Podcast
Thoughts on Illustration
Hosted by Tom Froese · EN
Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, you are invited to follow along as Tom does the same!
73episodes
Episodes
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Copyright, Licensing, and Self-Promotion (Part 1)
Oct 24, 202300:47:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode we dive into the exciting world of Copyright for Illustrators! I swear, it's not as boring as it sounds — and in fact, I will explain why it's way more important for independent illustrators and artists than you might imagine. This is Part 1 of 2. We'll pick up with the rest in Episode 20.
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Stressed out? 8 Ways to Alleviate Stress as a Professional Illustrator
Oct 10, 202300:57:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we'll go through 8 ways to alleviate stress as a working illustrator. Making art for a living, often under tight deadlines and high expectations, can be very stressful. But if we're stressed out all the time, we'll end up burning out. So how do we avoid stress in our work, even as we perform on a deadline? How can we manage multiple projects and give each one of them our best? And how can we do all this without burning out? Join me as I share the surprisingly simple ways that I've been able to take the edge off stress in my own work. Along the way, I hope to encourage you to keep going and not to let the little (and sometimes big) setbacks hold you back.
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10 Productivity Tips for Illustrators
Sep 26, 202301:03:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I'm going to give you 10 tips for being more productive as an illustrator. These are tips that I personally use and NEED to stay on top of my game. Along the way, I'll share my own challenges in being productive, which will help you understand why I've chosen these particular tips for you. In the intro, I share some updates from my family situation.
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You're Not Crazy — It's Social Media (Summer Shorts Rerun)
Sep 12, 202300:38:00Tap to summarizeWith Social Media, we simply can't do it all. There are too many platforms and too many different content types, and if we tried to consistently do all of them, or even a handful of them, we'd have no time to do our actual job! But the fear of missed opportunities (by not participating on all the popular apps) is real! So how do we balance the need to share on social media (yes, we do need to use it!) with staying productive and even staying sane? Please join me as I explore the topic of Social Media. THIS IS A RE-RUN EPISODE FROM MY PATRONS ONLY SUMMER SHORTS SERIES
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Thoughts on Illustration Returns This September
Aug 30, 202300:15:22Tap to summarizeAfter a summer of pulling back, we'll be back at it starting September 12, 2023. Thoughts on Illustration doesn't have seasons, but if it did, this would be the trailer for Season 2. This is just me checking in with you all about where I'm at and how I think things will go moving forward.
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Is it the Right Time to Go Full Time as an Illustrator? | Summer Shorts 01
Jul 10, 202300:18:47Tap to summarizeHow Do You Know When to Go Full Time as an Illustrator? This is a free preview and the first mini-episode of the Summer Shorts series of the Thoughts on Illustration Podcast. For the rest of the summer, these will be available only to my Patreon supporters. Join in at patreon.com/tomfroese! Otherwise, I’ll see you in September!
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To Quit or Commit: Should You Let Go of Your Big Dream?
Jun 26, 202300:48:13Tap to summarizeWhen we have big dreams, we have to lean into them hard and really go for it. But sometimes what we thought we wanted doesn't turn out. Maybe it's too hard or maybe we just don't enjoy it anymore. The question is, do we double down and commit, knowing that payoff is just around the corner, or do we allow ourselves to quit, knowing that it's the only way to make room for something better?
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Good News for Slow Workers
Jun 12, 202300:58:18Tap to summarizeDo you ever feel like everything takes YOU longer than everyone else? In this episode, talk about what it’s been like for me as a slow worker. What kinds of things have slowed me down, and how have I been able to thrive as a successful illustrator in spite of them. So if you’re a slowpoke trying to figure out why it just takes so long to get things done, this one is for you. I’m going talk about why I think there are two kinds of slow — good slow and bad slow — and why we should embrace the former and try to change the latter. And of course, I’ll give you some ways to do both. How can you embrace the things about your work that you maybe wish would go faster, and how you can change some of the things that truly get in your creative way. By the end of this episode, I hope that you’ll feel permitted to give yourself the time you need to do your best work — and to defend that time when it comes under question by yourself — or by others.
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SPECIAL: Illustration Student Interviews Me for Class Project
Jun 5, 202300:33:31Tap to summarizeIn this SPECIAL episode, I share an interview that Andres Palacios (BFA Illustration student at SCAD) did with me for a class project. I really enjoyed talking to him, and I think you'll enjoy our conversation. We'll be back next week with Episode 14! Thanks to Andres Palacios for letting me share this interview! Check out his work at https://www.andrespalacios.me/
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Why Constraints Make You More Creative
May 22, 202300:48:02Tap to summarizeCAN THERE BE TOO MUCH CREATIVE FREEDOM? In this episode we're going to talk about why your creativity NEEDS constraints! Even though they seem like setbacks, if we can embrace them, they can actually push us forward in our work. In Chapter 1, I'll tell you the story of how a concert went totally wrong — and how that resulted one of the best-selling Jazz albums of all time. In Chapter 2, I'll give you the 4 types of constraints you'll encounter in your illustration work, and how to use each one to push you forward in your own creativity!
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