A lot of creatives are feeling it right now: the market shifting, projects slowing down, the fear of asking “wait… is it just me?” causing a spiral into the anxiety void.

This week, we're thrilled to get to talk to one of our heroes, Dan Kuhlken of DKNG. We'll dig into what it actually looks like to stay sharp (and sane) through years of creating, risk-taking, and what it's critical to let go of to move forward.

We go way behind the curtain into the technical Illustrator work, the screen-printing mindset, and the less-glamorous reality of running a two-person studio that has to keep the lights on.

We also talk about insecurity (yes, even legends struggle with it). the real kind. The “99 kind comments, 1 brutal comment, and now I’m questioning my whole identity” kind.

Here are some of the most tasty nuggets to listen for:

• How Dan built a non-destructive letterpress tool in Illustrator using graphic styles + the appearance panel (and, yes, you can own it).
• “Gatekeeping is a choice” and why sharing process usually makes everyone better (don't hide your secret sauce, it ends up working against you).
• Dan’s take on insecurities, including envy and jealousy, and how to turn them into an energy drink for your creative soul (instead of letting it eat you alive).
• Why halftones/textures exist, and why Dan thinks design is as much about construction as looks.
• The delegation dilemma. What happens when growth starts requiring skills you didn’t need to build the thing in the first place.
• [Bonus Story] The Flight of the Conchords poster moment and the surreal full-circle “pinch me” of musicians collecting your work.

If you’re an illustrator/designer trying to stay good through changing seasons or you’re deep in the “how do I make this look human?” Illustrator rabbit hole, hit that play button!

And if you want more of the behind-the-scenes thinking like this, the Creative Slash newsletter is linked in the show notes. Get our five-part “Off the Record” email series. It's FREE and packed with the operating systems, philosophies, and tools that top creatives recommend.

Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series

Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.

Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. 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

This might be the most vulnerable episode we’ve done.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re a strange mix of interests… and haven’t figured out how they’re supposed to fit together — this one’s for you.

After 25 interviews, we realized something

The real pattern in creative careers isn’t in portfolios. It’s in the weird stuff.

So in this episode, it’s just us.

We dig into our own obsessions. Magic tricks, antique hunting, grade-school nostalgia, expensive tools, and self-doubt. Then connect the dots we hadn’t fully connected before.

Here's what we're digging into:

• The fifth-grade teacher who changed Brad’s life
• Why not feeling “smart” shaped what he built
• How magic tricks led directly to RetroSupply
• The difference between curating a persona vs. being aligned
• Why your hobbies might be clues (not distractions)

If you’ve been trying to “find your thing” and it keeps feeling elusive, this conversation might shift how you see your own life.

In fact, it was the catalyst behind our NEW 5-Part Off the Record Email Series.

In the series, learn the creative philosophy, habits, and weird obsessions that quietly shape creative success, featuring industry experts like Aaron Draplin, Mary Kate McDevitt, Jen Hood, and more.

Yes, take me to the 5-Part “Off the Record” Email Series

Plus, we'll send you an email about every new Creative Slash episode including stories from the creatives, links to recommended resources, and products recommended by your favorite creatives.

Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series

Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.

Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. 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

We sat down with Nathan Yoder and, somehow, the chat immediately swerved past tools and trend-talk into the good stuff: craft, philosophy, faith, and how to make work you actually care about in a world that keeps yelling “faster.”

Nathan’s an analog-first illustrator, but the real takeaway isn’t how he works, it’s why. He’s thought hard about what matters, what he wants to put into the world, and how to stay honest inside that… even while tech (and now AI) keeps rearranging the furniture.

In this episode:

• Why analog still matters
• How philosophy shows up in the work
• AI: navigating it without spiraling
• Speed vs. meaning (the eternal knife fight)
• Making choices that match your values

If you’re feeling weird/pissed about AI… tired of trend-chasing… or trying to hang onto the part of making that made you fall in love with it in the first place, this one’s for you.

You’re allowed to slow down. Think deeply. Make the kind of work you can stand behind.

Join the Creative Slash Newsletter and Get the 5-Part “Off the Record” email series FREE

Click here to get the five-part “Off the Record” email series

Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.

Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. 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