Opposable Thumbs

We tackle a new creative challenge every two weeks and talk about our accomplishments, failures and lessons learned.

About the show

We (Taylor Hokanson and Rob Ray) assign ourselves (and a guest) a new creative challenge every two weeks. We then talk about our discoveries, problems, solutions, failures and successes and.... try to steer clear of catastrophic shop accidents.

Opposable Thumbs on social media

Episodes

  • Episode 84: 3D Printing, Truchet Tiles, Wire Tie Mounts, and More!

    July 3rd, 2020  |  31 mins 9 secs
    3d printing, art, challenge, chicago, creativity, led lighting, lightbulbs, los angeles, making, truchet tiles, vanity mirrors, wire tie mounts

    Taylor and Rob talk about 3D Printing, Truchet Tiles, Wire Tie Mounts and a whole lot more! Rob is working on a vanity project and has entered the world of lightbulb sizes. Taylor is building a computer and needs to liquid cool his brain after researching all the processor SKUs.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 83: Inflatables with Gilles Mustar

    June 19th, 2020  |  37 mins 15 secs
    3d printing, art, challenge, chicago, creativity, gold leaf, grasshopper, inflatables, kangaroo, los angeles, making, patterns, rhino, sewing

    Gilles Mustar is our guest this episode! Paris, France in the house!

    Gilles Rob and Taylor talk about aesthetic surgery, blood, inflatables, patterning, Rhino, Grasshopper, Kangaroo, Eurorack, and atmospheric sensors.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 82: Chicago Storytelling, Sound, and Starting a Podcast

    May 27th, 2020  |  32 mins 45 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, los angeles, making

    Ronnie Gonzalez is our guest this episode! Chicago in tha house!
    Ronnie is starting a podcast! Taylor tackles the sound challenge.

    Rob's chore is finally hanging all the things you've been meaning to hang on the wall.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 81: A very "home store" relationship with nuts and bolts.

    May 2nd, 2020  |  28 mins 25 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, los angeles, making

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 80: 3D Printers and Weird Augmented Reality Face Filters

    April 23rd, 2020  |  19 mins 59 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, los angeles, making

    Taylor is getting is Prusa build on. Rob dives into SparkAR.

    We also talk about FaceApp, Irwin Wurm, "The Boys", and paper mache masks!
    Taylor has a really great suggestion for all of us at the end of the podcast.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 79: Rob's Creative Battery is Frickin' Dead

    April 14th, 2020  |  27 mins 3 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, los angeles, making

    Rob needs a challenge. Taylor gives him two great ones.

    Taylor gets a 3D printer. David Blaine is a wacky person.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 78: Still Starting a Sketchbook

    April 2nd, 2020  |  25 mins 42 secs
    art, boat, challenge, chicago, creativity, detention, los angeles, making, numbers station

    We talk about numbers stations, Instagram Lenses, SparkAR, and getting detention.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 77: Start a Sketchbook

    March 27th, 2020  |  20 mins 12 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, chicago politics, covid, creativity, los angeles, making, pritzker, rumble strip, vermont

    Start a sketchbook! If you already have one, show us what you've got!
    Post what your sketches to #opposable_thumbs hashtag.

    We talk about the Bahn Mi, solar bikes with ham radio rigs, The Clockwork Orange, and boulder traps. We also adore the Rumble Strip podcast! Contribute an audio file to Erica's "Our Show" episode!

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 76: Boat (2 of 2)

    March 23rd, 2020  |  29 mins 4 secs
    art, boat, challenge, chicago, creativity, instagram, los angeles, making, opposableboat

    We continue the #boat challenge! Make a thing and send it to us! Use the hashtag #opposableboat or just email it to us!

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, los angeles, making

  • Episode 75: Boat (Jump in our new, shorter and more frequent boat!)

    March 19th, 2020  |  18 mins 31 secs
    art, boat, brazil, challenge, chicago, creativity, los angeles, mad max, making

    Everything else in our lives is changing. So we're changing the podcast format along with it. We (Taylor and Rob) needed quicker and more frequent blasts of creativity. So we're adjusting to podcast to help. Join us! Make a project with the topic boat! Or jump in a boat and make any project! Make your pirate ship flag! Jumble the letters of boat into otab and greet every person you see from 20 feet away with this new non-touching greeting! "Otab!" "Otab to you!" "And a fine Otab to you too!"

