Stay ConnectedConversations with the biggest names and best-kept secrets of the creative world, spanning across industries. Learn about their origin stories and how they keep going when things get tough.
New episodes drop every 2 weeks.
Hosted by Rick Kitagawa and Digital Noir Studios.
Copyright: © DesignerCon
If you've ever been told "go get a real job," you’ll be familiar with how creatives are often devalued in the workforce and society at large. But it is still possible to be creative, have some fun, and have a career, and our guest this week, David Mould, is living proof of that.
David has been living in Thailand for the last 20 years and his work has seen him work in many countries around the world. His superpower is taking ideas from one industry and using them in another, while building allies and collaborators along the way. He also finds the joy, novelty, and inspiration in the creative tension of friction - from the design of products and services to the world around us at large.
In this thoughtful conversation, David shares his thoughts on creativity, navigating the corporate world as a creative, how generative AI will shape the future, and how to be a specialist as a generalist.
David’s Links:
Instagram: @Daveybkk
LinkedIn: David Mould
4th Horizon on LinkedIn: 4th Horizon
Blog: Looking Fourth
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
With all the allures of fortune and fame, it can be tempting to try and chase trends and do things that will get you noticed. But what does it look like to build something completely for yourself?
Adam Griffin has done that with Thirsty Thursday Toys, a YouTube channel where he creates a cocktail in homage to a toy from his collection every Thursday. A teacher by day and a monster mixologist at night, Adam’s love of the color green and kaiju is brought to drinkable life every week for the past four years. In this conversation, Adam dives into the challenges of building a niche YouTube channel, what it takes to stand out and do what you love, and dives into drink making, fostering creativity, and planning for a long-term project.
Adam’s Links
YouTube:@thirstythursdaytoys
Instagram: @thirstythursdaytoys
Email: thirstythursdaytoys@gmail.com
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Generative AI image creation is everywhere, yet there’s still artists out there creating things by hand and building a brand around what they’re making.
8pm is one such artist. Known for his anime-inspired hyper-detailed illustrations and his runaway hit vinyl toy Jimmy, 8pm designs UX flows by day and creates his personal brand by night.
In this conversation, 8pm puts on all his various hats as an artist, UX designer, and community builder and together we dive into the difference between being creative and being a creator, the trials and tribulations of making a designer toy, and the next evolution of art in an age of Generative AI.
8pm’s Links
Website: the8pm.com
Instagram: @8_pm
Discord: 8pm Discord
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Fan art is a convention staple, but some say it can stifle your creative voice. Pacho Abalos digs deep and dives into why he focuses now on his original characters and how that sets him apart from the masses.Pancho is an artist and streetwear designer known for his graffiti-inspired styles that blend traditional and digital mediums that bring to life his original characters that also reflect incredibly personal stories and emotions. With a portfolio of clients including Nike, BAIT, and Hatsune Miku, Pancho can be found in conventions across the US and abroad.
In this raw conversation, Pancho shares the starts and stops in his artistic journey, how he translates challenges into inspiration, and his journey from doing fan art to building his own worlds.
Pancho’s links:
Website: www.panchoabalos.com
Instagram: @pabalos
DeviantArt: www.deviantart.com/pabalos
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Have you always had an itch to make your own art, but didn’t know where to start? Award-winning independent comic artist and toy designer Ben Seto will tell you to just do it anyway.
Ben is the author and artist behind the Xeric-winning comic series “Usagi Jane and The Skullbunnies.” As an independent artist he produces his own resin figures, has run a successful crowdfunding campaign, and makes his marks at comic conventions through the West Coast.
In this candid conversation, Ben talks about how he manages his projects with ADHD, his outlook on doing things that are hard and uncomfortable, and why he embraces criticism as a way to grow.
Ben’s links:
Instagram: @benseto
Skull Bunnies IG: @skullbunnies
Website: blacksheepcomics.com
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Do you know what Japanese soft vinyl, punk rock albums, and shoe catalogs all have in common? Brian Flynn, the founder of Super7 will let you in on the answer - it’s design.
From understanding the visual language of punk album covers to building his own design studio and working with clients like Nike, Apple, and The North Face to turning a magazine project into a thriving toy company, Brian Flynn has been making things all his life.
In this accessible but deep conversation, Brian shares with us his story and the power of design thinking. He shares tons of wisdom, inspiration, and the mindset shift needed to design the life you want to live, make cool stuff, and make clients happy.
Brian’s Links
Store site: super7.com
Instagram: @super7
Hybrid Design Studio: hybrid-design.com
Brian’s person Instagram: @brianflynn
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick:rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris:digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon:designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram:@noelbeltran_
FaceBook:@noelbeltran_
TikTok:@noelbeltran
Youtube:@noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram:@father.bankston
Tiktok:@father_bankston
Youtube:@nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram:@milfs.kitchen
Ever wonder what it takes to make a feature film? What about three of them, with a shoestring budget? Courtney Daniels, not only knows how but wrote a book on it titled Yes You Can - How to Make a Movie for Almost No Money.
The writer and director of What Other Couples Do, Bedroom Story, and It’s Not You, It’s LA (formerly titled This F%*king Town), Courtney is an independent filmmaker living in Los Angeles. She makes character-driven movies that can be found on streaming platforms such as Amazon and Tubi.
In this masterclass on independent filmmaking, Courtney shares her journey from writing spec scripts as a receptionist to abandoning the Hollywood machine to make her own films. She shares insights into not only the structural parts of filmmaking and screenwriting, but also things like finding talented actors, building a solid reputation, and how to make films people want to watch.
Courtney’s Links
Website: courtneydanielsfilms.com
Her book: Yes You Can - How to Make a Movie For Almost No Money
Instagram: @courtneydanielstoyou
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Famous musicians can seem out of reach, but after years of promoting and managing artists in Australia, Trent Slingshot of Hip Hop Toyz has built relationships with legends like KRS-One and Wu-Tang.
Trent is a bona fide hustler in all the good ways, and he breaks down his knack for knocking on doors and establishing himself as the go-to-guy when hip hop acts want to visit Australia. While still promoting and managing artists, Trent has also built Hip Hop Toyz, and has gone from making bootleg figures to officially licensed collaborations.
In this conversation, Trent shares his many career pivots, some life lessons, and what it means to turn hip hop artists into super heroes.
Trent’s Links:
Shop: hiphoptoyz.com
Instagram: @hiphoptoyz
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
For many artists, having an immediate sell-out of a product would be amazing. It would be even more amazing to do it in high school. Connor McConnell of Abominable Toys has done just that.
Connor is the co-creator of the yeti characters Chomp and Chomper and the owner of Abominable Toys, which he runs full-time. With licensed collaborations with Bob Ross and Godzilla, toys in Hot Topic, Abominable Toys is slowly taking over the world.
In this conversation, Connor shares how he got started building a toy empire while in high school, how he found a factory to make his figures, how he networks as an introvert, and his advice for those looking to get into the toy scene even if they don’t have an art degree.
Connor’s Links:
Website: abominabletoys.com
Instagram: @abominabletoys
TikTok: @abominabletoys
Facebook: @abominabletoys
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Many folks want to run their art business full-time, but have you run the numbers? In this interview with Brianna, the artist behind Onicake, she does a deep dive into the business side of running a kawaii art business and shares how she got started.
A full-time artist selling enamel pins, ita-bags, plush, and other accessories, Brianna runs Onicake from her home base in Dallas, Texas. You can find her and her adorable creations at conventions throughout the United States and in her online store.
In this conversation, Brianna shares her early entrepreneurial stories and the rise from her first time tabling at a convention without a tablecloth to her first manufactured product to building Onicakes into a thriving accessories business.
With marketing tips, a whole piece on thinking about trends, this interview has a ton of actionable advice and inspiration to get started, even in the midst of the rise of AI.
Brianna’s links:
Instagram: @onicakeco
Twitter: @onicakeco
Bluesky: @onicakeco.bsky.social
Tiktok: @onicakeco
Webstore: Onicake.com
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
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