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. 037 – Creative South — Community, Creativity & Why Conferences Matter
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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 are actually worth the investment.
The conversations drift from creative burnout and imposter syndrome to bizarre conspiracy theories, typography pet peeves, client stories, and the weirdly specific things only designers care about.
But underneath it all is a bigger conversation about community.
Why creative work can feel isolating, and how getting in a room with other creative people can completely reset your perspective.
Whether you attended Creative South this year, have always wanted to go, or have never been to a creative conference at all, this episode is a candid look at what these events really offer beyond the workshops and keynote talks.
Because often, the most valuable part of a conference isn’t the speakers. It’s the conversations in the halls and late-night hangs.
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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