    Post what you make to Instagram, Twitter, FB etc with the #opposableboat hashtag! Or just email it to us!

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 74: The Trolley Problem

    March 9th, 2020  |  47 mins 29 secs
    art, art+music+tech podcast, challenge, chicago, creativity, drawing, i'm sorry john, ipad, ryobi battery, the trolley problem. procreate

    No guest this episode! Just Taylor and Rob talking about stealing, smoking, and physical altercations. Oh, and Key and Peele, too. And Goop.

    Call us with your New Media Support Problems! Call 775-235-2535!

    Rob is on camera. Taylor goes deep on going off the deep end.

    Thanks to Tim Sway for the challenge!

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

    Rob was on the art+music+tech podcast! Thanks Darwin! Check it: http://artmusictech.libsyn.com/podcast-299-rob-ray-deadtech

  • Episode 73: Brevity also Need Art Support? Call (775) 235-2535

    February 20th, 2020  |  48 mins 4 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, death clock, huion, instagram, los angeles, lots of small things, making, push sticks, raspberry pi, standing desk, tablet, tara donovan, the trolley problem, touchscreen

    No guest this episode! Just Taylor and Rob talking about Instagram Stories, trying more (and throwing away more) ideas, Tara Donovan, multiples, and push sticks.

    Call us with your New Media Support Problems! Call 775-235-2535!

    Taylor stands in the place where he cooks.
    Rob counts the final countdown.

    Sean, you are missed.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 72: Preservation

    February 2nd, 2020  |  41 mins 11 secs
    art, bandersnatch, broken bones, challenge, chicago, creativity, cycling, d3, harry potter, hogwarts house, los angeles, magnet fishing, making, personality tests, photogrammetry, prostate cancer

    No guest this episode! Just Taylor and Rob talking about injuries, personality tests, the Hogwarts House test, Bandersnatch, Instagram Stories, colmap, meshlab, magnet fishing and running over screws with your car.

    Taylor hangs with a bad Hippo.
    Rob resting witch face is so refreshing!

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway, and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 71: Retrograde

    January 11th, 2020  |  53 mins 36 secs
    art, challenge, chicago, creativity, dungeons and dragons, homeless, houseless, industrial culuture handbook, las vegas, los angeles, making, manga, obamaphone, over the garden wall, performance, spk, srl

    Ross Takehashi is our guest! Las Vegas in tha house! Ross is an an sculpture artist and art educator working in cast metals.

    We talk about underappreciated art communities, houseless art makers, casting worms in bronze, animal preservation, taxidermy, cicada shell gundam models and lost sketchbooks.

    Taylor pounds the pixels. Ross presses the FISH button. Rob rolls for damage to the

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 70: Happy New Year 2020!

    January 2nd, 2020  |  18 mins 36 secs
    art, baby yoda, challenge, chicago, creativity, dawn song, fusion 360, javascript, linkedin learning, los angeles, making, star wars, white fragility

    Happy New Year 2020!!!!

    Thanks to all of our listeners and guests! No challenge this episode. Just a short thank you!

    You say Nevada, I say NevAHda. Taylor is tuning up his Fusion 360 LinkedIn Learning Class. We also talk about Dungeons & Dragons, white fragility, and pacing ourselves--even when trying to learn a new thing.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs

  • Episode 69: Breathing

    December 20th, 2019  |  57 mins 42 secs
    3d printing, angela sheehan, art, breathing, casting, challenge, chicago, creativity, drumming, expanded notation, franconia sculpture park, iron pouring, kay dartt, los angeles, making, music notation, retrograde, snork, snorks, tesla one way valve, whistle, wood

    Kay Dartt is our guest this episode! West Virginia in tha house! Kay is a 3D fabrication badass so we're really excited to hear more about her work and see what she's created!

    Rob puts the idle in paradiddle. Kay makes our weird bodies even weirder. Taylor toots his own horn.

    You can check out our projects at http://projects.opposablepodcast.com

    Props to Wesley Ellis, Blondihacks, Nik Kantar, Walter Kitundu, Federico Tobon, Kelly Martin, Luke Noonan, Mike Tully, Adam Mayer, David Bellhorn, Tim Sway and Charlene McBride! They're our top Patreon supporters! Join 'em at: https://www.patreon.com/opposablethumbs