This week we chat to Wilfrid Wood, a London-based artist and sculptor who, through the medium of plasticine, transforms celebs and politicians into incredibly well-observed – and often very funny – versions of themselves. As well as being commissioned to create these portraits for editorial and commercial projects, Wilfid also runs workshops teaching people how to capture the essence of others in 3D. A Central Saint Martins graphics graduate, he worked a string of dull jobs before scoring a traineeship on 90s satirical TV show Spitting Image – an experience that shaped his whole career. 

Wilfrid shares his advice on nailing public speaking, the importance of having several strings to your bow, and how it’s ok not to have a clue what you’re doing in your twenties.
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This episode of Creative Lives was brought to you by Lecture in Progress. It was presented by Indi Davies. The editor was Ivor Manly, with production support from Laura Snoad.

Lecture in Progress is made possible with the support of our brand partners – they include G . F Smith, Google, Sky Creative Agency, giffgaff, Colophon Foundry and The Paul Smith Foundation.

Creative Lives: Wilfrid Wood on sculpting with plasticine, and why it’s ok to meander in your 20s

On Creative Lives this week, we chat to Chrystal Genesis, the London-based journalist, cultural programmer and creator of acclaimed podcast Stance. We hear all about her career journey to date, from blagging her way onto a media course despite being under-age, to her varied experience at the BBC as a producer in both the UK and the US. On top of this, we also gain brilliant insight into the podcasting process, with advice on how to hone your idea, edit a story and – most importantly – how to monetise your show.
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This episode of Creative Lives was brought to you by Lecture in Progress; it was presented by Indi Davies, the editor was Ivor Manly, with production support from Laura Snoad.

Lecture in Progress is made possible with the support of our brand partners – they include G . F Smith, Google, giffgaff, Colophon Foundry and The Paul Smith Foundation.

Creative Lives: Chrystal Genesis on how to launch a successful podcast

On the podcast this week we catch up with Nadine Chahine, one of the foremost experts in Arabic type design. Rising up the ranks at foundry Monotype from intern to UK Type Director, the ridiculously driven Nadine has been entrusted with crafting Arabic versions of some of the world’s best-known typefaces, including Frutiger, Helvetica and Univers. She reveals her unorthodox night owl schedule and gives advice on dealing with self-confidence, stress and burnout.

Creative Lives: Nadine Chahine on the politics of type, sacrifice and burnout

This week on the podcast we meet Jody Quon, the photography director of New York Magazine and the brains behind some of the publication's most ambitious shoots and covers.

A firm believer in the power of photography, Jody role’s involves a great deal of creativity, lateral thinking and meticulous organisation. She tells us more about her journey from fashion to editorial, the importance of work ethic and precision, and gives us tips on how to catch her eye on Instagram.

Creative Lives: New York Magazine's Jody Quon on being prepared and precise

On the podcast this week, we catch up with Teemu Suviala about some of the innovative work he’s doing as the director of brand design at Facebook’s AR/VR team. Whether that’s face filters, AR glasses or new virtual reality platforms. Listen in to hear Teemu talk about how agility and collaboration are essential skills for graduate creatives, explain the multidisciplinary mindset needed to work in VR and describe exactly what brand design in these spaces involves.

Creative Lives: Facebook's Teemu Suviala on VR, AR and having a multidisciplinary mindset

This week on the podcast we catch up with Olivia Ahmad, a curator at the House of Illustration and the editor of Varoom magazine. Since joining in 2014, Olivia has developed more than 50 exhibitions at the London gallery, celebrating illustration greats like screen-printing nun Sister Corita Kent and unearthing lesser-known narratives as in the current exhibition dedicated to Polish illustrator George Him. 

In this week’s episode she tells us about tracking down illustrators that have slipped through the cracks of time or have never exhibited before, the need for diversity in museums and galleries and gives us some tips on the dreaded networking.

Creative Lives: Illustration curator Olivia Ahmad on networking, people skills and detective work

This week on the podcast we chat to Tarik Fontenelle, a researcher, anthropologist and co-founder of strategic insight agency, ON.ROAD. Based in London, Tarik and his team investigate the thoughts, passions and trends driving young people – anywhere from Bow to Bolivia – helping brands create advertising campaigns and products that really resonate with them. In this episode, Tarik tells us more about how his research for Nike laid the foundations for the Nothing Beats a Londoner campaign, the people skills needed to be an anthropologist and he how he knew research was his dream job while still in his teens.

Creative Lives: Researcher Tarik Fontenelle on travelling the world to investigate youth subcultures

On this week’s podcast we sit down with Dem Gerolemou, a visual designer at Google Health. It was after graduating from Winchester School of Art’s graphic design course, that Dem came across his true passion – product design. He soon found himself working in healthcare at ustwo, as part of the team at AI company, DeepMind. 

Now based at Google’s offices in Kings Cross, we meet with Dem to talk about the highs and lows of working in health, the importance of embracing uncertainty and using design to solve real-world problems.

Creative Lives: Google Health's Dem Geromelou on embracing uncertainty and seizing every opportunity

An educational resource to inspire and inform the next generation of creatives and help them make better career decisions. Creative Lives is a podcast series profiling interesting creative careers – from how they identified an interest in the industry, to landing their first job.

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