Making Ways

Susa Cortez joins Making Ways for an inspiring conversation about her immigration to the United States from Mexico as a teenager and the drive that compelled her to become an artist. Susa was the first in her family to go to college, earning a BFA from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in fine art from Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work includes performance, sculpture, and installations that often evoke memories of her early life in La Loma, a rural town in Guanajuato, Mexico. On this episode, Susa shares moving advice about finding your voice in whatever you do. She also discusses her role at visual arts nonprofit Root Division, celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and the impact the organization has had on her work and community connection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode of Making Ways, interdisciplinary artist Rea Lynn de Guzman joins the show to talk about her artist path and her experience emigrating from the Philippines. You’ll learn the meaning behind Rea’s work and hear the stories that define her, from a not-so-everyday childhood to her separation from her family in Manila to a drawing class she took in college while studying for a business degree that began her career as an artist. Rea also talks about her time at visual arts nonprofit Root Division, celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and its impact on her work, creative life, and community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fine artist Robert Minervini joins Making Ways podcast to discuss his path to becoming a professional artist. Robert's work has been exhibited nationally and examines utopia-inspired landscapes, cityscapes, and still-life. In this episode, you'll learn more about what it's really like to make a life as an artist, the influences from film and literature Robert infuses into his work, and his time in Philadelphia at Tyler School of Art and at the San Francisco Art Institute to earn his MFA. Robert discusses his public art works and his upcoming commission for a permanent installation at San Francisco International Airport. He also shares the impact that visual arts non-profit Root Division had on his art practice and sense of community in the Bay Area. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's show, fine artist, sculptor, and art educator Rachelle Reichert talks about her path to life as an artist. Rachelle discusses the curiosities that drove her to experiment with salt as a medium for sculpture and the research and creative work she does to bring together art and ecology. All this month, we are celebrating the 15-year anniversary of visual arts non-profit Root Division. Tune in for stories from some of their amazing alumni, artists the organization has supported to further their mission of connecting creativity and community in San Francisco and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Cloutier hails from Quebec, but has long called California home. After spending close to a decade working for small architectural firms in San Francisco, she grew restless. It wasn't until a round of layoffs finally instigated a giant sea change in her career. Julie followed an interest in ceramics to classes on nights and weekends while she worked at retail shops around the city. Soon Julie realized her next great endeavor would be away from the office and onto the potter's wheel full time. On today's episode Julie shares the winding path she took to a career as an independent artist. She also discusses the process of making ceramics and the balancing act it takes to thrive as a commercial and fine artist... building a business that's fulfilling and makes (dollars and) sense too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iso Rabins first discovered his love of foraged foods after sourcing and then selling mushrooms out of his car to restaurant owners across San Francisco. Fast-forward to today and Iso has built a business around food education and cultivating entrepreneurship. He runs the restaurant incubator Forage Kitchen, hosts communal pop-up dinners as Wild Kitchen, and offers foraging excursions through ForageSF. The renowned Underground Market he pioneered helped to transform the local food and restaurant community in the Bay Area. On today's episode, Iso discusses his passion for turning creative ideas into real businesses. You'll learn about the sharp career turns Iso took after film school that led him to the restaurant world. Iso also shares how he leans on everyday conversations for mentorship and feedback for his burgeoning ventures. Tune in to Making Ways podcast with food entrepreneur Iso Rabins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Making Ways, fine artist, illustrator, teacher, and writer Veronica De Jesus discusses her path to life as an independent artist. Veronica shares the story of her harrowing upbringing on the road, recounts the moment in college when her inner artist was awakened, and how her acclaimed Memorial Drawings series first came to life in the impromptu window gallery of a bookstore. Tune in for a meaningful conversation about the wonders of personal reinvention, self-discovery, and community-building through the process of making and teaching art. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Making Ways podcast, we're joined by Valerie Luu and Katie Kwan, the food entrepreneurs behind the popular Vietnamese pop-up restaurant and street food catering company Rice Paper Scissors. Shortly after Valerie graduated from college and Katie found herself jobless after working as a biotech analyst––the two launched their first impromptu eatery in just three days. Since then, they've taken up a weekly residency at Mojo Cafe here in San Francisco and are hard at work on their Kickstarter-funded brick and mortar restaurant opening in 2018. Listen in to hear Valerie and Katie's advice for turning bright ideas into reality, fast. And get a better sense of what it takes to leave behind early career expectations and chase down what you love doing the most. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandra Kenin joins the show to share how she left the corporate track to carve out her own independent path amongst the trees and parks of San Francisco as founder of Urban Hiker. Alexandra grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey before making her way to an MBA from the Wharton School. It was her time at business school that opened up the opportunity to join Google where she worked as a marketing manager for 5 years before ditching the 9 to 5 to start her own hiking company. On this episode Alexandra discusses her debut book Urban Trails: San Francisco and the mix of left brain / right brain work, including her role with the marketing and copywriting agency Wordsmithie, that keeps her in balance for optimal happiness in life and on the job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a kid, anytime Paul Madonna visited a relative's house, he made a habit out of racing for the newspapers and diving into the comic strips. It wasn't until years later, studying fine art at Carnegie Mellon, that this memory came rushing back as he realized his life's work wouldn't be in painting or illustration but rather an amalgam of words and pictures built on the foundation of the panel comics he's always loved. On this episode of Making Ways, award-winning artist and writer Paul Madonna discusses his journey and the hard work and hustle he put in for over a decade before his beloved All Over Coffee series began running in the San Francisco Chronicle. Paul shares great stories about his internship at MAD magazine, the university professor who tried to have him expelled, and the advice he would give his younger self today. Listen in to hear how Paul carved his own unique path and cultivated the drive that still fuels his curiosity and creative pursuits today. Paul also talks all about his new illustrated

James Edmondson discovered his passion for letters early on in life after his father brought home some calligraphy pens from the supply store. It's been an obsession ever since. Today he is an award-winning type designer, instructor, speaker, and founder of OH no Type Co. On this episode of Making Ways, James shares his path to honing in on a career designing fonts and the training, near and far, that helped catapult him to where he is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, acclaimed artist and creative director George McCalman joins the show to discuss the creative crisis that transformed him from award-winning magazine designer to illustrator, journalist, and independent creative director. George doesn't hold back in sharing his struggles, conflicts, and philosophies on what drives him creatively, making time to mentor (himself), and not caring what people think of his work as long as it speaks to him. Learn about George's process, how he found his creative flow, and his epiphanies along the way on Making Ways podcast now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode of Making Ways features fine artist, sculptor, and commercial illustrator Jeremy Fish. Jeremy has been a mainstay of San Francisco’s art community and skateboarding scene for more than 20 years, ever since he made his way to the city from Albany, NY, to study at San Francisco Art Institute. In our conversation, Jeremy shares the challenges of living as an artist in one of America’s most expensive cities and the sense of duty he feels to bring San Francisco’s many historic landmarks and neighborhoods to life with his artwork—from his City Hall centennial project, in which he made 100 drawings in 100 days, to his recent residency at Coit Tower. Jeremy’s work has adorned skateboards and band posters, hung in some of the finest galleries around the world, and made its way onto street corners, T-shirts, and books. Listen in to Making Ways to hear how his career unfurled and get to know the artist and the city he holds so dear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Windy Chien, an artist whose Year of Knots project captured the imaginary of collectors and fans across the world last year. Windy creates beautiful works of art with knots; she’s also known for her macramé helix lights and carved wooden spoons. Windy’s path to life as an artist might be the epitome of what this podcast is all about. Windy moved from Hawaii to San Francisco to study film, ran the historic Aquarius Records store for 14 years, then joined Apple to help manage and grow the iTunes and App stores. On this episode, you’ll hear about Windy’s journey, the cycles of exploration and experimentation that have served her so well as she charts new career paths, and why knots called to her as an artist. Listen in to this episode of Making Ways for a bit of fearless reinvention with Windy Chien. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this short bonus episode of Making Ways, guest Jen Hewett walks you through the process for screenprinting and block (or relief) printing. For anyone curious about the nuts and bolts of printmaking or interested in diving into producing work themselves––this three-minute bonus episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Making Ways, we’re joined by printmaker, surface designer, author, and teacher Jen Hewett. Jen’s path is a winding one. She began her career working in education, started a stationery business, later moved into the technology world doing HR and operations for an e-learning company, and only recently began pursuing her creative passions full time. Today, Jen creates highly tactile, visually layered printed textiles for both big clients and personal commissions, and her stunning artwork has been shown in galleries around the country. She also teaches a number of popular classes, both online and in person. During our conversation, Jen shares missteps she made with her first business in her 20s and discusses the breakthrough moments when she started to experiment with printmaking and selling her goods on Etsy. Hear all about Jen’s unexpected journey to her multifaceted creative career, on this week’s episode of Making Ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the 25th episode of Making Ways podcast! Since the show began, we’ve been joined by amazing artists, founders, designers, engineers, and makers of all stripes. So at this significant quarter mark, we look back at some of the stories and advice guests have shared around fostering creativity, conquering challenges, making change, and finding flow. You’ll even hear some new insights never before aired. Listen in for conversations that will inspire you to jump over your next creative hurdle and carve out the most fulfilling career path possible. And cheers to you, dear listener, for making 25 episodes of Making Ways such a great adventure. Here’s to the next 25 (and beyond). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Vassallo is a lifelong builder, maker, and designer. These days he’s helping startups design a better future as a general partner at venture capital firm Foundation Capital. From his early days playing with Legos to his time engineering products for Cisco, Nike, and BMW at renowned agency IDEO and his startup success with Immersion and Ning, Steve has always been mercilessly focused on the user––designing products, businesses, and investments around what will best impact our world. Steve is the author of the recently released The Way to Design, a thought-provoking guidebook for design-oriented entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to bake design thinking into the foundation of their organization. Listen in to this week’s episode of Making Ways to hear about Steve’s decision to attend Stanford business school, lessons he’s learned along his journey, and great advice on the value of risk-taking and experimenting for emerging startups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Making Ways, filmmaker Tim Nackashi joins the show to talk about his first steps into the world of film, share behind-the-scenes commentary about some of his acclaimed music videos, and deliver great advice for aspiring filmmakers. Tim is a self-taught director. He grew up playing in bands, studied painting in college, and first earned his stripes working on his documentary Dirty Work, executive produced by Ed Norton. Over the years, Tim has created visually groundbreaking, often high-concept music videos for OK Go, Maroon 5, Death Cab for Cutie, TV on the Radio, Craig Wedren, and many more. As Tim discusses his work, you’ll get to know the process by which he pitches and directs and learn more about the powerful short films he’s helmed over the years, such as Through the Wall and Is History Repeating Itself?, both focused on the human stories behind some of today’s most heated debates. You’ll also hear about the reality of on-set life and the challenges of breaking through in the world of

On this episode of Making Ways, the podcast all about the unexpected paths to a creative career, host Rob Goodman is joined by Kimberly Bryant, founder and executive director of Black Girls Code. Kimberly’s path to starting the organization was anything but a straight shot. After an illustrious career in engineering spent working for Genentech, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Merck, and Pfizer, among others, she was drawn to launch Black Girls Code after seeing her daughter face the same challenges Kimberly confronted as a young woman of color interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Knowing that she could have a hand in improving the technology sector for her daughter and young women everywhere, Kimberly went all in. Today, Kimberly and Black Girls Code are dedicated to empowering young African American women, ages 7–17, by introducing them to and teaching computer programming and technology. In a wide-ranging, uplifting conversation, Kimberly recounts the twists and turns o