Sneak peak of what's in store this season

Michael Riley, founder of Shine Studio and the creative force behind iconic opening sequences for Gattaca, Kung Fu Panda, and Modern Family, joins Unapologetically Creative to talk about embracing uncertainty, trusting your instincts, and working in service of the story. From cold pitches to career pivots, Michael shares how saying yes to new opportunities and being okay with rejection can shape a long and fulfilling
creative life. This is a conversation about staying curious, being brave, and showing up with your best ideas, no matter what.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:22 — Introduction to Michael Riley and his motion design career

• 1:49 — Early passion for art and high school silkscreen business

• 3:00 — RISD experience and falling in love with typography

• 4:30 — Embracing multidisciplinarity in the creative world

• 5:18 — Influential internship with Tibor Kalman

• 6:30 — Embracing storytelling in film and TV

• 8:43 — First major TV project: Saturday Night Live

• 9:03 — First film: Gattaca and its creative marketing

• 11:10 — Working with directors and understanding their vision

• 12:38 — Lessons from pitching (successes and failures)

• 14:30 — Story of losing Bee Movie and landing Kung Fu Panda

• 16:25 — Role and function of a title sequence

• 18:07 — Designing differently for film vs. streaming

• 20:00 — Integration of title sequences into the story

• 21:06 — Designing sequences people won’t want to skip

• 22:33 — Processing creative feedback with professionalism

• 24:23 — Solving creative challenges under tight timelines

• 25:31 — Advice to his younger self

• 26:19 — Defining “Unapologetically Creative”

Book artist and educator Amy Fortunato joins Unapologetically Creative to share how her early experiences shaped a career built on curiosity, complexity, and care. From her first creative spark at CalArts to her current work mentoring students and crafting museum-quality books, Amy opens up about the power of asking questions, embracing identity in all its dimensions, and resisting the urge to stay in one lane. This episode explores how thoughtful creativity can honor stories, challenge norms, and lead to paths more fulfilling than we ever imagined.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:25 — Introduction to Amy Fortunato and her multidisciplinary design practice

• 2:02 — Career overview and return to CalArts as part of VCFA residency

• 3:14 — Early creative experiences and lack of role models in the arts

• 4:19 — Cultural identity and underrepresentation in creative spaces

• 4:37 — The transformative impact of attending CSSSA.

• 6:59 — Lasting influence of early exposure to cross-disciplinary creativity

• 8:45 — Resisting creative categorization and embracing complexity

• 9:29 — Viewing identity and career through multidimensional “facets”

• 13:56 — Collaborative process of designing art books

• 16:27 — Favorite and most challenging aspects of book design

• 18:37 — The joy of holding the final physical product

• 21:04 — Physical books vs. e-books and the importance of tangible design

• 22:53 — Advice for students on documenting and shaping thesis books

• 25:52 — Advice to her younger self: trust the journey and stay open

• 26:35 — Defining unapologetic creativity as thoughtful irreverence

In this premiere episode of Unapologetically Creative, host Andrew Ramsammy sits down with artist, educator, and creative entrepreneur David Jon Walker to explore his path from quilting as a teen to teaching design and graduating from Yale. David reflects on how discomfort builds creative strength, why resilience is essential, and what it means to make art without asking for permission. From screen printing at motorcycle rallies to hand-lettering daily on Instagram, his story is a masterclass in grit, grace, and creative independence.

TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:28 — Introduction to David Jon Walker and his work

• 2:35 — Early creative influences from family

• 3:50 — First quilt project at age 13

• 4:31 — First commissioned creative work

• 5:13 — College experience and pivot to screen printing

• 7:53 — Growth into large-scale event merchandising

• 11:36 — Academic progression and transition to Yale

• 12:05 — Initial freelance and political design work

• 13:22 — Challenges in gaining recognition as a designer

• 16:06 — Motivation behind pursuing Yale MFA

• 17:12 — Financial preparation and family-driven ambition

• 21:01 — Daily public creative practice and accountability

• 22:44 — Running as fuel for creativity and focus

• 23:50 — Defining unapologetic creativity