Creative Slash
Have you ever wondered what secrets drive the most profound, successful, famous, and unique creatives?
Then the Creative Slash podcast is for you. We dig deep to discover the high-leverage concepts, philosophies, tools, weird obsessions, and quiet daily routines that fuel their success—the stuff that rarely gets talked about publicly.
You'll get an inside look at what really drives the world's greatest graphic designers, illustrators, and artists through in-depth interviews with creatives who've achieved both creative and financial success.
Hosted by Brad Woodard (bravethewoods.com) and Dustin Lee (retrosupply.co), each episode feels like you're hanging out with us after hours, having the kind of conversations that happen when the work day is done.
You'll walk away with fresh inspiration, new ideas, and practical advice you can actually use in both your creative work and personal life.
Episodes
37 episodes
Ep. 037 – Creative South — Community, Creativity & Why Conferences Matter
We spent the week talking with designers, illustrators, educators, and other creative professionals from across the country about why they keep coming back year after year, what makes Creative South different, and whether creative conferences a...
Ep. 036 – Trust Design – Punching Above Your Weight as a Two-Person Studio
In this episode, we sit down with Trust Design, a two-person studio run by Hannah Smith and Jesse MacKenzie, to talk about how they’ve built a reputation for delivering big-agency-level work—withou...
Ep. 035 – Mikey Burton – Staying Human in an Over-Optimized Creative Industry
At some point in your creative career, the stakes shift.We go from just making stuff… to overthinking. Obsessing. Optimizing. And it sucks the the fun out of the entire thing.In this episode, we talk with illustrator and designer ...
Ep. 034 – Jeff LoPilato – Values, Sustainability & Building a Creative Career That Actually Means Something
What began as a personal shift toward plant-based living turned into a bigger question: what if your work could actually support the kind of world you want to live in?We talk to Jeff about building a values-driven creative caree...
Ep. 033 – Tyler Pate – The Hidden System Behind Consistent Creative Growth
In this episode, we talk with illustrator and designer Tyler Pate. He has worked with brands like Adobe, Wacom, and StickerApp, and he’s built his career through steady effort, a clear process, and years of showing up for the work.There ...
Ep. 032 – Shea O’Connor – One for Me, One for Them (Balancing Personal Work, Clients & Creative Growth)
In this episode, we talk with illustrator Shea O’Connor about building a creative career that grows through personal work, community, and consistency over time. She shares how she approaches social media as a place to explore ideas and connect ...
Ep. 031 – Rob Zilla – Sports, Systems & Making Your Own Luck in Creative Work
In this episode, we talk with illustrator Rob Zilla, whose work spans pro sports teams, major brands, and a career built on discipline, adaptability, and doing the work (whether anyone’s watching or not).No shortcuts, no chasing trends. ...
Ep. 030 – Chris Lee – Toys, Taste & Building a Creative Career Without Chasing Clients
In this episode, we talk with illustrator and toy designer Chris Lee (AKA The Beast is Back), who built his career mostly through word of mouth and steady visibility. No cold emailing ca...
Ep. 029 – Thomas Marnin (MarninSayor) – Toy Design, Donut Cats & The Magic of Their Pike Place Shop
In this episode, we talk with Thomas Marnin, co-founder of MarninSayor, a toy shop inside Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The shop grew out of a passion for handcrafted toys and the nostalgia of classic donut shops. In this episode,...
Ep. 028 – Don Clark (Invisible Creature) – Obsession, Risk & Starting Projects You’re Not “Ready” For
What happens after you “make it”?This week, we sit down with Don Clark of Invisible Creature to talk about creative longevity, building brands from scratch, and why your obsession might be the only real compass you need.Here's ...
Ep. 027 – Dan Kuhlken of DKNG - Texture, Taste & The Business of Staying Creative
A lot of creatives are feeling it right now: the market shifting, projects slowing down, the fear of asking “wait… is it just me?” causing a spiral into the anxiety void.This week, we're thrilled to get to talk to one of our heroes, Dan ...
Ep. 026 – Brad & Dustin — The Clues Hiding in Your Obsessions
This might be the most vulnerable episode we’ve done.If you’ve ever felt like you’re a strange mix of interests… and haven’t figured out how they’re supposed to fit together — this one’s for you.After 25 interviews, we realized...
Ep. 025 – Nathan Yoder – Choosing Craft in a Rushed World
We sat down with Nathan Yoder and, somehow, the chat immediately swerved past tools and trend-talk into the good stuff: craft, philosophy, faith, and how to make work you actually care about in a world that keeps yelling “faster.”Nathan’...
Ep. 024 – Travis Robertson – Taking More Swings Before You Feel Ready
This episode caught me off guard.Travis Robertson has done things that are, honestly, a little intimidating. Not just successful creative intimidating but hey-I-watched-you-in-movies-as-a-kid intimidating. The kind of s...
Ep.023 – Katie Kirk of Eight Hour Day – The Quiet Choices Behind a Studio That Endures
Katie Kirk makes work that feels bright, generous, and deeply human. As one half of Eight Hour Day, she’s spent her career building a studio known for warmth, clarity, and work that quietly holds u...
Ep.022 – Dustin & Brad – The Great App Audit: What We’re Keeping, Quitting, and Can’t Live Without
It’s a new year, and Brad and Dustin are taking inventory of their apps. In this no-fluff episode, they go deep into the creative, business, and life tools that actually made a difference in their workflows (and headspace) last year.
Ep.021 - Dustin & Brad - The Creative Advice Audit: What Actually Works in 2026 (and What to Ignore)
In this episode, Dustin Lee and Brad Woodard run an honest “advice audit” on the most popular guidance floating around the creative and digital creator world. We hit on ideas from people like Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Robert Greene, ...
Ep.020 - Dustin & Brad - The Holiday Guilt Trip, Burnout, and Learning to Let Go
In this special holiday episode, co-hosts Dustin Lee and Brad Woodard sit down one-on-one to unpack the emotional chaos creatives face during the holiday season. From the thrill of hitting year-end sales goals to the creeping guilt ...
Ep.019 - Dave Arcade - The Illustrator Who Builds Worlds One Obsession at a Time
Dave Arcade creates art that prompts viewers to pause and examine the landscape. It's the kind of work that invites repeated visits, revealing fresh details, small stories, and references to pop culture each time, all complemented by expertly e...
Ep.018 – Scott Fuller – Lessons on Loyalty, Craft, and Clients Who Become Family
What do world-class logo design, Junior Olympic table tennis, and a mythical quest for the perfect Boo-Berry cereal have in common? Only Scott Fuller could tie them all together and somehow make it all practical, hilarious, and surprisingly hea...
Ep.017 – Jason Carne – Funeral Homes, Metal Shows, and the Secrets of a 20 Year Career
In this episode, we sit down with lettering artist and illustrator Jason Carne. From haunted Airbnbs to growing up in a funeral home, we cover a lot of ground. We also dig into how style and priorities shift over a 20-year creative ...
Ep.016 - The Real Risk Isn't What You Think
In this episode, Brad and Dustin delve into the true meaning of risk and why most creatives have it completely wrong. From quitting safe jobs to launching businesses with no guarantees, they unpack what actually makes something risky. ...
Ep.015 - Marisol Ortega - Plant Babies, Miniature Ceramics, and Embracing the Weird
In this episode, Marisol Ortega joins Brad and Dustin to talk about embracing her cultural identity through bold color, designing for brands like Starbucks and Hallmark, and why she finally stopped toning herself down to fit in.They cov...
Episode 014 - Why You're Not Getting Hired
In this episode, Brad and Dustin talk through the frustrating gap between creative talent and actually getting hired. With over 250 applicants for a single RetroSupply role, Dustin shares his frustrations with finding the right hire and why eve...
Ep.013 - Josh Emrich - Star Wars, Twinkie Costumes, and Creating Repeat Clients
In this episode, Josh Emrich joins Brad and Dustin to talk about building a thriving design career even without a portfolio, learning the government’s beer label rules when nobody asked him to, and why some of the best creative work happens whe...