Making Ways

As the executive director of Root Division, a San Francisco-based visual arts nonprofit that connects creativity and community through education, exhibitions, and studio space, fine artist Michelle Mansour has dedicated much of her professional life to helping artists thrive and cultivate their work. Her own paintings investigate the interior world of the body and the overlapping realms of science and metaphysics. Listen in to hear Michelle’s journey to joining Root Division, what her role leading the organization entails, the difficult times the team has faced and overcome, success stories from artists who have gone through the program, and what Michelle has learned about being an artist and supporting artists during her 15 years helming the organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samantha Hahn started working nine-to-five for a magazine right out of college, a job she thought she would love. But the office grind didn’t suite her, so she quickly began plotting a course that would one day lead her to a freelance commercial art career as a fashion illustrator. Today, Samantha’s clients include Marc Jacobs, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, and quarterlane books. On this episode of Making Ways, this acclaimed artist talks about her unlikely path to an independent career, her time as a teacher, and the moment she went all in as a freelancer during maternity leave with her first child. Samantha is an illustrator, creative director, author, and longtime friend––tune in for her advice for up-and-coming artists, insights on navigating work with agents, balancing business and family life, and the importance of taking on challenges in new creative roles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gregg Schigiel decided he wanted to draw comic books when he was in elementary school. Although most people don’t make such important career decisions at that young an age, Gregg has doggedly pursued his goal ever since those days spent drawing characters on the chalkboard. Through a blend of his amazing talent, hard work, and some friendly faces he’s met along the way, Gregg has charted a course as a freelance cartoonist working at Marvel Comics and Nickelodeon, among others. He later went on to draw for SpongeBob Comics and recently published his own middle-grade graphic novel, Pix, with Image Comics. In our discussion, Gregg tells wonderful stories about his early days drawing, how he scored his first comic book internship, and why he chose to pull the trigger and go freelance. He also shares advice on how best to let your career be your guide––without getting boxed into a specific job in the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of Making Ways, you’ll hear the extraordinary, unexpected, and still unfolding path of freelance design consultant Arianna Orland, whose career has taken her from Friendster to Zynga to recent clients Twitter, NerdWallet, and Mozilla. Arianna didn’t set out to live her life as a designer, but as she followed her internal compass, it became evident she was meant for design, teaching, and helping teams reshape their organizations through creative means. Arianna joins the podcast to discuss the early pivotal moments in her career, share advice for emerging creatives today, and explain the backstory to In/Visible Talks, the conference she’s launching next year in San Francisco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josette Melchor operates best in a space loosely defined and without labels, hence the name of the nonprofit she founded, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, which is dedicated to applying art and technology to create social and civic impact. On this episode of Making Ways, Josette talks about her unconventional upbringing in the desert of Indio, California (best known for hosting the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival), the moment as a late teen she discovered her passion for art, how Gray Area came to be, and the collaborations with local artists, technologists, and tech giants that keep each and every day fresh and help her grow as an individual, a community leader, a manager, and a mentor. Tune in for a fascinating tale of a creative career born of curiosity and rooted in making a change for good. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shanna Tellerman hasn’t approached her career with a game plan in mind; instead, she’s been on a journey to pursue the opportunities she is most passionate about, the things she can’t not do, which may account for her love of both the engineering and design aspects of business and product development. On this episode of Making Ways, Shanna recounts her path from art-loving teenager to engineer enthralled with the potential of 3D design and development. After receiving her master’s degree and BFA at Carnegie Mellon, where she studied under the now-famous Last Lecture professor Randy Pausch, Shanna started a company that was eventually acquired by Autodesk after an arduous five years. She then worked as a venture capitalist at Google Ventures (now known as GV) before founding her new startup Modsy, which aims to revolutionize the way we decorate and furnish our homes by offering 3D and augmented reality renders of redesigned spaces. Listen to the conversation with Shanna for great advice for entrepreneurs, star

This week on Making Ways we’re live at San Francisco Design Week with acclaimed hand-lettering artist and designer Erik Marinovich. Based in San Francisco, Erik is a founding member of Friends of Type and the workspace Title Case. He has worked with big brands like Nike, Target, and Google as well as smaller clients including his neighborhood shops in San Francisco’s Mission District. In a wide-ranging conversation, Erik shares his early creative inspirations, the passion for making his own mark that drove him to a career as a freelancer, and his advice for artists and designers looking to get into lettering. Erik’s story is one of hard work and determination and is sure to get you fired up to take on your next creative challenge. This episode was recorded live at Butchershop Creative in San Francisco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, design leader and vice president of creative at brand experience agency FreemanXP Katie O’Brien joins the show for some real talk on the life of a creative captain. Katie discusses her every-which-way path in design, which led her to ultimately tackle events and live experiences, and the life-shaking moments that rocked her free of a narrower, more control-oriented mindset toward a career flow that has taken her to some of the top agencies in the world, where she delivers the creative goods for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and today’s best brands, all while approaching every project like it’s her dream job. Listen in for advice on first career moves and what Katie looks for when hiring for experience design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At first glance, the life of a film director might seem glamorous and otherworldly. But Scott Kirschenbaum has chosen a path that is as real, raw, and of the earth as you can get. On this week’s episode of Making Ways, Scott talks about how he left mainstream screenwriting behind for the pursuit of cause-driven documentaries like his upcoming film Of Woman Born, an intimate depiction of one woman’s labor and birth of her child, and the Alzheimer's documentary You’re Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don’t, which aired nationally on PBS. You’ll hear about his childhood love of performance, his work producing hip-hop musicals, the smorgasbord of creative posts he held after college, and how he approaches mental health and friends in need. Listen in for tips for emerging filmmakers and so much more with Scott Kirschenbaum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Making Ways, product leader, entrepreneur, founder, and military veteran John Yi shares the story of his unlikely path to working in tech, starting his own companies, joining Facebook in its early days, and the lessons he’s learned about leadership along the way. John also discusses his time in the military and how he came to open Code and Canvas—a workspace for both artists and technologists—and gives his best shot at explaining bitcoin and his exciting work today at Coinbase. Tune in for a great conversation and insights from one of my mentors John Yi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  You might not have heard of award-winning commercial composer Ravi Krishnaswami, but you have likely heard his music in your favorite TV shows and video games. Ravi joins Making Ways to talk about creating tunes for Super Bowl commercials and best-selling video games, his challenges in college, and his first steps into the music industry. Along the way, Ravi shares the passions that fuel his creativity, like his songwriting as a solo artist, performing in The Smiths tribute band The Sons & Heirs, and mentoring students in music composition at Vermont College of Fine Arts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tara Donne joins Making Ways to talk all about her journey from a food-loving kid in the wilds of Connecticut to a travel, food, and lifestyle photographer touring the world shooting for some of the most esteemed magazines and culinary brands. Listen in to hear how Tara captures breathtaking images that bring moments in time to life for clients, the catalysts that led her to embark on a freelance career after a successful run as a photo editor, and what she’s learned along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Career coach and mentor Andy Whelan joins Making Ways to talk all about his path from pre-med student to Second City comic, how he turned a side hustle doing building maintenance into a full-fledged business in New York City, and his realization that his passion for performing and helping people was perfectly suited for teaching and professional development. This episode is also chock-full of advice for anyone looking to jump-start their career or switch tracks midstream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Virtual reality animator and interactive music video artist Tyler Hurd joins Making Ways to talk all about his journey from video game designer to award-winning VR pioneer, lauded by Sundance, Tribeca, Wired, and more. Tyler creates hyperrealities in VR meant to stimulate all the senses and elevate music to a full-body, emotionally transformative experience. Listen in to hear about Tyler’s early inspiration with Toy Story, the near decade he spent at video game studio Double Fine Productions, the hurdles he faced while pursing a music video career in New York City, how he overcame his fears in releasing his first short film, and the science behind virtual reality’s mind-expanding potential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Projection mapping designer and artist Craig Winslow joins Making Ways to discuss the illuminating work that has become his passion, the Kickstarter campaign that turned his cross-country trip into an art project, and his series Light Capsules, which he developed during a year-long creative residency with Adobe. Listen in to learn all about projection mapping (a different kind of augmented reality), the breakout project that took Craig from designing shoes to shaping spaces with light, and the experimenting Craig pursued early in high school and college that ultimately laid the groundwork for his unique skillset today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building and running a successful restaurant is no small feat. In today’s episode, Lana Porcello and Dave Muller share the creative path that led them to launch Outerlands, one of San Francisco’s most acclaimed culinary venues. During our wide-ranging conversation, Lana and Dave share their unique approach to realizing a creative project, the way feeling drives their goal setting, the passions that energize them as artists and musicians, and the advice they give to emerging entrepreneurs. And in a brief how-to, Dave also lets us in on the bread-making wonderment behind his addictive recipe. Get to know this married duo on the latest episode of Making Ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watercolor paint maker, artist, and store owner Alexis Joseph joins Making Ways to discuss her journey from making childhood art projects to her studies in architecture and graphic design and shares the chance visit to a store in Berlin that ignited her passion for pigment, leading her to create her very own paints. Listen to learn how Alexis brings her focus on process to her art, business, and everyday life and how you can apply this approach as you pursue any creative or business endeavor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tucker, artist and letterpress printmaker, joins Making Ways to discuss how he came to open up his own shop, The Aesthetic Union, his bumpy academic days in high school, how a vocational graphic design school opened up a world of opportunity for him, and the very first steps he took in his career that, with persistence (and a little luck), eventually led him down the right path. James also fills us in on the year he spent living on a boat in the San Francisco Bay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acclaimed food and lifestyle photographer Sara Remington, whose clients include the New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, Ogilvy, Häagen-Dazs, and Starbucks, joins the show to talk all about the love of her life: photography. If you’ve ever been curious about what it takes to be a professional shot-taker, the reality of running a creative business, or how to turn your Instagram habit into a check-cashing career (hint: it takes a lot of work), tune in for a conversation filled with a lot of laughs and important lessons as Sara takes us down the winding path she traveled as she worked her way to professional fulfillment. She also discusses her book, From Paris to Provence, inspired by childhood family trips to Europe as a child, and shares the balancing act it takes to live a good life and raise a family while doing exceptional work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into building a brand or a career as a namer, tune in to episode two for an inspiring story from our very special guest, Rob Meyerson, principal and founder of brand strategy agency Heirloom. Rob joins the show to talk about his journey to becoming a naming and brand specialist, ditching the “family business” in academia for a professional life working at some of the world’s top agencies, living in China, and what inspired him to leave the corporate world to start his own creative shop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.