The Create Unknown

Thanks to MAINGEAR for speeding up everything for us. Check out the VYBE line that’s making up the core of Matt’s new studio -- and use code CREATE for a free additional year of warranty on desktops: https://maingear.com/ref/656/ Join Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecreateunknown We open up this week’s episode with a bang by examining the earth shattering, barrier breaking collision of worlds between American and Japanese Twitter. With such an explosive cultural exchange happening before our very eyes, it makes us reflect on our own experiences in Japan, and leads us into some careful consideration of the culture shock and stressful social situations that ensued. After that, we dive into a much bigger topic that’s been brewing in our minds: the idea of a “Real World Summer Camp.” What would it look like to teach kids the kinds of skills that used to just…happen naturally? Even simple skills like navigation, talking to strangers, or figuring things out without a screen seem to be falling behind across the board, which raises a bigger question: are these skills actually disappearing? We also dig deep into the “free range kids” philosophy, and the recent shift away from independence. If kids aren’t being exposed to the real world in the same way, what kind of long-term effects does that have, if any? And is this overcorrection, or just the natural result of a changing world? From there, we get into the multitude of experiences that actually build confidence. Grocery shopping, cooking, talking to older generations – there are a massive number of these small interactions that seem insignificant, but they probably matter more than you think. We also explore the important, yet ever-blurring line between “internet life” and real life. If so much of growing up now happens through screens, are we missing something fundamental? What do you lose when everything becomes messages instead of experiences? By the end, we’re left wondering… is this something that needs to be “fixed”? Or are we just watching a new version of reality take shape in real time? Big thanks to our patrons, we’ll see you next week. You love anime. You love tea. Get 10% off your order with code CREATE at The Dragon's Treasure: https://www.thedragonstreasure.com/ Buy our T-shirts: https://www.thecreateunknown.com/store/ Join our Discord to talk with artists, creators, and fans of the finer things in online life: discord.gg/vnRnr3rCzt Apple: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownApple Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownGooglePodcasts CREDITS: Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor Executive Producer: Ben Webster Editor: Spencer Vann "Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: https://linktr.ee/Basswaite Theme by Mega Drive → http://megadrivemusic.com Opening Animation: Kidmograph City Animation: Eric Langlay "The Create Unknown" is produced by Unknown Media. CONNECT WITH US: » Chat with us on DISCORD: https://discord.gg/qAQV3Jw » Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/createunknown » Follow us on INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/thecreateunknown » Follow us on FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/thecreateunknown » View our website: https://thecreateunknown.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thanks to MAINGEAR for speeding up everything for us. Check out the VYBE line that’s making up the core of Matt’s new studio -- and use code CREATE for a free additional year of warranty on desktops: https://maingear.com/ref/656/ Join Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecreateunknown We’re divining into this episode on MLB Opening Day, and Kevin kicks off the 2026 season by reflecting on his long-standing connection to baseball, recounting a quiet summer in 2004 when watching the Red Sox became much more than just entertainment. He also drops some knowledge on what makes baseball fans so unique. That takes us into a tribute to legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, whose unique emphasis on storytelling blurred the line between commentary and narrative. But we find out that Scully may have just tapped into something that had always been there from the start as we pick apart the ways that baseball lends itself particularly well to storytelling. From there, we pivot briefly to the legacy of Paul Ehrlich before landing on a broader frustration with creative advice. Kevin questions the usefulness of half-baked questions like “where do you get your ideas?” That leads us to an actually valuable question: if everyone’s workflow is different, does any advice even matter? We also wonder… why do so many people seem drawn to the idea of being creative more than the act itself? Are routines helpful tools or just aesthetic rituals? And when does a hobby quietly shift into something more serious? Kevin also explores the tension between making things for yourself versus making things that actually reach people. We reflect on his character “Jerry Bloop” and how Fred Seibert’s blunt yet accurate advice changed the way Kevin viewed creating forever. That advice leaves us with some larger questions: are most creatives building businesses or just jobs that depend entirely on them? What happens when the work stops the moment they do? We close things out by putting our foot down and challenging two pieces of common creative advice. That leaves us asking ourselves – is ignoring feedback actually protective or just avoidance? And if turning something you love into work risks draining it of meaning… what are you supposed to follow instead? Big thanks to our patrons, we’ll be back next week! You love anime. You love tea. Get 10% off your order with code CREATE at The Dragon's Treasure: https://www.thedragonstreasure.com/ Buy our T-shirts: https://www.thecreateunknown.com/store/ Join our Discord to talk with artists, creators, and fans of the finer things in online life: discord.gg/vnRnr3rCzt Apple: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownApple Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownSpotify Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheCreateUnknownGooglePodcasts CREDITS: Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor Executive Producer: Ben Webster Editor: Spencer Vann "Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: https://linktr.ee/Basswaite Theme by Mega Drive → http://megadrivemusic.com Opening Animation: Kidmograph City Animation: Eric Langlay "The Create Unknown" is produced by Unknown Media. CONNECT WITH US: » Chat with us on DISCORD: https://discord.gg/qAQV3Jw » Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/createunknown » Follow us on INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/thecreateunknown » Follow us on FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/thecreateunknown » View our website: https://thecreateunknown.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices