For anyone who's ever wondered if art is a real job — it is.
Artist Encyclopedia uncovers the truth behind creative career paths, from passion to paycheck.
*audio quality is a little rough in spots. Thanks for your patience.*
You can dig through everything looking for a subject and come up with nothing. And then, when you're not even looking, one shows up at your door.
Our guest Arlette Quỳnh-Anh Trần (https://arlettequynhanhtran.net/) doesn't really hunt for her subjects. She waits for the moment they find her, and then she has to decide what to do with it before the spark slips away.
15 May 2026
A Character Designer Watches Look Both Ways
What does a real character designer think of Look Both Ways?With character designer Lin Yang (https://www.instagram.com/lychee.yum/), we fact-check the film’s animation career fantasy, from studio life and networking to finding your voice, building a portfolio, and realizing that dream jobs are still jobs.A reality check, and a small reminder that your creative path probably won’t look like a movie.
18 Mar 2026
Aal Izz Well Spirit, Then and Now: Media Review
In this episode of Why You Should Watch: Sell Pitch, I look back on 3 Idiots, a movie that meant a lot to me growing up, while Mel approaches it with a more critical lens.
A nostalgic but honest media review about what changes when you return to a movie with older eyes.
4 Mar 2026
Your Cooking Style Might Reveal Your Artistic Approach
In this episode, I talk with Shuwen Zhao and Brian Griffith of Squash & Biscuit Studio (https://squashandbiscuit.co/)about a theory linking cooking style to artistic approach.
Food taste becomes creative taste, and then we zoom out to sensory control, the skill of managing intensity in a loud world.
If you’ve been stuck in the same “creative flavor” lately, this episode might shake something loose.
18 Feb 2026
How the Auction Desk Rewired My Portfolio
What happens when you see art from the other side of the table?
In this episode, I talk with Herry Kim (https://www.herry.kim/statement), an artist who used to work at an auction desk.
We get into how watching what actually sells rewired the way she builds a portfolio, prices work, and communicates value without losing her voice.
If you’re a beginner and you feel lost about pricing, portfolios, and how the art world actually works, start here!
4 Feb 2026
Your Emotions Are Part of the Medium
What if your emotions are not a problem to fix, but information to listen to.
In this episode, I talk with Dan Vickers (https://www.quiet-spaces.com/), an enxperimental sound artist, about why your emotions are not something to hide while making art. We get into internalizing, noiticing what you feel, and why "feeling it" is not a distraction from the work.
21 Jan 2026
Not Knowing Is Part of It: Media Review
A media review of Riceboy Sleeps.
In this episode, Mel and I talk about becoming an artist without having all the answers. Through Riceboy Sleeps, we reflect on identity, growing up, and why not knowing can still be a meaningful place to stand.
7 Jan 2026
Getting Paid to Live in Your Childhood
Children’s book illustration sounds dreamy, but what does the job actually involve?
In this episode, Yusuke Watanabe (Children’s book illustration sounds dreamy, but what does the job actually involve? In this episode, Yusuke Watanabe shares what it’s really like to build a quiet career as a children’s book illustrator. We talk about solitude, imagination as work, and making art that becomes part of someone else’s childhood.) shares what it’s really like to build a quiet career as a children’s book illustrator.
We talk about solitude, imagination as work, and making art that becomes part of someone else’s childhood.
24 Dec 2025
Living in Transition, Staying Grounded
As the year wraps up, this episode feels like a pause.
I sat down with Udval Altangerel (https://udvalaltangerel.com/)to talk about what it means to stay grounded while everything around you is changing. Moving between countries, navigating different creative environments, and learning how to listen to yourself when life gets loud.
This conversation isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about slowing down, checking in, and remembering what matters.
We hope this episode keeps you company as the year comes to a close.
Happy holidays from Artist Encyclopedia!
10 Dec 2025
Storyboard Artist… So You Make the Story, Right?
Spoiler, the answer is absolutely no.
In this episode, sotryboard artist Adel Sabi (https://www.adelsabi.com/)breaks down what a storybaord artist really does. Revealing the truth about the job, the workflow, the pain, and what it actually takes to survive in the animation industry.
If you've ever thought storyboarding was"just drawing boxes," this one's for you.
26 Nov 2025
Why Process Matters: A Creative Review of After Life
In our first Media Review episode, we revisit After Life (1998) to talk about something every young artist struggles with: the pressure to be perfect. With filmmaker and best friend Mel Zhao, we explore how this quiet film reveals the value of process, sincerity, and choosing what truly matters. If you’ve ever doubted your work or hesitated to create, this episode is for you.
12 Nov 2025
Exhibitions Don’t Design Themselves: Storytelling Through Spaces
Art doesn’t live on walls by accident. It’s carefully placed, lit, and shaped into experience.
Exhibition designer Chusu Kim (https://chusukim.com/about) from the National Palace Museum of Korea reveals how storytelling through space brings history to life.
29 Oct 2025
Tralalelo Tralalala: Life of an AR Designer in Meme Chaos
Ever wondered who makes the viral filters that take over TikTok?
Meet Hyunbae (https://www.instagram.com/uhmmbae/), an AR designer who turns trends, memes, and chaos into interactive magic.
From typography to brainrot, we dive into what it really means to design in augmented reality.
15 Oct 2025
Not Every Artist Is Built the Same
Ever wondered what kind of artist you really are?
In this episode, we talk with Yoonsu Lee about how personality shapes creative careers.
Freelancer, educator, or in house designer. Which path fits you best?!
1 Oct 2025
Encyclopedia for Artists?
In this trailer episode of Artist Encyclopedia, host Minha Song explains why she started the show after facing artist’s block and confusion about creative careers.
The podcast focuses on the hidden realities of being an artist, from industry misconceptions to how personality shapes career choices, while collecting stories from artists across fields.
Enjoy!
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