The Craft: Exploring the Creative Process Carter Johnson and Colby S.

[Rebroadcast of Ep. 14]
In this episode, Carter asks Colby about what he learned from reading Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport.
Be sure to check out Newport's latest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout.

Do legitimate common denominators exists across creative disciplines? If so, can we clearly identify these parallels and unify our thoughts about the creative process? 
In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby wrestle with these questions. They begin to sketch (tentatively) a unifying “theory of creativity.” Such theory might help us, they hope, navigate a broad swath of tools and techniques that vie for our attention.  
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction 
2:22 Theory of Creativity 
9:48 Theoretical layers 
14:08 Marketing example
21:32 More trees and metaphors 
28:40 Intermediary tiers
36:26 Conclusion 
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Support The Craft:
Subscribe to Dwelling - https://carterdavisjohnson.substack.com
Send feedback or ideas - heycraftpodcast@gmail.com
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Cover art by Elizabeth Newell. Learn more about her work at elizabethnewell.work or on Instagram @elizabethisadesigner.

Why did John Steinbeck almost give up writing novels? 
In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby inaugurate a new series, Creative Case Studies. Their first installment is a story about American writer John Steinbeck. Specifically, Carter recounts Steinbeck’s creative collapse after writing The Grapes of Wrath. In the midst of personal and professional tumult, Steinbeck attempted to reinvent his craft and develop a new way of thinking. Carter and Colby discuss this creative transformation, considering how we might learn from Steinbeck’s crisis. 
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Chapters: 
0:00 Introduction 
2:55 Steinbeck bio
4:11 Crisis and reinvention 
14:28 Takeaways 
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Support The Craft:
Subscribe to Dwelling - https://carterdavisjohnson.substack.com
Send feedback or ideas - heycraftpodcast@gmail.com
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Cover art by Elizabeth Newell. Learn more about her work at elizabethnewell.work or on Instagram @elizabethisadesigner.

Is my work improving? This is a crucial — yet difficult — question to answer.
In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby discuss how to track creative growth, the difference between lead and lag metrics, and an interesting phenomenon they've seen unfold in many artistic careers.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction 
2:15 Lead and lag metrics
11:38 Evaluating growth 
23:19 Refinement or reinvention
31:11 Tracking growth 
33:27 Comparing work
38:38 Conclusion 
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Support The Craft:
Subscribe to Dwelling (Weekly writing from Carter)
Send feedback or ideas to heycraftpodcast@gmail.com
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Cover art by Elizabeth Newell. Learn more about her work at elizabethnewell.work or on Instagram @elizabethisadesigner.

You have probably heard the phrase “writing is revision,” but how do you actually revise? What does good revision — practically speaking — look like? 
In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby discus the central protocols that drive their revision processes. The conversation includes both paradigmatic approaches and practical tactics. 
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:59 Protocol 1: Separate creation and revision
2:28 Protocol 2: Accept the iterative process
6:24 Protocol 3: What is the work actually doing?
9:20 Protocol 4: Find root problems
11:40 Protocol 5: Movement
13:29 Protocol 6: The Car Test
16:22 Protocol 7: Transitions
20:44 Protocol 8: Necessity
27:01 Protocol 9: References
29:35 Protocol 10: Work Destructively
33:32 Protocol 11: Collaborate
39:35 Conclusion 
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Support The Craft:
Subscribe to Dwelling (Weekly writing from Carter)
Send feedback or ideas to heycraftpodcast@gmail.com
Cover art by Elizabeth Newell. Learn more about her work at elizabethnewell.work or on Instagram @elizabethisadesigner.

In this episode of The Craft, Carter and Colby do a year-end review for 2023. They survey the year’s successes, shortcomings, and lessons, reflecting on moments of inspiration and the second year of the podcast. 
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction 
1:19 What went well?
7:16 What went poorly?
13:51 What did you learn?
24:26 What inspired you?
30:10 Favorites
37:02 Year Two
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Support The Craft:
Subscribe to Dwelling (Weekly writing from Carter)
Send feedback or ideas to heycraftpodcast@gmail.com
Cover art by Elizabeth Newell. Learn more about her work at elizabethnewell.work or on Instagram @elizabethisadesigner.