Curious. Independent. Always moving.

If you’ve landed here, you probably want to know more about the person behind Creative Boom. I’m Katy – a writer, editor and founder, driven by a lifelong fascination with creativity and the people brave enough to build a life around it.

Katy Cowan, a woman with shoulder-length brown wavy hair, wearing a dark jacket over a white shirt, standing in an industrial-style interior with exposed brick walls and hanging pipes, smiling at the camera.

My Background

From journalism to PR and marketing, and back again.

I began my career as a broadcast journalist in 2000, when I learned the value of listening well, thinking clearly, and asking the right questions. Later, co-founding a PR and digital consultancy showed me how creativity operates inside organisations – and how easily it can be shaped by commercial pressure.

In 2009, Creative Boom grew out of that experience. I wanted to build something that celebrated creative work without reducing it to trends or metrics – a space that prioritised people, ideas, and honest conversation.

Today, Creative Boom exists as a magazine, podcast, and community, all rooted in the same belief: creative people deserve better support, better representation, and more human conversations around their work.

Katy Cowan, a woman with wavy brown hair, smiling slightly, turned over her shoulder, wearing a dark brown top, with a brick wall in the background.
Close-up of a person's hand typing on a laptop keyboard, showing Creative Boom on the screen, with a magazine on the table and a beige couch nearby.

By the numbers

A little of what I’ve achieved over seventeen years of supporting creatives.

Creative Boom reaches over a million people every month, through the magazine, podcast, newsletter and community. The podcast has passed a million downloads, with guests including Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister and Brian Collins. And the newsletter? A 32% open rate. The industry average is half that.

Brands including Microsoft, Adobe, BBC, Disney, Meta, Samsung and Canon have trusted Creative Boom to reach their audiences, not through noise or interruption, but through the kind of credibility and trust that can’t be bought; only built slowly over nearly two decades.

The Studio, Creative Boom's private community, now has nearly 10,000 members, and Creative Boom IRL brings creatives together in person at 12 events worldwide, from Manchester to Brighton, Belfast to New York.

What started as a blog became something none of us could have predicted: a genuine home for creative people across the world.

Testimonials

"Katy is an intelligent, generous and unpretentious force in the creative industry. She has consistently poured herself into Creative Boom for the better part of two decades, taking risks that deserve real celebration. A strong female founder championing creativity, she’s an inspiration to many."

Joy Nazzari – Founder of DNCO

"In a world full of endlessly slick content and polished, pre-packaged opinions, it’s refreshing to have someone like Katy cut through the noise. As a host, she’s willing to respond in the moment rather than stick rigidly to a script, making for far more engaging, authentic conversations. It’s exactly the kind of energy the world needs more of."

James Greenfield – CEO & Founder at Koto

"I've known Katy for almost 20 years, and for every single one of those years she's shown up in the most epic way. Always brimming with ideas and energy, she's packed with raw talent and has a unique gift for journalism and media, turning everything she touches to gold. Onwards!”

Cat How – Founder of How&How

"Katy’s one of the good ones. She builds communities, shares knowledge, and supports people. She’s a brilliant cheerleader for everything that’s great about our industry. It’s hard to sum up her impact. She gives so much to all of us, and she’s done it through the good times and the hard ones. That kind of dedication is as inspiring as it is generous."

Simon Dixon – DixonBaxi