Origins: A Creative Journey

Being a full-time fine artist and illustrator is an aspirational dream for many, and is a reality for Steven Russell Black that he’s created for himself through discipline and mileage. 

Steven Russell Black is a northern California-based painter who paints surreal figurative work that highlight the beauty in the horrific. He illustrates comic covers, books, and most notably, cards for Magic: the Gathering.

In this conversation, Steven shares how his love and prioritization of his craft has brought him to being a full-time artist, the way he uses social media and consistency to build up a fan base, and how he builds multiple streams of revenue from every painting he finishes.

Steven’s Links

Have you ever wondered what it takes to launch an independent brand and immediately get a collab with Johnny Cupcakes? Jordan Fuchs knows, as he’s literally done just that. 

Jordan Fuchs is the frontman of Plastic Pizza, an art-driven brand with a focus on creativity, imagination, and community. After selling his extensive lego collection to raise money for his brand, in just a few short years he went from having an idea to building a company that delivers cheesy bliss in the form of art toys, limited-edition apparel, pins, stickers, and more. 

In this conversation, Jordan lays out the power of asking fearlessly for what you want, how he got to talk to Mr. Beast’s team about a collaboration, and how he used guerilla marketing to build hype for his brand. 

Jordan’s Links:

If you’ve ever wondered about the determination and confidence needed to come from humble beginnings and build a successful career in design, look no further than this conversation with Joseph Israel Raul Bullard. 

Joseph Israel Raul Bullard has cut his teeth doing design work for companies like Hulu and Dell before building his own design studio where he focuses on branding and identity packages for small businesses. He also teaches design to college students both at Austin Community College as well as via his podcast Students of Design.In this frank conversation, Joseph shares his story of growing up in a household ruled by alcoholism and the grit, determination, and confidence to escape that future for himself by any means necessary. We talk about the power of mentorship and the overlaps teaching has with good design – and Joseph shares how to leverage curiosity and YouTube to build a career. 

Joseph’s Links

Have you ever wondered what it takes to break into the competitive world of visual development? Vis dev artist Diana Ling knows, as she’s been there and done just that. 

With credits at studios like Marvel, Paramount, Warner Bros, and Hasbro, Diana Ling is a Los Angeles-based visual development artist who started out as a storyboard revisionist, then took it upon herself to develop the skills necessary to become a visual development artist. 

In this conversation, Diana shares her journey as she broke into the industry and pursued her passion for painting - even though her drawing skills were pulling her in a different direction. Not only does she share how she found a mentor in animation, but she also shares her views on how she invests back in herself between work and how she thinks about goal setting. 

Diana’s Links:

Do you know what MLB, Interstellar, and Avengers: Infinity War all have in common? They all have had fine artist, fabricator, concept artist, and illustrator Shane Stover work on them. 

Shane Stover started out painting sports legends while still in high school until he graduated college, moved to LA, and then built a career in the film and entertainment industry doing concept art for films like Spiderman: Homecoming, The Dark Knight Rises, and Alien:Romulus, all while nurturing a fine art career that dives into the intersection of humanity and technology.

In this conversation, Shane shares the lessons he got from his professional-photographer-father, how he’s navigated two very different bodies of commercial work, and how, as a self-described non-technical person, he’s been able to stay ahead of the curve and integrate technology into his pieces. 

Shane’s Links:

What does Philip Marlowe, Space Godzilla, and Jiujitsu all have in common? They’re all part of the wide lexicon that writer, painter, and toy producer Wes Allard brings into his world of crime and luchador masks.

Wes Allard is one of the founders of Last Bastion Studios - a Los Angeles-based art and toy production house that brings comics, toys, and sculptures to life for cool people. Last Bastion Studios also creates their own line of comics and toys, including Wes’ creation Luchador, a hardboiled mashup of crime fiction, lucha libre, and pro-wrestling. 

In this conversation, Wes and Chris find out they have near-identical tastes in pretty much everything, and Wes shares how his lessons from martial arts has trained him for a life in the arts. He also shares tips on character-based writing, his one tip for all aspiring writers, and how he gets through all the difficult hurdles of being an artist. 

Wes’ Links:

It’s relatively quick to read a graphic novel, but it’s much more time-consuming and difficult to write, draw, ink, and publish one yourself. Howie Noel has done this numerous times, while also balancing a career as an illustrator and caricaturist for an impressive slate of clients. 

Howie has run successful crowdfunding campaigns to self-publish his graphic novels, maintains a weekly social media output of new comics, and also works for a wide range of clients like T-Mobile, The Pixies, and Cryptozoic. 

In this conversation, Howie shares his love of noir with Chris and tips for anyone whose ever wanted to make their own comic or graphic novel. He drops real talk on how he navigates the days when you don’t want to draw and also shares some inspirational messages about kindness and not quitting the dream. 

Howie’s Links:

The pervasive myth of the starving artist has scared many people into pursuing careers outside of art, and Julie Parrish was no different. But through tenacity, some strokes of good luck, and a mindset of possibility has led her back into a career in photography and illustration. 

With a background in scientific illustration, Julie has built up a career spilling over into medical research, photography, illustration, education, and information architecture. 

In this conversation, Julie shares tons of wisdom for artists of all ages, including the three questions you need to ask yourself to find alignment in your goals. She also gets real about the business side of being a professional creative - including some great thoughts about pricing your work. 

Julie’s Links:

Many people dream of leaving their dayjob to start a creative company. P-A Lesperance did exactly that, leaving decades of operations work behind to build House of Gog, a Montreal-based premium toy and collectable company that makes high-craftsmanship art statues from some of the world’s coolest artists. 

An avid collector himself, P-A learned the ins and out of the figurine business running operations at Ubisoft. After leaving to start House of Gog with business partner Hugues Martel of PureArts, P-A has built a sustainable business with intricate, mind-blowing figurines by artists like Pascal Blanché and SKINNER.

In this conversation, P-A shares the importance of stoicism, the steps he took to build House of Gog, and the key skill every creative who is looking to start a business large or small should develop. 

P-A’s links

Many people strive hard to work their way up a career ladder - but what if it’s not the right career ladder for you? Our guests this week, Shih-Wen Lin and Kun-I Chang did just that, and then pivoted to building an independent art studio. 

Shih-Wen and Kun-I are the artistic duo behind Space Rabbit Studios, a creative studio that brings illustration, animation, photography, and designer toys all under one creative roof. After working their way up the New York advertising career ladder, they took a leap to building out their own studio and their own world filled with heartwarming characters that spans multiple media including animation, books, and toys.

In this conversation, this collaborative duo share what it was like to turn down clients to focus on their own work, reframe what it means to be on the “right” career ladder, and offers their experience in trying to figure out how to collaborate with each other. 

If you've ever been told "go get a real job," you’ll be familiar with how creatives are often devalued in the workforce and society at large. But it is still possible to be creative, have some fun, and have a career, and our guest this week, David Mould, is living proof of that.

David has been living in Thailand for the last 20 years and his work has seen him work in many countries around the world. His superpower is taking ideas from one industry and using them in another, while building allies and collaborators along the way. He also finds the joy, novelty, and inspiration in the creative tension of friction - from the design of products and services to the world around us at large. 

In this thoughtful conversation, David shares his thoughts on creativity, navigating the corporate world as a creative, how generative AI will shape the future, and how to be a specialist as a generalist. 

David’s Links:

With all the allures of fortune and fame, it can be tempting to try and chase trends and do things that will get you noticed. But what does it look like to build something completely for yourself? 

