Daniel Davis makes monsters for a living. Daniel and his wife Dawna are the purveyors of Steam Crow, a neat little Arizona-based company that draws monsters, invents their stories, and makes products based on them. I stumbled across Steam Crow at the San Diego Comic Con last summer and was blown away by their colorful, whimsical booth. In a sea of licensed Star Wars and superhero memorabilia, here was someone successfully selling their own original creations (which is no easy feat!). And when I learned that this husband and wife team worked together and traveled to shows with their son — affectionately referred to as Goblin Boy — I knew I had to interview them.

In this chat, Daniel and I have a man-to-man talk (our wives were otherwise preoccupied during the interview) about how one gets started drawing monsters and, more importantly, how one gets to the point where he believes he can make a living doing it and quits his “safe” job at a credit union. We also talk about the importance of permission granters, the misperceptions of “overnight success,” the realities of going into business with your spouse, and of course, why Halloween is so awesome. (Daniel and Dawna host an event called Keen Halloween with the goal of helping you make Halloween even better.)

I think you’ll find this interview to be a real treat!

Run Time: 30 minutes, 06 seconds
Download MP3 (28.9 MB)

Links:

• SteamCrow.com
• Keen Halloween

If you give a kindergartner a piece of paper and a box of crayons, she’ll know exactly what do with them. Give them to a teenager or an adult, and you’re likely to be met with a blank stare. Sadly, it seems as though the older a person gets, the more unlikely they are to consider themselves creative.

Guess what? You ARE creative, whether you think so or not. And in this interview, Austin Kleon shares valuable tips you can use to set yourself up to allow that creativity to shine, no matter who you are or what you do. Austin is the author of the best-selling book, “Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.” Like Toto in the Wizard of Oz, Austin pulls back the curtain on the mythology of the artist, revealing that creativity is not pre-ordained from on high, but comes from incorporating some pretty basic principles that are accessible and applicable to everyone.

Adultitis may have convinced you that you’re not creative. Well, Adultitis lied. Again.

Listen to this interview and get the truth.

Run Time: 56 minutes, 09 seconds
Download MP3 (53.9 MB)

Links:

• Newspaper Blackout poems
• Steal Like An Artist blog post
• AustinKleon.com

He is also a writer, entrepreneur, purveyor of the blog The Art of Non-Conformity, and author of the excellent book by the same name. His mission is to help people live unconventional lives, make their own choices, and change the world.

We had a chance to chat with Chris recently, and covered a wide range of topics. We asked him about his world travels, how his adventure has changed him, and what has rendered him awestruck along the way. Chris also shares his opinion on the most Adultitis-free culture in the world, his unconventional thoughts on life balance, and some tidbits from his childhood, including his favorite toy and the surprising thing he wanted to be when he grew up.

In this short but thought-provoking interview, you’ll learn a super tip on how to save money while traveling and hear some things that may inspire you reinvent the way you look at life.

Run Time: 22 minutes, 34 seconds
Download MP3 (21.7 MB)

P.S. Chris has a new book out called The $100 Startup, which can help you reinvent the way you make a living, do what you love, and create a new future. You should get it, especially if you are unemployed, underemployed, or like your job less than head cheese. (See our review here.)

[ Non-Conformity. Acrylic on paper. 19 x 25 inches. ]

Her background running a nationally recognized, boutique-style recruiting agency has given her a unique perspective on this enormously crappy job market. The way she describes it,

“Everyone’s trying to cram through the front door, using methods of job search that just don’t work very well anymore. (Like Monster.com and counting on recruiters to find you something cool.) In reality? You’ll get noticed a heck of a lot faster today if you say “screw that front door,” and instead, head around to the side window, flip open a step ladder, climb up and hoist yourself through. I will teach you how to cook up a plan that gets you through the side window.”

We’ve admired her blog at JobJenny.com for a while now. It’s hard not to fall in love with her quirky style that’s both irreverent and sincerely sweet. After having a chance to interview her, we left no less impressed.

