009 Manic Maker v. The Harmonizer: Angelica Norton and Amber Moreno

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This week on Chatty Crafties: Angelica Norton: Landscape Designer, Mother of 2, and binge-crafter vs. Amber Moreno: career-averse Personal Organizer, Mother, of 1 and serial procrastinator. Will one out-craft the other? Will questions and answers clash in a heated discussion while the a/c remains off to minimize background noise? Will it all end up on the cutting room floor? We’re pitting host against producer this week for a very special episode.

YOUR HOMEWORK THIS WEEK: make TEN of something, or scribble out 3 morning pages.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Do you ever go back to read, listen to, or watch your old work? Also, show us pics of your personal workspace.

Let us know on Twitter and Instagram using #chattycrafties or reply on the QOTW post! We like to incorporate your answers in our interview. Shout out to Mortimer Ex for her “music to create to” playlist idea. On that note, check out our Chatty Crafties Spotify playlist. While you’re at it, Amber’s blog, Morenovision for some wildly cute baby pics.

Angelica performing in Testify

Angelica’s baby blanket series

Angelica’s renditions of 10

Angelica’s mermaid skirt

Angelica getting her hands dirty

Angelica’s jewelry organizer (collaboration w/ Matt)

Amber in Cabernet Cabaret singing Too Darn Hot

Amber’s Chalk handwriting from her library days

Amber’s morning pages

Amber on set for One Room Schoolhouse’s “Audition”

Amber polishing a wedding bouquet before it went down the aisle

Amber backstage during “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”

005 Daydream Believer: Aaron Saenz

So, I’ll try to engage people around me more – and that is not in my nature. That is the nurturing aspect of being told that I’m funny, and that people will come watch me, and that people want to be in shows with me. You know, if you stroke someone’s ego enough, it gets healthy.

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That’s Aaron. Improvisor, writer, and reluctant physicist with the voice of a news castor. Stay tuned for a human interest story about the cult of improv, building realities, and how to play nice with other grown-ups.

Aaron Saenz’s writings can be found at Strange But False. He can often be found doing improv at Austin’s Hideout Theatre.

Do you perform improv? Are there ways a novice could get started? Tell us about your love or fear of making it up on the fly in front of strangers in the comments, or via #chattycrafties on Instagram and Twitter.

Some of Aaron’s press includes:

Wanderlust – 2018

Hideout Theatre’s The Kindness of Strangers – 2017

Date Night – 2017

The Sunday Interview: Aaron Saenz – 2013

The Big Bash – 2013

Celebrity Improv 101 at the Hideout Theatre, Austin (Steve Rogers Photography)

The International Improv Experience (Steve Rogers Photography)

Soul Grudge Showdown VI – Intergenerational Tag Team (Steve Rogers Photography)

Start Trekkin’ (Steve Rogers Photography)

44 Hour Improv Marathon Hour 6 PGraph (Steve Rogers Photography)

The Kindness of Strangers (photo by Jay Mahavier)

At the Hideout Theater, Austin (Steve Rogers Photography)

A Bedtime Gorey: Improv Inspired by Edward Gorey (Steve Rogers Photography)

Genevieve and Aaron on their 10th wedding anniversary (photo by Hanna Peck)

003 Crafty Storyteller: Kate Caldwell

What I love about storytelling is…going to places with myself, and my own experiences, that I don’t necessarily explore if I’m not trying to explain them to somebody else.

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That’s Kate. Storyteller, writer, actor, and yarn-worker. Kate is a powerful orator, and she assembled the team that gave birth to Testify, Austin’s monthly storytelling show. She sat down to chat about building a creative institution, shaping stories, savoring the dynamic exchange between a performer and audience, and knitting in public.

Testify’s performances take place on the last Thursday of every month in at Spiderhouse Ballroom at 7:30pm (in Austin, Texas). There are different themes each month, and you can submit your story HERE. You can also find @testifyatx on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or become a supporting member via Patreon.

Have you been to a Testify show to perform or watch? Tell us about it in the comments or write to us on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #chattycrafties. We’d love to hear about your experience!