In this episode, we talk with illustrator and designer Tyler Pate. He has worked with brands like Adobe, Wacom, and StickerApp, and he’s built his career through steady effort, a clear process, and years of showing up for the work.

There are no shortcuts in Tyler’s story. It’s about making the work, getting better at it, and sticking with it long enough for that effort to add up, whether people notice right away or not.

We talk with Tyler about how to build a creative practice that grows over time, along with topics like:

• Staying busy on purpose, and why the work you make now can lead to opportunities years later
• Sharing your process, how that builds trust, and why there doesn’t need to be any "secret sauce"
• Using a back catalog and simple systems to stay visible without burning yourself out
• Keeping things *simple*, and how limits in your tools, style, and thinking can lead to better work

Later in the episode, Tyler talks about his path from a small town, where there wasn’t an obvious creative roadmap, to speaking at major events. He figured things out as he went, and in the process became the example he didn’t have when he was younger.

Follow Tyler (AKA The Creative Pain) on Instagram

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Note: If you're looking for hard-earned advice, resources from top creatives, and the products they can't live without, you're going to love this.

Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like PBS Kids, Ford, Target, and USPS. His bold, playful style and heart-led storytelling shine through everything from brand campaigns to children’s books.

View Brave the Woods

Dustin Lee

Dustin is the founder of RetroSupply, a shop for retro-inspired brushes, textures, and digital tools used by tens of thousands of creatives from indie artists to major studios. He shares what it’s really like to run a creative business while keeping it small, weird, and intentional.

View RetroSupply

Credits

Audio/video editing: Clara Wright
Cover art: Brad Woodard
Intro animation: Seth Austin
Intro music: “Snakes and Fire” (Instrumental) by Pär Hagström