You're A Better Artist Than You Think

Chris Oatley
  • 4.9 (358)
  • VISUAL ARTS

In "You're A Better Artist Than You Think," host Chris Oatley (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation) explores the mindset, strategies and practices of professional artists from a wide range of creative fields. Whether you're a total beginner or seasoned pro, this podcast provides actionable insights to enhance your creative skills and advance your artistic career. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at MagicBoxAcademy.com

  1. Sketchbooks Vs. Screens: Which Makes You More Creative?

    JAN 29

    Sketchbooks Vs. Screens: Which Makes You More Creative?

    How paper sketchbooks help you think in creative ways that screens simply can't. PLUS: Why six months of sketching literally changes how you see! ...with special guest Roland Allen, author of The Notebook: A History Of Thinking On Paper. -------- 00:00 Episode Start 03:15 Why We Don't Love Our Devices 03:45 How Paper Helps Us Think 08:39 Why Is The "Blank Page" Inspiring? 13:02 Fascination With Process 14:32 "Easy To Get Right, Hard To Get Wrong..." 16:22 How Paper Empowers Artists 23:36 The Problem Of Impermanence 25:24 How Sketchbooks Change Your Brain -------- Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com -------- If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc. Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support.

    33 min
  2. How Building A Studio Saved Her Art Career...

    12/10/2025

    How Building A Studio Saved Her Art Career...

    How and why illustrator Amanda "Din" Duarte (Disney Lorcana, Ubisoft, Blizzard) left her solo freelance career to form a virtual studio that now employs over 40 creative professionals. PLUS: Burn out or burn it all down?  -------- 00:00 Episode Start 08:52 Freelancing Vs. Running A Studio 10:26 "The Fear Of Failing Everyone" 13:25 Knowing When To Pivot 17:00 Finding The Right Artist For The Job 21:52 Best/ Worst Advice 26:41 Who Is Your Favorite Muppet And Why? 27:26 The Magic Feather -------- Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com -------- If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc. Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support. Thank you for listening!

    32 min

  3. 10/01/2025

    Why Brushes Matter (with Procreate's Kyle Webster)

    Procreate's Kyle Webster, the Internet's favorite digital art brush builder, on why brush choice matters more than many artists realize. -------- 00:00 Episode Start 02:40  Why Brushes Matter At Studios 08:45 Why Brushes Matter For Beginners 09:27 Why You Should "Audition" Your Digital Art Brushes 10:55 Why Brushes Matter for Artistic Style 13:45 Why Brushes Matter To Kyle 15:44 How Brushes Inspire New Styles 18:09 Why Brushes Matter for Workflow 21:04 Why Brushes Matter for Speed 21:55 Best/ Worst Advice 26:51 Who's Your Favorite Muppet And Why? 28:49 The Magic Feather -------- Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    33 min

  4. 08/27/2025

    Writing Comics For Kids (with Shawn Pryor)

    Shawn Pryor, author of over sixty published books and graphic novels (most for all ages), offers insights on outlining, working with artists and the essential role of conflict in story development.  01:55 An Expansive Bibliography 03:09 Finding Something To Say 04:37 The "Conflict List" 07:17 Developing The Outline 11:32 Placing The Act Breaks 13:56 The First Draft Transition 15:27 Working With Artists 21:00 Common Problems With Comic Scripts 22:09 When Is A Script Finished? 23:59 Best/ Worst Advice 25:44 Who's Your Favorite Muppet? 26:06 The Magic Feather -------- Subscribe to You're A Better Artist Than You Think: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Get FREE digital art brushes every month for a year when you join The Magic Box Brush Club at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com Connect with Shawn: https://ShawnPryor.com

    29 min

  5. 07/16/2025

    Solve Plot Problems with "Mirrored" Story Structure (with KM Weiland)

    KM Weiland, author of "Creating Character Arcs" and "Structuring Your Novel" reveals how to solve plot problems using "chiastic" or "mirrored" story structure. Plus: Understanding "The Thematic Lie" and building the most important structural "beat" in storytelling! -------- 00:00 Episode Start 02:15 Introduction To "Mirrored" Storytelling 03:04 The Hook And Resolution 03:37 The "Normal" World & The "New" World 05:13 Mirrored Story Structure in "Toy Story" 06:40 Join The Magic Box Brush Club 07:06 How Act Breaks Mirror Each Other 10:25 The Thematic Lie 15:47 The Midpoint As A Mirror 28:51 Solving Story Problems With "Mirrored" Structure 31:07 Structural Timing 34:46 Why Story Structure Matters 40:30 Making Story Structure Your Own 42:59 Best/ Worst Advice 44:46 What Was Your Personal Midpoint As An Artist? 48:19 Mindset Shift 51:34 The Magic Feather 57:14 End Credits -------- SPOILER WARNING: This conversation contains major spoilers for Toy Story and minor spoilers for The Godfather and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Find KM Weiland's books and blog at http://HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com and learn more about our mentorship program The Clockwork Heart at http://MagicBoxAcademy.com -------- Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    58 min

  6. 05/28/2025

    Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

    In this episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think: Why "time management" so rarely works for artists and four tips for a more effective solution. As creative people, we care a lot about time because our projects require so much of it. Furthermore, many, if not most of us want to spend more time working on our creative projects, not less. Even when we're successful in implementing "time management" strategies, the strategies themselves are not. That's because "time management," as it's commonly understood, is not the solution, but rather, priority management. With these four priority management tips, you'll learn how to give your best energy to what matters most in your creative life. 00:00 Intro/ Theme Music 00:17 Can't Find Time For Art? Try This... 00:56 Get Free Digital Art Brushes Every Month! 01:24 Give Your Best To Your Project 16:48 Tip #1: Make Early Easier  18:30 Tip #2: Plan For Smooth Transitions  29:16 Tip #3: Optimize Your Workspace 43:26 Tip #4: End With Preparation Get new digital art brushes with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

    43 min

  7. 04/16/2025

    12 Tips For Finishing Ambitious Creative Projects (with Victoria Ying)

    Victoria Ying, animation visual development artist (Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6) and comics creator (City Of Secrets, Harvey winner Hungry Ghost) joins for today's episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think!  Learn how to avoid overwhelm, burnout and art-related injuries, set realistic deadlines and push through the boredom when attempting ambitious, creative projects.  Plus: Why routines aren't for everyone... -------- 00:00 Episode Start 00:22 Tip #1: Start Small 04:04 Tip #2: Accept The Boredom 06:41 Tip #3: Know Your Timelines 09:25 Tip #4: Practice Finishing 11:11 Tip #5: Routines Aren't For Everyone: 14:21 Tip #6: Find The Friction 16:17 Tip #7: Work With What Ya' Got 17:44 Tip #8: Break Down Deadlines 19:27 Tip #9: Mind Your Body 21:56 Tip #10: The Longer The Project, The More Opportunity For Setbacks 27:32 Tip #11: Just Get To The End 28:36  Tip #12: Find Your People  32:42 Best/ Worst Advice: 34:16 Who's Your Favorite Muppet? 34:46 The Magic Feather: 36:09 Read/Watch/Play/Listen -------- Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    50 min

  8. 01/08/2025

    Jim Henson's Creative Legacy (with Karen Falk)

    The Jim Henson Company Archives' Director and Historian Karen Falk offers insights into Jim's creative process, his collaborative style of leadership and the evolution of his characters. If you're listening on one of the audio-only platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I do want to encourage you to check out the video version on our YouTube channel where we'll feature images from the new edition of Karen's book titled "Jim Henson's: Imagination Illustrated" as well as photos and video clips from my visits to various Henson exhibits. -------- 00:00 Intro 00:11 Theme Music 00:35 Interview Begins 00:58 Jim Henson's Imagination Illustrated 03:19 More Than Muppets 06:02 Jim's Personal Touch 07:13 Jim's Fearlessness 08:32 Jim Henson The Character Designer 09:20 From 2D To 3D 10:30 A More Professional Finish 13:12 Jim Henson's Character Designers 14:27 Jim Henson The Director 16:14 Controlled Chaos 17:04 Joining The Jim Henson Company 18:22 Jim's Red Book Blog 20:35 Puppet Preservation 22:06 The Museum Partners 26:47 Character Design Evolution 30:30 The Historical Record 31:40 The Jim Henson Legacy 35:11 Karen's Unique Perspective 38:06 Credits -------- Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

    40 min
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4.9
out of 5
358 Ratings

About

In "You're A Better Artist Than You Think," host Chris Oatley (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation) explores the mindset, strategies and practices of professional artists from a wide range of creative fields. Whether you're a total beginner or seasoned pro, this podcast provides actionable insights to enhance your creative skills and advance your artistic career. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at MagicBoxAcademy.com

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