Chiara Williams is a talented artist, curator, and educator based in the UK Her 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 and at 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 @unde...
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 Take time today to make something that is meaningful to you Explore Angelika's work online at angelikakollin.com and on instagram @angeliakollin
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 Strunk III is a self-taught artist working in Saint Petersburg, Florida. From a background in commerical printing and construction, he made his way to developing his skills as a metal artist who creates 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 call himself an artist. He emphasizes the importance o...
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 on instagram 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...? Eva Blossom talks about the shamanic journey, vulnerability as our truth, and the power of looking into the eyes of another 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? I learned a lot about vulnerability, accessibility, and sustainability from our conversation Be sure to check out Duncan's work on instagram @duncanmeerding or online at 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 Learn more about her work at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynda_Williams
Teddy Syrette/Ozhawa Anung Kwe/Yellow Star Woman, who sits in the Wolf Clan, tells compelling stories about their life as a first nation 2Spirit storyteller, actor, artist, and advocate from Sault Ste Marie. The term '2Spirit' ( niizh manidoowag ) is a cultural identity that speaks to the long indigeneous history of gender diversity and same-sex relationships in different tribes and nations, which has been muddied and lost over centuries of colonial influence and law. I relate to his story about...
My conversation with Jocelyn Lee, an artist and photographer based in Portland Maine and Brooklyn New York, made me realize how vulnerability and strength truly complement each other. The proof is in her photographs, which marry them in an exquisite way, as landscapes and human forms pass through stages of birth and blossoming, fertility, bounty, fragility, and death. Jocelyn shares how she feels about challenging herself to take new directions in her work, experimenting with a looser, more surr...
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 Nova Scotian artist Nicole Travers explains, her art is "almost like a subtle takeover." We have to be gentle with our selves and spirits. If that bead is not laying quite flat, maybe it's not supposed to. Nicole works mainly with beads, inspired by traditional quillwork, elaborate Mi'kmaq indigenous patterns, and the loom she built with her father before he passed away. She pursues a boldness that takes people aback. She stitches modern designs into fish skins she tans herself with natural d...
Erika Doyon, tattoo artist and owner of Studio Artease in Montréal, shares stories about the art of tattooing, mentoring artists, and her remarkable grandmother. Getting tattooed puts people in a vulnerable state. In those moments she plays two roles, both tattoo artist and therapist, creating body art in her own style that delivers on client desires. Her grandmother made a living as a painter from the age of 30. From a start studying illustration and design in school, Erika worked office jobs u...
Mary Ann Becker shares her experiences and insights into photography on the streets of Paris and we talk about the challenges of expressing ourselves through different media. She describes her experiences at school, enjoying the magic of the kiln (as a sculptor), and then using the camera to capture experiences out in the world, waiting to see what images emerged - maybe 6 good ones out of 36 - while playing invisible pool, not looking when pressing the shutter. It's so important to play, to bel...
Jianli Wu is a concept artist who visualizes character ideas for video games and explains how AAA video game development depends on a few highly skilled artists driven by passion. He shares how painting sexy beautiful men changed his life, while working in a straight male industry targeting a straight male audience, in line with market demands. We can never underestimate the importance of being open with ourselves if we want to create our best work. You have to be honest with at least a part of ...
Jeanne Quinn became a ceramic installation artist and professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Colorado by way of the Art Shack at music camp. She's enraptured by the role clay has played at the heart of every civilization that has ever existed, including the relationship of ceramics with food (with a great story about the unique vessels created in Europe to be able to drink hot chocolate made from cacao imported from South America). Imagine not being able to sleep...
Casey 'Remrov' Vormer is a self-taught artist and autism advocate who creates rich photorealistic drawings of animals, people, and landscapes. From patterns and shapes of colours and roadmaps to friendly alien creatures to highly detailed animal portraits (as an animal lover), Casey developed his drawing skills in safe spaces, at times when social interactions were more challenging. Casey talks about what drawing does for him. It helps him feel calm, in the zone. As he explains, when you struggl...
Natasha de Grunwald is a massage practitioner, teacher, and author with expertise in therapeutic Thai bodywork and breathwork. She began her practice working with women who were HIV-positive, who developed AIDS, whose children were dying. She shares her personal experiences in coming to terms with our desire for external validation balanced against the more urgent need to express our true selves. She also emphasizes the need to understand oneself deeply as a whole person before being able to off...
Robert Kabwe talks about truth, censorship, and his work in animation, graphic and web design, and natural open world video games. As he explains, some of us learned to see our true selves - the truth of who we are - as weakness, which then means sharing who we are requires strength. But ultimately, "Showing your vulnerability is just showing who you are." One of the stories I appreciated was when Robert explained why he created his first video game. Because he wanted to. And when my son had an ...
Amanda Marchand is a creative and experimental photo-based artist I've known for over 40 years. She was gracious to take a chance on being the first guest on this podcast and I'll always be grateful that she invested time and energy in something entirely unknown to help a friend. Her work focuses on the natural environment explored from the perspective of inner narratives - the stories we tell ourselves - which she describes as "the nerves beneath the skin." Amanda shares some of the inspiration...
This podcast explores how artists and other creatives take chances and show themselves through their lives and work. It's about discovering who you are and can become through openness, risk, reflection, and conversation. If you feel hesitant, not sure you can uncover and express who you are and want to become, listen to one or two of these conversations and I hope you'll find what you need to take one step, then one more step. One step after the other makes the journey.
