Vulnerability in life and art: Recent Episodes
Sarah Sniderman
Ivana Bajic is a multimedia producer drawn to stories where nature, emotion, and human transformation intersect. Through surfing, she discovered the ocean not just as a place, but as a force of healing, grounding, and deep connection among women.
Author of Nature of Surf Women,creator of the podcast Nature of Surf Women - Waves of Women, and curator of surf and wellness retreats, Ivana is currently working on a documentary about surf therapy and the healing power of the ocean.
Among my favourite parts of our conversation was talking about the tremendous value of caring and community.
Learn more about Ivana and her broad scope of work on instagram @ivanabajic and @nature_of_surfwomen and online at natureofsurfwomen.com
Mark Connor is a boxing trainer and writer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Hearing Mark read from his book, 'It's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad),' reminded me how precious it is to have the opportunity to listen to a writer read their words aloud.
As Mark says, 'God breaks my nose; I'll break his nose.' In other words, fight for what feels right.
And the idea that once your feet hit the ground, you have to keep the momentum going, whether it's running, writing, painting, playing music, however you want to express yourself - that speaks to me. We always have to start by getting the momentum going, by becoming the kind of person who does what we value most.
You can learn more about Mark on instagram @writingboxer and online at boxersandwritersmagazine.com. His book - It's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad)' - is available on Amazon.
I've called at least one other episode in this podcast an odd duck. I think this may be a much even odder duck. The theme is ruminations I guess on the fifth birthday of the Vulnerability in life and art podcast.
Colin Douglas lives in Las Vegas, a data analyst by training and a philosopher by nature. He's driven by ideas and a great curiosity about how people choose to live their lives in the general pursuit of happiness, or better yet, enduring peace, fulfillment, or purpose. Working a full-time job, he finds the time to share his insights and invites others to engage in the conversation.
Colin shares a great line: 'Thoughts disentangle themselves through the lips and the fingertips' (commonly attributed to Dawson Trotman). That's how I feel about this podcast.
Be sure to check out Colin's writing on substack @personalpeace
"Books transform and shape us," says Winnipeg-based book artist Debra Frances. What makes a book a book? And how are we shaped by what we experience through books?
Inspired after making a book to showcase her daughter's artwork, Debra now creates stunning pieces from natural materials like milkweed seedpods and driftwood, as well as her own handmade papers and dyes.
She teaches bookbinding classes and also leads a one-week retreat every summer on Malcolm Island, British Columbia (for which I'm on the list in August 2027 :-) And the project where she collaborated with a climate scientist to create a book to represent key aspects of the work, centering on storytelling, was fascinating to me.
Learn more about Debra and her work on instagram @debra_frances and online at debrafrances.com
Based in Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario, Bryn Gladding is a commercial photographer who works with developers, researchers, inventors, artists, and manufacturers, alongside pursuing his own personal projects. I found his insights and reflections into his personal projects in particular, from the perspective of his own vulnerability, very moving.
Bryn is as passionate about nurturing connections with people as making photographs of and for them. He embraces the opportunities that come with new technologies as they emerge, and at the same time he looks forward to a resurgence in our general appreciation and valuing of art and artists, maybe even especially handcrafted or at least human-directed work.
Check out Bryn's work on instagram @bryngladding as well as online at bryngladdingphotography.com
Photograph © Bryn Gladding Photography Sculpture "Stratford War Memorial" Walter Seymour Allward (1919-1922)
This is a quick ramble about the learning field - designing courses and workshops - and sustaining dramatic tension in long-form fiction.
This was a fun coversation from a personal perspective, because I went to high school with Jackie Reeves, a painter who also does collage, installations, film, and animations.
Jackie grew up making art and exudes a lovely sense of calm confidence not only in her talent, but also in her choices to make art as child, teen, and adult. She has faith in her drawing hand, her painting hand. I did envy that a little, and I told her so. Did I follow through the right pigeonhole?
My mother, as she has listened to these conversations over time, has noticed when artists have grown up in families who've supported, or at least understood, artistic practice versus when they did not. It's in no sense a requirement, but may be a factor that influences the effort to invest in that practice.
We connected on the work one does for oneself compared to commercial work to meet the design needs of clients. Figuring out what we want to share from our own voice can be tricky. Jackie asks the question - beyond skill, what do we choose to create and why? It's not about knowing how, but knowing what.
Jackie shares that when she looks over her body of work, it's about claiming space, and female identity more broadly, of building up and breaking down. It's your "own past flooding in through you." And then we can let it be what it is. Let it sit and cook for a while.
For those really attentive to detail, near the beginning of our conversation Jackie refers to university and "CEGEP." In case you wondered, that's the Québec equivalent of junior college.
Check out @jackiereevesart on instagram and jackiereeves.com to learn more about her work.
I had the opportunity to speak with Laura Tafe about her collage work, which I find bright and bold. She also works as a pathologist and has been able to reintegrate artistic practice into her life as an adult, with a spirit of intentionality and a desire to express different aspects of herself, both to herself and to others.
Laura talks about the role of art, creativity, and self-expression in her leading a fully realized life. Paper - through its textures as well as acts of cutting out pieces - is her preferred medium for showing physical bodies and parts in motion and expressing a range of emotions.
She shows courage not only in putting her work out in the world, but in exploring language for speaking about what her practice and pieces might mean, as she builds communities with others.
When you have a chance, go take a look through Laura's work on instagram @imogene.awe
This is my second conversation with Stefan Lorenzutti, a poet who runs the independent press Bored Wolves in collaboration with his partner Joanna Osiewicz-Lorenzutti.
Stefan and I were messaging a few months back and he shared that it had been a challenging year, and how responses from when we last talked would no longer be quite the same.
So in a way we talked about many of the same big picture questions, but this time with a focus on what it means to publish 50 books in 50 months; interacting with respect, trust, grace, and forgiveness; and appreciation of the details and stories behind process.
To learn more about Stefan and his journeys through poetry and publishing, check out episode 83 of this podcast as well as boredwolves.com and @boredwolves on instagram.
One might think that by my fifth year of doing this podcast, I'd remember to introduce the guest at the beginning of the episode! Sadly, I did not in this case.
So, this is my conversation with Liv Wickedly, a multidimensional artist and creative who loves jumping in to try new things, a woman after my own heart.
We talk about art as intentional self-expression, through whatever medium feels right, which has personal value regardless of how it may be 'liked.' Reaction and feedback from others, however it may align with your own feelings and intentions, are always better than ambivalence.
And we talk about vulnerability as raw or tender moments of being seen, or even seeing oneself, when we aren't feeling so certain or clear about what we're sharing of ourselves.
To learn more about Liv and her work, you can explore livwickedly.com as well as her profile on instagram @livwickedly
For more information about the Gene Keys, you can listen to episodes 115 and 117, my conversations with Elijah Parker, or visit genekeys.com
And check out Babe Philosophy, the podcast Liv hosts with best friend Meli Wolf, which is 'a podcast where questions matter more than answers, where liminal spaces are revered, and where magic is practical.'
In this episode, I talk about what surfing means to me. It's a challenge on many different levels. Most importantly, it is teaching me what the real challenge is, in my relationship to the ocean, control, and lessons still to learn.
Be sure to check out the book Nature of Surf Women @nature_of_surfwomen written by Ivana Bajic @ivanabajic with photography by Gabriela Tellez and audio recordings by Martyn Stewart. I also highly recommend the podcast of the same name.
And if you find yourself in LA and want to learn to surf, you can get in touch with Heather Alley of Soul Surf Sessions @soulsurfsessionsla
This is my first episode - and probably my first conversation ever - with an action actor (which is today's term for the profession I would've referred to as stuntman). Jon Schmidt fell into the work after time in the Peace Corps and then completing his MBA, when the job overseas that he had accepted fell through.
Jon explains how in the beginning of his career, he worried that saying no to a role might mean he'd never work again. I connected with that, though I work in a completely different field. Overpromising on performance is actually the greater risk; learning to undersell (or at least, promise from a realistic perspective) leads to trust, more opportunity, and a stronger network.
He also shares some of his insights into education, writing, and AI - again, points that fall close to home for me as a learning designer and writer.
And then in the final moments of our conversation, we talk about about the purpose in making yourself vulnerable, throwing yourself out into the world in front of others, and giving something your all. Are you striving for failure or for success?
I'll leave you with a question. What's your no-go fly zone? I don't know why, but that image really caught at my heart as a metaphor for discovering and accepting our limits, of any kind. Because it's doesn't always have to be about pushing beyond limits; sometimes, it's about working creatively within them.
You can follow Jon Schmidt on instagram @thejingleheimer and check out his past work on IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6869567/
Amy Horowitz is a freelance photographer based in New York City who takes portraits of young adults in and around Washington Square Park, looking for the softness under the shell and documenting today's generation in tumultuous times, in moments of connection. Here's the core message of her work - and I really like how she says it:
I was brought up in a different way...but people are how they are...we're all the same.
The message is deceptively simple of course. Her photographs, on the other hand, tell deep stories about people, identities, self-expression, and navigating turbulent times. Because life is messy sometimes.
You can learn more about Amy and her work at amyhorowitzphotography.com and on instagram @dont_smile_nyc.
And be sure to check out her book, which you can find by searching for "Walk in the Park? Amy Horowitz"
Tim Tamashiro is a speaker, singer, radio and podcast host, and author of How To Ikigai, a book that helps people discover their ikigai, or life's purpose. His own ikigai is "to delight."
Tim talks about how mental health crises during the covid pandemic led him to therapy and Buddhist practice, the role of manifestation in his life, and his passion for ikigai which is a combination of four factors: what you love to do, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded for.
The ultimate goal is self-actualization and in the episode that will follow this one, Tim will walk me through the process of uncovering my own ikigai.
Tim has actually written two books about ikigai, How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose and Golden Ikigai: Unlock Japanese Secrets to a Life of Purpose and Joy After 50.
You can watch Tim's TEDx talk about ikigai on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-PcJS2QaU. He hosts Sufferless with a Part-time Monk, a mindfulness and mental wellness podcast that helps people navigate modern life with more peace and purpose, and you can also follow Tim on instagram @timtamashiro
In this episode, I talk about what it means to me to make choices about where to put my time and energy - and really trying to feel into those choices, as well as think logically about pros and cons, so I can open space in my life for doing what matters most to me.
Doug Breault is a Boston-based interdisciplinary artist who works with photography, painting, sculpture, and video. In addition to his art practice, he curates exhibitions at Gallery 263, teaches art students at Babson College and Bridgewater State University, and contributes articles to Boston Art Review, Lenscratch, the Harvard Art Museum, and the Bridgewater Review.
Doug talks about his evolution from creative writing to photography - which then began to intersect with other forms of art, how an interdisciplinary approach to art making allows the idea to come before the material, and the themes of loss and memory that run through his work.
You can learn more about Doug and his work through his website douglasbreault.com and on instagram @dug_bro
Having inadvertently introduced Barbara Steinhaus - Chair of the Department of Music at Brenau University - as a music therapist, she not only set me straight with gentleness, but then walked me through her career as singer and educator, the value of music for healing, and how visiting art museums improves our wellbeing.
I was taken by the four elements of singing in a healthcare setting that align with Barbara's life as a vocal artist: the intimacy of folk music, the transformational potential of the spiritual, classical vocal style, and a sense of meaning in song and lyrics that is particularly profound for her.
For more information about Barbara's work as an educator, you can look her up on the Brenau University website. And for details about the study she's leading with the High Museum of Art, check out https://www.brenau.edu/news/brenau-partners-with-high-museum-for-arts-and-health-research/ and https://high.org/press-release/high-museum-of-art-receives-80000-award-from-the-national-endowment-for-the-arts
This is the second half of my conversation with Elijah Parker. We touched on how we can use different forms of language such as music to express ourselves, entrainment and the physics of harmony, wounds and wonders, and the nature of vulnerability as honest self-inquiry. And I love the image of us being watery beings moving through seas of vibration.
Elijah is a Gene Keys Guide, Ambassador, and core member of the Gene Keys Publishing team. The Gene Keys offer a set of teachings to guide personal growth and development through contemplation, inquiry, gentleness, and patience.
Elijah facilitates both personal and group sessions with The Gene Keys for transformation in relationships, activating creative projects, and discovering the gifts inside life’s challenges.
You can learn more about Elijah at fractaldoors.com and on instagram @fractaldoors And if you're interested in The Gene Keys, check out genekeys.com
Welcome to episode 116: some ideas about flow, inspired by a long run up in the country over a weekend.
Elijah Parker is a Gene Keys Guide, Ambassador, and core member of the Gene Keys Publishing team. The Gene Keys offer a set of teachings to guide personal growth and development through contemplation, inquiry, gentleness, and patience.
Elijah facilitates both personal and group sessions with The Gene Keys for transformation in relationships, activating creative projects, and discovering the gifts inside life’s challenges.
In this first half of our conversation, we talked about magic and storytelling, collective truth and love, and creating resilience through vulnerability and intimacy with ourselves and others.
You can learn more about Elijah at fractaldoors.com and on instagram @fractaldoors And if you're interested in The Gene Keys, check out genekeys.com
Dana Stirling is a fine art photographer as well as co-founder & editor-in-chief of Float Photo Magazine. She was born in Jerusalem, of parents from London England, and now lives in Queens New York.
Dana experimented with drawing and writing before discovering how much she enjoyed taking photos. She then found out she was following in the footsteps of both her father and grandfather, but she was the first one in the family to pursue photography seriously.
Through her work, Dana explores very personal themes that surface from family relationships and dynamics, challenges with mental health, experiences of displacement as an immigrant, and how it feels to be and not belong in a space.
To learn more about Dana and her work, be sure to visit danastirling.com and @dana_stirling on instagram.
This is an episode about receiving feedback, feedback relative to a goal, feedback versus distortion, and feedback helping us to see things that we may not be able to see ourselves.
The last time I went out this far out on a limb in terms of topic on this podcast was my conversation with gardener Andi Strachan. But there's something about the interactions between human cultures and the natural environment that I find fascinating, and there's also a thread related not just to vulnerabilities of agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty, but also how our individual lives are entwined with the food that sustains, nourishes, and can hurt us and our environment.
