In the latest episode of the Behind the Creative Curtain podcast, host Renee Garcia opens up about the challenges and transformations going on behind the scenes for the show. With a heartfelt message, she shares her journey of navigating creative endeavors while also providing insights into the world of creativity and self-worth. Join her to explore the essence of this podcast and the importance of celebrating the creative community.

About your host

Renee Garcia runs a brand design studio rooted in Portland, OR called Renee Lynn Creative. Through the studio, she crafts memorable brands for people devoted to planting positive change. She loves spending time outside and connecting with people in the community.

Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-lynn-garcia/

Subscribe to RLC Roots to be the first to hear about new episodes.

View samples of my branding work on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/reneelynncreative/

Join hosts Renee Garcia and Damion Rowe as they sit down with Ashwin Chacko, art director turned children’s book illustrator and founder of Bad Book Press publishing house. From commercial illustration to launching Northern Ireland’s first dedicated children’s picture book publisher, Ashwin reveals how faith, purpose, and strategic patience built his creative empire.

What starts as a discussion about finding your creative purpose quickly evolves into a masterclass on art direction, publishing, and building sustainable creative businesses. Ashwin opens up about his 10-year journey from graphic designer to full-time illustrator, sharing how the 2020 lockdown forced him to discover his “why” and pivot toward children’s book illustration. Renee explores the business side of creative freelancing, while Damion discovers the complexities of print production and screen printing techniques.

Creative Business & Career Topics:

* How to transition from art director to freelance illustrator (10:57)

* The 10-year creative evolution cycle across multiple disciplines (1:00:01)

* Building your illustration style around personal purpose (20:55)

* Starting a children’s book publishing house from scratch (48:30)

* Why scope of work documents prevent client disasters (38:34)

* Art direction secrets: managing teams and creative vision (31:02)

Children’s Book & Publishing Insights:

* Writing picture books: 500-word limits and brutal editing (50:51)

* Character development vs. story-first approaches (52:17)

* Self-publishing strategies that attract traditional publishers (13:40)

* Screen printing vs. DTG for book merchandise (25:57)

Art Direction & Client Management:

* Why clients always choose the “safe” option (34:43)

* Managing photographer and illustrator teams (32:06)

* The art of giving creative freedom within constraints (33:29)

* Communication strategies that prevent scope creep (38:57)

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode reveals the spiritual and strategic foundations behind successful creative careers. We witness Ashwin’s faith-driven approach to art, his honest advice about separating self-worth from creative output, and his ambitious vision for Bad Book Press. The conversation covers everything from screen printing techniques and DTG quality differences to the psychological aspects of creative growth, plus practical business advice for anyone building a creative career.

Whether you’re an illustrator considering children’s books, someone transitioning from corporate creative roles, or any creative professional seeking purpose-driven business strategies, this episode provides both spiritual guidance and practical frameworks for building sustainable creative careers.

Connect with Ashwin:

* Website: https://whackochacko.com/about/

* YouTube: http://youtube.com/c/ashwinchacko

* Social: @whackochacko (Instagram, X)

* LinkedIn: Ashwin Chacko

Perfect for: Art directors, children’s book illustrators, creative entrepreneurs, freelancers building client businesses, anyone interested in publishing, and creatives seeking purpose-driven career strategies.

Description:

Join hosts Renee Garcia and Damion Rowe as they sit down with Ashwin Chacko, art director turned children's book illustrator and founder of Bad Book Press publishing house. From commercial illustration to launching Northern Ireland's first dedicated children's picture book publisher, Ashwin reveals how faith, purpose, and strategic patience built his creative empire.

What starts as a discussion about finding your creative purpose quickly evolves into a masterclass on art direction, publishing, and building sustainable creative businesses. Ashwin opens up about his 10-year journey from graphic designer to full-time illustrator, sharing how the 2020 lockdown forced him to discover his "why" and pivot toward children's book illustration. Renee explores the business side of creative freelancing, while Damion discovers the complexities of print production and screen printing techniques.

