Origins: A Creative Journey

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....

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 Targe...

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, Ma...

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 creativ...

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 th...

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-...

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 intuitio...

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 artwo...

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...

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 scen...

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 p...

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 getti...

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...

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, a...

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 th...

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 s...

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...

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 paren...

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...

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 li...

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 w...

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...

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, t...

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,...

Coming on December 15th, 2023 - Origins: A Creative Journey