The Craft: Exploring the Creative Process

[Rebroadcast of Ep. 14] In this episode, Carter asks Colby about what he learned from reading  Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World  by Cal Newport. Be sure to check out Newport's latest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout.

Do legitimate common denominators exists across creative disciplines? If so, can we clearly identify these parallels and unify our thoughts about the creative process?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby wrestle with these questions. They begin to sketch (tentatively) a unifying “theory of creativity.” Such theory might help us, they hope, navigate a broad swath of tools and technique...

Why did John Steinbeck almost give up writing novels?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby inaugurate a new series, Creative Case Studies. Their first installment is a story about American writer John Steinbeck. Specifically, Carter recounts Steinbeck’s creative collapse after writing The Grapes of Wrath. In the midst of personal and professional tumult, Steinbeck attempted to reinvent...

Is my work improving? This is a crucial — yet difficult — question to answer. In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss how to track creative growth, the difference between lead and lag metrics, and an interesting phenomenon they've seen unfold in many artistic careers. ---- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction  2:15 Lead and lag metrics 11:38 Evaluating growth  23:19 Refinement or reinve...

You have probably heard the phrase “writing is revision,” but how do you actually revise? What does good revision — practically speaking — look like?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discus the central protocols that drive their revision processes. The conversation includes both paradigmatic approaches and practical tactics.  ---- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:59 Protocol 1: Separa...

In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby do a year-end review for 2023. They survey the year’s successes, shortcomings, and lessons, reflecting on moments of inspiration and the second year of the podcast.  ---- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction  1:19 What went well? 7:16 What went poorly? 13:51 What did you learn? 24:26 What inspired you? 30:10 Favorites 37:02 Year Two ---- Support The Craft: Su...

Do I need to create a category of one?  In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby explore the role of category design in creative pursuits. Their conversation addresses a root problem: How do you avoid being “just another voice” in your craft? In addressing this challenge, they wrestle with multiple potential solutions and the consequent tensions. Do categories wrongly fetishize novelty? Are...

How do you write a dissertation? We’re not sure, but Carter is about to find out.  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss Carter’s recent benchmark in his doctoral program. He shares some advice he received during his last exam and thoughts about embarking on his largest project to date. ---- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction  3:42 Setting parameters for daily work  12:07 Just typing 16...

Are you looking for sage creative advice from a master writer? Look no further.  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss a number of quotes on the creative process from Annie Dillard. Their conversation, following Dillard, cuts across the Craft’s four creative first principles: create, revise, share, and sustain.  ---- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction  2:05 #1 Live a life 7:13 #2 Cut ru...

I feel uninspired. What now?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss different types of creative roadblocks. They explore the phenomenon of “stuckness” in regard to artistic identity, specific projects, and skill development. They also share a list of actions/ideas that can help reinvigorate and reinspire.  ----- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:03 Pressfield and showing up 5:32 What...

In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby elaborate on their recent conversation with painter, photographer, and mixed-media artist Warwick Saint. They share their favorite moments and lessons from the interview ----- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction  4:33 Cardboard boxes and creativity  7:39 The artistic edge 10:03 Reinvention and renewal  18:50 Point of view   31:58 Categories and juxtaposition...

In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby sit down with Warwick Saint. He is a prolific and award-winning artist who has photographed some of the most iconic actors/actresses, athletes, musicians, and brands, such as Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, Lebron James, John Legend, DJ Khaled, Beyoncé, Daniel Craig, Jamie Foxx, Nike, Puma, and many others.  However, in 2018, Saint...

What can we learn from James Baldwin about the creative process?  In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby discuss Baldwin's essay “The Creative Process," exploring how art is connected to self-knowledge and truth. Additionally, they explore the tumultuous yet crucial relationship between the artist and society.  ----- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:04 Overview 3:33 Individual and Soc...

Should you stop making the EP, stop writing the novel, or stop building the YouTube channel? Or, do you need to commit to going through the Dip and reaching the summit on the other side? In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss this often fraught question. They apply two heuristic mental models that can help inform our decision to quit: Seth Godin’s book The Dip and Shreyas Doshi&#3...

Why spend $25 on a pencil sharpener when a $.99 one will get the job done? Why spend $300 on a raincoat when you could spend $25? In this episode of  The Craft , Carter and Colby explore the craft of beautiful products. What makes a product special or beautiful? Why are we drawn to certain products, even when they cost more money? Their conversation digs into these questions and explores the relat...

In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby sit down with Will Mason to talk about his creative process as a songwriter. They discuss his upcoming EP, Freedom , and break down two tracks from the project. The conversation covers topics ranging from crafting lyrics to finding your voice to facing creative roadblocks. Listen to Freedom here . ----- Chapters: 0:00 Introduction  3:13 Interview beg...

Can you grow your audience without “selling out”?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss creative growth, outlining its healthy and malignant forms. They begin the conversation by defining growth and then identify two specific problems: 1) sleazy growth 2) personal vulnerability. They explore principles for healthy growth and discuss ways that creatives can mitigate the fear of i...

Should you create a Substack publication? And why did Carter start one?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss “ Dwelling: Exploring the non-identical in life and art ,” Carter’s new publication. They explore the origins of the project and the future of publishing in general. In addition to discussing Dwelling, their conversation expands to the power of newsletters as creative me...

“You need a strategy.” We hear this mantra from all disciplines, but what does it mean?  In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby work to define strategy and understand how strategic thinking manifests in creative pursuits. The discussion explores the difficulty of diagnosing the root problem and imposing proximate objectives. They conclude by noting how artistic taste is crucial in develop...

In this episode of The Craft, Colby and Carter sit down with Tyler Johnson. Tyler is a filmmaker and creator from Roanoke, Virginia who is currently working out of Nashville, Tennesee. He is the co-founder of KING ZEHN Entertainment. Focusing primarily on real-time comedy sketches, King Zehn has established a large presence in the realm of short-form, creative content. They currently have over 174...

In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby sit down with multimedia artist Susan Hensel to talk about her 50-year career as an artist. The conversation begins with Susan explaining her creative process in starting new projects but quickly moves to a diverse range of topics. Susan discusses the nuanced physics of color, the embodied experience of art, and the way that beauty provides rest. She...

In this episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss Hartmut Rosa’s Resonance: A Sociology of our Relationship to the World . The discussion begins by establishing Rosa’s concepts of alienation and acceleration. As modernity compresses more into less time, we begin to approach the world as silent, mute to our experience. The alternative to alienation is resonance, which Rosa explains along soci...

In this special episode of The Craft , Carter and Colby sit down with Cole Isaac, a conscious creative from Kelowna, BC. Their conversation covers a wide range of topics. Cole breaks down his songwriting process and discusses what it takes to find and cultivate an authentic artistic voice, a process that involves letting go of the opinions of others. Then, the conversation turns from creative proc...

In this episode of The Craft, Colby leads a book review of Angela Duckworth's Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. The conversation specifically explores how the book's central concepts apply to creative endeavors. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Send feedback or topic ideas to heycraftpodcast@gmail.com . · · Cover art was designed by Elizabeth Newell. Learn more about...

In this episode of  The Craft , Carter and Colby discuss a specific creative practice. During his recent solo road trip to California, Carter adopted (with Colby’s prompting) Hemingway’s maxim “one true sentence” as a way to document his journey. He attempted to articulate an essence from each day in a single sentence, forgoing note-taking for a practice of small, dense creative acts. They discuss...