Talk Paper Scissors

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. :)

Send us a textThis is the second 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 researcher, educator, designer and artist, Rupsha Mutsuddi, about her upbringing in a variety of school systems and the ways it's led to her current path. You'll hear about the unique interdisciplinary nature of Rupsha's cohort in the PhD in Global Health program at York University and how they use grades to support students through a pathway of their choice using a pass/fail model. Rupsha shares how important it is for designers to be able to articulate their value, the benefits of iteration and the importance of staying in the divergent stage of thinking for longer than we think we have to. Finally, you'll hear ideas about encouraging vs. stifling creativity in the classroom.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis is the first 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. First up is Dom Prevost, Group Creative Director at Resonance and also teaches at IDEA School of Design (Capilano University) and Miami Ad School. With a multi-disciplinary approach and years of international experience, Dom has created award-winning, fully-integrated campaigns for some of the world's most iconic brands including Nike, adidas, Benetton, lululemon, Foot Locker, Mercedes, Ford, Johnnie Walker, Red Bull, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Ministry of Sound, Playstation and Ubisoft. In this episode, you'll hear about a course Dom teaches that, at its core, is helping students succeed through embracing failure, by removing control and providing space for things to go wrong. Dom explains what he hopes to instil in his students about failure, iteration and pushing past the first ideas, as well as how he uses grades not as a means of control and power, but as a means of relinquishing control and power, handing it back to students to show up with good, bad and ugly ideas.Finally, Dom gives us a sneak peek at his upcoming new workshop at DesignThinkers Vancouver, May 13-14, 2025.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Natalie Annabelle.Name: LoraRelease Date: 2022Designers: Cyreal, (Type Designer) Alexei Vanyashin, (Photographer) Olga KarpushinaClassification: Serif fontOwned By: Open Source / SIL Open Font LicenseClaim to Fame: A classic serif typeface that exudes sophistication and readability.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Sam Weinberg.Name: EurostileRelease Date: 1962Designer: Aldo NovareseClassification: GeometricOwned By: URW Type FoundryClaim to Fame: Popular in Sci-fi media and space exploration branding. Used in the original Dr Who title sequence.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Joanne Liao.Name: Abhaya Libre Release Date: 2015Designer: Sol MatasClassification: SerifOwned By: The Abhaya Libre Project AuthorsClaim to Fame: It's a redesigned version of the existing FM Abhaya typeface made suitable for the Latin alphabet.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Matthew Karton.Name: Lexend Release Date: 2019Designers: Bonnie Shaver-Troup, Linnea Lundquist, and later Thomas Jockin, Santiago Orozco, Héctor GómezClassification: Sans-SerifOwned By: The Lexend ProjectClaim to Fame: An early typeface designed for people with Dyslexia, and low reading fluency.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textFrom the middle ages to the Middle East, From Futura to Freight, join us on a journey across the type universe and go where no designer has gone before...Welcome to An Incomplete History of Type (Part 5!)This episode is guest hosted by Darrab Qureshi.Name: GeorgiaRelease Date: 1996Designer: Matthew CarterClassification: Transitional Scotch Roman styleOwned By: Microsoft CorporationClaim to Fame: A font created and tailored for on-screen display, Georgia was designed to be highly legible at small sizes on low-resolution screens. Its distinctive serifs and generous spacing make it a popular choice for digital reading and web typography.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis is the fifth and final episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with design typography pros from across North America!This episode features Koy Sun, a seasoned Thai American artist, whose decade-long journey through the realms of custom lettering and illustration has recently expanded into the vibrant territories of sign painting and mural work. In this episode, you'll hear Koy talk about his introduction to letterforms and using the painted medium to craft his work today. Koy speaks to why he believes people are drawn to hand painted signs and you'll hear how and why sign painters think differently than traditional graphic designers. Finally, you'll hear how Koy stays creatively inspired and why he focuses on authenticity over the algorithm.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis is the fourth episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with design typography pros from across North America!This episode features Jamie Chang, founder of Manic Type in Toronto, Canada. You'll hear Jamie draw parallels between brand identity design and type design, better understand his process and hear about ways that designing a typeface can get out of hand (in a both a good way and bad way). You'll hear how Jamie decides what kind of type to design next, demystifying the licensing of his fonts, and why he doesn't use AI in his process. Finally you'll hear why creativity shouldn't always be the goal. The thread that travels throughout the conversation is a brilliant analogy comparing the type design industry to the music industry. You'll never look at a font (or a guitar!) the same way again. 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 episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with design typography pros from across North America!In this episode features the legendary, Jessica Hische. You'll hear Jessica's origin story in graphic design and illustration, how she works with sources of inspiration and what her process looks like (yes, verbal brainstorming!). You'll hear how and why technology has changed Jessica's process and how she thinks about the topic on so many creatives' minds: AI. Finally, Jessica shares that it's a small world, after all, and that, in fact, is a really big deal.I'm also joined by Chris Rouleau, co-hosting this episode alongside me.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis is the second episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with design typography pros from across North America!In this episode you'll hear about Chris' recent projects, the magic to be found in creative constraints, and helpful advice about where to find inspiration. You'll hear about Chris' typical process, his thoughts on how many is too many typefaces and advice for muralists looking to scale up and transfer designs onto a wall. Lastly, you'll hear the role that failure plays in Chris' process and what Chris is up to next.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis is the first episode in a 5-part guest lecture series in GCM 806 Advanced Typography, speaking with design typography pros from across North America!In this episode you'll hear design, illustrator and content creator, Fiorella Granda, discuss her relatively recent shift to full-time illustration, her creative process and the way passion projects fuel her work with big brands (including details about her project in Toronto with the WNBA). You'll also learn about Fiorella's love/hate relationship with social media, tips for pricing and licensing your work, as well as the magic to be found in showcasing your heritage to others.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textOn the heels of his debut as Mufasa in Mirvish's The Lion King last Friday night, Oren Williamson is here to chat all things creativity, collaboration and comedy! In this episode, you'll hear Oren's origin story moving through his non-linear creative journey. You'll hear him explain the process to play a role in The Lion King's production, as well as a moment-by-moment account of what was going on in his mind on stage as Mufasa for the first time.We talk all of my favourite topics: facing failure, combatting perfectionism, the necessity of vulnerability and the magic of curiosity. You'll also hear about the Wild West of theatre school, including crying day and naked day. Yes, naked day.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textHave you ever found yourself straddling the world of art and the world of design, not sure if you should commit fully to one or the other? Enter Zach Litoff, a multi-media artist AND designer whose work blends art and design to create visually compelling narratives. He's here to chat about existing in both worlds and the benefits he's found in living in multiple creative spaces. In this conversation you'll hear about Zach's multi passionate interests in art, science and athletics. You'll hear an interesting idea about the ways in which the historically significant painters were, in fact, designers. You'll hear about the mind shift that's helpful to blur the lines of commissioned design and artistic practice and Zach's approach to different types of creative projects. Finally, you'll hear about a few recent, meaningful projects Zach's most proud of and Zach's approach to failure.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textWe're talking about brands with multi award winning designer Amelia Nash, Brand & Marketing Manager for the School of Visual Arts Masters in Branding program and Senior Staff Writer for PRINT Magazine.In this conversation, you'll hear about Amelia's predictions in branding through 2025 related to strategy, design and emerging practices.She shares her excitement about typographic revival in brand identity design and sustainable practices in packaging. You'll hear about the way branding is an ecosystem, balancing trendiness with timelessness and the influence of local design on global brand strategy, and Amelia shares a range of examples throughout. We end the conversation with Amelia's hope for the future of branding (which is her hope for humans everywhere!).I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textLet's talk portfolios!Meet Robert Smith, a seasoned creative leader, branding strategist, and published author with over 30 years of experience in the design and marketing industry. He is the architect/creative director of the beloved Farm Boy brand. With a reputation for blending creativity with business acumen, Robert has been recognized with more than 100 industry awards for excellence in design and branding.In this conversation full of rich insights, you'll hear why even bad internships are successful in developing self-awareness, excellent advice for portfolio creation, as well as advice on where to have digital presence as a designer. You'll better understand why storytelling is so important in a portfolio and how to approach it, portfolio upkeep, and concrete Ideas for standing out in a competitive space. Finally, you'll hear what you can learn from a box of Fruit Loops about promoting your work.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textIn this episode, you'll meet one of Diana's best friends, Eden Kim, who talks about her recent career break travelling around the world and the lessons she's learned along the way. Eden considers herself a global citizen, with home being wherever her heart happens to be visiting at any given time. Over the years, she's transformed from a 21-year-old from South Korea who didn't speak English to someone who moved to Canada alone, built a cross-border career, and became a fearless networker.This conversation is anchored around an event, a lesson and a story Eden's learned over the past 1+ year. You'll hear small world stories and profound learnings. You can follow Eden's journey on instagram at @edenkimfromkorea.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textBack your bags, we're going on a trip! Today I am speaking with Mark Domanski, Director of Destinations, who oversees the build and expansion of the immersive miniature exhibits at Little Canada. In this conversation, you'll hear about the design and creative collaboration within Little Canada, as well as the attraction's origin story. You'll learn about the interdisciplinary nature of the build team, and materials and techniques used to create the models.You'll hear how storytelling happens in the space, including the incorporation of Indigenous voices, in consultation with Indigenous communities. Finally, Mark shares his ‘not to be missed' list of what to see when you check out the space for yourself. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textToday we are talking about signs that define Toronto! Featured today is Kurt Kraler, a registered Architect (OAA) and project manager at ERA Architects and co-creator of the book “The Signs That Define Toronto”.In this episode you'll better understand how and why signs can tell us so much about the changing culture of a city, including iconic signs like Honest Ed's, Tip Top Tailors and Zanzibar (and why the latter is particularly unique). You'll learn how signs can shape community identities, Queer signage in Toronto, and why signs in Toronto changed after 1911. You'll hear Kurt's big a-ha moment in the final stages of finishing his book, the importance of shifting policy around historical sign preservation, and a San Fransisco advocacy group's approach to restoring and preserving neon signage within their city.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis final episode of 2024 features Austrian interface and app designer and fellow type geek, Oliver Schöndorfer. In this episode, you'll learn LOTS about web typography, specifically:How Oliver defines web typographyWeb font hierarchy The ins and outs of choosing a typeface for the webThe difference between ‘web fonts' and ‘web safe fonts'A brief history of web typographyThe crossovers between typography for print and typography for the webThe way that screen size plays a role in setting typeWhy variable fonts are a game-changer for the web, including how optical sizing worksBest practices for accessible web typographyThe difference between absolute and relative units and why this mattersWhy we shouldn't trust AI-generated type (yet)And finally, Oliver indulges Diana's improv game to summarize key takeaways about web typography in to a dessert metaphor (yum!)I encourage you to check out my two previous episodes with Oliver, Episode 134: Pairing Type with Oliver of Pimp My Type and Episode 156: Untapped Typography Potential.Check out the show notes for some links to articles Oliver mentions in the episode at www.talkpaperscissors.info. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis episode features Radim Malinic, the creative director and designer at the helm of award-winning branding and creative studio Brand Nu Studio and the independent publishing firm Brand Nu Books. In this episode, you'll hear about Radim's journey and evolution with mindfulness techniques, why Radim is a self-described ‘Eternally Curious Idiot', what his unbalanced existence used to look like versus what his more balanced existence looks like now. We chat about failure, opportunity and fear. Finally, you'll hear about Radim's 7th, forthcoming book, including the book he decided not to write and the one he's writing instead.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis episode features Alec Vivier-Reynaud, a french bio-designer and graphic designer. At the intersection of biology and graphic design, his biodesign researches propose a new paradigm where images become living entities. You'll hear about Alec's love of printmaking and how Alec's proprietary process works. If you think combining cyan, magenta, yellow and black is cool, you'll be fascinated by what happens when you combine bio inks (think beyond colour to texture, volume, shine and more). Finally, you'll hear what happens to type when Alec prints letterforms.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us a textThis episode features Jess Goldsmith, founder of Women of Type!In this episode, you'll hear about Jess' role in the world of type, including the community she's created, uplifting and amplifying the work of women and non-binary artists in the typography and lettering industry. You'll also hear about recent features that Jess is jazzed about and ways to get featured on the women of Type page.Finally, Jess shares great advice for creative professionals everywhere.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This episode features a conversation with Toronto-based designer, developer and accessibility specialist, Michael Young. His graduate level research involves making technology more accessible, specifically through the expansion of Raleway; an open source Google font used in communications by the Ontario Government.In this episode you'll hear more about Michael's gateway into this work, hear about the Syllabic writing system, and what Unicode is in plain language. You'll hear what it was like for Michael to embark on a journey of font creation for the first time, including what surprised him the most and what challenged him most in the process. You'll learn about typographic tofu and hear helpful resources related to typography for Indigenous language support.If you'd like to see some of the visuals related to what's discussed in this episode, please check out the show notes at www.talkpaperscissors.info. This conversation is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 230 - Typography 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. :)

This episode features an in-person conversation at Canada's largest graphic design conference with type aficionado, Carl Shura! In this episode you'll hear LOTS of excellent type geekery, such as: The history of the typeface Cooper Black and the ways it's connected to Carl as a personThe idea that letterforms are just ‘blobs with defects'How Carl worked backwards from a few letters to reconstruct an iconic Toronto building signHow to approach the development of a revival typefaceThe ways that tools and our physical human bodies shape our understanding of how type should lookCarl's delightful views on Comic SansAnd so much more!If you'd like to see some of the visuals related to what's discussed in this episode, please check out the show notes at www.talkpaperscissors.info. This conversation is part of a guest lecture series in GCM 230 - Typography 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. :)

In today's episode, I have Ali DuHart, a Senior Graphic Designer at Benefit Cosmetics where she's worked for the last 8 years. You'll hear about Ali's role at Benefit Cosmetics including visual merchandising: what it is and how it comes together.We get into some specifics around prototyping for print, the importance of understanding different audiences in different situations/events, and we talk about balancing brand identity with trendiness, and specifically how Benefit Cosmetics achieves this. Ali talks about her career path getting into design and where she started as a traditional artist. Ali's also RGD Certified and has attended conferences, judged awards and mentored students within the design hub of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Canada. She describes the benefits of being part of this professional organization. If you like cosmetics, if you like printing, if you like glam… this episode's for you!I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

The Herzberg Design Co is a New Orleans based studio specializing in type design, brand identity, art direction, and everything related to letters; it's a one-man operation founded by Dutchman Matthijs Herzberg. He focuses on unconventional and exuberant work, but always with a sharp eye for detail, quality, and purpose (as such, combining the best of New Orleans with the best of The Netherlands).In this episode, you'll hear why Matthijs loves letters, an analogy about type designers that fundamentally changes the way I understand the profession and what he's working on now and next. This episode is ripe with metaphor and deep thinking about the role of type and the type designer in the larger realm of visual communications.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This episode is all about collage! Eric Bargenda is seasoned design director who has taken his love for graphic design, ephemera and all things vintage and applied it to the art of analog collage. In this episode, you'll better understand the ways in which collage is a natural extension of graphic design, you'll hear Eric describe his collage process and learn about the surprising way community and collaboration has popped into Eric's artistic work.We talk about the power of getting feedback, explore a reframing of the designer's role beyond simply being ‘a creative' and you'll hear about the bricks and mortar design store Eric and his wife run in St. Thomas, ON called Revival Studio.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

In this episode, you'll hear world-class Canadian Olympic sprinter and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Micha Powell, share the process for writing and publishing her book, Sprinting Through Setbacks, and the important lessons she's learned in the process.You'll hear her inspiring story that changed the trajectory of her track career. Micha speaks about self doubt and imposter syndrome, the ways in which they've shown up in her athletic journey. How writing can be a time machine and we get into why relying on AI as a writing tool isn't the answer.Micha shares the importance of mindset in sport and beyond, including the importance of staying in your own lane (physically and metaphorically). You'll better understand the ways in which we can all succeed in our own ways, as well as lots of actionable strategies for maintaining focus in a distracted, digital world.I encourage you to also check out my first episode with Micha, Episode 96: Storytelling & Athletics with Micha Powell. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This episode features a conversation with Jeff Newberry, a music director, composer, arranger, sound designer, and educator working in theatre, concert, and community spaces. For Mirvish, Jeff is the associate music director of Disney's The Lion King in Toronto. (Opening night is November 2!)In this conversation, Jeff describes his vision of strong creative leadership — a leader who isn't afraid to feel stuck, can embrace silence and scrap a plan when needed. We talk about the importance of learning names as a gateway to making others feel seen and the magic to be found in encouraging others to be ‘strong and wrong'. We also dive into education more broadly. The importance of agency, what student-centred learning actually looks like and ways in which traditional hierarchical structures should be re-examined for a truly collaborative process. I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

It's Peter! Peter Ha is a designer, artist and educator. He is a co-founder of Equal Parts Studio, a Toronto-based contemporary graphic design practice, whose process is founded on curiosity and finding the joy and playfulness in every project. In this conversation, you'll hear why Peter loves type, including some different professional and passion projects that put type in the spotlight. Peter seamlessly transitions from coding to working with wood on type and back again, using a variety of digital and analog tools in experimental ways. You'll also hear Peter share his Vietnamese culture (and a Zoolander reference makes an appearance!).I encourage you to check out Instagram @talkpaperscissors or talkpaperscissors.info for visuals that Peter describes in this episode.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Why do thousands of people have Johnny Cupcakes' logos tattooed on their bodies? And why have thousands of people camped out for Johnny's special edition T-shirts? In this conversation, you'll learn about the secret ingredients to Johnny Cupcakes' success: surprise and delight. You'll hear how he's been able to stretch a traditional marketing budget using these key ingredients and SO MUCH MORE, including:How Johnny's printing internship helped inform his brand todayJohnny's entrepreneurial evolution, including where the name ‘Johnny Cupcakes' originatesActionable steps for flexible and long lasting logo designA sales strategy that really works: the art of the pre-sale Demystifying working with others: licensing, partnering and parodyHow to price products to reflect invisible valueAnd remembering that being kind is freeThis conversation is so rich and has a ton of actionable items for starting and growing a brand.Entrepreneurs, marketers, brand owners, printers and designers… this episode is for ALL of you!I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Welcome to a fun deep dive into typography, play, passion projects and butts, with self-proclaimed Type Dork, Sophie Elinor Brown!In this conversation, you'll hear the ways in which Sophie weaves humour and silliness in her work, the tools she uses, curiosity's role in resourcefulness and continuous learning and the ways in which doing work both for large, global clients as well as for smaller, local clients can be exciting in their own right.Check out the visuals discussed in this episode at talkpaperscissors.info or Instagram @talkpaperscissors and @sophie_elinor.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

In this first episode back after the summer break, you'll hear from multidisciplinary creative and community-builder, Allison MacKenzie about her brainchild called Tinker*.You'll hear about the ways that it's an interdisciplinary, iterative, low-stakes and high community environment. We talk about imperfection, vulneratibility and experimentation and Ally shares stories of Tinkerers in action. We get into the traps of social media and Ally's big goals for the space.Finally, we end with a discussion of the 4 P's we're both working to cultivate in our respective spaces:  projects, passion, peers and play (aka Lifelong Kindergarten!).  Join Tinker in Toronto's Annex this fall: September 19, October 3 & October 17I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This is the sixth episode in a 6-part magazine mini series. Here you'll meet Immersive Technology Specialist, Michael Carter-Arlt.In this conversation, you'll hear the ways in which Michael's print background informs his work in immersive technologies and the bridging of these two worlds. You'll hear about XR technologies (including the differences between Augmented Reality [AR], Virtual Reality [VR] and Mixed Reality [MR]). Finally you'll learn more about the specific ways that Michael envisions the use of XR and the possibilities for the publishing industry. Images and videos discussed in the episode can be found in the show notes at talkpaperscissors.info.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in CGCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing, as well as DG 8111 Digital Publishing in 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. :)

This is the fifth episode in a 6-part magazine mini series. Here you'll meet Creative Director and zine designer publisher, Dominic Ayre. The conversation focusses around a single question (“What is Do Not Xray zine?”) and Dom takes us on a wonderfully passionate and techno-filled deep dive about his upbringing, early hip-hop, and graffiti leading to his current space of creativity, professional publications and zine culture. Music lovers, typography lovers, zine lovers… this episode is for you.Images discussed in the episode can be found in the show notes at talkpaperscissors.info.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in CGCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing, as well as DG 8111 Digital Publishing in The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.#Magazines #TalkPaperScissors I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

This is the fourth episode in a 6-part magazine mini series. Here you'll meet award-winning journalist, author and educator, Angela Misri. You'll hear about Angela's career path in different media spaces: in print, in audio and on the web. You'll hear specific examples related to telling stories in added value ways; the why and the how of telling the same story differently across mediums.You'll also hear about the shifts that Angela's seen in the last 20 years in publishing industry, and what parts of journalism Angela believes are most at risk from AI domination. You'll also hear what Angela believes we'll be talking about in a year's time when it comes to AI and journalism.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in CGCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing, as well as DG 8111 Digital Publishing in 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. :)

This is the third episode in a 6-part magazine mini series. Here you'll meet digital reading expert, Alyssa Andino. you'll learn more about what Alyssa's role entails and more about digital reading experiences, including what works and what doesn't work. You'll learn about the ways that Alyssa and her team are thinking of the reading experience beyond fonts (size, style and colour).You'll hear tips for using Adobe InDesign effectively to consider both the print experience and the digital reading experience (your future self will thank you for it!) and you'll learn more about accessibility features Alyssa must consider in the app she manages. Finally, Alyssa and I brainstorm what digital reading might look like as technology advances.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in CGCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing, as well as DG 8111 Digital Publishing in 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. :)

This is the second episode in a 6-part magazine mini series. Here you'll meet graphic designer, Yas Fakhr. You'll hear Yas' process for creating long documents and the very best book design and printing geekery between she and Diana. You'll hear Yas' advice for what new designers should consider at various stages in the long document design process. You'll learn Yas' thoughts on grids, including when to make them and when to break them, as well as what's on Yas' Adobe InDesign wish list. Finally, we dive into the murky waters of AI in the design space and how Yas has seen it used effectively and ethically among she and her colleagues.Images discussed in the episode can be found in the show notes at talkpaperscissors.info.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in CGCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing, as well as DG 8111 Digital Publishing in 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. :)

This is the first episode in a 6-part magazine mini series. Here you'll meet Daniel Fish, Editor of Precedent, a career and lifestyle magazine for lawyers. In this conversation, you'll learn about Precedent, including the journey that Daniel and his team embark on with each issue, including a discussion of Daniel's ‘print brain' and how he's shifting gears to a fully-online publication.You'll hear what it's really like to be an Editor and how it's similar and different from the way magazine Editorial roles are portrayed in popular culture. Also, you'll hear what role Daniel feels is missing in smaller magazine teams and why it's such a loss.We talk AI, including what it's really good at in the magazine space and what it can't currently replicate. Finally, you'll hear what Daniel continues to be excited about in the realm of magazines and journalism-at-large.This episode is part of a guest lecture series in CGCM 720 Magazine Production & Publishing, as well as DG 8111 Digital Publishing in The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. A special shout out to Master of Digital Media student, Crystal Chan, for her loyal listenership and fantastic questions towards the end!I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Today's guest is Ryan Kough, a neurodivergent artist and design educator who focuses on participatory community-driven design initiatives. She is an avid ungrading advocate and in this discussion, she and Diana share their experiences and reasons why they believe ungrading is an amazing framework for a diverse group of learners. The two discuss the magic of student agency, true experiential learning and facilitating opportunities that shape the students and the educators who participate. Ryan shares the ways in which community-engaged learning and ungrading can be interwoven. You'll hear how Ryan establishes a final grade and how she handles fair work share amongst a group, sharing the practical application of shifting away from classroom control and breaking down hierarchical structures to ensure all voices know they have equal merit.I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

In this episode, Diana shares an exciting new initiative that she's adding to the Talk Paper Scissors space.Introducing PopUp Workshop: Where creative work meets play! ✨You'll hear about 4 workshops that can be facilitated both in-person and virtually, locally and globally. Playful PrintingImprov for InnovatorsFriends with FailureCustom Speaking + WorkshopsHere's to the next 200 episodes and brand new in-person workshops! I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

In this final episode in the series, Diana reflects on 9 different responses to 7 questions about storytelling through art and design, discussing 3 emergent themes.3D Environment Artist @nanoshadesDrag Artist & Professor of Creativity @guy.anabellaVisual Note Taker @inkfactorystudioBrand Identity Designer @carla.paletteSinger-Songwriter-Producer @barbralicaVisual Artist & Writer @britchidaTattoo Artist @soot.tattoo Author & Teacher @recessmagicBreathwork Facilitator & Writer @aribeingThis is the Art and Design of Storytelling.✨ I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)