What happens when a journalist from Venezuela becomes a self-taught designer, typeface foundry founder, and curator of one of the most ambitious graphic design exhibitions in recent memory? You get Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz, and our conversation with him does not disappoint. 

Lope is a partner and project lead at In-House International, a design studio and typeface foundry. He’s also a TED Fellow, a Knight Fellow at Stanford, and the curator behind One Hundred Points.

In this episode, we dig into what it actually looks like to build a creative practice rooted in curiosity and systems–not just style. Lope shares his take on design rules (and whether you should bother learning them) and how his journalism background still shapes every creative decision he makes. We also get into the realities of working with nonprofits, font piracy, and how he pulled off a massive exhibition without taking a sabbatical. 

“Finding your style” is the number one question we get asked, and the one we’ve asked ourselves for years. In this episode, we’re diving into the real question behind it: what if it’s not about finding a single aesthetic… but about uncovering your creative identity? 

We’re celebrating the announcement of our new book, Follow Your Art, and sharing why we wrote it, what you’ll find inside, and how the entire process changed the way we think about style, niching, and creative confidence. We talk about why committing to one aesthetic can feel like a cage, why effortless ideas are often your most authentic ones, and how your “secret sauce” is built from everything. 

We also unpack our take on “niching out, not down,” how to write an artist statement that actually feels like you, and how to market your work without feeling gross.

In this episode, we’re joined by illustrator, designer, and letterer, Lisa McCormick who is celebrating 10 years of full-time freelancing and doing it her way! Lisa shares how she’s built a career working with major brands without being loud online or glued to every social media platform. We talk about why personal projects are often the reason dream clients come knocking, how curiosity and experimentation have shaped her signature style, and why being “quiet” online doesn’t mean being invisible. 

We also get real about freelancing and burnout and what it looks like to intentionally design a workday (and life) that actually feels good. From color obsession phases and travel-inspired projects to co-working for mental health, this episode is packed with honest insights for creatives navigating long-term careers.

In this episode, we’re joined by illustrator, letterer, and YouTuber Chris Piascik for a wide-ranging conversation about building a creative career without a grid master plan and why showing up consistently can change everything. 

Chris shares how a daily challenge that started as a way to reconnect with drawing quietly became the foundation of his entire career. We talk about what it means to play the long game as a creative, how personal work can naturally lead to apid opportunities, and why focusing on making matters more than chasing the perfect strategy. 

In this episode, we sit down with designer Josh Jevons to discuss what it actually looks like to build a sustainable creative career without burning out, cold-pitching nonstop, or doing everything yourself. We also get into real-world outreach strategies, including walking trade shows, pitching without being salesy, and why face-to-face connections still matter. Along the way, we talk packaging, brand strategy, work-life balance, and designing systems that allow you to grow without burning out.

What happens when two brothers decide to stop overthinking it and build a design studio around the kind of work they actually want to make?

In this episode, we’re joined by Jordan and Jeremy Coon of Brethren Design Co., a two-person studio built on trust, contrast, and a shared love of making things that are fun, expressive, and a little chaotic (in the best way). We discuss what it’s really like to work with family, how they naturally fell into different roles, and why embracing each other’s strengths has been key to their success.

In this episode, we sit down with illustrator, designer, and jill of all trades Marisol Ortega for a conversation that’s equal parts honest, hilarious, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating a creative career.

Marisol talks about leaving full-time work (again!) to return to freelance life, why office-centric culture doesn’t support the way many creatives actually think and work, and how being a parent shaped her career decisions. We dig into the reality of juggling big-name clients, managing energy, working with a rep, and building a sustainable freelance practice that doesn’t drain your soul.

In this episode, we’re joined by a very special guest, Rebecca Shostak, co-founder of Flodesk and lifelong designer-turned-entrepreneur. This conversation is packed with insights into how creativity, design thinking, and intentional decision-making can shape not just a project but an entire company. We also go deep into AI, the fears, the opportunities, and what it looks like to use it as a tool that supports creativity rather than replaces it. 

In this episode, we sit down with Callum from Callum’s Creative Club to explore the twists and turns of balancing freelance design, social media content, and staying true to your values. From landing dream projects with Nike to navigating the wild ride of building an online following, Callum shares the highs, lows, and lessons that come with straddling two creative worlds.

What does it look like running your own design studio that works with names like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kourtney Kardashian? In this episode, we sit down with Amber Asay of Nice People to discuss the winding path that led her from scrapbooking experiments and show choirs to launching a successful design agency and a creative podcast.

What happens when two dynamic duos get together to talk about creative business, collaboration, and the messy beauty of figuring it out as you go? In this episode, we sit down with Arabela and Elle of Weekend Creative to explore their journey from meeting in college lighting class to running a thriving commercial photography and education business.

If LinkedIn isn’t the first place you think of when it comes to growing your creative business... you’re not alone. But in this episode, we’re sharing the surprising results of our 30-day experiment, where we posted on LinkedIn every weekday, and what we learned that blew us away.

We’re joined by the wonderfully optimistic and multi-talented hand lettering artist & muralist, Lisa Quine, someone who has done everything from lettering murals for pro sports teams to designing custom hairbrushes for celebrities (Fergie included). We talk about her unique creative journey, how optimism fuels her freelance career, and how her Cleveland roots helped shape a dream path she never could’ve planned.

What actually goes on behind the scenes of a 1-million-follower art account? In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like for us to manage one of the biggest creative communities on Instagram. Joining us this episode is our teammate Emily (who wears many hats, from social media management to content strategist and Notion organization wizard). We’re digging into the strategy, challenges, and surprises that come with running an account of this size.

We’re getting real in this episode, talking openly about what it means to be a creative with mental health struggles, from panic attacks and perfectionism to ADHD and burnout. Whether you’ve felt overwhelmed by your to-do list, stuck chasing an impossible standard, or just totally unmotivated and scattered, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.

In this episode of The Typecast, hosts Katie and Ilana sit down with designer and longtime YouTube creator Will Paterson to explore what it really takes to build a sustainable creative career in today’s ever-evolving digital world.

What happens when two artists post on Instagram every weekday for an entire month? Spoiler: No viral fame, but they did book a DREAM client. 👇🏻

In this episode, Katie and Ilana dive into their recent social media experiment–sharing what it was really like to show up online five days a week for 30 days straight.

The past few years have been a rollercoaster of hard lessons learned, creativity, and pivots. In this episode, we’re peeling back the curtain with Krissy Mast, sharing her struggles with creative burnout after building a 7-figure design business and how she redefined success by deciding to close the doors and start fresh. From the projects that lit her up to the ones that drained her, Krissy gets REAL about what it means to build a sustainable creative business (again). 

In this episode, Katie and Ilana talk with Radim Malinic, a creative powerhouse whose journey spans graphic design, music, branding, publishing and building a business that celebrates visual storytelling.