Adam Griffin has done that with Thirsty Thursday Toys, a YouTube channel where he creates a cocktail in homage to a toy from his collection every Thursday. A teacher by day and a monster mixologist at night, Adam’s love of the color green and kaiju is brought to drinkable life every week for the past four years. In this conversation, Adam dives into the challenges of building a niche YouTube channel, what it takes to stand out and do what you love, and dives into drink making, fostering creativity, and planning for a long-term project.   

Adam’s Links

Generative AI image creation is everywhere, yet there’s still artists out there creating things by hand and building a brand around what they’re making. 

8pm is one such artist. Known for his anime-inspired hyper-detailed illustrations and his runaway hit vinyl toy Jimmy, 8pm designs UX flows by day and creates his personal brand by night.  

In this conversation, 8pm puts on all his various hats as an artist, UX designer, and community builder and together we dive into the difference between being creative and being a creator, the trials and tribulations of making a designer toy, and the next evolution of art in an age of Generative AI. 

8pm’s Links

Fan art is a convention staple, but some say it can stifle your creative voice. Pacho Abalos digs deep and dives into why he focuses now on his original characters and how that sets him apart from the masses.Pancho is an artist and streetwear designer known for his graffiti-inspired styles that blend traditional and digital mediums that bring to life his original characters that also reflect incredibly personal stories and emotions. With a portfolio of clients including Nike, BAIT, and Hatsune Miku, Pancho can be found in conventions across the US and abroad. 

In this raw conversation, Pancho shares the starts and stops in his artistic journey, how he translates challenges into inspiration, and his journey from doing fan art to building his own worlds. 

Pancho’s links:

Have you always had an itch to make your own art, but didn’t know where to start? Award-winning independent comic artist and toy designer Ben Seto will tell you to just do it anyway. 

Ben is the author and artist behind the Xeric-winning comic series “Usagi Jane and The Skullbunnies.” As an independent artist he produces his own resin figures, has run a successful crowdfunding campaign, and makes his marks at comic conventions through the West Coast. 

In this candid conversation, Ben talks about how he manages his projects with ADHD, his outlook on doing things that are hard and uncomfortable, and why he embraces criticism as a way to grow. 

Ben’s links:

Do you know what Japanese soft vinyl, punk rock albums, and shoe catalogs all have in common? Brian Flynn, the founder of Super7 will let you in on the answer - it’s design. 

From understanding the visual language of punk album covers to building his own design studio and working with clients like Nike, Apple, and The North Face to turning a magazine project into a thriving toy company, Brian Flynn has been making things all his life. 

In this accessible but deep conversation, Brian shares with us his story and the power of design thinking. He shares tons of wisdom, inspiration, and the mindset shift needed to design the life you want to live, make cool stuff, and make clients happy. 

Ever wonder what it takes to make a feature film? What about three of them, with a shoestring budget? Courtney Daniels, not only knows how but wrote a book on it titled Yes You Can - How to Make a Movie for Almost No Money.

The writer and director of What Other Couples Do, Bedroom Story, and It’s Not You, It’s LA (formerly titled This F%*king Town), Courtney is an independent filmmaker living in Los Angeles. She makes character-driven movies that can be found on streaming platforms such as Amazon and Tubi. 

In this masterclass on independent filmmaking, Courtney shares her journey from writing spec scripts as a receptionist to abandoning the Hollywood machine to make her own films. She shares insights into not only the structural parts of filmmaking and screenwriting, but also things like finding talented actors, building a solid reputation, and how to make films people want to watch.

Courtney’s Links

Famous musicians can seem out of reach, but after years of promoting and managing artists in Australia, Trent Slingshot of Hip Hop Toyz has built relationships with legends like KRS-One and Wu-Tang. 

Trent is a bona fide hustler in all the good ways, and he breaks down his knack for knocking on doors and establishing himself as the go-to-guy when hip hop acts want to visit Australia. While still promoting and managing artists, Trent has also built Hip Hop Toyz, and has gone from making bootleg figures to officially licensed collaborations. 

In this conversation, Trent shares his many career pivots, some life lessons, and what it means to turn hip hop artists into super heroes. 

Trent’s Links:

For many artists, having an immediate sell-out of a product would be amazing. It would be even more amazing to do it in high school. Connor McConnell of Abominable Toys has done just that. 

Connor is the co-creator of the yeti characters Chomp and Chomper and the owner of Abominable Toys, which he runs full-time. With licensed collaborations with Bob Ross and Godzilla, toys in Hot Topic, Abominable Toys is slowly taking over the world. 

In this conversation, Connor shares how he got started building a toy empire while in high school, how he found a factory to make his figures, how he networks as an introvert, and his advice for those looking to get into the toy scene even if they don’t have an art degree. 

Connor’s Links:

Many folks want to run their art business full-time, but have you run the numbers? In this interview with Brianna, the artist behind Onicake, she does a deep dive into the business side of running a kawaii art business and shares how she got started. 

A full-time artist selling enamel pins, ita-bags, plush, and other accessories, Brianna runs Onicake from her home base in Dallas, Texas. You can find her and her adorable creations at conventions throughout the United States and in her online store.

In this conversation, Brianna shares her early entrepreneurial stories and the rise from her first time tabling at a convention without a tablecloth to her first manufactured product to building Onicakes into a thriving accessories business.

With marketing tips, a whole piece on thinking about trends, this interview has a ton of actionable advice and inspiration to get started, even in the midst of the rise of AI. 

Brianna’s links:

Are you in love with Mondo’s toy releases as much as we are? Come check out what Mondo will be bringing to DesignerCon 2024 from the men who make it all happen, Hector Arce and Peter Santa-Maria aka ATTACKPETER.

Hector Arce is the  Senior Creative Director of Collectibles and Design at Mondo who basically makes all the toys come to reality. Often taking part in the design, sculpting, and painting of the collectables himself, Hector brings his years of industry experience (like at Legendary Pictures and Gentle Giant, LTD) and his deep passion for the craft into every release.  

Peter Santa-Maria is an artist and Senior Creative Director at Mondo. Known for his block prints, Peter features not only pop culture icons but brings his own original IP of kaiju-sized monsters to life both in print and in collectable form. He not only oversees the Art Department at Mondo, but he also co-hosts Mondo’s Toy Talk and has gained a dedicated fan following through his unique designs and work with brands across games, comics, and more. 

In this special episode, Hector and Peter not only share their origin stories and the ups and downs of their careers, but also give advice to anyone looking to collaborate with the brand and offers up a look into what they’re bringing to DCON this year.

PS - They’re also sponsoring the mixer event on Thursday, November 14 from 6:30-9:30pm at Flanker LV at Mandalay Bay. You won’t want to miss out - no RSVP necessary and there will be a super rare..oh wait, you need to listen to the episode to find out what they’re bringing to the mixer. See you there! Hector and Peter's Links:

The goal for many fine artists is to do it full time, but what might be the argument for having a day job as well? Fine artist, video game art director, and animator, Sean Keeton explores the benefits of keeping the day job while making incredibly personal work.

 A Los-Angeles based gallery artist at night and a video game art director and animator during the day, Sean Keeton regularly displays his paintings in galleries across LA and has been featured on multiple iconic billboards in Times Square.

In this conversation, Sean shares his seemingly meteoric rise from art school, the powers of introversion, and the way having a day job allows him more creative freedom in his personal work. He shares his thoughts on balancing between the two roles, finding the joy in corporate work, and the importance of being emotionally truthful in one’s work. 

Sean’s links:

With the sea of social media hype, the pressures of capitalism, and unprocessed trauma, it’s difficult to not only find your authentic voice, but also make a living doing so. Skinner is a visual artist, writer, filmmaker, installation and muralist, and all-around super monster artist.

With work featured on Adult Swim, murals and paintings in galleries across the world, and music videos for bands like Mastodon and High on Fire, Skinner is a full-time creative force of mayhem and madness - and is also a wildly funny, vulnerable, and thoughtful artist. 

In this conversation, get a deep dive into Skinner’s creative origin from drawing as a child in an OB-GYN office to features in Juxtapoz magazine to pitching HBO animated shows to building board games. Not only does Skinner share his rollercoaster trajectory of a career, but also talks about the need for mental health support, the power of human connection, and what it means to be yourself. 

Skinner’s Links:

Ever thought about starting your own creative business? Ever consider the ups and down and personal discipline needed? Elliot Garnett is the mastermind behind Centerpoint Studios, a full-time custom miniature and diorama studio. 

Always a showstopper at various conventions around the country with large-scale, table-sized dioramas like Dex’s Diner, Elliot and Centerpoint is known for recreating your favorite sets and characters from a galaxy far, far away. 

In this conversation, Elliot shares his journey from drawing on toys with Sharpie to the highly-detailed, intricate figures he sells full-time. Elliot shares a lot of the entrepreneurial journey and the power of a dedicated fan base, and the difference between working in your own shop versus a studio. 

Elliot’s Links

Ever wonder how DesignerCon grew into what it is today? Come meet Kevin Cao, the co-founder of DesignerCon and collector extraordinaire.

In this special episode, Kevin shares his origin story as a collector and entrepreneur, as well as the lowdown on what to expect for this year's DesignerCon for it's first year in Vegas.

From vendors to look out for, the Be@rbrick artist 5-pack making a return, as well as all the good stuff attendees should be aware of in terms of DCON's partnerships with EQL, Trampt, and eVend. Oh yeah, and if you want to know what 100% you'll be getting with your VIP pass, make sure you listen to the end.

Kevin's & DCON's links:

Have you ever thought what it would be like to make art of all your worst moments and hidden traumas? Kria Lindquist got started making art as a means to exorcize her demons, and eventually led her to the path of being a full-time fine artist.

As a visual artist who is a staple at dark art markets across the United States, Kria specializes in dark surrealist figurative illustrations and paintings. Their work is an exploration of the human condition, drawing inspiration from dreams, liminal spaces, gender identity and sexuality, esotericism, and various elements from their own self-cultivated lexicon.

In this fascinating conversation, Kria takes us on their journey from using art to process trauma to selling in goth clubs to embracing her identity as an artist.

We also asked Kria about their inspirations, and they wanted us to share this list with all of you:

• Suehiro Maruo

• Takato Yamamoto

• Zdzisław Beksiński

• Akiya Kageichi

• Yoshitaka Amano

• Bernini

• Caravaggio

• H.R. Giger

Kria’s links

Do you dream of having millions of people wear something you designed? Or working on some of the top anime of all time? What if it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be? The dynamic duo of Asako Sauz and Paul Evangelista have huge credits to their name, but are also setting out on their own to carve their own creative mark on the world. 

From designing Xbox controllers to designing footwear for Target, there’s a very likely chance you have seen or own something Asako has helped design. From One Piece to Naruto to Bleach, Paul has worked on some of the largest anime franchises and also proudly has worked on the worst CG film of all time. 

In our first two-person interview, Asako and Paul share their journey and experience of working as a corporate creative as well as how they navigate working as creative collaborators. 

Asako and Paul’s Links

What does it mean to build a sustainable fine art career? Mark Dean Veca has done just that over the past few decades, working with brands like Nike and The Hundreds as well as legendary rock bands like Pearl Jam, Primus, and Ween. 

With a career spanning back to the 90’s, Mark’s recognizable style and killer brush work has been exhibited world-wide. From public art to illustration to fine art, Mark’s origin story is full of evolutionary leaps.

In this conversation, Mark walks us through his career from art school to public art to candle making to furniture to rock posters, and all the evolutions of his style and steps and turns along the way.

