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Pre-order our book, Follow Your Art! https://goodtype.us/follow-your-art-book

In this episode, we’re joined by illustrator, designer, and letterer, Lisa McCormick who is celebrating 10 years of full-time freelancing and doing it her way! Lisa shares how she’s built a career working with major brands without being loud online or glued to every social media platform. We talk about why personal projects are often the reason dream clients come knocking, how curiosity and experimentation have shaped her signature style, and why being “quiet” online doesn’t mean being invisible.

We also get real about freelancing and burnout and what it looks like to intentionally design a workday (and life) that actually feels good. From color obsession phases and travel-inspired projects to co-working for mental health, this episode is packed with honest insights for creatives navigating long-term careers.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to show up louder, work longer, or sacrifice yourself to success, this conversation is a reminder that there are many ways to build a fulfilling creative life.

All that and more when you listen to this episode:

• What 10 years of freelancing has taught Lisa
• Why personal projects are her biggest source of paid client work
• How curiosity and experimentation lead to unexpected opportunities
• Booking major clients without constantly posting or self-promoting
• The difference between growing a following and growing a career
• Finding and developing a signature illustration style
• The realities of art theft, Pinterest virality, and protecting your work
• Why bigger clients often allow more creative freedom
• Building healthier workdays and boundaries, breaks, and balance

Connect with Lisa McCormick

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madebylisamarie/

Website: https://madebylisamarie.com/

Behance: https://www.behance.net/LisaMcCormick

Mentioned in this episode:

• Chicago Bears
• Marine Layer
• PBS
• Dribbble
• Adobe MAX

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

• Goodtype Website
• Goodtype on Instagram
• Goodtype on Youtube

Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!

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Grab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!

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In this episode, we’re joined by illustrator, letterer, and YouTuber Chris Piascik for a wide-ranging conversation about building a creative career without a grid master plan and why showing up consistently can change everything.

Chris shares how a daily challenge that started as a way to reconnect with drawing quietly became the foundation of his entire career. We talk about what it means to play the long game as a creative, how personal work can naturally lead to apid opportunities, and why focusing on making matters more than chasing the perfect strategy.

We also dig into YouTube as a creative outlet and income stream, how Chris balances client work with products and content creation, and the realities of building systems that work with (not against) an ADHD brain. From style evolution and experimentation to shipping physical products and dealing with internet opinions, this episode is packed with honest insights and plenty of laughs.

All that and more when you listen to this episode:

• How a daily drawing habit shaped Chris’s entire career
• Why personal work and client work can feel like the same thing
• The unexpected path from illustrator to YouTuber
• Creating structure and rules to stay consistent
• What actually helps your style evolve over time
• Why making more work matters more than making “perfect” work
• Building income beyond client projects through products and content
• The realities of running an online shop
• What makes YouTube different from other social platforms
• Letting curiosity, experimentation, and fun lead the way

Connect with Chris Piascik

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrispiascik/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chris-piascik

Website:https://www.chrispiascik.com/

Shop: https://www.chrispiascik.com/shop

Mentioned in this episode:

• Follow Your Art Book: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/follow-your-art_9781419776823/
• Skillshare
• Adobe Fresco
• Procreate
• Tom Froese (illustration improv exercises)

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

• Goodtype Website
• Goodtype on Instagram
• Goodtype on Youtube

Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!

Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe to the show

Tag us on Instagram @Goodtype

Follow us on Tiktok @lovegoodtype

Learn from Katie and Ilana

Grab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!

Send us a text

In this episode, we sit down with designer Josh Jevons to discuss what it actually looks like to build a sustainable creative career without burning out, cold-pitching nonstop, or doing everything yourself.

We also get into real-world outreach strategies, including walking trade shows, pitching without being salesy, and why face-to-face connections still matter. Along the way, we talk packaging, brand strategy, work-life balance, and designing systems that allow you to grow without burning out.

If you’re a designer who wants better clients, better collaboration, and a career that supports your life–not the other way around–this one’s for you.

All that and more when you listen to this episode:

• Making the shift from agency work to independent freelancing
• Why complementary skill sets matter more than hiring “another you”
• Building a flexible, collaborative, creative team
• The role of brand strategy in effective (not just beautiful) design
• Pricing, budgets, and scaling process without cutting value
• What designers don’t learn in school, but learn fast on the job
• Outreach strategies that actually feel human
• How to talk to potential clients without feeling awkward or salesy

Connect with Joshua Jevons

Website: https://www.jevonsdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuajevons_design/

Yeah Brother’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yeahbrother.co/

Mentioned in this episode:

• Rochester Institute of Technology https://www.rit.edu/
• Yeah Brother https://yeahbrother.co/
• Adobe MAX https://www.adobe.com/max.html
• AIGA https://www.aiga.org/

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

• Goodtype Website
• Goodtype on Instagram
• Goodtype on Youtube

Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!

Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe to the show

Tag us on Instagram @Goodtype

Follow us on Tiktok @lovegoodtype

Learn from Katie and Ilana

Grab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!