Micah Davis on Creating Connection: The Intentional Art of Joyful Work

My guest, Micah Davis, is an incredible full-time video maker, and it was so clear how his outgoing nature and pure joy in community directly fuel the amazing work he creates. We talked about how his journey started with a slightly sneaky plan to get into music festivals for free, which actually birthed his super popular "Walkabout Talkabouts." These aren't your typical "gotcha" interviews; they're all about fostering real connection and positive vibes on the street. Having been in a few myself (totally by chance, I swear!), I can tell you they're as uplifting and authentic as it gets.

We then dug into Micah’s latest big project, The City for the Trees, a documentary series he co-created. This series makes a powerful case for how vital trees and green spaces are in our communities, even showing how something as simple as landscape design can silently communicate value to the people living there. Micah shared the unexpected hurdles they faced while filming and a brilliant insight: when you make something intensely personal and specific, it can actually become universally relatable. That’s because genuine authenticity just hits different and truly resonates with all kinds of people, making it a fantastic example of communicating with intention.

We also pulled back the curtain on Micah’s editing process, where he’s always thinking about the audience, gently guiding them through the story. We chewed on that classic challenge for creatives: balancing what the client wants with what the audience truly needs. It’s a core tension in any kind of paid communication, but it became clear that when you’re truly stoked about your projects, that enthusiasm just pours into the final product. And when I asked him about AI, Micah had a refreshing and human-centered approach. He mostly uses it for behind-the-scenes tasks, like transcription, where efficiency is key. But for anything the audience sees, like video captions, he always opts for a human touch, knowing that extra nuance makes all the difference.

To wrap things up, Micah told me about his biking vlog, "Like It To Bike It with Micah," where he celebrates everything about cycling and tries to get more people out on their bikes. We even filmed an episode together recently, showing an efficient and fun route between two state trails. It was a blast! Micah’s parting words really stuck with me: "I do love connecting with people. I think being connected is the ultimate joy in life and people are fairly easy to connect with if you just give a chance." That sentiment perfectly captures his philosophy, showing how his personal drive for connection and joy isn't just present in his work, but is the very fuel for it. If you loved hearing Micah's approach to creating with intention, make sure to like and subscribe for more episodes of Who's This For? wherever you get your podcasts!