Ep 288: Cat van der Werff of Canva - "The Freedom Leader"

How much freedom do you give your people?

In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership, Charles Day speaks with Cat van der Werff, Executive Creative Director of Canva, about the paradox at the heart of modern leadership: setting clear standards while letting go of control.

As Canva has grown from hundreds to thousands of employees, Cat's own evolution as a leader has mirrored that scale. A self-described perfectionist, she discovered that perfection can quietly suffocate creativity — and that excellence is only possible when leaders trust others to find their own way.

They explore creativity as a human birthright, why empowering everyone to design elevates professional designers, how AI can expand imagination rather than replace it, and what it takes to build cultures rooted in trust, playfulness, and shared ownership.

This is a thoughtful, deeply human conversation about freedom, responsibility, and what it really means to unlock creative potential at scale.

00:00 — Opening Question: Freedom & Leadership How much autonomy leaders truly give their people.

01:20 — Introducing Cat van der Werff & Canva Creativity, scale, and empowering the world to design.

03:10 — Creativity at an Early Age Drawing, observation, and imagination as instinct.

06:45 — Craft, Photography, and Self-Care Why leaders need creative practices of their own.

08:40 — Why Business, Not Fine Art Problem-solving, briefs, and applied creativity.

10:00 — Becoming a Leader From individual contributor to leading through others.

11:35 — Creativity as an Organizational Act Why org design and team structure are creative work.

14:30 — Vision, Scale, and Big Goals Operating from the future to guide growth.

17:10 — Creativity, Belonging, and Self-Actualization Why empowering creativity meets a fundamental human need.

21:35 — If Everyone Can Design, What's the Designer's Role? How democratization elevates strategic creativity.

24:15 — Building Empowered Cultures Small teams, trust, and shipping fast.

26:25 — Letting Go of Perfection Why perfectionism is selfish — and excellence is shared.

31:55 — Trust, Brand Integrity, and Boundaries How leaders intervene without controlling.

35:05 — Casting the Right People Playfulness, humility, and continual learning.

37:00 — AI, Imagination, and Confidence Why technology can't replace human creativity.

42:15 — Parenting, Creativity, and Presence Teaching creativity through doing, not instruction.

45:30 — Leading at Scale The tension between outward visibility and internal connection.

50:35 — Advice to Her 20-Year-Old Self Fun, creativity, and releasing pressure.

52:20 — Hope for the Future The coming "imagination era."