The Creative Boom Podcast

24
Design #160

Join host Katy Cowan on The Creative Boom Podcast, where candid conversations with fellow creatives explore the real stories behind our careers—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Whether you're a graphic designer, illustrator, animator, marketer or creative entrepreneur, this show brings warmth, humour, and insight into the challenges and triumphs of the creative journey.

We tackle everything from confidence to burnout, offering advice and inspiration for building a fulfilling, sustainable career while not shying away from the tougher topics. Expect fun, honesty, and plenty of takeaways to help you thrive both personally and professionally.

The Creative Boom Podcast is part of Creative Boom, a magazine that has been a leading platform for the creative community since 2009. Discover more at www.creativeboom.com.

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Recent Episodes
  • 157. From Council Estate to Creative Director: Owning Your Story, with Emma Barratt
    Jun 8, 2025 – 00:49:48
  • 156. The Spark: Liz Mosley on Courage, Cringe & Creative Joy
    Jun 4, 2025 – 00:27:22
  • 155. Authenticity Over Perfection: The Power of Podcasting, with Liz Mosley
    Jun 1, 2025 – 00:59:04
  • 154. The Spark: Sam Gilbey on Pop Culture, Practice & Meeting Tony Hart
    May 28, 2025 – 00:26:01
  • 153. From Storms to Success: Playing the Long Game, with Sam Gilbey
    May 25, 2025 – 00:58:57
  • 152. The Spark: Gnome Taylor on Socks, Soft Skills and Saying What You Mean
    May 21, 2025 – 00:17:34
  • 151. Resilience, Chaos & Carving Your Own Path in Advertising, with Gnome Taylor
    May 18, 2025 – 00:46:02
  • 150. The Spark: Christine Smith on intuition, escaping dates, and talking to animals
    May 14, 2025 – 00:30:15
  • 149. Becoming the Role Model You Never Had, with Christine Smith
    May 11, 2025 – 00:50:55
  • 148. The Spark: Kiser Barnes on kerning, nemeses and the power of nostalgia
    May 7, 2025 – 00:19:02
  • 147. Creativity in the Age of AI, with Kiser Barnes
    May 4, 2025 – 00:50:59
  • 146. The Spark: Michael Johnson on party tricks, blues guitars and what he no longer believes
    Apr 30, 2025 – 00:18:34
  • 145. Design in the Age of Sameness, with Michael Johnson
    Apr 27, 2025 – 00:57:19
  • 144. The Creative Boom Podcast Christmas Special 2024
    Dec 19, 2024 – 03:39:26
  • 143. Shaping design and culture at The New York Times, with Jessi Brattengeier
    Dec 16, 2024 – 01:02:44
  • 142. The Spark: Joseph Parsons, networking tips, and a fresh look at history
    Dec 12, 2024 – 00:11:16
  • 141. Re-designing Life: From graphic designer to stand-up comedian, with Joseph Parsons
    Dec 9, 2024 – 01:07:13
  • 140. The Spark: Christopher Doyle, how life works, and a word of the year that sums up 2024
    Dec 5, 2024 – 00:09:23
  • 139. Unpacking 'The Great Unknown' in a competitive design industry, with Christopher Doyle
    Dec 2, 2024 – 01:11:59
  • 138. The Spark: Barrington Reeves, going freelance and spooky children's illustrators
    Nov 28, 2024 – 00:11:18
  • 137. Breaking the mould and the democratisation of design, with Barrington Reeves
    Nov 25, 2024 – 01:04:21
  • 136. The Spark: Khyati Trehan, forever video games and finding happiness in creative work
    Nov 21, 2024 – 00:11:34
  • 135. Creativity without limits: Finding balance and inspiration, with Khyati Trehan
    Nov 18, 2024 – 00:58:20
  • 134. The Spark: David Sedgwick, zen motorcycling, and building your reputation
    Nov 14, 2024 – 00:13:00
  • 133. Prioritising people and purpose in design, with David Sedgwick
    Nov 11, 2024 – 01:15:42
  • 132. The Spark: Holly Howard, expressive typography, and the kindness ripple effect
    Nov 7, 2024 – 00:10:19
  • 131. Beyond The Feed: Free yourself from social media and rethink marketing, with Holly Howard
    Nov 4, 2024 – 01:03:25
  • 130. The Spark: Kwame Taylor-Hayford, expensive banana art, and quiet confidence
    Oct 31, 2024 – 00:12:53
  • 129. Shaping the future of creativity and inclusion, with new D&AD president Kwame Taylor-Hayford
    Oct 28, 2024 – 01:00:48
  • 128. The Spark: Lisa Smith, cosy video games and insider typography tips
    Oct 23, 2024 – 00:11:50
  • 127. Creativity, leadership, and hard truths about the design industry, with Lisa Smith
    Oct 20, 2024 – 01:06:15
  • 126. The Spark: Luigi Carnovale, the art of reinvention, and staying true to yourself
