How do you go from making things in PowerPoint as a teenager… to building creative worlds for brands like Netflix, ESPN, and MasterClass?

In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin sits down with creative director and director Jaye Thompson to discuss his journey through design, advertising, storytelling, and creative identity.

From growing up outside Philadelphia to navigating the competitive world of visual communication, Jaye shares how curiosity, experimentation, and relentless creative growth shaped his path into the industry. This conversation explores the realities of agency life, the pressure to prove yourself, the transition into directing music videos, and what it truly means to create work that people feel.

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Jaye opens up about the early struggles of breaking into the industry, couch surfing while chasing opportunities in New York, learning how to balance creativity with sustainability in Los Angeles, and why collaboration is essential to building meaningful work.

The episode also dives deep into world-building, creative philosophy, cultural impact, and the future of storytelling across design, film, and music.

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In This Episode:

• Discovering graphic design through PowerPoint and visual experimentation
• Transitioning from athletics into a creative career
• The realities of agency life and creative burnout
• Building campaigns rooted in emotion and cultural insight
• Why storytelling matters more than aesthetics
• Creative direction, music videos, and world-building
• The importance of collaboration in modern creativity
• Developing confidence and finding your creative voice
• How design can move beyond advertising into culture
• What creative longevity actually requires

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About Jaye Thompson

Jaye Thompson is a Creative Director and Director whose work lives at the intersection of design, film, and culture. His projects span advertising, motion design, music videos, photography, and visual storytelling, with work connected to brands including Netflix, ESPN, MasterClass, The North Face, and more. Through his creative collective Wish You Well, Jaye is focused on experimentation, collaboration, and building emotionally driven creative experiences.

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The Art School Graduate Podcast features conversations with artists, designers, filmmakers, and creative leaders sharing real stories about building careers in art, design, culture, and creative industries.

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Follow Jaye Thompson

Website: Jaye Thompson Official Website
Instagram: @jayethompson

What does it really take to walk away from a “safe” career and build a creative life?

In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin sits down with artist, designer, and hand lettering specialist Dan Lee, also known as DanDrawnWords. From earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering to leaving it all behind, Dan shares the honest story of choosing creativity over stability.

They talk about the tension between security and passion, the mindset required to pursue a creative career without a traditional path, and how Dan built his voice through lettering, storytelling, and community.

This conversation also dives into the deeper side of creativity—why human-made work still matters in the age of AI, how craft connects us to meaning, and why the most impactful work is often slow, intentional, and imperfect.

If you’ve ever questioned your path or felt pulled toward something more creative, this episode is for you.

💡 In This Episode:🎙️ About The Podcast

• Transitioning from engineering to a creative career
• Choosing creativity over stability
• Building a design career without art school
• The power of hand lettering and storytelling
• Creativity vs algorithms and AI
• Finding meaning through craft and community

🎙️ About The Podcast

The Art School Graduate Podcast explores the real journeys of creatives—sharing the wins, struggles, and breakthroughs behind building a life in art and design.

In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, I sit down with Kaleena Sales, designer, educator, and author of Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design, to talk about how culture, identity, and lived experience shape the way we design.

Kaleena is the chair of the Department of Art and Design at Tennessee State University, where she teaches the next generation of designers at an HBCU. In this conversation, we explore how traditional design education has centered Eurocentric standards, and what it means to expand the canon to include Black culture, urban aesthetics, and underrepresented voices.

We also dive into:

* How the environment shapes visual taste and design choices

* The “mere exposure effect” and why we like what we see

* Teaching design at an HBCU vs traditional institutions

* The gap between design school and the real world

* Why “good design” is often based on biased standards

* Helping students embrace their identity in their work

If you are a designer, student, or creative trying to find your voice, this conversation will challenge how you think about design and push you to see your perspective as an advantage, not a limitation.

⸻🔑 Key Takeaway

Design is not neutral. Your culture, your environment, and your lived experience all shape the work you create, and that voice belongs in the conversation.

⸻📌 About the Podcast

The Art School Graduate Podcast explores the real journeys of creatives, from students to industry professionals, uncovering the truth behind building a creative career.

In this episode of Art School Graduate, we explore portrait photography, fashion photography, and the creative process behind making images that feel both timeless and contemporary. If you are a self-taught photographer, an emerging creative, or anyone trying to find your visual voice in a gate-kept industry, this conversation is full of real, actionable advice on how to build a creative career on your own terms.

Justin opens up about studying economics, working for seven years as a corporate data analyst, and only picking up a camera because he was editing at a fashion magazine and could not afford to hire the photographers he needed. From shooting friends in his Bronx apartment with natural light, his work has traveled to Red Hook Labs, Saatchi Gallery, Fotografiska, and Rencontres d'Arles, with covers including Keke Palmer for The Cut, A$AP Rocky, and Venus Williams for Cultured.

We go deep on how to find your photography style, how to direct A-list subjects past their public persona, why trust matters more than the perfect frame, and how to develop a portrait photography voice that lasts. Justin shares his honest take on how to shoot celebrities, how to build a portfolio without art school, and the responsibility self-taught photographers carry when their work reflects Black and LGBTQ+ communities.

This is a real conversation about how to become a photographer, how to find your creative voice, and how to navigate the photography industry as a self-taught artist who came in through the back door.

💡 Question for you: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received as a self-taught creative?

Drop it in the comments — I read every single one.

🎯 This episode is for you if:

You are a self-taught photographer trying to break into the industry

You want to learn how to become a photographer without an art school

You are looking for portrait photography tips and creative direction

You want to know how to develop your photography style and voice

You are trying to figure out how to shoot celebrities and high-profile subjects

You want honest advice on building a creative career as an emerging photographer

You are interested in Black photographers and underrepresented voices in fashion photography

You are navigating the line between commercial photography and fine art

🕐 Timestamps:00:00 Cold open00:36 Welcome and intro01:18 How to become a photographer without art school03:50 How an analyst background shapes his image-making06:30 When photography clicked as a real career08:30 Why portrait photography over street photography10:45 DIY photography setup and learning natural light13:45 Being a self-taught photographer in a gatekept industry22:00 How travel and culture shape your creative voice25:30 From Red Hook Labs to Saatchi Gallery and Fotografiska28:30 Reflecting on Antwaun Sargent and The New Black Vanguard30:45 How to develop your photography style and voice33:30 How to use historical references in modern photography38:50 How to make timeless images that still feel contemporary43:00 How to build trust with your subjects on set44:30 Photographing Black and LGBTQ+ communities with care46:40 What dignity in portrait photography really means49:00 How to direct celebrities like Keke Palmer and A$AP Rocky52:00 Subject, setting, or concept — what comes first54:00 What he has stopped trying to prove as a photographer55:30 How to maintain your voice in commercial photography57:00 Emotional security advice for emerging photographers1:02:00 Rapid fire round1:04:00 Photography as a labor and a craft1:06:00 Creating images that live beyond you1:07:00 Advice for self-taught photographers starting out1:09:30 The legacy he hopes his photography leaves1:10:30 What he would tell his younger self

🌐 Connect with Justin French:

Website: www.justin-french.com

Represented by: We Folk

Instagram: @justinfrench

🎨 Follow the Podcast:Instagram: @artschoolgraduate_podcast

Host: Justin Robinson

How do you turn design into real impact?

In this episode of Art School Graduate, art director and collage artist David Perrin breaks down how he uses design to explore social justice, Black culture, and community—and how you can build a purpose-driven creative career.

From going from accounting to Design Lead at the Ford Foundation, David shares how he found his voice through collage, overcame imposter syndrome, and started creating work that actually matters.

🎧 Subscribe for more design conversations: 👉 @artschoolgraduate_podcast

We talk about:
• Finding your creative voice as a designer
• Using collage for storytelling and social impact
• Designing around sensitive topics like race and policy
• Navigating imposter syndrome and career pivots
• Why more designers need to lead in social justice spaces
• Building a meaningful and sustainable creative career

💡 If you’re a designer, student, or creative trying to find your purpose, this episode is for you.

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🎯 This episode is for you if:
You want to find your style as a designer
You want to use design for social impact
You are exploring collage or visual storytelling
You are navigating a career pivot
You want to build a meaningful creative career

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🕐 Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:16 Who is David Perrin
05:20 From accounting to design
14:00 Identity and culture in design
18:30 Finding his collage style
24:00 Designing for social justice
32:00 Working at The Ford Foundation
41:00 Nonprofit design vs agency work
50:00 Overcoming imposter syndrome
59:00 Current creative season
01:04:00 Quickfire round

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🌐 Connect with David Perrin:
Website: dpicting.com
Instagram: @dpicting

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🎨 Follow the Podcast:
Instagram: @artschoolgraduate_podcast

Nashville-based lettering artist and designer Cymone Wilder shares how she found her creative voice through texture, experimentation, and honesty. In this episode of Art School Graduate, we explore graphic design, typography, and the creative process behind developing a unique style as a designer.

If you are trying to find your style, improve your design skills, or understand how identity shapes creative work, this conversation offers real insight into building a creative career in today’s design industry.

🎧 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 👉 @artschoolgraduate_podcast

Growing up in a predominantly white town, Cymone opens up about discovering her identity as a Black woman later in life and how that journey shaped both her perspective and her work. She talks about finding inspiration through music, social justice, everyday language, and cultural references, and explains how accidents, limitations, and resourcefulness became a powerful part of her creative process.

We also go deep on how to find your creative voice, why imperfection matters in typography, how to stop perfectionism in design, and how to protect your style while working with clients. Cymone shares practical insight for designers, students, and creatives looking to grow, stand out, and create work that feels honest and personal.

💡 If you are a graphic designer, lettering artist, or creative trying to find your style, this conversation is for you.

🎯 This episode is for you if:

You are trying to find your style as a designer

You want to learn how to find your creative voice

You struggle with perfectionism in graphic design

You want better design inspiration and creative direction

You are learning how to build a creative career

You want to create more expressive and textured typography

You are interested in identity, culture, and diversity in design

You are a student or beginner looking for real design advice

🕐 Timestamps:
00:00 Cold open
00:36 Welcome and intro
01:08 Cymone introduces herself as a lettering artist
02:13 Early influences and discovering lettering
04:34 Finding her voice through lettering
06:05 Where her words and phrases come from
08:03 Why she embraces imperfection and texture
09:22 The moment her style started to shift
11:34 Letting accidents shape your process
13:25 Finding your style over time
14:21 Chasing perfection vs chasing your voice
15:15 Cultural influences and identity in her work
17:35 Discovering her identity as a Black woman
19:10 How identity shaped her creative voice
20:40 Self-acceptance and separating validation
22:06 Using art as a mirror for personal growth
23:47 Creating with limited resources
26:41 When her work started to carry emotional weight
28:13 Knowing when a piece is finished
30:26 Creating alone vs collaborating
34:20 Working with clients and setting boundaries
37:17 Clients who want your voice vs your style
39:17 Protecting your voice in commercial work
42:23 When to walk away from a project
44:20 Being authentic and navigating opportunities
46:10 Quickfire round
48:20 What she’s learning in this season
50:29 Advice to her younger self
51:18 Redefining success
52:18 What she’s still trying to say through her work
54:47 Legacy and what she hopes her work stands for

🌐 Connect with Cymone Wilder:
Website: cymonewilder.com
Instagram / Threads / Pinterest: @simonandmoose

🎨 Follow the Podcast:
Instagram: @artschoolgraduate_podcast

#CymoneWilder #LetteringArtist #GraphicDesign #Typography #BlackCreative #DesignCulture #ArtSchoolGraduate #CreativeProcess #DesignInspiration #VisualStorytelling #CreativeJourney #DesignPodcast #WomenInDesign #MinorityCreatives #AuthenticDesign #CreativeVoice #DesignEducation #TextureInDesign #HandmadeDesign #CreativeGrowth

Filipino-American graphic designer, educator, and founder of Dynamo Design Group Allan Manzano built a design career rooted in community, culture, and a belief that design is bigger than aesthetics — and he did it by betting on himself after a breaking point that changed everything. In this episode of Art School Graduate, Allan shares the unfiltered story of how a civil engineering student at San Diego State who couldn't pass math became one of San Diego's most community-driven designers and educators.

🎧 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 👉 @artschoolgraduate_podcast

From sketching logos and flyers in the 90s, to grad school, to working a soul-crushing 50-mile commute that led to a full breakdown in 2017, to finally launching Dynamo Design Group in San Diego's South Bay. Allan's journey is a masterclass in patience, purpose, and leading with culture first.

We also go deep on what it means to be Filipino-American in the design industry, the cultural concept of Bayanihan, and how it shows up in every client relationship and classroom, why he calls himself an educator first and a designer second, and what AI will never be able to take from a skilled designer who truly knows their craft.

💡 If you are a minority designer, a design educator, or anyone trying to build something meaningful in the community that raised you, this conversation was made for you.

🎯 This episode is for you if:

You are a designer trying to figure out why you do what you do, not just how

You want to understand how cultural identity shapes creative work and leadership

You are a design educator looking for real strategies to connect with students

You are Filipino-American navigating a creative industry that does not always reflect your background

You want to hear what it actually looks like to start your own design firm from scratch

You care about community-centered design and what it means to design for impact over aesthetics

You are a young creative trying to understand the long game

🌐 Connect with Allan: Dynamo Design Group: dynamodesigngroup.com

Instagram: @dynamodesigngroup

LinkedIn: Allan Manzano

🎨 Follow the Podcast:Instagram: @artschoolgraduate_podcast

#AllanManzano #DynamoDesignGroup #GraphicDesign #FilipinDesigner #FilipinAmerican #DesignEducation #CommunityDesign #SanDiegoDesign #ArtSchoolGraduate #DesignLeadership #DesignCulture #HumanCenteredDesign #MinorityDesigner #CreativeEntrepreneur #DesignCareer #DesignProfessor #GraphicDesignLife #BayanihanDesign #DesignCommunity #NextGenDesign

Mustafa Horton built a 25-year design career without a design degree. No agency. No traditional path. Just talent, resilience, and a refusal to quit.

In this episode of Art School Graduate, we sit down with the creative director, founder of United Colors of Design, and creator of the Islamic design studio Dawah Ink to trace one of the most unconventional journeys in graphic design. From losing a basketball scholarship to selling his art at shows across the Southeast, to self-teaching Adobe on a secondhand Mac, to spending six years designing for IKEA in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, Mustafa's story is for every creative who has ever felt like the industry was not built for them.

We get into faith and design, building nonprofit creative community, the hard truth about being a Black designer in America, and why multidisciplinary collaboration is the most urgent conversation in design right now.

If you are a self-taught creative, a designer of color, or someone building something meaningful outside the traditional pipeline, this one is for you.

Follow Mustafa: unitedcolorsofdesign.org

Follow the podcast: instagram.com/artschoolgraduate_podcast