Creativity doesn’t come with a handbook, so we're building our own. We swap notes on how solo game makers and artists actually get things done: setting a three-influence pillar to keep ideas fresh, designing from mechanics without losing theme, and navigating the murky last 5 percent where projects stall. Sarah shares how Bluebeard’s Bride and Velvet Glove grew from triangulated influences, why a haunted hotel retreat unlocked a stuck chapter, and how tiny mint‑tin drawings rebuilt a drawing habit. Jay brings a crunchy “debt‑punk” concept where upgrades cost debt and the whole loop is about clawing your way back to zero, plus the reality of pacing work under the gaze of Kickstarter backers.
We get candid about boundaries, voice, and trust. Backers deserve clarity, not personal disclosure, so we talk about communicating progress without oversharing. Editing is a partnership that should preserve tone, not sand it down. Accountability doesn’t have to be a crowd; sometimes it’s a weekly call with one trusted peer who will cheer, critique, and expect pages by Tuesday. And when screens drain you, physical making—ink sketches, pencils, binding, even painting minis—can refill the well in a way no doc can. Music becomes a quiet engine for focus too: looping Yes Yeah Yeahs for a vast, echoing dungeon vibe; dropping All Them Witches to score void‑cathedrals and space‑goth moods.
There’s a personal layer we don’t gloss over: how early support—or the lack of it—shapes creative identity, and how we parent with privacy in mind while giving kids real access to tools, art, and music. We close with an “Ask One Forward” prompt for our next guests, the Bakers, about social media, kids, and creativity, and we lay out what’s shipping: In The Pines in edit, Velvet Glove headed to editing, Prison Planet drafting, and more playtests on deck. If you care about game design craft, sustainable habits, and finishing strong without losing your voice, this one’s for you.
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