This week we’re thrilled to have our first guest on the show; hugely influential design blogger Chris Spooner. Chris has built up his design blog SpoonGraphics over the past 10 years, and is the undisputed king of creative side projects. This episode we dig into how you can use your creativity to start fun, profitable side projects that you’re passionate about, as well as a host of other design and business related tips.
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Meet Your Hosts
The Honest Designers Show started when our founder Tom found he was regularly chatting and sharing tips with top designers; Ian Barnard, Lisa Glanz and Dustin Lee. We soon organised a weekly call where we would help each other with areas we were struggling with and try to give each other actionable feedback. Soon we realised that the collective experience of the group was proving so valuable for each of us, that we thought ‘why not share these conversations with the world?’.
And so, The Honest Designers Show was born! This podcast is an insight into how to succeed in the creative industry, as well as giving you a totally transparent, under the hood look at some of the tougher, less glamorous hurdles to overcome! We also tend to get a little goofy along the way, so this is a chance to get to know each of us a little better :). We’ve loved recording this show for you, and we hope that you find value and enjoyment in listening to it.
SHOW NOTES
Please find full show notes for this episode below:
[1.30] Welcome to Chris Spooner!
[2.00] Chris has been running his blog SpoonGraphics for 10 years!
[2.50] How Chris has kept going with his blog for so long
[4.30] How Chris comes up with ideas for his tutorials
[6.30] Looking at Chris’s posting schedule
[8.00] Chris’s transition from a studio graphic designer to become a full-time blogger
[10.00] Ian remembers how Chris was fully booked on client work
[10.30] The blog acted as a safety net, to let Chris transition from a studio designer to a freelance designer
[13.00] How Chris found the initial inspiration to run a blog
[14.30] Dustin asks – did Chris have a master business plan?
[15.00] Tom helping Chris with his business and site
[16.30] Chris playing the long game by not covering his entire site in ads
[17.30] Respecting your audience and not being too intrusive
[19.00] Providing maximum value
[19.30] Chris is more relatable with his business than many people may realise
[20.30] Focusing on the enjoyment in what you do
[21.45] Don’t try to be the next Chris Spooner, but use him as an example for following what you love
[22.30] Looking at passion projects
[23.30] Ian recalls an older video of Chris’s, about giving away stuff for free
[24.30] Ian learnt from Chris to try mini-projects for 6 months and see what he likes
[25.40] Chris advocates always sharing stuff online, not just keeping it on your hard-drive
[27.00] Chris never knows which posts will do well. It’s more about putting out consistent quality, and then reacting to what performs well.
[28.45] Chris’s process for creating tutorials
[30.25] Chris is the king of side projects
[32.20] Lisa asks: what’s more popular – written or video tutorials?
[33.30] This podcast is a side project for us
[35.15] Tom asks about connecting with the wider design community
[37.30] Chris naturally loves to share his life in content
[39.30] Discussing his gaming Youtube channel
[42.30] Chris figures stuff out himself, rather than hiring out
[44.00] Whatever you’re putting out to teach others, there will be someone at a level below yours, who will find it helpful
[47.00] Your experience will always benefit you further down the line
[48.00] The power of just doing, and figured stuff out as you go
[50.00] There’s always new technologies, and new white space to explore for content and teaching
[54.30] Closing words of wisdom from Chris
[55.00] Having patience – Chris’s ventures all take 1-2 years to start getting traction
[56.00] The importance of injecting your personality into your projects
How you can help
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Let Us Know What You Think
We would absolutely love to know how you enjoyed this episode. We’ll be releasing a new episode each Wednesday, and look forward to hopefully answering many of your questions on the show.
This is such a POWER EPISODE:
I’ve listened to it multiple times, the most current was this morning. As well I am re-sharing it again. There are many it will help and who need to hear the words to reinforce and rejuvenate their own WHY & more importantly give them hope!
Sometimes I wonder why I do what I do and give so much of my time helping/sharing with others. EACH TIME I listen to this Episode, it gives reason to it all: Passion!
Thank You Tom Ross, Ian Barnard, Lisa Glanz and Dustin Lee for the GIFT of the Honest Designers Podcast. It truly is a GIFT to US ALL, and it’s true… This info could be for ANYTHING, NOT JUST design! Passion is a strong motivator!
On a personal level:
I met Tom Ross and Design Cuts through Chris Spooner, all those years ago.
Roz Fruchtman aka @RozSpirations
Hey Roz,
Thanks so much for your equally inspiring comment!
We’re so glad you like it and cannot thank you enough for the ongoing support- it really does mean the world to us all here at DC as well as the Honest Designers Team :)
I like the sense of community with other designers as well as being exposed to the variety of skills and disciplines.
Thank you so much SC for the feedback and we are so pleased you are enjoying the podcast!
I also think what’s scary is sometimes what you’re good at isn’t what you want to do or vice versa. I’m good at math but I could never imagine a career based on it. I loved VFX but I wasn’t good at it and found out I was better at graphic design.
Hey SC,
Thanks for another awesome comment!
This is very true, I guess that’s why having your passions as hobbies is always a great place to start and finding ways to bring out your skill-set in areas that you do love :)
Looking forward to future episodes!
Thanks so much SC! We really hope you love the show and please do let us know if there are any topics you would love the Honest Designers to discuss!
I disagree that it’s just intention that separates the people that try from the ones that “make it”. Some people are just naturally more talented than others. They have an inherent skill or eye. Great episode though!
Hey SC,
Thanks so much for your comment and we’re really glad that you liked this episode!
You’re right, talent certainly does play a huge part, however Ian himself is a great example that from consistent practise and commitment you can get there :)
Every Honest Designers show is inspiring. This one, though, had me scared for my heart rate.
I cannot get over how y’all open the door and welcome us new designers in. Really? “Go ahead and make tutorials! Somebody needs it!” Really?! Do you understand how I’ve been starving to hear those words? Course, then Lisa had to say SHE feels intimidated to make tutorials and my confidence crashed again. :)
I also loved how you focused on doing all this for passion, not for reward. So good. And planting a seed that we forget about, not hover over it bound by expectation. This is some incredible stuff, not just for designers, but for dreamers of all varieties.
I really can’t thank you enough. Chris, Tom, Ian, Dustin, and Lisa, wow. Thank you.
And Lisa, if you only knew how many times I’ve searched for your tutorials. I, too, get a thrill when I finally stumble across a video of your brush sweeping a bunny into existence. So then I have to search “watercolor tutes” and by that time it’s time to start dinner. So please! Please! :)
God bless all y’all Design Cuts personnel. Oh – and off topic, but I just purchased my first ever design bundle anywhere, your vintage collection. I am sooooo happy with it! I’ll leave a comment there when I can, but wow. Thanks.
Hey Rebekah,
Wow, thank you so much for the awesome comment and I know that the team will really love reading this one!
It’s fantastic to hear that you can relate to this too and we hope that you’ll enjoy all the other topics the team will be discussing soon :)
Also, a huge thank you for your purchase- I hope you’ll get loads of use out of your new goodies!
Hi Rebekah:
I could not have said it better myself.
Roz Fruchtman