Squatting Toad

In this last podcast of 2016, recorded in Ukraine, Mel reflects on the year and hopes to inspire us all to greater creativity in 2017. There'll be more comedy, for sure.

In this unmissable episode, Mel meets published author, Angela Thirlwell, for insights into her writing career and gets brilliantly helpful advice for aspiring writers.

Mel discusses amateur theatre with Angharad Ellis Jones of the Crouch End Players. Should we even call it 'amateur'? What inspires people to join an amateur theatre group? Is acting good for you? (Answer: Of course it is!)

Mel meets Barbara de Biasi, inspirational head of Fireworks Music School. Barbara explains what happens inside our heads when we play music and why it's important to learn an instrument. It seems that music is the most beneficial creative thing we can do.

This time, Mel Byron reviews and recommends some great books for creatives, by David Quantick, Grayson Perry and Fergus O'Connell. Entertaining, yes, but you'll also learn a lot (from this episode AND from the books!).

When is your creative work 'bad'? Who decides? And does it matter? Actually, it doesn't. Painter, Alex Vassiliades, talks about the fun she gets from the process and itself. A helpful reminder for all creatives.

Some helpful hints and inspiration for creatives, gleaned by Mel Byron from her own creative journey.

Funny, warm and insightful, performance poet and writer, Cynthia Hamilton, tells us what drove her to write and perform. Now she has taken a break from performing, how does she deal with the need for an audience? Once you take that step, are you always a performer, even if you never set foot on a stage again? And why the heck can't poetry rhyme?

Squatting Toad travels (almost) to Wales to join the Sunday meeting of a group of artists and art enthusiasts. Why do they paint together? Were those teachers who said we couldn't 'do' art right, or can anyone be an artist?

This time we meet Peter Evans, presenter of Icelandic music show, Ice Station, on Croydonradio.com. Peter also presents a monthly poetry programme. How did he hit upon these two passions and find the forum to broadcast on them? What can we learn if we want to make community radio?

So you're a musician and you want to play, but where? How do you let the world know how good you are, and how do you find and audience? Travel the open mic circuit. Musician, Dan Rubinstein, tells us about his experience.

This time, Mel reviews two important new books on creativity: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and Think Like an Artist by Will Gompertz, and asks for your suggestions for inspiring books.

This time, Mel Byron takes us back to some creatives from 1999. Then we ask, why is curiosity important to help us create?

How do we motivate ourselves and find time for creativity in our lives? Come to think of it, what is creativity? Mel Byron wonders about the concept of 'New Year, New You'. What do we need to change? Do we need to change anything? So many questions, so let's start making time to answer them and be creative in 2016.

In this latest episode of the creativity podcast,we meet blogger, Maria Vassilopoulos of Once Upon The Book. How should we approach blogging in order to build an audience? Is that the most important consideration? And we touch on the topic of self publishing.

Singing is good for you, and openings in choirs and other groups abound. This time, we meet singing group, The Wrablers, and hear their stories. More than just a small choir, these guys work hard to perfect what they do. We have some advice for would-be choral singers too.

Squatting Toad with a Hint of Radio 4! Coach and writer, Tania Hummel, discusses motivation, fear and what helps or hinders us creatively. More long words than previous episodes and more to think about. Why do we fear failure? And does Crouch End have any bookshops left? Listen and find out.

Inspiration for creatives from Emma McArthur of Emmalucymakes. How does she balance her full-time job and her crafting passion?

Episode 1 of the podcast on creativity. If you both work and pursue creative interests in your free time, this is the podcast for you.Presented by Mel Byron.