Creative Commoners

Wherein we chat with guest host Ryan Eldred about his t-shirt business, NIFT Shirts! His wares have been seen in Rolling Stone Magazine, and even on The Price is Right, and he’s here to discuss the ins and outs of design, being controversial, and the challenges of being related to Chris. Corey is also mysteriously absent this week, but it’s not like we noticed much. Note: We apologize for the quality of some of the audio in this episode. That’s what we get for recording on an old phonograph. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we expose our nuts and bolts! You may wonder how three very busy people came together across three time zones to bring you this weekly podcast, and we’re going to show you exactly how we do it. Here you will find tips and how-tos on equipment, recording software, web hosting options, and organizational techniques that make a podcast possible. Also, Corey is fed up with the end of the world, Chris reveals his intimate knowledge of our sound imprints, and Allison unveils a new social network that may just leave you quivering with ecstasy. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we get our game on! From Steam to iPhone to Xbox Live Arcade, from big studios releases to indie masterpieces, video games offer entire universes of creative expression and inspiration. And we decided it was time to devote a full episode to them. We talk about our favorite titles, reminisce about old platforms, and weigh in on the debate about video games being considered an art form. Also, Corey recommends software to create your own video games, Chris refuses to drink the Skyrim Koolaid, and Allison laments yet another Star Trek tangent and all those darn apps only available on […]

Wherein we discuss the influence of family on creative development. We each delve into our own histories, talking about how our families helped to shape and inspire our creative pursuits. We also acknowledge a new fan of the show and chastise an old one. Elsewhere, Allison steals another writer’s persona, Chris plans to disappear for seven years, and Corey unearths a shocking secret about Taco Bell meat. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss motivation. Sometimes it is difficult to stay motivated as a creative commoner. We discuss the things we do to keep ourselves motivated while doing our creative projects. We talk about how having fun, finding inspiration, and being around other creative people keep us moving ahead. Also, we learn that Corey can’t stop listening to himself, Chris’ biological clock is ticking, and Allison pines for the nerdy astronomer character on Degrassi… wait, is that right? Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we creatively recap the highlights of 2011 and look forward to the final frontier of 2012. The gang talks about new creative directions for the show and discuss where their individual projects are heading. Then they go off the rails (if you can imagine) with a lot of Star Trek geekery, a ploy to pit three celebrities against each other, and a healthy dose of rampant sexism. You know, the usual. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Chris discusses new creative directions. Chris talks about wanting to tackle some new creative endeavors. He is thinking about creating a new web presence and taking on couple of big and exciting writing projects. We all discuss possibly expanding the Creative Commoners website. Also, we talk about hot, wet fish sex. Oh yeah, baby. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we peer into Corey’s mind. It is pretty much what you would expect. Spaceships, superheroes, artificial intelligence, pulp heroes, and dragons. You know, the usual stuff. Corey talks about a really cool sculpting program called Sculptris as well. Also, we talk about Darkwing Duck for some reason and Chris gets called a douche some more. Alright, enough of this synopsis. Moving on. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Allison shares her experiences with the adventures of e-publishing, particularly on the powerhouse that is Amazon.com. She talks reader reviews, price strategies, methods for gaining readership… and also shares updates on her print publication of “Scarlet Letters.” Elsewhere, Chris and Corey derail the show with talk of weirdly named actors and TV characters. Chris seeks out a renaissance/seance. Corey is revealed for the dealer and secret-keeper that he is. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Corey nerds out over Sci-Fi. Corey shares his project of reading through a chronological list of great Sci-Fi literature. He discusses what he has learned from this endeavor and how it has informed his creativity. There are robots and spaceships, but, unfortunately, no superheroes. So close. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we have an app for that. Chris discusses mobile apps to spark your creativity including the one he uses to create his web comic. If that’s not enough for you, we also have techno trance, piano cats, and ocarinas caterwauling in disharmony. If that doesn’t get you to listen, I don’t know what will. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss NaNoWriMo. November is National Novel Writing Month (shortened to NaNoWriMo) which is a writing challenge to finish a whole novel during the month. Allison is taking part this year as she has in years past and she gives advice for tackling the challenge. This episode is a little shorter than usual in order to deal with our crazy fall schedules. Don’t worry. It’s still awesome, just more condensed. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we collaborate to discuss collaboration. Creative projects are often seen as solitary endeavors, but collaboration is an important aspect of creativity. We discuss the collaboration that goes into making this podcast as well as talk about other artists working together. We go into the difficulties and advantages of collaborative work. In other news, Corey finishes a project and moves on to new ones, Allison prepares for NaNoWriMo, and Chris tells us to hide our children. Also, AcaHellYeah is back with a brand new invention. Word to your mother. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein spirits arise and darkness falls across the land. As Halloween approaches, gather around for a telling of supernatural tales. Our listeners sent in chilling stories both fictional and true. We welcome new voices to the podcast as many of the tales are told by the contributors themselves. A big thank you to each contributor for sending in such amazing stories. Prepare yourself because you might not be able to sleep after listening to this one. Intro music by Kevin MacLeod. Whoosh sound by Benboncan. Detuned Piano music by thanvannispen. 

Wherein Chris and Corey are left to fend for themselves. Allison is AWOL for this episode leaving the guys to soldier on. We have a discussion on Allison’s whereabouts and some of it is actually true. Also, we share an amazing story out of Reddit, Corey talks about a recent game convention he attended and some games he played, and Chris recounts a bizarre dream he had about a shirtless man and oatmeal. We also answer the timeless question: Which is the coolest time machine? Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss the awesome power of the Internet. We often talk on this show about how the barriers to getting your creative content out to the world have come down. The number one reason for this is the Intertubes. We talk various resources and communities that can bring inspiration or functionality to your creative endeavors. Chris gets his method acting on, Corey drowns in a sea of devices, and Allison gets her visual kicks from pinning and gawking. Plus there’s almost a smackdown in the hizzy over… ribbons? Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss creativity in education. This episode centers around three talks given by Sir Ken Robinson, a writer and expert on education. For videos of the talks, search for Ted Talks and Ken Robinson on the intertubes or check out our show notes for the links. His main argument is that creativity is vital to the progress of human civilization, but modern education systems stifle creative growth in children. We discuss his ideas and how they relate to us as creative commoners in a reasoned, dare I say, intellectual manner. I know. I’m surprised, too. Theme music by Latché Swing. […]

Wherein we discuss working through the Gap. There is a gap between when you start creative endeavors and when you feel you are good at doing them. There is a gap between when you start and when you become commercially successful. We talk about strategies for dealing with this gap. We discuss the pressures that business considerations can put on creative work as well. Also, we want your candy. But only the good stuff. None of that orange and black crap. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we talk about nothing.CHRIS: Well, what’s the show about? COREY: It’s about nothing. CHRIS: No topic? COREY: No, forget the topic. CHRIS: You’ve got to have a topic. COREY: Who says you gotta have a topic? CHRIS: And it’s about nothing? COREY: Absolutely nothing. Yeah. I think we’ve really got something here. CHRIS: What do we got? COREY: An idea. CHRIS: What idea? COREY: An idea for the show. CHRIS: I still don’t know what the idea is. COREY: It’s about nothing. CHRIS: Right. COREY: Everybody’s doing something, we’ll do nothing.Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss the joy of board games. There is a golden age of sorts occurring in the world of board games. We talk about some of the great games out there and how you can be creative with them. Allie talks about repurposing old games, Corey can’t stop talking about spaceships, and Chris reveals his trifecta of hate. In other news, Allie gets a new gig (with a hint of cinnamon), Corey flips off a deadline, and Chris takes two bites (one out of his tongue and another out of his comic). Theme music by Latché Swing.