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

Hi Zachary, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

As an actor, I’ve spent my career bringing others’ stories to life, but I always felt a pull to create something of my own. For years, though, the time and resources just weren’t there. Then, while playing in a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast, it hit me, the answer had been right in front of me all along: an audio drama. So, I gathered a few actor friends, bought a microphone, and started writing.

If I could go back, I’d have taken the time to learn podcast editing and producing before diving in. But maybe that leap-before-you-look approach is why I’ve learned so much along the way. Pushing myself to improve, especially in sound design and podcast production, has been a constant and rewarding challenge. And I might not have started if I didn’t start when the motivation was there!

One thing that helped immensely was my background in social media. When the show launched, I could share it with thousands of Twitter followers, giving it a solid start.

The biggest hurdle, though, is time. Podcasting is still a side project, and balancing it with full-time work means I often wish I had more hours in the day to dedicate to it. Still, the journey has been worth every late night and early morning.

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

My name is Zachary Burrell, and I am an actor living in Louisville, KY. I also produce the audio drama Warlock, an anime inspired fantasy tale. I began acting professionally in 2010 with Kentucky Shakespeare, and still work with them, as well as other professional theatres in the area. I have even toured internationally!

I’m proud of how a scrappy independent show, with a small niche, has found some success in the audio drama world. I hope to keep a growth mindset as long as I’m working on the show.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Honestly, I think the resource artists and art communities need the most is money. We of course still create for free and on our own time, but placing actual financial value on the arts allows everyone to enjoy them. Children can attend theatre or museums or other cultural events they may not have the ability to without a robust arts funding budget on both a national and state level.

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

As a creative, knowing my art resonates in some way with them is my biggest goal. Especially when people take the time to share how the stories we tell have moved them in some way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://warlockpod.com
• Instagram: @warlockdnd
• Twitter: @warlockdnd
• Youtube: @warlockdnd

Image Credits

Art by MGOSketches (permission granted to share)