Carolina Modena is Director of the Biodiversity Office at Slow Food, which is an organization headquartered in Bra, Italy representing a global movement of local groups and activists devoted to ensuring everyone has access to good, clean, and fair food. From a background in law and gastronomic sciences, she is committed to protecting food culture against the twin forces of globalization and standardization.
You can learn more about the mission and activities of the Slow Food organization and ways to get involved on their website at slowfood.com and on instagram @slowfood_international. And if you're interested in learning more about the foods unique to your own area, be sure to check out their Ark of Taste project (https://www.slowfood.com/biodiversity-programs/ark-of-taste/). I have discovered that here in Québec, we raise Chantecler chickens, which are a composite breed of Dark Cornish, White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, White Wyandotte, Columbian Wyandotte, and White Plymouth Rock chickens.
John Avilla is the founder of Sound Union, a creative studio and cultural hub designed for people who see music in terms of well-being, inspiration, and connection. With a background in brand strategy and creative direction, John built Sound Union as a new kind of social club for creatives, entrepreneurs, and thinkers who prioritize music as a vital part of their daily lives and identities.
John shared a deep understanding and appreciation for the nature and benefits of music - so persuasive I bought a bass guitar and signed up for lessons the day after we spoke. I'm really hoping I can visit Sound Union one day, in Redwood City California, and they might even let me play.
Learn more at soundunion.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundunion/ or follow @joinsoundunion on instagram.
This episode is about listening to our inner bass players and some of the different things that might mean.
Lance Johnson has a decade of experience working as a freelance video editor. Based in New York City, he delivers work to clients like Tom Ford, MTV, and Showtime.
He is also the founder and host of the podcast See-Through. Lance has an incurable eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which typically causes legal blindness by age 40. Today, at 34 years old, Lance has already spent five years having transparent conversations with people living with blindness and other disabilities, as a way of exploring his own inevitable future.
His whole outlook can probably be summed up in this way: "There's something kind of exciting about the possibility that I'll have to just completely pivot and do something else."
You can find out more about Lance's work in video editing through his website lancekestreljohnson.com and on instagram @lancekestrel
Also be sure to check out his podcast See-Through, for insight and inspiration, at seethroughpod.com
Jenn Seniuk works as an art therapist in Calgary, Alberta. We talked not just about art therapy - working with a professionally trained therapist to use art as another language for accessing and processing our feelings and sensations - but also 'art as therapy,' which is about engaging in the process of making art for creative self-expression, in the in-between spaces, and calming the nervous system.
Everyone is innately creative and everyone can make art, if only we can let go of the judgments we might hold about what we create. Creativity is encoded directly in our DNA, just like our need and desire to be in community and have meaningful conversations.
I really enjoyed hearing Jenn talk about the My friend Dave project and how she meets with marginalized and vulnerable men every Monday in the park. And not just meeting with them, but meeting them where they're at, where they're being brave and sharing the scary things.
Find out more about Jenn and her practice on instagram @BellyEyeArtTherapy, @MyFriendDaveYYC & @ArtTherapy.is, on TikTok @BellyEyeArtTherapy & @MyFriendDaveYYC, and on her websites BellyEyeArtTherapy.com & MyFriendDave.ca. And also please check out her podcast Art Therapy Is on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Clementine Morrigan is a writer and literary punk who has published six books and made 1000s of zines by hand over the last 25 years.
Clementine explores complex and challenging human experiences - including incest and other forms of trauma, polyamory, and queer sexuality - with passion and integrity, as a responsibility and a calling.
We talked about the constructed nature of confessional writing, cancel culture, and a sense of vulnerability that requires us to be aware and responsible about engaging in the right kinds of vulnerability given the context and our ability to deal with the experience if we are hurt.
You can learn more about Clementine and her work at clementinemorrigan.com. Check out her zines at shop.clementinemorrigan.com/category/zines. And follow her on instagram @clementinemorrigan
This is a brief story about something that really caught my attention. I'm not sure if it caught for the right reasons, or that I understand what those reasons are.
But it's a story about what happened when I bumped into something that made me question the whole process of reading and writing stories (and sharing stories on this podcast).
Urban artist Fluke got his start with graffiti sketchbook sessions, sitting around a picnic table in the park, a community of kids drawing essais together. He has moved on to creating and leading the production of art murals in Canada, the US, France, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.
Fluke talks about the challenge of toning down his work and communicating core ideas more simply, what it means to him to be self-taught, measuring up to family expectations, hustling, and creating art for public spaces.
What are the 'right' reasons for creating art? And if someone were to publish a small book of your twenty best pieces - pieces of any kind, in any context - what would they be?
Learn more about Fluke on instagram @fluke.art and on his website flukeart.ca, where you can sign up for his newsletter to get updates on his work.
Jaime Hjelm is a custom automotive expert and shop boss in the Netflix reality series TexMex Motors. She is also co-owner, with her sister, of Wicked Wrench, a car shop just outside Chicago.
Jaime is a highly accomplished professional in a heavily male-dominated industry who knows car restoration is an art and she approaches it that way. Check out season 2 of TexMex Motors to watch how she designs a '52 Chevy after her purse.
As shop boss, Jaime directs but also cares deeply for core cast members, including larger than life Rabbit, the man with a voice like honey on gravel.
You can find out more about Jaime on her website jaimehjelm.com and on instagram @jaime_hjelm
Molly Roškar works with a constellation of objects, materials, and processes, from restoring heirloom cabinets to making natural dyes to whittling spoons, knives, and creatures, all within a core theme of tradition, sustainability, and great curiosity and care.
Because I can get obsessed with details, we got into a bit of a conversation about shellac, which I now know is bug-processed resin. It has been used for thousands of years as a natural primer, stain, and varnish and it offers a deep lens into the structure of the wood.
We also talked about art and craft; as Molly explains, 'it would diminish art if you ruled out craft, and it would diminish craft if you ruled out conceptual processes.' She talks about her own work with tangible objects as a response to theoretical questions she wants to explore, intention as key to her creative process, and the beauty that comes from that which is simple and practical, but not obvious.
You can learn more about Molly and her work on her website atelierindigoandoak.com and on instagram @atelierindigoandoak
Gabrielle Rae Travis, literary artist and editor-in-chief of the zine whet, talks about the power of community, camaraderie, and connection and the role played by vulnerability and uncomfortable conversations.
I relate in many ways to what Gabrielle talks about, including the appreciation and joy of helping to foster the work - learning from wonderful artists who share their insights with us.
As she says, 'art is about stirring something in us.' And when the connections empower us to acquire the skills and gain the confidence to contribute and put our own voice out there, all the better. Give youself permission to start your project.
You can learn more about whet and subscribe by visiting https://www.whetzine.online/ You can also check out @gabrielllerae and @whetzine on instagram to learn more.
I had the opportunity to speak with Emma Krebs via an introduction through a friend (thanks Joy!). Emma is a freelance expert in producing content in the creator economy, including podcasts and youtube videos, and she is curious and open to learning not just from what comes her way but what she goes after.
Originally inspired by the concept of minimalism, she has been traveling the world gaining insight into human nature, connection, and relationships ever since.
