The State of Creativity

Climate, community, and design are inextricably linked, and are something that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. While it may be obvious (but absolutely blows my mind if I think too hard about it), design literally applies to every facet of life, shaping the spaces we inhabit, the systems we move through, the communities we build, and even what the future of our planet looks like. It’s also a...

We're living in a moment that rewards speed and scale above almost everything else. And while many argue that AI is finally freeing creatives up to do more of what they love, the pressure to produce more, faster, hasn't gone anywhere. Which is why, as we explore in today's conversation, one of the most radical things we can do with these tools isn't to move faster, but to go deeper. Joining me is...

In a world that can so often feel heavy, choosing joy day in and day out can actually be a pretty radical act. So what does it take to build a life and a community around joy? Joining me in this episode is Stephanie Cowan, a friendship facilitator, community advocate, speaker, and social artist based in San Francisco, who is one of the most joy-centered people I know. Through her connection design...

When I first discovered Submit Your Ick on Instagram, I was instantly hooked. Each episode is equal parts cringe, comedic, and relatable.  The Ick is a weekly anthology series that takes real, crowd-sourced dating stories and turns them into scripted mini-films. Each one captures that very specific, very human moment when "this could be something" becomes"I'd rather be anywhere else." It's th...

I can confidently say that Creative Mornings has had one of the most profound impacts on who I am as an artist, storyteller, and creative professional. So sitting down on a snowy afternoon in Tina’s cozy Brooklyn home for a conversation about CreativeMornings, community, and building a radically generous world is something I’ll never forget.  Tina Roth Eisenberg is the founder and CEO of Crea...

How can we, and should we protect human creativity as AI reshapes how art is made, valued, and distributed?  In this episode, host Rachel Paul is joined by Abbi Press, a musician and the Global Lead of Business Affairs (Creative) at Uber, to explore the rapidly shifting creative landscape. Together, they unpack the tension many creatives feel today: fear of AI replacing human labor, the reali...

If you’ve ever wondered who I am (hi, it’s me, Rachel Paul), this one’s for you.

For artist Risa Iwasaki Culbertson, softness wasn’t always the obvious tool for getting through hard things, but today, it’s at the center of her art practice. On the surface, her world is full of giant, whimsical needle-felted characters and objects, sculpted from wool into bright, playful forms.  But as we hear from Risa, that softness takes on a deeper meaning. Growing up between Japan and...

What does it mean to do “the bold thing” when the easy thing is to stay the same? In this episode, host Rachel Paul sits down with Brooks E. Scott, executive coach and founder of Merging Path Coaching , and Lana Marks, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology. Together, they explore what it means to lead with empathy, embrace personal growth, and take courageous action in both work and life. Br...

What if every moment (past, present, and future) exists all at once? And what can that teach us about creativity and design? In this episode, Rachel Paul sits down with Vicki Tan, a product designer at Pinterest and author of "Ask This Book A Question," and Stephanie Cheng, a product advisor and career coach at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Together, they explore how our environments, too...

This episode explores all the ways mentorship shows up in life, not just in the traditional “mentor–mentee” dynamic, but in the everyday exchanges, micro-moments, and unexpected connections that help us grow. I’m joined by the amazing Lorée Terry, last month’s CreativeMornings SF speaker, and Maddie Wilson, who attended CreativeMornings for the very first time in July.