In this episode I was joined in my kitchen by Glaswegian illustrator Steve Doogan. Steve was one of 9 children born into an Irish catholic family in Glasgow. Why did Steve get into art? because he was the best in his class at drawing horses!  

Steve was thrown out of college at 17, a decision he totally agrees with, and didn't return to education for about 10 years at which time he enrolled in the Glasgow School of Art.  It was during his time at Glasgow that Steve's career as an illustrator started to take shape, a shape recently rewarded by an appearance on the mainstage at OFFSET.

Steve is thoughtful, intelligent, self-effacing, and funny but his story is not without melancholy, a melancholy which he has used to drive his most important creative breakthroughs.

During our conversation myself and Steve discussed;

1. His early introduction into Buddhism and meditation.
2. The artistic pranks he pulled in his final year in college and since.
3. His 10 month trip around the world.
4. The advantages and disadvantages of a signature style.
5. Managing family, work, and creativity.

Steve was a generous guest and I should have kept the tape rolling because we spoke for 1 1/2 hours after the interview.  One of my friends who heard Steve speak at OFFSET said that at the end of his presentation the whole audience wanted to be his friend.  I'm sure you're gonna feel the same.

Enjoy the show. Dave.

For full episode notes, links to Steve's work, and all previous episodes visit the inspireland website.

In this episode I was joined by Irish based photographer Dragana Jurisic.  Dragana's life as a photographer began the day her family's building burned to the gound as war began in former Yugoslavia.  I met Dragana at the end of a long day of shooting for her latest project My Own Unknown.  Dragana is articulate, thoughtful, talented, and funny and has the fearless eyes of someone who has seen more of life than most.

Topics covered in the interview include:

• Pre-war life in Yugoslavia.
• Finding normalcy amid chaos.
• Dragana's move from psychologist to full-time photographer.
• The ethics of photographing poverty (her Seeing Things project).
• How Dragana and her brother were entered in the census as Eskimos!
• Dragana's return to Yugoslavia in search of a place that wasn't there any more.
• The role of the muse in the life of an artist.

For all the episode notes, including links to Dragana's website, instagram etc, go to

www.inspirelandpodcast.com

Enjoy the episode, Dave