Cause of Craft: Why We Create

Can working on films still be your dream job after the director throws a chair at you? Does that one guy everyone talks bad about deserve a second chance? Production Designer Courtney Johnson joins the show to share her experiences in the film industry. We also talk about why so many people aspire to work in movies and how what you value in life can change as you grow.

Topics Covered:

• What Production Design Is
• An Invisible Art
• Making Things Stand Out
• Bringing the Director’s Vision to Screen
• What Makes for Good Collaborative Environments
• Why Courtney Pursued Film
• What Keeps Her Going Even When It’s Tough
• Eco-Friendly Design

Links:

Courtney’s Website: www.courtneyvjohnson.com

Courtney’s Instagram: @alotofalittle

Lucid Object Instagram: @lucid.object

Courtney’s Etsy: Lucid Object

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

Figuring Skating isn’t just a sport, but also a skill that carries with it a unique blend of athletics, beauty, and creativity. My guest Tiffanie Lovett discusses starting to skate at a young age, what keeps her going after years of competition and practice, and how watching her favorite actors inspires her technique.

Full podcast transcript

Topics Covered:

• Figure Skating From A Young Age
• Finding Music to Skate To
• Pushing Yourself Through New Routines
• How To Score Athletic Artistry
• What Keeps Tiffanie Going
• What Elements Make Up a Good Skater
• Staying Focused in the Moment
• Progression of Learning
• Inspiration from Acting
• Figure Skating as an Outlet
• Advice for Athletes and Creatives
• Star Trek and Figure Skating

Links:

Tiffanie's Instagram: @tiffanieloveit

Follow Jon on Instagram@jontiltonand follow the show@causeofcraft.

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.

Pictured below is Mark with his wife, Fran, who has played a huge role in making Castle Valley Mill what it is today.

Full transcript

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

It’s everyone’s dream to have a job that doesn’t feel like work. But sometimes there are hidden pitfalls that come with that.

Our guest Rob Krekel shares with us his love for sound design and talks about how overextending ourselves can take a toll over time. We also discuss his creative process, how Ben Burtt inspired him as a kid, and advice for new creatives.

Full transcript

Topics Covered:

Drawn to Sound

Coming from a Creative Family

Tinkering with Creativity

The Sound Design Process

What Makes Sound Design Fun

Creative Burnout and Taking a Step Back

Advice for New Creatives

Links:

Rob’s Twitter: @robkrekel

Follow Jon on Instagram@jontiltonand follow the show@causeofcraft.

www.causeofcraft.com

www.jontilton.com

New Years — a time where we put together our next set of goals, and… all too often promptly forget to make them happen. It can be tough creating new routines to accomplish what we want, but thankfully there are a variety of resources to help us get to where we want to go.

On this episode I talk to Author Lia Murati about one of these methods. She’s a firm believer in writing down your goals and focusing on what you want — so much so that she’s created her own book called The Manifestation Journal. We discuss this, as well as how creativity helps you understand yourself and how life can often imitate fiction.

Full Podcast Transcript

Topics Covered:

What is a Manifestation Journal?

The Power of Writing Things Down

Moving to A Different Country

Differing Views on Manifestation

Focusing On What You Actually Care About

Disciplined Focus

Being Aware of How to Get Where You Want to Go

Creativity Helps You Understand Self

Fiction Coming True in Reality

Links:

Lia's Instagram: @liamurati

Buy Lia's Book: Amazon

Follow Jon on Instagram@jontiltonand follow the show@causeofcraft.

www.causeofcraft.com

www.jontilton.com

Are patterns in story connected with patterns in music? Is something Plato said relevant to cautioning us about the metaverse?

On this episode I chat with Pianist Jeff Dershin about how proper listening can create opportunity to connect with your audience and add extra meaning to your art. We also discuss audience participation, The Hero’s Journey, and why it’s important to choose a path in life that has heart.

Full Transcript

Topics Covered:

Performing for Older Audiences

Why Digital Instruments Haven’t Replaced Acoustical

Studying Music

The Hero’s Journey

Choosing a Path With Heart

Audience Participation and Connection

How Others Inspire Our Thinking and Art

Cycles of Life

Plato and Thích Nhất Hạnh

Instilling a Sense of Wonder

Links:

Music with Jeff Dershin

A Century of Jewish Music with Jeff Dershin

Follow Jon on Instagram@jontiltonand follow the show@causeofcraft.

www.causeofcraft.com

www.jontilton.com

What is the secret to staying relevant in a world that’s always changing?

This is one of the many things I had the chance to discuss with Rudy Manning, the Chief Creative Officer at Pastilla. Rudy shares tips for creatives through his personal journey, from studying graphic design to creating campaigns for a wide variety of clients, including LA Parks, The Golden Globes, and Microsoft.

Full Transcript

Topics Covered

Rudy’s Start in Graphic Design

Connection Between Fine Arts and Graphic Design

Maturation Helps Creative Growth

The Power in Staying Curious

Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

The Importance of Listening to Your Clients

Helping Underprivileged Youth Study the Arts

Why Study Art?

Why Rudy Creates

Advice for New Creatives

Links:

Pastilla: www.pastilla.co

Art Division: www.artdivision.org

Rudy's Instagram

Follow Jon on Instagram@jontiltonand follow the show@causeofcraft.

www.causeofcraft.com

www.jontilton.com

What is the secret to staying relevant in a world that’s always changing?

This is one of the many things I had the chance to discuss with Rudy Manning, the Chief Creative Officer at Pastilla. Rudy shares tips for creatives through his personal journey, from studying graphic design to creating campaigns for a wide variety of clients, including LA Parks, The Golden Globes, and Microsoft.

Full Transcript

Topics Covered

Rudy’s Start in Graphic Design

Connection Between Fine Arts and Graphic Design

Maturation Helps Creative Growth

The Power in Staying Curious

Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

The Importance of Listening to Your Clients

Helping Underprivileged Youth Study the Arts

Why Study Art?

Why Rudy Creates

Advice for New Creatives

Links:

Pastilla: www.pastilla.co

Art Division: www.artdivision.org

Rudy's Instagram

Follow Jon on Instagram@jontiltonand follow the show@causeofcraft.

www.causeofcraft.com

www.jontilton.com

Have you ever found walking around in nature helps with your inspiration?

Author Michelle Adshead created her first children’s book about the Appalachian trail, covering everything from the incredible sights to trail edict. We also discuss advice for creatives just starting out, the importance of taking a step back when overwhelmed, and what it’s like to eat a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting.

Full Transcript

Topics Covered:

Folly and Molly Take on the Appalachian Trail

Thru-Hiking and the Appalachian Trail

Writing Process and the Rhythm of Walking in Nature

Self Publishing a Children’s Book and Using Kickstarter

Advice for Creatives Just Starting Out

Instilling Positive Ideas in the Story

Taking a Step Back When Overwhelmed

The Feeling of Being in Nature

Support from the Hiking Community

Eating a Half Gallon of Ice Cream

Passion is Important to Creating Something

Links:

Michelle Adshead’s Website: www.adventurestoriesbymichelle.com

Michelle’s Instagram

Michelle’s Facebook Group

What mediums come to mind when thinking about good storytelling? Perhaps books, tv shows, movies, and even some video games. But what about a website?

This week’s guest, Josh Donnelly believes storytelling is a vital part to good web design. He shares his journey from video production to creating websites and brand logos. We also discuss how to apply what you know across disciplines, learning on the job, and why people feel impostor syndrome.

Full Transcript

Topics Covered:

How Video Storytelling Influenced Josh’s Web Design

Applying What You Know Across Disciplines

Hindsight is Always Clearer

How to Tell a Story with Web Design

From Corporate America to Small Business

Learning on the Job and Pushing Yourself

How Creative Work is Like a Puzzle

Timeless Vs. Trendy

Josh’s Take on Impostor Syndrome

Why People Create

Links:

Josh Donnelly’s Website: doncomarketing.com

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