While working at Infosys, I volunteered time with the Infosys Foundation. Their mission is to inspire children, young adults, and educators to become creators of technology. One specific campaign, "Why I Make," was focused on sharing the stories of notable makers in society to promote confidence in being creative. I was an Assistant Director for the videos that promoted this campaign.
When I was a child, I planned my Wednesday evenings around watching Mythbusters. Getting to meet and interview Adam Savage in his own studio was a childhood dream come true. In this video he talks about what making means to him and what inspires his maker journey. The most memorable part of the interview was discussing the feeling of making something extant in the world that didn't previously exist outside of your mind.
Even before playing a craftsman on TV, Nick Offerman has always had a passion for woodworking. He even revealed that his time spent on stage was originally only to fund this passion. I grew up watching the New Yankee Workshop and spent summers woodworking with my neighbor in his shop. I share a strong appreciation with Nick for the fundamentals of craftsmanship woodworking reinforces.
Freshly after being denied from NASA's astronaut candidacy program in 2017, I had the chance to interview scientist and NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Don invented the Zero Gravity Coffee Cup and shared that his maker mindset is largely fueled by the desire to be self sufficient. Along with this comes the need to persistent. I was surprised and encouraged to find out he applied to the astronaut candidacy program four times before being admitted.
The work done by Nolan Bushnell and his sons' company, Two Bit Circus, most closely aligns with the work I aspire to do. Most of the creations from this family are routed in technology but are novel in the way users interact with them physically. While their work also doubles as a livelihood, our interview with Nolan served as a reminder to me that having fun is ultimately what produces the best work.