Podcasts about artistic

Using glass as a medium to capture and refract light, David Yeshia seeks to freeze moments of transition, combining myriad elements to manipulate their visual and symbolic effects. Also a metaphor for his life at the time, Yeshia was smashing glass and rebuilding the fragments into something beautiful. A new breed of "artrepreneur," he emerged from the Covid pandemic bringing art out of the gallery and into the public marketplace by developing accessible and affordable works.  A self-taught Canadian glass artist known for his signature fused glass techniques, Yeshia has developed innovative methods including his "Glass Netting" technique, "Glascade" and signature "Free Mosaic" forms exploring glass as both structure and light. He was nominated for the Emerging Glass Artist of the Year Award by the Glass Art Society and has created sculptural works for government commissions and collectors across Canada. His work is sold at Walt Disney World, and his process-focused storytelling has attracted over 400,000 followers across social media, with his videos reaching tens of millions of views. Yeshia attended Concordia University Fine Arts, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in Theater and Religious Studies. In 2017, as an exotic mushroom cultivator in Montreal, Yeshia's business was hit hard by the Covid pandemic's impact on the restaurant and food industries. At 30 years old, he moved back in with his parents in the countryside just outside of Pembroke, Ontario—emotionally drained, uncertain about the future, and feeling like a failure. Dejected, without direction, he began to experiment with glass in the stained glass studio of his father, Jeffrey Melamed, an architect turned stained glass artist.  Says Yeshia: "When I was struggling and trying to rebuild my life, my family rallied around me. Their enthusiasm for my work gave me the encouragement and confidence to keep going. My mother began attending markets, my father helped with displays, shows, and accounting, and my sister brought her creativity and many great product ideas." Yeshia's business Artglas has expanded to Markham, Ontario, and now employs a staff of seven. Early on, a pivotal meeting with Disney's Keith Bryan inspired the artist's early series of fused glass art and eventually led to his ongoing contract to design and produce ornaments for Disney. In September 2026, Artglas will return to exhibit in "The Transparent Breath," an International exhibition of glass jewelry held at Venice Glass Week. Specializing in experimental fusing techniques to create contemporary glass jewelry that represents the Canadian identity, Yeshia's Venice collection showcases his unique talents of incorporating 24-karat gold and silver into the glass. "This will be our fifth time at Venice Glass Week. It was an honor to be amongst some of the greatest glass artists of our time, in one of the world's most historic hubs of the arts," said Yeshia. "And it was overwhelming connecting with artists from all over the world, sharing our work and creativity in such an inspiring environment." In 2027, Yeshia's company will also expand its online education and subscriber platforms, open a gallery and second studio space, and create more room for one-of-a-kind and conceptual work. Artglas also has new commercial projects in development, including a Disney concept still awaiting approval. Says Yeshia: "As Artglas grew, I had to learn how to wear many different hats, including artist, maker, employer, marketer, content creator, educator, salesperson, and business owner, while still preserving the meaning, symbolism, and quality of the work."    

"I really do believe that the arts are critical to how we move forward together, and live performance in particular, I think, is a way of us practicing how to move across our ideological boundaries and find one another and imagine these new worlds together and create together."Shanta Thake is the Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—the nation's largest performing arts complex. Before stepping into this role, she spent nineteen years at The Public Theater, shaping the city's cultural landscape through Joe's Pub and expansive community initiatives. Today, she is tearing down walls—both the literal barriers separating Lincoln Center from its neighbors, and the figurative ones that dictate who belongs in our cultural spaces. She views the arts not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure. We are pleased to have Shanta Thake to discuss her journey, the power of radical curation, and the future of public performance.(00:00) Reimagining Lincoln Center(03:09) A Collective Caretaking(03:47) The Technology of Human Creation(04:20) The Curiosity of Childhood(09:25) San Juan Hill and The Wall(14:20) globalFEST: Music and Connection(16:06) The Gift of Pause(17:20) A Collective CaretakingEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

"I really do believe that the arts are critical to how we move forward together, and live performance in particular, I think, is a way of us practicing how to move across our ideological boundaries and find one another and imagine these new worlds together and create together."Shanta Thake is the Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—the nation's largest performing arts complex. Before stepping into this role, she spent nineteen years at The Public Theater, shaping the city's cultural landscape through Joe's Pub and expansive community initiatives. Today, she is tearing down walls—both the literal barriers separating Lincoln Center from its neighbors, and the figurative ones that dictate who belongs in our cultural spaces. She views the arts not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure. We are pleased to have Shanta Thake to discuss her journey, the power of radical curation, and the future of public performance.(00:00) Reimagining Lincoln Center(03:09) A Collective Caretaking(03:47) The Technology of Human Creation(04:20) The Curiosity of Childhood(09:25) San Juan Hill and The Wall(14:20) globalFEST: Music and Connection(16:06) The Gift of Pause(17:20) A Collective CaretakingEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

"I really do believe that the arts are critical to how we move forward together, and live performance in particular, I think, is a way of us practicing how to move across our ideological boundaries and find one another and imagine these new worlds together and create together."Shanta Thake is the Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—the nation's largest performing arts complex. Before stepping into this role, she spent nineteen years at The Public Theater, shaping the city's cultural landscape through Joe's Pub and expansive community initiatives. Today, she is tearing down walls—both the literal barriers separating Lincoln Center from its neighbors, and the figurative ones that dictate who belongs in our cultural spaces. She views the arts not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure. We are pleased to have Shanta Thake to discuss her journey, the power of radical curation, and the future of public performance.(00:00) Reimagining Lincoln Center(03:09) A Collective Caretaking(03:47) The Technology of Human Creation(04:20) The Curiosity of Childhood(09:25) San Juan Hill and The Wall(14:20) globalFEST: Music and Connection(16:06) The Gift of Pause(17:20) A Collective CaretakingEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

