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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

In this episode, we talk with Thomas Marnin, co-founder of MarninSayor, a toy shop inside Seattle’s 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 it’s 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 “meet the producer” philosophy helps small makers thrive.
• Practical lessons that come from turning a small creative experiment into something people genuinely want to buy.

If you’ve 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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

What happens after you “make it”?

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 reality
• Why sometimes you need to start things you have “no business” starting
• The punk rock DIY ethic behind his new Western apparel brand, Westersen.
• And what changes when you hit your “second mountain”

Don 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 aren’t asking “where do I start?” They’re already obsessed.

f you’re a designer or illustrator wondering whether you should finally start the thing you keep thinking about, whether you’re 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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

A lot of creatives are feeling it right now: the market shifting, projects slowing down, the fear of asking “wait… is it just me?” 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 “99 kind comments, 1 brutal comment, and now I’m questioning my whole identity” 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).
• “Gatekeeping is a choice” and why sharing process usually makes everyone better (don't hide your secret sauce, it ends up working against you).
• Dan’s 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 didn’t need to build the thing in the first place.
• [Bonus Story] The Flight of the Conchords poster moment and the surreal full-circle “pinch me” of musicians collecting your work.

If you’re an illustrator/designer trying to stay good through changing seasons or you’re deep in the “how do I make this look human?” 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 “Off the Record” 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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

This might be the most vulnerable episode we’ve done.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re a strange mix of interests… and haven’t figured out how they’re supposed to fit together — this one’s for you.

After 25 interviews, we realized something

The real pattern in creative careers isn’t in portfolios. It’s in the weird stuff.

So in this episode, it’s 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 hadn’t fully connected before.

Here's what we're digging into:

• The fifth-grade teacher who changed Brad’s life
• Why not feeling “smart” shaped what he built
• How magic tricks led directly to RetroSupply
• The difference between curating a persona vs. being aligned
• Why your hobbies might be clues (not distractions)

If you’ve been trying to “find your thing” 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 “Off the Record” 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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär 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 “faster.”

Nathan’s an analog-first illustrator, but the real takeaway isn’t how he works, it’s why. He’s 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 matters
• How philosophy shows up in the work
• AI: navigating it without spiraling
• Speed vs. meaning (the eternal knife fight)
• Making choices that match your values

If you’re 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 one’s for you.

You’re 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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär 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 you’re 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 don’t try enough stuff.

Here’s some of what we talk about:

• Why trying things beats waiting to feel ready
• How early wins quietly change what feels possible
• Letting go of linear career stories
• Hiring for taste and curiosity (not perfect résumés)
• And yeah, we talk some about AI (is it even possible to avoid these days)

If you’ve 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 “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

Katie Kirk makes work that feels bright, generous, and deeply human. As one half of Eight Hour Day, she’s spent her career building a studio known for warmth, clarity, and work that quietly holds up over time.

In this episode, we get an unusually grounded look at what it actually takes to sustain a small independent design studio. Katie talks candidly about how her relationship to creativity has changed, how life pressure reshapes the work, and why staying small was always the point.

Here’s some of what we cover:

• How to build a small design studio that lasts (Eight Hour Day has just celebrated 20 years)
• Levers to bring in work when things are slow
• How personal work quietly shapes future client opportunities
• Simple little things you can get today to help bring joy to your day
• How life, family, and creativity intersect
• Simple habits that support creativity when things feel heavy

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep making meaningful work without turning your career into your entire identity, this episode offers clarity, reassurance, and a more sustainable way forward.

Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” 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 children’s 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 it’s 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: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström