On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Kim Reist about a relatively new hobby for her. During the pandemic lockdown, she started experimenting with fingernail art; to her surprise, she found the possibilities endlessly fascinating, and it’s become a great source of creative expression and stress relief for her. Kim’s in what she calls a ‘sub-niche’ of the nail art world, meaning she doesn’t decorate her own natural fingernails but prefers reusable press-on nails. And speaking of press-on nails, quick disclaimer – my last name is Lee but I am not an heir to the Lee Press-On Nails empire. This isn’t some weird buzz marketing to get folks to buy more press-on nails.

We'll talk with Kim about what this creative outlet has meant for her, what it's like to carry her artwork around on the ends of her fingers every day, how she combines her love for nail art with her love for Star Trek, and much more!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Cory Squires about his love of whittling and woodcarving.

We'll talk with Cory about his whittling origin story (his grandfather handed him a knife and a block of wood when he was bored as a child), his history with the practice, what he likes to carve (mostly funny animals and pop culture figures), which parts of the house he's allowed to whittle in, and what it all means to him.

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Anna Kehl about her love of quilting, a topic she didn't know much about before attending QuiltCon several years ago. She became not just an avid practitioner of the art form but also an active member of the Austin Modern Quilt Guild.

We'll hear Anna at work on a quilt at the Guild studio, we'll talk about her history with quilting and with art in general, we'll get the lowdown on the 'quilt police,' and much more!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with artist Carol Aaron about her love of encaustic painting. That's an art form that doesn't use the sorts of paints you're probably more familiar with (like oils or acrylics) but instead a mixture of beeswax, resin, and pigment. It's been around for a couple thousand years, but it's not very well known these days outside the art world.

We'll hear Carol creating a piece in her beloved garage studio, and we'll talk with her about her artistic journey, why this medium was such a ideal fit for her creative style, when she finally felt comfortable calling herself an artist, and much more!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Bart Jacob about his decades-long love of the board game Go. He was introduced to the game in 1979 as a grad student and has been a dedicated player for nearly half a century. That's a pretty long time, but just a blip in the 3500 years or so that the game has been played.

We'll hear some audio of Bart at the weekly meetup of the Austin Go Club (every Tuesday night at Dragon's Lair Comics and Fantasy), we'll talk with him about his history with the game, all the places around the world he's played, his Go board and stone collection, how Go has affected his outlook on life, and more!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

With this episode, we’re going back to the show’s beginnings; this was one of the earliest interviews we recorded, way back when This Is My Thing was just an idea for a show that we were hoping would make it onto the airwaves and/or podcast streams someday. It took a little while, but we’re happy to bring it to you now.

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Mitch London about his love for metal detecting. For Mitch, it’s a hobby born out of another hobby – he was already a coin collector when, a few years ago, he was introduced to metal detecting as a way to search for rare coins. Now he also uses his skills to help strangers find meaningful (metal) objects they’ve lost.

We joined Mitch on a hunt for a lost earring that holds great sentimental value for its owner; on this episode you'll hear some highlights from that search along with our in-depth conversation with Mitch about his love of metal detecting. We talk about how he got into it, what kind of equipment he uses, what he's hoping to find, and what it all means to him!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

Lesley Murray grew up as a competitive swimmer, so she was already pretty comfortable in the water when she decided (on a whim, she says) to take a Deep End Fitness class. She fell in love with the practice, which led her to Underwater Torpedo League.

Now she loves the sport, which she finds both meditative and exciting (it's 'meditating on fire,' she says). We'll talk about her history with the sport, how it's played, and what it means to her.

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we're talking about a thing that's kind of three things -- the triathlon, a competitive sport that combines swimming, running, and cycling into one very challenging race.

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Tiffany Saunders and Caitlin Saunders about their shared love of triathlon. They met on a race (where they came in second!), fell in love with the sport and each other, and now train and compete together as Team Saunders.

We'll talk about their origin stories with the sport and with each other, why they love competing, how they train for all three elements of the race, and much more!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org