This week, we’d like to introduce you to one of our community members who has a passion for wordplay — Jason Cathcart! For the past year, Cathcart has been collecting the crosswords from our pages and pasting them on his wall after he finishes them.
When did you start the crossword wall and what inspired you to keep the crosswords from our pages and put them up? It started last year as a collage on a different wall, with grids from any newspaper I could get my hands on. The Independent’s crosswords were consistent and looked nice together, so when I moved to a new space, I decided to plaster my room with them like wallpaper. It turned out just as I pictured it; I like how the different black square patterns look next to each other.
Have you always done the crossword or did you start just for this project? Is there a “best part” to the process? I only got into crosswords in 2023, but it quickly became an obsession. I found myself looking forward to Thursdays, just to grab the newspaper for the crossword. I honestly feel pretty guilty, as I hardly read the rest of it. As someone who does Rubik’s Cubes and escape rooms, crosswords give me that same feeling of satisfaction where everything clicks perfectly.
You also create your own crosswords; how did you get started creating your own and what do you enjoy most about that process? My dad handmade me a crossword as a graduation gift, and it inspired me to make my own larger crosswords. Seeing Zach Sherwin’s “The Crossword Show” also influenced my style. I started creating them by hand, but eventually discovered Crosshare.org, which made creating and sharing puzzles digitally much easier. Wordplay is always on my mind, and crossword setting has been the perfect creative outlet for me.
You work on other creative outlets in music and poetry. Do you approach each medium with a different creative process? Anything you’ll be releasing soon that you’re excited about? Music and poetry were my first loves as a wordsmith. I’m currently in two bands, Monkfish and Left on Read, and I’m always recording solo work as well. As for poetry, I like to set up in public with a big sign that says “FREE POEMS” to let people prompt me as inspiration. I’ll be releasing a run of poetry zines soon, and you can find my music on streaming services under “Cathcart.”
What year did you graduate from UC Santa Barbara, and do you work anywhere in town? I graduated from UCSB in 2023 with a BA in Music Studies. While I was there, I was president of Poets’ Club and ran live events for a music production club called Sound Society. Today, I work in the afterschool program at a local elementary school.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Santa Barbara and some of your favorite places to go? I busk on State Street with my jazz band every chance I get! For Santa Barbara restaurants, I frequent Lilly’s Taqueria, East Beach Tacos, and Secret Bao. I love visiting Alice Keck Park and taking sunset walks in the Douglas Family Preserve.
