Making Problems to Solve

I had the great pleasure of chatting with Chris Faroe about his path through creativity from music to permaculture to spoon carving and his development of the Creative Mapping Project. We talked about anti-mentors, who push you away from the wrong thing, even if they're not quite sure what the right thing might be.

Learn more about what Chris is up to creatively @faeroplane on Instagram and his work @creativemappingproject and learn more about Creative Mapping on his web site https://www.creativemappingproject.com/linkinbio

Photo credit: Chris Bauer

Mentions in this episode

Keith Decent

Michelle Chandra is a generative artist using programming, waveforms, and mathematical curves to create unique designs using an Axidraw pen plotter. Her work explores repeating patterns, sometimes along with layering colors to geometric designs that sometimes evoke images of nature. We chat about the possibilities of art through programming as well as how exploring the outdoors, especially the Southwest of the United States can inspire exploring patterns. We cover the ongoing theme of creative community from art school to online including the @penplotart Instagram account and the Plot Part week-long online art challenge.

Find Michelle's work on Instagram @dirtalleydesign and her web site dirtalleydesign.com

Mentions in this episode

The Coding Train

Bryce Canyon

You might know Keith Mitchell from his woodworking, tool making, and boat building, or from his illustration work with Lost Art Press, or have met him at the Total Boat tent at Maker Camp. We had a great conversation about making, art and learning. We talked about learning the trades and passing on the knowledge, though mentorship or apprenticeship, sharing what you know with the maker community online, or teaching in person at your shop or at a maker event.

Follow Keith @shipwrightskills on Instagram or Youtube or go old school and check out his website and blog and maybe pickup an awesome tool.

Mentioned in this episode:

Anne of All Trades

Jimmy Diresta

Caleb James

Jesse Savage

Carrie Savage

John Erianne

Cliff Dufton

Geoff Feder

Lost Art Press

Jim Tolpin

George Walker

Pat Quinn

This time I talked with Grant Alexander about his earliest maker memory and steps along his path to content creator. We explore a bit about education, teaching, and giving instructions, and making maker friends. Grant is one of the hosts of the CLAMP Podcast, where they talk about everything related to creating, living, and making projects.

Check out Grant's work on Instagram and YouTube.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chris Powell

Adam Mackey

Jessy Ratfink

Ethan Carter

Tim Kness

Camp Arrowhead

Matthias Wandel

Shawn James

Jimmy Diresta

Pat Lap

Bear Mountain Boats

Mark Adams is a photographer most well-known in the maker community for putting folks at ease, even if they normally don't enjoy having their picture taken. If you have been to an event where Mark is present, you know getting your picture taken, probably multiple times, possibly in multiple outfits with friends, is almost mandatory. Mark is also a motorcycle enthusiast, and his time at Skidmark Garage in Cleveland is where he discovered the maker community. In this episode we chat about art, creativity, the usual, and we get to know the maker behind the lens, a little bit.

Check out Mark's work on Instagram @markadamspictures and his web site markadamspictures.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Skidmark Garage

Motogo

Portland Ironworks

Jimmy Diresta

Patrick Reynolds

Catskill Mountain Maker Camp

This week I talked to Brandy Aubé, a welder, fabricator, metal artist, maker, and singer in Classic Rock band from Louisiana. We discussed her history of metal working, including product design of her metal hoop frames, and the Voz. We also covered her history as an art teacher, teaching at Maker Camp, meeting makers at Workbench Con and the excitement of being a tool tech at Make 48 events.

Check out Brandy's work on Instagram and her web site studio-aube.com.

Mentions in this episode:

April Wilkerson

Ethan Carter

Katie Freeman

Jimmy Diresta

Make48

Lincoln Electric

Justin Mabie

This week I was joined by Laura Kampf and Jimmy Diresta, two of my biggest influences in how to think about creativity, to talk about embracing imperfections and the way defects can help to tell the story behind an object. We cover everything from ants to automatic knives, and using the mistakes we make to show the personality behind the project. Laura discovers a new metaphor for problem-solving.

Mentions in this episode:

Andy Birkey

David Waelder

Grant Alexander

Austin Handel and the Catskill Mountain Maker Camp

From his start filming for the music industry in LA, to capturing the nuance of Paul Jackman, Justin Mabie has developed a compelling documentary style that finds  story behind the maker. We talked about creating the story in the edit and discover of new fields of navigating humans, or social problem solving, making your subject comfortable and getting them to tell a good story. As has become typical, we talk about building your maker community, from national maker events, to your local maker meetup. 

Mentions in this episode:

Paul Jackman

April Wilkerson

Total Boat

Erin Longgellow

Jimmy Diresta

Austin Handel and the Catskill Mountain Maker Camp

WorkbenchCon

Calavera Tool Works

Jason Hibbs

Sam Raimondi

Shane Mooney is woodworker, exploring the artistic side of making, with a love for wildlife, nature, and vintage cast iron. From leatherwork, to welding table bases, to band saw magic, Shane is always learning something new. 

Find Shane on Instagram.

Photo credit Mark Adams

Mentions in this episode: 

Jimmy Diresta

Kathrina Nellis

Tracey Cheuvront

Fernando

Gary LaGuardia

Make Something

Steve Ramsey

I Like to Make Stuff

Hey folks, thanks to Barefoot Finn for letting me know the audio was a bit mixed up about halfway through, that's fixed! George Hrab has a wide ranging musical career, playing percussion with the Philadelphia Funk Authority for 20 years, releasing 6 studio albums (with the 7th on the way) and exploring critical thinking and comedy on over 800 episodes of the Geologic Podcast (contains 0% geology). We explore the extreme competence on display in Star Trek: TNG, the wonderful problem-solving on Repair Shop, and how deadlines and limitations can help creativity. 

You can hear George's upcoming album TERPSICHORE April 22, 2023 at the Ice House in Bethlehem, PA! Check out georgehrab.com geologicpodcast.com