Making Problems to Solve

This week I chat with Leah Houghtaling, a woodworker from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. We discuss her philosophy of using every scrap as much as possible, out of respect for nature. Leah loves the process of figuring things out and learning from mistakes and sharing what she has learned. Follow Leah on Instagram for log reveals and a front row seat into her woodworking process.Leah also has a podcast with Amelia Mighty, Now With More Cheese on Youtube.

This week's I talk to 3 time returning guest Morley Kert about making YouTube videos, and keeping it fun. Morley makes creative projects and focuses on storytelling through the process in his videos. It's all about experimenting and learning by doing. Check Morley out on YouTube and Instagram.For the Aftershow and more conversation with my guest check out Patreon

This week is a great conversation with David Picciuto of Makesomething.tv on YouTube, who is all about exploring creativity. We chatted about his recent video with some more creative tips for honing your own personal creativity. We talk about where his creative journey started and a bit about where it might be going next. Keep up with David on YouTube and check out his 10 Design Hacks video.

Mary Doctor has created "Show and Tell for Grown-ups", a live show where presenters get five minutes to tell new friends about their particular niche interest. From an interest in musical theater and comedy, through tech, non-profit, and a bunch or varied experiences, Mary has learned that everyone has an interesting story to tell. Bringing people together through curiosity is the key. Find out about the next Tell Me Why It's Cool Show event and follow Mary's work on Instagram

This week I talked to Mark and Donna from Rockin' K Creations. They're a husband and wife team making their interesting creations mostly from wood. You might know them from the "Maker on the Street" video series documenting the "Maker Camp Maker Swap" in 2024. We had a great conversation about what they make, and why they make it, and how they got involved in Maker Camp and the Maker Swap. Check out their work on Instagram and follow the Maker on the Street series as well!

Matt Holmes is working to bring new life to the craft of letterpress with the future of digital fabrication. We talked about the progression of letterpress from an industrial production process to its current status as a craft and art. We discussed his research in sharing and advancing knowledge and community of traditional craft through technology and his work at the Hybrid Print Lab. We also talked about how cast iron letterpress equipment seems to multiply once you start collecting it. Check out Matt's work on Instagram, his web site, and the Hybrid Print R&D Lab.

Anna Koplik discovered her love of art and creativity when her Dad volunteered at an art center. She explored jewelry making, but ultimately found blacksmithing as her choosen form of expression. We talk about craft schools, teaching, and whether a sword is the best project for a beginner blacksmith. Find out where Anna will be sharing her knowledge on her web site.Follow Anna's work on Instagram.

Brandon is a carpenter, woodworker, maker, and all-around curious person. We chatted about how the limitations of his work lead him to explore woodworking on his own. We discuss his wordworking projects including tables and furniture with cold cast metal inlays and his pet memorial creations. Check out what Brandon's work on Instagram.

Jacob Griffin is a maker and leather craft artist. We talked about how he discovered leather craft, cosplay, his path into architecture, and quite a bit about his experience in the maker community. Checkout Jacob on Instagram.

This week I talk to Blaze Miskulin, Jack of All Trades, lately sharing cooking skills on his YouTube channelColloquial Kitchen. We chat about his history in theater scene building, including teaching woodworking in high school theater shops, and how he learned critical thinking and problem solving from his dad. We learn about his experience teaching English and a series of interesting jobs in China.Thanks to the Xyla Foxlin supporter community over on Discord for introducing me to Blaze and his work.