The Creative Rising

What are you doing here? It’s a big, scary question to discuss with visual artist and proud Atlanta native Shanequa Gay. As a painter, poet, storyteller, and justice advocate, she has worked through …

If the work from home walls are closing in, this episode will give you room to breathe. Host Blake Howard sits down with entrepreneur and developer Steve Nygren to unpack how our physical spaces have…

Anyone else getting stir crazy with the Covid-19 pandemic knocking on the global door? Yeah, us too. In this episode, host Blake Howard talks remotely with Dr. Jerome Lubbe, a functional neurologist …

Andy Mineo is a certified gold hip hop artist and producer known for sold-out shows and honest lyrics. His story didn't start with a half million followers on Spotify. It started with humble beginnin…

A story has the power to change everything. It gives us understanding and perspective. Whether trying to put out fires or stay inspired, a deeper understanding of another’s perspective is the secret …

For a season 2 bonus, we are flipping the script and reposting a conversation from the Accidental Creative podcast with Todd Henry and our host, Blake Howard, as his guest. This is a chance to hear m…

How do you keep going and push yourself after years of creating on the job? We talk with contemporary street artist Greg Mike. Although he calls Atlanta home, Greg has painted hundreds of murals arou…

How does the design community’s lack of diversity limit our collective creativity? How does privilege play into who gets hired? We go deep in the latest episode of The Creative Rising, unpacking dive…

“Vibe,” “values,” “vision” — call it what you will, but culture is an important component at any company. It's also a vague catchall term than can be confusing. Speaking with Gene Lee, Mailchimp’s SV…

Which is better, having a “dream job” or chasing your dream? For many creatives, that’s the eternal question. In this episode of The Creative Rising, we talk with David Tann, former creative director…

We continue our two-part series on the battle of beliefs. This time we are talking with artist and activist Fabian Williams, aka Occasional Superstar, about his experience in the ad world, how he bec…

What do you do when asked to help a client that you don't believe in or, worse yet, fundamentally disagree with? You can certainly take the money and run (those bills aren't going to pay themselves) …

In any career, becoming a leader is often seen as the next step, but going from maker to manager in the creative field can be a tricky transition. In this episode, Blake Howard interviews author and …

There's a high risk of tension when one creative critiques the work of another. Fortunately, it's possible for feedback to make us better instead of bitter. In this episode we hear from Armin Vit, le…

How do you keep evolving a recognizable style that's in high demand? In this episode we sit down with designer Brian Steely, whose monoline work has distinguished clients ranging from Nike to the nat…

Wether small set backs or devastating defeats, we all experience loss of some kind. In this episode, painter Dr. Fahamu Pecou, talks about what to do when life falls apart and you desperately need to…

Staying fresh and full of ideas as a creative professional can be difficult. In the final episode of Season 1, we talk to street poet and artist BlackCatTips to learn how he explores the unknown, odd…

Job aspirations, decisions and questions can haunt us. We quietly wonder, am I in the right place? Am I being paid fairly? Is my title right? Is it time for me to make a change? In this episode of Th…