Creative Figures — Listen to the Podcast

Creative Figures

About the show

Creative Figures is a long-form interview show about how creative people actually live and work. One guest per episode — artists, designers, illustrators, writers, filmmakers, makers of every kind — and no hurry: the practice behind the portfolio, the decisions behind the career, the parts that never make the highlight reel. Between conversations, occasional solo episodes on craft and creative independence. Filmed in full — watch at creativefigures.fm, or listen wherever you get your shows. Hosted by Alen Kapetanovic. Formerly CAPTN OffScript.

Newest episodes

Bernardo Henning on graffiti, movement and organizing chaos

Nov 10, 2026 49 min

PUBLICIDAD · SPONSORED BY BLACKWING · Pencils made with Japanese graphite and California cedar for nearly 100 years. Get 10% off with code CREATIVE10 at https://blackwing602.com/creative-figures Illustrator Bernardo Henning (Hola Maybe) on graffiti, finding his own style, drawing movement onto athletes and organizing chaos. "When it comes to your own style, it's you versus you. It's you inside your head, just trying to not follow the trends, but follow your guts." Bernardo Henning is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Buenos Aires. He saw graffiti for the first time in La Plata, the city drawn with a ruler, and started painting on the streets and working at DOMA in his first year of university. Today he runs the branding studio Hola Bosque with friends and works solo as a commercial artist. He talks about why finding your own style is "you versus you", the canvas at the entrance of his first solo exhibition saying the worst thing that happened to him as an artist was being a graphic designer, and why he now sees the combination of both as the key to his work. He also explains how Procreate changed his process, how he draws energy onto photos of athletes, what he thinks about AI, and the advice he would give his kids. Timestamps 00:00 Opening 01:45 La Plata, the diagonal city 03:29 Where Hola Maybe comes from 05:48 Graffiti and writing fast 06:42 A studio and a solo career 08:21 You versus you 10:30 Imposter syndrome and commercial art 12:32 The right place at the right time 14:55 Discovering graphic design 16:48 "The worst thing that happened to me as an artist" 21:44 The canvas he would hang today 22:42 Learning from his daughter 27:11 Procreate and a style that moves 30:25 Drawing energy onto athletes 32:58 Stars and newcomers 36:11 Messi, Julián Álvarez and football 39:37 Life outside of work 41:03 AI: "I don't love it, I don't hate it" 43:17 Brands asking for the process 45:22 One piece to keep 47:47 Advice for his kids Bernardo Henning Instagram: htt...

Rebeka Arce on wonder, the aesthetics of fear and being unfinished

Oct 27, 2026 50 min

Rebeka Arce on growing up in a steel town, sharing doubt as a creative director at Collins, and the "aesthetics of fear" in design. "I feel like LLMs are built to please us, not to contradict us. And I think contradiction is a big part of a creative process." Rebeka Arce grew up in Barakaldo, near Bilbao, a town shaped by the steel industry. Her mother wanted her to become a doctor and her father suggested topography, so she studied that first, before committing to design. She went on to live and work in Berlin and Madrid, where she started her freelance practice, and moved to New York to join Collins as a creative director. She now works independently. She explains why she separates the creative act, the design practice and the design industry, why she doesn't want to call it AI, and how fear of being too different or not being enough is leading decisions in the industry. She also talks about cultivating curiosity outside the laptop, choosing to share her doubts with her team at Collins, and what her students taught her about being a learner. Timestamps 00:00 Opening 01:35 A life in constant flux 03:03 Growing up in a steel town 05:28 A doctor or a topographer 07:36 Choosing design 10:09 Working-class values and resilience 13:57 Berlin, Bilbao and Madrid 17:49 Moving to New York 19:35 Diversity and being unfinished 23:10 How the design world has changed 23:56 The creative act, the practice and the industry 26:22 Why she doesn't call it AI 27:52 The aesthetics of fear 31:42 Teaching and curiosity 34:04 Where ideas come from 35:08 Contradiction and working in a team 37:35 Showing doubt as a creative director 39:54 "The creative practice is a violent act" 42:00 A big team or working alone 44:20 Choosing her projects 46:32 Coming back to Spain 48:03 What she learned from her students Rebeka Arce Website: https://byarce.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebekaarce LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekaarce/ Behance: https://www.behance.net/rebekaarce Crea...

Erik Herrström on the Pinterest trap

Oct 23, 2026 3 min

Designer Erik Herrström on why starting a project on Pinterest leads every designer to the same work, and the research his studio uses instead. "If you start your project by going to those sites, you are gonna end up designing what all the other designers in the world are doing right now because it's fed to you by algorithms." In this bonus from his Creative Figures conversation, Erik answers what young designers should use instead of mood boards built on Pinterest, Savee, Are.na and other inspiration sites. Something can feel fresh on the morning you start, he explains, but most other designers are seeing the same thing at the same time. His studio starts with research instead: Reddit and YouTube to see how an audience talks and communicates, and sometimes Google Street View to understand a local area. That, he says, is often where the magic happens, and it makes more sense to clients than something that only looks shiny. Timestamps 00:00 Opening 00:13 What to use instead of mood boards 00:29 How algorithms make us design the same If you liked this episode, listen to the full conversation with Erik Herrström on Creative Figures. Erik Herrström STUDIO HERRSTRÖM: https://www.studioherrstrom.com/ The Echo: https://the-echo-book.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herrstrom/ Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioherrstrom/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikherrstrom/ Studio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studio-herrstrom/ Creative Figures Website https://creativefigures.fm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CreativeFiguresFM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/ Hosted by Alen Kapetanovic. © Alen Kapetanovic. Madrid, Spain. All rights reserved. This work may not be used to train AI or for automated data mining purposes, including under Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790.

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All episodes

Bernardo Henning on graffiti, movement and organizing chaos

Nov 10, 2026 49 min

Rebeka Arce on wonder, the aesthetics of fear and being unfinished

Oct 27, 2026 50 min

Erik Herrström on the Pinterest trap

Oct 23, 2026 3 min

Murugiah on reinvention and following the fun

Oct 16, 2026 3 min

llustrator and artist MURUGIAH on whether artists should reinvent themselves, and why he follows the fun instead. "Don't let what you did last get in the way of what you want to do in the future." In this bonus from his Creative Figures conversation, MURUGIAH answers whether artists should reinvent themselves every few years, the way Madonna does. He describes how he moved from digital work to analogue painting through small adjustments, keeping his motifs and line style while changing the surface. He talks about a 3D animation projection project with a collaborator working in Unreal Engine, and why collaboration means letting go of how your work has looked before. And he explains why he lets his past digital work speak for itself while he focuses on getting good at painting. If you liked this episode, listen to the full conversation with Murugiah on Creative Figures. MURUGIAH Website: https://murugiah.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_murugiah/ Creative Figures Website: https://creativefigures.fm YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CreativeFiguresFM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/ Hosted by Alen Kapetanovic. © Alen Kapetanovic. Madrid, Spain. All rights reserved. This work may not be used to train AI or for automated data mining purposes, including under Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790.

Nick Liefhebber on paper cuts, printmaking and working with limitations

Oct 13, 2026 41 min

Illustrator Nick Liefhebber on paper cuts, woodcut printmaking, going independent one day at a time, and why limitations shape his work. "When you just start making things you like, it doesn't feel like work." Nick Liefhebber is an illustrator, designer and printmaker based in the Netherlands. He started as a graphic designer, and his turning point came when he decided to make work he didn't have to explain, just for himself. He left his job gradually, from five days a week to four, then three, before going independent. He explains why almost all of his work starts with physical materials such as cut paper, how woodcut and linocut are pushing his colourful work towards black and white, and why he blocks time for personal work that later shapes his client work. He also talks about social media feeling more like work, why he compares the future of illustration to an artisanal bakery, and what he would tell his ten-year-old self: trust yourself. Timestamps If you liked this episode, listen to Murugiah on Creative Figures. Nick Liefhebber Website: http://www.liefhebber.biz/ Shop: https://liefhebber.bigcartel.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nick_liefhebber/ Behance: https://www.behance.net/Liefhebber/ Creative Figures 🔗 https://creativefigures.fm YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CreativeFiguresFM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/ Hosted by Alen Kapetanovic. © Alen Kapetanovic. Madrid, Spain. All rights reserved. This work may not be used to train AI or for automated data mining purposes, including under Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790.

Erik Herrström on brands that move culture, David Bowie and working without mood boards

Oct 6, 2026 54 min

Designer Erik Herrström on his book The Echo, why his studio never shows clients a mood board, and designing identities for Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley. "We never show mood boards to our clients, ever." Erik Herrström grew up in a small village in the south of Sweden and built his first website at twelve. He interned at R/GA in New York on the redesign of Nike.com, later joined the team of a designer he had idolised as a teenager, and spent years at Spotify, where he worked on Spotify Wrapped. Six years ago he moved to Vienna, where he now runs STUDIO HERRSTRÖM. He talks about the David Bowie exhibition his team built in a SoHo subway station, creating identities with the estates of Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley, and why mood boards keep work measured against other people's references. He explains why he wrote The Echo, how beta readers changed its whole structure, and why he self-published it. He also shares his view on AI and brand design, and his advice for young designers: stay curious, avoid shortcuts, and ask to shadow someone experienced. Erik Herrström STUDIO HERRSTRÖM: https://www.studioherrstrom.com/ The Echo: https://the-echo-book.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herrstrom/ Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioherrstrom/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikherrstrom/ Studio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studio-herrstrom/ Creative Figures 🔗 https://creativefigures.fm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CreativeFiguresFM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/ Hosted by Alen Kapetanovic. © Alen Kapetanovic. Madrid, Spain. All rights reserved. This work may not be used to train AI or for automated data mining purposes, including under Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790.

Murugiah on persistence, identity and his first museum show

Oct 1, 2026 47 min

Illustrator and artist MURUGIAH on leaving architecture, finding his own style, and opening the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration with his first solo museum show. "Everything you've done, it doesn't have to just end. It can be fuel for what you do next." MURUGIAH trained as an architect for seven years before turning to illustration. Born in Burton upon Trent and raised in South Wales with Sri Lankan heritage, he spent more than a decade searching for a style that felt his own. A mentor's advice during the pandemic led him to make work about his childhood search for identity, and a new piece every week built the visual language behind his commissions, posters, clothing collaborations and public sculpture. He talks about his debut solo exhibition, MURUGIAH: Ever Feel Like…, one of three shows that opened the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in 2026, and explains why he feels no guilt about leaving architecture. He also speaks about the slowdown in commercial illustration and how he works across public art, talks, workshops and his own products. For artists starting out, he recommends persistence, obsession with the subjects you love, and a simple two-column exercise for finding work no one else could make. MURUGIAH Website: https://murugiah.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_murugiah/ Creative Figures 🔗 https://creativefigures.fm YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CreativeFiguresFM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/ Hosted by Alen Kapetanovic. © Alen Kapetanovic. Madrid, Spain. All rights reserved. This work may not be used to train AI or for automated data mining purposes, including under Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790.

E99 - Second Take: Kieron Anthony Lewis, "A Book Inside Concrete"

Sep 23, 2026 4 min

Kieron Anthony Lewis opens this one by saying he cannot do the project justice by describing it. That you almost have to see it. He is right, which is awkward for a podcast. So here it is: a 456-page hardback with gold foiling along the edges, sealed inside a case made of concrete, cast in the shape of Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. Around seven kilos all in. The book features 161 artists connected to that square, produced in connection with the Lagos Biennial and timed to Nigeria's 65th independence anniversary. The brief, as he first understood it, was that they were going to make a coffee table book. He designed it over roughly two years in London, with London printers. The concrete case was made by the team in Lagos. Which means the first time he saw the two together was when he arrived in Nigeria, almost nervous, thinking — can you imagine if it doesn't fit? This is Second Take, a short format on the show. One idea, one guest, lifted out of a longer conversation. You do not need to have heard the original. Full conversation with Kieron: https://creativefigures.fm/s02-e12-kieron-anthony-lewis-on-editorial-design-identity-and-finding-meaning-through-work/ Find Kieron here: https://kieronlewis.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieronanthonyl/ Find me here: https://creativefigures.fm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/ Video version includes footage courtesy of Lagos Biennial https://lagos-biennial.org/ and Kieron Anthony Lewis https://kieronlewis.com/

E98 - Second Take: Andy J. Pizza, "Cultivate Yourself, Don't Overcome Yourself"

Sep 2, 2026 6 min

I asked Andy how long it took him to start liking himself the way he is. He did not give me a number. He said it is something he has to constantly return to and refresh. This is Second Take, a short format on the show. One idea, one guest, lifted out of a longer conversation. You do not need to have heard the original. Around 25, Andy started to realise he probably has ADHD. His first reaction was not relief, it was grief, because this was not something he could hustle his way out of. Not long after, he found what he now calls the neurodivergent lens. Brains are different, not necessarily worse or better, and they perform differently in different contexts. Which brought him to a thought that changed things: maybe he is not broken, but in this society, this is a disability. From there he started trying to cultivate himself rather than overcome himself, and he explains why that shift matters particularly for artists. He also takes the Joseph Campbell line about the cave you fear to enter and argues it is usually read wrong. He does not present any of this as finished. He calls loving himself a continual battle. Full conversation with Andy: https://creativefigures.fm/s02-e30-andy-j-pizza-adhd-self-worth/ Find Andy here: https://www.andyjpizza.com/ https://www.creativepeptalk.com/ https://www.instagram.com/andyjpizza/ https://www.andyjpizza.com/rso Find me here: https://creativefigures.fm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefigures.fm/

E97 — Second Take: Gemma O'Brien, "What Flow Actually Feels Like"

Aug 26, 2026 7 min

Gemma O'Brien describes flow as a forgetting of yourself. Fully absorbed, at one with the work, no sense of time passing. Then the conversation turns to boredom, and that half is the sharper one. This is Second Take, a short format on the show. One idea, one guest, lifted out of a longer conversation. You do not need to have heard the original. Gemma talks about why flow arrives by surprise rather than on demand, the difference between being absorbed and being zoned out, and why filling in a mural outline does not count. She contrasts it with scrolling, which also makes time disappear but leaves you without any sense of agency or control. She is also open about the parts of her job that bore her. Admin, client emails, the middle phase of a project that is all small tweaks and colour changes. A few years ago she resisted all of it, on the logic that this was supposed to be her passion so it should all be fun. She does not think that any more, and what she says instead is the part worth hearing. Full conversation with Gemma: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e35-gemma-obrien-bored-of-herself/ Find Gemma here: Website: https://www.gemmaobrien.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrseaves101 Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Website: https://captnoffscript.com/

E96 - Second Take: Mat Voyce, "I Hated Motion Design"

Aug 18, 2026 7 min

Mat Voyce makes motion work for Nike, Pepsi and Disney+. He also tried animation at university, hated it, and decided he would never do it again. This is Second Take, a new short format on the show. One idea, one guest, lifted out of a longer conversation. You do not need to have heard the original. Mat got one A across eleven GCSEs. It was graphic design. He dropped out of AS levels because the school would not keep him on for two subjects. He went to art college, did nothing but design for two years, and left with a distinction and student of the year. Then he got to university, dropped back to the bottom of the pack, and sat the animation module he still shows in talks as the thing he swore off. He also talks about the big brand names arriving, and the imposter syndrome that came with them and never really left. Full conversation with Mat: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e08-mat-voyce-on-anxiety-creativity-and-finding-your-thing/ Find Mat here: Instagram: https://instagram.com/matvoyce Website: https://www.matvoyce.tv/ Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Website: https://captnoffscript.com/

Bonus 007 - Simon Flöter: His Grandfather's Love Letters & What He'd Make if Money Didn't Matter

Aug 14, 2026 4 min

This is the seventh Captn OffScript bonus, and the last one of Season 2. After a main episode spent in the trenches, I asked Simon Flöter one question that flips it all upside down: if you woke up tomorrow with complete financial stability, never worrying about money again, what would you work on? It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. His first answer: he'd finish things. And then he told me about the letters. His father found a bundle his grandfather wrote to his grandmother, from 1930s Germany onwards, love letters mixed with the small facts of daily life. Simon barely knew him. His dream is to turn them into what he calls an online timepiece: the letters sorted so they read like a book, searchable, with the old words and the history behind each moment explained as you read. Two people in love, talking to each other across the darkest of decades, with the human side of it, in his words, kind of beautiful. Also on the list: fusing his design, code and illustration into something that doesn't exist yet, a zine with friends, and the video game he's always wanted to make. In this conversation we talked about: What he'd work on if money stopped matteringHis grandfather's love letters from 1930s GermanyThe online timepiece he dreams of building from themFusing design, code and illustration into something newA zine with friends, and the video game he's carried for years The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E38 — Simon Flöter on Life in the Trenches & Not Making Decisions From Fear https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e38-simon-floter-life-in-the-trenches Find Simon here: Design: https://floter.design/Illustration: https://floter.ink/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floter.inkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floter/ Find me here: Website: https://captnoffscript.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript If this resonated, listen to: Kristof Devos (S02/E31) — another conversation about making th...

S02/E38 - Simon Flöter on Life in the Trenches & Not Making Decisions From Fear

Aug 4, 2026 57 min

For the final episode of Season 2, I didn't want a victory lap. Simon Flöter is a German illustrator, designer and developer living in Amsterdam, and he told me early on: this is not a success story. This is from the trenches. His commercial illustration work vanished this year, and he suspects AI swallowed it. Money got extremely tight. He just landed a job that should carry him through the rest of the year. And through all of it, he kept drawing, the way he has since he was a kid tracing Batman comics and getting rejected from every art school he applied to. We talked about the trenches most designers are actually in right now, why the anger at AI is really anger at corporate greed, and his advice that gives this episode its title: never make decisions from fear. In this episode: Growing up in Munich, where nobody said the word artistTracing Batman comics and Playboy pages to learn anatomyGetting rejected from every art school, and drawing anywayGermany vs the Netherlands: who asks for your diplomaThe year the illustration jobs vanishedHis Zwarte Piet website, and why traditions can changeWhy coding feels like a puzzle, and what AI took from it"We can do this now, but is it good? Do we have to?"Don't decide from fear, and separate yourself from your workThe poster he made for his partner Tracy Find Simon here: Design: https://floter.design/Illustration: https://floter.ink/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floter.inkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floter/ Find me here: Website: https://captnoffscript.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript The final Friday bonus of the season: I asked Simon what he'd work on if money stopped mattering tomorrow. His answer involves his grandfather's love letters from 1930s Germany, a zine with friends, and a video game. Newsletter subscribers get it first, a week before it's public. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, leaving a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or S...

Bonus 006 - Halli Thorleifsson: Rebuilding Yourself Brick by Brick

Jul 24, 2026 7 min

This is the sixth bonus episode of Captn OffScript. In Halli Thorleifsson's main episode we covered everything he's built: the agency he sold to Twitter and rebuilt, the almost 2,000 wheelchair ramps, the tax he chose to pay. This is the conversation about what he's been rebuilding underneath it all, himself, in his words, brick by brick. It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. When Halli stopped drinking, he stopped the numbing but never went looking for what he'd been numbing. It took more than twenty years to come back to it. The hard things in his life, his disease, losing his mother young, had each gone into a box he never looked into. A survival technique that worked as a kid, and quietly stopped working as an adult. So he opened the boxes: two to three years of therapy, physical and mental, and, gradually and with help, letting the numbness lift after two decades. He's honest that nothing is fixed, that he's holding himself together mostly, and that he's better equipped than he's ever been. This is his path, not a template, and he shares it with an honesty very few people manage. In this conversation we talked about: Why he needs many things to work on, and what happens when he doesn'tRebuilding yourself brick by brickThe boxes he packed away as a kid and never looked intoTwo to three years of therapy, physical and mentalLearning to feel everything again, slowly and with help Timestamps: No chapters for this bonus. The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E37 — Halli Thorleifsson on Building Ueno Twice & Designing Things People Actually Use https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e37-halli-thorleifsson-building-ueno-twice Find Halli here: Website: https://www.haraldurthorleifsson.com/Ueno: https://www.ueno.co/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haraldurthorleifsson/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldur-thorleifsson-359aaa5b/ Find me here: Website: https://captnoffscript.comInstagram: https://www.insta...

Bonus 005 — Teresa Ferreira: Whose Voice Is That? Making Peace with Imposter Syndrome

Jul 17, 2026 7 min

This is the fifth bonus episode of Captn OffScript. When Teresa Ferreira and I recorded her main episode, we got into imposter syndrome and self-worth, and it was honest enough that I kept it back for this. It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. Teresa's first point is the most reassuring one: imposter syndrome doesn't go away. Not with success, not with experience. You just get better at spotting it. Her tool for catching it is a question I've been repeating ever since, whose voice is that? Because the critical voice is almost never yours. It's usually something someone said to you growing up that you've disproved a hundred times since. We also got into why creatives tie their whole self-worth to their work, her brilliant line that nobody who looks after trees feels worthless when one doesn't grow, and the thing I admitted out loud: I check my stats most mornings before I've done anything else. The numbers don't measure you. They never did. In this conversation we talked about: Why imposter syndrome never goes away"Whose voice is that?" and how to catch itWhy creatives tie their self-worth to their workWhy your followers and earnings don't measure your valueHow the morning metrics check quietly steals your worth Timestamps: No chapters for this bonus. The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E36 — Teresa Ferreira on Digging Her Way Into Design & Letting Go of the Perfect Day https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e36-teresa-ferreira-digging-into-design Find Teresa here: Website: https://www.ferrgoodstudio.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresaferrgoodstudio/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferreirateresa/ Find me here: Website: https://captnoffscript.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript If this resonated, listen to: Andy J. Pizza (S02/E30) — another honest conversation about self-worth and untangling who you are from what you produce. This was the fifth Captn OffScript bonus episode....

S02/E37 - Halli Thorleifsson on Building Ueno Twice & Designing Things People Actually Use

Jul 14, 2026 53 min

Haraldur "Halli" Thorleifsson built the design agency Ueno from nothing, sold it to Twitter in 2021, and made a decision almost nobody makes: he structured the sale so he'd pay as much tax as possible, in Iceland, on purpose. Because Iceland is the country that gave a kid from a poor family with muscular dystrophy the chance to build something in the first place. Then he started Ramp Up, which has put almost 2,000 wheelchair ramps across Iceland and is now expanding to Ukraine and Panama. And six or eight months ago, he rebooted Ueno to work on design in the AI era, because, in his words, he was bored, and his brain needs a problem to chew on. This was not the lightest conversation I've had on the show. It might be one of the most worth your time. In this episode: Why he chose to pay the tax everyone told him to avoidGrowing up poor with muscular dystrophySeeing the world as decisions people made, or didn't makeRamp Up: from 100 ramps in Reykjavik to almost 2,000 across IcelandThe Musk moment, and what it taught him about perception vs realityBuilding Ueno twice, and designing beyond the text box in the AI eraGetting humbled by users again and again, and going again anywayWhat AI means for young designers entering the industryThe decision to stop drinking that changed everythingKids, independence, and the sweater he can't unravel Timestamps: 00:00 Meeting Halli Thorleifsson 00:40 Choosing to pay the tax in Iceland 06:40 Growing up poor with muscular dystrophy 09:29 Starting Ramp Up, and the world as decisions 12:06 Progress, and the case for impatience 14:52 The Musk moment, and perception vs reality 16:30 What he's building now, and getting humbled by users 18:59 Why he rebooted Ueno 24:05 What AI means for young designers 27:47 Sharing a studio with his artist wife 31:19 Getting sober, the decision that changed everything 33:13 New York, Tokyo and the cities that shaped him 35:03 What children force you to become 41:56 Creativity as building his own world 43:18 Th...

S02/E36 - Teresa Ferreira on Digging Her Way Into Design & Letting Go of the Perfect Day

Jul 7, 2026 53 min

Some people walk a straight line into design. Teresa Ferreira dug her way in, through archaeology. She was born in Lisbon, spent part of her childhood in Macau, has lived in London for nineteen years, ran design at the Financial Times, and now runs her own studio, Ferrgood. When I said she felt like the whole world in one person, I wasn't exaggerating. What I didn't expect was how much of this conversation would be about slowing down and letting go. Teresa was talked out of art as a kid, found her way back through archaeological illustration, burned out twice, and eventually learned to release the idea of a perfect day that had been quietly setting her up to fail every single evening. In this episode: Growing up between Lisbon, Macau and LondonBeing talked out of art, and finding design through archaeologyFrom museum graphics to head of design at the Financial TimesBuilding brands that last, and why she thinks in centuriesLeaving the safety of a big brand, and the self-doubt that came with itBurning out twice, and what finally made her leaveThe "perfect day" she chased that set her up to failChoosing a slower life, and getting good at saying noThe one drawing she'd keep if she had to delete everything else Timestamps: 00:00 Meeting Teresa Ferreira 01:25 Growing up between Lisbon, Macau and London 04:04 The unlikely path from archaeology to design 10:35 Moving into graphic design and the Financial Times 13:00 Building brands that last 16:50 Self-doubt, and leaving the safety of big brands 19:28 Burning out, twice 25:03 The perfect balanced day 29:48 Letting go of perfectionism 33:43 Choosing a slower life 40:24 Journaling and daily practice 46:13 The drawing she'd keep, and advice to young Teresa Find Teresa here: Website: https://www.ferrgoodstudio.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresaferrgoodstudio/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferreirateresa/ Find me here: Website: https://captnoffscript.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript This...

Bonus 004 - Gemma O'Brien: Making Peace with Burnout & Studying the Flow State

Jul 3, 2026 10 min

This is the fourth bonus episode of Captn OffScript. When Gemma O'Brien and I recorded her main episode, we got into burnout and flow, and I held that part back for this. It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. Gemma has talked about burnout in a lot of other interviews, so I didn't want to rehash it. What I wanted, as someone who leans towards overworking, was the thing underneath it: how she sees it coming, and what she actually does about it now. Her answer was calmer than I expected. She's made peace with burnout by treating it as information about her process rather than a catastrophe. She talks about a sweet spot, too much work and you burn out, too little and you're bored and understimulated, and about looking after the foundations: sleep, rest, human connection, nature. Then we got into flow, which she's now studying formally, reading neuroscience papers on the very thing she's spent her life inside. Her line on it: she's like a chef who cooks an incredible meal for someone else, then comes home and eats McDonald's. In this conversation we talked about: Why she's made peace with burnoutThe sweet spot between overworking and being understimulatedThe foundations that make high-level work sustainableStudying flow state from the outside, and why that's trickyWhy flow matters more as AI makes everything convenient Timestamps: [Awaiting confirmation] The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E35 — Gemma O'Brien on Getting Bored of Herself & Refusing to Pick One Thing https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e35-gemma-obrien-bored-of-herself Find Gemma here: Website: https://www.gemmaobrien.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrseaves101LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/studiogemmaobrien/ Find me here: captnoffscript.com@captnoffscript If this resonated, listen to: Radim Malinic (S02/E34) — another conversation about overwork, the cost of doing too much, and learning to look after yourself. This was the fourth...

Bonus 003 - Radim Malinic: The Sabre-Tooth Tiger in Your Head & Why You Can't Unlearn Fear

Jun 26, 2026 6 min

This is the third bonus episode of Captn OffScript. When Radim Malinic and I recorded his main episode, the conversation about fear came near the end, and it was good enough that I kept it back for this. It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. It's short, and it's the most reassuring thing I've put out in a while. Radim used to think you could unlearn fear, get rid of it entirely, and then realised you can't. Fear isn't a fault in the system. It's the system doing what it was built to do. We've been wired by evolution to look out for things that could kill us, and that wiring hasn't changed even though the threats have. So when you think about sharing your work with a thousand strangers, your body runs the exact same programme it would run for a sabre-tooth tiger in the bushes. Same mechanism, same flood of fear. The line I'd want you to keep: when you freeze, ask whether the tiger is actually coming. Most of the time, it isn't. In this conversation we talked about: Why fear can't be unlearned, only understoodWhy your brain treats sharing your work like a sabre-tooth tigerHow we're wired for survival but live in an era of pleasureWhy the reward only comes after the difficult partReal risk versus the risk your body inventsFear as a sensation you can work withThe question to ask when you freeze The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E34 — Radim Malinic on Creativity as Escape & Becoming More of Who You Already Are https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e34-radim-malinic-creativity-as-escape Find Radim here: Website: https://radimmalinic.co.uk/Podcast: https://radimmalinic.co.uk/podcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radim.malinic/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandnu/ Find me here: captnoffscript.com@captnoffscript If this resonated, listen to: CJ Cawley (S02/E32) — another conversation about doing the work and putting yourself out there even when everything tells you not to. This was the third Captn Of...

S02/E35 - Gemma O'Brien on Getting Bored of Herself & Refusing to Pick One Thing

Jun 23, 2026 54 min

Gemma O'Brien is a lettering artist, a fine artist, a muralist, and most recently a student of neuroaesthetics. She's painted a billboard in Times Square, had work acquired by a museum, and she has a public Strava profile on her website, because running is as much a part of her as the lettering is. I'd been trying to get her on the show for a long time, and the hardest part was knowing where to start. So we talked about how someone ends up doing this many things at once, and why she has no intention of narrowing it down. The line that stayed with me: after ticking off every career goal she'd ever dreamed of, she went back to university because she'd grown "almost bored of myself." In this episode: Her intuitive path from law to lettering to neuroscienceWhy she has Strava on her website, and runs to galleriesThe 2008 video she uploaded by accident that launched her careerGoing back to school after a Times Square billboard and a museum acquisitionGetting bored of herself, and wanting to feel fresh on stage againWhere her love of lettering really came fromRefusing to pick one thing, and making peace with the boring partsStill feeling imposter syndrome, and forgetting her own achievementsThe one word she'd keep if she had to destroy everything else Find Gemma here: Website: https://www.gemmaobrien.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrseaves101LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/studiogemmaobrien/ Find me here: captnoffscript.com@captnoffscript This week's Friday bonus: Gemma and I go deeper into burnout and the flow state, the hidden cost of doing this much, and what it takes to protect your focus. It goes to newsletter subscribers first, a week before it's public. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, leaving a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify takes less than a minute and helps more people find the show. I'd be incredibly grateful. If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — another lett...

Bonus 002 - Martyna Wędzicka: Posters Made of Yarn & Why Graphic Designers Don't Retire

Jun 19, 2026 7 min

This is the second bonus episode of Captn OffScript. When Martyna Wędzicka and I recorded her main episode, we spent most of it on the past and the present. But right at the end, I asked her where she's heading next, and the answer was so warm and so hopeful that I held it back for this. It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. It's a short one, and a lovely one. Martyna noticed a pattern in her own career: roughly every four to five years, she rediscovers herself and her style. She thinks she's at the edge of one of those cycles right now, and the next thing turns out to be knitting. Her husband calls what she makes "her posters, made of yarn." She talks about fabric as another canvas, the same design thinking carried out in a different material, and about choosing the handmade on purpose as a counterweight to AI. And then the line I can't stop thinking about: graphic designers don't retire. In this conversation we talked about: The four-to-five-year pattern of reinventing herselfKnitting, and why her husband calls it "posters made of yarn"Fabric as another canvas for the same design thinkingMaking things by hand as a counter to AIHow she actually uses AI, and where she won'tWhy graphic designers don't retireMaybe becoming a fashion designer in ten years The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E33 — Martyna Wędzicka on Being Weird, Polish Design & Why You Can't Rush Your Style https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e33-martyna-wedzicka-being-weird-style Find Martyna here: Website: https://www.wedzicka.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wedzicka_com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyna-w%C4%99dzicka-obuchowicz-69343252/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wedzicka Find me here: captnoffscript.com@captnoffscript This was the second Captn OffScript bonus episode. Newsletter subscribers get future bonuses on YouTube a week before they reach the podcast feeds. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newslet...

S02/E34 - Radim Malinic on Creativity as Escape & Becoming More of Who You Already Are

Jun 16, 2026 1 hr 0 min

Radim Malinic has been a role model of mine for years. He's a designer, a writer, a speaker, he runs the agency Brand Nu, he hosts his own podcast, and he's built a whole philosophy around the idea of daring creativity. I expected this conversation to be about all of that output. Instead it became one of the most honest talks I've had on the show, about the cost of the work and the years he spent hiding inside it. He told me he once thought he was the happiest person in the world while crying into his birthday cake from overwork. We talked about creativity as escape, growing up in Czechoslovakia and wanting to blend in as an immigrant, reaching therapy at forty, and the philosophy he built out of all of it: become more of who you already are, because everyone else is taken. In this episode: What daring creativity actually meansBecoming "singular" and refusing to compare yourselfDoing things before he knew how, an agency before he'd ever worked in oneThe immigrant who wanted to be called John SmithLooking like the happiest person in the world while burning outCreativity as a way to hide from himselfReaching therapy at forty, and unlearning the stigma he grew up withRadical accountability and the anger he didn't know he hadWhy he'd happily delete all his work and start the next mountain Find Radim here: Website: https://radimmalinic.co.uk/Podcast: https://radimmalinic.co.uk/podcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radim.malinic/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandnu/ Find me here: captnoffscript.com@captnoffscript This week's Friday bonus: Radim and I go deep on fear, why you can't unlearn it, and why your brain treats sharing your work with strangers like a sabre-tooth tiger in the bushes. It goes to newsletter subscribers first, a week before it's public. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter. If you enjoyed this episode, leaving a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify takes less than a minute and helps more people find the show. I'd be...

Bonus 001 - CJ Cawley & Alen: The Scripts We Were Given & the People Who Helped Us Change Them

Jun 12, 2026 23 min

his is the first-ever bonus episode of Captn OffScript. CJ Cawley and I recorded the main S02/E32 conversation for over an hour and twenty minutes, and somewhere around the hour mark it took a turn that didn't belong in the main episode and didn't deserve to be cut either. So we held it back. It went to newsletter subscribers first as a private YouTube link. Today it's available here too. This is the more personal part of our conversation. CJ talks openly about growing up on a council estate in London, leaving home at 16, and cutting ties with his family two to three years ago. I share my own parallel story for the first time in public — Bosnia, a relationship with my mum that I'm grateful for, and most of the rest of the family almost non-existent. It's a conversation about the scripts we were given as kids, the partners who helped us rewrite them, and finding home far from where we started. If this is one you needed to hear, I hope it does for you what it did for us when we were having it. In this conversation we talked about: The script you're given by your parents as a childLeaving home at 16 and living above a pubCutting ties with family after years of tryingThe partners who saw the good part firstFinding home far from where we startedWhy we wouldn't change it, even if we could The main episode this bonus extends: S02/E32 — CJ Cawley: Getting Cloned, Getting Married & Showing Up Anyway https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e32-cj-cawley-showing-up-anyway Find CJ here: Website: https://www.cjcawley.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cjcawleydesignSticky Notes podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@WeAreStickyNotesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cj.cawley.design/ Find me here: captnoffscript.com@captnoffscript This was the first-ever Captn OffScript bonus episode. Newsletter subscribers get future bonuses on YouTube a week before they reach the podcast feeds. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter.

S02/E33 - Martyna Wędzicka on Being Weird, Polish Design & Why You Can't Rush Your Style

Jun 9, 2026 55 min

Martyna Wędzicka is a Polish graphic designer from Gdańsk with one of the most distinctive styles working today. She's a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale, a two-time winner of the Polish Graphic Design Awards, and she built her entire body of work on something most designers are taught to avoid: mistakes. "I really wanted to destroy something," she told me. "That was my main goal." We talked about what that actually means, why finding your style takes ten years and not ten hours, and what it's like to be a designer from a part of Europe the rest of the world keeps overlooking. In this conversation we got into: Why she builds her style out of chance, error, and "organising mistakes"The truth she tells students about how long style really takesLeaving her own studio because she'd become a project manager, not a designerWhy being "not Western enough" turned into her biggest strengthKeeping a Polish name on purpose, and her mission to make Polish design visibleBeing the weird kid in a Polish village, and why that's where style is born 🎙️ This week's Friday bonus: Martyna shares where she's heading next — the reinvention pattern she's spotted in her career, why she's knitting now, what she's making with her hands in an AI-driven world, and why graphic designers don't retire. Newsletter subscribers get it first, as a private link. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction04:35 A Polish name, and making Polish design visible07:33 Leaving the studio to design again10:41 Why her style never stops shifting13:38 What recognition actually took16:37 Turning mistakes into a style19:34 Why style takes years, not hours22:27 Breaking into the global design world32:27 Visual identity through an art-history lens35:14 Finding what makes you different39:55 Weirdness as the source of style43:31 What nine years of art school did to her47:04 Teaching, and how to give good feedback50:24 Why she'd rather open minds than teach software Find...

S02/E32 - CJ Cawley: Getting Cloned, Getting Married & Showing Up Anyway

Jun 2, 2026 1 hr 3 min

CJ Cawley is having the strangest year of his career. Someone built a pixel-for-pixel clone of his website and replaced his face with theirs. A parody video of him triggered a wave of hate inside the design community. He's getting married this weekend. And through all of it, he keeps showing up on camera. This is one of the episodes I've been most looking forward to publishing all season. We recorded for over an hour and twenty minutes, and the conversation went so deep that the most personal part is going out as a separate bonus episode. The main one is here. The bonus drops Friday as the first-ever exclusive bonus episode of Captn OffScript, available only to newsletter subscribers for the first 7 days. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter. In this episode we talked about: The website clone called Delwox and his perfect retaliationThe parody video and the pile-on inside the design communityGetting married this weekend with a surf simulator and an aerial hoopPsoriasis, the camera, and why no one cares what you look likeSticky Notes and four years of private calls with Jack before pressing recordThe McDonald's theory of AIKnob head tax and interviewing clients before saying yesThe loneliness of going freelance, and the friend who pulled him through itWhat he's most grateful for in the year before his wedding 🎙️ The bonus episode on Friday: CJ and I share the most personal part of our conversation, about childhood, family, and rewriting the script you were given as a kid. Newsletter subscribers only for the first 7 days. Subscribe at https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter. Timestamps: [Awaiting confirmation] Find CJ here: Website: https://www.cjcawley.com/Studio (Seeside Studio): https://www.seesidestudio.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cjcawleydesignSticky Notes podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@WeAreStickyNotesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cj.cawley.design/ Find me here: https://captnoffscript.com/https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript...

S02/E31 - Kristof Devos on Designing Watches That Tell You to Slow Down & the Art of Doing Nothing

May 27, 2026 1 hr 0 min

Kristof Devos answered the call from his studio in a small town in rural Belgium, with a cat wandering in and out and his daughter's eighth birthday party happening that same afternoon. It felt like the right way to start a conversation about slowing down. Kristof Devos is an illustrator, a children's book author, a watch designer for the cult London brand Mr Jones Watches, and an art teacher in Bruges. For tax purposes he has two jobs. For himself, it's all one job. This one stays gentle the whole way through and still lands somewhere deep. We talked about a watch that tells you to slow down, a car crash that reshaped his entire idea of a life worth living, and why he'd rather write a long newsletter that takes fifteen minutes to read than chase likes on a platform he's come to distrust. In this episode we talked about: "A Perfectly Useless Afternoon" and the watch about doing nothingHow a ten-minute window of confidence led to Mr Jones WatchesLeaving art direction for a slower life in rural BelgiumThe car crash that changed everything, and the book that came from itWhy he takes two years on twelve spreadsHis new book, Big Brother and Little SisterQuitting Instagram and building through newslettersWhy AI might be a gift to human-made artWhat he hopes survives him in a hundred years Find Kristof here: Website: https://kristofdevos.com/Newsletter (Brief uit het Atelier): https://kristofdevos.com/brief-uit-het-atelier/Podcast (Podlood, in Dutch): https://kristofdevos.com/podlood/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristoftekent/ Find me here: https://captnoffscript.com/https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript/ If you liked this episode, listen to... Luis Mendo (S02/E29) — Luis appeared on Kristof's podcast, and they share the same instinct: leaving social media behind, building through direct connection, and choosing a slower, more deliberate creative life. If you enjoyed this episode, leaving a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify takes less than a minute and...

S02/E30 - Andy J. Pizza on ADHD, Self-Worth & Cultivating Yourself Instead of Fixing Yourself

May 21, 2026 1 hr 10 min

Episode 30 of Season 2. The 80th episode I've recorded since starting this show. And honestly, I couldn't have picked a better guest to mark a milestone like that. Andy J. Pizza is the host of Creative Pep Talk, an illustrator, a children's book author, and one of the people who has quietly shaped how thousands of designers think about their own creativity. He's also the guy who chose to call himself "Pizza" because his real name made for an ugly URL. We started this conversation talking about goat cheese pizza in the UK. We ended it somewhere very different — talking about the cave you fear to enter inside yourself, about why his ADHD diagnosis at 25 first devastated him before it freed him, and about a line from his second podcast Right Side Out that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since. At the end of the recording, Andy told me this was the most personal interview he had ever done. In this episode we talked about: Choosing his own name and disobeying YodaADHD as a lens, not a deficitCultivating yourself instead of overcoming yourselfRight Side Out and the line that stops youThe cave you fear to enter, Joseph Campbell, and self-acceptanceTaste as the palette of your soulWhy AI is ending the era of perfect — and why that's a giftWorking with his wife Sophie, the Beatles, and why fighting makes the work betterHis dad's lesson: hard and bad are not the same thingThe most personal closing of the season Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction & Three Illustrators in a Row03:12 How Andy J. Miller Became Andy J. Pizza05:53 Pizza Toppings, Goat Cheese & the Best Fries in the World08:36 ADHD, Mental Health & Creative Work09:44 Moving Around as a Kid & the Identity Crisis It Caused15:30 The Seventh Grade Friend Who Loved Boy Bands22:00 On Popularity, Connection & Being Less Cool27:45 Taste as the Palette of Your Soul32:29 Why Follower Count Doesn't Equal Success33:33 Why Instagram Doesn't Taste Good Anymore36:36 How Taste Changes Over Time39:25 Collaborating with His Wif...

S02/E29 - Luis Mendo on Finding Your Value, Mundo Mendo & Why Social Media Is Dry Disgusting Bread

Apr 28, 2026 1 hr 11 min

He grew up in Salamanca. Spent 20 years as an art director in Amsterdam. His father died. He boarded a plane to Japan for a sabbatical — and 14 years later, he's still there. Luis Mendo is a Spanish illustrator and the founder of Mundo Mendo — a personal membership project built on illustrated stories, shipped directly to readers with no algorithm in between. This is a conversation about finding your value, choosing happiness, and refusing to make salami for Zuckerberg. What we cover: His father's death and why it led him to Japan20 years in Amsterdam — and why he finally chose to leaveAlmost Perfect — six years of welcoming artists into his Tokyo homeWhy social media is dry disgusting bread — and the salami analogyBuilding Mundo Mendo on Ghost, the anti-Substack platformBiking numbered, signed books to the post office himselfWhy he's building something that survives himFinding the value in your work — advice for young illustratorsJapan's exploding independent print and zine sceneAI is for laundry — and what he actually uses it forWhat he wrote in a letter to his daughter growing up in Japan Connect with Luis Mendo: Website: https://www.luismendo.com/ Mundo Mendo: https://www.mundomendo.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luismendo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismendo/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Elliot Jay Stocks (S02/E25) — on building a direct relationship with your audience through newsletters, why human connection matters more than algorithms, and creating work that lasts. If you enjoyed this episode, leaving a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify...

S02/E28 - Temi Coker: Put the Work You Want to Be Hired For & Everything Else Follows

Apr 21, 2026 1 hr 5 min

He wakes up at 4:30am. Two kids under two. Three hours of work before the house comes alive. This is how one of the most sought-after artists in America currently operates. Temi Coker is a Nigerian-American artist and creative director based in Dallas, Texas. His work has appeared in campaigns for Adobe, Apple, ESPN, AT&T, and the Oscars. He launched a home collection with Walmart in 2025. And he will tell you, clearly and without drama, that none of it happened by accident — it happened because he kept making the work he wanted to be hired for, long before anyone asked him to. What we cover: Growing up in Lagos — limitations, bottle-cap football, and a love of colourMoving to Canada and then Texas at 12, navigating two Black identities at onceLeaving biomedical engineering to pursue design — and why he doesn't regret eitherSeven years of head-down work before the Adobe Creative Residency changed everythingHow a pillow he made for fun led to the Walmart home collectionApple said no four or five times — he now has 20+ collaborations with themFinancial literacy for creatives — the conversation nobody is havingRunning a photography studio, a clothing brand, and raising two kids under twoLearning to actually accept a compliment Connect with Temi Coker: Website: https://temicoker.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temi.coker Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

S02/E27 — Ingrid Picanyol: I'm a Designer, But Other Things Too — Poetry, Punk & Philosophy

Apr 14, 2026 59 min

She chose graphic design over photography because she couldn't afford a camera. She chose it over philosophy because her teacher said get work first, study ideas later. Now she runs a studio of exactly three people, plays guitar in an all-women punk band with no expectations, writes articles on the bus, and has just started her philosophy degree. Ingrid Picanyol is a Catalan graphic designer based in Barcelona — and one of the most quietly profound conversations of the season. What we cover: Growing up in the "Catalan Liverpool" — small town, punk band, leaving home at 16$12 a day in New York, sleeping on couches, investing in a careerWhy she keeps her studio to exactly three people — and why that mattersHow a developer noticed her design process is basically poetryWriting articles on the bus — and the Set Margins book coming from itWhy design can't satisfy every creative need — and what to do about itSending voice messages to ChatGPT asking what Plato thinks about difficult clientsStudying philosophy in her forties — and why now is finally the right momentWhat she'd say to her 8-year-old self, who always felt like a stranger Connect with Ingrid Picanyol: Website: https://ingridpicanyol.com/ Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ingridpicanyol Instagram (studio): https://www.instagram.com/ingridpicanyolstudio/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Marta Cerdà Alimbau (S02/E26) — another deeply personal conversation with a Catalan designer about creative identity, surviving the hard years, and why the work is worth fighting for.

S02/E26 - Marta Cerdà Alimbau: Vogue, Nike, Bats in the House & Why Design Is Worth Fighting For

Apr 7, 2026 1 hr 1 min

She designed a Vogue cover during COVID while riding her motorcycle through Barcelona without a helmet. She made over 300 logos before landing on the one for a Nike Haaland campaign. She survived a pandemic across two countries paying two rents simultaneously — and ended up in a farmhouse with bats, eagles, and rats for four months. Marta Cerdà Alimbau is a Catalan graphic designer, AGI member, and author of Surviving Design. This is one of the most honest, funny, and deeply personal conversations of the season. What we cover: Studying psychology before design — and what it gave herThe Vogue Spain cover created from chaos and a deep need for resilienceDesigning Barcelona's Christmas street lights from the iconic panot tileOver 300 logos for a Nike Haaland campaign — and the hidden arrowCOVID across two countries, two rents, and four months in a farmhouse with batsSurviving Design — what the book is really about and why it's actually optimisticComic Sans, context, and what Vincent Connare taught her in 2004The tobacco brief, karma, and the projects she wishes she hadn't takenWhat she'd say to her 10-year-old self Connect with Marta Cerdà Alimbau: Website: https://martacerda.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martacerda/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Sophia Yeshi (S02/E22) — another deeply personal conversation about identity, building a creative career against the odds, and staying true to yourself through everything.

S02/E25 - Elliot Jay Stocks on Books, Newsletters & Why Human Connection Is Everything

Mar 31, 2026 58 min

He's back. And this time we accidentally planned a Madrid book event live on air. Elliot Jay Stocks is a designer, writer, editor, and the person behind Fine Specimens — a brand new book showcasing contemporary type design from 69 foundries, including three of mine. We talked about the book, the five-stop tour, joining Adobe after 18.5 years of freelancing, the love-hate relationship with Instagram every creative recognises, and why newsletters and human connection might be the most important things a creative can invest in right now. What we cover: Fine Specimens — from failed Kickstarter to published book with 69 foundriesHow typefaces were curated and the challenge of classifying typeThe love-hate relationship with Instagram and why the algorithm is broken for creatorsWhy he prefers newsletters — and the pop-up newsletter concept you need to know aboutJoining Adobe full-time after 18.5 years of freelancingThe 5-stop book tour — and the accidental Madrid plan that happened live on airMusic on hold, guitar is back, and a new book idea on the horizonWhy human connection in creative industries matters more now than ever Connect with Elliot Jay Stocks: Website: https://elliotjaystocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotjaystocks/ Newsletter: https://elliotjaystocks.com/newsletter Fine Specimens: https://elliotjaystocks.com/books#fine-specimens Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — on serial entrepreneurship, creative reinvention, and building a life entirely on your own terms. Cover photo by Norman Posselt: https://normanposselt.com/

S02/E23 - Sergio del Puerto: From Serial Cut to ZAGALE & Why He's More Excited Than Ever

Mar 18, 2026 1 hr 1 min

He founded Serial Cut in Madrid in 1999. For nearly 30 years it became one of the most recognised creative studios in the world. And then he let it go — not because he failed, but because something new had already taken hold of him completely. Sergio del Puerto is an art director, image maker, and one of the most influential creatives in the Spanish design industry. This is the story of Serial Cut, ZAGALE, AI, and what it feels like to be 30 years into a career and wake up genuinely excited again. What we cover: Growing up in Toledo and arriving in Madrid as a club kid in 1999Building Serial Cut across five techniques over nearly three decadesWhy he dissolved the studio — and why it felt liberatingTraining custom AI models on his own work with LORAZAGALE — the new alter ego, the covered face, and the custom helmetWhy AI is the best creative companion when you feel stuckAction figures, composition, and why his childhood is always in his workHis advice for young designers on portfolios and exploring new mediums Connect with Sergio del Puerto: Instagram (ZAGALE): https://www.instagram.com/_zagale_/ Serial Cut: https://serialcut.com Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — on serial entrepreneurship, creative reinvention, and building a life entirely on your own terms.

S02/E22 - Sophia Yeshi: Self-Taught, Underfunded & the First Artist on a UPS Box

Mar 11, 2026 57 min

She learned Photoshop at 12 on multiple 30-day trials. She got into five art schools and couldn't afford a single one. She moved to New York with no job, no safety net, and no plan B. And then her artwork went around the world on a UPS box. Sophia Yeshi is a New York-based illustrator whose bold, colourful, inclusive work has appeared in campaigns for Google, Spotify, Adobe, Instagram, and UPS. But this conversation is about the person behind all of it — the mixed-race kid from Baltimore who grew up too fast, taught herself everything, and built a career entirely on her own terms. What we cover: Growing up across multiple identities and being othered from birthTeaching herself Photoshop at 12 on repeated 30-day free trialsGetting into five art schools and not being able to afford any of themMoving to New York with no freelance safety net — and figuring it out anywayThe UPS box campaign that went around the worldWhy she's calling this year "rejection therapy"Advice for young illustrators in a shifting industryWhat she'd write in a letter to her eight-year-old self Connect with Sophia Yeshi: Website: https://www.yeshidesigns.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiayeshi/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

S02/E21 — Jessica Hische: I'm Already Living the Life Millionaires Dream Of Having Someday

Mar 4, 2026 1 hr 4 min

Lettering legend Jessica Hische sat in a room full of ultra-successful entrepreneurs — and realised they all dreamed of doing exactly what she was already doing. Drums, stained glass, creative hobbies, time with their kids, work they actually love. Her life, right now. In this episode, we go well beyond the portfolio. Jessica opens up about imposter syndrome, building a creative life entirely on her own terms, co-founding StudioWorks, running two retail stores, writing children's books, and why "happy to be here" might be the most powerful career philosophy there is. What we cover: The kindergarten coloring contest that started it allMeeting her husband on Match.com before it was socially acceptableHow she became the Fairy Font Mother at Canva CreateDrums, stained glass, and giving strangers tattoos from her studioWhy she released free tools this week — and why you should careImposter syndrome at every stage of success (and why to worry about people who don't have it)Parenting as curling — the most accurate analogy we've ever heardThe one thing she'd tell her younger self Connect with Jessica Hische: Website: https://jessicahische.is StudioWorks: https://studiowork.app Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicahische/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

S02/E20 - Jacob Cass: From Student Blogger to Disney Designer & Why Sharing Process Matters

Feb 25, 2026 55 min

Jacob Cass started a blog in 2007 as a design student in Sydney, documenting his learning journey. That simple act of sharing imperfect work caught the attention of a New York agency and launched a career designing for Disney, Nike, and Red Bull. Nearly 20 years later, Jacob has traveled to 88 countries as a digital nomad, hosted the Just Branding podcast for six years, and founded Brand Builders Alliance — a thriving membership community serving brand builders across 29 countries. In this conversation, we explore: How a student blog documenting imperfect design work landed Jacob a dream job in New YorkThe visa rollercoaster: getting denied in Canada, kicked out of the country, and learning never to get comfortableTraveling to 88 countries while working four hours a day as a fully booked visual identity designerWhy South Africa's private game reserves were the top travel experienceHow losing 90% of his blog traffic became the catalyst for building Brand Builders AllianceWhy he'd give student Jacob the same advice today: keep sharing where you're at, even when work isn't polishedTaming the "advice monster" and why asking questions beats giving answersRunning a global community with four young children: work-life integration and boundariesPivotal moments: getting fired, discovering brand strategy, major setbacks, and adaptingWhy sharing process matters more than polished outcomesHow podcasting gets easier after doing the reps Jacob's core philosophy: share your process, not just your final work. Don't wait for impressive results before building an online presence. Share the journey of learning itself and let opportunities find you. ABOUT JACOB CASS: Jacob is an Australian brand designer, community builder, and founder of Brand Builders Alliance. He started his career with a student blog in 2007 that led to designing for major brands in New York. After several years as a digital nomad traveling to 88 countries, he now co-hosts the Just Branding podcast and leads a m...

S02/E19 - What Do You Want to Be Known For? Geri Kriechbaum on Self-Taught Design & Identity

Feb 18, 2026 1 hr 1 min

What do you want to be known for in five years? Austrian brand designer Geri Kriechbaum asks himself this question constantly — and it's transformed how he builds Stroncton, his brand design studio. In this episode, Geri shares his journey from technical engineer to self-taught designer, the trademark setback that led to Stroncton's creation, and why putting your work out there (even when it's imperfect) is the most important thing you can do. In this conversation, we explore: How Geri left his engineering job after realizing the nine-to-five mindset didn't align with his creative callingThe story behind Stroncton's name and the anchor-lighthouse symbolism that drives his brandWhy he spent nearly 10 years building apparel brands before offering design services to clientsOvercoming imposter syndrome as a self-taught designer without a formal degreeThe difference between intrinsic motivation (genuine passion) and extrinsic motivation (money, status)How to define your designer identity instead of constantly comparing yourself to others on social mediaWhy sharing imperfect work creates opportunities — and how you can put yourself out there so "luck" can happenBurnout lessons: Why sustainable daily progress beats unsustainable all-night work sessions Geri's core advice to young designers: Stop waiting for your portfolio to be perfect. Start by designing for yourself, share your work publicly, and regularly ask yourself "What do I want to be known for in five years?" This question will clarify your identity, focus your efforts, and help you build a creative career on your own terms. ABOUT GERI KRIECHBAUM: Geri is an Austrian brand designer and founder of Stroncton, a brand design studio specializing in visual identity, logo design, and brand strategy. Originally from a technical engineering background, he's completely self-taught in design and spent years building personal apparel brands inspired by skateboard culture before transitioning to client-focused brand work....

S02/E18 - Scott Fuller on What It Really Takes to Succeed as an Independent Designer

Feb 11, 2026 1 hr 8 min

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Fuller to talk about what it truly means to succeed as an independent designer. We move beyond surface-level advice and dig into the realities of building a sustainable design career. Scott shares how consistency, reliability, and long-term thinking have shaped his path, and why independence requires more than just talent. A large part of our conversation focuses on client relationships. How do you win trust? How do you maintain it? And how do you position yourself as dependable in a competitive industry? We also talk about creative discipline, comparison, imposter syndrome, and the emotional weight of working independently. Scott speaks honestly about competing with himself rather than chasing trends, and why focusing on steady growth often beats short bursts of attention. This is a grounded conversation about creative independence, responsibility, and playing the long game in design.

S02/E17 - Armin Vit & Bryony Gomez-Palacio on Building a Creative Life Together Without Compromise

Feb 4, 2026 1 hr 14 min

In this episode, I talk with Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio about building a creative life together and what that really looks like behind the scenes. We discuss their path into design writing, publishing, and criticism, the origins and evolution of Brand New, and the choices that led them away from traditional career structures toward independence. This conversation explores how creative identity forms over time, and why staying curious and opinionated matters more than chasing relevance. A large part of the episode focuses on partnership – how two strong creative voices coexist, how decisions are made, and how trust becomes the foundation for long-term work. Armin and Bryony speak candidly about risk, responsibility, and the emotional realities of running something influential while remaining grounded. We also talk about defining success, protecting creative energy, and what it takes to build a life around creativity rather than fitting creativity into life. An honest, thoughtful conversation about creativity as a practice, a profession, and a way of living.

S02/E16 - Hyperfocus on What Matters – Building a Modern Design Studio Without the Noise

Jan 28, 2026 1 hr 1 min

In this episode, I sit down with Paul and Jan, founders of Hyperfocus, to talk about building a design studio with intention in an industry that constantly pulls your attention in a hundred different directions. We discuss how Hyperfocus was founded during a moment of uncertainty, and how that experience shaped their approach to work, culture, and decision-making. From the influence of skateboarding and street culture to working with international clients, they share how personal background often becomes the invisible foundation of strong creative systems. A big part of the conversation centers on focus – not as a productivity trick, but as a philosophy. We talk about why brand and product should never be disconnected, how clarity improves collaboration, and why doing fewer things well often leads to better outcomes than chasing everything at once. Paul and Jan also open up about imposter syndrome, leadership, and the emotional realities of running a studio. We explore how creative confidence evolves over time, how doubt never fully disappears, and why building healthy boundaries is just as important as building strong work. The episode closes with reflections on AI, craft, and the future of design. Rather than replacing creativity, new tools are forcing designers to be more intentional, more thoughtful, and more human. A grounded, honest conversation about focus, culture, and building a studio that lasts.

S02/E15 - Alex Trochut on Creativity, Identity, and Staying Human in a Hyper-Optimized World

Jan 21, 2026 1 hr 2 min

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Trochut for one of the most personal and reflective conversations we’ve had on the podcast. We talk about creativity, identity, and what it really means to stay human in a world that constantly pushes optimization, speed, and output. Alex shares stories from growing up in Barcelona, discovering graphic design early, and being shaped by a family environment where creativity, culture, and craft were always present. A particularly moving part of the conversation centers around Alex’s grandfather. We also explore Alex’s decision to leave Spain, his years in New York and California, and what it means to build a creative life as an immigrant. Alex speaks openly about belonging, distance, and how moving away from home can sharpen your sense of identity rather than dilute it. We talk about cities as creative accelerators, but also about the personal cost of constantly adapting. The conversation moves into creative evolution. Alex shares his honest resistance to new tools, the fear of change, and the moment he realized that repeating what already worked was quietly limiting him. Learning 3D later in his career became less about technology and more about breaking patterns, opening new creative doors, and reconnecting with curiosity. We also talk about music, DJing, personal projects, and the importance of having creative spaces that exist outside commercial expectations. Alex reflects on freedom, experimentation, and why staying playful is not a luxury, but a necessity for a long creative life. This episode isn’t about trends, tools, or success metrics. It’s about roots, evolution, vulnerability, and designing a creative career that stays emotionally honest over time. If you’ve ever questioned your direction, felt stuck in repetition, or wondered how to grow without losing yourself, this conversation will resonate.

S02/E14 - Cat How on Purpose-Driven Branding and Building a Business That Reflects Your Values

Jan 14, 2026 58 min

Cat How is the co-founder of How&How and one of the most thoughtful voices in purpose-driven branding today. In this episode, we talk about her journey from journalism into design, founding and growing a global branding agency during the COVID pandemic, and what it takes to build a business that reflects your values in practice, not just in theory. Cat shares how storytelling shaped her approach to branding, why she believes creativity carries responsibility, and how her studio committed to climate-focused and impact-driven work early on. We discuss leadership, growth, working with a partner, burnout, and the realities behind values-led decision-making. We also talk about AI and creativity, why Cat sees emerging tools as an opportunity rather than a threat, and why human intuition and conviction remain essential. This is an honest conversation about purpose-driven branding, long-term thinking, and building a creative business with integrity.

S02/E13 - Michael Flarup on Creativity and Designing a Life Without a Master Plan

Jan 6, 2026 1 hr 7 min

Michael Flarup is a designer, creative entrepreneur, and co-founder of Northplay. His career spans icon design, self-published books, and independent game development, shaped by curiosity rather than a fixed plan. In this conversation, we talk about growing up not fitting into traditional systems, discovering creativity through making, and building long-term projects that take years to mature. Michael shares insights into self-publishing the App Icon books, designing games, and why trusting long timelines became a defining part of his approach to work. We also discuss switching between different creative disciplines, avoiding burnout, and how following what feels genuinely fun often leads to more meaningful and sustainable creative work. Michael opens up about fatherhood, balance, self-doubt, and the idea of healthy self-delusion as a creative strategy. This is an honest conversation about patience, curiosity, and designing a creative life that lasts.

S02/E12 - Kieron Anthony Lewis on Editorial Design, Identity, and Finding Meaning Through Work

Dec 17, 2025 1 hr 6 min

Kieron Anthony Lewis is an editorial designer, speaker, educator, and Adobe Live host whose work is deeply rooted in culture, community, and meaning. In this conversation, we go far beyond design portfolios and talk about the life experiences that shaped how he works and why he creates. We discuss the monumental Lagos publication, designing books as cultural artifacts, and how Kieron’s love for magazines and editorial structure began long before he knew design was a career. He shares his journey through agencies, freelancing during COVID, and the unexpected chain of events that led to working with Adobe and major publishers. The episode opens up into fatherhood, grief, identity, and perspective. Kieron reflects on becoming one of the Design for Planet Trailblazers on the same day he lost his grandfather, and how that moment reshaped his understanding of success, ambition, and what truly matters. This is an honest, thoughtful conversation about creative purpose, humility, and building a life that aligns with your values, not just your output. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. — 🔗 Full show notes and episode transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e11-james-barnard-on-creativity-speed-and-designing-a-life-you-love 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@captnoffscript 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/captnoffscript ✨ Subscribe for new episodes every week, where bold creatives share real stories, honest lessons, and unexpected paths to success.

S02/E11 - James Barnard on Creativity, Speed, and Designing a Life You Love

Dec 10, 2025 1 hr 5 min

James Barnard is one of the most recognizable logo designers working today, but this conversation goes far beyond logos. We talk about how he entered design at 25, why he left agency life, and how freelancing became the turning point that gave him freedom and clarity in his work. James shares how a single TikTok changed everything, why he only presents one concept to clients, and how he built a process that now gets projects signed off with no amends. We get into speed, systems, taste, experience, and how his Illustrator mastery became a core part of his career. He also explains how Allan Peters’ brand noun method helped him rebuild his entire approach to discovery and direction. We talk about momentum, visibility, imposter feelings, and the pressure creators feel to always keep up. James opens up about burnout, family life in Australia, raising kids, wildlife encounters, and the real tradeoffs behind the lifestyle he intentionally (and unintentionally) designed. There are stories from Adobe Max, embarrassing Allan Peters on stage, building the Designers Community, and how teaching, connection, and sharing knowledge became a huge part of why he shows up online. If you’re a designer, freelancer, or creative navigating uncertainty, growth, or overwhelm, this episode offers clear, grounded insight into building a career that feels good and actually works. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. — 🔗 Full show notes and episode transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e11-james-barnard-on-creativity-speed-and-designing-a-life-you-love 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@captnoffscript 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/captnoffscript ✨ Subscribe for new episodes every week, where bold creatives share real stories, honest lessons...

S02/E10 - The Creative Life of Angela Lyons: Visibility, Intent, and Showing Up

Dec 3, 2025 1 hr 11 min

In this episode of CAPTN OffScript, I sit down with UK based designer, creative director, and community builder Angela Lyons for a grounded and deeply honest conversation about the creative life. Angela has worked in the industry for more than 20 years across branding, editorial design, magazine design, web design, and podcasting. She is also the co creator of Freelancer Magazine and the host of Creatives Like Us. We explore the themes that shaped Angela’s recent years, including visibility, intention, and her commitment to showing up even when it feels uncomfortable. Angela shares her perspective on social media pressure, the challenges of staying consistent, and the internal battles that many creatives never talk about publicly. We also dive into community, mental health, and identity. Angela opens up about her experiences as a woman of colour in the design industry, the biases she encountered early on, and how much the landscape has changed. She talks about the power of community through Freelancer Magazine and Black Women on Wheels, a London based cycling group where she found connection, movement, and joy. This conversation also touches on anxiety, imposter syndrome, parenting, and the importance of stepping away from the desk to find clarity. Angela shares how she uses yearly vision boards to stay intentional and how she has learned to trust herself more with each passing year. If you are navigating your own creative journey, this episode with Angela Lyons offers perspective, encouragement, and a reminder that none of us figure this out alone. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. — 🔗 Full show notes and episode transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e10-the-creative-life-of-angela-lyons-visibility-intent-and-showing-up 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 📺 Watch the full episode on YouT...

S02/E09 - David Airey on Creativity, Calm, and a Life Built With Intention

Nov 26, 2025 1 hr 3 min

In this episode of CAPTN OffScript I sit down with David Airey, a designer whose books, thinking, and calm perspective have shaped how countless creatives approach identity design. But we go far beyond the craft in this conversation and explore the human side of a long creative life. David talks openly about growing up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, finding his way through early jobs, and how traveling across Asia shifted his understanding of the world. He shares the story of building a twenty year independent career, how he learned to slow down, and why he chooses a life defined by intention instead of speed. A big part of this episode focuses on comparison, self doubt, and the quiet pressure that follows every creative who works in public. David explains why comparing yourself to other designers is never healthy and why the only comparison that matters is the one with your past self. He talks about fatherhood, family, burnout, balance, the need to disconnect, and the small moments that bring meaning back into your days. We also dive into the third edition of Logo Design Love. David walks through what it feels like to revisit and rewrite work more than a decade later, how much of the book has changed, and why designing for yourself is always harder than designing for others. This is a calm, thoughtful, and deeply human conversation about creativity, life, focus, and the choices that shape who we become. If you are a designer, freelancer, or someone trying to build a creative career without losing yourself in the noise, this episode will resonate on a different level. Tune in for one of the most grounding conversations of the season. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. — 🔗 Full show notes and episode transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e09-david-airey-on-creativity-calm-and-a-life-built-with-intention 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spo...

S02/E08 - Mat Voyce on Anxiety, Creativity, and Finding Your Thing

Nov 19, 2025 1 hr 1 min

In this episode of CAPTN OffScript I sit down with Mat Voyce, the designer known for his expressive type animation work and his instantly recognizable visual language. We go far beyond the craft in this conversation and dive into the emotional and personal side of being a creative today. Mat talks openly about growing up as an introverted kid, finding his way through graphic design and agency life, and slowly developing a unique style in type and motion. He shares stories from his early days, the moment he realized animation could become his thing, and how it felt to work with global clients like Disney, Nike, and Pepsi. A big part of this episode focuses on anxiety and mental health. Mat discusses the sudden spike in anxiety that changed his daily life, his experience with therapy and hypnotherapy, and the moment he decided to start medication to soften the constant noise inside his mind. We talk about overthinking, sleepless nights, worry loops, and what it really feels like to freelance when you spend most of your time inside your own head. We also explore parenthood, loneliness, the pressures of creative work, and the grounding power of simple routines. Mat shares what helps him, what he is still learning, and why he believes honesty and community can make such a difference for creatives who feel alone with their struggles. This is a warm, human, and very real conversation about creativity, fear, growth, and the quiet work of becoming yourself. If you are a designer, animator, illustrator, or someone navigating anxiety while building a creative career, this episode will resonate deeply. Tune in for one of the most personal and grounding conversations of the season. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. — 🔗 Full show notes & episode transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e08-mat-voyce-on-anxiety-creativity-and-finding-your-thing 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscrip...

S02/E07 - From Magic Tricks to Iconic Brands – The Bill Gardner Story

Nov 12, 2025 1 hr 6 min

Bill Gardner has reviewed more logos than almost anyone on the planet — over 450,000 through his work with LogoLounge. But behind the numbers is a deep-thinking, long-game designer who believes that real identity design isn’t about trends — it’s about clarity, consistency, and curiosity. In this episode of CAPTN OffScript, Bill shares the winding story of how a childhood fascination with magic led him to branding, how he built one of the most respected identity studios in the U.S., and why most design problems start before a single sketch is ever made. We talk about the early days of analog design — cutting logos by hand, setting type with rulers, and building trust without a Behance profile. But more importantly, we explore what still matters today: how to create logos that last, how to balance subjective and objective thinking, and how to build systems that serve brands beyond the pretty mark. Bill opens up about landing clients like Kroger, Cessna, and Pizza Hut, what he’s learned after reviewing hundreds of thousands of logos, and how fishing in deeper waters has become his life philosophy — both creatively and professionally. We also explore the upcoming evolution of LogoLounge, his new book Iconic Branding, and how AI may shape the future of identity design (and why the human side still matters most). Whether you’re a young designer trying to find your place, or a seasoned creative looking to reconnect with the deeper purpose of your work — this episode is packed with practical insights, lived experience, and the kind of clarity that only comes from decades of doing the work. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. — 🔗 Full show notes & episode transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e07-from-magic-tricks-to-iconic-brands-the-bill-gardner-story 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 📺 Watch th...

S02/E06 - Redefining Indigenous Design: Jennifer Taback on Leading with Culture, Story, and Courage

Nov 5, 2025 1 hr 3 min

Jennifer Taback didn’t set out to become the co-founder of one of Canada’s leading Indigenous creative studios — but that’s exactly what she’s built with Design de Plume. In this episode of CAPTN OffScript, Jennifer shares her journey from tech burnout to co-leading a values-driven design agency that works with clients like Indigenous Tourism Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Johns Hopkins University — all while centering Indigenous identity, storytelling, and cultural context in everything they do. We talk about what it really means to run an Indigenous creative agency: the invisible labor, the cultural weight, the moments of pushback, and the deep joy of designing work that reflects community and connection. From decolonizing minimalism to designing complex, story-rich systems — Jennifer brings a perspective that’s as bold as it is needed. She also opens up about the personal side of leadership — balancing motherhood with agency life, letting go of perfectionism, and using beadwork as a creative outlet. And in a first for this show, Jennifer brings a free gift to share with the entire design community… ✨ The Indigenous Communications Toolkit – created by Design de Plume – is now available and free to download. It’s a practical, thoughtful guide to writing and speaking with more clarity, respect, and cultural awareness. Whether you’re an agency owner, creative director, designer, strategist, or simply someone who wants to do better — this episode is for you. 🎧 Real creatives. Real stories. Real lessons. Welcome to CAPTN OffScript. ⸻ 🔗 Full episode notes + transcript: https://captnoffscript.com/s02-e06-redefining-indigenous-design-jennifer-taback-on-leading-with-culture-story-and-courage 📖 Download the Indigenous Communications Toolkit: https://deplume.ca/IndigenousToolkit 🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 📺 Watch the full episode on...

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Podcast details

Created by: Creative Figures
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 10, 2026
Episodes: 105
Release period: Weekly
Avg. episode length: 35 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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