Arrest All Mimics: The Original Thinking And Creative Innovation Podcast

Welcome to Slayzytown, where ice cream eyes and inverted pop culture characters are the tip of the ice berg. I meet the south London street artist and illustrator to talk about the weird, wonderful world he creates.How does a modern artist try to make a living whilst staying true to the world they wish to create? Slayzy talks about galleries, prints, sharing the inside of his lively mind with fans of his work and influences from the world of Japanese animation among many others.Come with us on a tour of the town he runs, where anything is possible if you can just pour your mind into a cone and stick a flake in it. Enjoy your stay!Get your Slayzytown experiences to us at @arrestallmimics on Twitterhttps://www.instagram.com/slayzy/http://slayzytown.bigcartel.com/https://twitter.com/slayzytown

Smart Up Visuals are a visual storytelling agency. The trio of Kristina, Lina and Karina turn words into illustrated stories and join me to share their inspiring story. We discuss the origins of their graphic scribing, which is often carried out live at conferences, events and in animated videos.How do they manage the pressure of working in front of large audiences, with no margin for error and how have they managed to work with such clients as LinkedIn,Ted x and BBC?We also talk about tapping into your instinct and learning to trust where it might take you in the creative world.Get us your thoughts over on Twitter @arrestalmimics!

There are few styles as immediately recognisable as the digital portraits of Stanley Chow. The Manchester raised and based illustrator is globally recognised as a heavyweight in the illustration industry, his work being seen regularly in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Nike, WWE and Wired among many other high profile places.Stanley shares the inside story of his success from the roots of his skills, humbly beginning drawing on chip paper at his parents' chip shop, using biro pens to tales of first being in trouble with The White Stripes, then working with them, a job that would play a big part in the launch of his career.How does he go about fighting the fact that his work is one of the most mimicked and parodied in the world? We talk about his work blowing up, how he keeps himself hungry and why he continues to create heartfelt personal projects.Get your feedback over on @arrestallmimics on Twitter now!http://www.stanleychowillustration.com/http://stanleychowfc.bigcartel.com/http://www.thestanleych

Kerry Hyndman has just won the Blue Peter Book Award for 'best book with facts.'The London based illustrator has brought to life David Long's 'Survivors: Extraordinary tales from the wild and beyond' with her stunning full colour illustrations for Faber & Faber. I catch up with Kerry to talk about the experience of bringing to life such an original children's book with often graphic tales of human endurance.With a narrative so powerful and evocative that the imagination of young people will likely be consumed by larger than life stories, how did Kerry tackle such a creative brief with her predominantly digital style of image making? Kerry shares an encouraging tale of arriving in the world of illustration via a fine art degree, working with publishers Faber & Faber and discusses her map illustration work. Join us in quite possibly the first podcast to be recorded in the turret of a library building...Get your thoughts over to @arrestallmimics on Twitterhttp://www.kerryhy

In the second part of the mental health and creativity special, I'm talking to a range of people in the arts about what their creativity provides on a more human level. We're dropping the client lists, the awards and the shiny Instagram profiles and exploring the mind and soul, how it can be enriched by the act of creating something from nothing.I'm joined by Illustrator Malika Favre, musician, DJ, producer Dirty Freud, painter Ray Richardson, poet Mark Mace Smith, artist Angela Morris-Winmill and two-piece hard rock band The Hyena Kill.Please share your thoughts on the show at @arrestallmimics and tell us about your thoughts on the matter, or experiences. It's a big one for open discussion, we need to get this conversation loud and roaring.http://malikafavre.com/http://www.rayrichardson.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/citizenmacepoethttp://www.angelamorriswinmill.com/https://www.facebook.com/DirtyFreud/http://thehyenakill.com

