Q&A with Ethan Bodnar

Hello! My name is Ethan Bodnar, and I’m an artist in Brooklyn, NY working on curriculum and content design at Skillshare.

How did you get started in design?

As a kid my parents ran a small marketing business from the house, so we were surrounded with creativity from a young age.

When I was in high school I started designing posters for the school plays and dances. From there, I found an amazing community of designers – worked on a collaborative book project, got involved with AIGA, and started doing freelance design projects in college.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m planning out some new personal side projects. One of my favorites is called Plant Outfits, it’s a Tumblr fashion blog for how to dress up your plants featuring the work of some super talented ceramic artists.

Of course, working with the team here to grow and cultivate the design community on Skillshare with our awesome teachers and students. And I’ve started baking at least once a week!

What tools and software do you use for your work?

It seems like I’m all about Google Docs these days! My main focus is on designing curriculum for online classes, and so it’s a perfect place for collaboration to happen. On the other hand, I just got a jumbo Krink marker and have been playing with oil pastels – so getting my hands dirty is important as well.

What is your ideal work environment?

Either in the office with the crew making stuff happen, working on some personal projects in my apartment, or hanging at Makeshift Society in Brooklyn, this awesome coworking space.

My workspace at my apartment

Where are your favorite places for creativity?

New York City is one of my favorite places that sparks creativity. There are so many people here doing work that inspires us all. Spending time in nature and travelling play a pretty important role as well.

Who are the people you admire most?

There are so many people out there doing great work, especially family and friends! At the current moment, I’m really inspired by what James Victore, Elle Luna, Jack Cheng, and Timothy Goodman are working on. They are all pushing boundraries and sharing their process in very open ways, which I admire.