Make It Anyway: Live with Gavin Strange on Creativity, Courage & Making For the Joy of it

In this special live recording, my first ever, I'm joined by director, designer and relentless maker Gavin Strange (Director at Aardman Animations and creator of Jam Factory) for a joyful, honest and deeply inspiring conversation about creativity, consistency and carving out your own path.

From building a 25-year personal project alongside a full-time creative career, to teaching himself electronics to build a life-sized virtual pinball machine, Gavin shares what it really looks like to stay creatively alive over decades; not just seasons.

We talk about stop-frame animation, side projects, public speaking, learning in public, raising creative kids, and why it's not your employer's job to make you creatively fulfilled.

If you've ever felt like you're "not the naturally talented one," or you're waiting for permission to start; this episode will give you the nudge you need.

Key Takeaways

• If you don't get the opportunity; build your own version of it. When the door doesn't open, make something anyway. If you practise the thing before you're chosen for it, you'll already be ready when the moment comes.
• When you treat your side projects like a playground, you'll grow without fear. When you create a space where you can experiment, break things and try again, you remove the pressure; and that's where real growth happens.
• Repeating the work, builds strength. Creativity isn't about waiting for a breakthrough. It's about repetition. Do the work over and over; and one day you'll look back and realise you've built creative muscle you didn't know you had.
• When you take responsibility for your own creative fulfilment, you stop waiting. It's not your job, your clients or your industry's responsibility to keep you inspired. When you own your growth, you unlock momentum.
• If you protect your creativity with rhythm and routine, it will flourish. Even two hours in the evening, consistently, can change everything. Creative energy doesn't need endless time; it needs intention.
• When you stay curious, you stay alive. Falling down rabbit holes, learning new tools, trying something "unnecessary" is not distraction; that's how you stay creatively awake.

Episode Timestamps

• 03:48 – Live recording begins & Gavin's creative journey (Aardman + 25 years of Jam Factory)
• 08:41 – How stop-motion animation actually works (pre-production to post)
• 14:33 – Getting bored, long projects & taking responsibility for your creativity
• 17:54 – The origin of Jam Factory & learning in public
• 25:53 – Building a life-sized virtual pinball machine (and why side projects matter)
• 31:04 – Balancing creativity, family life & routine
• 36:20 – Public speaking, fear & putting yourself forward
• 44:43 – Generative AI, creative fear & what still excites him about animation

Mentioned in the Episode

• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
• Chicken Run
• Strange Kids Toys (creative project Gavin has with his son)
• OFFF Festival (creative conference mentioned)