What Does It Take to Design a Creative Life?

In this episode, we explore what it really means to live the process: to design with intention, to lead with taste, and to build brands and studios that are both joyful and durable. Kritika Trehan opens up about the creative pursuit behind Studio Ping Pong.

We cover:

🧒🏽 Origins: Growing up between Kolkata and Bangalore, early sparks of creativity, and the people and places that shaped her way of seeing

🎨 Philosophy: How her design instincts evolved, the principles she returns to, and how she makes space for delight in the work

🚪 Studio Building:Why she started Ping Pong, what “home” means in a creative studio, and the tension between doing good work vs. running a good business

🧠 Team & Culture: What it takes to build culture from scratch, how she hires, and what true creative freedom looks like inside a team

💼 Working with Brands: Her approach to briefs, why clarity matters more than cleverness, and how to walk the line between what clients want and what they need

✍️ Creative Leadership: The rituals, discomforts, and lessons that keep her evolving — as a founder, designer, and creative

🔮 Reflection: What she’s chasing next, the idea of “creative confidence,” and her advice to anyone trying to live and work with more intention

For creative entrepreneurs, independent thinkers, and anyone navigating the messy middle between vision and execution: this episode is a gut-check and a reminder to build with delight, discipline and depth.

→ Learn more:

Kritika's Instagram: @kritikatrehan

Studio Ping Pong: studiopingpong.com