He Made A Robot And A Combination Lock | Benjamin Cornelius | Episode 1090

Do you have a favorite time of day that helps you be a better maker?

I actually have a couple of answers to that question. During the midday I feel like I am the most productive when it comes down to  just getting down and doing stuff. But I think I am the most creative at night, like I am trying to go to bed and my brain is just buzzing with ideas.

Does being in a studio with other makers inspire you or motivate you more as opposed to working alone in a private studio?

I definitely feel like when you are in a shared space you feel more obligation to get stuff done. You see other people working, you want to work too. You also get to see what other people are doing and get inspired by them and want to keep making. I definitely think it’s more advantageous and more creatively inspiring to be with people.

Does being maker impact or influence other areas of your life?

I definitely think it influences other areas of my life. When I bake I tend to want to be little more creative and when I explore and change up the recipe and look up new recipes. I am taking in more visual information and thinking about how the things I see can influence my art.

How do you go about developing your art skills?

I mostly develop them by getting in the studio and working. I have had so many failed attempts and I’ve just had to push myself in order to improve my skills.

Why is the mechanical portion of making a lock or a robot more interesting to you than say making a mug?

I think it’s just more interesting than making mug because I see so many mugs and I don’t know if I could make a better mug than other people. Doing the mechanical side of ceramics I feel like it’s far more novel and there’s not a lot of people doing it and I get to fail and make mistakes and iterate on my designs. I think that is something so special to do.

Outside of the studio what do you do for fun?

I’d say I play a lot of games, that’s the main thing that I do. I read and I bake.

What do you bake?

There’s a lot of things but I am best known for my cinnamon rolls. I get a lot of compliments on those.