The Creative Pulse podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 124: Simon Arizpe - Pop-Up Book Designer and Paper Engineer Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

Simon Arizpe is an award-winning pop-up book designer, paper engineer and illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s a graduate of The Pratt Institute, has worked in the field of pop-up book design for over 20 years and was recently an artist-in-residence at Zion National Park.
He’s designed more than 35 pop-up books to date and works on every aspect of the process, from concept to publication. His book, Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book, is a #1 best seller, and the three dimensional pop-up spreads he created for the Keith Haring Pop-Up Book celebrate the artist’s iconic artwork. His innovative flexagon book, THE WiLD POPUP, allows the reader to interact with the story in a whole new way.
He received the Meggendorfer Prize, the highest honour in pop-up book design, as well as awards from the Society of Illustrators and the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. His work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, and Columbia University’s rare book collection.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Simon about how he discovered the world of pop-up book design, balancing the creative and technical aspects of paper engineering, his inventive flexagon creations, and his experience being an artist-in-residence at Zion National Park.
Say hi to Simon:
Website - simonarizpe.com
Instagram - @simon.arizpe
Zion National Park feature profile: Simon Arizpe: Artist in residence
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 123: Sammie Aplin - Transforming Beach Trash into Art Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

Sammie Aplin works in the healthcare field but a few years ago, in her free time, she began to do daily beach clean-ups in her community. She noticed there was a lot of plastic litter on the shore and wanted to do something about it, viewing this waste as a resource. Before long, her creative mind saw a way to give these items a second life in thought-provoking, eye-catching, structured, yet whimsical artworks.
Her pieces include colour-themed layouts made up of a wide variety of plastic trash that she’s collected over the years. If you look closely you will spot treasures such as plastic beach toys, bottle caps, charms, cutlery, jewellery, containers and packaging.
Through her creative artworks, she’s supported environmental conservation causes and recently won the People’s Choice award at an exhibition at the Sussex Contemporary Art Gallery.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Sammie about her passion for transforming beach trash into art, how beach clean-ups have positively impacted her mental health and well-being, and the supportive conservation and creative community she’s found.
Say hi to Sammie:
Instagram - @the_plastic_coast
TikTok - @the_plastic_coast
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 122: Laurence Winram - Shaped Nature Land Artist Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Laurence Winram is a talented land artist who makes his professional living as an award-winning commercial and fine art photographer. He spends his free time following his passion by creating land art in forests, on beaches and anywhere inspiration finds him.
He uses natural, found items such as leaves, flowers, sticks and stones, to create ephemeral works of art featuring geometric patterns, size progressions and tessellations that are absolutely captivating. Lucky for us, his photography skills come in handy so that his creations are captured and they can be enjoyed well beyond their natural life span.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Laurence about how he discovered his passion for creating nature-based land art, the unique aspects of working with found materials, and how he makes peace with the impermanence of his creations.
Say hi to Laurence:
Instagram - @shapednature
TikTok - @shapednature
Facebook - /shapednature
Websites:
- Professional photography: commercial.lwinram.com
- European Land Art Festival: elafest.wixsite.com/elaf/home
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 121: Kristy Gordon - Painter & Author of “Become a Great Artist” Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Kristy Gordon is a Canadian-born artist living in New York City who is an accomplished painter, teacher and writer. Her work has been widely exhibited and her paintings hang in more than 600 collections worldwide.
She’s a three-time recipient of the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant and has participated in residencies and apprenticeships in Italy, China, Norway and France. She’s now helping to develop the next generation of artists as an adjunct professor at the New York Academy of Art.
Her book, Become a Great Artist, was recently published by Page Street Publishing. The book begins by helping readers set a clear intention to make meaningful, authentic art, and then provides 13 weekly lessons with practical steps to transform a vision into a reality.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Kristy about her creative journey, how she reflects multi-layered storylines and contemporary themes in her paintings, and she shares sneak peeks from her book about finding the inspiration to create daily and finding your own creative voice.
Say hi to Kristy:
Website: kristygordon.com and kristygordoncourses.com
Instagram - @kristygordonart
TikTok - @kristygordonart
Facebook - @kristygordonIII
YouTube - @KristyGordonArt
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 120: Fern Piyachut Rusmeeroj - Miniature Model Maker Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

Fern Piyachut Rusmeeroj is a trained architect who followed her creative passion and developed a career making miniature models of structures and their contents. She designs and makes scaled representations of buildings, homes, shops and more, for both individuals and commercial clients. Imagine your own home and everything in it, created at a size that you could display on a coffee table. It’s like the ultimate, personalized dollhouse.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Fern about how she combines her architecture training with her creativity, the techniques she’s developed to make her miniatures so realistic looking, and how she turned her dream of a creative career into a reality.
Say hi to Fern:
Instagram - @little_scale
TikTok - @little_scale
YouTube - @littlescale
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 119: Mark Jones - Debunking the Starving Artist Myth Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Mark Jones has dedicated over 25 years to empowering the next generation of creatives. His book, The Starving Artist Myth, challenges long-standing stereotypes about creative careers, advocating for the economic and social value they contribute to the world.
Mark is an accomplished educator, producer and author, known for bridging the worlds of culture, technology and education and his insight into the evolving landscape of creative industries. He is the Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Art and Design at Sheridan College and the former Director at the Seneca Film Institute, both in Ontario, Canada.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Mark about why the starving artist stereotype is so pervasive even though it misrepresents the reality of creative fields, how a combination of passion and commitment is key for a creative career, and how society can better support creatives.
Say hi to Mark:
Website - starvingartistmyth.com
Instagram - @starvingartistmyth
Facebook - /starvingartistmyth
LinkedIn: /mark-j-4076983
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 118: Alimo - Visual Artist Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Alimo has been drawing and creating for as long as he can remember and while he was in art school he had an experience that challenged his ideas and changed the way he thinks about art to this day.
He’s built a creative universe within which he works, designing and making fine art, NFT collections, sustainable clothing, products, murals, commissions and commercial projects. Alimo's artwork is inspired by experiences travelling around the world. Whether it's a serene landscape or a surfer ripping a wave, his art invites you to see the world through his eyes.
With his love for the outdoors, it stands to reason that sustainability is at the core of his ethos and impacts how he approaches and delivers his artistic creations to the world.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Alimo about turning points in his creative journey, how he embraces different ways of sharing his physical and digital work, and how he considers environmental sustainability in his approach and workflow.
Say hi to Alimo:
Website - alimofun.com
Instagram - @alimofun
TikTok - @alimofun
YouTube: @alimo-studios
X/Twitter: @alimofun
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 117: Jeff Meszaros - Bottle Cap Art Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

After collecting thousands of colourful bottle caps over several years, Jeff Meszaros had a brilliant idea - he could create a mosaic using these unconventional art supplies. Through trial and error, Jeff developed techniques to flatten and layer the caps in a unique way, allowing him to create textured portraits and images that also include 'easter eggs' that can be found when they’re viewed up close.
He’s now created over 150 mosaic portraits featuring well-known people including David Bowie, Harry Styles, Anthony Bourdain, Dolly Parton, Michael Jordan, Elvis and Freddie Mercury.
Thanks to Jeff’s work, over 350,000 bottle caps have been diverted from the landfill and he hopes his artwork inspires other creatives to think of ways to upcycle single-use items into high-value works of art.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Jeff about how he developed his artistic skill set, how he creates a new design concept, the creative community he loves, and how he continues to challenge himself by experimenting with different mediums.
Say hi to Jeff:
Website - jambottlecapart.com
Instagram - @jambottlecapart
TikTok - @jambottlecapart
Facebook - /JAMbottlecapart
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: @creativepulsepodcast
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 116: Brent Estabrook - Oil Painter with a Desire to Inspire Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

Brent Estabrook is an artist who’s known for his large-scale, colourful oil paintings of stuffed animals - often huge piles of them, all cuddled up together. He combines challenging techniques with a childlike sense of joy, creating textured and vibrant compositions. And the more you look at his detailed works, the more treasures there are to discover.
His style has evolved over time, exploring realism, hyperrealism, abstract and surrealism. Brent's work has been exhibited around the world, including solo exhibitions in Los Angeles, Switzerland, the Long Beach Museum of Art and Art Basel in Miami.
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Brent about his mission to inspire joy, how he combines precision and playfulness, and pivotal moments in his creative career.
Say hi to Brent:
Website - brentestabrook.com and smilesnfriends.com
Instagram - @brentestabrook
TikTok - @brentestabrook
Facebook - @brentestabrookart
YouTube - @brentestabrook8738
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Twitter: @CreativePulseTW
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Ep 115: Jayce Hall - Micrography Word Art Portraits Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Jayce Hall is a micrography word artist, drawing portraits using only combinations of letters that he repeats hundreds, or even thousands, of times. By precisely controlling the size of the letters he hand draws, as well as their spacing, density, and intensity of colour, he can make a portrait magically emerge out of the characters on the canvas.
His word art portraits have been featured by ESPN and Buzzfeed and he’s even seen portraits he’s made of celebrities, such as NBA star Steph Curry and country music legend Reba McEntire, presented directly to them!
On this episode, host Angela de Burger chats with Jayce about how he developed his micrography technique, how he stays open to creative exploration, why he loves drawing portraits, and how he uses his talents to raise funds for important causes.
Say hi to Jayce:
Website - jaycehallart.com
Instagram - @jaycehallart
TikTok - @jaycehallart
Facebook - /jaycehallart
YouTube - @jaycehallart
----
Creative Pulse Podcast socials:
Instagram: creativepulsepodcast
Twitter: @CreativePulseTW
Music credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Creative Pulse podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected