unchARTeDiscussion: Ken Wachsberger - From Underground Press Pioneer to Storytelling Activist

What happens when a "good kid" that all mothers compared their sons to becomes a radical organizer who gets thrown in solitary confinement for refusing to sign a form?

In this conversation recorded in Ken's Ann Arbor, Michigan backyard (complete with construction sounds, playground kids, and friendly crickets), author Ken Wachsberger takes us through his journey from math student to underground press editor to lifelong organizer. We explore how the anti-war movement of the 1960s and 70s shaped not just his politics, but his approach to writing and storytelling.

Ken shares stories from his new autobiography "Thumbs Up" - including that pivotal night in 1970 when 132 students were arrested at Michigan State and he ended up hallucinating in solitary confinement. We dig into his work preserving the history of the underground press movement, the network of alternative newspapers that shared information outside mainstream media during the most turbulent decades in recent American history.

But this isn't just about the past. Ken connects those organizing lessons to today's movements, discusses why he writes his books in restaurants instead of quiet libraries, and reveals how discovering he's ADHD became his greatest strength as both writer and activist.

We explore the power of the underground press network, how yippies and zippies actually operated, why correcting a single typo led to a 20-year friendship, and how one man's refusal to sign a form during a peaceful campus discussion became a catalyst for a lifetime of principled resistance.

Whether you're interested in 1960s history, the power of alternative media, or how personal transformation happens through storytelling, this conversation offers insights into how art, activism, and authentic voice intersect to create lasting change.

Plus: The surprising role phone books played in tracking down underground journalists decades later, and why hitchhiking was once a legitimate form of transportation and community building.

Find Ken's books and blog at kenthebookcoach.com

About unchARTed Creative Community Network: We explore the lives and creative processes of artists, makers, and cultural changemakers through unscripted conversations that feel like sitting around a coffee shop table. No rehearsed talking points - just authentic dialogue about art, life, and the creative journey.

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Pull up a chair for this honest conversation about knowing when to let go. Tim opens up about his decision to retire Art Around Town after 10 years, wrestling with algorithm fatigue, the toxic cesspool that Facebook has become, and the realization that spending hours daily scrolling for content was no longer serving him or the community he set out to help.

We dive deep into the authenticity trap of social media - how chasing trends as an artist can leave you with a catalog of work nobody cares about, and why the "me versus we" perspective matters more than you might think.

The conversation weaves through DragonCon reflections, the difference between making beef barley soup because you have to versus making art because you want to, and how getting older means choosing your energy investments more carefully. It's part midlife reckoning, part creative philosophy, and entirely authentic - no algorithms required.

Topics covered: Retiring projects gracefully, algorithm fatigue, authentic vs. trend-chasing art, me vs. we business perspectives, midlife creativity shifts, energy management, social media toxicity, knowing when to quit

Connect: This episode captures the real conversations artists have when processing major life transitions - the kind you'd overhear at a coffee shop table if we were all figuring this out together.

Rate & Connect:

If this conversation resonated with you, please give us a 5-star rating on your podcast platform - it helps other artists find these authentic discussions about the creative life.

Have thoughts on this episode or want to share your own story of knowing when to let go? We'd love to hear from you at podcast@unchartedayton.com

Join us next time as we continue exploring what it really means to live and work as an artist in today's world - no scripts, no agenda, just real conversations at the table.

Remember: You're not alone in figuring this out. We're all just artists trying to make sense of it together.

unchARTeDiscussion: Concert Comedowns and Motorcycle Magic

It's been a few weeks since Tim and Craig have had a chance to sit down and catch up properly. Tim's been off gallivanting through Colorado with a detour to San Francisco for Dead & Company's 60th anniversary concerts, while Craig's been deep in his "slow down cowboy" world, working on his stuff. And boy, does Craig have some motorcycle news that catches Tim completely off guard.

Pull up a chair - we're diving deep into the beautiful mess of expectations vs. reality, and how the same damn thing can be pure magic or total misery depending on where your head's at.

The stuff we get into:

Tim thought he wanted the full Grateful Dead experience until he got body-checked by dancing 20-somethings and realized his relationship with Jerry's music is way more intimate than stadium-sized. Meanwhile, Shakedown Street turned out to be less hippie bartering paradise and more "cash or credit card?" We're talking about why our fantasies rarely match reality and what to do when they don't.

Craig drops the wild story of selling motorcycle parts to mysteriously afford buying his old bike back from the universe (or Facebook Marketplace - same energy). Tim had no idea this motorcycle plot twist was coming, and honestly, neither did we. Craig's living proof that the difference between deprivation and conscious choice is all in your head and your bank account.

We get real about perspective - how Craig's motorcycle shop looked like paradise to everyone else while he felt like he was drowning, and how Tim's epic Dead weekend looked amazing on Instagram but felt like sensory overload in person. Turns out the grass isn't greener; it's just different grass.

Plus: What counts as "creating" when you're not making visible art? Craig's been rebuilding his entire existence like a 10-year art project, while Tim wrestles with whether artists owe their audience understanding or if "figure it out yourself" is fair game.

And because we can't help ourselves, we dive into dreams so big you can't quite reach them, the difference between spiritual bypassing and actual manifestation, and why the best burrito of your life always happens in a parking lot when you're slightly altered.

For anyone who's ever wondered if they're living their dream or someone else's idea of what their dream should be.