189 | Side Projects & Sustainable Content Creation: Finding Your Creative Energy

In this host-only episode of Compressed FM, James Q Quick, Amy Dutton, and Bekah discuss how side projects and creative outlets can paradoxically provide energy rather than drain it. The conversation explores Bekah's ambitious 29-day writing project about open source alternatives, Amy's vlogging journey, and James's streaming experiences. They dive into the importance of finding activities that spark joy, even when juggling busy schedules and family commitments. The hosts share insights about automation tools like PipeDream, discuss the value of downtime for creativity, and emphasize the importance of sustainable work practices in tech.Sponsor Convex is the backend for founders. Convex is the backend application platform for product-obsessed founders.Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction & Welcome 00:00:39 Bekah's Open Source Writing Project 00:02:05 Discussion of PipeDream vs Zapier 00:05:14 Content Creation Process & AI Tools 00:08:22 Time Management in Content Creation 00:10:31 Flexible Work Schedules 00:11:31 Amy's Vlogging Journey 00:14:48 Creative Energy & Side Projects 00:16:47 Work-Life Balance & Productivity 00:18:20 Importance of Downtime for Creativity 00:20:34 Efficiency in Daily Life 00:22:02 Sponsor: Convex 00:22:49 Deals for Dev Project Discussion 00:25:40 Picks and Plugs Segment