On a very broad scale, we all suffer the down sides of being, in the words of illustrator Ste Johnson, the only animal on the planet with the power to introspect and think this way, don't we? Whether it is depression and unhappiness, or simply occasional insecurity and anxiety, as human beings, life can sometimes give us a rough ride. But what role can creativity play in preventing, alleviating, coping with or channeling negative emotions?A few years ago I came across CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, a brilliant charity who use the arts in their work to prevent suicide, the single biggest killer of young men in the UK.In part one of this two-part special, I'll be chatting to Paul Shiels from CALM about some of the issues associated with masculinity and male stigmas that have transcended generations. Three times as many men take their own lives than women and I wanted to explore my own belief that creativity can be a crucial asset in fighting this problem.I'm also joined by illustrat

Would it be fair to say that every creative professional, beginner, student or casual ink head has at some stage struggled to settle on a style? Do we even have to? Why is that so frustrating? Willkay Oddking is a broadly skilled artist, designer and illustrator working with the likes of Adidas, G-Star Raw, Converse, BBC and under his own Oddkingdom brand.Will joins me at my studio to talk about his versatility and why he's content operating as something of a creative chameleon right now, until a style grabs him and screams 'settle on me!!!.' We talk about London as a creative city, the balance between his work as a graphic designer, illustrator and live artist and where he'd like to head. This is one show for those who have not yet found confidence in the direction they are heading and offers a nice alternative to working in the creative industries with a signature visual identity.Get your feedback over on @arrestallmimics on Twitter!https://www.oddkingdom.com/https://twitter.com/willkay_

I'm kindly invited to illustrator What Katie Drew's studio where as you'd hope, sits a desk smothered in incidental ink splats, chance smudges, marks and some smirk raising doodles. With a truly humorously naive, organic style, I talk to Katie about the evolution of it and a journey via the world of advertising. We discuss how time out and a look into other disciplines can help in the long run, why a talented network can be crucial and Katie's strong presentation of her work.Moving image is becoming more and more ingrained in our daily lives, the way we digest our information and I talk to Katie about her stunning animated RSA short film collaboration with George The Poet. She also tells me why 5am is a slice of horror in her world right now and how motherhood can impact a freelance creative journey.This is a fascinating insight into one of the most deceptively simple, yet powerful styles in the game and the lady behind it. Get your thoughts over on Twitter @arrestallmimics now!http://what

What makes a strong portrait? Stylistically, it's wide open to the viewer's taste and use in context. But what is the essence of a great artistic representation of a human being? I'm joined by Beka Smith to discuss personalities, eccentricity, warmth, the importance of how others perceive the subject and other variable factors to consider when creating a portrait.Beka is a London based portrait artist who's work has been seen in the BP Portrait Award and on Sky TV's Portrait Artist of the Year show. After an uncertain start, trying to work out a creative career path that felt right for her, she found her way into portrait art in an unconventional way, picking up some hilarious and touching stories en route.We discuss how she attains portrait commissions and the many, many things that a portrait artist has to go through!http://www.bekasmith.com/ - Beka's official sitehttps://twitter.com/BekaSmithArt - Beka on Twitterhttp://instagram.com/bekasmithart - Beka on Instagram

I head to the Design Week office in central London to talk to editor, Tom Banks about the brilliant Age Of Design project. Design is now a key driver for businesses and organisations looking to innovate, differentiate themselves from competitors and get closer to their users.But what do these organisations mean by design and how are they using it?Throughout the Age of Design project, we will investigate a series of key case studies of businesses using innovative design – from public sector organisations looking to improve their customers’ experiences to car companies using design to innovate and prepare for the future.Our panel of design experts will provide commentary and analysis and consider how design thinking could shape our future experiences.We will aim to analyse, explain and celebrate the design’s power to change, shape and improve organisations.Welcome to the Age of Design.How do you integrate design throughout your creative business? Get your feedback over to @arrestallmimics on Twitter!https://age

Sheffield based graphic designer and illustrator Lisa Maltby has set a great example of how we can turn negative experiences into great creative source material. Collating a number of breathtaking put downs from both her professional and personal life, Lisa has transformed them into a hilarious series of typographic artworks.Whilst some defy belief and others are more naive than malicious, Lisa's project won her a great deal of plaudits, creative industry press and new awareness of her work. It's a fantastic example of how we can channel our unique journeys and experiences into our output, forging our own identity and attracting the right kind of attention!Get us your own examples of negative experiences transformed into positive creative work at @arrestallmimics on Twitter!http://lisamaltby.com - Official Lisa Maltby sitehttp://www.lisamaltby.com/blog/creative-put-downs-turned-into-typographic-art - Typographic put downs projecthttps://twitter.com/Lisa_Maltby - Lisa Maltby on Twitterhttp://instagra

Ever thought about setting up your own creative workspace/studio? It's one sexy idea, but there are questions that need answering along the way, for most of us.Rabble Studios launched earlier in 2016. At a time when property developers are gobbling up creative spaces for fun, I meet with founder and designer Dan Spain. Rabble houses 24 creative professionals and also functions as a creative events, talks, hub and function space in Cardiff and I wanted to find out just how Dan went about not only finding a place to work to stave off the cabin fever, but took it one step further to self-finance and open a much bigger co-working set up.What challenges has he faced and how has he linked up with other independent businesses in the area? It's a brilliant and impressive piece of enterprising and a valuable insight into what we need to do to turn the tide against the property virus. In order to safeguard a creative business presence in our towns and cities, much work is to be done by all of us, but this blu

It's a very tenuous Christmas special episode and the last of 2016 as Lauren Goodland, aka Dorkfeatures is on great form. The Newport based designer discusses her alternate range of greetings cards, Christmas and non-festive. The range has been very successful early in their existence and we talk about why there is a market for personal, off-beat humour and why her cards have hit the mark thanks to a dash of pop-culture sensibility.We also touch upon how it feels to be in the immediate graduation fall out months, how Lauren is currently balancing a full-time design role with her greetings cards work, Bebo skins, the origin of the title Dorkfeatures and her effective use of social media.Get us your feedback to @arrestallmimics on Twitter and subscribe on iTunes now! See you in 2017.http://dorkfeatures.co.uk - Lauren Goodland officialhttps://twitter.com/Dorkfeatures - Lauren on Twitterhttps://www.instagram.com/Dorkfeatures/ - Lauren on Instagramhttps://www.thortful.com/creator/dorkfeatures - Lauren's

There are few bigger names in the ruthless worlds of contemporary art and illustration than Malika Favre. Paris raised, London based, Malika joins me for the 50th episode of Arrest All Mimics to discuss her inspiring journey so far.Malika's distinct style, utilising beautiful colour palettes and digital techniques to their fullest, has been seen in The New Yorker, Penguin Books, Vogue, The BAFTAs among many other high profile clients. But as ever, Arrest All Mimics is built on insights and storytelling, pulling back the curtain to show that every person has a unique journey and set of life experiences that can be drawn upon to form an individual and striking creative identity.Obsession, sexuality, openness and fantasy are just a few of the topics covered with a lady who continues to build a well-earned reputation as one of the best in the business!Get your feedback, suggestions and thoughts over to @arrestallmimics on Twitter as we gear up for another 50 episodes of creative innovation and original think

The image that still tends to spring to mind when you think of what a portfolio is, most probably is a leather-bound one, with a handle. Whilst these still see the inside of the offices of many art-directors, editors and commissioners, what should a portfolio be today? Industrial designer Nick Chubb recently gave a talk with Artsthread at the V&A discussing marketing yourself on zero budget and Nick raised some great points about self-promotion and portfolios. Coming from backgrounds of illustration and product design, we discuss the modern portfolio, your brand and how you have to be your brand to succeed in the modern era.How many images? How big? Do I go print or digital? There are many questions that run through the mind of someone tasked with finding work for themselves, be it in employment or as a freelancer and we break it all down on episode 49 of Arrest All Mimics.As ever, get your thoughts and comments over on Twitter at @arrestallmimics and I'll look out for your feedback, experiences and