Mark’s Links

Do you have what it takes to leave your job or change professions? Michael Lewarne is an architect, coach, and installation artist who understands fear, decision making, and how to choose himself. 

With a 30-year career in architecture, Michael has pivoted from designing buildings to helping other architects be better leaders through his company, unmeasured. He’s also supported leaders and creatives of all stripes through his coaching at the altMBA. 

In this conversation, Michael shares the ups and the downs and pivots of his lengthy career, what it means to take calculated risks, and of course, what choosing yourself looks like and how you can do it better. Listen now!

Michael’s Links:

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it takes to start your own apparel / t-shirt company, this is the episode to listen to. In this episode, we talk with Alex Louie of Story Spark, a graphic designer who built a career as a web designer and since pivoted to co-founding Story Spark.

Alex has a storied background in chemistry, graphic design, and enterprise web design, and has taken bits of all of that to create designs that celebrate the connection between technology and humans.  

In this conversation, Alex shares how he got Story Spark off the ground, how he’s been able to produce work that resonates with his audience, and how he deals with all the uncertainty of creative entrepreneurship. Listen now!

Alex’s Links:

Andrew Davis is a creative director, marketer, woodworker, and Dungeons & Dragons GM that has rolled (pun intended) all his interests into one Dodecadonuts - where he sells handcrafted donut dice containers.

With over two decades of experience in advertising and design, Andrew shares his journey through the ups and downs of his industry, his pivot towards product design, and how tabletop role-playing games can be amazing labs for personal creative journeys.

In this fun, insightful conversation, Andrew not only shares his love of role-playing games, but also drops tons of great advice on getting through the hard part of creating, how crucial experimentation is, and the importance of just trying new things.

Andrew’s links:

If you’ve ever struggled with the tension between a job you struggle with and what pulls you with every fiber of your being, you’ll gain a lot from this conversation with Emma Bolz.

Emma is a young designer who brings an incredible amount of thoughtfulness, maturity, and intellectual rigor to the start of her creative journey. She is a fierce advocate for herself and has already honed her intuition around what it means to be authentic and to focus on impactful design solutions to wicked problems.

In this conversation Emma shares about finding her authentic voice, the benefits of starting over when something is wrong, and reflects upon what it’s like starting out fresh in a creative journey. We also dive into the future of art and creativity in the age of generative AI and how human creativity is still necessary.

Emma’s Links:

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a successful career in branding, design, AND illustration, you definitely need to listen to this masterclass with Chris Maze.

Chris masterfully juggles two jobs - his day job as a Creative Director specializing in brand development who works with clients with Levi’s and ASICS, and his night job at an illustrator creating original and pop culture artwork that he brings to conventions and local events. 

In this conversation, Chris drops tons of advice for creatives of all points in their career - whether you’re looking to break into branding or graphic design or if you’re a seasoned veteran struggling with impostor syndrome, this is for you. 

Chris Maze’s links:

Have you wondered what it takes to hang in multiple industries ranging from graffiti to animation to toy design to streetwear? kaNO’s done it, and that’s who we’re talking to this week!

kaNO is an art hustler extraordinaire, whose multidisciplinary roles and iconic style takes him around the world with clients ranging from Medicom, Universal, Jordan, DC, Marvel, G-Shock, and the NBA, just to name a few. Raised in NYC and now working in Burbank, kaNO seamlessly weaves back and forth between the world of towering murals, toy design, character design, and streetwear.

In this conversation, kaNO shares his journey from the High School of Art & Design to being asked to work with top brands in multiple industries, and drops tons of knowledge for artists of all ages to learn from. Listen now!

PS - Listen to the end for some bonus content..and keep in mind kaNO and Jerome and friends :P

kaNO’s Links:

If you’ve ever looked at a project’s deep world building and wondered what inspired it, check out this conversation with Colton Houser of Fixed Temple Toys. 

Colton is the mastermind behind the Glorbles, ectoplasmic shape shifting entities bent on taking over the world, and the AOA, the last bastion of human defense against these ectoplasmic, shapeshifting entities that have taken the art toy scene by storm. 

In this inspiring conversation, Colton shares the origins of Glorbles, the power of support networks, and the fundamental need for artists to just “send it.” 

Fixed Temple Toy links:

If you’ve ever wondered how to get started streaming your art and building a community, come listen to the blueprint that Ari Bean Things shares in this fun and lively conversation.

Ari is a multidisciplinary artist who makes her living crafting, illustrating, and streaming her process on Twitch. In this conversation, Ari shares her journey through engineering, music, and visual art, and how the pandemic was a huge shift that ended up totally reimagining her career path. 

In this conversation, Ari shares how she’s been able to grow a steady audience and offers tons of great advice for creatives in a digital age, even if you’re not planning on growing your streaming fan base.

Ari’s links:

If you’ve ever thought about making your own toy, or trying to break into the toy industry, you’ve got to listen to this conversation with the creator of Hyperactive Monkey, Jerome Lu.

Jerome works by day for clients like Hasbro, Super7, Nice Kicks, and Spin Master, and builds the world of Hyperactive Monkey at night. He shares his origin story: from being rejected from animation programs to getting into toy design to working on the Star Wars franchise to how his journey is like the Fast and the Furious films.

In this conversation Jerome shares tons of great advice for aspiring creatives of all disciplines, especially those seeking to collaborate and get their foot in the door. 

Jerome’s Links:

If you’ve read any Marvel comics in the 90’s, there is a strong likelihood that you’re familiar with Tom DeFalco, one of Marvel’s longest running editors-in-chief. Besides helping Hasbro launch the GI Joe mythos of the 80’s, he’s also written stories for Spider-Man, Archie, the Fantastic Four, Wolverine, Thor..and the list goes on and on and on. 

Every writer (and creative) needs to listen to this conversation with Tom as shares with us how he broke in (and how to do so now), how to write great characters, and what it means to be a professional writer. 

Tom’s links:

Ever feel like someplace else might suit you better? What does it take to move countries twice before finding the place that feels right for you? Find out in this conversation with industrial designer and visual development artist Susel Aleman.

Susel Aleman didn’t start taking art seriously until she was in high school. After graduating college in Cuba, she moved to France to pursue her Masters, and she’s since moved to the United States where she is a practicing industrial designer building pedagogical toys, and moonlights as a visual development artist and illustrator. Susel shares some great wisdom around artist block, overcoming challenges, and embracing curiosity and experimentation. 

Susel’s Links:

If you’ve ever wanted to draw faster or learn what it takes to make it in the animation industry, this conversation with character designer and academy founder Stephen Silver is a must-listen.

Stephen Silver has worked with some of the biggest animation studios in the world as a lead character designer developing the style for shows such as Scooby-Doo, Kim Possible, and Danny Phantom. He’s also the founder of the Silver Drawing Academy, where he teaches both aspiring professionals and hobbyists. 

This is a masterclass on getting your foot in the door from someone who has worked as a Disney recruiter and has given thousands of portfolio reviews. He not only gives practical tips for those looking to break in, but also the need for preparation as well as surrender. 

Stephen’s Links:

If you've ever told yourself "You're not ready" for an opportunity, you've got to listen to this conversation with illustrator, muralist, and acrylic painter The Obanoth.

The Obanoth, aka Hannah Webb, is a full-time artist with a huge social media following and multiple brand sponsorships. Her instantly-recognizable work is a staple at DesignerCon, and in this interview she shares her scrappy mindset that leads her to "chase the No's" as a pass to getting to the "yes's."

Hannah breaks down some crucial nuance around considering opportunities, especially when you're getting started, as well as how authenticity can lead to finding connection with your audience.

