The Craft of Being

Anna River Schumacher
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

The Craft of Being—a podcast by way of a series of candid conversations where we dig into… what the heck even is creativity? Undefined, yet definitive. Up to, including, and beyond the aesthetic, we will highlight and piece apart the undeniable presence of creative muscles– creative archetypes– that live within all of us, within you– YES, YOU! We will talk about how creativity evolves with us across art, work, and the pursuit of… well, everything.

Episodes

  1. Jan 9

    [S01 / E10] Cecily Feng: Nourishing Creativity

    In this conversation, Cecily Feng @littlesparrowla and I talk about cooking and baking as a way of connecting—to memory, to other people, and to the present moment. We also talk about the business of food, and the ongoing balance between creative instincts and practical constraints. What it means to make something expressive while also making it sustainable. authors mentioned: Jessica B. Harris Krishnendu Ray Ana Sofia Palaez

    40 min

  2. 10/28/2025

    [S01 / E09] Josh Breslow: Screenwriting & The Art of Communicating

    Josh and I talk about screenwriting, but really it’s about all kinds of making: collaborative, internal, structured, and intuitive. We talk about voice — how it gets lost, how it returns, and what happens when collaboration becomes an act of trust instead of compromise. There’s a lot in here about creative identity, about how co-writing or co-creating with others can test what’s yours and, at the same time, reveal what’s essential to keep. And, at it's core, how storytelling, at its best, is about reaching another person — saying, “does this move you too?" #thecraftofbeing #creativelife #storystructure #collaboration #creativevoice #connectionthroughart Josh Breslow IMDb Colin O'Brien Lux's Bandcamp Why aren't you watching these shows? Deadwood Ted Lasso The Matrix Slow Horses The Studio Why aren't you watching these movies? Children of Men 8 1/2 Lawrence of Arabia Mauvais Sang Days of Heaven The Conversation Blowout Days of Heaven Lost in Translation Forgetting Sarah Marshall

    57 min

  3. 10/21/2025

    [S01 / E04] Jonathan Devoto: Structure & Flow

    This episode of The Craft of Being explores what it means to hold both structure and freedom in the creative process. Jonathan shares a concept called adaptive currency—a term rooted in physical fitness but deeply relevant to creative life. It's about the internal resource we spend when responding to change, challenge, or inspiration. It’s resilience, flexibility, and focus—not as fixed traits, but evolving capacities. We talk about how creativity lives in the tension between openness and structure, between the part of us that dreams and the part that refines. From the neuroscience of improvisation to the slow art of iteration, this conversation offers a grounded look at creativity as something both embodied and practiced—something we build through presence, recovery, and trust in the process. Book: The Artist's Way Beatty Study Charles Limb Study

    40 min

  4. 10/21/2025

    [S01 / E07] Alek Lev: How to Scaffold For Your Creative Joy

    What does the evolution as the radio as a functional tool to performance space have to do with the creative process today? How do form and structure create the conditions for creativity to grow? In this episode of The Craft of Being, filmmaker and director Alek Lev joins me for a conversation about navigating the space between order and play. We trace how projects—whether film, theater, or collaborative endeavors—take shape when guided by thoughtful planning and made alive through adaptability. This dialogue explores how logistics can hold space for intuition, how transferable skills move across creative disciplines, and why building systems is less about containment and more about expansion. Creativity thrives when structure is designed to let ideas breathe. WHAT? the movie How We Made Your Mother Meeting Tom Cruise Arts Educators Save The World LISTEN HERE: Colin O'Brien's Lux Band Camp In this episode: Creative planning as a catalyst for discovery Translating skills between film, theater, and collaboration The balance of structure and spontaneity in creative work How logistics can nurture imagination Building systems that expand possibilityFollow The Craft of Being: @thecraftofbeing 🎧 Subscribe and share if this conversation resonates with your own creative rhythms. alek lev podcast creativity and structure creative process podcast filmmaking creativity logistics in art and film creative planning and design collaborative creativity podcast for creatives balancing order and play in creativity

    43 min

  5. 08/11/2025

    [S01 / E08 ] Negin Singh: The Art and Necessity of Gathering & Building Space

    Cultural producer, storyteller, and community builder Negin Singh talks about how creativity can be the scaffolding that holds communities together. From her work leading large-scale public art programs to reimagining participatory spaces, Negin brings experience in building environments where people feel welcome, inspired, and seen. Together, we discuss the artistry of logistics, the emotional architecture of events, and the ways creative leadership can shape culture at scale. Whether you’re an artist, producer, or someone who works behind the scenes, this conversation will help you see creativity not only as a spark of inspiration but as a durable, sustaining framework for connection. Visit: Smorgasburg Music: Colin O'Brien-Lux Keywords for SEO: creativity as infrastructure, community building through art, participatory spaces, cultural producer, creative leadership, building belonging, event production strategies, designing for inclusion, Negin Singh interview, The Craft of Being podcast

    50 min

  6. 07/14/2025

    [S01 / E06] BLAKESHINE: The Art of Carving It Out For Yourself

    What happens when you stop waiting for permission and begin shaping the world around you as if it belongs to you? This episode explores the creative act of making space — physical, emotional, conceptual — for the kind of art, work, and presence in which you feel most alive. We trace the lineage of artists who have built their own frames, from the Salon des Refusés in 1863 Paris to the Dadaist cabarets of Zurich, where performance, sound, and shared rhythm rewired art in the space. Folks to follow: @sauvingon_blake @steers_n_queers @garrettmendez @sliztoonz @_all_fools_ @ramonlovesyou

    48 min

  7. 06/30/2025

    [S01 / E05] Andrew Kramer: Camp Director on "YES!"

    Andrew joins us to explore the creative power of “yes, and." We talk about collaboration, presence, and the trust it takes to co-create. A conversation about creative risk, listening, and learning to build. Check Out: Camp Indigo Colin O'Brien Lux: Band Camp Music and.... uh, The X- Files

    38 min

  8. 06/16/2025

    [S1 / E03] Mimi Von Schack: Funny on Purpose & Honoring the Inner Creative

    What does it take to stay connected to the creative part of yourself that just wants to play? In this episode, I sit down with comedian and all-around dynamo Mimi Von Shack, who embodies what it means to stay open, responsive, and full of mischief—while still sharpening her creative voice with intention and craft. Mimi shares how she honors the instinctual joy of her younger self, while holding space for the more seasoned, self-aware creative she’s become. This conversation is an ode to the part of you that still wants to experiment, get it wrong, make people laugh, and maybe surprise yourself in the process. In this episode we explore: How the inner child survives in creative adulthood The link between improvisation, self-trust, and bravery What it means to share your creative instincts and let the response shape you How creative identity evolves when you stop trying to control it Follow Mimi @mimi.vonschack HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST PODCAST Colin O'Brien Lux's Bandcamp

    44 min

  9. 06/09/2025

    [S01 / E02] Chelsea Quinn: Thriving In Creative Refinement

    In this episode of The Craft of Being, we explores the creative archetype of the problem solver—a form of creativity rooted in structure, iteration, and the steady rhythm of refinement. Chelsea, a longtime friend and accomplished event producer, joins to share how this archetype shows up in the behind-the-scenes work of making things flow. This episode invites you to consider how creativity lives in systems, in testing and improving; Chelsea’s insights reveal how problem-solving is creative and generative. If you find yourself most alive in the act of fine-tuning, in making things more seamless, or in the care and craft of behind-the-scenes magic, this conversation is for you. Key Topics Discussed: The creative intelligence of refinement and iteration How structure can be a powerful creative act The collaborative power of adjusting and adapting How problem-solving supports experiences and events Recognizing creativity in the details and behind the scenes 🔎Takeaways: Problem-solving is a form of stewardship and creative leadership Creativity often reveals itself in how we make things work for others Behind-the-scenes adjustments are part of every creative experience LINKS: Liberty In North Korea Certified Delight with Rachele Friedland Colin O'Brien-Lux Bandcamp instagram.com/thecraftofbeing

    38 min

  10. 06/02/2025

    [S01 / E01] Matt Takimoto: Exploring Creative Identity and Childhood Foundations

    When, and under what circumstances, do we first meet our creative selves? Matt Takimoto talks learning styles, creative risk, and how to nurture the identity he's discovered. Music, "Wide-Eyed" by Colin O'Brien Lux: https://colinobrienlux.bandcamp.com/ Space Boy, Graphic Novel: https://www.webtoons.com/en/sf/space-boy/list?title_no=400 Divergent Thinking: https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~gill53/GillProwse_Creativity.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871187124000051?utm

    33 min

  11. 05/25/2025

    [S1 / 00] Introducing: The Craft of Being

    Introducing:The Craft of Being—a podcast by way of a series of candid conversations where we dig into… what the heck even is creativity? Listen to the early bird #00 intro episode May 29th, right here! Full episodes start June 2, 2025. To connect, find me on Instagram @thecraftofbeing or thecraftofbeingpod@gmail.com Original music is "Wide Eyed" by Colin O'Brien Lux, check out all his very cool work at https://colinobrienlux.bandcamp.com/

    9 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Craft of Being—a podcast by way of a series of candid conversations where we dig into… what the heck even is creativity? Undefined, yet definitive. Up to, including, and beyond the aesthetic, we will highlight and piece apart the undeniable presence of creative muscles– creative archetypes– that live within all of us, within you– YES, YOU! We will talk about how creativity evolves with us across art, work, and the pursuit of… well, everything.

Information

  • Creator
    Anna River Schumacher
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Craft of Being