Hi, I'm Alison Garwood-Jones, your host, and this is Yann Yap, our man with the camera, and together we're the creators of Willful, a  new web series that tracks how creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive.

When we launched this baby in January 2017, we were interviewing one artist a week and posting five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day. Then we got realistic.

Now we publish a new episode every sometimes (to borrow Tim Urban's digital strategy for WaitButWhy.com).

As freelancers — Alison is a writer and illustrator; Yann is a videographer and photographer — we're always looking for useful tips to jump start our day: an inspiring story, advice on process, how to pivot or transfer your skills as jobs change, and advice on the economics of being (and staying) creative. We're guessing you geek out on that stuff too!  

In each episode, you will meet women and men who are:

• Gutsy and joyfully oblivious to "You can't do that" and "Who do you think you are?" (it's a Canadian thing)

• Determined to make things, then put it out into the world.

• Innovators and disruptors whose focus and positivity has elevated them above the snark of flabby, anonymous commenters.  

BTW: we chose the name "Willful" for this series because there's a current of willfulness running through every creative person we've ever met — a certain scrappiness and determination. "Willful" is something you have to be if you want to make a real difference in the world.

Feedback from fellow freelancers has fueled us on. Please keep it coming. Perhaps the most unexpected responses, so far, have been the thumbs up we got from Broadway producer and Grammy-Award winner Michael J. Moritz Jr.  and Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning screenwriter and producer.  We have never met either of them. "Believe in your work, then go make it happen," says Haggis on his Instagram bio. Duly noted.

To be a part of "Willful"

If you are creative and have a "Willful" story worth sharing on camera, contact us at willfulproject@gmail.com, or on Twitter @WillfulProject.