And when she talks about the 'why' in relation to podcasting, for example, think about what that might mean for you. If there's a project you want to start or are already working on, what's your 'why?' And is it even important for you to define your 'why?'
There are several ways to learn more about Emma and what she's up to. You can check out her website emmakrebs.com, her instagram @byemmakrebs, and her youtube channel also @byemmakrebs. And I highly recommend her podcast 'The Curious One' for over 80 captivating conversations.
In spite of the fact that I took notes in preparation for this episode, there's more rambling than usual. All I can say in advance is that these are my reflections on having done 99 episodes to date, and planning for many more to come.
Singer/songwriter (and spin instructor) Morgan Weinmeister and I talked about the kinds of music she likes to write and perform, her focus on lyrics, the nature of vulnerability, and the power of specificity to convey the deeper feelings, as people 'may not connect with the lyric, but they connect with what they know that lyric feels like.'
And most importantly, that we should never feel like we need to be boxed into one thing.
You can follow Morgan on instagram @morganweinmeister. Also be sure to listen to her music on Spotify, starting with the album Bruises & Bellyaches. And if you find yourself in Montreal, sign up for one of Morgan's spin classes so you can connect the dots between instructor and singer/songwriter.
From sharing her experiences of academic mobbing to the ways in which she tries to create vulnerable (rather than safe) spaces for learning, professor of instructional design and technology Caroline Crawford is direct, engaged, and fully committed to the ongoing development and success of her student learners.
To learn more about Caroline and her academic work, you can check out her faculty page on the University of Houston at Clear Lake website at uhcl.edu/education/faculty/crawford-caroline
I had the pleasure of speaking with Craig Harrison - former British Army soldier, author, and Maverick Survival School course leader - not being quite sure how his story fit with the other conversations I've had over the past 3 and a half years.
And he was a perfect fit. How he spoke about his life with PTSD, the importance of communicating and connecting with others, and the restorative power of time in nature was brave, gentle, open, and generous.
You can check out themavericksurvivalschool.co.uk/ and instagram @cohcraigharrison to learn more about what Craig is up to today, and read his military memoir The Longest Kill: The Story of Maverick 41 for insight into what brought him to where he is now.
PS: For those of you who caught this, you're right - I mistakenly referred to a book as The Artist Within when it really should have been The Artist's Way.
Jason 'Blackbird' Selman is a spoken word artist, poet, and trumpet player. In this conversation, Jason shares his insights into the freedom of poetry, Carribean community and cultures, and what it means to be a good man out in the world.
Who am I, where do I come from, what does that mean, can I afford to be vulnerable... We can return to these questions, over and over, throughout our lives and experience how our responses evolve in time.
If you're interested in learning more about Jason and his work, you can check out his instagram @jason.b.selman. You can also look for his writings, which include “The Freedom I Stole” (2007, Cumulus Press) and “Africa as a Dream That Travels Through My Heart” (2016, Howl).
And be sure to check out the documentary, Ninth Floor, on nfb.ca to learn more about the events that occured after a group of Caribbean students studying at Concordia University (which was then called Sir George Williams) accused their professor of racism.
Two aspects of this conversation with dramaturg Aki Matsushita stood out to me most. One was learning what the expansive field of dramaturgy is all about. As Aki says, it’s an art practice that doesn’t necessarily show itself to people outside the development process. The practitioners themselves don’t even agree on how to pronounce it.
My biggest takeaway was that the dramaturg can help answer the question, 'why this story now?'
The other is a tangent I went on somewhere in the middle about cross-cultural communication. I was planning to remove it, but Aki’s response was both generous and illuminating, so I kept it in. It’s something I don’t know much about (obviously), so I thought it might be useful for others to hear about as well.
Learn more about Aki and her work through the Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal website at playwrights.ca/who-we-are as well as her Instagram @kikimg07
This is an episode about what it means to know your thread, if it's important to know what your thread is, and the relationships between who you are and what you do.
This is my conversation with David Gordon - artist, landscape designer, and owner of Bird Dog Arts Gallery in California's San Joaquin Valley.
I probably should have edited out even more of our conversation about growing up in the 80s but David is sharp and insightful; I couldn't help it.
Listen for David's insights into vulnerability, both for artists and also for people who buy art, people who then express a lot about themselves through pieces they have chosen to put on display.
Learn more about David and his work on instagram @davidgordondrsigns and online at birddogarts.com. Keep an eye out for Turkey, the Bird Dog Arts Gallery cat - he has his own instagram #isawturkey
'Failure is a lesson...I won't take one failure as a complete failure.'
That adaptability and openness to learning stood out to me during my conversation with Anna Wojcik, a fitness entrepreneur in continual development, always finding new ways to challenge herself and her clients (including me). She warns against remaining comfortable with what we know, encouraging us instead to break out of the bubble to take risks, fail and succeed, and keep looking for opportunities to learn new things, for both body and mind.
In Anna's words, step outside your daily. Be coachable. Start small. Take risks and grow.
Check out what Anna is up to through instagram @coach_anna_inc And if you're looking for a personal trainer and coach, she offers great sessions live and via zoom.
Claire Hankey first began making collages as a young child. Today, inspired by her father's brushes and paints, she creates fragile, dreamy pieces, in veils of mixed media.
Her work reflects early childhood memories - her family home and garden, her glamorous grandmother Evelyne. Reflections on the past also inspired her podcast series Where the Art Began.
A poignant moment for me is when Claire speaks about the importance of how we talk to people - children, young people, adults - about their art. Consider how you may have been affected in the past by what people have said about your work. And how might have you affected others?
You can learn more about Claire and her work at clairehankeyartist.com and on instagram @clairehankeyartist. If by any chance you're in Leigh-on-Sea at the right time of year, be sure to enjoy the local art trail (or find one near you). And have a listen to her podcast!
This is an episode about feedback, reacting, and learning from what we hear from others.
As you listen to my conversation with gardener Andi Strachan, see if you can look under the covers at what a garden - as art, creation, growth, and development - might mean to you.
Where do you see yourself and your work within this ongoing process of dynamic and ongoing setbacks and bursts; natural individual beauties that develop over hours, days, and years; design through light, colour; sharing knowledge; social pressures and wildness versus cultivation; and 'the relentless emergence of life?'
This really was a walk through life and art as garden.
You can learn more about Andi and her work on instagram @andi.strachan and by watching the amazing work she creates with friend and gardener Helen Lockwood on the Netflix series The Big Flower Fight.
This episode, my conversation with collage artist Duane Toops, got me thinking.
I got caught up in multiple dichotomoies - art versus craft, intuition versus analysis, conduit versus creator. And then, as Duane says, there's the quiet space between things, the unseen. Dichotomies set up false choices.
What are you noticing? What’s coming up for you, ‘when this piece touches this piece?'
You can learn more about Duane and his work here substack.com/@duanetoops and on instagram @duanetoops.
I enjoyed a quickening conversation with poet Rachel McCrum about interpreting the crafts of writing and painting, poetry as a space of ambiguity and uncertainty, and burnout. She shares this beautiful line from Inua Ellams - 'poetry is the cheapest way to be free.'
And the podcast she references is The Blindboy Podcast by Limerick-born musician and author David Chambers, also known as Blindboy Boatclub.
To learn more about Rachel and her work, you can explore rachelmccrumpoetperformer.wordpress.com online and @kicking.paris on instagram.
For sight into another aspect of Rachel's artistic practice, check out her vocals as a member of poetry noise bogrock band Pigs&Wolves at https://youtu.be/r9YRmDUvrzA (their EP 'The Unfortunate Waggle' is due out late October 2024).
Nola McConnan is unapologetically herself in the best ways, determined, self-reliant, and charmingly fierce. She has supported herself as an artist throughout her career, with mentorship and support, despite failing grade 13 French, and she turned a rec room into a room of her own.
Please take note - when she talks about Sheilah, that is one of her older sisters. And due to timing, I wasn't able to include the amazing account of her family's connection with Emily Carr.
Please be sure to check out her website https://merriweatherdesignstudio.com/
This is an admittedly odd little episode about tribes, belonging, support, feedback, inspiration, and propaganda.
It was fun (and somewhat nerve-wracking) to speak with my drawing teacher Corina Kennedy about making art, being a magpie, taking risks, and the story behind a lovely piece of hers called Work Force/Wind Force.
She reminds us of the importance of remembering what it's like to be a beginner and taking the chance to learn something new, allowing our work and ourselves to be seen.
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Stefan Lorenzutti, poet and co-publisher who runs Bored Wolves with his wife Joanna.
He shares stories about becoming a poet, inspired by Frederick the Mouse, sharing his work with friends after hours spent at the copy shop, moving to Poland and feeling isolated and alone until creating the growing community of poets, artists, and artist-poets whose work is now published by Bored Wolves.
You can learn more about Stefan and Bored Wolves by checking out boredwolves.com and on instagram @boredwolves
I talked with Matthieu Cheminée about his journey to becoming a silversmith, his travels to New Mexico and West Africa gaining inspiration and insight into metalworking techniques and designs, being an artist versus an artisan, and what it meant for him to stop making work to please other people and instead create exactly what he wanted.
Be sure to check out his work at matthieucheminee.com and on instagram @mattieucheminee
There's a theme that runs throughout my conversation with C S McIntire - what it means to be seen and not seen. We talk about his work and life, coming out, balancing the soft with the rough, and deserving to create.
Be sure to check out his work at csmcintire.com and on instagram @csmcintire
As one of the tenth episodes this one is just me, sharing a story about being called a copycat and what it means to me now.
The title of the book about hawks is H is for Hawks by Helen Macdonald, and the intervening work by Ludwig Wittgenstein is The Blue and Brown Books.
I'd love to hear what you think about copycats and originality, and what your sources of inspiration may be.
Melza Harvey integrates multiple materials with her beloved clay to create provocative and playful pieces (I somehow figured out how to record my voice over her audio through an OG Walkman embedded in one of her sculptures).
Melza shares stories about gender fluidity, expressing herself through her work, making brave choices to pursue her passions as a person, artist, and parent, and the roles of determination and fear in her ongoing development. The take home message is to go after what fulfills you.
You can learn more about Melza and her work at melzaharvey.com and on ig @melzaharvey
The conversation does opens with some tears, both in content and tone. Riel shares her experiences as a writer and performer, from growing up with parents in the arts, to touring with a horse and wagon travelling theatre company, to discovering and sharing her most integrated self on stage while learning to manage crippling stage fright.
You can see what Riel is up to on instagram @hahahahnsy and @i_see_voices
I talked with Susan Homa, wellness multipreneur, about her journey from traditional roles as interior designer and real estate broker to creator of Welmä Studio, a nurturing space for self-care, expression, and discovery.
As we move into a new year, consider what you may want to leave behind and what you want to welcome in 2024. And don't feel you have to stay in your lane.
Learn more about Susan and Welmä Studio by checking out welmalifestyle.ca and instagram @welmastudio
Observing without intent, to see what's truly there rather than what we think we see
The nature and purpose of collaboration, of creating collectively with others
Willingness to fail, as a greater opportunity for learning than success
Multidisciplinary artist Christopher Sicat goes deep into the nature of art, process and object, artist and subject, and self-expression. At heart, he is a poet and a dancer.
Be sure to check out his work on instagram @christophersicat
Susan Hensel is an experienced multidisciplinary artist working in media ranging from drawing with graphite to digital embroidery. I very much enjoyed our conversation, as we covered topics including the nature of beauty, the physics of light in triangular polyester thread, and just showing up, even if it's for only five minutes, as part of building a practice of competence and confidence.
Check out Susan's work online at susanhenselgallery.com and on ig @susan_hensel_multimedia_artist
This is an odd duck of an episode. I intended it to be a review of H of H Playbook by Anne Carson. It turned into a bit of a ramble about Anselm Kiefer, Heracles, the Vulnerability Journal Project, and a walk between darkness and light.
I'd love to hear what you think. You can email me at vulnerabilitylifeart@gmail.com
Anne Carson is a Canadian classicist, poet, translator, and professor. She has written a wide range of books, including Eros the Bittersweet and Men in the Off Hour.
Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor who has been creating monumental work throughout his career to ensure our collective history is not forgotten.
In this conversation, Mariette shares stories about what carried her and her husband Raymond from The Hague to Corrahopple in Ireland, how she opens herself to insights from the beings that surround her, the communities and larger families she connects through walks and conversations, and her reliance on intuition.
Learn more about life at Corrahopple through instagram @mariette_baptist
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Gerry Bohan, farmer and author living in County Leitrim, in the northwest of Ireland. I was touched by his first experiences with writing as a child, having his copy book thrown to the floor by impatient teachers.
Gerry talks about finding safe spaces to perform one's work, writing for self-expression, and sharing a way of life unique to his family and their connection to the land.
To learn more about Gerry's writing, you can check out https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/home/1362189/leitrim-writer-bags-top-literary-award-for-short-story-on-local-gaa-club.html
My conversation with designer Anna Agapova was impactful for me, and not just for learning about how she designs spaces with such attention to the influences of nature and art to meet the needs of each client.
I was impressed by her focused energy, especially as she faces new challenges and opportunities to work in different ways. The Greek root of Agapova is 'agape,' the highest form of love, and you can hear that in her voice as she describes what inspires and drives her.
Check out her work at oa-london.com and on instagram @annagapova
Time again for self-reflection... I've been working through the idea of what it means and why it matters to share our stories with each other. I may have talked myself in circles. This is something I need to put more effort into understanding.
Any feedback would be very welcome:
vulnerabilitylifeart@gmail.com
I'm not sure it's possible to embody vulnerability and resilience more than Valentine when we spoke, wrapped in a Red Cross blanket, hours after her home had burned down and just a few weeks before the vernissage for her work Play Bodies.
Her passion for painting, curiosity, openness, and capacity for holding space are absolutely inspiring.
Check out her work on instagram @vvv.alentin.aaa and at valentinemakes.art
Vincent Larnicol shares his experiences of collecting art, beyond the prosaic purchase of pieces.
Vincent engages passionately in conversations about art and philosophy, the relationships he cultivates with the artists who create the works, and his role in conserving these sources of beauty in the world.
Ville is a multidisciplinary artist born in Finland and based in California. He creates and documents installation pieces in natural settings through photographs and videos. His work comes from a place of integrity and reverence you can hear as he speaks. I admire not only the beauty of his pieces, but the intellectual rigour and clear spirit with which they were made.
Check out his work, including the book Lumen, at villekansanen.com and on instagram @villekansanen
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Spencer, a dancer and movement practitioner. He is open, committed, and passionate about performance, connecting with others, and being compassionate with oneself as a professional and human being.
Be sure to check out his work @spencerdennis_mvmnt on instagram
This is my follow-up conversation with Scott Norris after visiting him for a portrait session in the Mojave Desert. The experience brought a true and powerful meaning to feeling comfortable in my skin; it also raised questions about compassion and representations of self I'm not close to answering.
As Dogen said, 'The mountains are walking.' I'll continue to walk this path with much gratitude to Scott and the other artists who have shared their art, work, and lives through our conversations and connections over the past few years.
Learn more about Scott's work @sdnphoto on instagram and sdnorris.com
Photograph (c) Scott Norris
Shem is a painter working in South London. I enjoyed such a lovely conversation with him about art and life, music and collections, manifesting, taking risks, and not quitting on being happy.
Learn more about Shem and his work on instagram @shem_ahl
I enjoyed my conversation with photographer and gallerist Corey Notaristefano very much, I think mostly because he was so gently and easily open about his own vulnerability and the themes he explores through his photographs.
Be sure to check out his instagram profiles to learn more about his work - @the__bearded and @c.w.notaristefano - as well as his gallery and studio hueandcry.com.au/
When I asked Eugene Abrams - poet, visual artist, and teacher - how it feels when he reads one of his poems aloud, he said:
"I love words, and when I'm reading it's like I'm tasting the words. And I'm just enjoying, you know?"
What a precious gift, to write, share, and read words used in such beautiful and powerful ways, especially in the service of peace and the human soul.
If you can, make time to read, listen to, and write some poetry - and see what it brings you.
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Torrance York about the evolution of her photography practice as a tool she uses to make sense of her life, living and working with Parkinson's Disease, and her understanding of the nature of vulnerability and the process of artmaking.
Be sure to check out her work on instagram @torrance_york and torranceyork.com, and particularly her book Semaphore (www.torranceyork.com/semaphore)
I'm almost a week late in releasing this podcast, at least according to my self-imposed schedule. But I guess it had to come when I was ready, and a quote sent this morning by a friend was somehow the trigger to pull some pieces together, such as they are.
Self-awareness is something I've been working on, both personally and intellectually in some way. I'd really love to hear any feedback you may have. You can email me at vulnerabilitylifeart@gmail.com.
I realized after listening to my conversation with writer/performer Mike Boyce that this episode is more concerned with vulnerability in life than in art, but I think that partly reflects the fact that Mike's art is the stories he tells about his life, of doing the hard things and discovering a new sense of who he is.
If you're interested in personal storytelling, one of the important issues Mike raises is the question of which stories are truly ours, and which are not ours to tell even if they may be integral to our own understanding and development.
Learn more about Mike by checking out his instagram profile @mwboyce and you can also listen to his Geek 4 podcast, which explores fans, fan cultures, and fan communities.
Zoe Wittering explores periods of transitions and moments of vulnerability and uncertainty through her portrait photographs of herself and others.
We talked about her (what I consider to be brave) choice to leave a career in corporate law and move into work she finds so personally and professionally fulfilling, even or maybe especially because of the need to relinquish control and trust the creative process.
"...a lot of us struggle with control, and with being vulnerable as well, because in a world where there's only black and white there isn't any room for anything else..."
Be sure to check out Zoe's work on her website zoewittering.com as well as on instagram @zoewittering
A mirror and a window, intimacy, safety and connection, acceptance, authenticity, intuition, an invitation, a gaze and open space, risk, love
This is the story of my trip to Hawaii for a photography session with Jeremiah Mk Johnson
Be sure to learn more about Jeremiah and his work at jeremiahmkjohnson.com and on instagram @jeremiahmkjohnson
I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with Sandra Gea, a collagist, poet, and facilitator trained in the Soul Collage© method. She shared many insights, and one in particular stands out to me - how she felt when beginning to work as a self-taught artist. In spite of the doubt:
"...I was so deeply within me convinced that I can touch someone's heart with my work..."
Check out Sandra's work at sandragea.com and on instagram @the.art.of.sandra.gea
I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with photographer Scott Norris. I really appreciated what he shared, including insights into our relationship with the environment, self-portraiture, and:
"One thing that I can do, as a man, is to not always remain the invisible figure behind the camera, but make myself visible in front of the camera, with my own body"
Be sure to check out his profile on instagram @sdnphoto and his website sdnorris.com
Carole and I talk about self-publishing, how fiction may be inspired or interpreted by real life, distinguishing literary from contemporary fiction, opportunities for creating works about older women, what it might mean to write about protagonists different than ourselves, and how fiction can help us feel we're not alone
Look for Carole Scott's book The Broken Heart Repair Plan and check out her @carolemscott on instagram
Although slightly sidetracked by my recent trip to Hawaii, my conversation was mainly focused on writer and performer Megan Phillips' insights into circles of intimacy and layers of vulnerability, which has really helped me in terms of figuring out what to be vulnerable about to whom under what circumstances.
And when it comes to resistance, as she explains, "You're exactly where you need to be, and you're further along than you think." Please remind yourself of that anytime you may feel discouraged and tempted to give in.
Learn more about Megan at meganphillips.com and on instagram @megnatphil
I learned a lot from my conversation with Giuseppe (Joe) Di Leo
"Art matters," "art is about recording a felt life," "intimacy is drawing", "art gives me a sensation of worthiness," and what it means when a broken femur is healed
These feelings are so important to share, and I am grateful to Joe for expressing them
Be sure to check out Joe's work at giuseppedileodrawing.com and on instagram @giuseppe.dileo.64
Art should disturb the comfortable, because "in art, there are no secrets"
...in walks the human being, who is the clown...
I learned a lot from Joe about the role of the clown in a performance and also in our society at large. To be able to laugh, be present, and release tension - what gifts
Here are several ways to experience what Joe has to offer. Look for him on instagram @joe_de_paul, facebook @joseph.d.paul.71 and online at www.tim-and-joe.com. And definitely watch Placebo on youtube!
Well this was a scary episode for me to record, talking out loud about a solo show and the stories I might choose to tell
But what a great exercise
What stories would you tell about your own experiences and the meanings you might be able to draw from them?
What is revealed through a gaze between subject and artist?
As a Hawaii-based landscape and portrait photographer, Jeremiah elicits deep longings, fears, and desires by holding us in a space of still presence
As he explains, vulnerability is a tool we can use in our relationships that gives permission for others to disarmour themselves, which can then help us come together as community, society, and humanity
Check out his work at jeremiahmkjohnson.com and on instagram @jeremiahmkjohnson
From PhD studies in biomechanics to street, wedding, and portrait photography, Dan Aponte learned to trust and hone his skills and judgement in a new field as he went along.
What is the relationship between vanity and vulnerability? What are our needs for being seen and feeling validated? What are you revealing about yourself and the subjects of your work? Where are you investing the most time and energy? And what is your version of infinity?
Share your work.
Check out Dan's work online at danaponte.ca and on instagram @just_dan_thingz
I went a little off the beaten track this time. In this episode, I speak with paralympic cyclist Marie-Claude Molnar. She shares her insights into what it takes to build confidence, stretch boundaries, and achieve the highest levels of performance in any field, by refusing to settle in the comfort zone and instead taking one step at a time to reach the top of the mountain. Because the only way you can find out if you can do something is to try.
Check out her accomplishments at https://mariecmolnar.com and follow her on instagram @mariecmolnar
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Emma Ressel, a still life photographer who creates beautiful images of food and animals, exploring things below the surface we don't often talk about, from life and ripeness to rot and death.
I really had to think as we discussed stories we tell ourselves about the natural world, including our relationships with animals and the interplay between beauty and repulsion.
Be sure to check out Emma's work online at emmaressel.com and on instagram @emma.ressel
Lydia talked with me about vulnerability and letting go, being visual and creating images in our minds, defiance, discomfort and kindergarten
Be sure to check out her work at lydiapanas.com and on instagram @lydiapanas
There's something so interesting about the dichotomy that Christine sets up between failure and joy. And how your tolerance for each can depend on the field in which you may be playing at the moment.
And also, vulnerability as the opposite of control. I can identify with that. I feel like I can manage that in my day job, but am certainly not as comfortable in other domains - including drawing, photography, and even this podcast.
Christine Guy is the founder, creative director, entrepreneurial spirit, and artist behind Pollen Communication.
Be sure to check out her website www.pollennation.ca and Instagram profiles @christineguy_arts and @pollen_inc
Andrew Fedynak is a highly talented and committed fine art documentary photographer, as well as the publisher and designer of Zatara Press.
We talked about storytelling and workflow, analog and digital photography, wabi sabi, photos not taken, artists and creatives, and the influences of social media.
Check out www.fedynak.com and www.zatarapress.com to see what Andrew has accomplished. You can also visit @zatarapress on Instagram to learn more.
Andrew Fedynak is a highly talented and committed fine art documentary photographer, as well as the publisher and designer of Zatara Press.
We talked about storytelling and workflow, analog and digital photography, wabi sabi, photos not taken, artists and creatives, and the influences of social media.
Check out www.fedynak.com and www.zatarapress.com to see what Andrew has accomplished. You can also visit @zatarapress on Instagram to learn more.
Candice Nixon talks about graphic design, glass art, and the natural power of art to heal both the artist and those of us fortunate enough to experience her pieces
Be sure to check out her work @meltingpotstudio.ca on Instagram and www.meltingpotstudio.ca
And if I ever use the word 'pretty' again in reference to a work of art, please put me out of my misery!
It's not just that Micah Perry describes himself as a passionate, limitless person and artist. You can see it in his pieces themselves, whether tattoos, paintings, sculptures, or photographs - there's a strong sense of movement and life in his work that is captivating.
We talked among other things about the nature of vulnerability, and Micah makes an interesting distinction between feeling vulnerable and being vulnerable. I'd love to hear what you think.
After several days sick in bed, I thought more about what we see and don't see - and even more importantly, what we're not able to see, trying to tie together some reflections on self-knowledge and vulnerability.
After several days sick in bed, I thought more about what we see and don't see - and even more importantly, what we're not able to see, trying to tie together some reflections on self-knowledge and vulnerability.
I really enjoyed my conversation with Kristina. Among other things, we talked about puppetry, storytelling without words, collaborating with others, and what it means to call herself an artist.
Be sure to check out her work on instagram @kristinatroske because the experiences she creates through her art are absolutely amazing.
I really enjoyed my conversation with Kristina. Among other things, we talked about puppetry, storytelling without words, collaborating with others, and what it means to call herself an artist.
Be sure to check out her work on instagram @kristinatroske because the experiences she creates through her art are absolutely amazing.
Debe Arlook is a multiple award-winning photographer, educator, contributing editor, and advisor, and she also offers printing services for fine art photographers.
I really enjoyed our conversation and the range of topics we covered, from control and flow, to meditation and the viewer's experience, to happy accidents.
Be sure to check out Debe's work - including her project one, one thousand... - on Instagram @debearlook and at https://www.debearlookphotography.com/
I tried something different... I was reading a great book over the weekend and decided to share some of the authors' ideas in this episode.
The book, Art as Therapy, was written by Alain de Botton and John Armstrong and published in 2013. They explore various functions of art and then suggest organizing museums and galleries to enlighten core meaningful themes - such as Love or Nature - rather than the places or periods in which artworks happen to have been created.
They believe that, from a therapeutic perspective, art inspires us to be and do better - and that ultimately, our goal is to carry these virtues forward into our real, day-to-day lives.
Born in St Petersburg Russia and living now in Dubai, classically trained mezzo soprano Yana Mann writes, performs, and produces music in collaboration with artists around the world.
As she says with a laugh, "all my life is a big risk." But she has never let that stop her from experimenting with different styles of music and creating incredible experiences throughout her career, from performing opera as a young girl in Russia to her world premiere debut at Carnegie Hall earlier this year.
Learn more about Yana and her work @yanamann_ on instagram and online at yanamann.com, and be sure to listen to some of her beautiful performances on her youtube channel.
I'm going to take TJ's class in January 2023. Who's in with me...? soloshowcourse.com
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with TJ Dawe, theatre writer, performer, and educator. He shares wonderful insights into his work through autobiographical monologues, which are based on his awareness and willingness to share who he is and the stories he tells about himself.
Be sure to check out more about TJ at tjdawe.ca and definitely watch his show Medicine on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47MoQTDJ3wQ&t=1s&ab_channel=TJDawe
As TJ says, and we do well to remember, we're all in this. Be compassionate, with yourself and with others.
Joy Coutts worked in financial services in the UK until she decided to leave that world behind and become a writer, freelance copy editor, and facilitator of a group for women who want to learn what it means to write.
That's just the kind of brave choice her characters make in her first novel, A Missing Mother.
Among other things, we talked about finding one's voice, creating safe spaces for others, and the value of sharing what we create.
Minna Re Shin is an incredibly talented classical pianist who had her solo début with the Montréal Symphony Orchestra at the age of 10, and she has since won too many awards, fellowships, and grants to count.
She has now taken on a new challenge as the producer of Sonate Tableaux, featuring her interpretations of works by Alain Payette, as well as a performance video exploring the relationships among music, dance, painting, and theatre with artists Catherine Toupin, Natalija Jeremic, and Laurence Castonguay Emery.
Was I intimidated? Absolutely. But did I enjoy a lovely conversation with Minna? I absolutely did.
Check out https://www.minnareshin.com to learn more about this artist and her work.
Sara is a thoughtful photographer and writer, documenting the process of chronic illness.
But as she reminds us, the photo is an abstraction of the subject in front of the camera's lens. There are many stories she can tell through her work, and her insights into vulnerability and strength are touching and relevant to all.
Be sure to check out her work at www.sarajwinston.com or on Instagram @sarajwinston
Nate was a wonderfully sweet, gentle, and insightful guest.
I now know a little more about psychedelics than I did before, but more importantly I enjoyed a warm and open conversation with someone who genuinely cares about people and the stories we tell ourselves and others.
Be sure to check out his podcasts:
Curious Chimps and Psychedelic Archives
P.S. When you listen to the personal story I shared, here's a side note. I realized late last night that what I thought I told the woman wasn't quite what I actually said, which was something more like "...I miss it when we don't talk." Talk about the subconscious at work.
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts about what authentic vulnerability means to you. Please let me know!
vulnerabilitylifeart@gmail.com
Season 2 of Vulnerability in life and art launches with Mark Murphy, talented collage artist, graphic designer, and musician
We talked about the benefits of constraints, relationships between image and sound, the excitement of creating massive projections at scale, overcoming fear of failure, and what it may mean to call oneself an artist
This is the final episode of the first season of Vulnerability in life and art
I had a different kind of conversation with Kate Rusko, which revolved around a triplet of related themes - refuge, rest, and resistance
Kate has stepped through many fields, from fashion and economics through art and on to astrology and spirituality, and she shares a lovely series of insights from her experiences and reflections
During our conversation, Tara Semenov talked about her evolution from sculptor to gallerist, experiencing the real-life physicality of art, and her plans to open her own gallery
I really enjoyed hearing about Tara's experiences and vision for herself in the business side of the art world
Be sure to check out her work on Instagram @taralyd
Mixed media artist Jean-Christophe Couet talks about identity and community in such thoughtful and important ways
I learned a lot from my conversation with him
Check out his work on Instagram @_jeanchristophe as well as the account for the Transmission project @transmission.nyc
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Nadine Khalil, accomplished independent arts writer and curator based in Dubai. Her passionate connection with language and culture shine throughout the interview as she shares her love of film, performance art, and literary work. Be sure to check out her work @nadine_a_khalil on Instagram.
Chiara Williams is a charming artist, curator, and educator based in the UK.
Her latest series of still life paintings, titled Push/Pull, reflect a gentle awareness of our need for refuge from everyday challenges as we pursue art for art's sake, whatever that may look like for each of us.
Check out her work on instagram @chiara_williams or chiarawilliams.com.
Image © Chiara Williams
To paraphrase John Lennon, this episode is what happened while I was busy making other plans.
I thought I'd share some thoughts on the challenge of taking the rest we need and how that relates to the benefits of true refuge.
New York Times best selling co-author of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, founder of Undercats Media, and creator of narratives about and for the children who have felt invisible.
Francesca Cavallo grew up in the south of Italy, without models for the life she dreamed of, and so she created her own. The passion that drives her life and her art are inspiring for anyone with the desire to live in a world different than the one we inhabit today.
Visit her on Instagram @francescatherebel and @undercats or at www.undercats.com
This was one of those conversations that changed how I think and feel about my life and what I want to do with it
Angelika Kollin is a tremendously talented photographer with wonderful insight into what it means to make oneself vulnerable and create from that space
The timing is perfect - I will draw today, and I hope you take some time and energy to create something that is meaningful to you
In this episode, I introduce the next aspect of this exploration into vulnerability: the vulnerability journal project
You can listen to the episode to find out what the project is all about, then check out vulnerabilitylifeart.com/journal for more details
I would love to send you a blank journal to see what you create on your page and where it goes from there...
Frank creates beautiful metal artwork. I'm especially taken by his evocative and gentle pieces, like the machine which is holding - or being held by - a delicate dancing balloon of parchment.
Frank shares how he became an artist. Not just a person who makes art, but someone who gained the confidence to leave the construction industry and call himself an artist.
And he emphasizes the importance of being authentic, vulnerable, and fully open to the depth of every feeling.
Check out his work at frankstrunk.com or on Instagram @frankstrunk3rd
Shaun Stamp is an exceptional, sensitive artist whose work is at once both conceptual and strongly emotional.
His pieces span many media, from photography to sculpture and text to installations, addressing themes related to identity, what it means to be human, and making meaningful connections with others.
Learn more about Shaun and his work by visiting @shaunstamp and shaunstamp.com
Sid Daniels has drawn incredible inspiration from art and music dating from the 1930s to the 1950s, creating dramatic, captivating illustrations, murals & paintings that reflect the unique influences on his work
Sid shares highlights and lessons from his decades of experience as an artist. And he continues to explore who he is - and is becoming - as he makes and refines his art, every day
Visit @siddanielsofficial on instagram or siddaniels.com for more details about his life and art
Where are you on your journey? Are you open to learning from and connecting more deeply with other people, power animals, the natural world that surrounds us...?
I talked with Eva Blossom about the shamanic journey, vulnerability as our truth, and the power of looking into the eyes of another.
Please visit innerblossom.ca to learn more about gaining greater awareness and healing through the practices of shamanism.
What does it mean to be disabled? And how might we be disabling others despite good intentions?
Duncan Meerding is a lighting and furniture designer-maker from Tasmania. He's also visually impaired. How does that affect his work? Listen to learn more about vulnerability, accessibility, and sustainability.
And be sure to check out Duncan's work on Instagram @duncanmeerding or online duncanmeerding.com.au
Gary Trente is a gifted artist who shares wonderful insights into the act of making art and what it means to him, whether he is painting, drawing, or working through the process of creating his next piece.
Even during those periods in his life when he was doing other things, he never stopped thinking about making art.
Check out his profile @garytrente to see some of his beautifully rendered drawings of the buildings and streets of Manhattan.
Lynda Williams is a pioneer in multiple realms. Among many accomplishments, she wrote a 10-book series set in Okal Rel, a universe of her own creation. She shares her thoughts and experiences of writing, being published, connecting with an audience, and creating works of art in the spirit of #slowculture.
Teddy Syrette tells captivating stories about being a two-spirited indigenous actor, advocate & artist.
This conversation with Jocelyn Lee made me realize how vulnerability and strength truly complement each other and the proof is in her photographs, which marry them in the most exquisite way.
I took this opportunity to reflect on what I've heard from the people I've spoken with so far, what it has meant to me in my personal life, and what the podcast is about
As Nicole Travers explains, her art is "...almost like a subtle takeover..."
Nicole works mainly with beads, inspired by traditional quillwork. She stitches modern designs into fish skins she tans herself, highlighting beautiful personal, family, and cultural identities.
Erika Doyon, tattoo artist and shop owner, shares stories about the art of tattooing, mentoring artists, and her remarkable grandmother.
Mary Ann Becker shares her experiences and insights into photography on the streets of Paris and we talk about the relative challenges of expressing ourselves through different media.
I enjoyed a lovely conversation with Jianli Wu, a video game concept artist who explains how painting sexy beautiful men changed his life and work.
Jeanne Quinn, ceramic installation artist and professor, talks about some of her most impactful pieces and the stories behind them.
Casey (Remrov) Vormer is a self-taught artist and autism advocate who creates photorealistic drawings of animals, people, and landscapes.
Listen as Natasha de Grunwald shares what she has learned through practicing, teaching, and writing about therapeutic Thai bodywork.
Robert Kabwe talks about truth, censorship, and his lovely work in both web design and open world video game creation.
Amanda Marchand, award-winning photographer and writer, shares some of the inspirations and experiences that led to beautiful projects that include Night Garden and Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again.
This first episode explains the idea behind the series and what I hope you might learn from it.