The Creative Condition podcast

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://ageofdesign.designweek.co.uk/ - Age Of Designhttps://www.designweek.co.uk/ - Design Week official site

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://instagram.com/lisamaltbycreative - Lisa on Instagram

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 blueprint should be heard by all! Photography by Owen Mathias.Get your feedback over on Twitter @arrestallmimicshttp://rabblestudio.co.uk - Rabble officialhttps://twitter.com/rabblestudio/ - Rabble Twitterhttps://www.facebook.com/rabblestudio/ - Rabble Facebookhttps://www.instagram.com/rabblestudio/ - Rabble Instagramhttp://twitter.com/dandidthat - Dan Spain Twitterhttp://www.thisisdesignstuff.com/ - Design Stuff

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 cards on Thortfulhttp://www.dorkfeatures.co.uk/blog/ - Lauren's blog

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 thinking.http://malikafavre.com/ - Malika officialhttps://www.instagram.com/malikafavre/ - Malika Instagramhttps://twitter.com/malikafavre - Malika Twitterhttp://handsomefrank.com/ - Malika's agency, Handsome Frank

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 suggestions.https://www.nickchubbdesign.com/ - Nick Chubb officialhttps://www.instagram.com/nick_chubb/ - Nick Chubb Instagramhttps://twitter.com/nick_chubb?lang=en-gb - Nick Chubb Twitter

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, the manifesto, what it meant in the 1960s and what he thinks about the state of play today.Ken Garland, now in his mid-eighties, is still very fired up and passionate about the creative industry and world issues and serves a great example of what a difference our talents can make if applied to the right causes.http://www.designishistory.com/1960/first-things-first/ - The First Things First Manifestohttp://www.kengarland.co.uk/ - Ken Garland official sitehttp://www.thecalmzone.net.gridhosted.co.uk/ - CALM official site