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Cold Email

Cold Email is a podcast by Basia & Olive (graphic designer-illustrator BFF combo) about navigating early creative careers & the non-linear path of “professional development.” By interviewing our peers and chronicling our own experiences, we hope to demystify some of the most opaque parts of the commercial art world for people starting out in design & illustration, as well as share some of the embarrassing but retrospectively-hilarious missteps that happen along the way.
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Episodes

Haters Make Me Famous

Hey again from Cold Email!!!!!!! In this episode, we discuss the JUICIEST HATE we've received, the nature of online haters vs. IRL haters, Olive's fear of reading comments, and more! NYC influencer Codey James (instagram.com/codey___/) joins us to chat about the tension between video art and social content, his filmmaking practice, and how he deals with the bizarre, rude things people say anonymously. Also, hear Basia challenge Pitchfork to throw hands. Listen now! P.S. We took a (much-needed an...

Jan 21, 202548 minSeason 1Ep. 22

Welcome Back! + Mailbag Episode

Welcome back to Cold Email! After a much-needed break, we're here, and we’re answering YOUR questions. Basia and Olive discuss burnout, the useless things we learned in art school, ideal workspaces, and of course, the importance of taking breaks.

Apr 23, 202335 minSeason 2Ep. 21

How to: Make a Cold Email Podcast Episode

In this rather unusual episode, Olive and Basia take you behind the velvet rope and onto a production phone call of Cold Email. No edits, no cuts!!! We reveal the secrets of writing and producing an episode of Cold Email. We also answer everyone’s burning question: through weddings, funerals, Covid cases, etc., & plagued by supply chain shortages, how and why do you continue making this podcast?

Jul 24, 202231 minSeason 1Ep. 20

Getting 10 Likes <3 (The Myth of Overnight Success)

Is success as an artist determined by the number of likes you get on Instagram? Spoiler: NO!!!!!!! ❌ So, why does it feel that way? In this episode, we discuss the long-simmering trend of social companies pivoting from photo to video, debate if Instagram is dead, and attempt to figure out how to have fun online again. Amy Bravo @_amybravo_ &amp; Bettina Makalintal @buttina speak to us about their relationships with social media and being “online,” comparing yourself to others, and the trap of re...

May 22, 20221 hr 38 min

“The Spiral” AKA Dealing with Creative Anxiety

Have you ever felt debilitatingly anxious about the success your creative practice? If so, you are not alone!!! AND WE CAN HELP!!!!!!!! In this special “Basia &amp; Olive” episode, we take you through “The Spiral,” otherwise known as the phenomenon in which creative people suddenly find themselves feeling burnt out, afraid, unsuccessful, unskilled, etc. We’ll talk about The Spiral’s causes and symptoms, as well as how to prepare for a spiral and how to actually manage it when it inevitably happe...

Mar 13, 202233 minSeason 1Ep. 18

HOW 2 GET FREELANCE JOBS & FIND TRUE LOVE!!! Not Clickbait

In this very special Valentine’s Day episode, we’ll reveal how to get freelance jobs and find true love!!!!! Yes, we are in fact, giving away the secrets. Later on, we get a chance to catch up with our former roommate &amp; every pop punk band’s favorite illustrator, Stephanie O’Byrne, &amp; chat about about full-time freelance, working in the music industry, and the value of being brave enough to say your dreams out loud.

Feb 14, 20221 hr 34 minSeason 1Ep. 17

Studio vs. Personal Practice

Maintaining a work/life balance is wildly difficult, in no small part due to contemporary expectations of “the workplace,” as well as largely-held societal ideals about how, when, &amp; how often work happens. In the pandemic, the expectations and definitions of labor have become even more fraught. In this episode, we out ourselves as cultural Marxists (lol) and take a deep dive into the ethical rights and legal protections workers (including freelancers) are entitled to. We also remind ourselve...

Jan 16, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 16

Live from The American Illustration Party!

We went to the American Illustration Party!!!!! &amp; we got to talk to some insightful people while we were there. Interviews in order of appearance: Julia Feingold: @j_feingold / juliafeingold.com Griffin Reynolds: @griffinreynoldsart / griffinreynolds.art Jane Demarest: @little.boy.blueeee / janedemarest.com Maddy Price @coolfriendlyman / maddyprice.com Joy Velasco: @joyfreudeart / joyvelasco.com Robyn Phelps: @robyn_makes / robynphelps.com Janelly Rodriguez: @jellyjanelly_ / janelly.myportfo...

Nov 19, 202136 minSeason 1Ep. 15

But I Have No Money!

Making ambitious work while operating under financial restrictions can be challenging, but YOU (yes you) can still accomplish a ton, even whilst working within a limited budget. We spoke with three very qualified creatives with very varied practices — Jennifer Xiao @jxiaoooo (illustrator &amp; Cheeto-tiger maker), Sadie Dupuis of @wax.nine (a poetry journal &amp; record label), and Manny Lemus of @citruscityy (a cassette tape label) — and heard about how they began &amp; currently operate their ...

