This episode features Yeohee Kim—known artistically as machìna—a Korean artist based in Tokyo and Berlin. We cover her journey from K-pop to independent artistry, the creative mindset needed to sustain a career in music, the role of solitude in creativity, her approach to music-making, the financial realities of the industry and what it takes to be a thriving independent musician today.

Yeohee Kim, known artistically as machìna, is a Korean artist based in Tokyo and Berlin. Her music is a fusion of personal introspection and collective energy, best experienced in the immersive setting of a nightclub dance floor. With a background that spans from K-pop training to experimental electronic improvisation, she blends jazz-inspired modular synthesis with commanding precise vocals.

Her career has taken her from performing at MUTEK Montreal and Berghain’s Halle stage to being part of Richie Hawtin’s From Our Minds tour, playing her newly developed live techno set. Her independently released series Action gained traction in 2023 with tracks featured in campaigns for Miu Miu and Nike. Her ability to bridge music and fashion has led to collaborations with Prada, Red Bull Music and Vans among others.

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

This episode features Perniclas Bedow, the founder and creative director behind Bedow, a Stockholm-based design and branding studio. We cover topics such as Bedow’s approach to crafting visual identities, their studio culture and growth, work routines and organization of the studio, career advice for young creatives, lessons that Perniclas got from the “Grafisk Design,” a podcast which he hosted, and much more.

Perniclas Bedow is the founder and creative director behind Bedow, a Stockholm-based design and branding studio. Founded in 2005 and currently run by Perniclas and his partner Anders Bollman, Bedow transcends the stereotypical Scandinavian style, blending handcrafted elements with innovative design techniques. The British magazine “It’s Nice That” dubbed their work as “simple, thoughtful, practical design that’s easy to engage with and comfortable to have around.”

Renowned for its progressive approach, Bedow’s portfolio boasts an impressive array of Swedish and international clients, including Aller Media, Coop, Neko Health, Unesco and Unicef. Their work has been featured in esteemed publications such as Fantastic Man, Monocle, and The Washington Post. And, over the years, they’ve also won many prestigious design awards from the Art Directors Club, Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Type Directors Club and more.

In addition to their design work, Bedow has also made a mark in the world of podcasting, with Perniclas hosting the acclaimed series Grafisk Design. During its run, Grafisk Design featured interviews with fifteen prominent designers in the Swedish graphic design community, further solidifying Bedow’s reputation as a leader in the field.

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

This special insight-packed 30th episode is dedicated to episodes 14 to 29 highlights, featuring the best strategic, tactical and inspirational advice all 16 of the most recent guests gave at the end of their interviews. You can think of it as a perennial creative career advice resource that you can easily return to whenever you feel stuck, lack motivation or want to get inspired. If you are a creative professional in any industry and at any stage of your career, it will offer various guidance and wisdom to support you on your journey.

Learn more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Myesha Evon Gardner, a New York-based photographer and art director originally from Cleveland, Ohio. We cover topics such as Myesha’s approach to photography, including influences, gear, experimentation, shooting analog and working in the darkroom, her mindsets about growth and finances, lessons she learned from her father, who is a musician, the importance of patience and passion, risk-taking, her most essential rituals, and much more.

Biography

Myesha Evon Gardner is a New York-based photographer and art director originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a BFA degree in photography and graphic design from the Parsons School of Design in New York City.

As a photographer and storyteller, Myesha examines truth by documenting and redefining themes of legacy, labor, the perception of beauty, and familial love in underrepresented communities. Through the subjects of vanity, body image, and self-care, she studies the profoundly complex role of the Black woman, who, she observes, as people and individuals, are often stripped down to singular value. Gardner investigates the socioeconomic structure and negotiation of power between these visual embodiments and what it means to exist in and move up into the ranks of American society.

Her commercial work is inspired by the materiality of cultural influences as expressed through music, history, sports, and fashion. Myesha’s clients include Nike, Jordan, Beats by Dre, Nordstrom, Beyoncé, Parkwood Entertainment, Saint Heron, HBO, RCA Records, Sony Music, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, to name a few.

Over the years, she participated in several group exhibitions, and her work has been published in publications such as HYPEBAE, WIRED, Cosmopolitan, The Brooklyn Circus, Vouge, V Man and TIME.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Myesha’s Website
• Myesha’s Instagram
• Gordon Parks
• Helmut Newton
• Irving Penn
• Darkroom
• Jamaica, Montego Bay
• Albumen Print
• Susan Meiselas
• Prince Street Girls by Susan Meiselas
• Magnum Photographers
• A Choice of Weapons by Gordon Parks
• Life Magazine
• Hand-Printing (Photographic Process)
• Pinhole Camera
• Medium Format
• Photogravure

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• The Mindful Creative Year [00:01:02]
• Episode Introduction [00:05:06]
• On Becoming a Creative Professional [00:07:26]
• Advice for Young Creatives [00:21:05]
• Work Routines of a Professional Freelance Photographer [00:30:05]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast [00:45:43]
• Financial Mindsets for Creative Professionals [00:46:25]
• Importance of Personal and Professional Growth [00:49:53]
• Myesha’s Approach to Photography and Direction [01:01:13]
• Challenges on Myesha’s Creative Journey [01:21:11]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [01:26:35]
• Episode Outro [01:30:13]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Colin King, an interior stylist, product designer and creative director. We cover topics such as his work/life balance, the source of his motivation, how he approaches interior styling, his work routines, his thoughts on professional growth and relevancy, the power of asking for help and of helping others, his challenges along the journey, including encounters with addiction and his path to sobriety, and much more.

Biography

As the go-to interiors stylist for the world’s leading brands and publications, Colin King has defined the style of modern American design. After studying dance in New York City, King transitioned his creative background into the realm of interiors through Colin King Studio.

Colin King is a regular contributing stylist to publications including Architectural Digest, T Magazine, ELLE DECOR, and Ark Journal. King additionally has his own celebrated product lines with the Morocco-based Beni Rugs – where he was recently named Artistic Director-at-Large – and the Scandinavian design shop MENU, with more in the works. In March of 2023, King will release Arranging Things (Rizzoli), a book sharing his intuitive and deeply personal process of elevating spaces through a series of anecdotes and visual essays written with Sam Cochran.

King continues to expand his studio practice to include creative direction, product development and installation design, imparting his signature aesthetic across the industry.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Colin King’s Website
• Colin King’s Instagram
• MENU
• Beni Rugs
• Tracy Anderson
• Billy Clark Creative Management
• Roman and Williams
• Tom Delavan
• Colin King’s Home/Office on Architectural Digest

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• The Mindful Creative Year [00:01:02]
• Episode Introduction [00:03:20]
• On Becoming a Creative Professional  [00:05:16]
• Advice for Young Creatives  [00:13:38]
• Work Routines of an Interior Stylist and Product Designer  [00:20:27]
• Managing Your Finances as a Creative Professional  [00:36:13]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast  [00:41:27]
• Importance of Personal and Professional Growth [00:42:11]
• Challenges on Colin King’s Creative Journey [00:51:35]
• Colin King’s Approach to Styling and Challenges of the Interior Industry [01:08:53]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [01:23:52]
• Episode Outro [01:29:08]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Astrid Stavro, a creative director and graphic designer. We cover topics such as the importance of learning and continually being a student, Astrid’s work routines, advice for young designers, her experience as a Pentagram partner, what makes for a good piece of graphic design, how to orient ourselves during times of change, and much more.

Biography

Astrid Stavro is an internationally-renowned graphic designer with a reputation for strong concept-driven design that is to the point, emotionally engaging, and emphasising exquisite typography and craft. Her clients span the cultural and commercial worlds, and her work encompasses brand identity, editorial, exhibition design, wayfinding systems, and packaging.

She has worked for Camper, Vitra, Phaidon, McKinsey & Company, Tate Publishing, Fedrigoni, Port magazine, Laurence King, The National Portrait Gallery, and Wallpaper*, amongst many others. Also, she led the celebrated redesign of the London-based arts and culture magazine Elephant, where she was Art Director and Contributing Editor from 2013–2017.

Stavro directed her own award-winning studio in Barcelona for ten years, and in 2013 she co-founded the renowned brand and design consultancy Atlas with Pablo Martín. In 2018 she was invited to join Pentagram as a Partner, where she directed her team for three years.

Her work has been widely published and has received over 150 international awards, including D&AD and the Type Directors Club of New York. In 2010, she was elected a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale, the world’s most prestigious design association. Currently, she is the President of ISTD, the International Society of Typographic Designers.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Astrid Stavro’s Instagram
• Astrid Stavro’s Twitter
• Atlas, Design Consultancy
• Pentagram
• Etienne Delessert
• International Society of Typographic Designers
• Adrian Shaughnessy
• Sonya Dyakova
• Derek Birdsall
• Consolations by David Whyte
• Yuri Suzuki on the Creative Voyage Podcast
• BLM Floor Mural
• Colors Magazine by Oliviero Toscani and Tibor Kalman
• Point It by Dieter M. Gräf
• Phil Baines
• Whole Earth Catalog
• Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• On Art Direction Workshop [00:01:02]
• Episode Introduction [00:03:05]
• The Beginning of Astrid's Creative Journey [00:05:23]
• Career Advice and Tips for Young Designers [00:18:14]
• Work Routines of an Independent Creative Director [00:26:12]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast [00:40:57]
• Managing Finances as a Designer [00:41:40]
• On Professional and Personal Growth and Development [00:49:36]
• How to Navigate Life's Changes and Challenges [00:54:06]
• Becoming a Pentagram Partner [01:08:26]
• Elements of Good Graphic Design [01:16:53]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [01:24:44]
• Episode Outro [01:25:50]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Chidy Wayne, an illustrator and an artist. We cover topics such as the importance of knowing ourselves, Chidy’s work routines, managing finances as a freelancer, the importance and challenges of personal growth in the face of modern distractions, advice for young creatives, his views on the craft of illustration, including style and trends, and much more.

Biography

Chidy Wayne is a Spanish Guinean illustrator and artist based in Barcelona. He works in various media, including painting, design, animation and music. His expression is influenced by the most prominent fashion illustrators of the 20th century, often characterized by his poetic and precise use of pen, ink and watercolors, and more than any medium, it’s distinguished by a sense of groundedness and timelessness.

Chidy has worked for clients such as Harvard University, Kinfolk, Nike, Vogue, Mango, Esquire, Kind Surf and New York Magazine, to name a few. He has also published several books describing different technical and conceptual techniques to address and solve some of the challenges specific to fashion illustration.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Chidy Wayne’s Website
• Chidy Wayne’s Instagram
• Berto Martinez
• Pugna Collection
• René Gruau

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• The Mindful Creative Year [00:01:02]
• Episode Introduction [00:05:57]
• Career Advice for Young Creative Professionals [00:07:28]
• Chidy’s Work Routines [00:22:19]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast [00:32:02]
• How to Making a Living as a Freelance Illustrator [00:32:50]
• Personal Growth in the Face of Modern Distractions [00:40:23]
• Challenges on Chidy’s Professional Journey [00:53:12]
• How To Develop and Find Your Voice as an Illustrator [00:55:53]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [01:04:48]
• Episode Outro [01:06:58]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Yuri Suzuki, a sound artist, designer, electronic musician, and partner at Pentagram. We cover topics such as the importance of business skills, the value of mentors and being open to asking for advice, career tips for designers in any field, the intersection of art and commerce, the importance and opportunities of sound design in the years to come, how he became a partner at Pentagram and much more.

Biography

Yuri Suzuki is a sound artist, designer and electronic musician. His practice explores the realms of sound through designed pieces that examine the relationship between people and their environments – questioning how both music and sound evolve to create personal experiences.

Central to Suzuki’s practice is collaboration. He has worked with various musicians, including will.i.am and Jeff Mills, and commercial clients such as BBC, Disney, Audi, Facebook, Korg, Teenage Engineering, Moog, Red Bull, and Google, with whom he developed a unique AR Music Kit.

His work can be seen in several international museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He had both solo and group exhibitions at the Tate Britain London, Mudam Luxembourg, MoMA and the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo. In 2016, he received the designer of the Future award at Design Miami.

In 2018 Suzuki was appointed a partner at Pentagram, the world’s largest independently-owned design studio. Based out of their London headquarters, Suzuki and his team continue to work internationally, pushing the boundaries between art, design, technology and sound, crossing the fields of both low and high technology.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Yuri Suzuki’s Website
• Yuri Suzuki’s Instagram
• Pentagram
• Maywa Denki
• Royal College of Art, London
• Ron Arad
• Logic Pro
• Ableton Live
• Pro Tools
• Dr. Robert Moog
• Arturia Microbrute
• Roland Boutique Series
• Counterpoint Studio
• Daniel Weil
• Jesper Kouthoofd
• Teenage Engineer

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• The Mindful Creative Year [00:01:02]
• Episode Introduction [00:05:35]
• Career Advice and Tips for Young Designers [00:08:17]
• Work Routines of a Sound Designer at Pentagram [00:26:12]
• On the Importance of Business Skills and Having Mentors [00:33:59]
• The Intersection of Art and Commerce [00:42:07]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast [00:47:16]
• On Becoming a Pentagram Partner [00:47:59]
• The Future of Sound Design [00:52:14]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [01:07:35]
• Episode Outro [01:10:51]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Anja Charbonneau, a founder, editor-in-chief and creative director of Broccoli. We cover topics such as creative and art direction, how to start a successful magazine, the importance of professional relationships and the delicate art of providing feedback, her work routines and the way she leads Broccoli, challenges Anja encountered along the way, advice for young creatives, and much more.

Biography

Originally from British Columbia and currently based in Portland, Anja Charbonneau is the founder, editor-in-chief and creative director of Broccoli.

Founded in 2017, Broccoli is a platform that encourages the discovery and intelligent appreciation of cannabis through experimental and engaging explorations of art, culture, and fashion. Created by an all-women team and a wide network of contributors of all genders, Broccoli’s magazine, podcast and industry newsletter connect a global community ready to participate in a new era of weed.

Before Broccoli, Anja was the creative director at Kinfolk, where she was leading the art direction of the quarterly lifestyle magazine, with over 75,000 copies of each issue being sold into over 100 countries, with additional projects including books, notecards, films, and influential social media presence.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Broccoli’s Website
• Broccoli’s Instagram
• Anja Charbonneau’s Instagram
• Kinfolk
• Snail World: Life in the Slimelight Book
• Mushroom People Magazine
• Jennifer James Wright / Citron
• John Clifford Burns
• How to Make a Living As a Freelance Writer With Ellen Freeman (Creative Voyage E03)

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• Episode Introduction [00:01:03]
• Early Lessons Learned [00:04:26]
• Career Advice and Tips for Young Creatives [00:19:00]
• Work Routines of an Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director [00:22:12]
• Behind the Scenes of an Independent Publisher and Media Company [00:32:37]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast [01:10:39]
• What is Art Direction? [01:11:23]
• Challenges on Anja’s Professional Journey [01:26:19]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [01:38:01]
• Episode Outro [01:43:09]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/

In this episode, I talk to Mirko Borsche, a creative director, graphic designer, and founder of Bureau Borsche. We cover topics such as his work routines and his studio’s culture, challenges Mirko encountered along the way, advice for young designers, the importance of long-term thinking, art direction, and much more.

Biography

Mirko Borsche’s career has spanned between work in corporate advertising and progressive cultural design. One time art director for the Mini Group in BMW, he also launched the hugely successful youth magazine NEON in Germany in the ’00s and has tenure as creative director at Die Zeit, a German national weekly newspaper. Mirko received numerous national and international awards for his work. Amongst many national exhibitions, his work was exhibited in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Florence, Stockholm, Seoul and Tokyo.

In 2007 he founded his design studio Bureau Borsche in Munich, Germany. Renowned for its creative versatility, they offer design and communication consultancy for clients from all fields of interest and delve deep into the creative process to produce original works within the scope of art, subculture, and design. They’ve worked with clients that include Nike, Bavarian State Opera, Audi, BMW Group, Harper’s Bazaar, Supreme, Apple, Balenciaga, Rimowa and Inter Milano, just to name a few.

Selected Links From the Episode

• Mirko Borsche’s Instagram
• Bureau Borsche’s Instagram
• Bureau Borsche’s Website
• LOOMIT
• Die Zeit
• Bavarian State Opera

Show Notes

• Introduction [00:00:00]
• Episode Introduction [00:00:50]
• Career Advice and Tips for Young Designers [00:03:02]
• Work Routines of a Creative Director in a Design Studio [00:12:53]
• Challenges of Running an Independent Design Studio [00:21:49]
• Short Episode Break – Support the Podcast [00:33:45]
• What Does an Art Director Do? [00:34:29]
• On Longevity and Long-Term Career Planning [00:42:48]
• How to Be a Better Creative Professional [00:48:08]
• Episode Outro [00:49:39]

Full transcript and more at https://creative.voyage/