    Oct 16, 2024 – 00:12:43
  • 125. Staying Ahead: Creativity, reinvention, and timeless design, with Luigi Carnovale
    Oct 13, 2024 – 01:12:44
  • 124. The Spark: Seema Sharma, creativity & AI, and work life balance
    Oct 9, 2024 – 00:09:19
  • 123. The Future of Creativity: AI, emotional intelligence, and authenticity, with Seema Sharma
    Oct 6, 2024 – 01:05:53
  • 122. The Spark: Brian Cannon, mental health tips, and Gilmore Girls
    Oct 2, 2024 – 00:09:55
  • 121. Designing Oasis: The art, legacy and long-awaited reunion, with Brian Cannon
    Sep 29, 2024 – 01:01:51
  • The Creative Boom Podcast Trailer (Season Eight)
    Sep 22, 2024 – 00:02:05
  • 120. Embracing Fun: The fuel for creative sparks, with Richard Speight, Jr.
    Jun 30, 2024 – 01:01:22
  • 119. The art of giving a f**k, with Kelly Korzun
    Jun 23, 2024 – 01:03:07
  • 118. Lines & Legacy: Exploring the creative process amidst industry shifts, with Christoph Niemann
    Jun 16, 2024 – 00:59:14
  • 117. Branding brilliance and crafting iconic identities at Koto, with G Torto
    Jun 9, 2024 – 01:04:00
  • 116. The beauty of design in turning frustrations into delight, with Clara Gaggero Westaway
    Jun 2, 2024 – 01:06:25
  • 115. Middle age and 'slowing this whole mess down', with Aaron Draplin
    May 26, 2024 – 01:10:19
  • 114. The power of creativity in driving Stoke-on-Trent's regeneration, with Simon Davies
    May 19, 2024 – 01:08:41
  • 113. Building a sustainable design studio and creative career, with Teresa Ferreira
    May 12, 2024 – 01:04:12
  • 112. Retraining social media habits to stop being an 'internet artist', with Julian Glander
    May 5, 2024 – 01:03:27
  • 111. Feel the fear and do it anyway, with Joanna Henly
    Apr 28, 2024 – 01:04:16
  • 110. The art of adaptation and staying ahead in changing times, with Sean J. Cuttino
    Apr 21, 2024 – 01:04:33
  • 109. Posture, healthy backs and the creative industry, with Eleanor Burt
    Apr 14, 2024 – 01:12:15
Recent Reviews
  • pprothe
    A gift to the creative community
    I’m very late to the party here as I recently stumbled upon Creative Boom and am now working my way through episodes new and old. Katy does a wonderful job going beneath the surface to uncover what makes a rich creative life and how none of us are immune to fears and obstacles as we strive to create work we’re proud of. Two of the best so far (imo) are with Aaron Draplin and Lisa Smith. Oh and Cristoph Niemann and….
  • N8CNZ
    Friendly candid chats with a generous dose of inspiration
    Creative boom has been one of my go to podcasts for the last year, Katie is such a good interviewer, getting brilliant creative minds into a chat, and helping you meet the person behind the name, and gather inspiration from their thoughts, their journey and their story. Always uplifting, insightful and always worth a listen.
  • Mountain Lou
    🧨💥
    What I love most about creative boom is the curation of guests outside the usual suspects of design luminaries that make the rounds on every other podcast repeating the same stories over and over. I listen because Katy Cowan delivers conversational style interviews with true empathy and spotlights creatives on varying trajectories of their careers. The stories outside the US are most compelling and to spotlight smaller studios is a real benefit to me and other colleagues who aren't motivated by bigger, better, faster. Stories at a relatable scale from subject matter that is a bit more open and honest about their paths and the rollercoaster that is running a smaller studio is why I love and tune into creative boom.
  • Kristina Lucia
    A Truly Creative Show!
    This show is so wonderful and the conversations really ignite the creative thoughts within me. The guest bring up so many insightful points and Katy is a great host!
  • Thomas Foley SEDSO
    A must listen for any designer!
    The Creative Boom podcast, hosted by the brilliant Katy Cowan, is an must listen for designers! Katy's insightful questions dive deep into the design industry, offering valuable perspectives from design legends and industry leaders. This podcast is a must-listen, providing relevant and inspiring content for designers at any stage of their career. Highly recommended!
  • tjshannon
    A Burst of Inspiration
    If you’re looking for an extraordinary podcast that celebrates the artistry of the human mind and fuels your creative spirit, look no further than “The Creative Boom” hosted by the energetic and personable Katy Cowan!
