Creative Playdate Episode 23: Selina Alko

In episode 23, I interview children's book author and illustrator, Selina Alko. We met briefly at ICON10 in Detroit where she was serving as the VP (thanks to Scott Bakal for the introduction) and I was happy to have the chance to chat with her in a more conversational setting.

Selina grew up in Canada and lives in Brooklyn, NY. She has two children who are in the middle of adolescence and we talk about what that looks like at home. We discuss the challenges and benefits of raising biracial children in New York and we also talk about whether or not being a mother slowed down her career.

Creative Playdate is syndicated at IllustrationAge.com and the theme music was created by Thomas James and Jason Ritz.

You can follow the show on Twitter and on Instagram and you can learn more about me and my work at michellekondrich.com.

If you haven't yet, please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Now go play!

Creative Playdate Episode 12: Interview with Jannie Ho

Episode 12 features an interview with children's illustrator Jannie Ho. Her work is everywhere - books, educational magazines, toys, games, stickers, even dinnerware! She is the mother of a six year old daughter and her debut author/illustrator picture book, Bear and Chicken, is out now!

Jannie's illustration is perfect for the children's market and it was great to hear how her work and her new book developed. She loves Richard Scarry books from her childhood and you can really see the influence, which I love. 

She also is a big proponent of day care for those of us with young children who do not have the luxury of family nearby. It can be an expensive necessity when working from home.

You can follow Jannie on Twitter and Instagram @chickengirldesign.

The show is syndicated on Illustration Age - with it's own dedicated page now - and our theme music was created by Thomas James and Jason Ritz.

If you want to know more about my illustration or about the show, visit my website or follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Listen and subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Creative Playdate Episode 6: Interview with Kyle T. Webster

@ Kyle T. Webster

Today I am pleased to bring you Episode 6 of Creative Playdate with the incredible Kyle T. Webster!

As I mention in the episode, you should really go to his site and watch his "Meet Kyle" video. He's come up with a great way to show his personality and interests to the world.

Kyle is an award-winning illustrator, author and illustrator of the children's book Please Say Please!, and creator of an impressive line of Photoshop brushes that mimic hundreds of traditional materials, and then some.

Kyle often uses his Photoshop brush business to raise money for important causes, so be on the lookout for those in the future. He usually announces them on Twitter and I will do my best to signal boost those fundraisers.

In the episode, Kyle and I talk about his work and his experience as a parent of two children. His wife is the primary caregiver to their children which allows him to keep very regular work hours. We talk about how he is able to stick to that schedule without being tempted to work tight deadlines during times when he should be with his family.

Kyle and his wife have also made the decision to keep photos of their children off of social media. We discuss that decision as well as their approach to screen time with their kids.

You can find Kyle's work at www.kyletwebster.com and you can follow him on Twitter @kyleTwebster and Instagram @kyle.t.webster.

The show is created and produced by me, with theme music from Thomas James and Jason Ritz. You can find out more about myself and my illustration at www.michellekondrich.com and you can follow me on Twitter @MissIllustrator and Instagram @mkondrich.

Thank you for listening and please take a second to rate and review on Apple podcasts so that more people can find the show. And, of course, share it with a friend or colleague who could use the support of other parents like us!

Creative Playdate Episode 3: Interview with Keith Negley

Episode 3 of Creative Playdate features on interview with editorial illustrator Keith Negley. In addition to his editorial work, he is the author of two lovely children's books: Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too) and My Dad Used to Be So Cool. We talk a lot about how he found himself writing children's books and his experience writing a book like Tough Guys Have Feelings Too, which is very male-centric. It was great to hear his perspective as a father and Keith shares a bit of good news. You can find more of Keith's work at www.keithnegley.com.

All the positive feedback for the show so far has been amazing, so thank you for listening and for all the words of encouragement.

As always, thank you to Thomas James and Jason Ritz for our theme music. You can find the show here or on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play Music. Please share via social media if you enjoyed the show. You can find me on Twitter @MissIllustrator and on Instagram @mkondrich.