Ep. 007 - Aaron Draplin - Insect Souls, Old Action Figures & the Pursuit of Freedom

Aaron Draplin doesn’t mince words. His ideas are as bold and unshakable as his design work. 

And on this sweltering afternoon in the Pacific Northwest, he was in a rare, reflective mood.

From aliens to afterlives in design, Draplin opens up about what comes next after building a massive creative brand, and what it really means to start fresh.

In this episode:

• The cosmic link between bugs, belief, and being a good human
• What five months of dish shifts in Alaska taught him about freedom
• Why he won’t sell you a $200 poster (and what he sells instead)
• Fate vs. control: how much of success is luck, and how much is yours to claim
• How he built a creative life on his own terms (and how you can too)

If you’re a creative feeling stuck, cynical, or ready for a reset, this one’s for you.

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Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like Nickelodeon, Target, USPS, and NASA. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to children’s books.

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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

Credits

Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström