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 5: Interview with Maria Fabrizio

Maria Fabrizio

What better timing for an episode to feature the creator of Wordless News than now? Chaos is everywhere and illustrator Maria Fabrizio tackles as much of it as she can by creating illustrations without captions or descriptions in response to items she finds in the news. In Episode 5 we talk about that process and how it has changed now that she is a mother. She is also a natural early-riser so we talk about the adjustments she has made to her work schedule to accommodate the new early-riser in the house.

© Maria Fabrizio

Maria is also the author of Cultivating Creativity: Daily Rituals for Visual Inspiration. She is a great example of someone who uses process and routine to keep her work fresh and exciting.

Listen to hear her speak about her experiences with the unexpected nature of pregnancy and giving birth and what she recommends for those that might be considering having children while pursuing illustration. You can find her work at www.mariafabrizio.com and www.wordlessnews.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @StudioRia.

Thanks for listening and please share with someone who might enjoy it. I love hearing feedback, so don't be shy.

Creative Playdate Episode 4: Interview with Renee Kurilla

Today's episode of Creative Playdate is an interview with children's book and graphic novel illustrator Renee Kurilla. She has illustrated a new children's book, The Pickwicks' Picnic by Carol Brendler, that will be released on September 5th of this year. Renee's daughter is still under a year old so we chat about the initial transition to parenthood and how to find ways to keep sketching. She's also got me drooling over the Wacom Mobile Studio Pro.

You can find Renee's work at www.reneekurilla.com and she shares lots of sketches and snippets on Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you to everyone who has been listening and sharing the show and thank you to Thomas James and Jason Ritz, who composed the theme music. And, of course, you can listen to the show here, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Google Play Music.

Get in touch with me if you have any comments or questions about the show! You can find my illustration at www.michellekondrich.com and you can follow me on Twitter @MissIllustrator and Instagram @mkondrich.

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.

Creative Playdate Episode 2: Interview with Jaime Zollars

In Episode 2 of Creative Playdate I have a wonderfully candid conversation with artist and illustrator Jaime Zollars. She is the author of Il-List-ration: Improvisational Lists and Drawing Assists to Spark Creativity and she is the mother of two. Her website is www.jaimezollars.com.

Our conversation touches on a lot of very important aspects of being a parent while being an illustrator like the consistent financial pressure of daycare and time management between her and her husband. We also go into the gender differences in the world of illustration both as parents and not.

© Jaime Zollars

I hope you are enjoying the show so far! And if you are, please share and subscribe. And if you have a second to rate and review, that helps me spread the show far and wide. I've got many more incredible conversations to share with you, so don't miss them! In addition to my website, the show is syndicated at www.workbook.com/blog.

Thank you Thomas James, who created the theme music to the show (co-written by Jason Ritz).

Creative Playdate Episode 1: Interview with Lucy Knisley

Creative Playdate is here! 

I've been sitting on this and hinting about it and talking about it and now it is live in the world. Thank you to everyone who has supported the show so far and thank you for listening. If you enjoy it, please be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. The show is also being syndicated at Workbook.com/blog.

Episode 1 is an interview with the incredibly talented Lucy Knisley. She is a New York Times Bestselling author, not to mention a prolific cartoonist. Her insightful comics can be found on her website. Together we discuss her use of comics as a way to process the world and, now, to process motherhood and about how difficult it can be to work in the same house as a small child.

©Lucy Knisley

I can honestly say that I highly recommend ALL of her books and I can't wait for the new ones to come. My personal favorite is Relish, but check them all out here.

A million thanks to Thomas James, who created the theme music to the show (co-written by Jason Ritz).

Introducing Creative Playdate

I have been hinting at this for a while now, but I am happy to announce a release date for my new podcast: Creative Playdate.

On July 17th, Creative Playdate will be released into the wild and I hope you all will listen and share. The show focuses on what it's like to be a parent while also pursuing a creative career and all the unique challenges that come along with it. I have a great batch of interviews lined up and will be releasing two episodes on launch day (sorry, you'll have to wait to find out who the guests are!). 

When the idea first came up I received a lot of support from friends and peers and it began to feel like my duty to pursue this. Since then, people have continued to be supportive and others have agreed to be guests on a podcast that didn't technically exist yet. 

My aim is to release new episodes every two weeks. And if there are any specific topics you'd like me to cover or people you think I should interview, I'd love to hear it all. And, of course, please share it with anyone you think might be interested.

Thank you in advance for listening!

Me and my lovely daughter in 2015.