Be a Better Artist

In this episode, I talk with George Strezov about how imagination, world-building, and instinct shape the way he writes music. We dig into growing up in Bulgaria, discovering film and game music through RPGs and early PC games, and why “vibe” often matters more than rules or theory. George shares how he thinks about atmosphere, writing to picture, and creating music that places the listener inside...

I talk with composer and sound designer Ian Boddy about curiosity, sound, and building a creative life without a roadmap. We cover how Ian moved from studying biochemistry to discovering analogue synthesis by accident, teaching himself through experimentation, and falling in love with sound as art rather than rules or theory. We also talk about working jobs you don’t love, protecting your creative...

In this episode, I sit down with Gitae Kim (aka Gimgi), the composer behind Ogu and the Secret Forest, for a long, honest conversation about creativity and the cost that sometimes comes with it. We talk about discipline, hyperfocus, burnout, physical health, and what it’s really like trying to sustain a creative life. Gimgi shares how mandatory military service, learning instruments under pressure...

Composer Geoff Knorr — known for his work on the Civilization series and other large-scale game soundtracks — joins us for a deep conversation about creativity, discipline, and what it really takes to build a life in music. We discuss learning to accept criticism, letting go of ideas that don’t work, why good music can still be the wrong music, and why some composers grow while others stay stuck....

I sit down with Dave Fraser, co-founder of Heavyocity, one of the most influential companies in the modern virtual instrument and cinematic sound design world. Dave opens up about his earliest musical memories, the wild gigging years, studying at Berklee, his unexpected detour into the medical field, the grind of composing for TV and advertising, and the origins of Heavyocity. This episode is pack...

In this episode, we speak with Nataliia Hera , co-founder of Voger Design , the studio behind some of the most recognizable virtual instrument interfaces in the world. Nataliia shares her journey from post-Soviet Ukraine to building a global creative business, the role of luck and collaboration, and why design isn’t just cosmetic — it’s essential to how we make music. VOGER DESIGN LINKS: Website:...

Composer Jordan Chin ( Monster Train 1 & 2 ) joins me to explore what it means to create with vulnerability, curiosity, and purpose. We talk about the courage to be a beginner, the balance between exploration and deadlines, and why great game music must serve both the artist and the larger world it belongs to. A conversation for anyone walking the creative path. JORDAN LINKS: Website: https://...

After 100 episodes of Be a Better Artist , this milestone isn’t about views, likes, or follower counts—it’s about meaning, persistence, and the impact you create. In this episode, I share the biggest lessons from the journey so far: why chasing numbers is a trap, how to keep going when you want to quit, the power of persistence, learning to be proud of your work (even when it’s not perfect), and w...

We sit down with composer Cameron Paxton , best known for his work on the hit indie game Dome Keeper . From growing up in a music-filled home to serving in the Air Force and eventually carving a path into game audio, Cameron’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and rediscovery. We explore what it means to balance youthful creative urgency with the more deliberate craft of maturity, how to ch...

Are you feeling stuck in life — drifting, lost, and disconnected from who you truly are? In this episode, I share my personal story of how changing my physical environment — and eventually moving abroad — became the catalyst for profound internal change. We explore how emotional attachment to people and places can silently shape your identity, limit your potential, and keep you locked in outdated...

In this episode, we explore some of the mental causes behind creative burnout. We dive deep into the psychology of stress, the danger of unspoken expectations, and how your internal “mental software” might be running faulty code that leads to frustration, exhaustion, and creative stagnation. If you’re a creative person constantly feeling depleted, stuck, or under pressure to “do more,” this episod...

In this episode we explore the effects of deleting your social media apps from your phone. Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland. https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/ Want me to answer your question? Ask it below in the comments or on social media: https://www.instagram.com/markusjunnikkala/ https://www.facebook.com/markusjunnikkala/ https://twitter.com/markusjunnikkal https://www.twitch.tv/ma...

Magnus Pålsson is a composer best known for their soundtrack for the video game VVVVVV under the artist name Souleye. He opens up about ego death, creativity, and building a gamified platform for personal growth. A raw, inspiring conversation about transformation, vulnerability, and what it means to live truthfully in a digital age. MAGNUS LINKS: Website: https://www.magnuspalsson.com/ Spotify: ht...

Mudeth is a composer from Bangalore, best known for his soundtrack for The Binding of Isaac Antibirth OST. MUDETH LINKS: Website: https://www.mudeth.org/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mudeth 'The Unsung' (Mudeth's podcast): https://unsung.mudeth.org/The_Good_and_the_Flawed Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ERwcThkHmFXYHH3TagPOY?si=AjEodAaXRZOAEUhbS4fZLA Apple Music: https://music.apple....

Damjan Mravunac is a Croatian composer and musician, best known for his music for the Serious Sam video game series, as well as the Talos Principle 1 and 2 video games. DAMJAN LINKS: Website: http://www.damjanmravunac.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4JCHmi2aI31AP3VsVKE2ks?si=dCSHw9drRGa0doPgjPReJA Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/fi/artist/damjan-mravunac/726774063 Bandcamp: http...

Paul Kilduff-Taylor is a composer and artist known for his music as nervous_testpilot as well as _ensnare_. He is also the co-founder of Mode 7, an indie game publisher and development company, known for titles like Frozen Synapse, Fight in Tight Spaces, and Tokyo 42. PAUL KILDUFF-TAYLOR LINKS: https://www.nervoustestpilot.com/ https://www.mode7.games/ X: https://x.com/mode7games Instagram: https:...

Peppsen (Petter Sumelius) is a Finnish composer now residing in Sweden. He is known for his music mod for the video game Rimworld, as well as Shapez; a factory-building and automation game. He is also the composer for the upcoming and awaited Shapez 2. PEPPSEN LINKS: Website: https://www.peppsen.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Peppsen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0VmuJa5WFTghyy3...

Chris Christodoulou is a composer based in Athens, Greece, writing music for video games (Risk of Rain series, The Sea Will Claim Everything), movies and other media (audio drama Gospels of the Flood), as well as stand-alone compositions. CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU LINKS: Website: https://www.chrischristodoulou.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/63OPPk7uHFdcpTuOFYpNfV?si=ZChNAaDnQGenP5pdEDnWOw...

Adam Fligsten is a composer for games and other media, based in Los Angeles, California. Video game credits include Outreach (Pixel Spill) and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, and his music has been licensed to countless TV shows and commercials. He is the founder of Silen Audio, a full service video game audio house, and also now maker of virtual instruments. ADAM FLIGSTEN LINKS: Website: https://ada...

Arnaud Roy is a composer, music producer, and sound designer. He has written music for video games and films, and is most notably known for composing the music for Amplitude Studios' Endless video game series, Humankind, and Neoproxima. ARNAUD ROY LINKS: http://www.arnaudroy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ArnaudRoyMusic/ https://www.instagram.com/arnaudroymusic/ https://twitter.com/ArnaudRoyMusic T...

Peter Dyer is an LA-based keyboardist, producer, and sound designer. He has toured extensively with artists like Mariah Carey, Adam Lambert, Aloe Blacc, & St. Vincent, as a keyboardist, musical director, and sound designer. He is currently in the house band for American Idol on ABC. Notable cowrites include Avicii’s #1 hit “Wake Me Up”, "Shame On Me", & Flo Rida’s “Wobble” & “Can’t Bel...

Danimal Cannon (Dan Behrens) is an artist and musician best known for his guitar-driven Gameboy/chiptune music. He's also a mixing and mastering engineer, and has toured and performed live extensively. DANIMAL CANNON LINKS: Website: https://www.danimalcannon.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0AqwYovalxngrN9eVyiUXg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danimalcannonmusic X: https://twitt...

Creatives need to be open. It's what allows them to see the depth and nuance of life. You then take those observations, and speak of them through your creative medium. But that openness is a two-way street. While it feeds your creativity, it can leave you open to attack. In this episode, we discuss why it's still important to remain open, and how one can manage this state constructively and effect...

In this episode we talk about complaining and how it drains your time, energy, and willpower. I discuss my past experiences with it, as well as some of the approaches I've taken to reduce the amount of it, and how it has positively impacted my life.

In this episode we explore attitudes as tools that you should be able to deploy at will to explore and enforce certain perspectives against the outcomes you want to see in life. Despite our current emotions and feelings, we can choose to act in contrast to those emotions. We can choose to follow a set of actions that support us in moving towards the outcomes we want to see, despite how we're feeli...