Was It Chance?

#105 - Paul Pape: Santa for Nerds, Making the Things That Don’t Exist Yet

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What if saying “yes” before you know how is the real creative superpower?

In this episode of Was It Chance, Heather Vickery and Alan Seales sit down with Paul Pape—creative problem navigator, TEDx speaker, author, and the man affectionately known as “Santa for Nerds.” From a studio in Nebraska, Paul has built custom props, collectibles, and prototypes for Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon, Broadway, and The Tonight Show, becoming the go-to person when clients need something that doesn’t exist yet.

Paul shares how a theater background, relentless curiosity, and a bend-don’t-break mindset led him from being told he’d never act again to designing iconic objects for film, television, and live entertainment. Along the way, he breaks down how creatives can build sustainable businesses without sacrificing their artistic soul—by charging for labor, reframing pricing, and even gamifying business strategy.

This conversation is a masterclass in intentional risk, creative problem solving, and why the “starving artist” narrative deserves to be retired for good.


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    • EPISODE TAKEAWAYS:

    • Creative success often comes from saying yes before you know how, then trusting yourself to figure it out along the way.
    • Efficiency and experience increase your value, not decrease it, and your pricing should reflect that growth over time.
    • Charging too little attracts the wrong clients and limits sustainability, while pricing appropriately creates commitment and respect.
    • Failure is not a stopping point but a critical step that teaches faster and deeper than success ever can.
    • A background in one creative discipline can unlock opportunities in entirely different industries if you stay curious and adaptable.
    • Gamifying business concepts can make strategy, pricing, and structure more accessible for creative thinkers.
    • Creative work has real labor value and must include compensation for time, skill, and years of experience.
    • Building a sustainable creative business requires surrounding yourself with people who complement your weaknesses, not mirror your strengths.
    • The myth of the starving artist persists only when creatives undervalue their work and avoid business fundamentals
    • ntentional risk, combined with passion and problem solving, can turn unconventional paths into long-term creative careers.

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      Was It Chance?By Alan Seales, Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network