Monday Meeting

In this open discussion episode, host Jen Van Horn facilitates a conversation about AI systems, workflow automation, and the evolving role of motion designers as creative technologists.

**ATTN! Show Format Update: Monday Meeting is moving to once-a-month scheduled open discussions (second Monday of each month), with additional guest episodes announced as they come together. Off-Mondays will feature open office hours on the Discord, with more focus on game nights, workshops, and community engagement across Discord and social media. A new topics channel is live on the Discord server for episode ideas and guest suggestions.

This episode covers:
AI as operations supercharger, not generative art: The most valuable AI use cases for small studios and freelancers aren't generative imagery—they're automating the operational tasks that drain mental load and free up creative energy.
Building agents like employees: Framing each automation as a specific role (producer, biz dev, social media manager) keeps things tactical and prevents the "system after system" trap that plagues early adopters.
Motion designers are uniquely positioned: Sitting at the intersection of creative and technical, motion designers are well-suited to ride the current automation wave across industries—reminiscent of the pre-standardized motion design era.
Vibe coding as a legitimate skill: Real examples shared of building MVPs, custom plugins, and proprietary tools (cloud generators via GLSL, render queues) born from specific production needs that became sellable products.
The democratization opportunity: If artists don't inject their voices and processes into the AI ecosystem, the path of least resistance for the next generation will shape tools and recommendations away from craft.
Energy, ethics, and legitimate concerns: Discussion of environmental impact, IP/rights issues, and the optimization pressure driving genuine efficiency gains—though guardrails and legislation remain urgent.
Choosing your lane: Participation isn't mandatory. Artists keeping traditional workflows become the specialists others hire—collaboration across approaches is the path forward, not forced adoption.
Upcoming Schedule:
Next week: Another open discussion episode (hosts TBD)
Going forward: Open Discussion episodes scheduled for the second Monday of each month
Off-Mondays: Open office hours on the Discord
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:
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Mark Cernosia's Systems PDF

In this episode, host Kendall Hotchkiss interviews motion designer and illustrator Reece Parker on intuitive creativity, building a personal brand, and thriving as a human artist in the AI era after a decade of solo freelancing.

This episode covers:
The eras of a freelance career: Reece breaks down ten years of solo work into distinct growth phases—learning the tools, shaping market perception, figuring out business, and the current era of resilience and "art over commerce." Each era required a different mindset shift.
Working intuitively as a creative identity: Practical tips for recognizing intuitive moments and protecting time for them.
Showing up authentically on social media: Why offering vulnerability outward is what brings community back in.
Positioning a portfolio site to speak past peers: Why he invested a year and serious money into a developer-built site with capability decks and process decks designed to win direct clients—and how it changed his business overnight.
Mantras for dry spells: "It's not personal, it's business." Manifesting positive energy instead of waking up scared. Why packing your schedule to feel valuable eventually catches up with you.
Freelance platforms vs. networking: When platforms actually work versus the slow-game alternative of networking.
The human option in the AI era: Why being clearly the craft-forward, human choice is now an easier and more meaningful position to occupy, and why the clients chasing the cheapest AI option were never the ones you wanted anyway.

Upcoming Events:
Game Night: Wednesday, April 29th
Next Monday (May 4th): Open discussion hosted by Jen Van Horn
Looking for community members interested in hosting!

Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!
SHOW NOTES:
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Reece’s Instagram
Reece’s Website

In this guest episode, host Kendall Hotchkiss chats with Audrey Havey — graphic designer, art director, motion designer, illustrator, YouTuber, and co-founder of the newly launched creative studio Sword and Shield — covering studio launches, content creation, personal style, and the value of art school.
This episode covers:
Launching Sword and Shield: How Audrey and her husband planned a studio launch months in advance.
Commissioning frame-by-frame animation: What their process looked like working with an external animator, from brief to final delivery, and how they tried to be the "dream client."
YouTube content creation: How Audrey's video workflow evolved over time, and why she stepped away from the channel — temporarily.
Brand deals with Rive and School of Motion: How those collaborations came about organically, and what she got out of them beyond the paycheck.
LinkedIn without overthinking it: Audrey's low-pressure approach to social media and why personal work has driven most of her client relationships.
Developing a personal style: Why it took until after college for Audrey to understand her own visual identity — and how she knows when something is distinctly hers.
What art school actually teaches you: The case for soft skills over technical training, and what online learning can and can't replicate.
Sword and Shield's vision: The studio's philosophy on craft, client work, and a longer-term project Audrey hints at but doesn't fully reveal.
Upcoming Events:
Game night: Wednesday, April 29th (Discord)
Next week's guest: Reece Parker!
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!