Hannah’s Links:

How do you weave together a background in theater, visual art, costume design, and music to chart your own course as a certified rockstar? Find out in this conversation with Margarita Monet, the singer/pianist behind the cinematic rock act Edge of Paradise.

Margarita Monet and Edge of Paradise have released three albums and toured over 25 countries, building a supportive fan base through killer riffs, cinematic stage shows, and lots and lots of hard work.

Margarita shares her take on getting through setbacks and mistakes, how to build self-trust in one's creative vision, and how she weaves multiple creative mediums into the art she creates.

PS - If you want to catch Margarita and Edge of Paradise live, they're embarking on a US/Canada tour in April.

Margarita's Links:

What does it look like to shed an identity after building up a public persona for a decade and getting on CNN, Fox, and the Today show?

Ruby Roth won awards as a best-selling children's book author-illustrator, then made a major pivot into figurative art that alienated her past audience. Ruby's origin story is one of courage and resilience in the face of algorithmic fallout and angry parents.

Recorded originally the week before DCON 2023, we're excited to bring you this convo with Paul Schiola, the sofubi man himself behind Mile High Sofubi.

Paul shares about the blood, sweat, and tears that (literally) goes into making toys for many of DesignerCon's creators, and his year-long journey of creative problem-solving to be the first soft vinyl toy factory based in the United States.

Paul shares how monster movies and model kits led him to become the backbone of the modern neo-sofubi boom we're seeing today.

Paul's Links:

We are honored to share this conversation with author, envisioneer, innovator, and futurist, Mike Pell.

Mike Pell's origin story spans from design to creating the pdf (yes, the file type) to building and leading The Microsoft Garage - Microsoft's worldwide innovation program.

Mike brings his incredible insights into innovating, problem-solving, and merging creativity into all aspects of life into this fantastic conversation that every creative leader needs to listen to.

Mike's Links:

We are super excited to share this conversation with an award-winning, multidisciplinary creator Phil Mucci of Diabolik, LLC.

Phil's origin story weaves through multiple industries from billboards in Times Square to music videos with Metallica to horror films to comic books. He shares stories of having his work stolen, and the tolls that success can have on one's personal life.

Along the way, we dive into keeping one's course true among shifting industry tides, turning having work stolen into a positive experience, and how to avoid boxing your own creativity in.

Enjoy!

Phil's Links:

We are super excited to share this conversation with one of the greatest influences in the modern sofubi scene - James Sizemore of Wonder Goblin Toys and Vinyl Wonder Paint.

James has changed the landscape for soft vinyl toy painters by making an affordable, accessible paint that opened the doors to many customizers/painters that was previously closed to many.

As James shares his origin story, we dive into his process, how he determines what he makes into toys, visions of demons, the problem with ego, and his take on business and running the only vinyl paint company (for toys, anyway) in the US.

Enjoy!

James' Links:

Welcome to the first episode of Origins: A Creative Journey.

We are honored and so excited to bring you this conversation with John S. Couch, a multidisciplinary artist, designer, author, and creative director.

John's origin story is a masterclass in creativity. Join us as he breaks down some common misperceptions about art and creativity, society's obsession with utility over happiness, the need for fearlessness, the early days of Wired, a simple (yet difficult) reframe that all artists need to make, and the power of creating a creative habit.

Do yourself a favor and listen to John, and then run out and buy a copy of The Art of Creative Rebellion. John's links:

Today we are excited to share the origin story of Mr. Cookie aka Michael Cook.

Michael is an artist and tech entrepreneur seeking to empower freelancers and creators to better leverage their networks and relationships in a world shifting into a gig economy.

In this conversation, Michael shares with us how an early internship shaped how he thinks about marketing, building relationships with others, how the recession inspired him to build a tech company, how to enroll people in a creative vision, and the need to be a creative problem-solver.

This is conversation that is a must-listen for any creative who needs help with the business side of creativity.

Michael's Links: