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.
Creative Slash
Ep. 032 – Shea O’Connor – One for Me, One for Them (Balancing Personal Work, Clients & Creative Growth)
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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 with people while building work that attracts the right opportunities.
We get into how she balances personal projects with client work and how that balance shapes her creative direction and business, plus a lot more, including:
- “One for me, one for them.” How balancing passion projects with strategic work actually fuels growth
- Why social media works best when you treat it like a portfolio and not a popularity contest
- Building an engaged audience instead of chasing bigger numbers
- Creating work that attracts licensing deals, agents, and brand partnerships
- Why people can feel when you are trying too hard and how to avoid it
Shea also talks about how her priorities have shifted as her career has grown. She focuses less on doing everything and more on doing the right things well. She shares how she is thinking about licensing and passive income as a way to grow without trading more time for money.
If you have ever felt stuck between making what you love and making what sells, this conversation offers a clear and honest look at how those two things can support each other.
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Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.
Brad Woodard
Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to children’s books.
Dustin Lee
Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what it’s really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.
Credits
Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström