Dadwell & Co.

Dave Reidy is an author and VP of Creative at closerlook.

Captive Audience, a collection of short stories about performers and Dave's debut book of fiction, was named an Indie Next Notable Book by the American Booksellers Association and published in French translation. His novel The Voiceover Artist was named a Top Fall Indie Fiction title by Library Journal and a Midwest Connections Pick by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association.

These days, Dave is writing non-fiction. In a series of essays, after spending years researching every facet of the man's life, he's examining the parenting legacy of the grandfather he never knew—the parables he told, the poems he recited from memory, his thoughts on working for a living—and assessing their value for himself and his sons.

Dave is dad to his two sons: ages 7½ and 5.

In this episode Dave explains how he eventually integrated his dad identity with his writer identity and how the melding of the two altered his approach to writing. We talk about the importance of treating inspiration and epiphanies with respect and some practical tips for capturing those moments on the go. Lastly, we talked about emotional intelligence and how this attribute made his father a very successful Federal prosecutor but also equipped his young sons with tools for expressing themselves and relating to others.

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Shawn Smith is the creative mind behind the vast world of whimsical art, illustration and collectibles known as Shawnimals and Ninjatown. His imaginative characters and humourous stories extend to original paintings and large-scale murals, too—always with an aim to delight and inspire. Shawn's latest entrepreneurial endeavor, Resketch, produces creative sketchbooks and notepads for artists, designers, journalers, and note-takers, made from high-quality reclaimed paper.

He's also the Creative Director for Chicago's own Twisted Hippo Brewing Company.

Shawn is dad to his a 6-year-old son.

In this episode, Shawn shares how he makes distinctions between hobbies, side hustles and businesses, ways he brings structure and discipline to his studio practice, how death and loss puts everything in perspective, and what to say to an expectant dad.

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Craighton Berman is a designer of objects, illustrator of ideas, and facilitator of creativity—with work often combining industrial design, design-thinking and sketchnoting.

Craighton is also the founder & creative director of Manual, a home goods brand creating products for slow living. His design work is part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago and he was the first designer ever to use Kickstarter to launch a product.

Craighton is dad to his two sons: ages 8 and 4.

In this episode, Craighton talks about the importance of keeping creative tools visible and within reach; what it means to design within the reality of fatherhood; the value of involving your kids in tangible creativity; and what led to him to take a pivotal entrepreneurial leap with an 18-month old at home.

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Tanner Woodford is Founder and Executive Director of the Design Museum of Chicago. As a curator, he's produced over 35 exhibitions over the last 10 years.

Tanner is an independent artist and teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a designer, educator, and entrepreneur, Tanner's taught, lectured, and led workshops on design issues, social change, and design history in classrooms and at conferences.

Tanner is dad to his 1-year-old daughter.

In this episode, Tanner explains how he left his corporate job at Morningstar to found what would become Chicago's first-ever pop-up Design Museum, we talk about the value of escape, his myriad father figures—both painful and positive, and the amazing creative energy he gets from his daughter.

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David Sieren is Design & Strategy Director at One Design and a founding member of the Post Family, an internationally recognized Chicago-based collaborative focused on engaging communities through art and design experiences.

David teaches visual communication and graphic design history at DePaul University’s School of Design and currently serves as Co-President of AIGA Chicago.

David is dad to his 4-year-old daughter.

In this episode, David talks about the Post Family (before and after kids), how he negotiates time with his wife, Jo-Nell (a photographer and designer herself), when gender neutrality loses out to Disney princesses, and the pros and cons of siblings.

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The Dadwell Podcast explores the intersection of creativity and fatherhood through conversations with influential maker, designers, and artists.

The Dadwell Podcast explores the intersection of creativity and fatherhood through conversations with influential makers, designers, and artists.

In this preview "episode zero", founder & host, Antonio García, talks through the concept, context, and case for Dadwell & Co.

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