On today's show, award-winning illustrator Iris Compiet stops by to talk all things creativity. She shares her story and wisdom she's learned along the way. Don't forget to follow her amazing social accounts and support her on Patreon!Iris' Links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iriscompietWeb shop: https://www.iriscompiet.art/featured-products…

Jenny Robins, Wells Street’s head of television and film, is no stranger to the art of storytelling. She's embraced her non-linear path in the television industry and has always come back to what she loves most: story. These days she's focused on the future of Wells Street, the production company set up by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. On today's episode s…

On today's episode, author, illustrator and creative director Beatrice Blue talks about her background, her creative philosophy and so much more. Beatrice is the author of “Once Upon a Dragon’s fire”; “Wonder, the art and practice of Beatrice Blue”; and the critically acclaimed “Once Upon a Unicorn Horn”. She's worked with Dreamworks TV, Hasbro, Pr…

On today's show, artist/songwriter/producer extraordinaire Jenna Andrews shares her story and philosophy of creativity. Driven by an innate passion for music and her belief in the medium’s incredible universal capability to unite and inspire, creative powerhouse Jenna Andrews has spent the large part of her outstanding career bringing out the best …

Loish (Lois Van Baarle) has always been interested in creating art, but the path forward hasn't always been clear or easy. Art school wasn't a p[particularly happy experience for her. Something many fans of hers may not know is that she is also an incredibly knowledge mental health advocate. On today's show Loish and I have some fun and also talk a…

That's right! It's Kayla Coombs: The Sequel! But this sequel isn't a box office bomb - it's full of goodness. On today's episode (Eek! Our very first sequel interview!) artist and illustrator Kayla Coombs shares what she's been up to. We also break down her learning process, the ins and outs of freelancing and how to select a good creative partner …

By HF Brownfield

By HF Brownfield

By HF Brownfield

On today's show, artist and illustrator Peter Mohrbacher talks about his journey in the biz and how his drive to succeed has taken him down a non-linear road to artistic independence. More about Peter:Instagram: @petermohrbacherWebsite: https://www.vandalhigh.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/angelariumFind Hannah:hannahcamacho.com…

Kate McMillan is a woman of many talents. Not only did she study architecture at Yale and Norwegian boat building through the Mortimer Hayes-Brandeis Fellowship, she forged her own path into the animation industry with grit and determination. She's a talented woodworker in her spare time and works as a visual development artist for Dreamworks TV cu…

Alyssa Winans took the road less traveled. She wasn't born with a pencil in her hand. Sure, she always appreciated art, but (like many of us) didn't consider it as something that could be a profession. When it came time to pursue plan for life beyond high school, she learned that, well, art is a thing that you can actually earn a living with. That …

Liz Hannah shares her philosophy of storytelling on today's episode. Not only is she a kind, humble human, but her work is already making waves in the industry. She genre hops because she's that good and has impeccable taste in TV (ahem, "Killing Eve" - need I say more?). Liz welcomes collaboration and believes that most of the writing process happ…

Anthony Mandler is a man of many talents. He's photographed some of the most iconic musicians in the biz and filmed a plethora of music videos of the likes of the Jonas Brothers, Beyonce, Jay Z, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and so many more. These days he's focused on directing feature films - his recent masterpiece Monster (based on the novel) will be hi…

On today's show, indie short film director and professor Vanessa Newell talks about her journey as a film student, film professor and maker of short films. Her recent film, Bull Mountain Lookout, recently won a jury award from the Spokane International Film Festival and continues to make waves throughout the film festival circuit. Find Vanessa at: …

That's right - today's show features the man, the myth, the Aaron James Draplin. Legendary designer and amazing human being. He shares bits of his story, what he's up to today at Field Notes and Draplin Design Co and how he's learning to say "no" a little more often when a project isn't a good fit.Draplin Design Co: http://draplin.com/Field Notes: …

Zoe Rain is quickly becoming one of the hottest photographers in the biz. Her raw, bold style cuts through the bullshit and contains a compelling honestly that won't let you look away. While Zoe is really only just getting started, she's got some really real truths about the creative journey figured out and it shows. In today's episode, she shares …

Jason Koenig started out with a passion to become a professional baseball player. As he began to work passionately to achieve that goal, physical injury derailed those plans. He "fell" into photography and began to pursue greatness regardless of his circumstances. His journey has taken many unexpected twists and turns, but through it all he has hel…

Musician Sam Tinnesz has put in the time and is starting to see his years of hard work pay off in a big way. He's a believer in collaboration and dedication and the art of NOT becoming a one hit wonder. His easygoing nature made the conversation feel so natural and he's overflowing with so much wisdom that I walked away with so much food for throug…

Scott and Bryan met when they were preteens and quickly discovered their mutual love for storytelling. They started making movies together and never looked back. On today's podcast, they walk us through their journey, the importance of their partnership and how choosing to keep their education local to Iowa impacted their current success.Beck and W…

Musician and author Matt Bronleewe grew up in rural Kansas. He gravitated toward music from an early age and hasn't looked back. He's honed his musical skills for over 20 years and has built a vast community in Nashville particularly within the Christian music community. These days he's pioneering new, exciting ventures with Unsecret and is beginni…

In today's episode, you'll hear storyboard artist Lila Martinez's fascinating story. Lila Martinez had a passion for animation while watching Disney animated movies, Looney Tunes and Tex Avery cartoons at an early age in Mexico City. Through tenacity and the drive to pursue her deep interest for the medium, she enrolled at the Vancouver Film School…

As an artist, Alison Mann always knew she wanted to work in Animation. She began her career at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as a finance department intern while?attending Columbia College Chicago. After graduating, she was offered the amazing opportunity to continue working with Nickelodeon/ MTV as their Recruiter/ Coordinator of Talent Relations. …

Not only did Marcos Mateu-Mestre know what he wanted to be from a young age, he worked tirelessly until he achieved his goals. His epic career has landed him roles at some of the worlds most respected animation studios (Dreamworks, Sony, etc) and today he is an Art Director for Sony animation. On today's episode he shares his inspiring story and ti…

Meg LeFauve is about as well-rounded a storyteller as they come. Throughout her impressive career she paid careful attention to the mechanics of storytelling from every angle before deciding to jump into the world of writing with both feet. Her recent work includes writing credits for Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and Captain Marvel. On today's epi…

In today's episode, producer extraordinaire Kim Adams shares her story. Her interpersonal sensibilities and organizational superpowers have become legendary and I'm honored she spent an hour of her time reviewing her career so far and the lessons learned. About Kim:Kim Adams most recently was the Head of Production at Emmy Award-winning Oculus Stor…

Aaron Waltke's impressive writing credits include the critically acclaimed series Trollhunters (Netflix) as well as the colorful, fun Unikitty show(Warner Bros). His uniquely intellectual and whimsical approach have quickly earned him respect within the animation industry and beyond. HIs willingness to learn more than simply "writing' has allowed h…

On today's episode, screenwriter Eric Heisserer shares how he managed to break into the incredibly competitive world of narrative for the big screen. Believe it or not, he didn't attend a prestigious university, but instead used good old fashioned hard work and persistence to get where he is today.is quickly becoming a recognized force in the world…

Writer Laura Sreebny studied marketing in college thinking it was the sensible option. She didn't expect to fall into the fabulous world of animation, but happily did so and hasn't looked back. She shares her journey on the production side and how she ended up in the writers room.Find Laura:Instagram: @laurasreebnyTwitter: @laurasreebnyFind Hannah:…

Kayla Coombs went to universtiy to study science, prompty got a job in science, then felt unhappy. She quit to pursue a career in art without any formal training. Through grit and pure determination, she is not only making it work but is poised to thrive as a gifted artist in a competitive space. In today's episode, Kayla walks me through her journ…

Web comic genius Alex Norris describes himself as, "human blob who makes Dorris McComics and Webcomic Name." He's the genius behind so many relatable, viral comics gracing the web. Today on the show, we discuss how he manages to nail the "relatability factor" nearly every time. Find Alex's work:Tumblr: http://dorrismccomics.com/Twitter: @dorrismcco…

Writer Kent Osborne (Adventure Time, Spongebob Squarepants, Steven Universe, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, etc) shares his story!Find Kent:Twitter: @kentisawesomeTumblr: http://realcatagent.tumblr.com/Music courtesy of bensound.comBy HF Brownfield

Becca Clason is a stop motion lettering artist. She layers various mediums to create stunning pieces and has managed to turn her passion into her profession. She's done pieces for clients like Starbucks. American Express, Tumblr, Chatbooks and so many more. I caught up with her to learn her story and find out what makes her tick.Find Becca here:Ins…

Megan Tindle is a paper sculptor who's created masterpieces for Walt Disney Imaginering, TV, Film, Advertising, and various galleries. She shares her story and how she stumbled on the medium she was meant for. Find Megan here:Instagram: @mb_papersculptWebsite: meganbrain.comMusic courtesy of bensound.com…

Claire Keane is a children's author, visual development ninja and has influenced some of the most beloved movies in recent years (Tangled, Frozen, Wreck it Ralf, etc). She spent 10 years at Disney and is currently developing her own projects. Claire shares her life story and was also generous enough to walk me through her sketch process step by ste…

The hilarious, brilliant Katie Kimmel joins us this week. She talks about her journey into art so far, how her puppy vases came to be and what drives her to create. Her honest approach to art and life is a breath of fresh air.Find Katie:katiekimmel.comInstagram: @katiekimmelMusic by: bensound.comBy HF Brownfield

Pernille describes herself as a visual developer, character designer, illustrator, smodcast-listener and the lead character designer for DC Superhero Girls. Pernille is a self-made Danish artist who learned the power of creating her own style. Her incredible style have earned her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers as well as jobs with ani…

Chris Battle is an artist who has worked on so many incredible shows, that your head will probably start spinning when you visit his IMDB page. Teen Titans Go, Dan Vs, El Tigre, Powerpuff Girls, Dexters Lab, etc. He's such a ninja, that he found his way into the industry without attending art school! Hear hist story and gain some practical wisdom f…

Elizabeth Ito (Supervising Director of Adventure Time) is not only a creative genius, she' incredibly warm, modest and laid back to boot. This week I spoke to her about her journey in animation so far, what it's like to be a minority in elementary school, high school and beyond and also how her creative approach has evolved since having kids. IMDB:…

Storytelling through music is Shawn Patterson’s passion.Shawn’s music is known across the globe in television and film as both a score composer and songwriter. He has received nominations for the Academy Award, Grammy, Emmy and Critic’s Choice Award.You can find Shawn at: http://www.shawnpatterson.com/Twitter: @shawnmpattersonMusic courtesy of Hamh…

JARED BUSH (Screenwriter) is responsible for helping to develop and shape character personalities and overall story for “Moana.”Bush is also co-creator, executive producer and writer for Disney XD's animated comedy adventure series "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero." He also helped develop the Oscar®-winning features "Big Hero 6" and "Frozen," and served …

"Living your dream is a marathon and not a sprint." Actor Carmen Nikae (carmennikae.com) holds a graduate degree in theater studies and is pursuing the acting life in NYC. We took a deep dive into what it looks like to go after your dream full time - the ups and downs, audition triumphs and fails and so much more. Music courtesy of bensound.comBasi…

His IMDB bio packs a punch: "Daniel Powell is a producer and production manager, known for Inside Amy Schumer (2013), The Daily Show (1996) and The Colbert Report (2005)." Dan has had an impressive run with Comedy Central for years and has used the power of hard work (and a little luck) to secure an impressive list of production credits. Not only i…

Animator and artist Leah Artwick (How to Train Your Dragon the series, Trollhunters, Word Girl, etc) has garnered quite the following on social media. Her pinup girls celebrate body positivity. I caught up with her about what to do when burnout happens, social media and all things creativity. You can find Leah: http://leahartwick.com/@itsleahelaine…

Jessica Daniels is an emmy-winning casting director. She's warm, genuine and confident in her craft. We enjoyed a lovely conversation spanning her life and career and she generously shared tips for actors who are pounding the pavement and working toward their big break.Some of her notable placements have been: MIchael Sheen, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cr…

Felix Davin is a sound designer specializing in animation. See below for a complete list of Felix's work. His work has spanned a number of series (Song of the Sea, Santa's Apprentice 2, Sonic Boom, Calimero, Iron Man, The Little Prince, and many more) and he's managed to launch a successful freelance career. In today's episode we dive into the worl…

Alison Wright is one of the brave few who has taken the time to explore what she truly enjoys as not only a passion but a career. This week we explore what it's like to face the "scary" beginning part of the a creative career. Something most people feel an impossibility.Music courtesy of bensound.comAlison is also a writer - see below for an except…

Subscribe in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Today we share highlights from the last 15 guests! Enjoy some of my favorite moments from our discussions with Phillip Tyler, Chris King, Gloria Kimbwala, Esther Pearl, Kathryn Burns, Lorien McKenna, Donna Lynn Champlin, Tomm Moore, John Brooks, Mark Osborne, Jorge Gutierrez, Will Becher, Shann…

She’s one of Variety’s top ten animators to watch. Nora Twomey helped to found Cartoon Saloon and has been a pivotal talent on the team creating such iconic Irish films as The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. These days she is busy directing the film "The Breadwinner." Hear her talk about her journey and what she's learned along the way on toda…

Brenda grew up as the youngest of 5 children. Her mother helped foster her genuine interest in art and eventually Brenda attended CalArts where she eventually met her husband, fellow filmmaker, Kevin Lima.Once she graduated, Brenda landed a position with Disney where she was a story trainee on the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. She was on…