The First Things First manifesto was originally published in 1964 by designer Ken Garland and signed by 21 other designers, photographers, and students who believed in the ethos of his message. While I won’t read the entire manifesto (as it’s protected by copyright) I will read a passage that will help you gain an understanding of what it’s all about: “We do not advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising: this is not feasible. Nor do we want to take any of t

Please close your eyes. Now think back to a typical day in high school. That might have been in the distant past or perhaps more recently. What was it like? What did you spend your days doing and learning about? What did your classrooms look like and what did the system look like? Feel like? For most of us in traditional high school environments, the structure of school—whether a mostly positive or negative experience—probably looked pretty similar. A teacher at the front of

I’ve spent a lot of time in libraries so far this year, both personally, with my kids, as well as professionally, with a variety of guests for my upcoming and ongoing Library Loiterers series. (More on that soon!) I’ve also been thinking a lot about the rapid decline of social trust in the age of digital misinformation and disinformation, never quite knowing if what you’re reading (and now seeing) is real. In this lonely and scary tsunami of information overwhelm, libraries

Today’s guest and her team’s most recent book project is truly emotional and inspiring. As always, this episode is not sponsored, however I do want to disclose that I received an advance copy of the book and after experiencing it, I absolutely had to chat with our guest about the incredible technology, typography, and hope behind this project. In this conversation, you’ll hear from Rachel Arthur, Founder and Editor of boom saloon , “an independent publisher dedicated to democ

I read a book a few months ago called Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity. It stirred something up inside of me in the best way possible. I felt like the author, Maria Bowler, was speaking directly to me. So I reached out to Maria to see if she'd be interested in chatting about her book, and I was thrilled that she said yes. In this conversation, Maria and I dive deep into the world of problematic ideas around productivity, the ways in which the

A few months ago I received a lovely email from a listener. It was the kind of unexpected, heartfelt, and generous note that means the world when I spend hours making this podcast, talking into the void and not knowing how (and even if!) messages are being received. I’ve grabbed a few different bits from the email, but the email sounded something like this: I just wanted to reach out and say a huge THANK YOU for producing such a fantastic podcast!!!! I stumbled across it last

One of my very favourite ways to produce creative work is when it unfolds naturally, like a constant flicker of ideas lighting each step...

Happy Friday and welcome to a thought-provoking and potentially paradigm-shifting conversation with James McCrae , author, poet, and...

Today we have the one, the only, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. , an American printer and book artist who has been puttin’ ink on paper since...

Today is a great day! You’ll meet one of my best friends, Eden Kim (or you might already know her… I’m convinced that she’s the most...

I have a special treat for everyone today! I’m chatting with Olympian and author, Micha Powell , about the process for writing and...

“Collective effervescence is the feeling of energy and harmony when people are engaged in a shared purpose. It is a joie de vivre that...

What do Pumpkin spice, coffins and leprechauns have in common? Johnny Cupcakes, of course! And I have the man himself with me today. Why...

Welcome September! I’m thrilled to be starting off this season of creativity, collaboration and making by speaking with fellow...

Inspiration is a mysterious, elusive and perhaps even divine interconnectedness between everyone and everything. Communication, both...

It was a really neat experience getting to speak at PodCamp 2023. I respect this small-in-size, large-in-stature, annual meeting of the...

My Dad’s favourite creative medium was audio. I have memories of my Dad pulling out blueprints, explaining a schematic of a sound system...

Big emotions in creative living. It’s a big, important topic equally necessary for those who are just starting out in industry, seasoned...

Welcome to the future… font futures: a three-part miniseries dedicated to what will continue to evolve as it relates to design,...

Stories connect us, they inspire us, they communicate our values to the world. Stories allow us to empathize with thoughts and actions...