  • hugs'n'ughs
    Boom!
    As a fan of really only two things in life (besides, I suppose, life itself), 1. Podcasts and 2. Creativity… I’m thrilled to report that Creative Boom has it all and in the process makes my life worth living. The guests are a wonderfully eclectic range of creatives across many disciplines and demographics – and perhaps most enjoyably, at all different points in their careers. I love a dash of Gail Anderson (who doesn’t?), but equally enjoyable were chats with Kieron Lewis and folks George Simkin, who us kids across the pond might not so easily hear from. Please keep it up Katy! #creativeboom4life
  • Jakub[SOP]
    A must-listen!
    This podcast is for artists, designers, illustrators or photographers who are looking for inspiration, advice or insight to help them in their creative career. The knowledge the guests provide applies to so many creative professions. I definitely recommend this podcast.
  • Richard Speight, Jr.
    The Wit & Charm of Katy
    Katy has a fantastic presence behind the mic. With her palpable wit and charm, she relaxes her guests into stimulating conversations about their creative passions and inspirations and the lives they lead in between those moments. She brings forward many people with whom I was not previously familiar, and her conversations with them always leave me impressed and inspired myself. Listen and enjoy!
  • Picturesandtext.co.uk
    My favourite design podcast
    The creative boom pocast has fast become my favourite design podcast (I listen to a lot). Katy is a fantastic host who is able to connect with guests on a very personal level. The podcast boasts a broad range of inspiring guests, ranging from graphic design legends from my uni days to illustrators that are completely new to me. I would strongly recommend this podcast to anyone in the creative industries.
  • Roshaani Jewelry
    A must listen to podcast for creative minds!
    Katy is a stunning, friendly host and every episode is full of valuable creative business content.
  • Projecters
    A fresh take on the mindset of top creatives
    Katy is the complete opposite to 99% of podcast hosts, who usually love to talk about themselves and constantly interrupt their guests to show off how much they know. She masters the art of the natural conversation. The interviews are insightful, personal and provide an inside look at the journeys and lives of some of the best creative talent around the world.
  • BluLightningCos/Podcaster128
    So Uplifting and Inspiring
    I’ve been following Creative Boom’s website for a good long while and it’s been very helpful in providing me with inspiration and advice as a creative/graphic designer. This podcast has been an absolute delight to listen to and I’m always looking forward to new guests that Katy brings on. Not to mention some of the episodes really hit me personally in addition to providing me inspiration for my own podcast show!
  • Pancho17
    Highly Recommended!
    Before you realize it, the Creative Boom podcast may become your next favorite obsession. This podcast is so refreshing. Casual, smart, and full of laughs, Katy has a way of chatting with her guests as if they’re all old friends, and you’ve been warmly invited to catch up with them. With an impressive roster of guests, and professional experience ranging from recent graduates to 30 year legacies, the heartfelt insights shared are very inspiring. Looking forward to see who comes up next!
  • Jon Riverwell
    Thoroughly inspiring
    Right from the first episode, I was hooked. Great production value, thoughtfully made, and really creatively inspiring.
  • DanVillage
    If you’re a creative.. this podcast is not to be missed!!
    This podcast has absolutely inspired me from the first episode. Katy asks all the right questions and it’s awesome to hear the stories and voices of so many different creative people in the world. I highly recommend this if you want a huge dose of inspiration in your life! ❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
  • MikeHawkins
    Delightful bite-sized dose of inspiration
    I’m a big fan - love the wildly varied creative voices Katy interviews. It’s a great addition to my morning walk to work - the guests always leave me something to ponder, and get my creative wheels a’ turning!
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.