REDUX! While Carrie and I record season 2, we're bringing this much requested episode back...In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, hosts Carrie Cantwell and Toni Federico tackle a topic that's sure to resonate with every artist, designer, and creative entrepreneur: clients who think your work is overpriced. It's frustrating, it's aggravating, and it's a reality that every creative professional faces.

Carrie and Toni dive into the common mindset of clients who believe they could "do it themselves" or undervalue the expertise and effort that goes into professional creative work. They share stories of their own experiences, explore why this misconception exists, and offer insights on navigating these uncomfortable conversations while standing firm in your worth.

If you've ever felt the sting of someone questioning your rates or struggled with educating clients about the value of what you do, this episode will leave you feeling seen, heard, and ready to defend your prices with confidence (and maybe a little crankiness).

In This Episode, You'll Hear About:

• Why some clients undervalue creative work—and why they're wrong.
• The emotional labor of educating clients about your expertise.
• How frustrating it is to be treated like you're greedy when asking for the budget.
• Strategies for standing firm in your worth as a creative.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, Carrie and Toni offer a candid look at this all-too-common struggle—and some advice to help you navigate it with grit, grace, and humor.

References Mentioned

Canva

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook

Edward Tufte

Rapper Vocabulary Infographic (Matthew Daniels)*

SCORE

* incorrectly attributed to Edward Tufte in the show

Two Cranky Creatives …

Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.

REDUX! While Carrie and I record season 2, we're bringing this much requested episode back...In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, co-hosts Carrie Cantwell and Toni Federico dive into a topic that makes every artist's blood boil: stolen artwork. From discovering your designs on unauthorized products to navigating the complicated world of copyright, they share personal stories, practical advice, and some much-needed venting.

If you've ever felt the sting of seeing your hard work taken without permission—or if you're worried about how to protect your art—this episode is packed with insights to help you navigate the frustrating, cranky side of being a creative entrepreneur.

In This Episode, You'll Hear About:

• Practical steps to protect your work from unauthorized use.
• Navigating gender norms in these dicey situations as a woman.
• The emotional toll of dealing with stolen art and how to manage it.
• Real talk about what you can do to safeguard your designs.

Whether you're a seasoned creative or just starting, Carrie and Toni offer a mix of candid advice and encouragement to help you feel empowered—even when someone's trying to steal your shine.

DISCLAIMER: Carrie and Toni are not lawyers. Any statements about copyright law are their personal understanding of US copyright law.

References Mentioned

Shepherd Ferry Obama Poster

US Copyright Office

Kindle Direct Publishing

Carrie's Cat Butt Illustration

US Copyright Office Report on AI

Two Cranky Creatives …

Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.

In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, Carrie and Toni tackle the relentless pressure to always be creating. If you've ever felt like you're falling behind because you're not churning out work at lightning speed—trust us, you're not alone.

Social media, hustle culture, and the myth of the "always-on" artist can make it feel like you're failing if you're not constantly producing. But here's the truth: It's okay to step back, take a break, and ignore the noise. Your creative journey is yours alone—no algorithm gets to dictate it.

🎨 The overwhelming pressure to produce and why it's okay to slow down.
❌ Why you don't have to jump on every challenge or contest (seriously, you can say no).
🗣️ How to tune out the FOMO and stay true to your artistic voice.
⚡ Practical ways to create on your own terms—without the burnout.

The art world will keep spinning whether you post today or not. What matters most is making work that feels authentic to you. So, let's get cranky and reclaim our creative freedom!

Two Cranky Creatives …

Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.

Chronically Cranky

In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, Carrie and Toni get real about what it’s like to build a creative business while managing a chronic illness. Spoiler: It’s tough—but it’s doable, and there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

Society loves to glorify perfection and hustle culture, but let’s be honest—being human is messy. Whether you choose to disclose your condition or not is your decision, and no one else gets a say. The most important thing? Giving yourself grace.

🧠 Why perfection is overrated—and why you don’t owe it to anyone.
🤐 The pros and cons of disclosing your chronic illness in professional spaces.
💡 Strategies for managing energy, boundaries, and expectations in your business.
💖 The importance of self-compassion and working with your body, not against it.

Running a creative business is hard enough. Doing it while managing a chronic illness? That’s next-level resilience. Tune in for an honest, judgment-free conversation about finding success on your terms.

Notable Mentions

Spoon Theory for Managing Chronic Illness

Two Cranky Creatives …

Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.

