We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Easley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.

Hi Daniel, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve done was a custom sign for a good artist friend who owns Mazed, where they make custom hand drawn mazes and other wonderful artwork. It’s one of the more meaningful projects because it involved art, collaboration, design and customization. It was particularly fulfilling because 1) it was for an artist, which meant it was going to be interesting, and 2) because we got to design it in such a way that reflected the artists work. My wife Kelsey (who helps me design much of the things I make) and I met with the artist and spent time going through their work and just talking about it, to gain a thorough understanding of how we could best represent that in something as simple as a sign. And we also discussed, from our perspective, how we might be able to blend our own style into it. The collaboration and intentional, thoughtful design process yielded a really satisfying result that we were all very proud of.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a woodworker, musician, composer & audio engineer. My wife and I own Kade Design Studio, which specializes in custom woodworking, from small furniture, to art pieces, to signage, to decor and everything in between. My wife, who is also an architect, got me into woodworking some 7 years ago, and upon finding that I loved it, it’s been an amazingly fulfilling ride of improving my craft, as well as the pure fun of improving my tools and workshop. What we love the most, and where we have the most to offer, is a client who comes to us with a specific need, but not really knowing how to solve it or how it should look. That’s where our creativity, skill and ingenuity come in. We also enjoy putting our laser cutter / engraver to work, whether it is to customize a particular piece, or even just provide that service for people who know what they need but don’t have the tool. My other side is that I love working in music & audio. I have been a multi-instrumentalist for 15+ years, and there are few things I love more than composing and putting a song together. Whether it is my indie/folk/rock project Ellis Easley, my ambient/instrumental project Bears in Corduroy, or composing music for films, I love making and playing purposeful music.
So as you can probably tell, the most fulfilling thing that I’ve found in life is creativity, and most especially when I can give something back in the process.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Personally, I think the best thing people can do for a thriving creative ecosystem, is to empathize. Far too often you hear people talking about what they dislike, or what’s better or worse than the other. It’s very obvious that people have different tastes, and we are by no means obligated to like any one thing. However, we often get caught up in comparing things and stating our distaste, and I believe that only breeds negativity, and can also cause potentially creative people to stray from their true selves. If society could take a breath before doing all those things, and really consider what goes into acting creatively, I believe the creative ecosystem would emerge more numerous, and more importantly, purer.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think one of the most rewarding experiences of creative work is discovering your creative process. This is something I’ve struggled with quite a bit over the years. Especially earlier on, there have been times when I’ve put out music, or built something, where I’ve thought, “wow, I didn’t know I had that in me, and I’m honestly not sure how to produce that kind of thing again.” Those are the times (I realized later) that I successfully went through a creative process, though I couldn’t pinpoint it at the time. Really sitting down and thinking through what kind of process works for you, and then putting it into action, is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kadedesignstudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kade.designstudio/
• Other: https://www.delliseasley.com/