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.

Subscribe, rate, and review unchARTed on your favorite podcast platform. Share your thoughts about this episode or suggest future guests by reaching out to us at unchartedayton@gmail.com

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.

June 25, 2025 Episode

What happens when two friends refuse to follow the script everyone else is reading from?

Episode Highlights

This week, Tim and Craig dive into the phenomenon they're both experiencing: a massive personal purge happening alongside what feels like a collective awakening.

Are more people stepping off traditional paths right now, or are we just finally paying attention?

What We're Actually Talking About:

- The Great Purge: Tim's ongoing two-year transformation and why so many people seem to be questioning everything at once

- Breaking Generational Patterns: How our grandparents survived the Depression and wars by working constantly, our parents inherited that trauma

-response as "normal," and why we're the generation saying "wait, I don't have to do it like that"

- The Privilege of "Enough": What it looks like when you step off the material accumulation treadmill and everyone thinks you've lost your mind

- Wednesday Afternoon Philosophy: Why having deep conversations at 11am on a Wednesday IS work, even when society says you should be "productive"

- Manifestation as Real Work: Moving beyond vision boards to understanding manifestation as "co-creation of your human and your spirit" and what your human actually needs to DO

- Finite vs Infinite Games Applied: From chess to marriage to motorcycle handlebars, how understanding which game you're playing changes everything

The Raw Moments:

- Craig's confession about putting "imperfect" handlebars on Instagram without explanation and getting unexpected love

- Tim processing closing his five-year Indiana studio and what it means to walk away

- The discomfort of explaining "what you do" when your job is just being yourself

- Why Craig would rather suffer from having less stuff than suffer from working 100 hours a week

The Quote That Landed:

"Manifestation is a co-creation of your human and your spirit at the same time. What is your human doing to get the things that you want that your spirit already told you is here for you?"

This isn't polished self-help content. It's two people figuring out how to live authentically while everyone around them follows scripts they never agreed to. Raw, unfiltered, and probably exactly what you need to hear.

Warning: This conversation might make you question why you're doing half the things you think you "have to" do.

We'd appreciate your giving us a five-star review! If you have any comments or questions about this episode or unchARTed Creative Community Network, you can email Craig and Tim at podcast@unchartedayton.com

Grab your coffee and pull up a chair – we're having one of those conversations that starts nowhere and ends up everywhere, the kind that happens when two artists actually have time to think out loud together.

Craig's wearing a white shirt today. Why? Because he's giving himself permission to not get dirty, to not work in his usual way, to just... be. It's a small rebellion that opens up a much bigger conversation about what happens when you spend a decade systematically getting rid of everything you own, achieve your goal of "nothing," and then find yourself building motorcycle handlebars again – but with completely different energy.

Meanwhile, Tim's in the middle of packing up five years of creative life, turning his studio closure into a "project" instead of a loss, and discovering that reframing everything changes... well, everything.

Today's meandering covers:

• The weird economics of creative life (spoiler: $100 can be life-changing or pocket change, depending)
• Why 20 broken motorcycles in your yard won't get you to work, but one running bike will
• The difference between manifestation and delusion (hint: one involves actual doing)
• Laundromats as unexpected community spaces
• That moment when you realize you're walking against the crowd in New York City – and you're good at it
• The art of celebrating finished work when there are always 30 more projects waiting

This is the kind of conversation that happens when you're not trying to be profound – you're just two friends figuring out how to build sustainable creative lives while the world keeps spinning around you.

No agenda, no script, just real talk about the space between ambition and contentment, the courage it takes to keep reinventing yourself, and why sometimes the most radical thing you can do is absolutely nothing at all.

Fair warning: Craig's in full philosopher mode today, complete with reader sunglasses and thoughts about spirit guides. Tim's questioning everything from monopoly board collections to whether contentment is actually the goal. You've been warned.

We'd appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating and sharing our podcasts with your family, friends, and neighbors. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact Tim and Craig at podcast@unchartedayton.com

Ever wondered what happens when vintage comic aesthetics meet local landmarks and cryptid monsters? Join us at the table with Autumn Walsh, the creative mind behind PopWater Studio, as she takes us through her artistic journey from theater kid to digital illustrator with a flair for the delightfully weird.

Autumn's work combines Cincinnati landmarks with cryptid creatures in a distinctive vintage comic book style that will make you laugh and look twice. Her artistic evolution is a testament to finding your voice by creating what genuinely amuses you, then discovering your tribe of fellow weirdos who get it.

• How her pandemic-era pivot from baking to digital illustration led to discovering her unique artistic style

• The story behind her Roebling Bridge artwork featuring cryptid monsters that accidentally launched her artistic direction

• Her thoughtful approach to intellectual property that led to creative freedom rather than limitation

• The joy of selling work at art fairs and building temporary but meaningful communities with fellow vendors

• Why she maintains affordable price points across her products to make her art accessible to everyone

• The meditative pleasure she finds in drawing tedious details like bricks and tentacles

• How maintaining a separate studio space helps her balance creative work, family life, and a full-time career in brand management

Whether you're dreaming of printing your own artwork, figuring out how to balance artistic passion with practical life, or just wondering what happens when the Florence Y'all water tower meets monsters, this conversation offers insights, laughs, and reminders that art should, above all, bring joy.

Find Autumn on Instagram @popwaterstudio or check out her work at PopWaterStudio.com.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode or unchARTed Creative Community Network, you can email podcast@unchartedayton.com.

And remember to give us that 5-star rating!

Join us at the table for our conversation with Bally Raven, the cryptid field researcher who's chronicling monsters one illustration at a time!

Ever wondered what happens when scientific curiosity meets folklore? Grab your field journal and join us as we venture into the fascinating world of cryptid illustration with Kristen Cox (a.k.a. Bally Raven). From her meticulously crafted festival booths complete with specimen crates and nature sounds to her encyclopedic knowledge of obscure regional monsters, Kristen blends scientific precision with folkloric wonder to bring mythical creatures to vibrant life.

In this episode, we explore how she transforms her Mothman Festival booth into the headquarters of the "Bally Raven Cryptid Wildlife Protection Agency," dedicated to preserving endangered monsters before they disappear forever. Discover how she researches each creature's anatomy and habitat, her approach to balancing creative work with business necessities, and her clever fusion of environmental education with cryptid lore ("Plant milkweed to make Mothman happy!").

Whether you're curious about the creative process, fascinated by folklore, or simply want to know what an "Apple Devil" is (hint: it's a short, fat Bigfoot with a taste for stolen fruit), this conversation illuminates the rich intersection of art, storytelling, and community that defines Kristen's unique creative path. Don't miss her insights on festival life, artistic perfectionism, and making your passion sustainable in a world that doesn't always understand what artists really do.

You can find Kristen online at

instagram: Ballyraven_folklore (her instagram feed also lists the events she will be visiting)

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Ballyraven

Preorder the book Cryptid Creatures: Learn How tp Draw Mysterious Beasts from Around the World

As always, Craig and I love what we are doing and sharing with the world. And would greatly appreciate your support through 5 star rating and comments.

If you have any questions or comments, or would like to a guest on our podcasts, contact us as podcast@unchartedayton.com

Join us at the table (well, virtually this time) as Tim sits down with Kristin Larsen from Nerd Power Media to unpack the often-mysterious world of digital marketing for artists. Pour yourself a cup of something nice as they chat about how SEO, websites, and online presence can actually become extensions of your creative expression.

Ever met someone who could demystify the digital world for artists without making your eyes glaze over? That's Kristin Larsen of Nerd Power Media. In this conversation around our virtual table, Kristin unpacks how she helps creatives translate their unique spark into a powerful online presence - without losing their soul in the process.

We explore the psychology behind effective artist websites, why your online space should reflect your artistic DNA (not some template's idea of what art should be), and practical approaches to digital marketing that won't drain your creative energy. Kristin explains why cookie-cutter websites fail artists and how authentic storytelling can transform how people connect with your work.

From Burning Man's immersive installations (complete with pink-tutu-wearing cowboys!) to the surprisingly effective comeback of physical mail in our digital age, Kristin offers insights that bridge technology and creativity. Her reporter background brings a refreshing perspective on how to capture attention in meaningful ways.

For artists struggling to balance studio time with online promotion, Kristin shares actionable strategies that respect your natural communication style while building genuine connections with your audience. After all, your website should be as unique as the art you create!

Whether you're a gallery artist, photographer, or creative entrepreneur, this conversation offers practical wisdom for navigating the digital landscape without sacrificing your artistic integrity or spending hours wrestling with algorithms.

Want to learn more about Kristin's work? Find her at ⁠nerdpowermedia.com⁠.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode or unchARTed Creative Community Network, you can email Craig and Tim at ⁠podcast@unchartedayton.com⁠

And remember to give us that 5-star rating!