Afleveringen
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This episode features illustrator, author, YouTuber, and accidental Adobe Fresco evangelist Chris Piascik on building a creative career by staying weird, making a lot of work, and refusing to turn art into a fake polished performance.
Chris gets into his 14-year daily drawing project, why YouTube changed his business more than Instagram ever did, how his new book The Accidental Illustrator came together, and why being honest about your process is more valuable than pretending everything is effortless.
Itâs funny, loose, and full of the kind of creative advice that only comes from someone who has spent decades making art, shipping projects, reading terrible comments, rollerblading aggressively, and somehow turning all of it into a real career.
In this episode, youâll learn:
Why consistency doesnât have to mean becoming a content robot. Chris talks about how his daily drawing project started as a simple structure to help him draw more, then slowly changed the entire direction of his career.How YouTube creates deeper relationships than faster, scroll-based platforms. Chris shares how his channel helped grow his shop, sell more work, and create a community that actually feels connected to him.Why leaning into your weirdness is not a branding gimmick. From punk flyers and old cartoons to strange characters, rollerblading, toy design, and Fresco tutorials, Chris shows how your odd little obsessions can become the most valuable part of your work.ABOUT CHRIS PIASCIK
Chris Piascik is an illustrator, author, designer, and YouTuber known for his bold, funny, weird, character-driven work and his long-running daily drawing project. After drawing every day for 14 years, Chris built a career that spans illustration, lettering, products, online education, YouTube, and his new book The Accidental Illustrator.
Heâs also one of the clearest voices online for artists trying to make digital illustration feel more natural, honest, and fun, especially through his work with Adobe Fresco.
Visit Chris Piascik online
Follow Chris on Instagram
Subscribe to Chris on YouTube
Check out The Accidental Illustrator
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
This episode features designer, artist, and Piedmont Brand Company founder Brad Stoneking on building a creative life that doesn't run on chasing algorithms, copying trends, or pretending every designer has to be an influencer.
Brad gets into his work under the name Deadtooth, how personal art differs from professional design, why production work deserves more respect, and how years inside agencies set him up to run a small studio doing serious work for big brands.
It's funny, blunt, occasionally unhinged, and packed with hard-won advice for designers trying to build something real.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why visibility isn't the same as momentum (and why posting constantly doesn't build a career).Why print fundamentals and production skills still matter, especially when so many young designers learn software before craft.How Brad thinks about long-term clients and why the real work often starts after the logo, once you become the person they trust with everything else.About Brad Stoneking
Brad is a designer, artist, and founder of Piedmont Brand Company, a small studio that helps brands move fast and make useful, well-built work. He also makes art as Deadtooth, where he gives himself room to go weirder, louder, and more personal than client work allows.
With nearly three decades in design Brad brings a mix of craft, experience, humor, and a healthy distrust of anything that turns creative work into performance instead of practice.
Visit Piedmont Brand
Follow Piedmont Brand on Instagram
Follow Deadtooth on Instagram
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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When we sat down with Ilana Griffo and Katie Johnson of Goodtype, we expected to talk about typography, online education, and what itâs like to run one of the most recognizable brands in the creative space.
And we did.
But there is so much good stuff underneath that. Funny, inspiring stories and philosophies that will change how you think about your creative business.
In this episode, we talk about:
How Goodtype grew from an inspiration account into a thriving creative business. Prioritizing what felt like it would bring joy, simple experiments, and the first hires that leveled up their work.Why chasing every platform, trend, and opportunity isn't good for anyone. Sometimes it feels like Goodtype is everywhere, but the secret is actually how Ilana and Katie learned to simplify.How to define success on your own terms. The phrase has become a little empty but these ladies are doing it by balancing ambition, fulfillment, and work that still feels magical after it becomes your job.Whether youâre just starting to build your creative business or in the messy middle, trying to figure out what to do, you'll love this episode. Get ready for a conversation full of laughs and a reminder that there isn't a right way to do it.
ABOUT GOODTYPE
Goodtype is a creative education platform, design studio, and global community for lettering artists, designers, and type enthusiasts. Led by Ilana Griffo and Katie Johnson, Goodtype provides courses, events, resources, and inspiration designed to help creatives build meaningful careers doing work they love.
Follow Goodtype on Instagram
Visit Goodtype online
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we sit down with designer, illustrator, and longtime Creative South community member Jeremy Slagle to talk about building a creative career by following curiosity wherever it leads.
From raising two graphic designers under the same roof to turning a pickleball obsession into real client work, Jeremy shares how some of the biggest opportunities in his career came from personal projects, side interests, and ideas that initially seemed too small to matter.
We talk about the value of creative communities, why portfolios should be filled with real work instead of just class assignments, and how pursuing the things you're genuinely excited about can open doors that strategic career planning never could.
Jeremy also shares his perspective on parenting creative kids, the lessons he's learned from more than three decades in design, and why showing people what you want to be hired for is still one of the most powerful career strategies available.
Along the way, we discuss Creative South, remote work, building expertise through passion projects, and the surprising connection between pickleball and creative entrepreneurship.
About Jeremy Slagle
Jeremy Slagle is a designer, illustrator, and creative director with more than 30 years of experience helping brands tell their stories through thoughtful design and illustration. Based in Columbus, Ohio, he's also an avid pickleball player, longtime Creative South attendee, and passionate advocate for creative community, mentorship, and lifelong learning.
Follow Jeremy on Instagram
Check out Jeremy's website
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
For years, Lenny Terenzi built the kind of creative life designers dream about.
He ran a beloved studio and screen printing shop, taught workshops to hundreds of creatives, spoke at conferences around the country, helped build creative communities, and created work that genuinely impacted peopleâs careers and lives.
And yet underneath all of it, he secretly felt like he was failing.
In this episode, Lenny opens up about discovering later in life that he had been living with ADHD his entire adult life and didn't know it.
Plus, how that realization completely reframed the way he viewed his career, relationships, burnout, creativity, and self-worth.
âI was fighting a war that I never knew was declared on myself.â
This sentence hit Brad and I hard (and I suspect it does a lot of our listeners as well).
We talk about the hidden ways ADHD can show up in creative lives: unfinished ideas, difficulty crossing the finish line, tying your identity to your work, burnout disguised as laziness, and the exhausting cycle of feeling capable of more while never understanding why certain things feel so impossibly hard.
But this conversation is also about an important reframe of how we define success.
Lenny reflects on shutting down Hey Monkey (the studio and workshop space he spent years building) and why he no longer sees it as a failure simply because it didnât become a forever business.
Over the years, the studio taught hundreds of people how to screen print, launched careers, created friendships, inspired other studios, and gave people a place to belong creatively.
And maybe that counts for something too.
This episode is for anyone who has:
Struggled with burnout or creative exhaustionWondered if theyâre âlazyâ or brokenTied too much of their identity to their workFelt ashamed of a business, project, or career pivotAlmost without knowing it, gauge success purely by revenue and profitItâs an honest conversation about creativity, ego, reinvention, mental health, and learning that the value of the things we build canât always be measured on a spreadsheet.
Sometimes a project changes your life even if it is not an indestructible empire.
About Lenny Terenzi
Lenny Terenzi is a designer, illustrator, creative director, educator, musician, and longtime creative community builder based in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. Known for his bold visual style and irreverent approach to creativity, Lenny has spent decades helping brands and creatives embrace personality, craft, and experimentation.
Follow Lenny on Instagram
Check out Lennyâs website
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we sit down with legendary illustrator Orlando Arocena (Mexifunk) to talk about building a creative career by leaning into the things other people run away from.
While most designers saw Adobe Illustrator as limiting for hyper-realistic illustration work or something to outsource, Orlando saw an opportunity. He spent decades pushing the software far beyond what people thought it could do.
Eventually, he became known for his coveted work with major films, entertainment brands, and some of the most recognizable vector illustrations in the industry (lots of movie posters look Photoshopped, but they're actually vector, insane, I know).