In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, Carrie and Toni break down the sneaky language lurking in contracts that could cost you big time. They've seen some doozies. Whether you're licensing artwork or signing a freelance agreement, knowing what to look for (and what to push back on) is everything.

Contracts are NOT set in stone, no matter how official they look. Carrie and Toni share some of the most common red flags, sneaky clauses, and real-world lessons they learned the hard way.

🔎 Why your gut instinct about a contract is probably right.
✍️ The importance of having a second set of eyes (a lawyer, a friend, or even AI).
⚠️ Common traps like rights grabs, vague payment terms, and sneaky exclusivity clauses.
💡 How to confidently negotiate better terms—yes, even you can do it!

Contracts don't have to be scary, but they do need your full attention. Tune in and arm yourself with the knowledge to protect your work, your money, and your creative career.

Notable Mentions

Michael Sheridan Template Library

SCORE

Legal Shield for Business

Two Cranky Creatives …

Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.

In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, hosts Carrie Cantwell and Toni Federico are joined by Kay Wolfersperger to tackle a hard truth about making a living in surface design: one income stream just isn't enough. If you've been told that licensing your art will pay all your bills, they're here to set the record straight—with plenty of cranky real talk.

They dive into why relying solely on licensing is the exception, not the rule, how multiple income streams are a necessity (not a failure), and the best ways to diversify without losing your sanity. Whether you're freelancing, teaching, selling products, or building passive income, they break down the ways creatives can actually make a living—without burning out.

In This Episode, You'll Hear About:

• How art licensing alone won't pay all your bills (and that's normal).
• The reality of balancing multiple revenue streams without losing your mind.
• Why having multiple streams isn't a failure—it's smart business.

If you've ever felt stressed about where your next paycheck is coming from, this episode will help you feel seen, empowered, and maybe even a little less cranky.

Notable Mentions

Shannon McNab's Surface Industry Survey

Harvest.com

Kay's Playlist
Flow Beats on Spotify

Kay Wolfersperger …

Kay Wolfesperger is a creative lighting bolt based out of Savannah, GA, USA. She funnels her boundless energy into her illustrations to create unique and compelling solutions for her clients such as Editions Auzou, Creative Bug, American Greetings and Design House Greetings. Her colorful and lively work often explores humor and positivity and her mixed race background provides invaluable insight and appreciation for diverse points of view and a penchant for empathy. Wolfersperger loves the convenience and speed of working digitally but embraces the wobbly lines in her work that reflect the mastery of her craft and humanness in her process. She balances her robust creative entrepreneurship with running, lifting heavy and traveling.

Two Cranky Creatives …

Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.

In this episode of Two Cranky Creatives, the Cranks are joined by Ana Bianchi—a designer, artist, and color whisperer who says hell no to playing it safe with your palette. Together, they dive deep into the wild world of color: how to find your unique color voice, why signature palettes can sometimes box you in, and what magic happens when you step off the color wheel and into the unknown.

If you've ever felt stuck in a rut of "what works," or afraid to experiment because, gasp, it might clash, this episode is your personal permission slip to go bold, go weird, and make your color choices unapologetically you.

Ana Bianchi …
Originally from Mexico, Ana Bianchi is an artist, designer, illustrator, and twice-published children's book author/illustrator. With degrees in both graphic design and fine arts, her 35+ years of creative work span disciplines ranging from printmaking and ceramics to illustration, surface design, and children's wear to graphic design and branding for clients, small and big, from local restaurants to major airlines.

Her lifelong love of color is what connects it all and helps her comfortably move from one discipline to another and from one technique to another. Her book Color Curious (Chronicle Books) illustrates her ideas and inspiration around a variety of color themes, combining essays with her photography, illustrations, and more, and as you read her texts, you will discover her deep interest in art history, world cultures, and the pursuit of creative ideas through the common thread of color.

When not working in her Bay Area studio, Ana loves to cook and bake colorful things, tend to her garden -her other color studio- and spend time with her tiny family and dogs.

Color Curious Substack

AnaLovesColor.com
@analovescolor

Her book Color Curious is now available for preorder at Chronicle Books, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes&Noble, and Target

Shipping on September 30th.

Two Cranky Creatives …
Two Cranky Creatives is hosted by Carrie Cantwell & Toni Federico, two seasoned art entrepreneurs who pull back the curtain on the highs and lows of making a living as a creative. Expect unfiltered, real talk about the challenges, victories, and everything in between that comes with navigating the art world as a business. Whether you're a fellow creative or just curious about the hustle, join us every other week for candid conversations that go beyond the usual sugar-coated advice.