Wake Up Excited!

Brad Frost
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  • Self-Improvement

Inspiring conversations with exuberant humans about how to live a creative, fulfilling, and authentic life. Hosted by enthusiasm enthusiast, Brad Frost. We experience a brief moment of truth when we first wake up in the morning. Before the cold shower of reality, our infinite to-do lists, and macro-level woes seize our consciousness. We experience a brief moment of excitement — and this pure moment tells us something important about ourselves. There are people out there who seem to move through life with intention, authenticity, creativity, kindness, and enthusiasm. And they do this despite the deeply inperfect world we inhabit. This podcast is an attempt to learn from these people. Through wide-ranging conversations, Wake Up Excited explores guests' passions, interests, enthusiasms, and philosophy of life.

  1. 2 days ago

    Incubating Ideas, Human Memory, and Designing for Humanity with Don Norman

    Don Norman discusses how his best ideas arrive through “incubation,” often waking him at 1–2 AM to write, and explains how he starts books by finding a guiding title and compelling theme rather than dull “history and basics.” He compares the subconscious to AI: it creatively assembles plausible outputs that may be wrong, requiring conscious evaluation—unlike today’s AI, which can “hallucinate.” The conversation explores reconstructive memory and the unreliability of eyewitness testimony, the power of framing and placebo effects, and how emotions chemically change how the brain operates. Norman describes managing creativity with playful, noncritical collaboration followed by focused stress, and shares optimism rooted in action via the Don Norman Design Award and an “Alliance for Humanity” aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. They address AI’s impact on designers, artists, and musicians, arguing for attribution, licensing, collaboration, and the need for all of us to start getting weird. Links: Henri PoincaréElizabeth LoftusWassily KandinskySnarky Puppy4′33″ by John CageMarcel Duchamp | FountainPeter Singer | The Expanding CircleAnthropic | OpenAIDesign for GoodCommit GlobalInfosysUN Sustainable Development GoalsDon Norman Design Award / Alliance for HumanityThe Design of Everyday Things — Don NormanDesign for a Better World — Don NormanTopics: (00:00) - Welcome (01:55) - Finding the Book (03:26) - Incubation and Breakthroughs (09:24) - Eyewitness and Word Framing (11:52) - Placebos and Double Blind (14:34) - Emotions Change the Brain (16:08) - Creativity Needs Stress (23:35) - Optimism as a Choice (25:35) - AI and the Future of Music and Art (37:21) - Rethinking Cheating With AI (40:45) - Cooperation Beats Competition (47:01) - Alliance for Humanity (51:33) - LLMs as Collaboration Hub (59:10) - Humanity Centered Design (01:08:03) - Disagreeing Without Conflict

    1hr 12min

  2. 4 days ago

    Homeschooling, Community Confidence, and Being Human at Work with Abby Covert

    Abby Covert shares what excites her now, leaving corporate life, reclaiming creativity through recovery work, sobriety, journaling, and disciplined writing, and how community builds confidence beyond capability. They explore being willing to be bad at things, the pressure to “pick a specialty” online, and bringing fun and psychological safety into work by modeling humanity. They also talk about knowledge decay on the web, AI’s mixed effects, and Abby recommends listening to live Grateful Dead recordings. Links: ◉ How to Make Sense of Any Mess — Abby Covert's first book (mentioned via the "coffee filter" metaphor) ◉ Stuck — Abby Covert's second book, written during her early recovery ◉ Silent Spring — Rachel Carson's landmark book, discussed in the context of posthumous recognition ◉ Grateful Dead — Abby's music recommendation; suggests listening to live recordings ◉ Dick's Picks — Grateful Dead live album series, recommended for newcomers ◉ Live at the Mars Hotel — Brad's Grateful Dead recommendation ◉ Furthur — Post-Dead touring band ◉ Dead & Company — Current continuation of the Grateful Dead legacy ◉ Otis Redding — "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" — Discussed as an example of posthumous impact ◉ abbycovert.com — Abby's personal site ◉ thesensemakersclub.com — Abby's membership community (weekly discussion meetings) ◉ Be Internet Awesome — Google's internet safety curriculum for grades 2–9 ◉ Wayback Machine — Internet Archive, mentioned in discussion of digital decay/link rot ◉ The Pastry Box Project — Defunct web publication both Brad and Abby contributed to ◉ YouTube — Discussed in context of parental controls and kids' online safety ◉ ChatGPT — Referenced in discussion of AI democratization and vibe coding ◉ Wix — Website builder mentioned in the "mouth coding" story ◉ LinkedIn — Discussed critically re: pressure to specialize publicly ◉ Ikigai — Japanese concept of life purpose, referenced via Alfie Lowe's Venn diagram renovation ◉ The Artist's Way (Morning Pages) — Julia Cameron's journaling practice Abby used in recovery ◉ Indie Web movement — Brad references the ethos of personal websites and decentralized publishing ◉ Information Architecture Institute — Abby was president; discussed in context of community and link rot ◉ Etsy — Abby's last corporate employer before going independent ◉ Stax Records — Memphis label, discussed in context of Otis Redding and posthumous work ◉ Epic Universe — New Universal theme park in Florida; Abby's family visited to celebrate her son's reading milestone Topics Covered: (00:00) - Homeschool Wins (01:05) - SenseMaker Salon Plans (01:51) - Leaving Corporate Comfort (04:51) - Learning While Being Bad (06:30) - Public Failure Online (08:37) - Make It Up (11:53) - Information Is Sketchy (14:38) - Reclaiming Creativity (18:12) - Recovery Journaling Rituals (21:32) - Community Builds Confidence (24:47) - Mentors And Role Models (29:28) - Bringing Fun To Work (32:15) - Authenticity In Meetings (37:09) - Cracking Tough Nuts (43:27) - Teaching Internet Safety (45:04) - Kids Online Boundaries (46:23) - YouTube Parental Controls Fail (47:56) - Internet Safety Curriculum (48:43) - Schools Lag Behind Tech (51:01) - AI Adoption Timelines (54:35) - Digital Decay and Link Rot (56:27) - Indie Web and Collective Memory (01:00:08) - AI Democratization Limits (01:01:45) - Mouth Coding for Nonprofits (01:06:08) - When Vibe Coding Breaks (01:11:36) - Human Culture and Agency (01:15:20) - Privilege Diversity and Consulting (01:24:37) - Coffee Filter Discernment (01:27:54) - Grateful Dead Community (01:30:42) - Where to Find Abby (01:31:28) - Closing Thanks (01:31:50) - Morning Excitement Check

    1hr 32min

  3. 18 Jun

    Design, Teaching, and Staying Human in the Age of AI with Dan Saffer

    Dan and Brad explore AI as a creative partner for drafting and ideation while requiring strong human direction, and compare today’s shift to the desktop-to-web and mobile transitions, including recurring backlash to new tech. They address risks: metacognitive laziness, erosion of expertise, stolen training data, environmental and geopolitical harms, and weak regulation, alongside benefits like empowering small nonprofits and accelerating creative and product work. Chapters:00:00 Welcome 01:06 Claude Update Frustrations 04:50 AI as Writing Partner 07:23 Teaching During Shifts 11:29 Backlash and Nuance with AI 27:48 Design Process Upended 38:22 AI As Creative Accelerant 41:07 Andy Warhol Tech And Art 44:28 Music Gets Weird 54:30 Expertise In The Push a Button AI Era 01:02:34 Music Pick 01:05:03 Where To Follow Dan Saffer Links World Party The WaterboysSnarky PuppyAndy Warhol Museum AI in Design PodClaudeClaude CodeFigmaSunoWixAdbustersSturgeon's Law — "90% of everything is crap"Double Diamond design model

    1hr 6min

  4. 12 May

    More Queue, Less Feed with Sacha Judd

    Sacha Judd discusses what excites her now: founding Lume Music, which aims to fix broken subscription-era music economics by launching a digital album format bundled with behind-the-scenes content in a beautiful app for dedicated music lovers. She argues the core problem online isn’t digital vs analog but feed vs queue—algorithmic, engagement-driven firehoses versus intentional, chosen experiences—and critiques venture-capital incentives, dark patterns, and how everything breaks at scale. With search and discovery degraded by AI slop, she advocates for human curation (newsletters, blogs, Reddit) and rebuilding “small shops” and healthy neighborhood-like communities, including optimism about AT Protocol apps. She’s writing a book on internet history through online fan communities, highlighting women and queer power users who pioneered governance, tagging, and moderation, and warns against conspiracy thinking and blunt teen social-media bans. Chapters: (00:00) - Lume Music Vision (02:12) - Albums as Artifacts (04:17) - Feed Versus Queue (07:48) - How Platforms Broke (11:45) - Human Curation Returns (14:08) - Finding Real Recommendations (18:06) - Small Networks Not Mega (22:35) - Everything Breaks at Scale (25:56) - Small Shops Web Future (32:58) - Lume Focused Audience (35:08) - Fandom Conspiracies (39:24) - Deepfakes and Literacy (41:55) - Don't Turn It Off (44:24) - Gen Z and Web Memory (47:25) - Unsung Fan Builders (49:56) - Fandom Journey Origins (55:39) - Community Creativity Loop (01:02:25) - Teens Need Safe Spaces (01:04:38) - Wrap Up and Motto (01:06:23) - Music Recommendation (01:07:42) - Where to Find Sasha (01:08:22) - Closing Thanks (01:08:35) - Morning Excitement Check LinksLume MusicSpotifyApple MusicYouTubeSubstackRedditBlueskyBlackskyMastodonLiveJournalTumblrArchive of Our Own (AO3)Uber EatsGoogleGoogle MapsLovableSachajudd.comShit You Should Care AboutMolly White's BlogRachel AndrewDark Forest Theory of the InternetBowling AloneThe X-FilesFormula 1MarvelTaylor SwiftHarry StylesBeyoncéWaiata / Anthems

    1hr 9min

  5. 7 May

    The Revenge of the Real with Amber Case

    Amber Case reflects on where you live and how returning to a familiar place can help think clearer. Case discusses seeking authentic, small-scale community, work nights, recess-like breaks, welcoming rituals, and mutual support. She contrasts these with expensive, scalable “community” models and argues effective communities rely on kindness, simplicity, history, and durable governance patterns. She connects this to “revenge of the real,” emphasizing tactile cognition, constraints, long-term thinking, and calm technology principles. Topics discussed: (00:00) - Morning Excitement Check (00:42) - Hot Wheels New York (01:46) - Secret Summer Chateau (03:01) - Dopamine Defragging (04:09) - Why Denver Feels Right (07:37) - Growth And Change (10:43) - Finding Real Community (12:23) - The Company Work Nights (15:44) - Against Scaled Clubs (19:23) - Designing Durable Groups (32:10) - Why People Dont Join (40:31) - History Analog Wisdom (46:00) - Unmoored Digital Life (48:13) - AI Effort Paradox (49:11) - Tactile Work Matters (50:16) - Constraints Create Meaning (51:17) - Handwriting And Cognition (52:42) - Farm Fantasy Reality (57:27) - Arts Therapy Embodiment (59:33) - Multisensory Education (01:00:57) - Long Term Craft Economy (01:07:06) - Local Repair Culture (01:10:37) - Universals Of Design (01:12:42) - Collaboration Conference Idea (01:14:33) - Against Main Character Metrics (01:16:48) - Buzzwords Get Commodified (01:19:24) - Calm Tech Certification (01:22:55) - Human Breaks And Texture (01:25:09) - Wrap Up And Music Pick (01:28:00) - Final Thanks And Goodbye (01:28:43) - Morning Excitement Check Links & ResourcesThe Place You Love Is GoneThe Road to Science FictionThe Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeChuck PalahniukMarshall McLuhanCory DoctorowFight ClubCrystal Quartez

    1hr 29min

  6. 5 May

    Adaptability, Curiosity, & Creative Breadth with Brendan Dawes

    Brendan Dawes is a multi-disciplinary artist, designer, and technologist. joins me to talk about creativity, curiosity, and what it actually means to thrive as a maker right now — when everything feels like it's being disrupted overnight. Brendan has been combining different inputs with creative outputs for his vast career, so I've been thinking about him a lot as we enter this new creative age. When I saw his name in the credits of the incredible Eno documentary, I screamed and reached out to him immediately. In our conversation, we get into Brendan's "event horizon" theory of creativity (staying at the edge of what you know and don't know), why judgment matters more than skill in a world of generative systems, and what Brian Eno figured out about technology that most designers are still catching up to. (00:00) - Morning Excitement Check (00:11) - What Drives You (02:48) - Living On The Edge Of Your Knowledge (06:12) - Adapting To Change (10:42) - Tools And Modular Thinking (19:12) - AI And Human Judgment (22:44) - From One To Many (29:15) - Humanities And Work (35:27) - The Eno Documentary Story (40:54) - The Collaboration-Community Magic of the Web (43:28) - Say Yes To Opportunities (44:30) - Craft + Time + Judgement + People (45:40) - Designing Successful Collaborations (48:55) - Creative Tension Stories (52:36) - Creative continuity vs "Great Artists Steal" (56:49) - Looking Backwards, Capturing, and Archiving For Future Inspiration (59:24) - A Nonlinear Journey Into a Broad Creative Career (01:04:49) - Leaving The Factory (01:06:30) - Full-Self Creativity (01:08:33) - Vinyl Recommendations (01:12:22) - Where To Follow Brendan Follow Brendan:◉ Website: https://brendandawes.com◉ Instagram: https://instagram.com/@brendandawes◉ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/brendandawes.xyzFollow Brad:◉ Website: https://bradfrost.com◉ Newsletter: https://bradfrost.com/newsletter◉ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/bradfrost◉ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bradfrost.com

