3 Communication Skills Every Artist Needs (Freelance or Studio)

Most Learning Happens on the Job (Not in Courses)

You get good at what you spend your time doing, and most learning actually happens on the job. We spend so much of our lives working. While being an artist can be fun work, there is a significant learning component to that. That learning comes in the form of learning to be more efficient, make better decisions, work faster, and be a better collaborator. Along the way, you'll find yourself in situations that may deviate from what you were initially hired to do. Throughout my career, I have transitioned from spending time making video content and into a role of communication. This role of communication is important in my realm because it allows projects to hit deadlines and make my clients happy. As artists, there will be significant parts of your life where you aren't actually doing the work that you were hired to do. And sometimes, there is a point where you have to commit to doing less of the artwork to complete the project. Inspired by an article talking about software engineering leadership, I wanted to create an episode that expands on the idea of time management. Incase you're curious, here is the article link; https://www.noidea.dog/glue But one thing that is always worth considering at every phase of our career are these three questions; 1. What skills do I want? 2. What doors am I willing to close? 3. What do you want to practice? Things worth considering.

100 Ways to be a Better Grown-Up Artist

My Book: https://a.co/d/2MoMV6n00:00 Welcome to my life!02:20 1. Find what works for you02:26 2. Wake up02:40 3. Drink water02:45 4. Leave 3 hours before your first task02:55 5. Do one thing for yourself first04:36 6. Basic resets: teeth, bed, clothes04:40 7. No caffeine in the first hour04:46 8. Avoid overdoing caffeine05:05 9. No AI before noon05:12 10. Eat breakfast06:15 11. 12-hour dish rule06:35 12. Don’t check your phone immediately06:41 13. No video games before noon06:45 14. Turn morning energy into productive play07:17 15. Balance self-care and work07:29 16. Keep commute under 15 minutes07:45 17. Turn off notifications for deep work08:03 18. Do the hardest thing first08:08 19. Start work 60 min before meetings08:18 20. Drink more water08:23 21. Drink water before lunch08:34 22. No breakfast? Lunch at noon08:40 23. Eat a grown-up lunch09:25 24. Eat if you haven’t in 5 hours09:34 25. Get comfortable eating alone09:43 26. Eat with others weekly09:51 27. Lunch under $2010:03 28. Bring your lunch10:14 29. Don’t overextend lunch10:23 30. Avoid 2-hour lunches10:28 31. No caffeine after 2 PM10:32 32. Work through lunch if it saves time10:46 33. Schedule meetings after lunch10:58 34. Aim for 4 hours of focused work11:04 35. Use remaining time for low-urgency tasks11:16 36. Max 2 hours of meetings11:21 37. End the day with a cooldown11:29 38. Automate bills11:34 39. Pay car registration11:37 40. Pay rent11:38 41. Get bloodwork done11:42 42. Go to the dentist11:45 43. Go to the eye doctor11:48 44. Clear outstanding bills11:56 45. Get out of debt12:03 46. Clear life admin to focus12:09 47. Work on bigger projects12:19 48. Live below your means13:03 49. Invest in retirement13:16 50. Don’t buy dumb stuff13:19 51. Save 5% for guilt-free spending13:27 52. End work at a reasonable hour13:39 53. Shape work to allow self-care13:45 54. Exercise after work if needed13:50 55. Home gym or off-peak training14:06 56. Eat carbs before workouts if needed14:16 57. At 5 PM, think about dinner14:22 58. Cook for yourself (or others)14:38 59. Weekly date night14:53 60. No screens at dinner14:56 61. Be the one who reaches out15:09 62. Do dishes or follow the 12-hour rule15:16 63. Post-dinner activity that fills you up15:29 64. Short commutes enable skill-building15:44 65. Don’t overdo productive play15:56 66. Avoid default brain rot16:02 67. Skip productivity if stressed—still no brain rot16:14 68. Use the 5x rule for time/resources17:02 69. Minimize driving time17:19 70. End the day with something fun17:31 71. Say yes to spontaneity (with limits)17:44 72. Snack if hungry before bed18:22 73. Wind down with joy18:40 74. Use TV strategically for connection19:20 75. Sleep between 10–11 PM19:38 76. One tech-free night per week19:54 77. Sunday is reset day20:16 78. 6,000–10,000 steps daily20:33 79. Don’t weigh yourself daily20:48 80. Practice selective sobriety21:09 81. Ignore peer pressure21:21 82. Communicate intimacy needs empathetically21:30 83. Know your intimacy needs21:39 84. Have a therapist21:42 85. Have a coach21:46 86. Partner ≠ therapist21:50 87. You ≠ your partner’s therapist21:54 88. Have a best friend21:59 89. Be a best friend22:04 90. Do not murder22:07 91. Support your friends emotionally22:10 92. Don’t lend friends money22:13 93. Don’t borrow money from friends22:16 94. Did you do your best today? Try again tomorrow.22:35 95. Did you help someone today? Call a friend.22:44 96. No phones in the bedroom22:48 97. Can’t sleep? Wait it out22:52 98. Repeat tomorrow22:56 99. Break the rules23:02 100. There are no rules when you’re a grown-up23:09 I wrote a book—link in the description

3 Communication Skills Every Artist Needs (Freelance or Studio)

3 Major communication skills have helped me build my freelance career. Beyond freelancing, these strategies can be taken into job interviews and even friendships to help build lasting friendships and network connections. Those are Brevity (24 hour rule), Asynchronous communication, and Proactivity. Chapters below! 00:00 - Start00:16 - Life Update02:19 - Books that helped me learn to communicate05:52 - 3 Skills to be a Better Creative Communicator16:54 - How to Apply These 3 Principles of Communication20:40 - Book Recap21:49 - My strategies for Making Friends25:32 - Mistakes I've Made When Communicating My Podcast: https://www.jags.tv/thecreativeadventure [https://www.jags.tv/thecreativeadventure] My Unreal Engine Presets: https://www.jags.tv/unreal-engine-render-presets [https://www.jags.tv/unreal-engine-render-presets] Book an Intro Call with me: https://tidycal.com/jonjagsnee/15-minute-meeting [https://tidycal.com/jonjagsnee/15-minute-meeting] Freelance Website & Portfolio: https://www.jags.tv/ [https://www.jags.tv/] https://twitter.com/jonjagsnee [https://twitter.com/jonjagsnee] https://www.instagram.com/jonjagsnee/ [https://www.instagram.com/jonjagsnee/] https://www.tiktok.com/@jonjagsnee [https://www.tiktok.com/@jonjagsnee]

Client Red Flags Explained with DnD Archetypes

So in my years as a freelancer, I have summed up 5 key behaviors I don't like dealing with as far as clients. While it's important to do good work, some people just aren't good to work with for both parties. Generally speaking, these are the 5 main freelance clients that I have run into that are hard to work with. But in general, your goal should be to find clients where there is mutual respect, trust, and accountability. Anywhooo, chapters below along with all the other linky things.00:00 - Start00:13 - Welcome to the Tavern: The Shady Client02:52 - The Major Client Red Flags06:48 - Price Seekers (Goblin Bargainers)10:32 - The Know-It-All (Arch Mage)17:50 - Time Vampires24:44 - The BEST Type of Clients29:01 - The Dice RollMy Podcast: https://www.jonjagsnee.com/the-creative-adventure1-on-1 Coaching: https://www.jonjagsnee.com/JAGS-1-on-1-CoachingLearn With Me (My Online Courses n' Stuff): https://www.jonjagsnee.com/Freelance Website & Portfolio: https://www.jags.tv/My CoursesDa Vinci Resolve: https://www.jonjagsnee.com/Intro-to-Da-Vinci-Resolve-with-Jagshttps://twitter.com/jonjagsneehttps://www.instagram.com/jonjagsnee/https://www.tiktok.com/@jonjagsnee

Biggest Block To Making Art And How To Overcome It - ft. Ian Robinson

What’s actually stopping you from making art? In this episode of The Creative Adventure Podcast, we dive deep into the fears, perfectionism, and invisible pressures that keep artists stuck, and how to break free. Ian, my ZBrush mentor who’s worked across toy, game, and animation industries, shares his personal journey from beginner struggles to professional success. From embracing the suck to building a portfolio rooted in what you love, this conversation is full of real talk and mindset shifts that can help you stop overthinking and start creating again. Whether you're just starting out or feeling burnt out, I'm excited to share this conversation with you. Timestamps Below 00:00 - Welcome to the Tavern02:30 - Introducing Ian Robinson04:08 - Imposter Syndrome09:19 - Developing Grit as an Artist13:11 - Make the tool work for YOU16:07 - The importance of MENTORS19:01 - 3D Art covers 13 Industries22:35 - Learning how to be BAD before being GOOD27:11 - Reason Why Most People DON'T Make Art30:07 - How to Focus Better as an Artist34:30 - The Best Way to Ask for Feedback36:51 - 3 Ways to Become a Professional Artist44:04 - Best Portfolio Advice44:50 - The Portfolio Road Map48:58 - The Phases of the Artist Journey53:05 - How to Avoid Burn Out