Sep 17

Sep 17 Real Talk with Tian Is Back and We're Taking It to YouTube!

Well… we're doing this again!

After some time away, I'm bringing back Real Talk with Tian… but this time, we're moving the conversation to YouTube.

And honestly? I couldn't be more excited.

If you've been around for a while, you might remember the original Real Talk with Tian podcast. It was a place where I could talk about the realities of being a creative: the business, the work, the fear, the wins, the mistakes, and all the stuff that happens behind the scenes.

A lot has changed since then.

And by "a lot," I mean… I apparently decided I needed even more things to do. 😂

These days, I'm a knit and crochet designer, tech editor, author, and creative business owner. I'm writing books, designing patterns, working with designers, building Big Up Box, playing with yarn, and constantly dreaming up the next thing.

So when I started thinking about bringing Real Talk back, I had a little problem.

What would I talk about?

Knitting?

Crochet?

Writing?

Publishing?

Tech editing?

Business?

Big Up Box?

Yarn?

Creativity?

The answer turned out to be pretty simple:

All of it.

So What Is Real Talk with Tian?

At its heart, Real Talk with Tian is about what it's really like to build a creative life.

Not the polished Instagram version.

Not the "I woke up at 5 a.m., followed my perfect morning routine, and made six figures before breakfast" version.

I'm talking about the real stuff.

The projects that don't go according to plan.

The ideas that won't leave you alone.

The things you're terrified to put out into the world.

The business decisions you're trying to figure out.

The pattern that looked great in your head but absolutely did NOT work when you made it.

The novel that seemed like a great idea until you actually had to write the whole thing.

The exciting new project.

The frustrating project.

The "what was I thinking?" project.

And, of course, the things that make you say:

"Damn. I actually did that."

We're Talking About ALL the Things

The new Real Talk with Tian will cover a whole lot of ground.

🧶 Knitting & Crochet

We'll talk about designing patterns, making things, yarn, garments, the fiber industry, and all the wonderful, and occasionally ridiculous things that come with being a knitter or crocheter.

📝 Tech Editing & Pattern Design

I'll share what I've learned from working behind the scenes on patterns, including the things designers should know before sending a pattern off to a tech editor.

✍🏾 Writing & Publishing

I'm also bringing the novelist and author side of my life into the conversation.

We'll talk about writing cozy mysteries, creating characters, plotting, publishing, marketing books, and what happens when your creative hobby becomes an actual book sitting on a shelf.

💼 Creative Business

We'll talk about the business side of creativity, too.

Pricing. Marketing. Selling. Building an audience. Making decisions. Figuring out what works. Figuring out what absolutely does not work.

And yes, I'll share some of the things I've learned the hard way.

🧶 Big Up Box

Of course, we're going behind the scenes of Big Up Box.

I'll talk about building the yarn subscription, working with indie fiber artists, curating boxes, the challenges of running a physical product business, and my bigger vision for creating opportunities and visibility for underrepresented fiber artists.

💭 The Creative Life

And then there's all the stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a category.

Fear.

Confidence.

Perfectionism.

Burnout.

Changing direction.

Trying something new.

Wondering whether you're doing enough.

Trying to do too much.

Figuring out what success actually means to you.

Basically, real talk.

And I Want You Involved

One of the things I'm most excited about this time around is making the show more conversational.

I'm taking questions!

So if you've ever wanted to ask me:

"How do I become a tech editor?"

"Should I design my own patterns?"

"How do I sell my work without feeling like I'm bothering people?"

"How do I know what creative project to work on next?"

Or even:

"Tian, what the hell are you doing?"

Send me your questions.

They might become part of a future Real Talk episode.

We're Starting With...

The first episode is an introduction to the new Real Talk with Tian and a little explanation of why I'm bringing the show back.

Then we're getting right into it with:

The Truth About Being a Knit & Crochet Designer

Because there's a LOT more to being a professional designer than making pretty things.

We'll talk about the creative process, pattern development, grading, testing, tech editing, publishing, marketing, and the business side of being a designer.

And that's just the beginning.