Kerry Lemon is a hugely inspiring example of just how much can be achieved, on your own terms with the correct balance of self-belief, drive, hard work, smart decision making and vision. With an unconventional route into the business, Kerry forges her own path, making smart moves to realise her ideas and project plans.We discuss how a former planned teaching career just did not feel right and after returning to drawing, Kerry used the urgency she felt to start picking up work before a constant evolution process began and shows no signs of abating. Kerry Lemon is charming, inspiring and driven, making it easy to see why she's building such a reputation in the arts!Now working on a mural in Japan whilst designing a block of flats in UK, this lady can teach us a lot about the power we have over our own creative destiny.http://www.kerrylemon.co.uk/ - Kerry Lemon officialhttps://twitter.com/kerryannelemon - Kerry Lemon Twitterhttps://www.instagram.com/kerryannelemon/?hl=en - Kerry Lemon Instagram

La Boca are a London based image-making studio working with a wide range of clients including Penguin Books, Adele, Island Records and Vintage Books. They recently created a set of stunning cover designs for a series of reissued science fiction classic books, a bucket list project for Scot and Richard, both long-term fans of the genre. We discuss what it was like to land such a brief for a client like Penguin, how the work came about and the methods they used to build La Boca into one of the coolest creative agencies in the game.These guys provide a fantastic showcase of why it's important to lead from the front with the work you would like to do and why it often leads to the clients you would most like to work for. We also cover a few unconventional methods of creating illustration and touch upon why cats in multi-coloured triangles are not cool.

One of the UK's most revered graphic designers and creative minds of all time is arguably best known for his 'First Things First' manifesto, published in 1964. Signed by many graphic designers and artists, the purpose of the manifesto was to highlight the out-of-control consumerist society and urge creative professionals to use their talents and free time to work towards more meaningful causes that would build a better society. Books, education, anti-war efforts and charity over advertising of commercial products. Sadly, in 2016, Ken's efforts are more relevant than ever before as an undercurrent of hate and divisive politics gather momentum, whilst the environment, community and wellbeing are neglected.Having studied Graphic Activism for my dissertation, leading with the FTFM, I met Ken as part of a later charity campaign, inspired by his work and created to highlight the emotional benefits of creativity on behalf of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) and talked about his career, th

We've seen sonic speed developments in technology over the last decade. How do the possibilities impact upon design and its role in the world moving forward? Last year's 'This Time Tomorrow' exhibition at the World Economic Forum was based on the theme 'The fourth industrial revolution' and curated by V&A museum's Mariana Pestana. Mariana joins me to talk about the work featured, including the much discussed Radical Love by artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg, a 3d print of imprisoned Chelsea Manning, a transgender U.S. Army soldier convicted of espionage after leaking documents to Wikileaks.This Time Tomorrow's six scenarios will present a leap into a potential future and foster debate about their consequences as well as posing pressing questions about the future we choose to create.Mariana Pestana is a fascinating lady with big ideas, working closely with the V&A following her work with The Decorators, a multidisciplinary design practice working with local authoritie

The Association Of Illustrators join me to discuss where we find the industry in 2016. With a dual role of the trade union for the illustration industry and champions of it too, the AOI are as important as ever before. We enter the digital age and with its arrival comes a whole new host of questions about intellectual property rights, big business bullying and where we are headed.I head down to the Somerset House home of the AOI to catch new managing director, Ren Renwick and membership coordinator Lou Bones to discuss the new possibilities open to illustrators with accessible technology, how the industry has greatly expanded in recent years and the recent link up with U.S. based Directory Of Illustration to form the World Illustration Awards.Ren is keen to take the business new places in more ways than one and is keen to break down boundaries between disciplines as the creative industry becomes increasingly amorphous.