Cat Rose (@CreativeIntro) is an independent graphic designer and founder of The Creative Introvert, a website and community for creative professions who share introverted personality types.
In this conversation, we discuss the oddities of life as a freelance designer, the observed behaviour of creative pros and where they fall on the introverted/extroverted continuum, and the challenges of building online communities and creating compelling content.
Listen Now
Get The Episode
- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 90 (MP3, 50:53, 18.5 MB)
- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 90 (OGG, 50:53, 23.7 MB)
Subscribe to Get New Episodes
Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Google Podcasts, on Stitcher, on iHeart
Sponsor
Building Brands eBook
This episode is sponsored by the new eBook Building Brands: A Practical Guide for Creative Pros to Develop Strategy and Design Identity.
Show Notes & Links
- Cat lives in Brighton, England
- Prescott has visited Brighton, as well as Rottingdean, and the University of Sussex
- Farnham, a picturesque town in Surrey with a 10th century castle
- Cat remains a graphic designer, started as an illustrator
“I don't know anyone who loves self-promo.”
—Cat Rose
“I'm not an artist. I'm more of a mechanic.”
—Prescott Perez-Fox
“I studied fine art, but it always felt pointless and self-indulgent.”
—Cat Rose
- Cat draws people’s pets
- Prescott chatted with Matt Inglot on The Freelance Transformation Podcast
“There's something to be learned from every project.”
—Cat Rose
- Flash (dead in name only)
- How to use Sketch for print design (if you’re a complete animal.)
- InDesign and Illustrator aren’t great for pixel design
- Quiet by Susan Cain on Amazon and on Audible
- “Leg It”
- The Irish Goodbye
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, system for determining personality types
- The Big Five personality traits, aka the Five Factor Model (FFM)
- Introvert-Extrovert spectrum
“I started to notice many of my creative friends were also introverts.”
—Cat Rose
- Ambivert (both introvert and extrovert)
- Brighton Pride parade, a most extroverted affair
- People with “I” in their Myers-Briggs result aren’t considered for management roles
- Would you ever go to the movies by yourself?
- Bill Gates, a well-known, successful introvert
- Empathy is an introvert super-power, as are deep though, analysis, etc.
- Limiting self-beliefs, rather than introversion per se is what holds people back
- Get Your Art Out Summer Camp, a four-week course from The Creative Introvert
- Creative You by David B Goldstein & Otto Kroeger on Amazon
- Learning styles (visual, written, auditory, etc.)
- Is there a link between learning styles and introversion/extraversion?
- Mignon Fogarty aka Grammar Girl, a guest on The Busy Creator Podcast, ep. 67
- “Applesaucing”, re-using your content across multiple forms
- Pat Flynn wrote two articles (1, 2) about repurposing your site/podcast content
- Upcycling and Downcycling, terms from Recycling
- Masterminds vs. Accountability Partners, which do you prefer? (Introverts prefer partners.)
- Meetup.com
- The Awakened Introvert by Arnie Kozak on Amazon and on Audible
- The New York City Podcast Meetup
- Malcolm Gladwell’s Connectors
- The Rule of 3 and 10 for growing organizations
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod on Amazon and on Audible
“Once you've started something you're more than halfway there.”
—Seneca
- Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson on Amazon and on Audible
- The Creative Introvert
- Cat Rose on Twitter
- Cat Rose on Facebook
- Cat Rose on Instagram
- Cat Rose on LinkedIn
- Cat Rose on Pinterest
Tools
Techniques
- Set a brief for yourself to make fine arts more of a “project”
- Build lasting relationships as a freelancer, even with your last employer
- Go minimal, if you can. Don’t use a mouse and keyboard.
- Learn quickly, trust that you can teach yourself new tools
- Repurpose your content to serve different audiences (written vs. spoken vs. infographic)
- Be careful when creating a community
- Test and iterate, even on morning rituals
- Replace “routine” with “rhythm”
- Approach fearful projects in tiny increments (a six-second video vs. a feature film)
Habits
- Use the software for its intended purpose!
- Adapt to clients and their workflow
- Compose your thoughts before filming/recording yourself; not everyone is an improviser.
- Wake up 4:30-5:00am for early yoga, journaling, meditation
- Do “the hardest thing” during coffee
Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days
Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial
Join the Discussion
Add your experiences in the Comments section below.
Enjoyed this article?
More insight and resources delivered in our newsletter. Sign up below to receive site updates.
