Creative Slash

Ep. 038 – Orlando Arocena (Mexifunk) – The Man Who Changed the Look of Vector

In this episode, we sit down with legendary illustrator Orlando Arocena (Mexifunk) [https://www.instagram.com/mexifunk/] to talk about building a creative career by leaning into the things other people run away from.  While most designers saw Adobe Illustrator as limiting for hyper-realistic illustration work or something to outsource, Orlando saw an opportunity. He spent decades pushing the software far beyond what people thought it could do.  Eventually, he became known for his coveted work with major films, entertainment brands, and some of the most recognizable vector illustrations in the industry (lots of movie posters look Photoshopped, but they're actually vector, insane, I know).  Along the way, we also dig into highly actionable insights like: *  Why specialization can become your biggest advantage  *  The hidden opportunities inside unpopular tools  *  What decades of creative work taught Orlando about standing out  *  How to build a career around curiosity instead of trends  *  And why “breaking the rules” sometimes just means paying closer attention than everyone else  If you've ever wondered whether your weird interests, niche skills, or unconventional path could actually become your advantage, then buckle up because this episode is for you. (And yes… somehow we also start with colonoscopy stories.) ABOUT ORLANDO AROCENA (MEXIFUNK) Orlando Arocena is a Mexican-Cuban-American artist and creative strategist known for his bold, highly detailed vector artwork. A 13-time CLIO recipient and 2025 Emmy Award nominee, Orlando has worked across film, pop culture, gaming, and brand storytelling, bringing more than 30 years of creative experience to his distinctive style. Follow Orlando Arocena on Behance [https://www.behance.net/orlandoarocena] and on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mexifunk/] Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series [https://creative-slash.kit.com/b616fcbd9c] 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. View Brave the Woods [https://www.bravethewoods.com] 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. View RetroSupply [https://www.retrosupply.co] Credits Audio/video editing: Clara Wright [https://shorturl.at/76YPG] Cover art: Brad Woodard Intro animation: Seth Austin Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström [https://www.instagram.com/hagstrompar/]

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 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. Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series [https://creative-slash.kit.com/b616fcbd9c] 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. View Brave the Woods [https://www.bravethewoods.com] 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. View RetroSupply [https://www.retrosupply.co] Credits Audio/video editing: Clara Wright [https://shorturl.at/76YPG] Cover art: Brad Woodard Intro animation: Seth Austin Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström [https://www.instagram.com/hagstrompar/]

Ep. 036 – Trust Design – Punching Above Your Weight as a Two-Person Studio

In this episode, we sit down with Trust Design [https://www.trustdesignshop.com/], 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—without becoming a big agency. They share how they stumbled into starting a studio (with no clear roadmap), why they rejected the idea that design has to be cutthroat, and how discovering the creative community completely changed their trajectory.  We also dig into their philosophy of “punching above your weight.” What it actually looks like in practice, and why it has less to do with talent and more to do with care.  Along the way, we talk about: *  Why most creatives underestimate how much presentation matters  *  The hidden advantage of not acting like a traditional agency  *  How to build trust with clients before you even start the project  *  Why being “in-house in spirit” changes everything  If you’ve ever felt like you’re too small to compete (or unsure how to stand out without a massive following) this episode is proof that you don’t need scale to do meaningful, high-level work. Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series [https://creative-slash.kit.com/b616fcbd9c] 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. View Brave the Woods [https://www.bravethewoods.com] 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. View RetroSupply [https://www.retrosupply.co] Credits Audio/video editing: Clara Wright [https://shorturl.at/76YPG] Cover art: Brad Woodard Intro animation: Seth Austin Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström [https://www.instagram.com/hagstrompar/]

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 Mikey Burton about that shift. And honestly, it's refreshing, like talking to a design monk who makes everything feel like it's going to be okay. From editorial work on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to building a career across studios, freelance, and printmaking, Mikey shares a perspective that cuts through a lot of the noise around “getting better” as a creative. We talk to Mikey about staying loose, staying human, and building a career without sanding off the parts that made your work interesting in the first place, including: * The sweet spot. That moment before you fully “master” something is often where your best work lives  * Fight over-polishing. Why the final version is often worse than the sketch (and what gets lost in the process) * Be more human. In a world of AI and optimization, why leaning into imperfection might be your biggest advantage. * Sharing vs performing. How the shift from gatekeepers to social media changed what it means to “put work out there.”  * Careers aren’t linear. How timing, visibility, and just sticking around long enough still matter more than people admit  Later in the episode, Mikey talks about everything from building a body of work over years (not weeks), to why printing in his “basement dungeon” keeps things grounded, to the strange reality of contributing to something culturally massive without it being your “purest” creative expression.  Listen to this. By the time you're done you'll feel some fresh creative energy flowing through your spirit. Hey, check out Mikey Burton! View Mikey Burton's website here [https://mikeyburton.com/] Follow Mikey Burton on Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/mikeyburton/] Buy his Pile O' Prints here (Brad and I did, and it's 100% pure awesome) [https://mikeyburton.com/shop] Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series [https://creative-slash.kit.com/b616fcbd9c] 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. View Brave the Woods [https://www.bravethewoods.com] 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. View RetroSupply [https://www.retrosupply.co] Credits Audio/video editing: Clara Wright [https://shorturl.at/76YPG] Cover art: Brad Woodard Intro animation: Seth Austin Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström [https://www.instagram.com/hagstrompar/]

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 career, plus a lot more, including: * Bringing your beliefs into your work. How a personal lifestyle shift turned into a long-term creative choice that influenced clients and brought personal fulfillment (as opposed to just financial fulfillment). * Redefine “sustainable”. Sustainable doesn't have to mean monk-like discipline. See why small businesses and imperfect efforts still matter more than people think. * Niche without limiting yourself. You can build a values-based studio without boxing yourself into a tiny market. Jeff digs into practices that are fulfilling (without alienating your market). * True growth inevitably takes time. Why meaningful careers are built slowly (even if social media makes it feel otherwise)  * Human work still matters. I think we all agree on this, but it's important to get different takes. Jeff shares why people will always value things made by people. Later in the episode, Jeff shares how his path from making Call of Duty graphics as a kid to running a purpose-driven studio was shaped less by a clear plan and more by following curiosity, interests, and a growing sense of responsibility.  If you’ve ever felt torn between doing work that pays and work that actually matters, this conversation offers a more honest way to think about both. Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series [https://creative-slash.kit.com/b616fcbd9c] 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. View Brave the Woods [https://www.bravethewoods.com] 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. View RetroSupply [https://www.retrosupply.co] Credits Audio/video editing: Clara Wright [https://shorturl.at/76YPG] Cover art: Brad Woodard Intro animation: Seth Austin Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström [https://www.instagram.com/hagstrompar/]