CRAFTCAST the Podcast #239 ~ The Artist's Way, 34 Years Later: Have We Forgotten How to Play?
CRAFTCAST
Back in 1992, Julia Cameron published The Artist's Way, a book that changed how we think about creativity. More than 30 years later, are her ideas still relevant? Absolutely! Join Alison Lee and Patrik Kusek as they revisit Cameron's groundbreaking ideas about creative freedom, Morning Pages, Artist Dates, and overcoming that pesky inner critic. Alison shares how a recent Artist Date led her to a library book sale, where she rediscovered vintage polymer clay books and an origami book complete with paper—reminding her of the simple joy of creative discovery. With Cameron's newest book,...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #238
CRAFTCAST
Permission to Make Bad Art, because sometimes the best thing you can make is a mess! When did making art become so serious? Somewhere along the way, we started worrying about making mistakes, wasting materials, and whether our creations were good enough to share. But what if we gave ourselves permission to make something absolutely terrible? In this episode of CRAFTCAST the Podcast: Where Soul Meets Craft, Patrik and Alison explore the joy of creating without expectations. Why is it so hard to just play? What happens when we stop judging our work? And could making bad art actually help us...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #237
CRAFTCAST
AI is everywhere, but what does it really mean for artists and makers? Is it a creative partner, a time-saving assistant, or something we should be worried about? Join Alison Lee and Patrik Kusek for a lively, honest, and often funny conversation about how they're using AI in their creative businesses and where they draw the line. From designing class handouts and organizing videos to brainstorming ideas and writing content, they share surprising ways AI can save hours of work without replacing the artist behind it. But there's another side! What happens when AI invents information, creates...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #236
CRAFTCAST
What if making art wasn’t about being good at it? What if it was simply about feeling better, being present, playing, exploring, and taking a little better care of yourself along the way? In this episode of CRAFTCAST ~ Where Soul Meets Craft, Alison and Patrik talk with artist and author Jessica Swift, author of Art for Self-Care, about the powerful connection between creativity and our everyday well-being. We talk about why making things can be so restorative, what happens when we take the pressure to “make something good” off the table, and how even a few minutes of creative play can...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #235
CRAFTCAST
What if your purpose isn’t something you have to find? What if it’s something that’s been quietly showing up in your life all along? In this episode of CRAFTCAST the Podcast: Where Soul Meets Craft, Patrik and I talk about finding your purpose and whether the clues may have been there much earlier than you realized. For me, the thread goes all the way back to when I was three years old. My grandmother showed me how to knit, and I remember being completely fascinated. But even more than wanting to make something myself, I had this feeling: “We have to tell more people about...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #234
CRAFTCAST
Polymer clay, color, pattern, creativity, and the courage to follow your own artistic path. In this episode, Patrik and I sit down with polymer clay artist and teacher Lucy Struncová to talk about her creative journey, where inspiration comes from, finding your own artistic voice, and what keeps you excited about making after years of creating. We’ll get into the magic of polymer clay, the role of color and pattern in Lucy’s work, the joys and challenges of teaching, and what happens when experimentation leads somewhere completely unexpected. Because sometimes the most interesting part...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #233
CRAFTCAST
What if your creative life doesn't follow the plan? What if the road takes you from biomedical engineering… to art history… to the technology industry… and eventually to becoming a metal clay artist, teacher, publisher and champion of a creative community? That's the wonderfully winding story of Brandy Boyd. On this episode of CRAFTCAST: Where Soul Meets Craft, Alison Lee and Patrik Kusek talk with Brandy about discovering metal clay in the early days of the medium, becoming a certified instructor, teaching for nearly two decades, and eventually becoming the editor and publisher of...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #232
CRAFTCAST
What if travel could change the way you see craft, culture—and yourself? Join Alison Lee and Patrik Kusek for a fascinating conversation with Gregory Hamilton Miller, founder of Ceramic Adventures. Gregory has spent years exploring the world through craft, including an apprenticeship with legendary Japanese potter Shimaoka Tatsuzo. Together, they’ll talk about craft as a doorway to culture, the magic of stepping off the beaten path, what we discover when we spend time with makers, and how travel can awaken our curiosity and creativity. We’ll explore the connections between making,...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #231
CRAFTCAST
Have you ever wondered why taking a break isn't always enough? In this episode of CRAFTCAST ~ Where Soul Meets Craft, Patrik and I have a heartfelt conversation about what it really means to do a hard reset after life's challenges leave you feeling creatively depleted. Over the past several months, I've personally walked through some difficult life challenges that made it almost impossible to feel motivated to create. That experience led me to realize there's a big difference between taking a break, going on vacation, and truly recovering. Recovery is about more than resting. It’s having...
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CRAFTCAST the Podcast #230
CRAFTCAST
Remember the feeling of the last day of school? The final bell rang, summer stretched out in front of you, and suddenly the world felt full of possibility. No schedules. No homework. Just endless days to ride your bike, build forts, make art, explore the woods, catch fireflies, or simply let your imagination lead the way. In this episode of CRAFTCAST ~ Where Soul Meets Craft, Alison and Patrik take a joyful trip back to those carefree summers and ask an important question: Where did that feeling go? Together they explore the freedom, curiosity, and creative play that came so naturally as...
info_outlineHave you ever wondered why taking a break isn't always enough?
In this episode of CRAFTCAST ~ Where Soul Meets Craft, Patrik and I have a heartfelt conversation about what it really means to do a hard reset after life's challenges leave you feeling creatively depleted.
Over the past several months, I've personally walked through some difficult life challenges that made it almost impossible to feel motivated to create. That experience led me to realize there's a big difference between taking a break, going on vacation, and truly recovering. Recovery is about more than resting. It’s having patience to let the nerve endings reconnect.
If your creative spark feels out of reach, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to force inspiration. Sometimes the first step isn't making something; it’s allowing yourself the space to recover. Trusting the process is different than procrastinating.
Join us as we share our experiences, what we've learned, and gentle encouragement for anyone finding their way back to the joy of creating.