CAPTN OffScript

CAPTN OffScript

There's a version of the creative career conversation that almost never gets recorded. Not the award acceptance. Not the process breakdown. Not the polished origin story where every setback was secretly a setup. That version exists everywhere. This isn't that. CAPTN OffScript is where designers, founders, illustrators, and makers sit down and talk about what's actually going on — the fear before the pivot, the year where the work dried up, the identity crisis that came with success, the moment they almost stopped, and what kept them moving. The messy, honest, deeply human side of building a creative life. I'm Alen. I run a one-person type foundry called SilverStag Type, and I've been working in and around the design industry long enough to know what gets edited out of most interviews. I started this show because I was tired of highlight reels dressed up as conversations. I wanted to hear what creative people actually think — about money and meaning, about burnout and reinvention, about imposter syndrome and identity and the thousand invisible decisions that quietly add up to a career. So that's what we do here. We go long. We go deep. We don't rush to the takeaway. And because I'm not just a host — I'm a working designer who's navigated a lot of the same terrain — the conversations tend to go places most interviews don't reach. Guests have included Jessica Hische, Elliot Jay Stocks, Sophia Yeshi, Kieron Anthony Lewis, Philipp Louven, and Sergio del Puerto. What they share isn't a follower count or a famous client list. It's that they showed up willing to say something real — something I hadn't heard them say before, in any interview, anywhere. That's the bar. The show runs in two formats. The long-form Conversations are the main event — unscripted, one-on-one, unhurried. The kind of interview where we're still discovering things an hour in. Then there are the Monday Break(Through) episodes: shorter solo pieces from me, working through ideas and observations as a creative founder. Less polished. More honest. No five-step frameworks. No sponsor reads dressed up as advice. No artificial urgency. Just two people taking creativity seriously, and seeing where that leads. CAPTN OffScript started as The Type Convo — a typography-focused show — and evolved into something bigger when I realised the conversations I most needed to hear weren't about fonts. They were about what it actually costs to build something on your own terms, and what it means to keep going when the path stops being clear. If the "official" version of a creative career has never quite matched the one you're actually living — the doubt, the detours, the days when you're not sure what you're building or why — this show was made for you. New episodes drop regularly. Come in anywhere. Stay for the honesty.

  1. S02/E29 - Luis Mendo on Finding Your Value, Mundo Mendo & Why Social Media Is Dry Disgusting Bread

    APR 28

    S02/E29 - Luis Mendo on Finding Your Value, Mundo Mendo & Why Social Media Is Dry Disgusting Bread

    He grew up in Salamanca. Spent 20 years as an art director in Amsterdam. His father died. He boarded a plane to Japan for a sabbatical — and 14 years later, he's still there. Luis Mendo is a Spanish illustrator and the founder of Mundo Mendo — a personal membership project built on illustrated stories, shipped directly to readers with no algorithm in between. This is a conversation about finding your value, choosing happiness, and refusing to make salami for Zuckerberg. What we cover: His father's death and why it led him to Japan20 years in Amsterdam — and why he finally chose to leaveAlmost Perfect — six years of welcoming artists into his Tokyo homeWhy social media is dry disgusting bread — and the salami analogyBuilding Mundo Mendo on Ghost, the anti-Substack platformBiking numbered, signed books to the post office himselfWhy he's building something that survives himFinding the value in your work — advice for young illustratorsJapan's exploding independent print and zine sceneAI is for laundry — and what he actually uses it forWhat he wrote in a letter to his daughter growing up in Japan Connect with Luis Mendo: Website: https://www.luismendo.com/ Mundo Mendo: https://www.mundomendo.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luismendo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismendo/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Elliot Jay Stocks (S02/E25) — on building a direct relationship with your audience through newsletters, why human connection matters more than algorithms, and creating work that lasts. If you enjoyed this episode, leaving a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify takes less than a minute and helps more people find the show. I'd be incredibly grateful. 🙏

    1h 11m
  2. S02/E28 - Temi Coker: Put the Work You Want to Be Hired For & Everything Else Follows

    APR 21

    S02/E28 - Temi Coker: Put the Work You Want to Be Hired For & Everything Else Follows

    He wakes up at 4:30am. Two kids under two. Three hours of work before the house comes alive. This is how one of the most sought-after artists in America currently operates. Temi Coker is a Nigerian-American artist and creative director based in Dallas, Texas. His work has appeared in campaigns for Adobe, Apple, ESPN, AT&T, and the Oscars. He launched a home collection with Walmart in 2025. And he will tell you, clearly and without drama, that none of it happened by accident — it happened because he kept making the work he wanted to be hired for, long before anyone asked him to. What we cover: Growing up in Lagos — limitations, bottle-cap football, and a love of colourMoving to Canada and then Texas at 12, navigating two Black identities at onceLeaving biomedical engineering to pursue design — and why he doesn't regret eitherSeven years of head-down work before the Adobe Creative Residency changed everythingHow a pillow he made for fun led to the Walmart home collectionApple said no four or five times — he now has 20+ collaborations with themFinancial literacy for creatives — the conversation nobody is havingRunning a photography studio, a clothing brand, and raising two kids under twoLearning to actually accept a compliment Connect with Temi Coker: Website: https://temicoker.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temi.coker Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

    1h 6m
  3. S02/E27 — Ingrid Picanyol: I'm a Designer, But Other Things Too — Poetry, Punk & Philosophy

    APR 14

    S02/E27 — Ingrid Picanyol: I'm a Designer, But Other Things Too — Poetry, Punk & Philosophy

    She chose graphic design over photography because she couldn't afford a camera. She chose it over philosophy because her teacher said get work first, study ideas later. Now she runs a studio of exactly three people, plays guitar in an all-women punk band with no expectations, writes articles on the bus, and has just started her philosophy degree. Ingrid Picanyol is a Catalan graphic designer based in Barcelona — and one of the most quietly profound conversations of the season. What we cover: Growing up in the "Catalan Liverpool" — small town, punk band, leaving home at 16$12 a day in New York, sleeping on couches, investing in a careerWhy she keeps her studio to exactly three people — and why that mattersHow a developer noticed her design process is basically poetryWriting articles on the bus — and the Set Margins book coming from itWhy design can't satisfy every creative need — and what to do about itSending voice messages to ChatGPT asking what Plato thinks about difficult clientsStudying philosophy in her forties — and why now is finally the right momentWhat she'd say to her 8-year-old self, who always felt like a stranger Connect with Ingrid Picanyol: Website: https://ingridpicanyol.com/ Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/ingridpicanyol Instagram (studio): https://www.instagram.com/ingridpicanyolstudio/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Marta Cerdà Alimbau (S02/E26) — another deeply personal conversation with a Catalan designer about creative identity, surviving the hard years, and why the work is worth fighting for.

    1 hr
  4. S02/E26 - Marta Cerdà Alimbau: Vogue, Nike, Bats in the House & Why Design Is Worth Fighting For

    APR 7

    S02/E26 - Marta Cerdà Alimbau: Vogue, Nike, Bats in the House & Why Design Is Worth Fighting For

    She designed a Vogue cover during COVID while riding her motorcycle through Barcelona without a helmet. She made over 300 logos before landing on the one for a Nike Haaland campaign. She survived a pandemic across two countries paying two rents simultaneously — and ended up in a farmhouse with bats, eagles, and rats for four months. Marta Cerdà Alimbau is a Catalan graphic designer, AGI member, and author of Surviving Design. This is one of the most honest, funny, and deeply personal conversations of the season. What we cover: Studying psychology before design — and what it gave herThe Vogue Spain cover created from chaos and a deep need for resilienceDesigning Barcelona's Christmas street lights from the iconic panot tileOver 300 logos for a Nike Haaland campaign — and the hidden arrowCOVID across two countries, two rents, and four months in a farmhouse with batsSurviving Design — what the book is really about and why it's actually optimisticComic Sans, context, and what Vincent Connare taught her in 2004The tobacco brief, karma, and the projects she wishes she hadn't takenWhat she'd say to her 10-year-old self Connect with Marta Cerdà Alimbau: Website: https://martacerda.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martacerda/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Sophia Yeshi (S02/E22) — another deeply personal conversation about identity, building a creative career against the odds, and staying true to yourself through everything.

