Wherein we chat with guest host Ryan Eldred about his t-shirt business, NIFT Shirts! His wares have been seen in Rolling Stone Magazine, and even on The Price is Right, and he's here to discuss the ins and outs of design, being controversial, and the challenges of being related to Chris. Corey is also mysteriously absent this week, but it's not like we noticed much.

Note: We apologize for the quality of some of the audio in this episode. That's what we get for recording on an old phonograph.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we expose our nuts and bolts! You may wonder how three very busy people came together across three time zones to bring you this weekly podcast, and we're going to show you exactly how we do it. Here you will find tips and how-tos on equipment, recording software, web hosting options, and organizational techniques that make a podcast possible. Also, Corey is fed up with the end of the world, Chris reveals his intimate knowledge of our sound imprints, and Allison unveils a new social network that may just leave you quivering with ecstasy.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we get our game on! From Steam to iPhone to Xbox Live Arcade, from big studios releases to indie masterpieces, video games offer entire universes of creative expression and inspiration. And we decided it was time to devote a full episode to them. We talk about our favorite titles, reminisce about old platforms, and weigh in on the debate about video games being considered an art form. Also, Corey recommends software to create your own video games, Chris refuses to drink the Skyrim Koolaid, and Allison laments yet another Star Trek tangent and all those darn apps only available on iTunes. And if you don't mind, we're going to go play Left 4 Dead 2 now. Priorities. We have them.

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Wherein we discuss the influence of family on creative development. We each delve into our own histories, talking about how our families helped to shape and inspire our creative pursuits. We also acknowledge a new fan of the show and chastise an old one. Elsewhere, Allison steals another writer's persona, Chris plans to disappear for seven years, and Corey unearths a shocking secret about Taco Bell meat.

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Wherein we discuss motivation. Sometimes it is difficult to stay motivated as a creative commoner. We discuss the things we do to keep ourselves motivated while doing our creative projects. We talk about how having fun, finding inspiration, and being around other creative people keep us moving ahead. Also, we learn that Corey can't stop listening to himself, Chris' biological clock is ticking, and Allison pines for the nerdy astronomer character on Degrassi... wait, is that right?

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Wherein we creatively recap the highlights of 2011 and look forward to the final frontier of 2012. The gang talks about new creative directions for the show and discuss where their individual projects are heading. Then they go off the rails (if you can imagine) with a lot of Star Trek geekery, a ploy to pit three celebrities against each other, and a healthy dose of rampant sexism. You know, the usual.

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Wherein Chris discusses new creative directions. Chris talks about wanting to tackle some new creative endeavors. He is thinking about creating a new web presence and taking on couple of big and exciting writing projects. We all discuss possibly expanding the Creative Commoners website. Also, we talk about hot, wet fish sex. Oh yeah, baby.

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Wherein we peer into Corey's mind. It is pretty much what you would expect. Spaceships, superheroes, artificial intelligence, pulp heroes, and dragons. You know, the usual stuff. Corey talks about a really cool sculpting program called Sculptris as well. Also, we talk about Darkwing Duck for some reason and Chris gets called a douche some more. Alright, enough of this synopsis. Moving on.

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Wherein Allison shares her experiences with the adventures of e-publishing, particularly on the powerhouse that is Amazon.com. She talks reader reviews, price strategies, methods for gaining readership... and also shares updates on her print publication of "Scarlet Letters." Elsewhere, Chris and Corey derail the show with talk of weirdly named actors and TV characters. Chris seeks out a renaissance/seance. Corey is revealed for the dealer and secret-keeper that he is.

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Wherein Corey nerds out over Sci-Fi. Corey shares his project of reading through a chronological list of great Sci-Fi literature. He discusses what he has learned from this endeavor and how it has informed his creativity. There are robots and spaceships, but, unfortunately, no superheroes. So close.

Theme music by Latché Swing.