Jess Crow is a teacher, epoxy artist, and maker from Fairbanks, Alaska. When we showed up at our first Maker Camp, one of the first people we met was Jess, who physically ushered us into the Total Boat tent and culturally ushered us into the Maker Community at large. This warm, effortless welcome had a huge impact on us, and we were not just absolutely delighted to reunite with her at this year’s Workbench Con for the first time since we saw her at Maker Camp, but also very grateful to sit down and hear her stories.

This is a heavier episode than normal here at the Tavern: abuse, drugs, alcohol, and addiction all come up, so if those are topics with which you are uncomfortable, you might consider skipping this one.

That said, we heard some powerful stories about Jess’s transformation from a maker on the outside of the fray to welcoming new makers to the inside of it, persevering through the good and the ugly, what happens when you don't ask a question, and how to teach how to take risks.

Some stand-out quotes from this episode:"When you don't ask a question, you rob someone of the ability to educate you""Niche Down On Your Weird"

More Jess:

Thanks to @workbenchconference and @to talboat for making this chapter happen!

The Storyteller's Tavern is hosted by @MakerMush and @thetinkerteacher