Banter with BUCK

Founders of It’s Nice That Alex Bec and Will Hudson walk us through their humble beginnings at university, the luck and risk involved in growing the Hudson Bec Group, and the excitement and responsibility inherent to making the most of opportunities. Alex and Will were interviewed by BUCK’s Tina Surelia on November 30th, 2022. thehudsonbecgroup.com

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan—known professionally as Bat For Lashes—shares the inspiration behind her latest album and how her initiation to motherhood led to an artistic resurrection. Natasha was interviewed by BUCK’s Tracey McDonough on October 13th, 2022. https://www.batforlashes.com/

Wardrobe Stylist for Everything Everywhere All At Once Shirley Kurata speaks with us about how Barbie sparked her interest in fashion, why movies should make room for more diverse leads, embracing age, and how pushing the creative envelope through style can help you transcend time. Shirley was interviewed by BUCK’s Camille Chu on October 14th, 2022. shirleykurata.com

Award-winning Filmmaker Michael Arias speaks about his journey across the world into the vibrant, imaginative realm of anime, his beginnings as a computer effects and stop motion artist, and the importance of returning to your roots. Michael was interviewed by BUCK’s Alessandro Ceglia on July 5th, 2022. https://hp.michaelarias.net/

Floral Designer and Founder of A.P. Bio Doan Ly speaks about harnessing the inherent beauty of nature, expanding our own definitions of what’s beautiful, and the creative release of a stroll in the garden. Doan was interviewed by BUCK’s Kim Stephens on May 27th, 2022. https://www.apbiodesigns.com/

Prolific author, Co-Chair of SVA’s MFA Designer as Author Department, and Columnist for the NYT Steven Heller speaks about design, the writing process, and finding time for his myriad creative endeavors. Steven was interviewed by BUCK’s Camille Chu on April 15th, 2022. http://www.hellerbooks.com/

Lettering Artist and NYT best-selling Author Jessica Hische shares her thoughts on juggling lettering, books, and the creativity required for parenting in a pandemic. Jessica was interviewed by BUCK’s Amerlia Giller on March 10th, 2022. https://jessicahische.is/

Joy Strategist Grace Harry teaches us to tap into the heart to discover our own joys, how creatives code-switch in life, and the value in forgiving and recognizing there's nothing wrong with starting at square one. Grace was interviewed by BUCK’s Kevin Pires on February 7th, 2022. https://playwgrace.com/

YouTube Superstar Kaitlin Becker regales us with her ventures in acting and the artistry of sharing screens with puppets like Blippi—all while staying true to herself.  Kaitlin was interviewed by BUCK's Justin Cone.  https://www.kaitlinbecker.com/ 

Cake Artist Alana Jones-Mann describes the inspiration behind her culinary creations, how practicing mindfulness helps raise creative vibrations, and the journey that turned a background in event marketing into a delightfully delicious career. Alana was interviewed by BUCK’s Jenny Ko. https://alanajonesmann.com/

Product Design Consultant and all-around Craftsman Matias Corea chats changing the paradigm of online portfolios via his co-founding of Behance, along with new adventures of custom motorcycle design via Myth Motors. Matias was interviewed by BUCK's Ana Bernaus.  https://www.behance.net/MatiasCorea

Award-winning Author and Associate Professor Grace M. Cho chats about her process, inspiration, and real-world experience for her book Haunting the Korean Diaspora: Shame, Secrecy, and the Forgotten War long-listed for a National Book Award. Getting real and raw in all the right ways to better understand how we connect across generations via shared trauma and how it shapes culture. Grace was interviewed by BUCK’s Janice Ahn and Heloise Chung. https://www.csi.cuny.edu/campus-directory/grace-m-cho

Tamara Santibañez explores the power of objects and imbued meaning through work rooted in subcultural semiotics. Listen in to learn how visualizing experience in social justice activism through tattooing creates transformative practice, a space for healing, and a vehicle for resistance to mechanisms of oppression. Tamara was interviewed by BUCK’s Cassandro Callos. http://tamarasantibanez.com/

Founder of Willie Norris Workshop, Design Director at Outlier, Writer and Activist Wille Norris shares her creative journey. Through collaborations with Helmut Lang, MoMA PS1, Planned Parenthood, Brooklyn Liberation and her own fashion line, Willie uses fashion design to question gendered clothing and open our minds to the visual power of words. Willie was interviewed by BUCK’s Asia Hunt. https://www.willienorriswork.shop/

Performance Artist, Drag Queen, Musician, Actor, and Activist, Peppermint shares her experiences of being a runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a nominee for Outstanding Music Artist at this year’s GLAAD awards, and the first openly trans woman to originate a role on Broadway. She’s a trailblazer in every sense, and we’re here for it. Peppermint was interviewed by BUCK’s Vero Gómez. https://www.peppermintonline.com/

Jad Abumrad—composer, producer, and founder of the popular podcast Radiolab—expresses everything from the inspiration to host podcasts to forgetting the pains of creative childbirth. We've got all the answers audiophiles could ask for. Listen now! Jad was interviewed by BUCK’s Ben Langsfeld. http://jadabumrad.com/

Senior Creative Advisor to the Biden-Harris campaign Robyn Kanner shares the inspiration and insights of directing a successful presidential campaign during a pandemic, how she sought to bridge politics with pop culture, and the importance of getting out of your own way to do good work. Robyn was interviewed by BUCK’s Marla Moore. https://robynkanner.com/

Oscar-winning Director and Story Artist Everett Downing Jr. shares his down-to-earth perspective on the accessibility of the film industry, the impact of cultivating the storytelling spirit, and how now’s the time to embrace opportunities and make good on promises. Just like his short film Hair Love, this one’s sure to make you smile. Everett was interviewed by BUCK’s Robert Bisi. https://www.edowning.com/

'Design Matters' podcast host, teacher, and all-around creative leader Debbie Millman shares her thoughts on education in isolation, mentorship, the intersection of branding and culture, and what makes great creatives great. Get ready for some real, raw, rapid-fire goodness. Debbie was interviewed by BUCK’s Surabhi Rathi. https://www.debbiemillman.com/

Former NFL player and first-ever League LGBT Inclusion Consultant Wade Davis expands on the dialog around sexism, creating workplace inclusion, self-improvement, and the much-needed collective effort to save the promise of equality as America’s North Star. Wade was interviewed by BUCK’s Emily Rickard. https://wadeadavis.com/