Creative Playdate

Yes, I realize that there hasn't been a new episode in MONTHS! But here I am. In the episode, I speak more about the lapse in new episodes and announce a relaunch of the show on September 1st of this year. I want to bring you the best content I can create and right now I need a little time to make it great. I also want to know if you prefer that Creative Playdate have it's own soc

Tom's Portrait by Sharalee Prang The last episode of 2018 features an interview with the lovely Tom and Amanda Froese. Tom is a commercial artist whose work can be seen in publications like The Walrus and Harvard Business Review. He also creates illustrations for children's books, beer labels and even ceramics. Amanda is a Design Director at Partners & Hawes and is able to work fr

After chatting with Steve Folland on his podcast Being Freelance last year, I knew I wanted to get him onto Creative Playdate. If anyone is mastering the art of freelancing while parenting, Steve is. Steve started working freelance full-time when his children were young. We talk about Steve's work and how he managed to take off the entire month of August while his kids were on va

In episode 23, I interview children's book author and illustrator, Selina Alko. We met briefly at ICON10 in Detroit where she was serving as the VP (thanks to Scott Bakal for the introduction) and I was happy to have the chance to chat with her in a more conversational setting. Selina grew up in Canada and lives in Brooklyn, NY. She has two children who are in the middle of adole

Debbie Millman, everyone! This episode of Creative Playdate is a bit different than all the other episodes so far because this one is NOT about parenting. Debbie Millman is many things, including a designer, brand consultant and founder and host of one of the world's longest running podcasts, Design Matters. Debbie has worked with some of the most recognizable brands in the count

Episode 21 of Creative Playdate features an interview with Canadian illustrator and super nice guy, Michael Byers. His editorial illustration is whimsical and colorful and always includes a touch of humor - as is Michael, himself. We talk about whether or not we should be properly dressed to take our kids to school and Michael mentions a lot of great writing on creativity that is

You are going to LOVE this episode with Francesca Tortora of Doing It For the Kids (DIFTK)! She has created an incredible community of freelance parents and I only wish she could do some meetup events in the US. We learn about her journey to being a parent, freelance graphic designer and founder of DIFTK. She speaks about how her work has changed since her son came along and how

I am back from ICON with a great new episode featuring book designer and art director Regina Flath! She gives a nice overview of how Penguin Random House chooses illustrators, what they are looking for and how often they use stock images, illustration or their own photoshoots for book covers. One of her latest, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White is among h

I am super happy I had the chance to interview Melinda Beck for the show. She's an incredible illustrator and graphic designer who showcases a wide range of styles. And you can certainly see the graphic design influence in her illustration. We talk about what it's like to be a freelance illustrator while raising two teenage girls and what childhood in New York City is like.

I am very pleased to have children's book illustrator and author, Dan Santat on the show. We talk about his career and the effect that winning the Caldecott Medal has had on the way he approaches his work and his place in the children's book industry. Dan has a pretty laid-back attitude about parenting and truly feels there is never a right time to have kids; you just have to do