Roundabout: Creative Chaos

Venkat Subramaniam is a programmer, author, educator, and founder of Agile Developer. His career has taken him from computer architecture and software development to teaching, consulting, speaking, and writing books.

In this episode, Venkat talks about the unexpected decisions that changed the direction of his career, including volunteering to teach C before he really knew the language. We also get into how teaching changed the way ...

Adam Tow has spent decades exploring what technology can do and building tools to solve problems he encounters along the way. A longtime Apple developer and technologist, he's created software ranging from early Newton applications to MixEffect, ActionPhrase, and his latest app, C1B.

C1B grew out of Adam's experience helping care for his father during cancer treatment. Faced with medications, appointments, schedules, notes, and info...

Bob Wegner has spent decades making music and digging into the history behind it. A multi-instrumentalist, music historian, archivist, and writer, Bob has worked with artists including Rush and Led Zeppelin and performed with Classic Albums Live. He is also the author of Max Webster: High Class, a book that took seven years to research and write.

From his own music to his deep dive into one of Canada's most distinctive rock bands, B...

Kaine "Korp" Kulczak built a creative community around a simple idea: drawing is something anyone can do. After more than twenty years working in an office, he transformed a lifelong passion for art into Korp Academy, helping people rediscover creativity without fear of making mistakes.

Rather than focusing on technical perfection, Korp encourages people to pick up a pen, experiment, and develop confidence through practice. His work...

Anna Abraham studies one of humanity’s most fascinating abilities: the capacity to imagine something that does not yet exist. Her research examines how creativity emerges through the relationship between the brain, behavior, and environment.

As a psychologist and researcher, Abraham explores creativity beyond traditional ideas of artistic talent. Through books and academic work on imagination and cognition, she investigates ho...

Ken and Roberta Williams helped transform computer games into a medium for storytelling, building Sierra On-Line and creating experiences that shaped generations of players. Their work showed that games could combine technology, imagination, and narrative in entirely new ways.

From early adventure games like King’s Quest to later creative projects, the Williamses have continued exploring how players interact with stories. Thei...

David Arndt’s work examines writing as more than a method of communication—it is a way of thinking, questioning, and understanding the world. His long-developed project Philosophy of Writing brings together ideas about language, creativity, and personal growth.

As a writer, educator, and professor, Arndt studies the relationship between philosophy and creative practice. His approach to authorship has been shaped by years...

AJ Porfirio and Evan Derrick built Van Ryder Games around the idea that tabletop games can deliver deep stories through thoughtful systems and player choices. Their work with titles like Final Girl demonstrates how independent creators can build immersive experiences without relying on traditional publishing models.

The studio’s approach blends game mechanics, narrative design, and the practical realities of running a publishi...

Matt Parkin turned years of teaching digital art into a broader creative journey that combines education, 3D modeling, and independent game development. His work shows how learning creative tools can become a path toward making entirely new experiences.

Through The Polygon Pilgrimage, Parkin has helped artists understand 3D workflows, from modeling and texturing to creating digital environments. His move into building a solo commerc...

Herbert Wolverson has built a career around making difficult technical concepts approachable. Through books, tutorials, and open source work, he helps developers understand Rust and the deeper ideas behind modern software systems.

As the author of multiple Rust-focused books, including Hands-On Rust and Advanced Hands-On Rust, Wolverson combines programming education with practical experimentation. His work on projects such as Libre...

Herb Baker helped bring the story of human spaceflight to the world when television was still built around film, cameras, and physical delivery. As a teenager, he carried Apollo footage from Houston to the airport so audiences could see historic missions unfold.

A career spanning more than four decades at NASA took Baker through television production, communications, and the preservation of spaceflight history. His work at Johnson S...

A creative project can change shape over time without losing its original purpose. Tammy Coron and Tim Mitra bring Roundabout: Creative Chaos back with a renewed focus on the people, ideas, and processes behind creative work.

Tammy Coron, a developer, author, and creator, has built the show around conversations with people working across software, games, animation, writing, science, and the arts. Tim Mitra became part of that journe...

Mike Vinakmens has built a career around crafting messages that connect with audiences, spending a decade as an award-winning copywriter and Creative Director. His work has included hundreds of commercials across television, radio, and digital platforms before he began bringing those storytelling skills into voice work.

His transition from writing and producing campaigns to exploring voice performance reveals the versatility of crea...

Abbey Jackson’s path into technology began with a major life challenge and a decision to start over. After a serious spinal injury, she taught herself a new direction by enrolling in an eight-week iOS bootcamp and eventually beginning a career in tech at age 35.

Her story highlights the possibilities that come from persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to learn something completely new. Abbey’s transition from car...

Scott Gardner has spent years building iOS applications and sharing his knowledge of Swift development through books, video courses, and tutorials. As an early adopter of Swift and a practitioner of reactive programming, he has helped other developers understand evolving approaches to app creation.

His career reflects a dedication to learning, teaching, and exploring better ways to build software. By combining hands-on development w...

Graham Lee focuses on making software development more accessible while protecting the values of privacy and freedom. His work centers on helping creators build and release software that respects the people who use it.

Through his approach to development, Graham combines technical expertise with a strong interest in ethical technology. His perspective shows how software can be designed not only for functionality, but also with princ...

Brian P. Hogan combines software development, education, writing, and music into a creative career built around sharing knowledge. As a web developer, teacher, author, and mentor, he has worked with technologies including HTML5, Elixir, JavaScript, and Ruby while helping others improve their craft.

His writing and teaching focus on practical approaches to building better software, including his book Small, Sharp Software Tools. Bria...

Kyle T. Webster has built a career where illustration, education, and technology meet. His artwork has appeared in publications including The New Yorker and The New York Times, while his KyleBrush collection of Adobe Photoshop brushes has helped artists explore new ways of creating digitally.

Through his work as an illustrator, designer, author, and educator, Kyle focuses on giving creative people better tools and techniques. His ca...

Rick McGinnis has spent his career documenting people, places, and moments through photography and writing, creating work that has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Village Voice, and Entertainment Weekly. His images have also become part of music culture through appearances on albums by artists such as White Zombie and Natalie Merchant.

His creative practice bridges visual storytelling and journalism, showi...