The late Jim Riswold on a life in advertising and art

“Creation is God. It’s a heal-all.” Jim Riswold, the legendary Wieden+Kennedy copywriter, struggled with cancer and lung disease for almost 25 years before he died last month at age 66. The pain opened up new possibilities for him, too—including a world beyond advertising, where he’d made his name creating famous Nike ads in the ’80s and ’90s. In a newly released interview (below) for agency Red & Co.’s “Into Healing” podcast conducted just weeks before his death, Riswold discusses his illnesses and his adventures in the art world, where he turned after his first leukemia diagnosis in the early 2000s. Riswold tells host Mira Kaddoura, a former W+K colleague, how art helped nourish and sustain him. Creating became defiance—a way of confronting the monsters that loomed large in his life, whether the villains of history (much of his art ridiculed Hitler and other strongmen) or the frightening foe of cancer. In the video, the famously acerbic Riswold is as witty as ever, even as his health troubles were worsening. His daughter Hallie helped prep the set to accommodate her father’s oxygen tanks and tubes. Kaddoura filmed for 20 minutes in total, with minute-long breaks for Riswold to catch his breath. “Riswold taught me there’s nothing more powerful than creation,” she told Ad Age. “Especially in the face of death. Creativity, literally, keeps us alive. And after we’re gone, all that is left is what we created.” She added: “He’s probably somewhere right now creating an art show out of his death. Laughing. Telling other dead people to f*ck off.” Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here

The late Jim Riswold on a life in advertising and art

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