Quest for Craft
Quest for Craft, a web series from The Balvenie and Questlove, is now live on our YouTube channel. Subscribe now to watch other episodes like this one as they release this fall. The Balvenie has been perfecting the craft of whisky making for nearly 130 years and, throughout that period, has remained fascinated by the creative processes, often-obsessive human attributes and deep intrinsic values that elevate something from great to exceptional. On October 28, that journey embarks on a new frontier with the arrival of Quest for Craft: Season One: a disquisitive new digital series exploring the convergence of craft and creativity, hosted by bestselling author, cultural icon and scholar of creativity Questlove.
Quest for Craft explores modern creativity between the lines through compelling creators that pour their hearts into what they do. The series, filmed in the iconic Electric Lady Studios, centers around four of the most creative minds, SNL comedian Michael Che, legendary GRAMMY Award winning music producer Jimmy Jam, punk-rock icon Patti Smith, and prolific author Malcolm Gladwell, as Questlove opens conversational passageways to their creative processes, inspirations and aspirations over four compelling episodes. Each episode also includes films, animations and other cinematic rabbit holes undertaken in search of answers that illuminate the journey of ultimate craftsmanship.
Episode 1, Craft and Chaos with Michael Che - Questlove and Michael Che chat about how to infuse purposeful levels of chaos into their careers, how it can push you to a new level of creativity and how it can be a key factor in honing your craft.
Episode 2, Craft and Community with Jimmy Jam - Questlove and Jimmy Jam connect on meeting their core creative partners at a young age, and chat about how instrumental their creative communities have been in helping them become the artists they are today.
Episode 3, Craft and Time with Patti Smith - Questlove and Patti Smith delve into the topic of time as Patti reflects upon her time with Electric Lady Studios, from attending the opening party to going on to record many of her albums at the legendary studio.
Episode 4, Craft and Practice with Malcolm Gladwell - Questlove and Malcolm Gladwell cover the topic of practice and Malcolm shares the true meaning of his 10,000 hours theory, how it’s been misunderstood in the past and how getting better at your craft can involve going beyond your mastery to take on new challenges.
