The Typecast

Welcome to The Typecast, a podcast hosted by Katie Johnson and Ilana Griffo of Goodtype. Listen as we geek out over anchor points, our favorite typefaces, and how to grow an art business. For more of this duo, follow us on Instagram @goodtype.

SAYING WORDS ABOUT DRAWING WORDS

We’re two self-employed lettering artists who met by sliding into each other’s DM’s.

Now…we’re sliding into your headphones.

About


Dear hand letterers, designers, and artists of all sorts—despite what your grandma thinks, we know there’s a whole lot more to what you do than just “drawing pretty pictures.” This podcast, hosted by Katie Johnson and Ilana Griffo of Goodtype, is about what it *really* means to be a working creative. From finding clients to pricing your work and nerding the heck out about kerning, we’re covering everything that goes into building a successful and sustainable business around your passion.


And we’re not just doing it alone! We’ll be tapping some of your current (and soon-to-be) favorite artists for inspiration, insight, and laughs. We’re big on giving takeaways that you can actually put into action, and we’re even bigger on having a good time while we do it. Tune into the Typecast twice a month for a tittle-ating time (yep, we’re gonna type-pun your face off), and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review so we can show our moms how famous we are!

Want to be on an episode of The Typecast?

We’re always looking for guests who want to help our audience of artists grow their creative careers (while sharing a few laughs, of course). Submit yourself, a friend, or a topic you want us to cover on an upcoming episode!

Want to get your brand in front of our listeners?

We’re focused on creating long-term partnerships that go beyond a quick feature during an ad break. We’re looking for brands that will stick with us, form deep relationships with our community, and help our artists take real, actionable steps towards their goals.

Because our partnership philosophy is different, our sponsor opportunities look different as well, including touch-points across all of Goodtype’s content. Interested in talking about what a partnership with us could look like? We’d love to chat.

Team Dklutr Team Dklutr

Keeping Creative Experimentation Alive in Your Design Business with Kelli Anderson | The Typecast Episode 11

In this episode, Katie and Ilana interview Kelli Anderson—artist, designer, tinkerer, but most importantly, a person who genuinely craves human connection, which she creates through her art.

In this episode, Katie and Ilana interview Kelli Anderson—artist, designer, tinkerer, but most importantly, a person who genuinely craves human connection, which she creates through her art.

Join the conversation as Kelli walks us through her life: how predictability allowed her to explore her kind of art, what it’s like to produce her pop-up books, This Book is a Camera & This Book Is a Planetarium, how she’s guided by seeking freedom in her art process, and how she craves to build connection through her art.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

  • How seeking freedom allows Kelli to create her art

  • Revealing something from nothing: How there’s an artistic possibility hiding in plain sight

  • Finding the perfect match for your art—the right time, the right moment, the right people will seek your art

  • Why passion projects are so important

  • How social media becomes the third party between you and your art

  • Creating projects that break boundaries

  • Creating connection to people through art (even during a pandemic)

  • Why working with small businesses can be a good thing for a designer

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

Connect with our guest:

Website: Kelli Anderson

Instagram: @kellianderson

Mentioned in this episode:

Keetra Dean Dixon

Kelli Anderson Patreon

This Book is a Camera: A Pop-up Camera

This Book Is a Planetarium: And Other Extraordinary Pop-Up Contraptions

Kelli Anderson’s TED talk

The Monster Project

Creative Works

Matt Willey

Louise Sandhaus

Lotta Nieminen

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!

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

Read More
Team Dklutr Team Dklutr

Art Licensing: Our Favorite Secret Income Stream for Artists & Designers | The Typecast Episode 9

In this episode, Katie and Ilana discuss art licensing and how artists can license their work for products like greeting cards, apparel, and home goods. They talk about how licensing differs from freelancing, how royalties work, tips for building a licensing portfolio, and the pros and cons of working with an art licensing agent.

In this episode, Katie and Ilana discuss art licensing and how artists can license their work for products like greeting cards, apparel, and home goods. They talk about how licensing differs from freelancing, how royalties work, tips for building a licensing portfolio, and the pros and cons of working with an art licensing agent. 

While licensing can be a lucrative income stream, it requires patience and persistence as the process from creating artwork to seeing it on products takes a long time. They demystify the licensing industry and help more artists tap into this powerful (and potentially passive) income stream.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

  • What licensing means, and how you can get paid to rent or sell a license to your work

  • What it means to be paid in royalties, and how to weigh the risk and reward.

  • How having an art licensing agent can help manage contracts and outreach — helping artists land or manage their opportunities

  • Thinking about the context and products where the artwork could fit well, like greeting cards, fabrics, home goods, etc. — considering scale, colors, and themes

  • How trend shopping and looking at what's already selling can help in identifying themes and prompts to create new artwork for licensing (and putting your own spin on them!)

  • The importance of contracts and licensing terms to understand the scope of how clients can use the artwork

  • Why licensing requires a ton of patience (it’s a slow game!) and why it’s worth it for artists

Mentioned in the episode:

Astropad

Free Training: Three steps to turn your art into Passive Income with Art Licensing

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

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!

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

Read More
Team Dklutr Team Dklutr

Defining Success As a Creative with Michu Benaim Steiner | The Typecast Episode 6

Listen to this episode as we chat about the importance of educating clients on the value of design work, the idea of "designer solidarity," and educating clients who underpay on fair industry pricing.

In this episode, Katie and Ilana interview Michu Benaim Steiner, Head of In-House International, a studio/agency that works with clients to develop brand identities, strategies, and creative expression to ensure their voice is understood.

Michu talks about how she defines success based on building trust with clients and helping them achieve their goals. She also shares the value of running a lean business with a small team and low overhead costs, which gives her the flexibility to say no to projects that don't fit. 

Listen to this episode as we chat about the importance of educating clients on the value of design work, the idea of "designer solidarity," and educating clients who underpay on fair industry pricing. 

As a creative business owner, you have the freedom to define what success means on your own terms.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

  • Why it’s important to define success on your own terms

  • Having clear communication and setting expectations with clients from the beginning (including being direct when work is not aligned with goals)

  • The value of running a lean business with a small team and low overhead costs — allows them flexibility and the ability to say no to projects that don't fit

  • Educating clients on the value and strategy behind design work to set fair pricing

  • Cultivating trust with clients throughout the process and retaining that trust, and maintaining control of the vision and process

  • Managing projects internally to stay on top of timelines and catch issues early

  • How to provide honest feedback to clients (even when it's not what they want to hear)

  • Practicing "designer solidarity" by educating clients who underpay on fair pricing for the industry

  • Focusing on serving the client's goals and audience needs above all else

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

Connect with our guest: 

Instagram: @weareinhouse

Mentioned in this episode: 

In-House International

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!

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

Read More