Michael Benford, creative director of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, went from a career in music to leading design for the major leagues. In this final episode of season 3, Benford tackles the product and process of creating highly-visible design — from stadium signage to redesigning team uniforms — and shares how to stay innovative season over season. Listen Here

Who says creativity has to stay on a fixed course? In this episode of The Creative Rising, watercolorist Richard Sullivan traces his path from professional athlete to an acclaimed artist. Bringing the same passion and determination to the canvas as he did the field, Sullivan illustrates the complexity of the creative identity. Listen Here

While it may seem like some people always land on their feet, in reality, everyone’s career path has unexpected twists, turns, and the occasional dead end. Carly Ayres, now working on UX Community & Culture at Google, has plenty of titles under her belt (designer at Creative Mornings, author at CommunicationArts, co-founder of Hawraf, to name a few) but her journey as a creative began with a drive to explore the unknown and lean into learning, wherever the opportunity presented itself. Listen Here

How does a creative climb the ladder of success to rockstar status? Bobby C. Martin, co-founder of Champions Design, knows a little something about that. Fast Company named him one of “the most creative people in business,” and he’s led design projects for prestige brands like The New York Times, Girl Scouts of America, MTV and many more. In this new installment, we sit down and hear his story, which starts with classroom doodles and culminates with leading the design firm of dreams. Listen Here

Sometimes it’s hard to drink up the creative juices when the pressure of deadlines and timelines are closing in. Adam Weiss, founder and creative director of brand strategy and design studio Landscape, lends his perspective to staying curious, creative, and experimental without constraint. Listen Here

Originally released in September of 2019, this conversation with author, speaker, and racial justice expert, Bethaney Wilkinson, is more relevant than ever. How does the creative community’s lack of diversity limit collective creativity? How does privilege play into who gets hired? Anyone willing to listen and learn can actually make a difference and, in this conversation, Bethaney gives us sage advice for taking meaningful action. Listen Here

What happens when career and ambition suddenly get halted due to uncontrollable factors? In this episode, host Blake Howard sits down with Toke Nygaard, the Chief Creative Officer at Zendesk, to talk about his story, an unexpected disease, and the power of empathy in action. Listen Here

Is it possible to change the World, stay in love, and have healthy relationships? In this episode, we talk with Jeff and Andre Shinabarger, the hosts of the podcast Love or Work. Andre is on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 as a Physicians Assistant and Jeff is the founder of Plywood People, a non-profit in Atlanta that leads a community of start-ups doing good. Listen Here

You’re supposed to have your finger on the pulse of what’s new, cool, and creative, but what if you’re feeling out of touch? Matt Luckhurst, co-founder of The New Company (and former COLLINS co-founder and executive creative director) shares his perspective on conquering the fear of being irrelevant. Listen Here

Visual artist and proud Atlanta native Shanequa Gay shares her perspective on how we all can relentlessly pursue our purpose. Listen Here

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 around the world — from the Swiss Alps to Venice Beach — and has built a strong following in the process. After years of hustling, grinding and creating, what keeps Greg Mike inspired, challenged and fulfilled? Find out in this episode.
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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 diversity in design with writer, scholar and social entrepreneur Bethaney Bree Wilkinson, leader of The Diversity Gap project and director of programming at Plywood People. Listen Here

“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 SVP of Customer Experience and Design, we explore what culture means and how it filters into every aspect of the creative process. Listen Here

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 of the Atlanta Hawks, who took a leap to strike out on his own, despite having a coveted creative role. Listen Here

We continue our two-part series on the battle of beliefs. This time we are talking with artist & activist Fabian Williams, aka Occasional Superstar, about his experience in the ad world, how he became a full-time artist, and how his work to promote social justice led head to head with the NFL. Listen Here

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) or stand firm on your moral high ground. Saying no is easier said than done and in this episode, host Blake Howard talks courage and convictions with Julia Zeltser, creative director and co-founder of the social impact design firm Hyperakt. Listen Here

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 thought leader Todd Henry, whose recent book “Herding Tigers” investigates what it means to be the advocate creatives want and the leader they need. From earning trust and developing decision-makers to nixing gossip and navigating conflict, Todd and Blake dig into the challenges creative leaders face. Listen Here

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, leading design critic and co-founder of Brand New. He shares his experiences with diversifying an industry niche, pushing back against comment culture and turning fear of failure into creative fuel. Listen Here

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 national parks. We discuss what it means to set boundaries, battle impostor syndrome, and refresh your craft while embracing your distinctive voice. Listen Here

Whether small setbacks or devastating defeats, we all experience loss of some kind. In this episode, painter and scholar Dr. Fahamu Pecou, talks about what to do when life falls apart and you desperately need to restart. He knows loss all too well. In 2018, Fahamu experienced a crushing fire at his studio, losing years of work, supplies, and irreplaceable relics. We learn about his resiliency to bounce back and more on the art of the restart. Listen Here

Stay tuned for our second season of The Creative Rising! Listen Here

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 BlackCat Tips to learn how he explores the unknown, odd, and uncomfortable in the pursuit of staying lively with ideas. Listen Here

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, we talk to marketing guru, speaker, and author Chris Coleman to get her sage advice on a successful creative career. Listen Here

You’re washed up. Done for. All the good ideas are gone and the pressure is on to deliver. What does it look like to get unstuck? In this episode we talk to musician, storyteller and educator, OkCello, to learn about his creative process and learning from our own emotions to breakthrough. Listen Here

What does it take to be a straight-up boss in the board room? How do we handle the pressure when the spotlight is on? We are going to talk with author and spoken word poet, Amena Brown about the courage required to speak with spirit. Listen Here

How do you know when it’s time to cut bait? Whether a dream job, heartfelt project, or a company you created, it takes guts to say goodbye. In this episode, we will talk to author and City Planner Ryan Gravel about how he walked away (multiple times) from his brainchild, the Atlanta Beltline. Listen Here

Why is it so hard for us to unplug? Is it FOMO, workloads, or deadlines that fool us into seeing rest as an optional “nice to do”? We are going to talk to Creative Director, and agency-owner, José Reyes about the courage required to press pause, gain perspective and rejuvenate our creative souls. Listen Here

Let’s be honest, there can be a real terror in telling the truth. We all know it is the right thing to do, but can we be too honest? When is the right time? And what if it hurts a co-worker’s feelings or gets you fired?! In this conversation, we learn from the Brutally Honest creative business consultant and author Emily Cohen on how to be neither a pushover nor a prick. Listen Here

Next stop: Braintown. In this episode, we are going to nerd-out on neurology with Dr. Jerome Lubbe. As a leading functional neurologist, he is going to help us better understand what's really happening when we freak out over a deadline, client meeting, or office conflict. Listen Here

What's even scarier than death? You guessed it: speaking to a room full of strangers. In this episode, we are going to learn from author and speaker extraordinaire Sam Harrison to help us pacify our panic. Listen Here

Everyone wants to be brave in their creative career, but what does it practically look like? In this short teaser episode, we explore the heart of this series, hear some of host Blake Howard’s backstory and how you can begin to practically apply courage in your work as a creative professional. Listen Here