This week, we’re joined by the ridiculously talented Bob Ewing. Bob is a multi-disciplined illustrator and letterer from Indiana. Ian and Dustin have hung out with Bob in person, Tom has chatted with him in the past, and Lisa’s just met him, but we can already sense a friendship blossoming. This should be a fun chat. So without further ado, let’s get into the show!

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Show Notes for This Episode:

[1:00] Bob and Lisa, kindred spirits.
[2:20] Who is Bob Ewing?
[3:00] Bob explains his nonprofit art organization InchxInch.
[4:25] The birth of the Creative South logo.
[5:00] Bob shares how seeing his lettering work at Creative South feels surreal.
[6:10] Tom asks Bob how he found his distinctive style.
[7:40] Bob talks about his appreciation of retro style design.
[8:00] Amazement in limited color palettes and lettering of older design work.
[9:00] Lisa asks Bob what his favorite client work is.
[10:00] Bob hammers out 530 days of consecutive lettering posts.
[11:00] Overworking takes its toll on Bob and his personal life.
[12:00] Knowing when to throw in the towel.
[13:00] Bob falls into the social media expectation trap.
[14:00] The freedom of letting go.
[15:00] Keeping creative juices flowing after that passion project ends.
[16:00] Ian compares antique stores, America vs. the UK.
[17:00] Craftsmanship of days gone by.
[18:20] The easiest way to connect emotionally.
[19:30] Pressure in today’s world and why we should really be creating.
[20:35] Popularity built from a daily project.
[21:00] Keeping work as personal as possible.
[22:00] Realizing time is the one thing that is not unlimited.
[23:20] Doing many things while keeping the quality up.
[24:30] Dustin asks Bob how he thrives without heavily promoting himself.
[25:00] Bob shares a huge new direction in his life.
[26:00] Family – Focus – Freelance.
[27:00] Strong work ethic and low stress vibes.
[28:30] Thriving through high stress moments.
[29:00] Middle class work ethic.
[30:00] Relaxing in the face of life’s storm.
[31:00] Calm personalities are such a great trait.
[32:20] Cool under pressure is an asset for Bob.
[33:00] Bob talks about finding your eternal optimist.
[34:00] If you can’t say anything nice, keep your mouth shut.
[35:10] Think about your online presence this way.
[36:00] Your insults and negativity can cost you jobs later.
[37:00] Are you a giver or a taker?
[38:00] Going the extra mile to show how an idea will not work.
[39:00] No one wants to be a production monkey.
[40:00] Humble yourself. Sometimes the client is right!
[41:20] When you admit you are wrong, it builds confidence with your client.
[42:00] Bob on humbling himself in front of his children and admitting his wrongs.
[43:00] Dad talks between Dustin and Bob.
[44:00] Bad attitudes are infectious.
[45:00] You are who you spend the most time with.
[46:00] The British Marie Kondo.
[47:00] Lisa feels she is missing the Kondo gene.
[48:30] Tom suggests a quick fire round of questions for Bob.
[49:00] Quick Fire 1: Bob on productivity.
[50:30] Quick Fire 2: The love of working on paper in a digital world.
[51:00] Bob talks about owning an iPad Pro yet preferring paper.
[52:00] Ian likes paper for ideation.
[53:00] The gang talks simplicity of pen and paper for carving out ideas.
[54:00] Quick Fire 3: What thing under $100 have you purchased that changed you?
[55:00] Bob is in a downsizing phase while Ian is buying Legos.
[56:00] Field Notes are Bob’s must-have product.
[57:00] A peek inside the pages of Bob’s current Field Notes.
[58:40] Post-its are Tom’s organized chaos.
[59:20] Quick Fire 4: How did you keep ideas flowing for your 365 project?
[1:00:00] It’s more important that you’re lettering than what the letters say.
[1:01:00] Re-evaluating your process.
[1:02:00] Ian shares how Bob was an inspiration to him.
[1:03:00] Bob’s Daily Lettering project was Bob catching up on lost time.
[1:04:00] You can find Bob Ewing at @bob_ewing or inch_x_inch.
[1:05:00] And that’s a wrap!

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