In our chat, we were able to go over some big job search do’s and don’ts, glean some great advice for anyone looking for what’s next career-wise, uncover some book recommendations, and discuss her own thrilling transformation from the “the safe girl from suburbia” to your job search BFF.

Run Time: 27 minutes, 23 seconds
Download MP3 (26.3 MB)

If you dig this interview and are in the midst of your own job search, you’d be wise to investigate her killer ebook, To Whom It May Concern: Or, How to Stop Sucking at Your Job Search (affiliate link.)
[Update: Use the coupon code KIMJASON50 to get 50% off the ebook through Friday, May 13, 2011.]

If your job search is stretching on (or you’re flat-out paralyzed) because you’re not quite sure how to pull this thing off, you really have just two options: Keep doing what you’re doing, or find a better way.

Jenny’s got a better way. Ready when you are.

The business took off, and a few years into the venture, he had the opportunity to buy and renovate the actual house used in the movie. The A Christmas Story House has become a Cleveland, Ohio tourist destination for fans of all ages.

In our interview with Brian, he recounts the wild story of buying the house on eBay, discusses some of the neatest aspects of the house, reveals some little-known tidbits about the movie’s production, and shares his favorite scene and character from the movie.

If you’re a fan of the movie, or are looking for a nostalgic look back at Christmas Past, you will love this interview, which is interjected with classic soundbytes. We promise you won’t shoot your eye out!

Run Time: 15 minutes, 31 seconds

Sign up to receive our free newsletter to get regular reminders and tips for stressing less and having more fun. Consider it a well-deserved jolt of happiness for your inbox.

We featured the two-part interview in Escape Adulthood podcasts #30 and #31. We also put together a 37-page eBook featuring a transcript of our entire interview.

Download the 37-page eBook here. (444 KB)

Oh, and if you’re a really big fan of the inhabitants of Sesame Street (or as Dwight from The Office says, “Those puppets that live in the barrio.”), you might also enjoy reading What You Can Learn About Treating Adultitis from Bert and Ernie or watching us discuss Which Sesame Street Characters Have Adultitis.

* * * * * *

Jason: Tell us a little bit about your job, what you do, and how you got to be known as Mr. Halloween.

Chris: Well, Mr. Halloween has followed me since my childhood. Being an artist I was always drawing, and it just so happened – this is a funny story – that way back, I want to say fourth, fifth, sixth grade, all the way through high school, they always had contests in Ohio where you would actually paint the outside of a business in any given city.

And so we’d start school and I was always sketching Halloween pumpkins and witches and all that. From fourth grade all the way through my senior year I won the contests for the school, and I was always out there painting Halloween stuff.

But I also have to thank my mom because she loved Halloween. Looking back on all the pictures that I have of the family, she was always the one that was most in-costume, with the biggest smile, encouraging us to carve pumpkins and make our own costumes at Halloween.

So, as you see all the time on TV with athletes, I’ve got to thank my mom. You know, it’s one of those things where it was real important. So that kind of followed me then when I started my career at American Greetings. Everyone found out that I was actually collecting Halloween antiques and that I had quite a history of that, and I have a couple tattoos that are Halloween tattoos.

It’s kind of weird. I like to play the scary one, so it’s been that way for a long time. In a sense, even though I started as an illustrator on the board at American Greetings and kind of worked myself up to an art director and all that, because I have such a love for the holiday and such an interest, they said, “Well, why don’t you help every year with trends? Think in terms of a year out, where we want to be in the way of color and subject matter. Work with as many of the staff as you need to to come up with new ideas based on a proven subject matter.”

So it was just the matter of then going out – it really starts about the end of August – and looking at a lot of different aspects. Mostly women’s fashion, because 95 percent of our products are bought by women. So you’re kind of looking at color.

We also have some color organizations in New York City that we are members of. We fly out to New York and look at the colors a couple years out at that point. But then you’re just projecting where you want to be the following year. I have a group of artists that do that, and it’s just wonderful to work with such creative people, but to also do something that is a part of your passion as well.

Jason: That’s cool. So what tattoos do you have?

Chris: Well it’s interesting. I also collect original turn of the century Wizard of Oz books, because I love The Wizard of Oz. In the actual second book, I think it was, Jack was a highly respected member of Oz, and so the tattoo I have on my leg actually has the pumpkin head of Jack and the symbol of Oz.

On my back I have a frowning and a smiling pumpkin.

And then I have the the pumpkin patch. The weeds and all the vines go down to other areas on my back. It’s something I’ve had for a while. But when you have a passion you don’t mind doing that kind of crazy stuff.

Well, my wife wasn’t happy, but hey, that’s just the way it is.

Kim: Oh, that’s so cool. Tell us a little bit about your antiques and memorabilia. How did that all begin and what’s your favorite item that you have?

Chris: Yes, it’s interesting. My parents passed away young and I inherited a lot of boxes. I found so much of my mom’s stuff that she had collected from the ‘40s and kept. I said, “Boy, now I know why she so loved Halloween as a family-oriented holiday.”

In my early 20s when my wife and I would travel around the United States, one of the first places I’d want to go visit would be the nearest antique store. Even though we might be at Mt. Rushmore or we might be in L.A., I was going through the Yellow Pages looking for antique stores. It just started clicking that way and it’s been probably well over close to 30 years that I’ve been collecting Halloween antiques, way before they got too expensive for people to do it.

So it’s just something I have up all year-round. I have display cases in all parts of the house, and I also have little sneaks of Halloween in the kitchen and the dining room and the bedrooms. When people visit, every part of the house is a little bit special about Halloween.

And from my standpoint, Halloween antiques especially are a little bit about the loving spirit of those people that actually kept that pristine Halloween antique over the decades. I end up getting something in my possession, and it brings me such joy because I know the love that that person had for the holiday has now entered my house and my collection. So it’s really special.

Jason: Do you have a favorite item in your collection?

Chris: Well, you know, I love my Halloween postcards and greeting cards, because that’s where it gets kind of personal. People are talking about the time of year and the harvest and missing the family, and “I can’t wait to see you during Christmas,” you know, things like that.

It’s interesting because the addresses are not like you have a long numeral address. It’s like 12 Central Street. I mean, that’s all it is, and even when they say “Give me a call,” the telephone number’s like three digits.

Kim: Wow.

Chris: Way back in the ‘20s and ‘30s, that’s all it was. So that kind of thing is very endearing to me because it was special enough that someone kept that close to their heart, and now I have it as part of my collection, so it’s wonderful.

Jason: So, as a trends person, how have you seen Halloween change over the years?

Chris: You know, I think it changes, but it changes fashion-wise, it changes in color. But I have to believe that everyone goes back a little bit to their childhood when they think in terms of Halloween. Of course, it’s like that as Christmastime as well. I think when you talk about Halloween to people and they bring up their memories about Halloween, they smile.

I think it’s a little bit about the fact that they remember when they were children and running around the neighborhood and getting candy. And going to school in costume and having a great time, and also the memories with their family at that time.

So when I talk in terms of what’s happening in the way of product, it’s a little bit of looking back, but looking back with an eye towards where color is going to be a year from now, or where styled art is going to be.

But yet, the subject matter and the warmth in the copy is always going to be there, and maybe a little bit from where you’ve come from. And in terms of what decade you grew up in. And then how can we put that into our product? So it’s a little about looking forward and looking back at the same time.

Jason: And it seems like adults really are taking Halloween back.

Chris: Yes, they really have. I mean, next to New Year’s Eve parties and Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween is the third largest celebration that adults involve themselves in. It’s become a $5 billion industry. You can just go through suburbia and people are decking out the outside of their homes with the lights and spider webs and all kinds of wonderful things.

And I think it’s just a wonderful release for people at this time of year with the pressure they have at work and all of that. They just kind of go back and say, “You know what? I remember how this used to be. And as an adult, and maybe part of a wonderful family, I’m going to continue to celebrate this.” So I think it’s just a wonderful time of year.

Kim: What was Halloween like for you as a kid? Obviously you say it was really great and you have some awesome memories. What do you remember the most?

Chris: Well, you know, it always started probably a week before when my mom and dad would get one of the largest pumpkins there were. All of us kids would carve pumpkins that we knew were going to be put out on the front porch. And of course you would have to make the yearly scarecrow in the front yard.

My mom would bake apple pies and things like that, so you’d have that smell in the house. And of course, it’s all about the smell outside, because with the turning leaves and the way that the light and the sun changes outside as well, it creates warm shadows at this time of year.

You can tell I’m excited just to be talking about it, but it’s what you see visually and the smells and everything else I think that gets you going. Then all of a sudden it’s a couple days before Halloween, and of course time has changed, so there’s no light out at 6:00.

You know, it’s the anticipation of going out and just running yourself ragged trick-or-treating with your friends. It’s just wonderful memories.

Then as you get older, instead of watching, going to the movies of course. And I remember as a child going to horror movies – they were black and white at that time – and being scared to death. And now of course it’s all DVDs and cable television but it’s just a wonderful time of year.

Jason: So what about these days? What do you do for Halloween? What’s your favorite Halloween activity now?

Chris: Yes, I have to say I’m running around now as an adult. I mean, there are probably three or four different neighborhoods that I need to go to, and I only have two-and-a-half hours.

And I have my video camera, my normal camera. My wife is with me, we’re running around, I’m trying to photograph families. I’m photographing the way people have decorated the outside of their homes. I’m invited inside homes now because people know I’m coming every year, so they need me to come in and they take pictures with me and their family.

Kim: It’s Mr. Halloween!

Chris: Yes. It’s kind of fun. But for me it’s always about going out on trick-or-treat night and just hearing the laughter of the children and the wind blowing through the trees. And hopefully it’s going to be a night where it’s cloudless and there’s a moon out casting a wonderful shadow on everything. Oh my God, it’s wonderful. I can’t wait!

Kim: It’s coming soon!

Chris: Yes, it’s coming soon.

Kim: Well, we always end our interviews with a question that gets you thinking back to childhood.

Jason: Which is not too hard for you at this time of year.

Chris: No, it’s not.

Kim: This is a very easy one, but what was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

Chris: Well, there was a time in my life when I was a teenager where I’d get pretty decked out. And I think one time I was a werewolf, and I spent hours and hours and hours on it. This was before I really bought rubber masks and things like that.

I made myself up really, really good. I would actually be on all fours a lot and then come up to the door and I’d be on my haunches. But I was so good that I’d scare everybody away.

So I just had to go in the house at that point because my mom and dad were going, “You know, no one wants to come to our house this year.” And so I ended up having to go out because they didn’t want me around. But from my standpoint, I created such a buzz in the neighborhood and everybody wanted me to go up to their house.

Kim: It must have been pretty convincing if people were so scared of it, Chris.

Chris: Oh, I know, but it’s all about the trick and the treat. People don’t remember that, I would always tell kids when they used to come to the house, “So, what kind of trick do you know, because it’s trick-or-treat? Do you know why you’re saying trick-or-treat?” and all that. There’s a little bit of that history that a lot of kids don’t know.

Jason: So, tell us about that. What was the original concept behind Halloween?

Chris: Well, boy, Halloween goes back so far, but I would have to say it started way back in New England, way back in I want to say the 1860s. There were farms back then and people had a lot more parties in those days. You’d go to a barn party and you’d have to entertain in order to get anything, whether it be the food or it was part of the harvest festival. So people put on skits, and actually had to do things. They just couldn’t come. You had to come with something in the way of an entertainment.

So it’s a little bit about the “trick” in treat-or-treat and you’d get a treat. In New England, they kind of said to people, “Well, is it a joke? Do you have to come in and say something? Something to make them laugh? What kind of trick?” You’re doing something magical or something when you ask for a trick-or-treat, and you have to do something in order to get a treat. So it kind of goes back to that, and I don’t know if people even know that these days. But it’s so funny to hear kids going “trick or treat.” They usually don’t want to do it anymore.

Jason: It’s all about the magic words. I guess kids will do whatever they can do to get candy!

Chris: Absolutely, yes.

We had a chance to interview Pamela Slim, author of the blog and book called Escape from Cubicle Nation. She is a seasoned coach and writer who helps frustrated employees in corporate jobs break out and start their own business. We turned the interview into an ebook, which you can download for free. In it you will:

• Gain insight on whether you should break free from the cube or stay right where you’re at.
• Get great advice for starting a business.
• Discover the most important childlike trait an entrepreneur needs to be successful.
• Learn tips for balancing a business and parenthood.
• Uncover the hidden opportunities in this current economic climate.
• Find the answer to the question, “If chasing my dream is hard, am I doing it wrong?”

The ebook contains our interview with Pamela, as well as few additional articles, a handful of Kim & Jason comics, and some fun useless trivia. Download it here, or listen to the audio version of the interview below.

P.S. Have you recently started a business and feel like you might be crazy? Read Pam’s explanation of why you’re perfectly normal.

A little while later, his wife Melynda chimed in to tell us that there was more to the story behind the simple comment.

She shared that Ryan was beginning his dream job. For years, he had served in a mind-numbing job that he found boring and redundant. But he was good at it and it paid the bills. Eventually, Ryan decided to step out and go after something he really wanted to do: become a Navy pilot. Said Melynda, “Actually, he wanted to be Superman, but being a pilot is as close as reality can take him. For the first time since he was a teenager he loves his job. For the first time ever he wakes up excited to go to work.”

We wanted to chat with Ryan to hear more about the story in the hopes that it might serve as inspiration for others who have a steady job but yearn for something more. He shares his struggles and successes, as well as his infectious enthusiasm. He also explains what it feels like to fly and reveals one of the main things his family does to deal with Adultitis.

Run Time: 19 minutes, 34 seconds

Research shows that having frequent family dinners can reduce the susceptibility of teens to risks like teen pregnancy, smoking, drug use and depression. And these benefits don’t just apply to traditional families or people with kids. Stronger families foster stronger communities, and that’s the goal we’re striving for–one meal at a time.

We sat down with Fr. Leo to learn more about where his love for cooking came from and what inspired him to start Grace Before Meals. In this candid and humorous interview, Fr. Leo also shares why it’s so important to have regular family dinners and gives advice to people who are having a hard time fitting it into an increasingly busy schedule.

Run Time: 20 minutes, 39 seconds

• Visit the website – www.GraceBeforeMeals.com
• Watch the videos – www.GraceBeforeMeals.com/videos.php
• Read the book – Grace Before Meals: Recipes for Family Life

But your television can actually serve as a catalyst to help you lose those unwanted pounds AND bring your family closer together.

Don’t believe me? Then you’ve obviously never strapped a white Nintendo Wii controller to your wrist. Mickey DeLorenzo is a regular guy from South Philadelphia who lost weight with his beloved Wii and had fun doing it. In 2006, he began his “Wii Sports Experiment,” in which he simply added 30 minutes of Wii Sports to his day for six straight weeks. Pounds melted away and a media onslaught followed.

We caught up with Mickey for an interview. We asked him about the details of his workout regime, his favorite Nintendo game, and got him to share some tips for people who’d like to try using their Wii to get fit.

Run Time: 20 minutes, 52 seconds

Show Notes…

• Check out some of Toby’s gruesome creations on his MySpace page.

• Visit dicksmithmake-up.com to learn more about Dick Smith’s work (he’s the guy responsible for the make-up done on the Exorcist) and get info on his highly recommended make-up course.

• Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

• Show Length: 51 minutes, 24 seconds

• Shout Outs: A big welcome to all the new members from Milwaukee, WI, Pulaski, WI, and Lifeline Wisconsin.

Show Notes…

• Learn more about Bob and buy his music and books at BobMcGrath.com.

• Get the full history of Sesame Street over at Wikipedia.

• News: Recess At Work Day costs little and may pay off in profits (Arizona Daily Star)

• Learn more about Rich DiGirolamo and Recess at Work Day at www.nevergrowup.com.

Win Stuff: Sarah F. won last month’s promotion. You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “What is your favorite way to have fun at work?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 54 minutes, 14 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Bob McGrath for the interview!

Show Notes…

• Learn more about Bob and buy his music and books at BobMcGrath.com.

• Get the full history of Sesame Street over at Wikipedia.

• News: A million children ‘mentally ill’ through stress (Telegraph)

Win Stuff: Jillian Gaudio won last month’s promotion. You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “Who is your favorite Sesame Street character and why?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 54 minutes, 12 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Bob McGrath for the interview and Joanna and Chris for the feedback!

Show Notes…

• Learn more about how to save time and be more productive at www.jasonwomack.com and don’t miss the video on Speedkeys.

• Jason Womack recommended the following books: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker.

• News: ‘Work Rage’ Spreads as Stress Takes Hold (HR Zone)

• Pre-order the forthcoming book from Running Press, Escape Adulthood: Rediscover the Carefree Kid Within. It’s a miniature-sized treat for people who are not big fans of reading books without pictures :)

Win Stuff: Michelle Rosborough won last month’s promotion. You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “What is your favorite time saving tip?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 54 minutes, 52 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Jason and Jodi Womack for the interview and Sara Lilly for the feedback!

Show Notes…

• Learn more about Frida Waara and her adventures at her website, www.fridawaara.com.

• News: Adventure Travel on the Rise (Pueblo Chieftan)

• The first ever Kim & Jason Escape Event was a big hit. We made homemade shrinky dinks. Check out what the other top finalists did here.

Win Stuff: You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “What is your favorite thing to do in the snow?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 60 minutes, 57 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Frida Waara!

In this episode, brought to you from studio 315 in Madison, Wisconsin, we interview Willy Wonka employee and candy creator Eric Wesner, about his fun and unique job in the candy industry. We also talk about jelly bean jewelry, cooking with exotic flavors, the largest snowflake on record, and the first-ever Kim & Jason Escape Event. Just click “Play” to listen to the show…

Show Notes…

• Take a wacky ride through the official Willy Wonka website.

• News: The Young And Experimental – Generation Y’s Hunger For Exotic Flavors (IT News)

Win Stuff: You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “What is your favorite candy of all time?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 42 minutes, 36 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Eric Wesner!

Show Notes…

• Learn more about The Make-A-Wish Foundation and how you can help make wishes come true for kids with life threatening medical conditions at www.wish.org.

• News: 8 Ways to Let Adultitis Ruin Your Holidays (K&J Blog)

• If you’re anywhere near Madison, Wisconsin (or have lots of frequent flier miles burning a hole in your pocket) don’t miss out on our 12 Days of Wishmas!

Win Stuff: You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “If you could have any wish of yours granted, that would it be?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 55 minutes, 6 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Patti Gorsky!

Show Notes…

• Read Kristin’s candid and funny blog, Adventures in Chaos.

• News: Five ways moms can carve out some “me” time (MarketWatch)

• Download the free eBook, “79 Ways for Busy Moms to Escape Adulthood.”

• Check out Bright Days and Fun Spirit, two blogs by Adultitis Antidote winner Shirley Jones, for a refreshingly optimistic and fun outlook on life.

Win Stuff: Jamie Lyn won last month’s promotion by sharing her favorite childhood Halloween costume. You can win a $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand by letting us know, “What did you want to be when you grew up?” Leave a comment!

Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind

Show Length: 54 minutes, 51 seconds

Shout Outs: Thanks to Kristin van Ogtrop, Jamie Lyn, and Shirley Jones!