SHOW NOTES:
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Audrey's YouTube Channel
Audrey's Website
Sword and Shield Studio

In this open discussion episode, host Kendall Hotchkiss leads a hands-on social media workshop, fielding community questions and sharing practical strategies. Topics range from promoting free tools to crafting hooks, storytelling techniques, and platform-specific tactics for motion designers.
This episode covers:
Promoting free tools and work-in-progress content: Rather than only announcing a tool at launch with a single video, sharing the development journey—snags, workarounds, and behind-the-scenes moments—builds anticipation and a stronger audience connection.
Platform strategy for niche audiences: Different platforms serve different purposes—Reddit and LinkedIn tend to perform well for technical tool creators, while Instagram favors short-form and quick cuts, YouTube rewards vlog-style depth, and TikTok skews toward meme and humor content.
Documenting process after the fact: For creators who struggle to post while in the middle of a project, it's entirely valid to open old project files, film a quick walkthrough, and frame it as a case study or retrospective.
Posting for availability without sounding desperate: Framing availability as "booking for next month" rather than "available now" signals that you're still in demand.
The chocolate-covered almond hook framework: Effective posts use a compelling hook (the "chocolate") to draw people in, paired with genuinely useful substance (the "almond") to retain them. The three copywriting questions—Can I visualize it? Can I falsify it? Could nobody else write this?—help ensure posts feel specific, authentic, and not interchangeable with AI-generated content.
Storytelling structure for social posts: Short-form storytelling follows a simple beginning-middle-end arc—even a monthly recap carousel ("here's what I did, here's what I learned, here's what's next") qualifies. The three-panel problem/solution/outcome format and writing as if addressing a specific person (a mentor, a son, a Girl Scout troop) help ground posts in a specific perspective and avoid generic-feeling copy.
Consistency over frequency: Posting once or twice a week with focused, high-quality content outperforms daily posting of filler. Engaging on other people's posts, reposting with commentary, and showing up in comments all count as social media presence—useful for staying visible without burning out on original content creation.
LinkedIn profile and banner optimization: The LinkedIn banner is an underused piece of real estate where freelancers can embed their elevator pitch or positioning statement.
Upcoming Events/Schedule:
Gartic Phone Game Night on Wednesday, April 29th (details in Discord)
Next Monday: Kendall interviews YouTube content creator Audrey Havey
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!
SHOW NOTES:
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Shannon Mckinstrie
Creator Science Episode about Chocolate Covered Almonds
Copywriting Questions
LinkedIn Tips with Jasmin Alic

In this open discussion episode, host Kendall Hotchkiss facilitates a conversation about social media strategy, platform algorithms, client acquisition, and staying authentically human in an AI-saturated landscape.

This episode covers:
Meaningful engagement over passive liking: Substantive comments beat emoji reactions for both algorithm visibility and real relationship-building. Setting a 20–30 minute timer prevents social media from becoming a time sink.
The four A's of social media posting: Motion Hatch's framework — Awareness, Attraction, Action, and Advocacy — structures content variety across promoting others, sharing process, availability callouts, and community engagement. Haley's free Social Media Guide is worth grabbing (link in the show notes)
AI for lead scraping, not content writing: Local AI agents can scan platforms for job posts and collaboration opportunities and surface them in a spreadsheet, saving hours of scrolling while keeping outreach personal.
Platform algorithms are not one-size-fits-all: LinkedIn penalizes over-posting, Twitter/X rewards volume, and YouTube Shorts audiences are distinct enough from long-form viewers that separate channels are recommended.
Know who you're actually marketing to: Most motion designers end up marketing to peers rather than clients. The content, tone, and platform should shift depending on which audience you're trying to reach.
Automate payment chasing: Invoicing platforms send automatic payment reminders and can escalate to legal language after repeated non-response — removing a major mental load for freelancers.
Show your face, or find a workaround: Imperfect, human content outperforms polished output right now. Camera-shy creators can use voiceover, carousels, B-roll, or animated photos to stay visible without going fully on-camera to boost engagement.
Beat posting paralysis with constraints: Time limits, daily challenges, and monthly content batching all help override perfectionism and keep the posting muscle active.
Upcoming Events/Schedule:
Game Night on Wednesday, April 29th
Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!
SHOW NOTES:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Hayley’s FREE Social Media Guide
$1.80 Strategy by GaryVee
Kendall’s YouTube