AS WE CREATE

As We Create is a podcast exploring the fascinating thought process of those working in creative fields.

Michael Astrachan 04/24/2025

Michael Astrachan is an illustrator, animator and founder of . Ever since he could hold a pencil, Michael has been drawing and sketching. His commercial career started with illustration, though once the tools for animation became accessible, it became his primary focus. We talk about how he got into medical animation and the influence art and creativity has in science. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/36292975

Jillian Cusano and Rosanna Karabetsos 04/10/2025

Jillian Cusano and Rosanna Karabetsos and are professional dancers and core members of the . For centuries, dance has been an art form often reserved for the elite, whether in the audience or performing. We talk about the evolutions of their careers and their intentions beyond the stage to make dance more inclusive and accessible for all. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/36076815

Gerard Huerta 03/27/2025

Gerard Huerta In the golden age of rock and roll, 's career started at CBS records creating artwork and logos for bands such as AC/DC, Willie Nelson, Blue Oyster Cult, and many more. After leaving CBS to start his own studio, his work expanded to create logos for many iconic brands such as Nabisco, Swiss Army, and Pepsi. We also talk about some recent personal work, which was inspired by his love of guitars. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/35884775

Amy Gorrek 03/13/2025

Amy Gorrek Art was present in Amy Gorreck's life from an early age, but it wasn’t until she attended that she was able to fully understand the world of graphic design. Amy talks about working for , starting her own , and her recent love of . /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/35662830

Karl Maruyama 02/27/2025

Karl Maruyama is a designer who's love of drawing was inspired by underground comics and auto culture. After deciding to purse a path in graphic design, Karl moved to the east coast and had an amazing career. We also talk about his current role as creative director for the /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/35424355

Brooke Toczylowski 02/13/2025

Brooke Toczylowski is an interdisiplinary artist, educator, and curator. Having worked internationally in arts education for many years, Brooke shares some experiences where the art was a vehicle for much more. She also takes us through the journey of her recent MFA thesis exploring colonialism in America. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/35269310

Dana Smith 01/30/2025

Dana Smith has been a successful editorial photographer for over 25 years and he shares how that foundation has contributed to his photo illustration work. We talk about his experience with drive and motivation and how knowing nothing can be your most powerful tool. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/35052365

Sam Angermann 01/16/2025

Sam Angermann background is rooted in graphic design, though we talk about how she navigated the highs and lows of past roles to better understand what she was looking for in her career. Always having a love for branding, Sam talks about the joy of her current role at /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/34875305

Gene Mayer 01/02/2025

Gene Mayer is a designer, producer, and educator. We talk about his early years at and how that lead to the beginnings of Gene Mayer and Associates where his client list included Otis Elevators, United Technologies and General Electric. In recent years, things have been shifting and Gene shares his current efforts with and the . /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/34675085

Marie Corriveau 12/19/2024

Marie Corriveau Designer 's childhood home was filled with music and the arts, though she had aspirations of working in international relations. While on that path, Marie struggled with work/life balance and shares how a design project influenced her to make a change. She shares why she fell in love with design and her current role at . /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/34529740

Jake Hamm 12/05/2024

Jake Hamm is a commercial photographer and outdoor enthusiast. We talk about his time at RIT and how his love of competitive mountain biking built the foundation of his career. Jake also talks about his work ethic and experiences with his team at . /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/34289755

Andre Rochester 11/21/2024

Andre Rochester in an artist, curator, and arts advocate . We talk about how sketching as a child gave him a way to cope while igniting his artistic ambition. Although his college studies had more of a commercial art focus, Andre leaned more in the fine art direction after graduation. His current work takes on many cultural and social issues, and when he is not creating or exhibiting his own work, Andre is mentoring other artists. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/34076296

Erich Davis 11/07/2024

Erich Davis is an artist and fabricator. His early love of baseball taught him the patience and discipline needed to become a successful graphic designer and art director. Though eventually, his love of sculpture and fabrication lead him to open his own creative studio and leave the marketing world behind. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/33825597

Pam Howard 10/24/2024

Pam Howard Pam Howard is the founder and principal of . We talk about her early days in journalism and publishing and how that contributed to her work ethic. Pam also shares her thoughts on maintaining creative integrity and how any opportunity contributes to personal growth. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/33588992

Andrew Wood 10/10/2024

Andrew Wood With many decades in advertising and marketing, shares how things got started for him in England, why he came to the US, and what has kept him at for so long. Andrew also shares the process behind some campaigns he’s lead and why it’s always important to keep the client in the room. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/33397717

Jaeme Brennan McDonald 09/26/2024

Jaeme Brennan McDonald is a songwriter, audio engineer, and educator. His musical aspirations started very young as he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his . Though as he grew older, the studio became a more appealing environment. We talk about working with other musicians as well as his own creative patience. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/33201397

Cindy Lau 09/12/2024

Cindy Lau is a designer and illustrator. Her fascination for visual storytelling and her eventual career focus was first sparked by her father’s love of comics. We also talk about balancing work opportunities with quality of life, and how teaching has allowed her to value her authenticity. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/33014692

Sean Kernan 08/29/2024

Sean Kernan is a photographer, writer, and teacher. We chat about his early days in theater an how that transitioned into a very successful photography career. Sean has an amazing ability to stay curious and inspired and we discuss how that has influenced his teachings over the years. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/32786917

Ben Keller 08/15/2024

Ben Keller is a mural artist and painter. From a very young age, painting and drawing were the only things that helped Ben escape the tensions of everyday life. His art became his sense of purpose and has allowed him to develop a style that is uniquely his and very respected in the fine art and commercial worlds. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/32581852

Faye Pite Beresner 08/01/2024

Faye Pite Beresner is the senior creative director at the . Faye shares how years of freelancing in graphic design influenced how she later led creative teams for and , and how that compares to her current role. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/32371577

Jory Benerofe 07/18/2024

Jory Benerofe is a creative director and strategist. While his college career started in fine art, he made a switch to architecture for numerous reasons. Upon leaving school, it was a casual interaction with the owner of a small lifestyle brand defined the first 20 years of his career. That brand was . Jory has since gone on to lead creative teams at and currently building his own creative consultancy. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/32178837

Mike Scricco 07/04/2024

Mike Scricco This is agreat conversation with CADC Hall of Famer, . Mike spent decades in the design and advertising world and shares what it was like working at an agency and then becoming a partial owner. We also talk about his current role leading the program at the and how it’s given him a level of fulfillment he’s never experienced. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/32001287

Amy Graver 06/20/2024

Amy Graver From a very young age, imagination lived in her personal journals until an art teacher advised her to peruse a career in journalism. While attending school in Boston and working at the , Amy's love of graphic design was born while working in the magazine dept. We chat about running for over 20 years and what led to her current role at the Yale School of Engineering. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/31810047

Tim Anderson 06/06/2024

Tim Anderson Creative Director leads the team at , an experiential marketing and event production agency. We talk about his early years learning about the commercial art world, running his own agency for 17 years, and making sure he only keeps one toe in reality to make a memorable experience. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/31629207

Marcella Kovac 05/23/2024

Marcella Kovac Marcela Kovac is a graphic designer and co-founder of . She shares her experience in running a small boutique agency while keeping things in balance as a parent, and why Bridgeport has always been the cornerstone for many of her projects. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/31402817

Graeme Swank 05/09/2024

Graeme Swank path to the creative world was anything but straight, but now he knows he’s where he's supposed to be. We talk about his time at - both as a student and faculty - as well as current projects he’s working on with and . /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/31211532

kHyal 04/25/2024

kHyal diverse background encompasses experiences rooted in fine art, high end audio, graphic design, marketing, and fashion design. As the founder of and , the lifestyle brand combining fashion, design and street art, kHyal is far from slowing down. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/30968498

Jeremy Brazeal 04/11/2024

Jeremy Brazeal Jeremy Brazeal is the Executive Creative Director for . Although Jeremy’s roots started in illustration - he always had his heart set on becoming a creative director. Though there were a few detours along the way, Jeremy eventually led creative teams for both Lego and Coca-Cola. We talk design, leadership, and how cycling keeps him in balance. Enjoy this conversation! /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/30748713

Kelly Walters 03/28/2024

Kelly Walters Kelly Walters is an artist, designer, educator, researcher and the founder of . Ever since Kelly was a student at University of Connecticut, many of her creative efforts have focused on race and representation in design. In addition to her studio, Kelly is also the Director of the Communication Design BFA program at . We also discuss how continuing her own education is vital to the success of her students. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/30509708

Nate Solberg 03/14/2024

Nate Solberg creative curiosity started at a very young age and he shares how a massive college project shaped his work ethic. He talks about some influential internships and his current role at . We are also very grateful for Nate as he created the logo and brand of this very podcast. /episode/index/show/5690d1ff-e5a4-4214-a82f-0c035b131ce7/id/30371383

AS WE CREATE

TOPICS