July 2nd, 2020 marked the beginning of our new podcast Forging Flame, a freeform exploration of the creative process. And while it’s only beginning, this has been a lifetime in the making.
In the first episode of Forging Flame, Nick and I talk briefly about our creative background and why we chose to start this podcast. Personally, I have long been intrigued and mystified by the creative process. The more I explore my own pursuits, and the more I observe the process and methods in other people, the more strange and fascinating it becomes.
I’ve always had a creative itch, but I didn’t grow up around many creatives. Like most people, instead of witnessing the process, I only experienced the final products. Songs, paintings, movies, books—they always seemed like magic to me. Like beautiful, perfect, spontaneous manifestations in the universe. And the artists always seemed god-like in their ability to create these breathtaking works of art.
And while this may not be too far from the truth for some artists, I’m discovering that most people suffer an intense and ongoing struggle to produce great things. The end result may seem effortless and near perfect, but the arc of its creation tends to be messy, incoherent, and oftentimes chaotic and dark.
The only podcasts I could find on this subject were overly chipper and G-Rated. The content wasn’t bad, but I craved a more complete exploration of the process—something unafraid of getting down in the mud. A podcast with interesting guests and an unrestrained format—allowing the conversations to organically explore more profound realms of thought, unbound by fear or convention.
I considered “scratching my own itch,” as Tim Ferriss would say, and just make the damn thing myself. But I never felt I was adequate in my social intelligence to sustain such a conversational format.
I decided to pull the trigger when my close friend Nick Hinton started a podcast with his daughter, Mad & Dad in the Garage (which he insists is her project). Fortunately, it didn’t take much convincing to bring him in, and I quickly realized that he is the perfect partner for this project. In many ways, Nick is the right brain of Forging Flame, as I am the left.
And so it began. What started as an off-hand idea quickly gained traction, and within a few short weeks, we recorded, produced, and released 5 episodes of the podcast. It wasn’t easy. There were many challenges and unexpected struggles along the way, not unlike a typical creative process.
This is our first time producing a podcast in this way, so we decided to document our journey through social media, vlogs, and this blog right here.
In short, our purpose is 4-fold:
- Explore the creative process with artists and entrepreneurs
- Provide a platform for creatives of all types
- Help listeners discover and experiment with their own creative processes
- Carefully document the process of creating a podcast
We also find it essential to execute this project consistent with our values. The internet is an overwhelming and confusing place, with pickpockets at every corner. We won’t contribute to the noise, and we won’t insult the intelligence of our followers.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for joining us on this journey!
