Episodes

  • 538 - Find Your Point of View, Story Insights, and Artist / Audience Dynamics with Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

    538 - Find Your Point of View, Story Insights, and Artist / Audience Dynamics with Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
    Jan 14 2026
    Have you ever heard someone say that making creative work is about having a “point of view”? It sounds right, but what does it mean and how do you find yours? I can’t think of any creatives that have a more compelling sense of their “point of view” than my guests today. Author Mac Barnett and author-illustrator Jon Klassen have such a strong voice, and I have been longing to have them both on the show for such a long time!! This is an instant all-timer episode for me. These two legends from the picture book world just knocked it out of the park, and we have an incredible chat exploring how to find your point of view, the artist/audience relationship, storytelling, and so much more. Buckle up. This mega episode starts off with a bang and just gets better and better all the way til the end! This episode will make for a great companion for a long creative session or long drive! Hope you love it as much as I did! SHOW NOTES: Substack: "Looking at Picture Books"https://lookingatpicturebooks.substack.com "Mac B. Spy Kid"https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=%22Mac+B.+Spy+Kid%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 "The Skull" by Jon Klassenhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725351/the-skull-by-jon-klassen-illustrated-by-jon-klassen/ "Sam and Dave Dig a Hole" by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassenhttps://www.macbarnett.com/sam-dave-dig-a-hole "Extra Yarn"https://www.macbarnett.com/extra-yarn "Where the Wild Things Are"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Wild_Things_Are "Goodnight Moon"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Moon "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishigurohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Remains_of_the_Day "Swim in a Pond in the Rain" by George Saundershttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609280/a-swim-in-a-pond-in-the-rain-by-george-saunders/ "Outside Over There" by Maurice Sendakhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outside_Over_There "Sam and the Firefly" by P.D. Eastmanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_and_the_Firefly "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogolhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls "Let the Right One In"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Right_One_In_(film) "Ponyo"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponyo "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind "Mysterious Things" by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Millerhttp://invisiblethings.co "Making Comics" by Scott McCloudhttps://www.scottmccloud.com/makingcomics/ Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • 537 - Reignite Creative Drive with This Energizing New Year's Exercise

    537 - Reignite Creative Drive with This Energizing New Year's Exercise
    Jan 7 2026
    Pre-Order “Mysterious Things” --- How do you get excited for the New Year when things feel so unstable? How do you get jazzed about planning and goals, when you don’t know what future you’re planning for? In times like these, I find it more effective to tap into the creative drives you already have, than working towards a future that may or may not come to pass. Tune in to check out the 3 creative drives and figure out which you can employ today to get excited about making creative work again! SHOW NOTES: Mysterious Things by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie Millerhttp://invisiblethings.co Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkemanhttps://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • 536 - Rest and Retreat as a Neurodivergent Creative with Katherine May

    536 - Rest and Retreat as a Neurodivergent Creative with Katherine May
    Dec 24 2025
    This is a special HOLIDAY episode featuring the chat I had on Katherine May’s Podcast “The Clearing” where guests explore their ideal real or fantasy retreat. Here’s what Katherine said about the episode: The ADHD and autistic tendency to rest in motion is fully realised in American author and illustrator Andy J. Pizza’s vision of the ideal retreat. Choosing an extraordinary fictional setting which incorporates an ingenious method of traveling the world, this episode showcases the wonder of a brilliantly creative, neurodivergent brain. Along the way, and with many fascinating tangents, Andy and Katherine discuss the power of Miyazaki films, their shared love of Fraggle Rock and longing for direction from the universe. A meticulously thought out and fully realised world that accommodates his own personal experience of ADHD, Andy unveils the most beautifully zany and imaginative dreamscape. An absolute treat. SHOW NOTES: Fraggle Rock Last of the Summer Wine Wiki The Master and his Emissary book about left and right brain The Little Prince Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • 535 - If You Only Listen to One Episode of this Podcast This Year Make it This One

