We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sam Kahn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sam, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have, just recently, been able to thoroughly support myself making dice. I started while I was in grad school, mostly out of necessity. I was in a tiny town that is completely dependent on tourist dollars, and when COVID hit everything shut down, which meant I had to immediately get very creative about how I was making money. I had been making TTRPG dice for my friends for a few months, so I did an improvised photoshoot and opened an Etsy shop. I had no idea how to price my dice, very little idea of how to run production on a retail scale, and a good amount of panic, but I scraped by. Finally, I decided to run my first Kickstarter, which was the Fairytale Collection. This let me get a pressure pot, make better dice, and begin establishing Raven & Riddle seriously. After a good amount of chaos due to moving from Europe back to the US, I finally finished filling this Kickstarter and started planning Forbidden Snacks. Amazingly, the Forbidden Snacks: Charcuterie Kickstarter went better than I ever could have predicted and has allowed me not only to pay rent for the foreseeable future, but I’ve bought my first car, have been able to buy supplies for Raven & Riddle, pay a few friends to help me finish dice, and really streamline my process. It has been a long slog of financial insecurity, but it has been absolutely worth it, and being able to support myself on my craft is truly unreal.

From day one, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, either on the actual making side or the business side. Since relying on friends with skills I don’t have and reaching out for help clarifying elements I don’t understand, life has been fantastically easier. For some reason, I decided to puzzle out the dice-making journey by myself and have spent untold hours and dollars failing, failing again, and failing better before finally figuring out what I was doing. My best advice is truly to reach out, to friends, to community members, or even to Reddit, there exists a plethora of people who have so much knowledge, and many of them are kind enough to share.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into TTRPGs, specifically Dungeons & Dragons, on the long winter nights that dominate the Irish countryside from November to March. With nothing much to do, we started playing to spend time together and get through the sunless winter. I fell absolutely in love with the community and the concept of collaborative storytelling, not to mention the opportunity to unapologetically be a nerd. I started making dice for friends out of a pure feeling of “I can probably do that”.

Essentially, I make click clack math rocks out of resin and coloring. I 3D model the master dice, print them, use them to make silicone molds, and then pour specific combinations of resin, which hardens over the course of a day. I then take them out, sand, ink, and polish them before sending them out to their new homes. My most recent Kickstarter, Forbidden Snacks: Charcuterie, is one of the most wonderful creative projects I’ve ever accomplished. The intense frustration and inventiveness I was forced to exert to create dice that look like various cheeses and meats was intensely rewarding, and I’m so thrilled that the TTRPG community seems to love this mildly disgusting idea as much as I do. The niche of “dice that look like food” is exactly my style and has been so intellectually intriguing.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the middle of filling my first Kickstarter, I had to move from Limerick, Ireland back to the US. I had to leave all of my supplies and all of the dice I had already made, which meant I had to recreate my entire process from scratch. Thanks to a supportive family, I was able to do this and finish filling the Kickstarter. It was a massive transition, incredibly frustrating, and endlessly fueled by anxiety and desperation. In addition, I was struggling to make ends meet financially and ended up driving Uber. It’s been a long and scrambling path, but I am currently paying for everything through making dice, and even paying friends to help me finish dice.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest barrier to my success was my urge to price everything I made at a price people wanted to pay rather than what the actual product is worth. About 6 months into my business, I realized that I had to accurately price my dice in order to actually make a living off of them, and it caused me endless stress and guilt. I do make an effort to make sure there are options in my shop that are affordable and give back to the community that has been so supportive of me. That being said, it took me a long time (and therapy) to realize that I do deserve to be paid for my work and that my dice are worth this price.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ravenandriddle.com
• Instagram: @RavenandRiddle
• Facebook: @RavenandRiddle
• Twitter: @RavenandRiddle