Subscribe to the Pencil Kings Podcast: | iTunes | Stitcher
“I think the best thing to do is make sure you have a cushion and that you can follow up and rebound.”
~ Derek Rodenbeck
Want to know how to stay creative – even when things don’t go to plan?
In this week’s podcast, we catch up with illustrator and comic book artist, Derek Rodenbeck.
Since the last time we spoke, some of his freelance projects have been going really well. He’s almost finished the comic book he was working on, and he’s even picked up some extra jobs in between.
However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. The one big project he was working on fell through, meaning Derek has lost out on one of his major income streams for the year ahead.
So what do you do when something like this happens? And how can you stay creative when life throws you a curveball? Read on to find out how Derek is rolling with the punches and adapting to change…
Derek Rodenbeck on how to Stay Creative
As a freelance artist, it’s important to realize that your workflow can often be inconsistent. Sometimes, it seems as if you’ve almost got too much work to handle…and then there’ll be other times when you wonder where the next paid gig is coming from.
Therefore, it’s important to have a ‘Plan B’ in place for when this happens. And, for Derek, that’s exactly where he’s at right now.
So if you want to know how to stay creative when the work dries up, take a leaf out of Derek’s book. Because he’d been there and got the T-shirt!
Currently, his plans include travelling from his native Philadelphia to San Francisco with his wife and faithful hound, Kuma, in tow.
A friend lent Derek a book, Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson, which he’s found really useful, because it shows you exactly how you can adapt to changes in your life and still keep moving in the right direction.
He says: “We’re just going to explore nature and creativity, and I’m planning to film the whole thing!”
As they say, when one door closes, another one opens. We can’t wait to hear about Derek’s adventures on the road – stay tuned for regular updates here on Pencil Kings.
Listen to this week’s podcast interview and learn:
- How to have a cushion in place for when things don’t work out
- How to stay creative in any environment
- Why networking and meeting other people is so important
- How to turn that curveball into a new opportunity
We hope Derek’s story helps you keep going when things don’t work out as you planned.
Have you ever had some of the same experiences as Derek? Let us know how you dealt with them in the comment box below – we’d love to hear your story 🙂
People on this Episode:
Links From This Episode:
Subscribe via iTunes.
Listen on Stitcher Radio.
Android users can grab our RSS feed here.
Right-click and “save file as” for direct download.
Thanks for listening to our show! We’ll be back next Wednesday morning 8AM EST.
Cheers,
Mitch
PS, there is also Pencil Kings content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.