242: The Journey Series - Brad Montague on Embracing Joy

24 Jul 2020 · 47 min
This Moved Me

24 Jul 2020 · 47 min

0:00

In this episode of The Journey Series, host Sally Koering Zimney interviews Brad Montague, creator of the viral Kid President series and founder of the Montague Workshop. The conversation opens with Sally’s admiration for Brad’s joyful, love‑driven creative approach, emphasizing his mantra of making things "out of love for you" rather than seeking self‑praise. Brad recounts his early career—selling ads, making a low‑budget coffee‑shop cable show, and eventually turning a hobby camera into a career‑defining YouTube channel. He describes the transition from video‑centric work to live speaking, noting how he strives to keep his talks authentic, improvisational, and collaborative, treating each presentation as a shared adventure rather than a lecture. A central theme is the "gift" mindset: inspired by Lewis Hyde’s The Gift and Jim Henson’s practice of giving books, Brad frames his creative output as a present meant to nourish the audience, not a self‑promotion tool. He discusses the power of art to act as a timely yet timeless conduit that can bridge divides, foster community, and inject purpose into everyday life. Brad shares how he cultivates creative communities through events like Story and the Montague Workshop, emphasizing the need for makers to show up, create, and support one another. The dialogue also explores humility, improvisation, and the importance of co‑creation with audiences. The episode concludes with a "This Moved Me" segment where both hosts share personal moments of inspiration—from a moving theater performance of King Lear to Brad’s recent work on a story about a balloon confronting mortality—highlighting how personal experiences fuel their creative missions. Throughout, the conversation weaves anecdotes, references to other creators (Charles Schulz, Garrison Keillor, John Denver), and practical advice for creators seeking to infuse joy, authenticity, and generosity into their work.

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