David Malki ! is the cartoonist and creator behind Wondermark, the inventively playful and poignant comic that we’ve linked below—so do yourself a huge favor and check it out right after listening to the episode. In addition to his creative endeavors with Wondermark, David was also co-editor of the Machine of Death series of fiction anthologies and is presently the director of games development at Cut.com.

Throughout this conversation we discuss developing artistic taste, finding your audience, interacting with feedback, cultivating patience in the midst of process, and deriving your style from your work. Having been at this Wondermark expression for almost 18 years now, David’s made it clear to the universe that he’s here to develop his craft for the long game. He has some insightful reflections on process and building a creative life that he was generous to share with us, and we can’t wait for you to hear them.

Full show notes, downloadables, and links are also available at empoweredhumanacademy.com/38

Keep the conversation going...

Table Question: What have you learned from what other people see in things you make?

Journal Prompt: Identify and describe a recent evolution in your artistic style and/or taste.

Action Step: Ask someone you trust what themes they see in the work that you’re doing in the world. Invite a thoughtful mirroring to get a different perspective on the unique perspective you bring to the world.

View the printable worksheet on Google Docs

Further exploration:

Experience David’s work: wondermark.com

Follow David on Twitter: @malki

Order Machine of Death: A collection of stories about people who know how they will die

Explore the Wondermark series

Pre-order the upcoming game, TBH

Ira Glass quote on the gap between taste and work

This is a production of Lightward, Inc.