Along the way, we also dig into highly actionable insights like:
Why specialization can become your biggest advantage The hidden opportunities inside unpopular tools What decades of creative work taught Orlando about standing out How to build a career around curiosity instead of trends And why âbreaking the rulesâ sometimes just means paying closer attention than everyone elseIf you've ever wondered whether your weird interests, niche skills, or unconventional path could actually become your advantage, then buckle up because this episode is for you.
(And yes⊠somehow we also start with colonoscopy stories.)
ABOUT ORLANDO AROCENA (MEXIFUNK)Orlando Arocena is a Mexican-Cuban-American artist and creative strategist known for his bold, highly detailed vector artwork. A 13-time CLIO recipient and 2025 Emmy Award nominee, Orlando has worked across film, pop culture, gaming, and brand storytelling, bringing more than 30 years of creative experience to his distinctive style.
Follow Orlando Arocena on Behance and on Instagram
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
We spent the week talking with designers, illustrators, educators, and other creative professionals from across the country about why they keep coming back year after year, what makes Creative South different, and whether creative conferences are actually worth the investment.
The conversations drift from creative burnout and imposter syndrome to bizarre conspiracy theories, typography pet peeves, client stories, and the weirdly specific things only designers care about.
But underneath it all is a bigger conversation about community.
Why creative work can feel isolating, and how getting in a room with other creative people can completely reset your perspective.
Whether you attended Creative South this year, have always wanted to go, or have never been to a creative conference at all, this episode is a candid look at what these events really offer beyond the workshops and keynote talks.
Because often, the most valuable part of a conference isnât the speakers. Itâs the conversations in the halls and late-night hangs.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we sit down with Trust Design, a two-person studio run by Hannah Smith and Jesse MacKenzie, to talk about how theyâve built a reputation for delivering big-agency-level workâwithout becoming a big agency.
They share how they stumbled into starting a studio (with no clear roadmap), why they rejected the idea that design has to be cutthroat, and how discovering the creative community completely changed their trajectory.
We also dig into their philosophy of âpunching above your weight.â What it actually looks like in practice, and why it has less to do with talent and more to do with care.
Along the way, we talk about:
Why most creatives underestimate how much presentation matters The hidden advantage of not acting like a traditional agency How to build trust with clients before you even start the project Why being âin-house in spiritâ changes everythingIf youâve ever felt like youâre too small to compete (or unsure how to stand out without a massive following) this episode is proof that you donât need scale to do meaningful, high-level work.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
At some point in your creative career, the stakes shift.
We go from just making stuff⊠to overthinking. Obsessing. Optimizing. And it sucks the the fun out of the entire thing.
In this episode, we talk with illustrator and designer Mikey Burton about that shift. And honestly, it's refreshing, like talking to a design monk who makes everything feel like it's going to be okay.
From editorial work on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to building a career across studios, freelance, and printmaking, Mikey shares a perspective that cuts through a lot of the noise around âgetting betterâ as a creative.
We talk to Mikey about staying loose, staying human, and building a career without sanding off the parts that made your work interesting in the first place, including:
The sweet spot. That moment before you fully âmasterâ something is often where your best work lives Fight over-polishing. Why the final version is often worse than the sketch (and what gets lost in the process)Be more human. In a world of AI and optimization, why leaning into imperfection might be your biggest advantage.Sharing vs performing. How the shift from gatekeepers to social media changed what it means to âput work out there.â Careers arenât linear. How timing, visibility, and just sticking around long enough still matter more than people admitLater in the episode, Mikey talks about everything from building a body of work over years (not weeks), to why printing in his âbasement dungeonâ keeps things grounded, to the strange reality of contributing to something culturally massive without it being your âpurestâ creative expression.
Listen to this. By the time you're done you'll feel some fresh creative energy flowing through your spirit.
Hey, check out Mikey Burton!
View Mikey Burton's website here
Follow Mikey Burton on Instagram here
Buy his Pile O' Prints here (Brad and I did, and it's 100% pure awesome)
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
What began as a personal shift toward plant-based living turned into a bigger question: what if your work could actually support the kind of world you want to live in?
We talk to Jeff about building a values-driven creative career, plus a lot more, including:
Bringing your beliefs into your work. How a personal lifestyle shift turned into a long-term creative choice that influenced clients and brought personal fulfillment (as opposed to just financial fulfillment).Redefine âsustainableâ. Sustainable doesn't have to mean monk-like discipline. See why small businesses and imperfect efforts still matter more than people think.Niche without limiting yourself. You can build a values-based studio without boxing yourself into a tiny market. Jeff digs into practices that are fulfilling (without alienating your market).True growth inevitably takes time. Why meaningful careers are built slowly (even if social media makes it feel otherwise) Human work still matters. I think we all agree on this, but it's important to get different takes. Jeff shares why people will always value things made by people.Later in the episode, Jeff shares how his path from making Call of Duty graphics as a kid to running a purpose-driven studio was shaped less by a clear plan and more by following curiosity, interests, and a growing sense of responsibility.
If youâve ever felt torn between doing work that pays and work that actually matters, this conversation offers a more honest way to think about both.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we talk with illustrator and designer Tyler Pate. He has worked with brands like Adobe, Wacom, and StickerApp, and heâs built his career through steady effort, a clear process, and years of showing up for the work.
There are no shortcuts in Tylerâs story. Itâs about making the work, getting better at it, and sticking with it long enough for that effort to add up, whether people notice right away or not.
We talk with Tyler about how to build a creative practice that grows over time, along with topics like:
Staying busy on purpose, and why the work you make now can lead to opportunities years later Sharing your process, how that builds trust, and why there doesnât need to be any "secret sauce" Using a back catalog and simple systems to stay visible without burning yourself out Keeping things *simple*, and how limits in your tools, style, and thinking can lead to better workLater in the episode, Tyler talks about his path from a small town, where there wasnât an obvious creative roadmap, to speaking at major events. He figured things out as he went, and in the process became the example he didnât have when he was younger.
Follow Tyler (AKA The Creative Pain) on Instagram
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we talk with illustrator Shea OâConnor about building a creative career that grows through personal work, community, and consistency over time. She shares how she approaches social media as a place to explore ideas and connect with people while building work that attracts the right opportunities.
We get into how she balances personal projects with client work and how that balance shapes her creative direction and business, plus a lot more, including:
âOne for me, one for them.â How balancing passion projects with strategic work actually fuels growth Why social media works best when you treat it like a portfolio and not a popularity contest Building an engaged audience instead of chasing bigger numbers Creating work that attracts licensing deals, agents, and brand partnerships Why people can feel when you are trying too hard and how to avoid itShea also talks about how her priorities have shifted as her career has grown. She focuses less on doing everything and more on doing the right things well. She shares how she is thinking about licensing and passive income as a way to grow without trading more time for money.
If you have ever felt stuck between making what you love and making what sells, this conversation offers a clear and honest look at how those two things can support each other.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we talk with illustrator Rob Zilla, whose work spans pro sports teams, major brands, and a career built on discipline, adaptability, and doing the work (whether anyoneâs watching or not).
No shortcuts, no chasing trends. Just years of sharpening skills, building systems, and finding creative parallels in unexpected places (like sports, teaching, and even rejection).
We talk to Rob about building a creative career that actually lasts, plus a lot more, including:
Drills build skills. Why the boring reps are the real difference-maker for creatives Rejection is fuel. How to turn setbacks, limitations, and even spite into momentum Credit is currency. Why visibility matters just as much as the paycheck AI as a tool (not a crutch). Using it to communicate ideas without losing your edge Business over talent. Why knowing contracts and money matters more than perfect techniqueLater in the episode, we get into creative careers in the real world. We're talking contracts, net terms, getting paid, and why young artists should think twice about how they position themselves from day one.
If youâve ever felt stuck chasing clients, frustrated by the system, or unsure how to turn your skills into something sustainable, this conversation offers a grounded (and honest) perspective on what actually works.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we talk with illustrator and toy designer Chris Lee (AKA The Beast is Back), who built his career mostly through word of mouth and steady visibility.
No cold emailing campaign, no hard sell, just years of getting better at what he does, following what genuinely interested him, and putting the work out where people could find it.
We talk to Chris about making great work that you stand behind, plus tons more, including:
His early obsession with toys, aquariums, and tiny made-up worlds turned into a real career. Advice people love to give creatives, especially "just make what you love," and where that starts to fall apart. Protecting the work you care about while still paying the bills.Later in the episode, we talk about physical products and why so many people want to skip straight to mass production. Chris explains why starting small usually makes more sense, both creatively and financially.
If you've been doing all the usual things and still feel stuck chasing work, or you're trying to figure out how a personal obsession turns into a career, this conversation offers a different way to think about it.
It's honest, practical, and a lot less polished than the usual creative-career advice, which is probably why it lands.
Enjoy the episode, and if you love toys, nostalgia, and design, be sure to follow Chris Lee on Instagram.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
In this episode, we talk with Thomas Marnin, co-founder of MarninSayor, a toy shop inside Seattleâs Pike Place Market. The shop grew out of a passion for handcrafted toys and the nostalgia of classic donut shops.
In this episode, we talk about:
How a tiny pencil sketch and a handmade toy turned into a product they could actually sell.What itâs like building a handmade brand piece by piece. From sewing toys to designing packaging to creating a retail space inspired by the characters.Why Pike Place Market is such a unique place to start a creative business, and how its âmeet the producerâ philosophy helps small makers thrive. Practical lessons that come from turning a small creative experiment into something people genuinely want to buy.If youâve ever tried to turn a side project into something real, or wondered how a simple creative idea slowly grows into a business, you're going to love this episode.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
What happens after you âmake itâ?
This week, we sit down with Don Clark of Invisible Creature to talk about creative longevity, building brands from scratch, and why your obsession might be the only real compass you need.
Here's some of the stuff we dig into:
How Don built a 27-year studio career (without ever pitching for work)The tension between dreamer energy and financial realityWhy sometimes you need to start things you have âno businessâ startingThe punk rock DIY ethic behind his new Western apparel brand, Westersen.And what changes when you hit your âsecond mountainâDon shares how he turns curiosity into real products (toys, watches, pencils, apparel), how he sources partners when entering completely new industries, and why he believes great artists arenât asking âwhere do I start?â Theyâre already obsessed.
f youâre a designer or illustrator wondering whether you should finally start the thing you keep thinking about, whether youâre too old to pivot, or how to take creative risks without blowing up your life, this conversation is for you.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
A lot of creatives are feeling it right now: the market shifting, projects slowing down, the fear of asking âwait⊠is it just me?â causing a spiral into the anxiety void.
This week, we're thrilled to get to talk to one of our heroes, Dan Kuhlken of DKNG. We'll dig into what it actually looks like to stay sharp (and sane) through years of creating, risk-taking, and what it's critical to let go of to move forward.
We go way behind the curtain into the technical Illustrator work, the screen-printing mindset, and the less-glamorous reality of running a two-person studio that has to keep the lights on.
We also talk about insecurity (yes, even legends struggle with it). the real kind. The â99 kind comments, 1 brutal comment, and now Iâm questioning my whole identityâ kind.
Here are some of the most tasty nuggets to listen for:
How Dan built a non-destructive letterpress tool in Illustrator using graphic styles + the appearance panel (and, yes, you can own it).âGatekeeping is a choiceâ and why sharing process usually makes everyone better (don't hide your secret sauce, it ends up working against you).Danâs take on insecurities, including envy and jealousy, and how to turn them into an energy drink for your creative soul (instead of letting it eat you alive).Why halftones/textures exist, and why Dan thinks design is as much about construction as looks.The delegation dilemma. What happens when growth starts requiring skills you didnât need to build the thing in the first place.[Bonus Story] The Flight of the Conchords poster moment and the surreal full-circle âpinch meâ of musicians collecting your work.If youâre an illustrator/designer trying to stay good through changing seasons or youâre deep in the âhow do I make this look human?â Illustrator rabbit hole, hit that play button!
And if you want more of the behind-the-scenes thinking like this, the Creative Slash newsletter is linked in the show notes. Get our five-part âOff the Recordâ email series. It's FREE and packed with the operating systems, philosophies, and tools that top creatives recommend.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
This might be the most vulnerable episode weâve done.
If youâve ever felt like youâre a strange mix of interests⊠and havenât figured out how theyâre supposed to fit together â this oneâs for you.
After 25 interviews, we realized something
The real pattern in creative careers isnât in portfolios. Itâs in the weird stuff.
So in this episode, itâs just us.
We dig into our own obsessions. Magic tricks, antique hunting, grade-school nostalgia, expensive tools, and self-doubt. Then connect the dots we hadnât fully connected before.
Here's what we're digging into:
The fifth-grade teacher who changed Bradâs lifeWhy not feeling âsmartâ shaped what he builtHow magic tricks led directly to RetroSupplyThe difference between curating a persona vs. being alignedWhy your hobbies might be clues (not distractions)If youâve been trying to âfind your thingâ and it keeps feeling elusive, this conversation might shift how you see your own life.
In fact, it was the catalyst behind our NEW 5-Part Off the Record Email Series.
In the series, learn the creative philosophy, habits, and weird obsessions that quietly shape creative success, featuring industry experts like Aaron Draplin, Mary Kate McDevitt, Jen Hood, and more.
Yes, take me to the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ Email Series
Plus, we'll send you an email about every new Creative Slash episode including stories from the creatives, links to recommended resources, and products recommended by your favorite creatives.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
We sat down with Nathan Yoder and, somehow, the chat immediately swerved past tools and trend-talk into the good stuff: craft, philosophy, faith, and how to make work you actually care about in a world that keeps yelling âfaster.â
Nathanâs an analog-first illustrator, but the real takeaway isnât how he works, itâs why. Heâs thought hard about what matters, what he wants to put into the world, and how to stay honest inside that⊠even while tech (and now AI) keeps rearranging the furniture.
In this episode:
Why analog still mattersHow philosophy shows up in the workAI: navigating it without spiralingSpeed vs. meaning (the eternal knife fight)Making choices that match your valuesIf youâre feeling weird/pissed about AI⊠tired of trend-chasing⊠or trying to hang onto the part of making that made you fall in love with it in the first place, this oneâs for you.
Youâre allowed to slow down. Think deeply. Make the kind of work you can stand behind.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström -
This episode caught me off guard.
Travis Robertson has done things that are, honestly, a little intimidating. Not just successful creative intimidating but hey-I-watched-you-in-movies-as-a-kid intimidating. The kind of stuff that makes you wonder if youâre qualified to be in the room.
So yeah, I was a little nervous.
But less than a minute after meeting him, it felt like talking to an old buddy.
And as we talked the cool stuff he's done Travis kept talking about how he just⊠tried things.
He wanted to be in movies. He saw an ad in the back of the newspaper. Faxed in an audition (which already tells you how long ago this was). Months later, it worked. No sacred path. No years of training under a master. Just a willingness to take a swing.
And once you hear that, you start seeing the pattern everywhere. Acting, fighting, and founding his own creative agency. Same underlying belief every time:
This is figureoutable.
What made this such a great conversation wasn't how impressive Travis is (although he definitely is impressive), it's how human he is about it. Self-deprecating. Curious. Not precious about his wins. Somewhere along the way, the intimidation faded and turned into permission.
The big takeaway was: most of us donât try enough stuff.
Hereâs some of what we talk about:
Why trying things beats waiting to feel readyHow early wins quietly change what feels possibleLetting go of linear career storiesHiring for taste and curiosity (not perfect rĂ©sumĂ©s)And yeah, we talk some about AI (is it even possible to avoid these days)If youâve been telling yourself stories about who gets to do meaningful work, this episode is for you.
Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part âOff the Recordâ email series FREE
Click here to get the five-part âOff the Recordâ email series
Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to childrenâs books.
View Brave the Woods
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what itâs really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
View RetroSupply
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: âSnakes and Fireâ (Instrumental) by PĂ€r Hagström - Laat meer zien
