Joni van der Leeuw

🩷“Cat Cafe Manager 2: Big City Bliss” and its predecessor are featured in the @rogueduck.net #RelaxingEvent 2026 lineup!😽

👇Purr-fect time to wishlist CCM2 on Steam, no?🥰✨ #indiedev

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 11 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Week 11!

With a bunch of podcast news, an announcement of an event hosted by @markdeuze.bsky.social at the University of Amsterdam next Tuesday and:

- The European Parliament urges lawmakers to protect copyrights from AI companies
- ...and more!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

@roostcarmen.bsky.social
@wisproy.bsky.social

S03E17: Brigitte van der Sande Every now and then, instead of talking amongst ourselves, we interview interesting people from the creative industry.

We're getting more and more interesting guests on the WerkPlant podcast!

Like Brigitte van der Sande, who shares about all her endeavours to bring culture to public spaces and telling the stories that need to be told about war (and peace!) all over the world.

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e17-bri...

Nice!

Yes!

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 10 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Week 10 was a busy one for WerkPlant!

- @markdeuze.bsky.social was mentioned in an article (in Dutch) in Het Financieel Dagblad about burnout
- The podcast is looking for guests
- We're in talks with educational institutes
- and we're looking for assistance!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 09 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

And for the WerkPlant Weekly of week 09:

- Artists start campaign against AI-music platform Suno
- Sony develops a tool for fingerprinting the sources of AI generated music
- New episode of the WerkPlant podcast featuring Esmeralda Hoffman

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

S03E16: Esmeralda Hoffman Every now and then, instead of talking amongst ourselves, we interview interesting people from the creative industry.

A new episode of the WerkPlant podcast just went live!
This time we're very proud to have Esmeralda Hoffman - freelance producer in the games industry - as a guest!

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e16-esm...

🐈☕️🧑‍💼

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 08 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Week 08 is wrapping up, time for the next WerkPlant Weekly!
This week:

- News about Artist Corporations
- (De)Monopolization in the music industry
- ... and WerkPlant podcast news!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 07 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

WerkPlant Weekly of Week 07!

- Report on the impact of the 2025 employment act the games industry
- Unsettling Spotify trends
- The final episode in the WerkPlant podcast miniseries from @wisproy.bsky.social and @jonivanderleeuw.substack.com

Check it out!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

S03E15 - Roy & Joni on Risk/Reward In the third season of the WerkPlant podcast host Roy van der Schilden and producer Joni van der Leeuw take a more casual approach and talk amongst themselves about what’s on their mind, current event...

A new episode of the WerkPlant podcast just went live! In this one, @wisproy.bsky.social and @jonivanderleeuw.substack.com talk about risk/reward structures at their respective companies ( @wispfire.com and @roostgames.bsky.social )

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e15-roy...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 06 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Almost time for the weekend, so right about time for the WerkPlant Weekly!

- @bandcamp.com Friday!
- @distrokid.com is looking to sell off its platform for self-distributing music
- And some behind-the-scenes podcast updates

werkplant.substack.com/p/copy-werkp...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 05 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

WerkPlant Weekly 05!

- Universal buys Stationhead, platform for independent artist to connect with superfans
- Valve faces UK class action lawsuit for monopoly position
- And @markdeuze.bsky.social joins the board of the WerkPlant foundation!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

S03E14 - Roy & Joni on Values In the third season of the WerkPlant podcast host Roy van der Schilden and producer Joni van der Leeuw take a more casual approach and talk amongst themselves about what’s on their mind, current event...

A new episode of the WerkPlant podcast just went live! This time @wisproy.bsky.social and @jonivanderleeuw.substack.com talk about their values, both personally and within their studios @roostgames.bsky.social and @wispfire.com

Check it out!

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e14-roy...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 04 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Week 04! With this week:

- The launch of independend music financing platform Pipeline
- The importance of discoverability for indie games
- Grassroot music venues operating on increasingly tight margins

Check it out!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 03 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Another week, another WerkPlant Weekly. With this time:

- US federal court rules that songwriters can reclaim their copyrights
- The Artists Corporation posts their annual letter
- And a new episode of the WerkPlant podcast!

open.substack.com/pub/werkplan...

S03E13 - Roy & Joni on Decision Making In the third season of the WerkPlant podcast host Roy van der Schilden and producer Joni van der Leeuw take a more casual approach and talk amongst themselves about what’s on their mind, current event...

A new episode of the WerkPlant podcast! In which @wisproy.bsky.social and @jonivanderleeuw.substack.com talk about decision making and how that process is organized in their studios ( @wispfire.com and @roostgames.bsky.social, respectively) - check it out!

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e13-roy...

For the first time in over 10 years I was in a music studio today… to work on some of my own music, together with @sonyafx.bsky.social. A little scary but mostly very exciting and a lot of fun! To be continued…

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 02 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

The first WerkPlant Weekly of 2026!
With this week:

- Phasmophobia developer launching indie publishing initiative
- @moreperfectunion.bsky.social producing insightful videos on sustainable independence (not just in the creative industry)

open.substack.com/pub/werkplan...

S03E12 - Roy & Joni on 2025 (and 2026) In the third season of the WerkPlant podcast host Roy van der Schilden and producer Joni van der Leeuw take a more casual approach and talk amongst themselves about what’s on their mind, current event...

In this special end-of-year-episode @wisproy.bsky.social and @jonivanderleeuw.substack.com look back on how far we've come with WerkPlant in 2025 and what our plans, hopes and dreams are for the foundation in 2026!

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e12-roy...

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 51 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

The last WerkPlant Weekly of 2025!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

Enjoy the winter break (if you have one)!
And see you all in the new year!

S03E11 - Roy & Joni on Defining Success In the third season of the WerkPlant podcast host Roy van der Schilden and producer Joni van der Leeuw take a more casual approach and talk amongst themselves about what’s on their mind, current event...

New episode of the WerkPlant podcast in which @wisproy.bsky.social and I talk about how we define success... and we wonder how everyone else goes about it!

werkplant.substack.com/p/s03e11-roy...

WerkPlant Sustainable Independence In The Creative Industry.

Thoughts, definitely! But there are a couple of practical hurdles of course. Feel free to reach out on our Discord or email through www.werkplant.com. Maybe we can figure something out?

Any games schools wanna find out more about setting their students up for entering the games industry in other ways that just applying for jobs, but instead forming collectives and other forms of businesses: talk to us

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 50 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

WerkPlant Weekly Week 50!

- Claire Obscure wins 9 Game Awards!
- Video Games unions unite in Europe
- ... and WerkPlant makes serious steps towards reaching students before they enter the creative industry

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

Yes!

WerkPlant Weekly - Week 49 In this newsletter, WerkPlant provides a weekly update on independence in the creative industry—both global developments and news from our organization and community.

Time for Week 49!

- AI act removed from Spotify after allegations of impersonation
- @gibiz.bsky.social reports on the state of the industry
- Bandcamp Friday
- ... and WerkPlant attended the Dutch Games week!

werkplant.substack.com/p/werkplant-...

Tune!