Losses and gains in the digital age

In Ep. 5 of Willful, mystery writer Angela Misri (@karmicangel) talks about:

• Losses and gains in the digital age.

• Processing criticism from editors.

• Women supporting women in the arts.

Angela Misri is a Toronto-based journalist and former CBC’er, now a co-host of the podcast, Ada’s Sisters (with @EdenSpodek), and the author of A Portia Adams Adventure Series.

Willful is the web series that tracks how artists and creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. We interview one artist a week, then post five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day. 

Writing YA fiction with Angela Misri

This week on Willful, I sat down with Angela Misri (‪@karmicangel‪), a Toronto-based journalist and former CBC’er, now a co-host of the podcast, Ada’s Sisters (with Eden Spodek), and the author of the A Portia Adams Adventure Series. In Ep. 3, Angela shares her thoughts on:‬‬

• Writing Young Adult fiction.

• Searching for female protagonists in books.

• Why Nancy Drew isn’t her cup of tea.

• Running in heels.

Willful is the web series that tracks how artists and creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. We interview one artist a week, then post five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day.

Follow on our YouTube Channel (WillfulProject) and Facebook Page, or on our website WillfulProject.com for our entire archive of inspiring interviews.

Thank you to Greg Garson and the staff of  The Merchant Taps & Tavern for the location and the hospitality.

Shot and edited by the talented Yann Yap.

Being an outsider

This week on Willful, I sat down with Angela Misri (‪@karmicangel‪ ‬), a Toronto-based journalist and former CBC’er, now a co-host of the podcast, Ada’s Sisters (with Eden Spodek), and the author of the A Portia Adams Adventure Series. In Ep. 2, Angela talks about:‬‬

• Being something other than a doctor or an engineer, and telling her South Asian parents about it.
• The teacher who changed her life
• Being an outsider
• What makes a good mystery writer

Willful is the web series that tracks how artists and creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. We interview one artist a week, then post five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day. 

Follow us here or on our YouTube Channel and Facebook Page for our entire archive of inspiring interviews.

Shot and edited by the talented Yann Yap.

Thank you to Greg Garson and the entire staff at  The Merchant Taps & Tavern for hosting us.

Finding time to write with Angela Misri

This week on Willful, I sat down with Angela Misri (‪@karmicangel‪ ‬), a Toronto-based journalist and former CBC’er, now a co-host of the Ada’s Sisters Podcast (with @EdenSpodek), and the author of the Portia Adams Adventure Series. In Ep. 1, Angela talks about:

• Finding time to write when you’re spending all your creative energy at work. 
• First steps: filling Moleskin notebooks with ideas.
• How her characters make themselves known to her.
• Creating a female detective out of Baker Street.

Willful is the web series that tracks how artists and creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. We interview one artist a week, then post five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day. 

Follow us here our website WillfulProject.com or our Facebook Page for our entire archive of inspiring interviews.

Monetizing your blog posts the DobberNation way

This week on Willful, I sat down with Andrew Dobson (@DobberNation), the editor in chief of DobberNationLoves.com, a food, luxury travel, arts and entertainment blog now in its 9th year. In Ep. 2, Andrew talks about:

• The social media landscape after he graduated in 2007. Twitter was a year old!
• Monetizing your writing and videos.
• The mistakes he's made/lessons learned in the push to get paid for his creativity.
• Setting expectations with clients.

Willful is the web series that tracks how artists and creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. We interview one artist a week, then post five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day. 

Follow us here and on our YouTube Channel for more inspiring interviews.

Maureen Judge remembers her start in documentary filmmaking

In this episode of Willful, award-winning documentary filmmaker, Maureen Judge, recalls how she got her start in film.

Maureen heads up the production company, Makin' Movies, and creates documentaries that take you inside people's lives.

Highlights in this interview include:
• Why Maureen chose documentaries over other forms of filmmaking.
• Her first camera.
• How photo albums, sewing, and studying philosophy all worked together to shape Maureen's vision as a documentarian.

Willful is the web series that tracks how creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. We interview one artist a week, then post five three-minute snack films from that interview on YouTube every day. 

Follow us here and on our YouTube channel for more inspiring interviews. 

Welcome to Willful!

Willful is a  new web series by Alison Garwood-Jones and Yann Yap that tracks how creative entrepreneurs work, thrive and survive. 

In this web series, we interview one artist a week, then post five snack films on YouTube every day. 

As freelancers — Alison is a writer and illustrator; Yann is a videographer — we're always looking for crunchy ideas to jump start our day, whether it's an inspiring story, advice on process, or tips 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, create something new, and realize an emotion or idea, 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.

If you like what we're doing, please share!

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