Unlocked: The Creative Podcast cover art

Unlocked: The Creative Podcast

Unlocked: The Creative Podcast

Written by: Blake Rea
Listen for free

About this listen

"Unlocked: The Creative Podcast" is where ideas break free and imagination runs wild. Each episode turns the key on inspiring stories, bold strategies, and practical insights from artists, innovators, and visionaries across every creative field. Whether you’re chasing your next big idea or reigniting your passion, This Podcast's goal is to open the door to a world where creativity has no limits.

© 2025 Unlocked: The Creative Podcast
Art Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Inside the Creative Brain of a Watch Designer with Keyvan Varashk
    Oct 10 2025

    When a designer's passion meets precision engineering, magic happens on your wrist. Keyvan Varashk takes us through his fascinating journey from photographer to professional watch designer at Sternglas, where he transforms concepts into wearable art that people cherish for a lifetime.

    The creative path is rarely straightforward, and Keevan's story proves this beautifully. Beginning with a simple love for photography in 2011, he developed a meticulous eye for detail, composition, and light that would later become crucial to his watch design process. His moment of revelation came in 2018 when, after completing a photography project, he rewarded himself with a watch purchase that sent him tumbling down the horological rabbit hole. This passion eventually led to academic focus, specialized portfolios, and ultimately landing his dream position creating timepieces that marry form and function.

    What makes watches so collectible and emotionally resonant? Keyvan's research identifies four key elements: practical function, aesthetics (both external and internal), economic value, and perhaps most importantly, symbolic meaning. "When someone wears a design on their wrist that you worked on for the last year, this is an unbelievable feeling," he shares, recounting how seeing one of his watches worn at a customer's wedding profoundly affected him. His German Design Award-winning pieces represent not just technical achievement, but the emotional connection between creator and wearer.

    Working within Bauhaus design principles presents both challenges and opportunities. For Keyvan, these guidelines aren't merely aesthetic choices but a problem-solving philosophy where "the beauty is inside the function." His process blends inspiration from unexpected sources (like colored glass tables or vintage rally car instruments) with disciplined execution, careful typography, and collaborative development. The result? Watches that speak a visual language of clarity while harboring delightful surprises for their owners.

    Whether you're a creative professional seeking to understand cross-disciplinary design or simply curious about the thought process behind objects we wear daily, Keyvan's insights illuminate how passion becomes profession when creative vision meets technical expertise. Send this episode to a friend who appreciates thoughtful design, and leave us a review to help others discover these conversations about creativity across disciplines.

    Check out Keyvan's website and Sternglas to see his work:

    https://kdvarashk.de/

    https://www.sternglas.com/

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Art Over Approval: How KOROstyle Stays True in a Click-Driven World
    Aug 14 2025

    What does true creativity look like when it emerges naturally, without the pressure of metrics, followers, or commercial viability? Our debut episode features KOROstyle, a remarkable artist whose creative journey spans continents, cultures, and multiple art forms.

    Born in France to Senegalese parents and raised in America, Sadyr Diouf aka KOROstyle discovered his artistic voice through anime drawing, breakdancing, parkour, and eventually music production. Unlike many creative paths shaped by formal training or parental encouragement, his emerged organically from childhood boredom in the pre-smartphone era. "Back then, in the early 2000s, we didn't have the internet like we do today," he reflects. "We were kind of left to play with toys and just make something of this length of time that we had."

    The conversation takes fascinating turns as we explore how Bristol's underground music scene shaped his sound, how the iconic KOROcat mascot represents rebellion and playfulness, and his unexpected journey into Hollywood modeling and acting alongside Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. But what truly distinguishes this discussion is Sadyr's refreshingly authentic philosophy toward creativity.

    While most artists fixate on audience reception and legacy, KOROstyle approaches his work with rare detachment from external validation. "This is a pure personal journey for me," he explains, challenging the contemporary creative culture that measures artistic value through metrics and commercial success. His perspective on how our brains interpret art—"Everything we observe, we observe not in full"—offers profound insight into why controlling audience perception is ultimately impossible.

    Whether you're a music producer, visual artist, performer, or simply curious about the creative process, this conversation will transform how you think about artistic expression, cultural identity, and the pursuit of authentic creativity in a world obsessed with quantifiable success. Subscribe now and join our exploration of what happens when creativity is allowed to unfold naturally, without constraints.

    Listen to his music or spread the love:

    https://soundcloud.com/korostyle

    https://www.instagram.com/korostyle

    https://open.spotify.com/artist/0hUCORsLzEw0dnAfPMFsGd?si=l20KatKCQBCVDuM_QnqyIQ

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins
No reviews yet