Cause of Craft: Why We Create

Have you ever wanted to create something but felt intimidated by trying a new craft? On this week’s episode I talk with Melissa Schwenk who has dabbled in a variety of creative endeavors. She describes herself as a non-professional crafter, and she’s explored everything from pottery to gardening. We discuss the interconnectedness of creative activities, advice for trying new things, and how we can all make the world a more beautiful place with the right mindset.

Topics Covered:

• Satisfaction in creating physical art
• Creating as an adult compared to as a kid
• Art as creative recreation
• Creative communities
• Interconnectedness of creative endeavors
• Making the world a more beautiful place
• Advice for trying new creative things

Links:

Melissa’s Instagram: @melissa.tries.things

We often wish we could make things with a simple snap of our fingers—but it takes a lot of work to create and improve our craft. Mixed Media Artist Amanda Spence joins the show to discuss her journey. She shares how consistent practice and reflection helped her grow as an artist.

Topics Covered:

• Inspired by Nature
• Balancing Simplicity with Complexity
• Similarities Between Crafts
• Becoming an Artist on Accident
• Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
• Art is Work Not Magic
• Finding Your Voice Over Time

Links:

• Amanda’s Website: www.betweenelmandoak.com
• Amanda’s Instagram: @betweenelmandoak
• Amanda’s Facebook: @btwnelmandoak

Brittney Jackson creates beautiful character illustrations—both original ones and others that you’ll recognize from your favorite franchises (from the office to Star Wars). We discuss fan art, traveling to conventions, why nature inspires, and how we can tackle new challenges, even when they’re intimidating.

Topics Covered:

• Self-Taught Artists
• Fan Art and Fan Fiction
• Traveling to Conventions
• Advice for Taking on New Challenges
• Outdoor Inspiration
• Getting Unstuck Creatively

Links:

• Brittney’s Website: www.brittneyannart.com
• Brittney’s Instagram: @brittneyannart
• Brittney’s Twitter: @BrittneyAnnArt
• Interview with Chrissie Murphy Designs

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Read Jon's short story "Doomed Dune" for FREE here.

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 23 with Miller Mark Fischer. New episodes will now release on a monthly basis, with Episode 45 premiering on July 4. Thanks so much for supporting the podcast!

Food production has changed drastically over the years, and not always for the better. But is there any hope for returning to the old ways of doing things?

This week’s guest, Miller Mark Fischer runs Castle Valley Mill — a stone ground mill where he uses machines that are hundreds of years old to produce quality flour, cornmeal, and more. By using age-old techniques on local grain, Castle Valley is able to produce a product that’s not only better for you, but tastes better too.

Mark shares how it all works in our conversation, and I’m excited to share this episode with you. I think it’s both incredibly interesting and incredibly important. These things not only impact our health, but also our local economies and the environment. So if you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing with a friend, because the more people who understand the value of how our food is made and where it comes from, the healthier we’ll all be in the future.

Topics Covered:

• The Story Behind Castle Valley Mill
• Why Modern Flour isn’t Great
• Germ, Bran, and Starch: The Proper Components of Flour
• The Process of Milling
• Using 150 Year Old Milling Equipment
• Discovering the Demand for Stone Ground Wheat
• 1800’s Stone Milling as an Achievement of American Ingenuity
• Scalability and Legacy
• The American Diet
• Covid Flour Shortage
• How to Buy Castle Valley Mill’s Product

Links:

Castle Valley Mill Website and Store: www.castlevalleymill.com

Instagram: @cvmllc

Facebook: @CastleValleyMill

No Kneed Overnight Bread Recipe: No Kneed Bread

My guest this week is Artist Amy MacHale. Over the years she’s been involved in a variety of artistic endeavors, from graphic design to even creating a dress out of paper—but recently her focus has been in painting, both with oil and alcohol ink. She shares the unique process of creating art with moonshine, the joy of creating with other people, and raising awareness about epilepsy through her art.

Topics Covered:

• Painting with Alcohol Ink
• Finding Your Own Techniques
• A Family of Creative Entrepreneurs
• Creating Art Together
• Art for Epilepsy Awareness
• Finding New Creative Outlets

Links:

• Amy’s Website: amymachaleart.myportfolio.com
• Amy’s Instagram: @pageandmason
• Gallery with Amy’s work: @thestudio276
• Amy’s family’s Distillery: @cedarmountainmoonshine

My guest this week is Ashley Wellman, an author and owner of the aMUSEd gallery in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We talk about what goes into producing a quality book, finding a creative process that works for you, and, of course, the reason behind why she creates.

Topics Covered:

• Writing a Children’s Book
• Getting “Permission” to be Creative
• Running and Art Gallery
• What Makes a Quality Book
• Finding a Process that Works for You

Links:

• Ashley’s Website: www.ashleywellman.com
• My Friend Fresno: www.myfriendfresno.com
• Ghosts of the Abbey: Amazon
• Ashley’s Instagram: @MyFriendFresno
• aMUSEd Art Gallery: www.amusedfineart.com
• aMUSEd Instagram: @amusedfineart

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My guest this week is Dan Taylor, a Classical Singer who has performed in a wide variety of groups, from Opera Philadelphia to The Crossing, a Grammy award-winning choral group. Together we cover a fun range of topics, from the intricacies of opera singing to tabletop gaming. We also discuss how challenging creative work can be, especially when that voice inside your head keeps reciting that endless stream of self-doubt. Dan shares his methods on combating those thoughts, including impostor syndrome.

Topics Covered:

• From Cello to Voice
• Why Voice is a Difficult Instrument
• Projecting Your Voice and the Uniqueness of Opera
• Singing in Other Languages
• Tabletop Games and Finding Creative Outlets
• Contending with Your Inner Critic

Links:

• Dan’s Solo in “Voyages”: YouTube | Spotify
• The Crossing Choral Group: Spotify
• Dan’s Tabletop Livestreams: YouTube

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Listen to DOOMED DUNE for FREE: www.jontilton.com/signup

This week’s guest is Talon David. She’s been passionate about music for her entire life. She shares her story, from growing up in a musical home to winning the Grammy Foundation’s Teens Make Music Contest for her song Deep Snow, which became part of her debut album, Miscellaneous. Talon is also a VoiceOver artist and has recorded over thirty audiobooks, including my short story Doomed Dune, which you can listen to for free by subscribing to my newsletter at jontilton.com.

Topics Covered:

• Growing Up with Music
• What Goes into Writing a Song
• Learning the Ropes of Music Production
• Doing Voiceover Work
• Not Putting Yourself in a Box
• Bringing Expression and Hope to Others

Links:

• Listen to Miscellaneous: Spotify | iTunes | Apple Music
• Talon’s Music Instagram: @talon_liketheclaw
• Talon’s Voiceover Instagram: @talondavidvoices
• Talon’s Website: www.talondavid.com
• Listen to Doomed Dune for FREE: www.jontilton.com/signup

Here's a special bonus episode for you: a preview of my short story "Doomed Dune."

The full work is available for free to all newsletter subscribers, so if you’d like to hear more, head over to jontilton.com and sign up for my mailing list. I’ll send you an email with download links for both the ebook and audiobook.

I hope you enjoy Melina's story.

Subscribe to my newsletter: jontilton.com

Cover art by Megan McCullough: meganmccullough.com

Read by Talon David: talondavid.com

Some creatives concentrate on one goal and master a specific craft. But others like to explore the great variety life has to offer. This week’s guest is Brett Rounsaville—he’s done everything from writing screenplays and comic books to designing theme park attractions and creating startups. He shares with us how he chooses which project to pursue next, why chasing a goal is both satisfying and necessary, and what keeps him creating even on the days where it’s difficult.

Topics Covered:

• Amtrekker and Accomplishing a Bucket List
• Brett’s Dream Job as a Theme Park Designer
• Pursing New Goals and Choosing What’s Next
• Creating Companies and Filling Needs in the Market
• Listening to Yourself while Serving Others

Links:

• Brett’s Twitter: @amtrekker

Follow Jon on Instagram @jontilton and follow the show @causeofcraft.

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www.causeofcraft.com