Mike Jones joins Dustin and Brad to talk about the realities of building a creative career while staying true to what matters most. From running Creative South to juggling family, side ventures, and health, Mike shares hard-won lessons on intentionality, delegation, and why kindness always pays off.

This conversation isn’t about chasing likes or clout, it’s about learning to let go, be present, and build work and relationships that actually last. Packed with stories, laughter, and wisdom, it’s a reminder that success isn’t just what you make, it’s how you live.

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• Behind-the-scenes content
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Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like Nickelodeon, Target, USPS, and NASA. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to children’s books.

View Brave the Woods

Dustin Lee

Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives — from indie artists to major studios. He shares what it’s really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.

View RetroSupply

Credits

Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

Have you ever read a quote from someone influential and wondered: “Is this actually good advice or do we just think it is because a famous person said it?”

In this episode, we put that question to the test. Dustin presents Brad with a series of well-known quotes, without revealing who said them, and gets his unfiltered take on whether the advice holds up.

The results? Surprisingly nuanced.

Some quotes offer timeless wisdom. Others only work in very specific contexts. And a few directly contradict each other.

From designers to dictators, we explore how much weight we should give to creative advice (and why who said it, and when, changes everything).

Stick around as they unpack what makes advice worth following, why context is everything, and how to tell the difference between inspiration and distraction.

Join the Creative Slash Patreon

Want more than just the episode? Join our free Patreon community for:
• Early episode access
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Bonus clips and tools
• A space to connect with fellow creatives

It’s free, fun, and helps keep the podcast ad-free.

Join the Creative Slash Community

Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like Nickelodeon, Target, USPS, and NASA. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to children’s books.

View Brave the Woods

Dustin Lee

Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives — from indie artists to major studios. He shares what it’s really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.

View RetroSupply

Credits

Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström

Aaron Draplin doesn’t mince words. His ideas are as bold and unshakable as his design work.

And on this sweltering afternoon in the Pacific Northwest, he was in a rare, reflective mood.

From aliens to afterlives in design, Draplin opens up about what comes next after building a massive creative brand, and what it really means to start fresh.

In this episode:

• The cosmic link between bugs, belief, and being a good human
• What five months of dish shifts in Alaska taught him about freedom
• Why he won’t sell you a $200 poster (and what he sells instead)
• Fate vs. control: how much of success is luck, and how much is yours to claim
• How he built a creative life on his own terms (and how you can too)

If you’re a creative feeling stuck, cynical, or ready for a reset, this one’s for you.

Join the Creative Slash Patreon

Want more than just the episode? Join our free Patreon community for:
• Early episode access
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Bonus clips and tools
• A space to connect with fellow creatives

It’s free, fun, and helps keep the podcast ad-free.

Join the Creative Slash Community

Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like Nickelodeon, Target, USPS, and NASA. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to children’s books.

View Brave the Woods

Dustin Lee

Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives — from indie artists to major studios. He shares what it’s really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.

View RetroSupply

Credits

Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström