that show up as soon as I publish the episode and shared it on socials. A lot of people showed up and listened to the episode and it's a truly remarkable story of when you really go after what you want and ask all of the questions that you want to ask. Remarkable things happen. And I know from a firsthand for a firsthand account now that Dan, months later after the project, is very much working on the back of the project, getting more commissions and being mentioned in the interview that some of the work wasn't coming to him because most of the work is now under NDA. It's one of the ways of getting yourself seen, being out there. And again, let me repeat the title. No dare to ask for what you want. Thank you for joining me on this bonus episode and I'll catch you next week. If you enjoyed this episode and would like more accessible resources to help you discover your daring creativity, you can pick up one of my books on themes of mindful creativity, creative business, branding and graphic design. Every physical book purchase comes with a free digital bundle, including an ebook and audiobook to make the content accessible wherever you are and whatever you do. To get 10% off your order, visit novemberuniverse.co.uk and use the Code podcast. Have a look around and start living daringly.