What if your creativity was the loudest voice in the room?

In this episode of the Creative Slash Podcast, Brad and Dustin sit down with illustrator and letterer Mary Kate McDevitt to talk about aliens, simulated realities, and the messy balance between creativity and commentary.

From punk shows and fake IDs to organizing art around advocacy, Mary Kate opens up about her journey from skater poser to full-blown creative powerhouse living in a Vermont farmhouse with disco balls and barn concerts.

They unpack:

• The risks and rewards of speaking up as a creative
• Why vulnerability online doesn’t have to mean being polarizing
• The chaos-to-clarity loop behind making art and organizing a creative life
• How a “tornado” of ideas becomes a career (and a pond full of frogs)

It's real, it's hilarious, it's inspiring, and yes, you’ll probably want to move to Vermont by the end of it.

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Brad Woodard

Brad is an illustrator and designer behind Brave the Woods, a full-service studio working with clients like Nickelodeon, Target, USPS, and NASA. 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