An Interview with @punodostres by Sloane Schuchman

ENTER!

an interview on design, entrepreneurship , and slashieness with Jennifer Puno, aka

@punodostres

BY SLOANE SCHUCHMAN 1

“Say yes. Have fun. If people don’t like what you make, f*%k ‘em.” Puno—as she’s known online—is both a slap in the face (the good kind that wakes you up, promise) and a breath of fresh air when it comes to graphic design, web experiences, building creative community at I Love Creatives, and digital learning—all under one roof. Sounds boring, right? But she’s anything but.

while, but like most people, I was *really* on my phone… a lot more… starting in March of last year [2020] when quarantine started. YOOO, me too. The internet was a safe haven, man. P:

Exactly! And I found ILoveCreatives, your creative biz/resource/community/ educational platform—ha ha did I leave anything out? S:

Hi! How’s it going? I’ve been looking forward to this all week, I can’t wait to talk Slashie Design with you. SLOANE:

Haha I know! I’m good. Things are… good. Can’t complain too much here, LA is sunny and [my husband and I] are still healthy, no COVID, so high fives! How’s Boston?

You know, that all sounds about right—it’s a mixed bag of fun, that’s what we call it. P:

PUNO:

It’s good! Ok, it’s ok. I’d rather be in LA, but we can’t win ‘em all. Our 500-squarefoot apartment has seen better days though after 12 months in here, I’ll tell you that much. But healthy, so like you—we can’t complain too much. Just stir-crazy. But that’s a perfect segue into talking Puno design! S:

It is! And I got sucked in—in a good way.

Oh I’m glad it was in a good way—no bad vortexes here. P:

No, of course not. So I found you all, I loved your funky, laidback, not-for-squares graphic design, and honestly how you promoted—and still promote—this “Slashie” lifestyle, that was huge for me— S:

Yes, long live the Slashie!

Yes! Ok let’s talk about this.

Let’s.

Haha yeahhhhh buddy! Let’s do it! So I have followed you on Instagram for a

When—well, my entire life honestly—people haven’t really celebrated… what do they call it? Jack of All Trades, but a Master of None? No, that isn’t what I mean—but people who do lots of things at once, who don’t pick a super targeted profession or trade, that was never celebrated when I was growing up. And that’s who I’ve always been, the person who wants to try everything at the same time— S:

Same! You were a Slashie and didn’t even know it.

I truly was!

Baby Slashie

I was. And I loved it! My thought was… why would I want to put myself in a corner with one option— S:

So lame.

—when I could do many things, all at the same time, like the anti-FOMO? S:

Exactly. You don’t have to choose, you really don’t. That’s some weird societal expectation, that doing multiple things or having multiple skills… is a lack of commitment. And that’s a crock of shit. And the way we’re moving today, you actually need more than one skill to P:

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“We’re no longer in the era where you have one skill and one path. While we haven’t completely embraced it we’re all becoming slashies and masters of connection.”

survive. No one does one thing anymore, so if you get stuck in that mindset, you’re gonna be in trooooouble…! S:

Exactly. And you call it

Yes! Stack the skills!

Stack ‘em right up, to the ceiling—more skills. P:

“Skill Stacking.”

More and more skills. No, ok there is a limit—but what I’m all about, and what we do here at ILC, is celebrate that idea, right? Of multiple skills, of building up your toolbox of personal specialities, in these custom skill

packs that make you a super desirable, super hirable, super badass creative force to be reckoned with. S:

Totally. That’s exactly who I want to be. P:

Yes! And that’s the Slashie.

I actually Googled what a Slashie was last year, after finding your profile— P:

No you didn’t.

I did! I was too afraid to ask.

Never be afraid to ask questions.

I know, the older I get I know that—I sound like a seasoned old man, not a 30-year-old-woman—but yes. It’s a lesson I’m still learning, to ask for help. S:

We all need help! We’re all just rolling around this big ole rock wondering what the fuck is going on, trying to make things work—not asking for help is like… it’s like being fine with drowning. Like, “it’s fine—I’ll just die here”—no. We’re all in this together. We’re all just people. P:

I totally agree. And another great segue!

I love segues.

Yes, and that one goes right into your online courses!

Yes, let’s do it.

I want to take them all, I just need more money.

The age-old dilemma…

Yeah if you figure out an answer, let me know—

Being a Slashie!

Of course. Yes, of course.

*laughs*

How did you get into teaching, from a non-designer to a UX designer, to where you’re at now— S:

I got here by trying things, by just saying “yes.” Probably to more things than I should’ve—ha ha—but I love teaching. Like, let’s have fun! Screw all the boring classes out there, formal education isn’t for everybody, man. It wasn’t for me. The way I see it, the more opportunities there are for people to take ownership of their education—who they want to learn from, how they want to apply those skills—the faster people will be able to start contributing their ideas to the world, and making a living—and heck, doing something they actually enjoy, right? P:

Totally.

There’s enough boredom out there, and traditional education can be a money trap. What if I want to learn a few specific things, but not watch 8,000 YouTube videos?— P:

I know, I watch way too many YouTube videos. Like, please.

Exactly! And YouTube is great, but there should be an in-between. Well, in my opinion. P:

I think so too.

Yeah! So my team and I make these courses, you can do one or all of them— with the goal that we build this awesome network, right? This community of people learning modern skills in a hyper concentrated, fun way—and then in turn they’ll go on and share their skills and this Slashie philosophy, you could say—in their lives going forward, and be more transparent. Everyone knows something!” P:

Ok, yeah this is a huge part of how you work, right? Being transparent. S:

Exactly. People get so weird, hoarding skills and knowledge like secrets, and it doesn’t help anybody. I believe in community over competition, as cliché as that idea has gotten—there’s room for everybody to succeed. P:

Yes!

That’s a huge part of why I moved to LA. There are so many different minds here, perspectives… people really do whatever the hell they want here, and it’s awesome. If you work hard, are scrappy with resources, and can figure out all the pieces in order to make your idea happen… it can happen. It can totally happen—that’s how I built ilovecreatives in a weekend, I kid you not—I just started, just did it. And then built a course… and built a course… got a better microphone, built another course—just do it, man! You know? P:

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Oh yeah. I call that “doing it live”—you’ve just got to start.

Exactly.

And you have fun doing it! That’s such a huge part of what I love about your design… you don’t give a shit what other people think of what you’re doing, if they’re being critical… S:

Not at all. Talk smack, people!

*laughs* Yeah! You make the things you want to make, you ask questions we’re all afraid to ask, you make up terms—Slashie— you just do it. S:

I’m learning to build the community I want to be a part of… like making our home here in LA a place I’d want to travel to— P:

Yeah, I’d like to move in.

Come on over! Muad’dib is totally friendly. P:

*laughs* Excellent. Ok, I’ve totally gone over the 15 minutes— S:

That’s ok! This is fun.

It is. Can I ask you one more question before we go back into our quarantine comas? S:

Sure, yes, I don’t need to go back into hibernation yet. P:

*laughs* So this is about advocating for yourself— S:

Muad’dib the cat, via Puno’s Instagram @punodostres

YESSSSS, ADVOCATE! Always.

You’re so good at it!

I’m 36, it’s a process.

Exactly. But what I’m wondering specifically is, as a Slashie, what happens if someone wants you to do something that you aren’t an expert at? S:

Happens all the time. Seriously. And this is where you just have to be honest. Lean into your limitations, it’s ok! P:

Ha ha I like that, lean in.

Yeah! If you can’t do it, like custom coding for a website—then yep! You need to hire a developer. No shade. I wouldn’t call myself a developer, I’m a designer. I can do some stuff in Squarespace, but I’m not a developer—which is also why I’m on Squarespace, not Shopify. Stick to what you know. It’s all new territory! P:

It is.

Finding a developer is hard, to find thee right people, but that’s part of it. All you have to do is search on the internet, and email a shit ton of people. P:

Should that be the title of this interview? “Email a shit ton of people.” S:

I think so.

Done!

Yeah! And if you have any other questions, just email me a bunch and I’ll do my best to answer them. P:

Thanks!

Yeah man!

Well it’s been… 45 minutes.

Wow really?

Yep. So I’ll wrap this up. But I appreciate you carving out the time to talk— S:

Totally! This was awesome. I love talking to people, sharing—it’s what it’s all about. P:

Totally. And hey, good luck at Girlboss! I saw that on the ole News Feed. S:

Thanks!