    535 - If You Only Listen to One Episode of this Podcast This Year Make it This One
    Dec 17 2025
    Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com --- The Creative Pep Talk Top 5 BEST IDEAS from 2025. This is a FUN BLITZ through the most essential ideas and tactics from our past year of episodes. This was exciting and helpful for me to review, and I can’t wait for you to hear this jam packed, end of year episode!‌ SHOW NOTES:502 - How to Beat the Analysis Paralysis of "The Right Path"502 - How to Beat the Analysis Paralysis of "The Right Path" 513 - Why Creatives Have to Build Habits Differently and How to Do It513 - Why Creatives Have to Build Habits Differently and How to Do It 515 - Want to Quit Social Media? 3 Essential Considerations for Any Creative Practice515 - Want to Quit Social Media? 3 Essential Considerations for Any Creative Practice 529 - Escape Your Creative Rut with This 5 Part Creative Hygiene Checklist529 - Escape Your Creative Rut with This 5 Part Creative Hygiene Checklist 532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring Petey USA on Rainn Wilson’s Soul BoomPetey USA Leans Into Life Iain McGilchrist - Master and His EmissaryThe Master and His Emissary Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • 534 - New Fire for Sticking to the Path with Filmmaker Seth Worley

    534 - New Fire for Sticking to the Path with Filmmaker Seth Worley
    Dec 10 2025
    Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com --- This was one of my favorite chats!!! DEEP DIVE with my friend and Filmmaker Seth Worley! We get into: 1 - Finding the drive to stick to long creative quests, especially when you’re not sure you’re going to reach your goal! 2 - Why to make a proof of concept of your idea and put it out there! 3 - Why the path has to take a long time some times! 4 - A trick for finding your edge among your creative peers! SHOW NOTES: Seth Worleyhttps://sethworley.com Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 48 mins
  • 533 - Make People Feel Things, Hope in AI Crazed World AND Create to Your Taste

    533 - Make People Feel Things, Hope in AI Crazed World AND Create to Your Taste
    Dec 3 2025
    Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com --- This is a favorite! Special edition of ask Dr. Pizza episode! This time the questions come from the hosts of the Grupo de Autoayuda de Dibujo podcast! THE CRUSHED IT! SHOW NOTES: Grupo de Autoayuda de Dibujohttps://www.instagram.com/grupodeautoayudadedibujo/https://www.youtube.com/c/GrupodeAutoayudadeDibujo Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • 532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring

    532 - THIS is Your Creative Secret Weapon that You’re Ignoring
    Nov 26 2025
    Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com --- Who doesn’t want better opportunities? The key is standing out and having a unique creative offering. But that is much easier said than done, when it feels like EVERYTHING has been DONE! How do you find your edge? I have had some client opportunities come may way recently that felt SO perfectly custom tailored for me, and it got me thinking: how did these things fall into my lap? This episode is what I think helped me position my work in a way that attracted those “perfect fit” opportunities and I hope it helps you do the same! SHOW NOTES: Landmark Schoolhttps://www.landmarkschool.org “Standing out: an atypical salience account of creativity” Paperhttps://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(24)00111-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1364661324001116%3Fshowall%3Dtrue Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • 531 - Risks that Land Big Jobs, Be Your Own Client & Find Your Sound with Composer Oli Julian

    531 - Risks that Land Big Jobs, Be Your Own Client & Find Your Sound with Composer Oli Julian
    Nov 19 2025
    Feeling lost on the creative journey? Download our 7 step Creative Career Path Handbooklet for FREE by signing up to our newsletter: http://andyjpizza.substack.com --- If you’re used to doing work for clients, it can be tough to then create your own solo project. On the other hand, if you’re only used to doing your own thing, working for a client can feel impossible! How do you find yourself and your creative voice in the mix of all of this? This is one of the many topics I dive into on today’s episode with Composer Oli Julian. Oli is the composer for Netflix’s new animated Roald Dahl adaptation of “The Twits”, and has a huge wealth of experience doing music for television for the likes of Sex Education and The Complete Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. This was a guest from a very different side of the creative industry, hope you enjoy! SHOW NOTES: Oli Julianhttps://www.olijulian.co.uk The Twitshttps://www.netflix.com/title/81612165 Producer / Editor: Sophie Miller http://sophiemiller.coAudio Editing / Sound Design: Conner Jones http://pendingbeautiful.coSoundtrack / Theme Song: Yoni Wolf / WHY? http://whywithaquestionmark.com SPONSORS:SQUARESPACEHead to https://www.squarespace.com/PEPTALK to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code PEPTALK AEROPRESSCheck out Aeropress and use my code PEPTALK for a great deal: https://aeropress.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 mins