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Equity, diversity and inclusion. Human-centred education in the midst of a technological tidal wave. Student well-being in the classroom and beyond. In this three-part series I’m thrilled to be able to sit down with three visionary educators who are shaping the trajectory of students — and society-at-large — through their work. A couple of years ago, I created a series all about the ‘virtual reality’ of education, having just completed a full year of virtual teaching during the pandemic. I learned a lot through speaking with different voices in education — both locally and globally — as well as reflecting on my own teaching practices. It’s pretty incredible how virtual teaching and learning pushed us all to grow and soften in different capacities. Now two years later, I’ve been thinking about the ways in which teaching is continuing to shift in light of opportunities and challenges faced by all participants in the classroom. I can’t wait for you to hear the ideas and stories and insights from the three guests featured in the series, including Gail-Ann Wilson Mitchell with the Alberta Teachers Association sharing her life experiences and work in the space of equity, diversity and inclusion. Dr. Ana Rita Morais, Chair of George Brown College’s School of Design on human-centred classrooms. And finally Dr. Robyn Bourgeois, Professor, Activist, Artist and Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement at Brock University, speaking about her approaches to student well-being. I’ve asked my good friend and colleague, Nat Lumby, Interim Chair of the School of Graphic Communications Management at Toronto Metropolitan University to co-host with me. She has a passion for education, pedagogy and making the world a better place through her leadership. Welcome Nat! I can’t wait to learn more about all of these topics alongside you. What are you most excited about in the forthcoming conversations? I’m so excited about the line-up of speakers in this series. For me the experience of education at any level (whether at home or as part of formal institutions) is about becoming a better human, and building a stronger society. At the heart of all three of these conversations are educators who really take a student-focused approach in building that humanity. As an academic I’m sometimes criticized for being too soft with students. Colleagues might say that no one will help these students out in the “real world”. I believe students who are shown a bit of empathy will carry it into the work place. The real world needs a shake up anyway. I hope that these 3 conversations will help us to highlight the strength of the student and human-first approach and help to unite other educators who have already seen how successful it can be. Gail-Ann is a cultural diversity educator with over twenty years of experience as a high school Social Studies teacher. She is committed to building capacity in aspiring diversity leaders after experiencing racial marginalization due to the underrepresentation of Black female teachers in Alberta. Gail-Ann focuses on cultural inclusivity in education centered on pedagogies that dismantle systems of oppression. She also consults with businesses, government and community groups on how to intentionally address anti-Black racism while building inclusive communities. Gail-Ann is an accomplished public speaker that has led professional learning presentations, and workshops for many school divisions and universities throughout Alberta and across Canada, promoting opportunities for collaboration in areas of common interest. She is also an award-winning journalist on the topic of anti-Black racism in Alberta schools. Her alma mater is the University of Alberta, where she graduated with a BEd and Master of Arts in Communication. Gail-Ann and I met in graduate school in Edmonton in the spring of 2013; almost exactly 10 years ago. We instantly connected at a meet-and-greet held the day before the start of classes and (thankfully) exchanged phone numbers. It’s a long story, but the next day, curled up in a ball in my rental apartment after having eaten bad food, she was the only person who I knew, having met only hours earlier. Without hesitation she showed up on my doorstep with food in hand, quite literally saving me that day. We became quick and close friends from that moment onwards. I was on the receiving end of Gail-Ann’s small-scale act of kindness and generosity that day in Edmonton. Now an entire provincial educational board and its staff, students and stakeholders have the great fortune of being on the receiving end of Gail-Ann’s large-scale acts of kindness and generosity. In this conversation, Gail-Ann shares her reality growing up ‘being the only’; a young Black girl and then woman and educator in Edmonton, including sharing her experiences in school. She describes important parts of her work including her take on what she calls ‘the six letter word’; its historical context and its role in modern life. Gail-Ann shares beautiful, vulnerable and heartbreaking stories about her work as a teacher and her forthcoming role in the Alberta Teachers Association, including describing the single most racist act she’s ever endured. There’s so much more captured in this conversation that ends with a powerful, accessible next step — call to action — for educators everywhere in fostering greater equity, diversity and inclusion in their classrooms. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Gail-Ann Wilson Mitchell is a cultural diversity educator with over twenty years of experience as a high school Social Studies teacher. She is committed to building capacity in aspiring diversity leaders after experiencing racial marginalization due to the underrepresentation of Black female teachers in Alberta. Gail-Ann focuses on cultural inclusivity in education centred on pedagogies that dismantle systems of oppression. She also consults with businesses, government and community groups on how to intentionally address anti-Black racism while building inclusive communities. Gail-Ann is an accomplished public speaker that has led professional learning presentations, and workshops for many school divisions and universities throughout Alberta and across Canada, promoting opportunities for collaboration in areas of common interest. She is also an award-winning journalist on the topic of anti-Black racism in Alberta schools. Her alma mater is the University of Alberta, where she graduated with a BEd and Master of Arts in Communication. Music: I Care - Loyalty Freak Music licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Episode Artwork: Canva (remixed) Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

We’re back at it! My creative confidant, Nat Lumby, and I recently sat down with a design education leader, Dr. Ana Rita Morais. Ana Rita Morais (she/her) is a Portuguese-born, Toronto-based academic, educator, and administrator. She is the Chair of the School of Design at George Brown College where she works closely with faculty and students across twelve academic programs. While in this role she was the recipient of Eastern Canada's 2021 RGD Educator Award. Currently, she runs Pay Design Interns (an ongoing database of the companies and studios across Toronto that are committed to paying design and creative interns), is the Principal Investigator on a multi-year NSERC CCSIF funded project in partnership with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and a former member of the Board of Directors at The ArQuives. Ana Rita holds a Doctorate from the Communication and Culture Program at Toronto Metropolitan University where she produced a SSHRC-funded research-creation project, me-dérive: toronto— an augmented reality counter-archive of Toronto's historical urban environments. Previously, she was a member of the HXOUSE programming team, and faculty at both George Brown College and Toronto Metropolitan University, teaching courses in Interaction Design, Media Research, Strategic Storytelling, and Research Methodologies for Design and Media. She has given talks at MIT, Oxford, City University London, and TIFF. Her work has been featured by the Advertising & Design Club of Canada, the Registered Graphic Design Association, The—Brand Identity, and Typewolf (twice!). Overall, she's passionate about pedagogy, research, calendars, and her English Bulldog Rosie. In this conversation, Ana Rita shares her thoughts on where she believes the future of design education is heading. She gives us a peek into the ways in which paradigm-shifting tech like AI can be integrated into educational spaces, as well as the evolution of her large-scale calendar project supporting BIPOC students in need. The conversation continues with Ana Rita’s vision of future learning environments and how the traditional classroom continues to expand into new spaces, helping students embrace curiosity, develop critical thinking skills and improve their communication skills. Ana Rita shares what excites her the most – and what scares her the most – about the future of design education, as well as how the myriad of free design resources online is (or isn’t) changing formal means of design education. Lastly, you’ll learn about a big, important project Ana Rita’s embarking on in this space. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Ana Rita is a Portuguese-born, Toronto-based academic, educator and administrator. She holds a doctorate from the Communication and Culture Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. She has devoted much of her academic career to investigating mobile media, including her SSHRC-funded research-creation doctoral project, me-dérive: toronto— an augmented reality counter-archive of Toronto's historical urban environments. Ana Rita runs Pay Design Interns, is the Principal Investigator on a multi-year NSERC-funded project in partnership with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a former member of the HXOUSE programming team, a director on the board at The ArQuives and the recipient of Eastern Canada's 2021 RGD Educator Award. Music: I Care - Loyalty Freak Music licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Episode Artwork: Canva (remixed) Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

