003 - Answers

Hear filmmaker Mark Eshleman's path to becoming responsible for capturing the story of the band Twenty One Pilots' rise to success. Mark takes us through his journey, and what it's like to maintain his vision and seeing it to fruition. See Mark's work at reelbearmedia.com

There's more behind the project you're working on. You have a choice as to whether or not you choose to tune into that other wavelength. Host Brandon Rike explains the desire to know what's behind the projects we fill our days with, and the practical benefits of focusing on more than just the visuals we make. Throughout our career, we will scour our minds for any new motivator that we can find. Perhaps the most consistent motivator is the connection we have to the story and emotion behind the seemingly static work.

Brandon sits down with fellow podcaster and illustrator, Andy J. Miller. Andy tells his story about how he became an illustrator, and what he's trying to capture with his art. A good conversation about why artists do what they do, and how they manage to make a living with their talent. In addition to being an amazing illustrator, Andy is also the host of the popular design podcast, Creative Pep Talk, where he encourages artists on how to make a living with their art.

Simplicity takes courage. Brandon gives a peek into his though process for designing simple logos. In our design concepts, the courage comes from a deep understanding of the story behind what we make. Knowing the story, and knowing how you arrived at your simple solution can allow you to be able to stand up for your concepts. Brandon discusses the journey through his career that now makes him value simple and bold solutions. Brandon gives stories about his branding choices, placing emphasis on pursuing a greater understanding of exactly what it is that we as designers are trying to make.

Invisible Creature's work has been a constant inspiration throughout the design career of myself and many of my peers. Ryan Clark, along with his brother, Don, have consistently created stunning work from album layouts to cartoon illustrations for Target. Ryan's creativity and attention to detail is evident not only in his design work, but also his musical offerings, including Demon Hunter, Training for Utopia, Low & Behold, and his newest project, Nyves. I sit down with Ryan to find out what pushes him to create great work in so many different fields.

Sometimes we take on more than we should, and we have to grind through it. It's too late to change the deadline, too late to change anything - only enough time to put our heads down, and grind it out. But how? Graphic Artist Brandon Rike discusses his tactics when the workload gets too heavy, and we feel like we won't make it. There are a few mental tools we can use to push through the mountain of work that has been placed in front of us.

Understanding the thing behind the thing. We can make great graphics, buy Why? Brandon sits down with filmmaker Jesse Bryan to discuss finding the story behind why we do what we do. At a certain point, Jesse becomes the interviewer, as Brandon candidly uncovers some of the core values that drive him. This is a must listen for any designer realizing that simply "making stuff look cool" just isn't enough. Created by: Brandon Rike Produced by: Brandon Rike & Brian Skeel of Chris Graham Mastering.com Theme Music: The Hands of Stone (Remixed by Jesse Cale) Music: “Dry Air” by Podington Bear // “What True Self Feels” by Chris Zabriskie // “Heebie Jeebies” by Graham Bole

What is truly fueling our careers in a creative field? Before any expectation of status or income was our focus, we were simply creative people, wanting to spend our time doing creative things. Let's remember why we started doing this in the first place. With an internet full of suggestions or expectations of where our careers or our lives should be, maybe we can dig deeper to find a purer form of motivation. Host Brandon Rike recounts his path through his creative career to find the motivators that proved false, and the ones that kept him going. Produced By: Brian Skeel Theme Music By: The Hands of Stone / Remixed by Jesse Cale Background Music: “Saunter” by Podington Bear / “Giants” by Forget The Whale / “Readers Do You Read” by Chris Zabriskie Outro Song: “Aqua Waltz” by The Surf Zombies

Host Brandon Rike sits down with Colin Rigsby (House Of Heroes, Vesperteen) to discuss why we create, and how our creativity evolves over time. Colin opens up about where his new creative endeavor, Vesperteen, came from, and the "itch" that it scratches. Brandon and Colin discuss making a big creative vision, and understanding how that need changes with our lives. COLIN'S CREATIVE OUTLETS Vesperteen House Of Heroes Graphic Design CREDITS: Created by: Brandon Rike Produced by: Brandon Rike, Brian Skeel of Chris Graham Mastering Theme Music: The Hands Of Stone Title Song Remixed by: Jesse Cale Website + Facebook

Host Brandon Rike answers questions from Twitter on favorite designers, daily struggles, routines, workflows, college, and more. Brandon gives in-depth responses to common questions about life with a successful freelance design career. Outro music by Podington Bear.