Creative Meets Technical with James Rowan

Send us a textCould you collaborate to make an award-winning professional short film with a team from start to finish in just 48 hours? Our guest today has done just that! James Rowan is a technologist, educator, and researcher working at the intersection of film, television, and emerging technology.You’ll hear James talk about the ways in which both creativity drives technology and technology drives creativity. He provides advice about how to develop both creative thinking skills, paired with the technical skills necessary to make a vision come to life, and what’s needed to bridge the gap between these two states of being. We chat about the inventible failures that will occur in figuring things out as you go, and that failure is simply data. We talk about collaboration and the power of the hive mind; diverse individuals with different areas of expertise coming together to push innovation through experimentation.Be sure to check out the show notes at www.talkpaperscissors.info to find the link to James’ incredible 48-hour film project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPRe2bVe27o I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textElliot Jay Stocks is a designer and musician, known in typographic circles thanks to his time as Creative Director of Adobe Typekit, founder of typography magazine 8 Faces, and for his recent collaboration with Google that lead to the creation of Google Fonts Knowledge. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Elliot’s prolific career in type. We talk passion projects and opportunities to broaden skills sets and unique opportunities that can happen from following one’s genuine interests. Elliot also shares his process for writing and designing my very favourite typography textbook, as well as the entry point for students who are just beginning to formally explore the world of letterforms. A quick note that this episode isn’t sponsored — as always I’m just a curious human trying to connect with interesting, creative people and projects out in the world. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textWelcome to 250th episode of Talk Paper Scissors where I celebrate YOU the listeners, chat about podcasting milestones and share info about the upcoming release of my book called Brave Creative Human: Reframe imposter syndrome, embrace failure and be unapologetically you, with the foreword written by the one and only Drag Artist & Creativity Professor, Guy Anabella! Release date: September 28, 2025!Here’s to the celebrating the small successes that turn out to be not so little with time and consistency.*Note: The Book above is not my book; it’s a delightful read by author Keith Houston that’s “a cover-to-cover exploration of the most powerful object of our time”. I couldn't agree more! I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom actionable leadership strategies to creative direction to AI, this episode is for all of the creative change makers! In this conversation, you’ll hear from creative leader, Vince Wanga, author of "The Art of Direction” with a distinguished two-decade career. He shares the benefits of long-term goal setting and he shares his next audacious goal. You’ll hear about his book and the important and deeply personal stories about creative leadership he shares in it.You’ll hear why creative leadership isn’t the only ‘path to success’, as well as what Vince believes are the most pressing challenges of our time as designers and creatives. Vince makes a compelling case for using AI ‘as a tool, not a crutch’ and the ways that he sees this technology integrating into creative processes.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textHave you ever dressed up as a life-sized paper doll, used a typewriter in a public bathroom or traveled to multiple continents to learn more about sheep? Meet Kara Dunne, who has done all of the above and more in the name of art.In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why and how many artistic modalities are part of Kara’s artistic practice, as well as about her most challenging project to date: a book called ‘Shopping Cart Shepherds’ and all of the serendipity leading to its creation. You’ll hear about the importance of following the breadcrumbs in a creative project, no matter if you know where they’ll lead, as well as what Kara’s up to now and next.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textToday’s guest is Rosie Meleady, Irish author and my first cousin once removed!  Rosie is currently having a fabulous midlife crisis in Italy, running women’s writing retreats in Italy twice a year, and hosting women solo travellers and creatives in her Umbrian villa guest house. She writes humorous living memoir and humorous fiction. Through this conversation, you’ll better understand Rosie’s journey as both an independent and traditionally published author, her process for writing ‘living memoir’ (or ‘reality TV in book form’, as she calls it), and the advice she has for new authors. You’ll also learn why your new favourite creative hobby could be eavesdropping. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis 3 part mini-series features 3 designers who bring different kinds of magazines to life. In this third and final episode, we have Creative Director and magazine designer, Kyle Scrhuder.In this conversation, Kyle straddles the line between printed magazines and digital magazines. You’ll also hear about a project early in Kyle’s career that fundamentally changed the way he approached magazine design from that day forward. Kyle maps out a framework to balance readability and creativity, digging into actionable techniques to move through a magazine design process, including what magazine designers can learn from UX/UI designers.You can find visuals discussed in the show notes at talkpaperscissors.info.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis 3 part mini-series features 3 designers who bring different kinds of magazines to life. In this second episode, we have Alexandra Golubeva, Designer at Readymag!In this conversation, Alexandra takes us through what Readymag is all about, as well as a series of projects that showcase the platform’s capabilities. You’ll better understand what’s possible with digitally published magazines, as well as how Alexandra thinks about working with type on the web and lots of tips around accessibility for publication design on the web.You can find visuals discussed in the show notes at talkpaperscissors.info and definitely check out all the links to the projects to follow along with eh conversation and explore with us in real time.This episode is not sponsored in any way (just a cool tool!) and is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis 3 part mini-series features 3 designers who bring different kinds of magazines to life. First up we have Art Director and Issues Magazine Shop owner, Nicola Hamilton! In this conversation, you’ll hear Nicola share what it means to work on projects that manifest in print, as well as how she approaches the design of Serviette magazine to serve the content and audience, including working with a number of design constraints. Nicola shares insights about how she believes current students keen on being part of the magazine industry can work on achieving this reality. We talk about what it means to try and fail in magazine making, as well as communication and collaboration necessary to make a magazine happen. Nicola also chats about her ‘clubhouse for print’, Issues Mag Shop, and you’ll hear what she’s most excited about in Magazine Land.You can find visuals discussed in the show notes at talkpaperscissors.info.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis is the third and final episode in a 3-part mini series about exploring creative education, both as a noun and a verb; new ways of thinking about assessments, grading and ungrading with 3 brilliant educators who work and teach in the spaces of communication, design, creativity, art and art therapy. In this episode, you’ll hear from Art Therapist and Educator, Patricia Ki, who brings a rich understanding of therapeutic practice and educational pedagogy informed by her practice to this conversation. She discusses how traditional grading systems are in misalignment with the communities of care art therapists are aiming to foster. Patricia dives into the concepts of individualism and competition that lie at the centre of a colonial education system, as well as the connection between capitalism and traditional grading systems, all of which are in direct opposition to the goal of collective care. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)