In our final episode of this series, Nat and I have the immense pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Robyn Bourgeois to learn from her heart-centredness practices, in the classroom and beyond. Dr. Robyn Bourgeois (Laughing Otter Caring Woman) is a mixed-race nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman) whose Cree family comes from Treaty Eight (Lesser Slave Lake) territory. She is an associate professor in the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies at Brock, where her scholarly work focuses on Indigenous feminisms, violence against Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous women’s political activism and leadership. She is currently serving as the university’s Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement. In addition to being an academic, Robyn is also an activist, author, and artist. In this conversation, Robyn shares what it means to be heart-centred, inside and outside of the university system. She provides examples and actionable takeaways for becoming and remaining heart-centred through difficult situations. Robyn discusses how and why she sets boundaries when helping students navigate difficult situations, as well as her experience calling upon both mental health training and Cree cultural practices to lift the heaviness of others’ stories. Robyn provides a great example of the way heart-centeredness changes outcomes in challenging situations and how we all need community to survive and thrive. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Dr. Robyn Bourgeois (Laughing Otter Caring Woman) is a mixed-race nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman) whose Cree family comes from Treaty Eight (Lesser Slave Lake) territory. She is an associate professor in the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies at Brock, where her scholarly work focuses on Indigenous feminisms, violence against Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous women’s political activism and leadership. She is currently serving as the university’s Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement. In addition to being an academic, Robyn is also an activist, author, and artist. Music: I Care - Loyalty Freak Music licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Episode Artwork: Canva (remixed) Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

My Dad’s favourite creative medium was audio. I have memories of my Dad pulling out blueprints, explaining a schematic of a sound system installation to my grade 2 peers (which, for obvious reasons, went over everyone’s head). I have memories of every floor of our house reverberating with rock and roll as his band practiced for an upcoming gig. I have memories of his rigorous sound checks before my wedding to ensure the audio was juuuuuust right. Music and sound were a huge part of his life. My first words were practically ‘mic check, mic check’. Today would have been his 69th birthday. Like a family heirloom, I’ve carried an audio recording of my Dad and I reading my favourite childhood book together, recorded in the late 1980s. I’ve always known — deep down in my creative intuition — that there would be more to its story. While he never got the chance to meet his youngest granddaughter born 4 years ago — having missed one another here on Earth by a short 27 days — we now have the chance to hear them read together for the first and last time. Here’s Put Me In the Zoo (Part 2!), uniting grandfather and granddaughter through the magic of audio. Happy birthday, Dad. The circus is the place for you. Music: A Kwela Fella by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.

This year’s Advanced Typography class at Toronto Metropolitan University had the chance to sit down with two talented voices in type, the first of whom (Jorge Gomez) you’ll hear in this episode. In the next 45 minutes, you’ll learn about Jorge and his work today, as well as his design origin story that started with graffiti. You’ll hear how he’s doubled down on setbacks in his life and used them as powerful catalysts for growth, including the ways in which he’s faced prejudice in his ascent through school and into industry. Jorge now works with BIPOC-owned brands (through his company, The Money Studio) to help them preserve their culture and he discusses the ways in which different types of projects (painting murals, brand strategy) have intersected and spawned new projects. Jorge shares his use of Design Thinking and math (math!) when painting murals, how he said “yes” before he was ready and the ways in which his family plays an integral role in his work. This episode is co-hosted by Advanced Type student, Katrina Javier. Let’s listen in… About Our Guest: Jorge Gomez is a brand strategist and graffiti writer based out of Inglewood, CA. With a keen understanding of urban landscapes, he's able to implement his design process to every surface he paints. http://themoneystudio.com/ Music: Weird Science - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Episode Artwork: Canva (remixed) Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

I am thrilled to introduce our guest in today’s episode: It’s Meg! Meg Lewis is a designer, illustrator, artist and all-around creative. In this conversation, Meg and I get delightfully weird! We discuss Meg’s approach to their work centred around making the world a happier place, Meg’s ‘no process’ process and their definition of success. You’ll hear about the dreamiest client project Meg’s ever worked on (it’s a good one!), including Meg’s wildest idea that they can’t get out of their head. You’ll also hear about Meg’s approach to finding their style, including why they’re not upset by copycat work. I invites Meg to play an improv game with her about the embodiment of fonts and it’s embarrassingly magical (you can practically hear the hives forming on my neck). Finally, you’ll learn about Meg’s awesome advice to their younger self, what happened when Meg decided to dance and you can’t forget the clowns and the mimes and circus stuff. It’s a fun one! This episode is part of a guest lecture series in Design as Communication, Bachelor of Brand Design Program, George Brown College School of Design. About Our Guest: Meg Lewis is a designer, public speaker, educator, and performer. Their mission is to make the world a happier place by helping brands and individuals embrace their uniqueness through personable design and fun education. At Meg Lewis Fun House, Meg and her team blend humor with design to create playful experiences to bring brands closer to their community. Through education, talks, and programming, Meg empowers individuals and teams to celebrate their individuality through workshops and classes on idea generation, personal style, career strategy, and more! https://meglewis.com/ https://www.instagram.com/yourbuddymeg/ https://twitter.com/yourbuddymeg Music: Mad Hatter Tea Party - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

This year’s Advanced Typography class at Toronto Metropolitan University had the chance to chat with talented lettering artist and teacher, Aurelie Maron. In this episode, you’ll hear Aurelie’s story, including why neither agency life nor freelance work was the right fit for her creativity. You’ll hear accessible ways for beginners to get started in their lettering journey, as well as the way Aurelie uses lettering challenges to practice her craft, hone her style and scale her business. You’ll hear about her creative processes in approaching unfamiliar design challenges, as well as for designing an original typeface (and how to move forward if you feel stuck!). Finally you’ll hear about Aurelie’s desert island typeface choices (great minds think alike!), about her new Domestika course and about how she makes money as a lettering artist. This episode is cohosted by Advanced Type student, Katrina Javier. About Our Guest: I’m Aurelie, a passionate lettering artist from the Gold Coast, in Australia. Born in New Caledonia, I moved to Australia in 2010 and started studying a Bachelor of Digital Media at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. I have always loved drawing and writing, but while studying at University, I discovered the Art of Typography and have not stopped practicing since! Over the past few years, I have been incredibly lucky to speak at the Typism conference, start teaching typography at Griffith University and build my own creative design studio from my very own home studio! My mission is simple: produce the highest quality work for every client, on every creative project. I also thrive to share my knowledge with upcoming designers and hand letterers in my online courses. Website: academy.aureliemaron.com Instagram: @aureliemaron Email: aurelie@aureliemaron.com Music: Weird Science - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Episode Artwork: Canva (remixed) Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Welcome to the second episode in our Brand New series all about brand identity design. Today’s episode features the passionate and talented team at Loop who design for social good. Here you’ll meet designers Josh Layton and Emma Steele, learn what Loop does and how they see themselves as different from traditional agencies, as well as how Loop’s process is one of deep listening and unlearning, stemming from a place of curiosity and connection. You’ll learn what human-centred design means to Loop and how they approach their work through this critical lens, as well as all of the ways that equity, diversity and inclusion is baked into to Loop’s people and processes and is constantly evolving. Finally you’ll hear the ways that storytelling is used to build trust through design, helping to weave a common thread for supporters of the cause. This episode is part of a guest lecture series in Design as Communication, Bachelor of Brand Design Program, George Brown College School of Design. Let’s listen in… Loop's Visuals to Accompany the Episode: About Our Guests: Josh Layton is a multi-disciplinary social-impact designer based on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Territory (currently known as Vancouver, Canada). Having worked with some of the leading non-profit organizations at both grassroots and global scales, Josh enjoys exploring the intersections of design and social good. He is particularly passionate about creating brand and web experiences for changemakers addressing issues of 2SLGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice, and food security. Josh co-founded Loop: Design For Social Good in 2012, where he collaborates with an inspiring creative team and clients across the social impact spectrum. Outside of Loop, Josh is also the Creative Director at Living Hyphen Magazine and works on select creative projects and campaigns through his personal practice Studio JLAY. Emma Steele is a Senior Designer at Loop: Design for Social Good and has been with the company for over four years. She has a special focus on brand and layout design, and a particular passion for projects that tackle gender equity, climate justice and reconciliation. Emma received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing Painting from OCADU, followed by a Diploma in Graphic Design and Interactive Media at the Toronto Film School. She then spent 5 years as a freelance designer & illustrator for clients like the University of Toronto and Blue Door Communications, and was an in-house designer at a well-established Toronto architecture firm. When Loop came calling, Emma jumped at the chance to create work that was purposeful and meaningful to her - design for social good is what she was meant to do, and she hasn’t looked back! Music: Somewhere Nice - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

This is the final episode in the Brand New series where you’ll hear from Richard Nalli-Petta of Parcel in Toronto chat about his work for the agency, including one very special project he’s been a part of recently. You’ll hear how Parcel defines branding, the ways collaboration happens on large projects and the challenges of handing finished work to a client, who can then shape or change the design in any way they see fit. Finally you’ll hear why Richard believes design jobs are safe from being totally taken over by AI. Before we get into the episode, I love that what you’re about to hear is so different — not better or worse, just different — from the approaches to brand identity design from the first two episodes. You’ll hear that Richard enjoys the problem solving aspect of his role, Parcel thriving in a space where design is directly solving business problems instead of seeing design as art. In contrast, as we heard in Episode 143, Meg Lewis doesn’t love the problem solving aspects of design and their clients arrive after the problem solving is figured out, ready for Meg’s highly-personalized art to be applied to the design. Problem solving first versus art first. I’m so happy to see such diverse approaches (both wildly successful!) described for us here. This episode is part of a guest lecture series in Design as Communication, Bachelor of Brand Design Program, George Brown College School of Design. Let's listen in... About Our Guest: With a background in both academics and art, Richard Nalli-Petta brings his left brain as well as his right to each project. That is, he starts from a place of logic—the foundations of a design—before refining the artful side of it. Add a dash of spontaneous inspiration that Richard says always comes from the most unexpected places and you get a sense of the thoughtfulness that he brings to his work. Whether he’s designing an identity system for an organization with multiple affiliates, or charting the best user experience for a website relaunch, Richard really hits his stride on big, complex projects that have many moving pieces. https://www.parceldesign.com/ Music: Gameshow Brazz - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

It's become a Talk Paper Scissors tradition to feature the incredible work of up-and-coming typeface designers in this space (check out Episode 026 with Veronika & Mary-Anne, as well as Episode 113 with Nate & Sarah), work born from the Advanced Typography I teach at Toronto Metropolitan University. I asked today's guests to chat about their typefaces after reviewing all students submissions. I felt that theirs were innovative, well-executed and most fully-realized submissions I received. Nicole Galindo is a graphic designer based in Toronto, Ontario. She's a recent graduate of the Graphic Communications Management program at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Technology with a concentration in Publishing, and minors in both Communication Design and French. When she's not at her desk creating new designs for work, you can find her reading (or listening) to some books or out for a walk with her dog. You'll also hear from Cameron Mady who is a recent graduate of the Graphic Communications Management program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Hailing from Brantford, ON, Cameron thrives on curiosity and exploration, and takes pride in blending ambitious and creative ideas with practical applications. A focused and award-winning designer in his university career, Cameron is excited to take on the world of graphic communications and discover what he can offer in a professional environment. Nicole designed a typeface called Dogggo and Cameron a typeface called Perpetua and in the following conversation, you'll get to hear about each typeface. You'll also hear their perfect type pairings, sensory descriptions of each (sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste), the ways they could be transformed into variable fonts, as well as where the typefaces might be taken next (where things go off the rails, in the best way). Let the type geekery begin! Take it away Nicole... About Our Guests: My name is Nicole Galindo and I’m a graphic designer based in Toronto, Ontario. I’m a recent graduate of the Graphic Communications Management program at Toronto Metropolitan University, where I earned my Bachelors of Technology with a concentration in Publishing, and minors in both Communication Design and French. When I’m not at my desk creating new designs for work, you can find me reading (or listening) to some books or out on a walk with my dog. Cameron Mady is a recent graduate of the Graphic Communications Management program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Hailing from Brantford, ON, Cameron thrives on curiosity and exploration, and takes pride in blending ambitious and creative ideas with practical applications. A focused and award winning designer in his university career, Cameron is excited to take on the world of graphic communications and discover what he can offer in a professional environment. Music: Beatboxin' Whistlin' and Clickin' - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Sound Effect: Short Censor Beep by prueslove via Freesound.org Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

Let's do a quick association test. What pairs best with the following? Salt and... pepper! Peanut butter and... jam! Macaroni and... cheese! Art and... science! It's that last perfect pairing that today's episode is all about. I'm speaking with two excitingly talented creatives who work in a STEM organization (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) called Visions of Science here in Toronto. Visions of Science is transforming lives and advancing equity through STEM; providing access, increasing representation and fostering meaningful inclusion. They reach 1000+ youth in 30 communities each year through in-school programming, after-school tutoring, camps and partnerships with major organizations like Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) and IBM. In this episode you'll meet Camilo Saenz and Kristin Lewis who are using their talents for graphic design, videography and photography to communicate and accelerate this important organization doing important work. I met Camilo in the Master of Digital Media Program at Toronto Metropolitan University a number of years ago. It's been great to catch up and see the incredible work he's been undertaking as a Senior Content Manager for Visions of Science. It's also been fantastic meeting Kristin and being introduced to her powerful photography that captures movement and stories so strikingly. I'm all about experimentation so I thought it might be interesting to frame our conversation about creative thinking and output through the lens of STEM, as well as highlight important facts and figures about STEM in the Toronto community throughout this episode. Let's listen in... Here are some facts and statistics about barriers to STEM in elementary and middle school: When it comes to access to learning STEM "Middle-class 6th graders have gained 6,000 more learning hours than low-income peers, as estimated by ExpandED Schools (ExpandED Schools)." In terms of lack of identity and belonging in stem,"Students who struggle with their sense of belonging in school score lower in mathematics and science (O'Grady et al, 2021)." Starting with Science... For the identity rebrand of the organization’s visuals, what was your process of discovery, planning, research and crafting a plan? What role did curiosity play? Here's the organization's 'manifesto' WE ARE STEM: Now onto Technology... What are the tools / tech you’re using in your creative practice for the organization? Here are some facts and statistics about academic and behavioural streaming in high school: "Data released in 2013 by the TDSB showed that Black students were three times more likely than their White counterparts to be suspended from school (Rankin et al, 2013)." "Black students were twice as likely to be in applied, and three times more likely to be in essentials [courses] (James & Turner, 2017.)" Now onto Engineering... How do you create for the organization? What is your creative process? Here are some facts and statistics about restrictive financial barriers to STEM and employment obstacles in post-secondary and after graduation: "60% of high-income youth have attended university or taken a course by age 21, compared to 30% of low-income peers (Statistics Canada, 2011)." "16% of Black workers with Canadian bachelor's degrees work in jobs requiring a high school diploma or less, the highest overqualification rate among Canadian-educated racialized groups (Statistics Canada, 2023)." Finally, onto Math... How do you measure the impact of your creative work? Notable Visions of Science Videos: The “Unlikely” Scientist | Eugenia Duodu | TEDxYouth@Toronto Toronto Raptors x LG Canada | Community Heroes: Visions of Science About Our Guests: Camilo Saenz is a graphic designer and a master of digital media from TMU. Most