Creative or Dead

Tune in to this episode of Creative or Dead, where David Constantine and Aleesha Callahan sit down with artist and designer Jordan Fleming, who shares her journey from interior design and cabinet-making to a solo practice creating sculptural, creature-like furniture and lighting. A.K.A. The three-legged creatures you never knew you wanted!Known for her bold, surreal forms, Jordan opens up on the topic of authenticity, instinctive creation and storytelling through her work. Jordan’s creative process is truly her own, and you’ll hear how she finds inspiration in everyday observations of beauty and serendipity. The way she approaches making, while balancing practicality with artistic expression, make this episode a thought-provoking listen for anyone curious about the edges of functional art.LINKSCheck out Jordan’s websiteConnect with her on Instagram YOUR HOSTSAleesha Callahan is a design journalist, regularly contributing to Est Living, Green magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Indesignlive and Habitus, the latter of which she was the editor between 2020-2024. A storyteller and versatile freelancer, Aleesha collaborates with select brands and studios to help articulate their voice.David Constantine is a creative business builder and leader. With a career spanning branding, advertising, innovation, strategy and social impact, David has worked with arts practitioners and institutions in Australia and Internationally for more than two decades. He has delivered place identity strategy and strategic planning for many prominent Australian arts entities including the Abbotsford Convent, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, Chunky Move and the Art Gallery of Ballarat. He currently sits on the board of the Art Gallery of Ballarat. David is a collector of contemporary Australian Art and has strong relationships to both artists and gallerists. David is Passionate about the power of creativity to move individuals and organisations. A chief creative officer, and executive creative director. Aspirant polymath. Former AGDA State President, AGDA National Board member. Long time educator, speaker, and mentor. Regular commentator and contributor to design media. Board Member, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Stonnington Art Advisory Board. Judge, Pause Awards, Judge GOTYA.CREDITSCreative or Dead was produced by Rob Heneghan. It was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land where we recorded, the Wurrundjeri and Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation.

On this episode of Creative or Dead, David and Aleesha meet with Tom Blachford, a commercial architecture and interiors photographer and fine artist known for his bold and atmospheric works. Tom shares insights into his Midnight Modern series, which captures the surreal beauty of mid-century architecture at night in Palm Springs, as well as his recent ventures into AI-driven image creation. Known for pushing the boundaries between traditional photography and digital art, he discusses his unique approach to balancing spontaneity and structure in his creative process. He also touches on his experiences with aphantasia (the inability to visualise images in his "mind's eye"), his fascination with myths and dystopian aesthetics, and the impact of AI on the art world. This episode is for anyone interested in the future of creativity, offering a glimpse into the mind of an artist sitting smack bang at intersection of technology and art. If you’re not already familiar with Tom’s work, we highly recommend checking it out before listening in. LINKSCheck out Tom’s website and Instagram The wonderful Midnight Modern – recently on show at Compendium GalleryThe Lost Archive of Slender O’KinoshiTombo Den AI art commission – check out the Instagram page for some of Tom’s wild imagesTom’s wife Kate Ballis and her incredible workInfluorescence collab between Kate and Tom, check out hereTake a look at Nihon Noir – and Aleesha’s particular favourite, the Nakagin Capsule TowerYou can also read up on this crazy Nakagin Capsule building on Wikipedia hereYOUR HOSTSAleesha Callahan is a design journalist, regularly contributing to Est Living, Green magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Indesignlive and Habitus, the latter of which she was the editor between 2020-2024. A storyteller and versatile freelancer, Aleesha collaborates with select brands and studios to help articulate their voice.David Constantine is a creative business builder and leader. With a career spanning branding, advertising, innovation, strategy and social impact, David has worked with arts practitioners and institutions in Australia and internationally for more than two decades. He has delivered place identity strategy and strategic planning for many prominent Australian arts entities. He currently sits on the board of the Art Gallery of Ballarat. David is a collector of contemporary Australian Art and has strong relationships to both artists and gallerists.CREDITSCreative or Dead was produced by Rob Heneghan. It was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land where we recorded, the Wurrundjeri and Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation.

Join hosts David Constantine and Aleesha Callahan as they jump right into a rich conversation with Australian artist Eleanor Louise Butt. Known for her abstract paintings, Eleanor shares her journey from experimenting with different mediums at university to ultimately embracing painting as her primary form of expression. Eleanor looks at the world with curious wonder, and here she shares how an intuitive approach lets materials, emotions, nature and any number of inspirations guide her creative process. By embracing the element of chance, she has crafted a practice that brings a raw and tactile quality to her work. With recent achievements, including winning the prestigious Muswellbrook Art Prize and exhibitions across major galleries, Eleanor's insights reveal the balance between intellect and instinct in the creative process. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the deeper, often unseen process of making art that resonates on a sensory level.LINKSVisit Eleanor’s website to view her work.Nicholas Thompson Gallery represents Eleanor, view the website.See the work of Samuel Condon here.You can listen to the Malcom Gladwell Revisionist history episode here.Discover more about Edna Walling and her fab garden designs via the State Library here.You can see a massive, very cool painting by Eleanor on display at the ground floor of Her BarYOUR HOSTSAleesha Callahan is a design journalist, regularly contributing to Est Living, Green magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Indesignlive and Habitus, the latter of which she was the editor of between 2020-2024. A storyteller and versatile freelancer, Aleesha collaborates with select brands and studios to help articulate their voice.David Constantine is a creative business builder and leader. With a career spanning branding, advertising, innovation, strategy and social impact, David has worked with arts practitioners and institutions in Australia and Internationally for more than two decades. He has delivered place identity strategy and strategic planning for many prominent Australian arts entities including the Abbotsford Convent, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, Chunky Move and the Art Gallery of Ballarat. He currently sits on the board of the Art Gallery of Ballarat. David is a collector of contemporary Australian Art and has strong relationships to both artists and gallerists.CREDITSCreative or Dead was produced by Rob Heneghan. It was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land where we recorded, the Wurrundjeri and Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation.

In this episode of Creative or Dead, hosts David Constantine and Aleesha Callahan sit down with Lauren Li, a powerhouse interior designer, author and educator. Lauren is the definition of a creative slashie with over 20 years of experience as a designer, a couple of coffee table books under her belt (published through Thames and Hudson) and a new podcast Design Anatomy. Lauren shares her creative journey – from founding her studio, Sisalla Interiors, to teaching courses and building an engaged online presence on her Instagram and SubStack Style Studies.Tune in as she discusses the joys and challenges of blending creativity with business, balancing design projects with personal style, and creating spaces that truly resonate with clients. This episode dives right in to the business side of creativity and how to successfully keep the juggle going when you have a lot different but intermingled projects on the go.LinksThe Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair EnnsYour hosts Aleesha Callahan is a design journalist, regularly contributing to Est Living, Green magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Indesignlive and Habitus, the latter of which she was the editor of between 2020-2024. A storyteller and versatile freelancer, Aleesha collaborates with select brands and studios to help articulate their voice.David Constantine is the co-founder of Senti Partners, an agency which uses intelligence and creativity to help organisations solve society's most pressing problems through brand, campaigns and communications. David has over two decades experience working with brands, products and campaigns across public and private sectors in Australian, European and US markets. David assists companies to think holistically about brand identity, using creativity and purpose to unlock potential for organisations to motivate, challenge, inspire and educate.CreditsCreative or Dead was produced by Rob Heneghan. It was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land where we recorded, the Wurrundjeri and Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation.Our music is by Sergey Shadrin, aka Cosmonkey.