    1h 2m
  5. S02/E25 - Elliot Jay Stocks on Books, Newsletters & Why Human Connection Is Everything

    MAR 31

    S02/E25 - Elliot Jay Stocks on Books, Newsletters & Why Human Connection Is Everything

    He's back. And this time we accidentally planned a Madrid book event live on air. Elliot Jay Stocks is a designer, writer, editor, and the person behind Fine Specimens — a brand new book showcasing contemporary type design from 69 foundries, including three of mine. We talked about the book, the five-stop tour, joining Adobe after 18.5 years of freelancing, the love-hate relationship with Instagram every creative recognises, and why newsletters and human connection might be the most important things a creative can invest in right now. What we cover: Fine Specimens — from failed Kickstarter to published book with 69 foundriesHow typefaces were curated and the challenge of classifying typeThe love-hate relationship with Instagram and why the algorithm is broken for creatorsWhy he prefers newsletters — and the pop-up newsletter concept you need to know aboutJoining Adobe full-time after 18.5 years of freelancingThe 5-stop book tour — and the accidental Madrid plan that happened live on airMusic on hold, guitar is back, and a new book idea on the horizonWhy human connection in creative industries matters more now than ever Connect with Elliot Jay Stocks: Website: https://elliotjaystocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotjaystocks/ Newsletter: https://elliotjaystocks.com/newsletter Fine Specimens: https://elliotjaystocks.com/books#fine-specimens Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — on serial entrepreneurship, creative reinvention, and building a life entirely on your own terms. Cover photo by Norman Posselt: https://normanposselt.com/

    58 min
  6. S02/E24 - Philipp Louven: From Print Design to AI-First & Why Fundamentals Matter More Than Ever

    MAR 25

    S02/E24 - Philipp Louven: From Print Design to AI-First & Why Fundamentals Matter More Than Ever

    He started with die cuts and packaging catalogues at a print agency. He co-authored typography books with Slanted. He moved to Istanbul on a creative whim. And now he's the lead designer at Kittl — one of Europe's fastest-growing AI-powered design platforms. The through-line? A deep belief that no tool matters if you don't have the fundamentals first. Philipp Louven on the journey from print to AI-first, what's actually changing in the design industry, and why the shift from execution to direction might be the most important move a designer can make right now. What we cover: Starting in print — die cuts, packaging, catalogues, and editorial books with SlantedMoving to Istanbul just out of curiosity — and what it taught him about pace and creativityThe hard switch to AI-first design at Kittl and how he worked through itWhy fundamentals in composition, layout and typography matter more with AI, not lessTypography trends in 2026 — human, imperfect, bold and loudWhether AI can ever be more creative than a humanWhat Kittl does that no other design tool doesAdvice for young designers entering a shifting industry Connect with Philipp Louven: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-louven-8a1251192/ Kittl: https://kittl.com Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Sergio del Puerto (S02/E23) — on AI, creative reinvention, and finding a new way of working after decades in the industry.

    54 min
  7. S02/E23 - Sergio del Puerto: From Serial Cut to ZAGALE & Why He's More Excited Than Ever

    MAR 18

    S02/E23 - Sergio del Puerto: From Serial Cut to ZAGALE & Why He's More Excited Than Ever

    He founded Serial Cut in Madrid in 1999. For nearly 30 years it became one of the most recognised creative studios in the world. And then he let it go — not because he failed, but because something new had already taken hold of him completely. Sergio del Puerto is an art director, image maker, and one of the most influential creatives in the Spanish design industry. This is the story of Serial Cut, ZAGALE, AI, and what it feels like to be 30 years into a career and wake up genuinely excited again. What we cover: Growing up in Toledo and arriving in Madrid as a club kid in 1999Building Serial Cut across five techniques over nearly three decadesWhy he dissolved the studio — and why it felt liberatingTraining custom AI models on his own work with LORAZAGALE — the new alter ego, the covered face, and the custom helmetWhy AI is the best creative companion when you feel stuckAction figures, composition, and why his childhood is always in his workHis advice for young designers on portfolios and exploring new mediums Connect with Sergio del Puerto: Instagram (ZAGALE): https://www.instagram.com/_zagale_/ Serial Cut: https://serialcut.com Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter If you liked this episode, listen to: Jessica Hische (S02/E21) — on serial entrepreneurship, creative reinvention, and building a life entirely on your own terms.

    1h 2m
  8. S02/E22 - Sophia Yeshi: Self-Taught, Underfunded & the First Artist on a UPS Box

    MAR 11

    S02/E22 - Sophia Yeshi: Self-Taught, Underfunded & the First Artist on a UPS Box

    She learned Photoshop at 12 on multiple 30-day trials. She got into five art schools and couldn't afford a single one. She moved to New York with no job, no safety net, and no plan B. And then her artwork went around the world on a UPS box. Sophia Yeshi is a New York-based illustrator whose bold, colourful, inclusive work has appeared in campaigns for Google, Spotify, Adobe, Instagram, and UPS. But this conversation is about the person behind all of it — the mixed-race kid from Baltimore who grew up too fast, taught herself everything, and built a career entirely on her own terms. What we cover: Growing up across multiple identities and being othered from birthTeaching herself Photoshop at 12 on repeated 30-day free trialsGetting into five art schools and not being able to afford any of themMoving to New York with no freelance safety net — and figuring it out anywayThe UPS box campaign that went around the worldWhy she's calling this year "rejection therapy"Advice for young illustrators in a shifting industryWhat she'd write in a letter to her eight-year-old self Connect with Sophia Yeshi: Website: https://www.yeshidesigns.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiayeshi/ Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5 More from Captn OffScript: Website: https://captnoffscript.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

    57 min

About

There's a version of the creative career conversation that almost never gets recorded. Not the award acceptance. Not the process breakdown. Not the polished origin story where every setback was secretly a setup. That version exists everywhere. This isn't that. CAPTN OffScript is where designers, founders, illustrators, and makers sit down and talk about what's actually going on — the fear before the pivot, the year where the work dried up, the identity crisis that came with success, the moment they almost stopped, and what kept them moving. The messy, honest, deeply human side of building a creative life. I'm Alen. I run a one-person type foundry called SilverStag Type, and I've been working in and around the design industry long enough to know what gets edited out of most interviews. I started this show because I was tired of highlight reels dressed up as conversations. I wanted to hear what creative people actually think — about money and meaning, about burnout and reinvention, about imposter syndrome and identity and the thousand invisible decisions that quietly add up to a career. So that's what we do here. We go long. We go deep. We don't rush to the takeaway. And because I'm not just a host — I'm a working designer who's navigated a lot of the same terrain — the conversations tend to go places most interviews don't reach. Guests have included Jessica Hische, Elliot Jay Stocks, Sophia Yeshi, Kieron Anthony Lewis, Philipp Louven, and Sergio del Puerto. What they share isn't a follower count or a famous client list. It's that they showed up willing to say something real — something I hadn't heard them say before, in any interview, anywhere. That's the bar. The show runs in two formats. The long-form Conversations are the main event — unscripted, one-on-one, unhurried. The kind of interview where we're still discovering things an hour in. Then there are the Monday Break(Through) episodes: shorter solo pieces from me, working through ideas and observations as a creative founder. Less polished. More honest. No five-step frameworks. No sponsor reads dressed up as advice. No artificial urgency. Just two people taking creativity seriously, and seeing where that leads. CAPTN OffScript started as The Type Convo — a typography-focused show — and evolved into something bigger when I realised the conversations I most needed to hear weren't about fonts. They were about what it actually costs to build something on your own terms, and what it means to keep going when the path stops being clear. If the "official" version of a creative career has never quite matched the one you're actually living — the doubt, the detours, the days when you're not sure what you're building or why — this show was made for you. New episodes drop regularly. Come in anywhere. Stay for the honesty.