Talk Paper Scissors

Send us Fan MailThis is the second episode in a 4-part guest lecture series, speaking with an incredible range of design and typography pros from across North America! This episode features 2 of the 3 authors of the First Things First 2020 manifesto, Marc O’Brien and Benjamin Gaydos. (Namita Dharia  couldn’t join us but we hope to catch her in conversation again soon!)In this conversation you’ll hear the tremendous global impact of the original First Things First manifesto in 1964 and what it means to each our guests. You’ll hear the way in which the First Things First 2020 manifesto is a collection of voices versus a single voice, and why this was so important to the team in the context of when it was created. You’ll also hear about the actionable ways that you can both work as a designer while staying aligned to your values even if your role isn’t directly in sustainability, climate design, or design for social good. Check out https://firstthingsfirst2020.org/ where you can add your name to the growing list of designers who aim to put this manifesto into practice.This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 806 - Advanced Typography in Winter 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailThis is the first episode in a 4-part guest lecture series, speaking with an incredible range of design and typography pros from across North America! This episode features type designer and founder of OH no Type Co., James Edmondson.In this conversation you’ll hear James’ typography origin story (he’s still an 8-year-old at heart!), how he uses “Pen Logic” to help construct systems of type, and how he knows when a typeface is complete. You’ll hear some great questions from students asking for all the juicy details about mistakes in his work, as well as what James hates about the process.This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 806 - Advanced Typography in winter 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome, dear friends, to The Library Loiterers.Each episode finds Diana loitering in a library with a special guest in a library location of their choosing. We comb the stacks and have a chat about passions, practices, and possibilities—letting the story unfold as it will. You’re encouraged to read between the lines because it’s going to be a real page turner… This episode features improv extraordinaire and Diana’s beloved high school drama teacher, Tim Miller, as the duo explores the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library. In the very place he once says he lost his love of reading, something unexpected happens: Tim begins to rediscover that he might still be a reader after all. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailIt’s a high school experience like no other — Welcome to Oasis Skateboard Factory in Toronto, Canada where students make, design, and sell custom boards for real clients all while receiving high school credits. This alternative school flips the script on what it means to learn and teach in high school, removing artificial boundaries between “school” and “the outside world”. Themes of equity, access, and cultivating community connections are explored. Guest and teacher, Lauren Hortie, shares how she and her colleagues work to cultivate an environment of experimentation and risk taking, helping to sabotage self-sabotage. If you’re an educator, listen in, but this conversation is also for students and anyone who works in education systems of any kind. A quick disclaimer: the opinions and ideas expressed are solely that of this alternative school, Oasis Skateboard Factory, and not necessarily reflective or representative of the TDSB as a whole. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailToday’s guest is registered psychotherapist and author, Kate Robson, exploring her new book, Something to Hold Onto: Simple Images, Metaphors, and Practical Tools to Transform Your Life.Her book is an incredible resource where she shares her ideas about complex human problems through a therapeutic lens to help make challenging moments a little less challenging. You’ll hear about the power of metaphor, through metaphors, to get out of thought ruts. We explore ideas including: failure, happiness, metal flexibility, choice, avoidance, teamwork, identity, creativity, and connection. It’s deep, it’s gentle, it’s eye, mind and heart opening.This episode is co-hosted by Diana’s friend and colleague, Donna Cormier. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailFrom 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 6!)This episode is guest hosted by Jordan Grey.Name: ClarendonRelease Date: 1845Designer: Robert BesleyClassification: Slab Serif (Egyptian)Owned By: Today its multiple versions are owned by multiple foundries.Claim to Fame: This is the first first-ever registered and patented typeface. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailFrom 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 6!)This episode is guest hosted by Sheilae Siagian.Name: San FranciscoRelease Date: 2014Designer: Apple’s Team (based on Helvetica and FF DIN)Classification: Neo-Grotesque Sans SerifOwned By: AppleClaim to Fame: This is the first new typeface designed by Apple in nearly 20 years, it’s the UI font for Apple’s software. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailFrom 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 6!)This episode is guest hosted by Sol Riquero.Name: VerdanaRelease Date: 1996Designer: Matthew Carter and Thomas RicknerClassification: Humanist Sans SerifOwned By: MicrosoftClaim to Fame: A typeface that was designed not for print, but for the screen, changing the way digital text looked and felt. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailFrom 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 6!)This episode is guest hosted by Lilly Clements.Name: GaramondRelease Date: Mid 16th CenturyDesigner: Claude GaramondClassification: Old Style Serif TypefaceOwned By: Not owned by one single person, but digital variations are owned by multiple different companies: Adobe Garamond, Monotype Garamond, Stempel Garamond, and EB GaramondClaim to Fame: Garamond is the most legible text typeface for publishing for centuries.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailFrom 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 6!)This episode is guest hosted by Emma Pereira.Name: CalibriRelease Date: 2007Designer: Lucas de GrootClassification: Sans SerifOwned By: Microsoft CorporationClaim to Fame: Calibri made history by dethroning Times New Roman as the default font of the MS Office Suite. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailMeet our guest, Marci Stepak, who grew up using Toronto public libraries in the late 1970s and early 80s. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Marci’s journey, walking 300 km to visit all 100 Toronto Public Library branches on foot over 10 days. She’s calling it Every Library TO and the walk starts today, April 7, 2026. This walk is both a tribute to her Mom (today marks 1 year of her passing) and also to raise to raise funds for the Toronto Public Library Foundation.You’ll hear a beautiful story of love, grief, and why libraries are more necessary than ever in an age of disconnection, loneliness, and algorithmic filter bubbles designed to reinforce existing beliefs. You’ll hear about the magic of curiosity while engaging in a library environment and why the library might become your new favourite hub for dating. This episode has something for every book and library lover. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 6How do you wrap up a massive, semester-long creative project? Join Instructor Diana, alongside student hosts Shana and Alex, for the MDM class's final reflection and listening party. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the creative journey, covering everything the students learned about audience, structure, and distribution while launching their first podcasts.The conversation explores powerful themes of accountability and class citizenship, celebrating the collective energy and responsibility the students brought to the course. It highlights the real-world utility of their projects, noting the successful strategies and cross-promotion opportunities between different student shows like Big Bets and The Client Said What. If you've ever managed a collaborative project from concept to completion, this episode offers a motivating and honest look at the moment when all the creative, technical, and marketing pieces finally come together.Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 5What happens when your audience demands a language shift? Multilingual creator Winnie Liao joins host Alex to discuss the reality of launching a content project outside the default English market. Winnie shares the unexpected journey of her show, which started in Mandarin in Taiwan and quickly grew into a bilingual platform driven by listeners who wanted to learn English.Winnie reveals the core lessons learned from her background in acting and comedy: success in podcasting requires authenticity, patience, and a willingness to be imperfect. She explains why being a "live wire" and simply being yourself on the mic is more effective than trying to adhere to a rigid structure. The conversation covers how she navigated the shift from corporate content creation to successful entrepreneurship, leveraging her show as a self-promotion tool that attracts new opportunities in Canada and beyond.Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 4Are you optimizing your podcast for the right platforms? Jordan Blair, Podcast Producer at Buzzsprout, breaks down the current reality of podcast growth. Jordan explains why you must stop treating platforms like TikTok or Instagram and start treating them like libraries. You will learn the single most important rule for discoverability: use keyword-rich show and episode titles for SEO, or risk not being found at all.This episode is packed with practical tips, including how to use the Episode Consumption graph to pinpoint audience drop-off and fix consistency issues. Jordan confirms that listener support (donations and subscriptions) is the only monetization strategy that provides reliable, constant revenue, unlike volatile ad income. He also debunks the myth that asking for ratings and reviews helps your show grow. Learn the true mechanics of growth and how to avoid the "burnout" and "insecurity wall" that stops most podcasts before episode ten.Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 3Host Alex sits down with Javon Martin to get real about building a podcast that's actually a business in disguise. His show, "100 Ways to Make $100K," isn't just content: it's the front door to something bigger. In this conversation, Javon breaks down how he created the "Millionaire Machine," a guest booking system he developed between episodes 30 and 55 that became the engine for his entire operation.You'll hear about the difference between planning and adapting (spoiler: you need both), why fast feedback matters more than perfection, and how connecting underprivileged youth with successful mentors became the driving force behind a scalable business model. Whether you're starting a podcast or already have one, this episode will shift how you think about content creation in the creator economy.Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 2  What goes into creating a piece of music that defines a cultural moment? Nick Thorburn, the composer behind Serial's unforgettable theme, sits down with host Shana to tell the story. Spoiler: it all happened in a weekend, and he had no idea the show would become a global phenomenon. Nick walks through his creative process: how he approached the project as a straightforward freelance job, why he drew inspiration from Twin Peaks, and what it means to work as a "live wire" where the unconscious mind does the heavy lifting. He also gets into the business side of things, explaining why podcasters need to stop treating music like something you slap on at the end. Sound design matters. It shapes how people experience your show. Whether you're launching a podcast or just curious about what happens behind the scenes in audio storytelling, this episode offers a rare look at the intersection of creativity, business, and cultural impact. Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 1Ever wondered what goes wrong behind the scenes of a podcast? The production team from "Ctrl Alt Narrate" is here to tell you everything. Sneesha (creative lead), Alisha (logistics and marketing), and Victoria (design) join host Alex to talk about the reality of collaborative podcasting: the good, the messy, and the lessons that came from nearly derailing the whole thing.This episode is packed with practical advice for anyone making content with a team. You'll learn why written contracts are non-negotiable (even with friends), how to avoid a post-production nightmare when syncing audio and video, and why you absolutely need a clear leader instead of running things like a college group project. The team also shares how they found their voice as hosts, evolved their brand identity, and managed the mountain of unedited episodes piling up. If you're a new podcaster, creative team member, or media student, this is required listening. Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailIntroducing: Lights Microphone PodcastIn Fall 2025, a group of graduate students set out to learn about podcasting from the ground up and Lights Microphone Podcast is the result. Created inside a podcasting special topics course within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast. The series features conversations with composers, producers, video podcasters, multilingual creators, and student makers — all sharing how they brought their shows to life. Part inspiration, part practical roadmap, Lights Microphone Podcast is about creative momentum, where big ideas meet bold action. The first of the 6 part series drops tomorrow.Hosted by Alex Sein and Shana WuAudio Engineering by Tom VuProduced + Visuals by Mili BhattWritten content by Shrey PatelGuest Outreach Support by Lindsay Buckingham Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailDown the rabbit hole we go! Each conversation in this series connects in unexpected ways. Every new episode spurring a new line of inquiry, like tunnels turning off in different directions, each with an origin that’s traced back to episodes 273, 276, and 280.This episode features net.art pioneer, Olia Lialina. She is credited with founding one of the earliest web galleries, Art Teleportacia. She is cofounder and keeper of One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age archive and a professor at Merz Akademie in Stuttgart, Germany. In this conversation, you’ll hear Olia’s origin story as a net artist, cross-pollinating film and Internet technology to tell interactive stories. You’ll hear her approach to capturing and cataloging the early web and how it’s evolved over time, including her long-standing GeoCities project. You’ll hear the surprising connections between interface design and stage design, how AI is changing the Internet and those who shape it, and how we can all reclaim our corners of the web. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailHappy Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026!Graphic designer and illustrator, Paul Twa, is here and he’s full of insights and passion for Olympic design joy!In this conversation, we talk all things design systems at Milano Cortina 2026. Paul shares the importance of human gesture, energy, and motion to this system, the unique public vote that took place for the games’ emblem, as well as AI use and its implications. Paul helps us understand what works beautifully and what works less beautifully in this system, as he helps us understand the understory of “the look of the games”. This podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Olympic Committee. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailThis is the third episode in a 3-part guest lecture series, speaking with a diverse range of design and typography pros from across North America! This episode features the owner of foundry Type Du Nord, Libbie Bischoff. In this conversation, you’ll hear how Libbie got started in type professionally and what a typical day looks like as a foundry of one. You’ll hear about the way Libbie’s signature may actually be your signature, now or in the future and the storytelling power of type. We talk revival fonts, what success looks like beyond measurable metrics, advice for making type for a living, and how advancing technology is changing (or not changing) Libbie’s approach to her work.This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 230 - Typography in fall 2025 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailThis is the second episode in a 3-part guest lecture series, speaking with a diverse range of design and typography pros from across North America! This episode features a Creative Director dedicated to social change and inclusive city building, Jay Wall. In this conversation you’ll hear about Jay’s origin story as a designer and the evolution of his path towards designing for social change. You’ll hear about the Design Justice Network (DJN) and learn a less naïve way to frame the question “can design save the world?” You’ll hear concrete examples over the last 70 years that have challenged the status quo and helped catalyze change in a variety of contexts, both on the streets and on the screen. Lastly, you’ll hear what Jay’s currently up to regarding inclusive city building; a project called ‘Yonge Tomorrow’, a project with the City of Toronto to redesign downtown Yonge Street, nodding to the past, embracing present needs, and planning for a more accessible future.This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 230 - Typography in fall 2025 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailThis is the first episode in a 3-part guest lecture series in GCM 230 Typography, speaking with design typography pros from across North America! This episode features type designer and educator at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, Leo Vicenti. In this conversation, you’ll hear how Leo believes typography can support Indigenous language and culture, the ways in which typography isn’t always necessary, Indigenization of digital spaces, and why fixed systems don’t necessarily work (Unicode, for example). This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 230 - Typography in fall 2025 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailToday’s episode features two authors with two new books on two interrelated topics: David Berry (How Artists Make Money & How Money Makes Artists) and Raymond Biesinger (9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off: An Informal Self-Defence Guide for Independent Creatives).In this conversation you’ll hear the macro and the micro of economics and art; David and Raymond share history’s most interesting examples, alongside personal examples of the ways in which art and money are intertwined. We talk challenges for early career creatives, artists vs. AI, and what it means to create in a rapidly-shifting media ecosystem. There’s so much richness in this conversation, so many incredible insights, and so much food for thought. If you consider yourself an artist, a designer, an author, a creative… you won’t want to miss this one.Illustration Credit: Raymond Biesinger Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailAllow me to point something out…From Medieval manuscripts to 19th-century advertising, modern interfaces, and emoji culture, this episode follows the curious history of the iconic pointing hand, commonly referred to as the “manicule”. Inspired by a letterpress project created for the Canadian Letterpress Alliance, I step back in time to print postcards on a 170-year-old press at Mackenzie House Toronto, using historic wood type found in a cabinet of typographic curiosities. We explore its origins as a reader’s mark, its many aliases, its evolution through print and persuasion, and its quiet persistence today, right down to the moment I realized that my cursor is a modern-day manicule.💅🏽 See the final print and process at talkpaperscissors.info/letterpress Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailDown the rabbit hole we go! Each conversation in this series connects in unexpected ways. Every new episode spurring a new line of inquiry, like tunnels turning off in different directions, each with an origin that’s traced back to episode 273.This episode features Jill Blackmore Evans who created GeoCities Memory, a personal and scholarly project designed to capture some of the most interesting examples of websites in Web 1.0. In this conversation, you’ll hear well as what Jill has found to be surprisingly similar about the web now vs. 20-30 years ago, as well as what feels different. She explains the interesting links between the maturation of the web and colonization and control, pondering “Is the Internet forever?” Finally, Jill and I ask and answer big questions about digital ownership and if future generations will event want what we’ve created online. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailToday’s conversation is with Alanna Munro of Arcane Type Foundry. She is a certified letter nerd, designer, and educator. In this conversation you’ll hear about Alanna’s creative process for designing type, the importance of squinting, and common misconceptions about independent foundries. You’ll also hear helpful, actionable advice about font licensing. And for all students here: listen up! Alanna lets type design students know how they can get professional critique on your type design work. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailToday I’m joined by Andrew Huot, who is book making royalty: a book artist, bookbinder, printer, and conservator whose artists’ books are in collections across the US, from the Art Institute of Chicago to Yale University.In this conversation, you’ll hear what the term “book arts” means. You’ll learn what a typical day in Andrew’s studio looks like, including his most necessary tools: from bone, to surgical scalpels, to teflon. Andrew shares how he repairs paper (my mind is blown!), the oldest book he’s ever worked on, and he debunks a popular book handling myth (again, my mind is blown!). Finally, Andrew speaks to the importance of books in a highly digital world, and he shares the best next steps for aspiring book artists, which might just be you after hearing this episode! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailMeet emerging typeface designers, Ivana Vukmirovic and Mahrukh Saeed! Ivana designed a typeface called Lindworm and Mahrukh designed a typeface called Khabartoon. In the following conversation, you'll get to hear about each typeface, their perfect type pairings, sensory descriptions of each, as well as what each of these emerging typeface designers plans to do next in the world of letterforms. Let the type geekery begin! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailDown the rabbit hole we go! Each conversation in this series connects in unexpected ways. Every new episode spurring a new line of inquiry, like tunnels turning off in different directions, each with an origin that’s traced back to episode 273.This episode features George Wylesol who is an artist and author based in Baltimore, Maryland. In this conversation, you’ll hear about George’s grown-up choose-your-own-adventure book, 2120, that forces the reader to question who is in control. You’ll hear about his inspiration for the work, his technical process, as well as how AI’s evolution shaped the book’s content and meaning. George also waxes nostalgia for early Internet culture and websites like those found on the now defunct Geocities website. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailToday’s guest and her team’s most recent book project is truly emotional and inspiring. In this conversation, you’ll hear from Rachel Arthur, Founder and Editor of boom saloon, “an independent publisher dedicated to democratizing creativity for good”. You’ll hear about their most recent publication (and deeply personal project) that humanizes the experiences of dementia, called “4,4,4&2”.You’ll hear about the process of co-creation central to the making of the publication, the disappearing ink technology and intentional typographic choices used to mimic the experience of living with dementia, as well as Rachel’s beautiful hope for this project and where it could lead. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailThis episode features Maria Bowler, author of ‘Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity’. In this conversation, Maria clarifies the way we orient to the world, either as “the producer” or “the maker”. She dives deep into the problematic ideas around productivity, the ways in which these ideas reinforce colonial systems, and how to re-imagine time, questioning the typical options laid out before us. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailIn this conversation, you’ll hear from Amanda Breeze, a cannabis writer based out of Toronto, Canada, who documents international cannabis culture and explores new smells. This year she launched Tripper Magazine, an adventure travel guide to the world’s cannabis friendly destinations. In this conversation, you’ll learn about the process of making a magazine from the seedling of an idea, through to distribution all around town. Amanda shares so much invaluable info for new magazine makers! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailJulian Brown is an independent motion designer and augmented-reality artist. In this conversation, you'll hear how Julian and his wife, Amy Shackleton, work together to merge the worlds of fine art and digital media to create interactive installations. You'll also hear how the design space and the fine art space differ in terms of how and when creatives are compensated for their work.You'll hear Julian’s thoughts on AI and all the ways in which it is both deeply problematic, as well as opportunistic. Julian also shares excellent, actionable money advice for young creatives.Finally, I turn the tables on Julian and we play a little game of “Never Have I Ever”. ;) Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the final episodes in the series featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu.In this episode, the 6 answer this question: “In your opinion, what does living life as a ‘Brave Creative Human’ mean to you?” This series is inspired by Diana’s recently published book, Brave Creative Human: Embrace Failure, Reframe Imposter Syndrome, and Be Unapologetically You. Thank you so much to everyone who joined me at DesignThinkers Toronto for the official launch on October 1 and 2! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the fifth of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu.In this episode, the 6 answer this question: “How do you ‘colour outside of the lines’ in your creative work; in other words, how are you living a creative existence on your own terms?”This series is inspired by Diana’s recently published book, Brave Creative Human: Embrace Failure, Reframe Imposter Syndrome, and Be Unapologetically You. Thank you so much to everyone who joined me at DesignThinkers Toronto for the official launch on October 1 and 2! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the fourth of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu.In this episode, the 6 answer this question: “What is your approach to maintaining sanity and humanity in a hyper-connected world, particularly as it relates to comparison with other creative folks?”This series is inspired by Diana’s recently published book, Brave Creative Human: Embrace Failure, Reframe Imposter Syndrome, and Be Unapologetically You. Join Diana for the book’s official launch on October 1 and 2, 2025, at Canada’s largest conference for graphic designers, DesignThinkers Toronto! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the second of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu.In this episode, the 6 answer this questions: “When is a time when you failed, what did it mean to you and how did you move forward?”This series is inspired by Diana’s recently published book, Brave Creative Human: Embrace Failure, Reframe Imposter Syndrome, and Be Unapologetically You. Join Diana for the book’s official launch on October 1 and 2, 2025, at Canada’s largest conference for graphic designers, DesignThinkers Toronto! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the second of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu.In this episode, the 6 answer this questions: “How do you sense failure: literally, how would you describe how you see it, feel it, hear it, smell it and even taste it?This series is inspired by Diana’s recently published book, Brave Creative Human: Embrace Failure, Reframe Imposter Syndrome, and Be Unapologetically You. Join Diana for the book’s official launch on October 1 and 2, 2025, at Canada’s largest conference for graphic designers, DesignThinkers Toronto! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the first of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu.In this episode, the 6 answer these questions: "What are your thoughts on perfectionism in creative work? Is perfect necessary or even possible?"This series is inspired by Diana’s recently published book, Brave Creative Human: Embrace Failure, Reframe Imposter Syndrome, and Be Unapologetically You. Join Diana for the book’s official launch on October 1 and 2, 2025, at Canada’s largest conference for graphic designers, DesignThinkers Toronto! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailSurprise! Brave Creative Human is here one month early. In this episode, I share the serendipitous story behind the book, why it exists, and who it’s for. There's a special guest appearance by Creativity Professor and Drag Queen, Guy Anabella, who wrote the book’s foreword and joins me to talk about brave creative humanity. Themes include embracing failure, reframing imposter syndrome, and finding belonging in creative work—plus what’s next for the Brave Creative Humans podcast series. Join me for the book’s official launch on October 1 and 2, 2025, at Canada’s largest conference for graphic designers, DesignThinkers Toronto! Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailIt’s the final episode before Talk Paper Scissors takes a break until September and we have one of the best with us today, talking all about accessibility in digital publishing.Laura Brady is an accessible publishing expert who works with eBound Canada, the Accessible Books Consortium, the International Publishers Association, and Adobe among other organizations. She teaches, she consults, and she advocates for accessible publishing on a global scale.  In this conversation, you’ll hear all sorts of examples of accessible digital publishing, including the ways to think proactively about creating and publishing content that’s ready to be enjoyed by a wide audience. You’ll get thinking about the tools and processes used in accessible digital publishing, including the way human interaction are still critical in the process. Finally, you’ll hear about the newly-enacted EU accessibility legislation that’s fundamentally changing accessible publishing for the better. This episode is a guest lecture in DG 8111 - Digital Publishing in the Master of Digital Media Program at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailLet’s make magic! In this episode you’ll hear about Diana’s latest collaborative making project (that could involve you!) called Making Magic; a collection of creativity kits that anyone can use to experience a bit of everyday joy and wonder.You’ll hear about the first batch of kits ready to share (Upcycled Zine Kits), as well as the three alternative creative economies on which this project is built (no money need be exchanged!). You’ll also hear about the three nodes of knowledge planted recently in Diana’s mind that fit together to allow this project to come forth, as well as how you can become involved in making magic. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailA home for zines!From makers near and far, with small and large publications, you’ll hear about the exciting medium of zines where anything can happen at the intersection of art and independent publishing. This is the 4th and final episode in the series, featuring the Toronto Zine Library.The Toronto Zine Library & Archive (TZL) is a physical library space run by a collective of zine readers, zine makers and librarians who strive to make zines accessible for the Toronto community. They believe that zines are an important medium of communication, and that they should be cherished, protected, and promoted. In this conversation, you’ll hear from Toronto Zine Library volunteers, Silvia and Miles. You’ll hear how the library got started and its goals as a volunteer-run space. You’ll also hear how Sylvia and Miles define ‘zines’ and why zines can be both a stepping stone, as well as an independently-published art form in their own right. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailYesssss zines! From makers near and far, with small and large publications, you’ll hear about the exciting medium of zines where anything can happen at the intersection of art and independent publishing. This is the 3rd of 4 episode in the series, featuring Sisley Mark.Sisley is a Chicago-based artist and creative. She primarily works with acrylic or ink on canvas and paper. Her work is deeply rooted in the belief that art isn't about the polished end result. It is about the stories, experiments, and emotions that unfold along the way.In this conversation, you’ll hear about Sisley’s at practice and her summer camp start in zine making as a kid and why sharing physical art is so powerful. You’ll hear her love-hate relationship with boredom (a gateway into noticing), as well as her focus on the process—for better or for worse. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailZines! Zines! Hooray for Zines! From makers near and far, with small and large publications, you’ll hear about the exciting medium of zines where anything can happen at the intersection of art and independent publishing. This is the 2nd of 4 episode in the series, featuring Hannah and Sarah of Feels Zine. In this episode, you’ll hear how Feels Zine came to be, as well as hear more about the interdisciplinary nature of the Feels Zine team duo, Hannah and Sarah.You’ll hear what it feels like to produce Feels, including engaging in the more challenging emotional themes, as well as the lighter ones. You’ll hear the process through which each issue travels and why Sarah and Hannah still (mostly) consider Feels a ‘zine’(including why existing in the middle of the publishing spectrum can be beneficial). Finally, you’ll hear how Feels is funded, the live event aspect of each issue, as well as big dreams for the zine. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to a 4-part publishing series all about the world of zines! From makers near and far, with small and large publications, you’ll hear about this exciting medium where anything can happen at the intersection of art and independent publishing.First up we have Ioana Simion, who is an artist-educator and facilitator based London. She runs community workshops under the artistic identity of Artizine. In this conversation, you’ll hear how to Ioana’s zine making evolved from solitary practice through to creating in community, and how she experiments in her zine making. She shows us what type of magic can happen when we take formal design practice and marketing out of the equation and focus solely on making in a community space. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailMeet emerging typeface designers, Paulina Marin and Darrab Qureshi! Paulina designed a typeface called Funky Pants and Darrab designed an Arabic typeface called Qalam in GCM 806 Advanced Typography at Toronto Metropolitan University. In the following conversation, you'll get to hear about each typeface. You'll also hear their perfect type pairings, sensory descriptions of each (sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste), as well as what was easy and difficult about the process. Let the type geekery begin!  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailWelcome to a thought-provoking and paradigm-shifting conversation with James McCrae, author, poet, and teacher who empowers creators to live with purpose and turn imagination into reality.In this conversation you’ll hear how James’ career has always been rooted in both art and writing, including his navigation through various facets of the design industry. You’ll hear why James believes that social media is an art form in its own right and how making mistakes have been some of his greatest moments of learning.We talk about the role ego plays in creative practice, and the importance of planting intentional seeds, allowing quality ideas to grow and mature in our subconscious. We also talk about trust and control in creative processes. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send us Fan MailToday we have educator, storyteller and Toronto tourism go-to, Alex Sein @BeardedProf416. In this conversation, you’ll hear Alex’s story of becoming a Torontonian, including his link to graffiti culture in the city and how he accidentally became intwined in this community.You’ll hear about the history of graffiti, why it matters and how graffiti is often a collaborative process. You’ll not only hear about physical infrastructure of a place (including the idea of a 15-minute city), but also the emotional infrastructure that signage, advertising and graffiti help shape. You’ll hear the surprising ways that graffiti is deeply-rooted in history of places all over the world and both consciously and subconsciously connect and foster belonging.  Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)