of his career has been as an advertising creative and art director. He arrived in Toronto almost two years ago, and with the hectic yet wonderful experience came his current role as a Sr digital content manager in an inspiring not-for-profit organization. Camilo is into video games, series, books, design, cycling, and pastries! Kristin Lewis is a photographer & multimedia artist hailing from Toronto, ON. For over 12 years, she has been forging her way through different industries with her unique and energetic approach to content capture. She now brings her experience and passion for media production to her role as the Digital Content & Communications Associate with Visions of Science, working to authentically showcase the heartbeat of the organization. Music: Beatboxin' Whistlin' and Clickin' - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

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 minds for a lot of reasons, one of which is its grassroots, and no nonsense approach to being an ‘un-conference’. If someone is attending a session and they don’t feel it’s right for them, they are encouraged to (politely) get up and head to another session where they may find more value. I also appreciate the democratized approach to submitting a session idea and the niche community members it attracts. Years before I started Talk Paper Scissors in 2019, I attended PodCamp with the inkling that I may want to one-day start a podcast of my own and then the year after that, I presented at PodCamp about logo design fundamentals. Coming back a number of years later and having the chance to speak about my podcast and my process has been such a neat full circle moment. My talk was entitled Break All the Rules, and in it I shared the ways I am decidedly non-strategic about how I exist in, produce and market Talk Paper Scissors… and why this is my magic formula. The description reads as follows: “In 2019, Diana dove into the world of podcasting, launching Talk Paper Scissors – a podcast about creativity in graphic communications. (Featured as part of the 2021 Hot Docs Podcast Festival Opening Act in partnership with CBC Podcasts.) By day, Diana teaches students within The Creative School at TMU to know their audience and create compelling visual content. By night, Diana does the exact opposite: she creates podcast content for herself more than for her audience — with no set production schedule, no set show format, no set episode length, no less! — in a decidedly non-visual format. And it’s the best thing she’s ever done. Learn the way Diana uses podcasting as a creative outlet (that sometimes interweaves with her day job), allowing her to explore new topics, speak with interesting people and create a body of work that’s opened doors she didn’t know existed. Be inspired to create your own podcast that breaks all the rules and is uniquely you.” One more thing I want to say before getting into the session recording is that I spoke a lot about my audience (you!) and the fact that I don’t always take your needs into consideration when I create episodes. This is mostly true but I want to assure you creating content not targeted at you is decidedly different than not caring about you. I care about you DEEPLY. I care that you’re here. I care that you listen. I care that you care about these topics and this podcast and our asynchronous, arms length, yet very real, relationship. Finally, you can find my presentation within the show notes. Let’s do it! Here’s Break All the Rules, recorded live at PodCamp 2023. Break All the Rules - Presentation Slides After the episode... After my talk I went out into the hallway and continued the conversation with a couple of like-minded creatives, and I’d like to share a quick story about one of those conversations. He is a multi-passionate creative director who is brimming with ideas but is having trouble committing where to focus his creative energy. As we spoke, he insightfully summarized my approach to creative work far better than I ever had. He articulated that when I have a creative idea, it appears as though I can put down my extraneous idea baggage (referring to off-loading my ideas from my brain into a written document I can come back to later, which I spoke about in the talk), allowing a single idea to take flight because I’m traveling light, with only a carry on. I love this! I took it one step further and countered that, even if I were to lose the change of clothing in my carry-on bag (for example, I somehow left my shoes on the plane), the creative constraint of figuring out how to fashion my shirt into my pants, makes the journey all that much more fun and interesting. It is incredible conversations and spontaneous moments of shared creative exploration like this are the very reason that I love this podcast and this space. Interesting projects with interesting people. I hope that we can all set down our idea baggage, instead focusing on the play, experimentation and finding joy in the journey, Until next time (hopefully!) at Podcamp 2024! Music: Beatboxin' Whistlin' and Clickin' - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License. Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash