Just finished listening to the first podcast! Like everyone else, I think it's a great new addition. The main reason: Everyone else mostly seems to just interview famous artists (mostly in vis dev or animation) and say, "You're so cool! Did you draw when you were young? How did you start working for Disney/Pixar/insert famous company here? And what is your next big project?" A few podcasts might do something similar for children's books, and sure, that's interesting, but the emphasis is more on stardom, not the thick of the struggle in which you wonder if you'll ever be able to support yourself. I really like that you guys are more specific and have practical information that applies to everyone.
Re this first episode, I particularly liked two things: One was Jake's story about how he upped his character creativity level from generic to more interesting by intensive study.
The other was the mention of the need for tough critique. I went through a fine arts program many years ago, and my professors were flippant, merciless and sarcastic. They also pointed out that I hadn't lived yet, so how could my work be interesting? Now, maybe a critique doesn't have to be as mean spirited as some of the ones I received (not to mention that some of them would now be outed for harassment), but we beginners NEED tough critiques so we won't waste our time. Sure, we've all had those critiques where someone pointed out what we already sensed, and of course style and opinion vary, but we want to get better, and that's why we're here! This is one reason I'm trying to take more live courses now. Critique helps, and sometimes I think it could be tougher.
Really looking forward to episode 2, which I hope to listen to sometime today. Keep up the good work!