In this episode, Josh Horton talks with designer and hand letterer Dan Lee, aka @dandrawnwords, about building a creative life that still looks and feels human. Dan’s work is full of the pencil lines, guides, and imperfections that prove a real person made it, and that honesty is the point.
They walk through Dan’s pivot from a chemical engineering degree and a “safe” path at Drexel, to a full-body panic about that future, to brute forcing his way into design and finding his voice through hand lettering. Dan shares how the online lettering community helped him get momentum, why “helpful delusion” can be a real creative skill, and how he eventually ended up in Sheridan, Wyoming, where his work now lives on the walls of his town.
They also dig into AI, taste, and mass consumption. Why so much of what we see feels plastic. Why convenience keeps eating real creativity. And why slow, human craft still matters in a world that wants everything instant and average.
If you’re trying to pivot out of a “stable” career, burned out by platforms, or hungry to make real work that leaves your community better than you found it, this episode is for you.
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🔗 RELEVANT LINKS
Dan’s Instagram: instagram.com/dandrawnwords
Dan’s Portfolio: destinykid.com
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CWU Website: creativeworks.co
CWU Newsletter: creativeworks.co/newsletter
Creative Works WEST '26: creativeworks.co/west
📖 YOUR STORY
Got a story about your creative life—a win, a struggle, a breakthrough, or just a moment that captures what it’s like right now? 📩 Email us at stories@creativeworks.co. Include your name and location—we may feature it in a future episode.
📲 FOLLOW & CONNECT
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Threads → @creativeworks
LinkedIn → Creative Workers Union
🎙️ PODCAST CREDITS
Presented by Creative Workers Union
Hosted by Josh Horton
Edited by Sydney Gladu
Artwork by MUTI
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