Nov 14, 20211 hr 31 minSeason 1Ep. 14

The Validity of Craft

This very spooky episode centers around “craft” — both as the idea of "skill," and as a way of creating that's said to conflict with design-centric thinking. We try to get to the bottom of what exactly craft is &amp; we also try to settle the question of craft actually being at war with commercial design (?!). Joi Fulton ( @thedaintyheart ) &amp; Adam Scheffler ( @aimlessarrowembroidery ) join us to discuss where craft intersects with design in their practices, the differences between digitally ...

Oct 31, 20211 hr 30 minSeason 1Ep. 13

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss

The holy trinity — gaslighting, gatekeeping, &amp; girlbossing — is wildly prevalent in the creative industry. We’ll talk about our experiences with each term and give tips on dealing with all of it. Siobhán Gallagher joins us to discuss widespread gender discrimination in the workplace, feeling “gatekept," and her road from working in-house at a publishing company to becoming a freelance artist who writes &amp; illustrates her own books.

Sep 26, 20211 hr 40 minSeason 1Ep. 12

The Case For Doing Dumb Stuff

In this episode, we talk about dumb stuff and why it is good!!! (*We define “dumb stuff” as an inherently anti-capitalist way of living &amp; working that is, at its core, A. existing how you want to, B. doing things that align with your own values that are usually C. in opposition to more widely-held societal ideals.) Hiller Goodspeed joins us to discuss picking through the garbage, to defend intentional slowness, and to rejoice over our shared love of doing dumb stuff all the time.

Sep 05, 20211 hr 30 minSeason 1Ep. 11

Ya Gotta Believe! Success is Never Giving Up… (& Other Lessons Learned From Watching Baseball)

This episode is centered around “success.” We talk about how to find success (hint: persistence) through the lens of the Mets! Later, Julian Glander tells us about his “art world” origin story (which, spoiler, starts on Threadless), about still having professional fears even after becoming a “household illustration name,” and why he would prefer to be Ash than a Pokemon.

Aug 22, 20211 hr 34 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Making Rent and Non-Traditional Paths

HOW can you make enough money to live as an artist????? Brooklyn-based illustrator and musician, Jaime “Sloth” Knoth, joins us to talk about doing what ya gotta do (weird jobs) to pay rent, and the importance of allowing your “path” to ebb and flow freely. We will also affirm your choice to follow a non-art school approved career arc, and we’ll talk about why it’s OKAY (&amp; even cool) to pursue a lot of interests.

Aug 08, 20211 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 9

Getting... REJECTED!!!!!!!!!

We've all dealt with rejection in one way or another, but is it possible to deal with it better? Does it ever get easier to be rejected?? Does the rejection ever end??? We talk about some personal rejections, ways we cope with them, and find that it does get easier in time!

Jul 25, 202149 minSeason 1Ep. 8

What's an Art Director, Anyway?

Art directors: If you work in a creative career chances are you've worked with them. We all know what their jobs is, but what do they really do? We talk about our experiences working with art directors of all kinds, discover we may all be art directors ourselves, and talk with Illustrator and art director, Vinnie Neuberg, about you guessed it- art direction- and his work. And by the end of this episode he… interviews us???

Jul 11, 20211 hr 10 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Zine to USD Exchange Rate (Art Book/Risograph Series Part 2)

Part 2 of our art book/riso series! This week we ask the question: what exactly is a zine? We discuss the creation, evolution, and distribution of zines and their effects on the ever-changing art community. We also talk with award-winning illustrator, Greg Kletsel, about making zines, keeping sketchbooks, living in the world of art book fairs, and conceptual bar mitzvah videos.

Jun 27, 20211 hr 4 minSeason 1Ep. 6

What Really Happened at The American Illustration Party

What did happen at the American Illustration Party? We chat with award-winning illustrator and art director Alex Citrin about open bars, business cards, the ins and outs of art &amp; design competitions, and learning where business ends and the party begins!

May 30, 20211 hr 10 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Thanks to NYT AD for this Project!

We discuss clout clients, how to navigate the instagram humblebrag, NYT ADs, and have a chat with Illustrator Maddy Price!

May 16, 202135 minSeason 1Ep. 3

Addicted to Doubt??

In this episode, we discuss one of the most ubiquitous feelings among young professionals - doubt. Where does it come from? Can you get rid of it?? We'll talk about some personal experiences with doubt and how we got through them.

May 02, 202124 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Subject: Freelance Inquiry :)

Welcome to Cold Email! This is our intro episode where we talk a little about ourselves, our professional lives thus far, and the parallels between dating and jobs.

Apr 24, 202122 minSeason 1Ep. 1
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