Another Slashie skill, podcasts!

Exactly. It’ll be a lot, but I’m stoked.

Me too. I’ve got notifications on.

Yesssss.

Boo! West Coast, man.

*laughs* tell my fiancé, I need no convincing.

Right on. Alright well talk soon, Sloane! Go forth and prosper. P:

Alright go enjoy LA and the sun for me, it’s already getting dark here. S:

Same to you! End Call.

image via Puno’s Instagram @punodostres

“To laugh at situations, at yourself, at others is great”:

Tom Guilmard on his bizarre and hilarious portfolio Article feature in It’s Nice That

Despite always giving us a good chuckle, there’s a strong grounding in semiotics that gives Tom’s work an edge. words by Ruby Boddington 12 March 2021

While the world around him has inexplicably changed, illustrator and animator Tom Guilmard tells us his day-to-day routine has remained largely the same over the last year. Describing it as “a long year inside,” he’s kept up his habit of “fumbling about trying to make work, except these days, I start my day by watching ‘golden buzzer auditions’ or ‘colourblind people seeing colours for the first time’ videos on YouTube to evoke any emotion.” Luckily for us, this monotonous routine doesn’t seem to have dampened Tom’s humour, and he’s continued to pump out the hilarious and bizarre work we’ve come to love. 22

This has includes a myriad of illustrations featuring his signature rough-around-the-edges characters, formed from thick digital lines, reminiscent of our youth spent on MS Paint. These characters take all manner of forms, from Mr Blobby-like pink figures to dolphins, cats, watermelons and cigarettes. This wide range of subjects is an offshoot of Tom’s playful nature when it comes to themes, which he tells us “changes all the time” in his work. He’s also a massive advocate for removing preciousness from the process, creating fast and instinctively. “I find that working quickly brings a more honest outcome to my work that I really like,” he says. “Having too much time to think is not good for me.”

When it comes to exploring new techniques, Tom has turned his attention to sculpture of late, extending his practice somewhat. “I have always wanted to realise my stupid drawings into real objects and so a few people have been kind enough to teach me some things and give me advice when it comes to trying to do this,” he explains. “I haven’t made anything worth putting out there but I’m enjoying the process.” One constant across all of Tom’s practice, whether in 2D or 3D, is humour. It seeps through the style of his drawings, what he chooses to draw and the eloquently dry words he often pairs with his works. “The humour thing is just something that I’ve always done. I think laughing is so important,” he responds when asked whether working this way is cathartic at all. “To laugh at situations, at yourself, at others is great.” In his work, however, humour is more than simply light relief, it is a tool to disarm his viewer and subtly encourage discourse on more difficult topics. “I make jokes around things I actually believe, and if there wasn’t any humour in it then people could become defensive about it,” Tom explains, “but if they’re laughing, they’re much more open to taking in what is 24

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unnecessar y The use of copy in Tom’s work is another element that he’s been utilising for a long time now. It began during university, he tells us, when he was on a mission to “simplify” his drawings. “I was obsessed with semiotics and reducing all unnecessary information in visual work, and one day I just wrote ‘Tree’ inside a circle because I couldn’t be bothered to draw one,” he recalls. This element of reduction has since developed into a core part of his practice giving it a singular tone and aesthetic, and grounding it in art theory. “I like phrases and simple, emotive sentences and rather than draw these things I just write them,” he continues. 26

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Often-times though, he’ll create short fictional stories about celebrities which he writes up as part of an artwork, providing a hilariously abstract narrative to his pieces. It’s a series he aptly titles 100% True Stories. “In the case of the short stories about famous people – I actually woke up laughing because I had a dream about George Lucas. I wrote it down and then just kept coming up with little stories about other people that made me laugh,” he tells us. It’s a unique – and undeniably smart – approach which keeps us coming back to Tom’s portfolio, again and again, chuckling as we flick through his new works. While seemingly simple and designed to incite exactly that response, there is depth to Tom’s illustrations and animations, brought on by his wry tone of voice and keen wit. Looking ahead, Tom is unsure of what lies on the horizon for him. “I’d like to be part of something undeniably positive,” he posits. “Sometimes, for me, art and illustration can feel very selfish and self-indulgent. I’d like to step out of that and collaborate with people and continue to learn.”