Creative Business & Career Topics:

* How to transition from art director to freelance illustrator (10:57)

* The 10-year creative evolution cycle across multiple disciplines (1:00:01)

* Building your illustration style around personal purpose (20:55)

* Starting a children's book publishing house from scratch (48:30)

* Why scope of work documents prevent client disasters (38:34)

* Art direction secrets: managing teams and creative vision (31:02)

Children's Book & Publishing Insights:

* Writing picture books: 500-word limits and brutal editing (50:51)

* Character development vs. story-first approaches (52:17)

* Self-publishing strategies that attract traditional publishers (13:40)

* Screen printing vs. DTG for book merchandise (25:57)

Art Direction & Client Management:

* Why clients always choose the "safe" option (34:43)

* Managing photographer and illustrator teams (32:06)

* The art of giving creative freedom within constraints (33:29)

* Communication strategies that prevent scope creep (38:57)

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode reveals the spiritual and strategic foundations behind successful creative careers. We witness Ashwin's faith-driven approach to art, his honest advice about separating self-worth from creative output, and his ambitious vision for Bad Book Press. The conversation covers everything from screen printing techniques and DTG quality differences to the psychological aspects of creative growth, plus practical business advice for anyone building a creative career.

Whether you're an illustrator considering children's books, someone transitioning from corporate creative roles, or any creative professional seeking purpose-driven business strategies, this episode provides both spiritual guidance and practical frameworks for building sustainable creative careers.

Connect with Ashwin:

* Website: https://whackochacko.com

* YouTube: http://youtube.com/c/ashwinchacko

* Social: @whackochacko (Instagram, X)

* LinkedIn: Ashwin Chacko

Perfect for: Art directors, children's book illustrators, creative entrepreneurs, freelancers building client businesses, anyone interested in publishing, and creatives seeking purpose-driven career strategies.

Backend development powers everything you do online, but most people have no idea how it actually works. Adam Sparks, software architect and founder of Sparkstone, breaks down the complex systems that run behind every app, website, and digital service—plus why understanding them is crucial for your digital freedom.

In this episode we talk about the Backend Magic You Never See, Software Architecture, Digital Freedom, and Building Your Own Internet

What starts as an explanation of basic programming concepts quickly evolves into a deep dive on software architecture, data ownership, and building truly independent digital infrastructure. Adam walks through his journey from middle school coding competitions to architecting enterprise-level 3D visualizations that required massive GPU clusters just to render in browsers. Renee explores the creative aspects of software development, while Damion discovers the invisible complexity that makes every website function.

Backend Development Topics Explored:

* What software architects actually do and how to get there (9:39)

* The middle school programming competition that started it all (12:22)

* UI vs UX: creating buttons vs. knowing where to put them (19:10)

* HTML vs. real programming languages: the heated debate (37:51)

* Everything that happens behind the screen that users never see (42:02)

Digital Freedom & Architecture:

* How federated networks could free your data from corporate control (55:07)

* The truth about digital "ownership" vs. licensing your content (23:33)

* Building your own media server with Jellyfin (26:52)

* Why Signal's encryption protects even Signal from reading your messages (59:29)

* How Truth Social runs on Mastodon's open-source code (1:02:28)

Technical Deep Dives:

* Kubernetes clusters running in basements explained (42:11)

* 3D visualization that cost tens of thousands per month in GPU costs (53:57)

* Why Chrome crashes after 20 gigs of memory (52:15)

* The "Federate the Masses" open source project breakdown (55:07)

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode reveals the staggering technical complexity hidden behind simple user interactions. We witness Adam's passion for digital ownership and privacy, his three-screen setup that makes instant fact-checking possible, and his ambitious vision for a decentralized internet where users control their own data. The conversation takes fascinating detours through Arthur theme songs, the ethics of digital piracy, and why Portland libraries offer 100 free prints daily. Most revealing is Adam's honest admission about what keeps him up at night: either avoiding current events or obsessing over the next technical challenge in his federation project.

Whether you're curious about what software architects actually do, concerned about digital privacy and corporate data control, or want to understand the invisible complexity that makes your favorite apps work, this episode offers insider knowledge that will change how you think about technology.

Connect with Adam:

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sparkstonepdx

Perfect for: Developers interested in software architecture concepts, anyone curious about backend systems. Or people concerned about digital privacy and data ownership, and those wanting to understand the infrastructure that powers modern applications.

Backend development powers everything you do online, but most people have no idea how it actually works. Adam Sparks, software architect and founder of Sparkstone, breaks down the complex systems that run behind every app, website, and digital service—plus why understanding them is crucial for your digital freedom.

What starts as an explanation of basic programming concepts quickly evolves into a deep dive on software architecture, data ownership, and building truly independent digital infrastructure. Adam walks through his journey from middle school coding competitions to architecting enterprise-level 3D visualizations that required massive GPU clusters just to render in browsers. Renee explores the creative aspects of software development, while Damion discovers the invisible complexity that makes every website function.

Backend Development Topics Explored:

* What software architects actually do and how to get there (9:39)

* The middle school programming competition that started it all (12:22)

* UI vs UX: creating buttons vs. knowing where to put them (19:10)

* HTML vs. real programming languages: the heated debate (37:51)

* Everything that happens behind the screen that users never see (42:02)

Digital Freedom & Architecture:

* How federated networks could free your data from corporate control (55:07)

* The truth about digital “ownership” vs. licensing your content (23:33)

* Building your own media server with Jellyfin (26:52)

* Why Signal’s encryption protects even Signal from reading your messages (59:29)

* How Truth Social runs on Mastodon’s open-source code (1:02:28)

Technical Deep Dives:

* Kubernetes clusters running in basements explained (42:11)

* 3D visualization that cost tens of thousands per month in GPU costs (53:57)

* Why Chrome crashes after 20 gigs of memory (52:15)

* The “Federate the Masses” open source project breakdown (55:07)

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode reveals the staggering technical complexity hidden behind simple user interactions. We witness Adam’s passion for digital ownership and privacy, his three-screen setup that makes instant fact-checking possible, and his ambitious vision for a decentralized internet where users control their own data.

The conversation takes fascinating detours through Arthur theme songs, the ethics of digital piracy, and why Portland libraries offer 100 free prints daily. Most revealing is Adam’s honest admission about what keeps him up at night: either avoiding current events or obsessing over the next technical challenge in his federation project.

Whether you’re curious about what software architects actually do, concerned about digital privacy and corporate data control, or want to understand the invisible complexity that makes your favorite apps work, this episode offers insider knowledge that will change how you think about technology.

Connect with Adam:

* Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sparkstonepdx

* Liveframe: a free, photo sharing app for events

* Sparkstone website

Perfect for: Developers interested in software architecture concepts, anyone curious about backend systems. Or people concerned about digital privacy and data ownership, and those wanting to understand the infrastructure that powers modern applications.

Most designers have no idea what happens to their files after hitting "export." Malia Ross works in pre-press, so she sees exactly where things go wrong—and right. This multi-job creative hustler works print production by day and cannabis motion graphics by night, giving her unique insight into both sides of the design process.

Most designers have no idea what happens to their files after hitting "export." Malia Ross works in pre-press, so she sees exactly where things go wrong—and right. This multi-job creative hustler works print production by day and cannabis motion graphics by night, giving her unique insight into both sides of the design process.

What starts as a conversation about surviving multiple job layoffs and company closures quickly evolves into a technical masterclass that most designers never get to see. Malia pulls back the curtain on the pre-press world, revealing why your RGB files make her job harder, how CMYK dots actually stack to create colors, and the intricate dance between designers and print production.

Key Topics Explored:

* The pre-press secrets every designer should know (41:53 - Why designers need to convert to CMYK)

* How offset printing actually works vs. the digital revolution (34:58)

* Surviving creative industry instability and pricing yourself right

* The therapeutic power of gardening when juggling multiple jobs

* Why After Effects became her favorite Adobe program

* The David Austin roses vs "overrated" red roses garden story

Technical Deep Dives:

* Complete pre-press workflow walkthrough (40:00)

* Pantone vs CMYK color matching explained (35:00)

* Dot gain and color stacking demonstration (44:56)

* Digital vs print campaign differences (23:29)

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode reveals the technical magic that happens between "send to print" and finished product. We witness Malia's passionate explanation of color matching, her honest work-life balance admission ("I don't"), and her recent Art Nouveau octopus t-shirt design reveal. The conversation takes delightful detours through mystery tomato thieves and the creative time warp that happens when you're truly immersed in your craft.

Whether you're a designer who's never understood print production or a creative managing multiple income streams, this episode offers insider knowledge you won't find in design school.

Perfect for: Designers wanting to understand print production, creatives juggling multiple jobs, anyone curious about the technical side of graphic design, and those who appreciate honest conversations about creative survival.

In this hosts-only episode, Renee Garcia and Damion Rowe pull back the curtain on their own creative journeys and business realities. No guest this time—just two creatives getting real about the messy, complicated, and often hilarious side of running creative businesses.

What starts as Renee lamenting her business name's unexpected SEO conflict quickly spirals into a deep dive through the landscape of modern creative entrepreneurship.

The conversation weaves through copyright confusion, AI's impact on artists, and the harsh reality of tariffs crushing small businesses. Damion shares war stories from DJing a 5,000-person Colombian wedding, while Renee opens up about her journey from commissioned illustrations (including a memorable 48-person family portrait) to full-time branding work.

Key Topics Explored:

* The unexpected challenges of choosing business names in the digital age

* How tariffs are forcing local businesses to get creative or close their doors

* Why hourly rates don't work for creative projects (and what does)

* The tennis elbow that changed Renee's entire business trajectory

* Damion's disciplined approach to music creation and why he spent years in the studio every night

* The psychology behind logo reveals and why clients get emotional

* File organization systems that actually work for creative projects

* Why taking breaks (and having a dog) can save your creative career

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode reveals the unglamorous realities behind creative success—from Renee's unconventional eating schedule and late-night work sessions to Damion's discovery that his college sleep deprivation habits permanently rewired his body clock. We witness their philosophical alignment around intention-driven creativity, their shared frustration with AI's impact on artistic integrity, and their mutual belief that supporting local businesses isn't just nice—it's necessary. The conversation gets wonderfully sidetracked by discussions of Duke Ellington's morning composition routine, the logistics of managing 32 Christmas commissions, and why some of the best creative solutions come during dog walks.

Whether you're a creative struggling with business fundamentals, someone curious about the real costs of artistic entrepreneurship, or just wanting to eavesdrop on two friends figuring out this creative life together, this episode offers both practical wisdom and reassuring honesty about the journey.

Perfect for: Creative entrepreneurs feeling overwhelmed, anyone curious about the business side of art and design, supporters of local creative businesses, and those who appreciate unfiltered conversations about the creative life.

In this hosts-only episode, Renee Garcia and Damion Rowe pull back the curtain on their own creative journeys and business realities. No guest this time—just two creatives getting real about the messy, complicated, and often hilarious side of running creative businesses.

Join hosts Renee Garcia and Damion Rowe as we sit down with Eliana Mendez, creative director and photographer behind Human-Centric Media, for an authentic conversation about creativity, community, and the irreplaceable power of human connection in an increasingly digital world.

What starts as a discussion about camera gear and photography quickly evolves into a powerful exploration of what it means to create with soul. Eliana opens up about their journey from journalism school to building a values-driven media company, sharing how they've learned to embrace authenticity over perfection and flow over force. Renee brings her perspective on trusting the creative process, while Damion explores how innovation often requires standing alone before others catch up—like Prince releasing music on the internet in the 90s when everyone thought it was crazy.

Key Topics Explored:

* Why human connection outweighs technical equipment every time

* The misconception that creativity requires "finding inspiration" (spoiler: stop trying so hard)

* How AI is actually making authentic human creativity more valuable, not less

* The importance of trusting creatives when you hire them—and getting out of their way

* Building a business around values and authentic expression as a Puerto Rican transgender creative

* Why vulnerability and authenticity create lasting connections over vanity metrics

* The art of being a "vessel for expression" rather than forcing creative outcomes

* How the internet has made it impossible to put authentic expression "back in the bag"

Going Behind the Curtain: This episode pulls back the creative curtain to reveal the deeper philosophies that drive authentic creative work. We dive into Eliana's spiritual approach to creativity—their belief that we're naturally attracted to what serves us and that removing blocks creates better flow than forcing outcomes. The conversation unveils the real challenges creatives face when clients hire them but then micromanage the process, and why organizational creative paralysis happens when founders can't let go of their "baby." We explore Eliana's bold stance on living authentically as a transgender Puerto Rican creative in Portland, their intentional choice to work only with values-aligned clients, and their morning routine of waking up at 8:30, stretching, coffee with their dog Lola, and neighborhood flower-sniffing before starting work at 10:30. Most revealing is their framework for understanding AI as simply "an average of everything else"—making the case that the more companies flood the zone with mediocre generated content, the more valuable authentic human creativity becomes.

Whether you're a creative professional struggling with authenticity, someone navigating the AI landscape, or anyone seeking to build meaningful work that reflects their true values, this episode offers both practical wisdom and spiritual permission to stop trying so hard and start flowing with who you really are.

Connect with Eliana:

* Website: humancentricmedia.com

* LinkedIn: Eliana (Ellie) Mendez

* Instagram: @humancentricmedia

* Pinterest: @humancentricmedia

* Ultramarine Photo: ultramarinephoto.com

* Newsletter: The Southeast Portland Dispatch (bi-weekly)

Perfect for: Photographers and visual creators, entrepreneurs building values-driven businesses, anyone curious about authentic expression in business, creatives concerned about AI, and those seeking community and connection through their work.