    1hr 14min

  7. 30 Apr

    Design, Creativity, Systems, and Potential in the Agentic Age with Jem Gold

    As we put our course together, I want to have conversations with people who are thinking about things deeply, creatively, and responsibly. That's why it was an absolute pleasure to chat with my long-time internet friend, Jem Gold, technology as a creative medium, the soul of the early web, and the new era of AI-assisted making. 💥 Want to learn how to use AI & Design Systems together to make great digital products? Preorder our AI & Design Systems online course and join our vibrant community here: https://aianddesign.systems/ Topics Covered: ◉The counterculture lineage of the web and why reclaiming it matters now◉ Technology as artistic expression — Jem's concept of the "technology artist"◉ The flow state in music and how it translates to building with technology◉ Should designers code? Why the answer is changing fast◉ Skill-driven development and teaching LLMs how to design (not just what to build)◉ One-shotting beautiful, branded interfaces with minimal input◉ Jem shows off some wonderful one-shotted demos◉ Generative UI as superposition: interfaces that adapt to the person observing them◉ Design systems, Web Components, and building durable foundations for a non-deterministic future◉ AI as a creative process tool — not replacing the music, but clearing the way for it◉ ADHD as a superpower in the agentic era Links & Resources:◉ Jem's newsletter: https://superposition.jem.computer- Support Jem and her work for $8/month; and use code JEMANDBRAD for an annual discount ◉ Jenny Wen's interview on Lenny's Podcast: • The design process is dead. Here's what's ... ◉ The Grid (Jem's AI design startup, ca. 2015) https://thegrid.io/ ◉ Everything Just Gets Built: https://superposition.jem.computer/ev... ◉ I Don't Miss Code https://superposition.jem.computer/i-... ◉ Real-Time UI https://bradfrost.com/blog/post/real-... ◉ "Ghostwriter" by RJD2 drum/synth cover • Ghostwriter by RJD2 -  (00:00) - Chapter 1

    1hr 20min

  8. 28 Apr

    Georgia Lupi on Brain Retraining, and Visual Storytelling with Data

    Georgia Lupi shares what she’s excited to wake up for with us. She recounts getting COVID in 2020, developing worsening long COVID symptoms with reinfections, becoming house- and sometimes bed-bound, and stopping work in 2023 before beginning recovery in early 2024. Lupi and Brad discuss the anxiety and trauma that can persist during physical recovery, the scientific mind-body connection, and how nervous system regulation, brain retraining, and visualization became central to her healing. She describes publishing a New York Times visual op-ed using her symptom data, the messages it sparked, and how a conversation prompted her to commit to brain retraining, leading to slow but meaningful functional return and recent confidence saying she’s fully recovered, alongside an ongoing reintegration into work, creativity, and life. Links: Giorgia Lupi"1,374 Days: My Life With Long Covid" — NYT Visual Op-EdDear DataCaravan PalaceParov StelarKormacDNRS (Dynamic Neural Retraining System)Gupta ProgramPost-Exertional Malaise (PEM)Limbic System / Vagus Nerve / Nervous System RegulationPsychedelic Therapy & Neural RewiringSubway Map as Information DesignMusic NotationChapters: (00:00) - Morning Excitement Check (00:25) - Yoga Team Gratitude (01:18) - Long COVID Journey (02:46) - Trauma And Body Trust (05:38) - Brain Retraining Turning Point (06:18) - NYT Visual Op Ed (08:41) - Feeling Fully Recovered (15:02) - Reintegration After Recovery (17:11) - Returning To Creative Work (19:29) - Presence Priorities And Limits (23:21) - From Darkness To Acceptance (25:57) - Art Data And Experience (28:56) - Art Beyond Words (30:22) - Branding as Narrative (32:28) - Sketching to Think (33:25) - Designing Shared Languages (35:42) - Healing and Tracking (38:16) - Vulnerability and Sharing (39:27) - Dear Data Origins (43:36) - Learning Through Speaking (48:23) - Finding Your Style (52:31) - Obsessions as Projects (56:31) - Electro Swing Picks (57:40) - Where to Follow (58:03) - Closing Reflections

    59 min
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About

Inspiring conversations with exuberant humans about how to live a creative, fulfilling, and authentic life. Hosted by enthusiasm enthusiast, Brad Frost. We experience a brief moment of truth when we first wake up in the morning. Before the cold shower of reality, our infinite to-do lists, and macro-level woes seize our consciousness. We experience a brief moment of excitement — and this pure moment tells us something important about ourselves. There are people out there who seem to move through life with intention, authenticity, creativity, kindness, and enthusiasm. And they do this despite the deeply inperfect world we inhabit. This podcast is an attempt to learn from these people. Through wide-ranging conversations, Wake Up Excited explores guests' passions, interests, enthusiasms, and philosophy of life.

Information

  • Creator
    Brad Frost
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Wake Up Excited!

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