"I really do believe that the arts are critical to how we move forward together, and live performance in particular, I think, is a way of us practicing how to move across our ideological boundaries and find one another and imagine these new worlds together and create together."Shanta Thake is the Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—the nation's largest performing arts complex. Before stepping into this role, she spent sixteen years at The Public Theater, shaping the city's cultural landscape through Joe's Pub and expansive community initiatives. Today, she is tearing down walls—both the literal barriers separating Lincoln Center from its neighbors, and the figurative ones that dictate who belongs in our cultural spaces. She views the arts not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure. We are pleased to have Shanta Thake to discuss her journey, the power of radical curation, and the future of public performance.(00:00) Reimagining Lincoln Center(03:09) A Collective Caretaking(03:47) The Technology of Human Creation(04:20) The Curiosity of Childhood(09:25) San Juan Hill and The Wall(14:20) globalFEST: Music and Connection(16:06) The Gift of Pause(17:20) A Collective CaretakingEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

Stuff, nonsense, the white heat of debate and yesterday's news today! Which this week involves … … which of these didn't host a TV chat show – Ian Botham, Charlotte Church, Lily Allen or Harold Wilson? … if you'd paid £102 to see two-thirds of the Fugees show up an hour late, wouldn't you SCREAM for a refund? … Britain's most rock'n'roll hotel and why the idea of “excess” seems purely American … Dave and Stephane Grappelli at the Sunset Marquis … Reversing Into Tomorrow! We Came, We Saw, We Left! The genius of Stiff Records, “the Motown of Bayswater”, and the oddballs and misfits they signed … “there are only two types of record demand: too little and too much” … “Artistic breakthrough, the first double B-side!” The single that started the Indie boom … and why naked ballet doesn't work.Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock'n'Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuff, nonsense, the white heat of debate and yesterday's news today! Which this week involves … … which of these didn't host a TV chat show – Ian Botham, Charlotte Church, Lily Allen or Harold Wilson? … if you'd paid £102 to see two-thirds of the Fugees show up an hour late, wouldn't you SCREAM for a refund? … Britain's most rock'n'roll hotel and why the idea of “excess” seems purely American … Dave and Stephane Grappelli at the Sunset Marquis … Reversing Into Tomorrow! We Came, We Saw, We Left! The genius of Stiff Records, “the Motown of Bayswater”, and the oddballs and misfits they signed … “there are only two types of record demand: too little and too much” … “Artistic breakthrough, the first double B-side!” The single that started the Indie boom … and why naked ballet doesn't work.Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock'n'Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuff, nonsense, the white heat of debate and yesterday's news today! Which this week involves … … which of these didn't host a TV chat show – Ian Botham, Charlotte Church, Lily Allen or Harold Wilson? … if you'd paid £102 to see two-thirds of the Fugees show up an hour late, wouldn't you SCREAM for a refund? … Britain's most rock'n'roll hotel and why the idea of “excess” seems purely American … Dave and Stephane Grappelli at the Sunset Marquis … Reversing Into Tomorrow! We Came, We Saw, We Left! The genius of Stiff Records, “the Motown of Bayswater”, and the oddballs and misfits they signed … “there are only two types of record demand: too little and too much” … “Artistic breakthrough, the first double B-side!” The single that started the Indie boom … and why naked ballet doesn't work.Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock'n'Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Christina Dukes Brown. CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey. The discussion centers on the organization's mission to support underserved youth through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, life skills development, athletics, and community engagement. Dr. Brown also shares her vision for empowering young people and calls on businesses, volunteers, and community leaders to help create opportunities for the next generation. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Highlight the needs of children and families in Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey. Showcase the impact of the Boys & Girls Club's programs. Encourage volunteers, mentors, business owners, and corporations to get involved. Promote youth entrepreneurship and leadership development. Demonstrate how communities can work together to improve outcomes for young people. Key Takeaways 1. The Boys & Girls Club Is a Lifeline for Many Families The organization serves more than 1,400 children and teens daily through after-school programs, summer camps, tutoring, athletics, arts, and mentoring. Many of the families served face challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and educational barriers. Impact: Academic support and homework assistance. Nutritious meals and safe environments. Positive recreational and leadership opportunities. Family and community support services. 2. Education Requires Community Support Dr. Brown explained that schools alone cannot provide everything children need to succeed. The Boys & Girls Club helps fill those gaps through smaller group settings, individualized attention, and additional academic resources. Programs Include: Homework support (Power Hour) Tutoring Character development Leadership training Creative arts and athletics College and career preparation 3. Entrepreneurship Is a Major Focus One of the Club's signature initiatives is Girls with Goals, a 10-week entrepreneurship program designed to help young women develop business skills. Participants: Learn from successful women entrepreneurs. Create business plans. Develop pitching skills. Present their ideas in a Shark Tank-style competition. The program aims to build confidence, leadership abilities, and financial literacy while inspiring future business owners. 4. Mentorship Is Critical A central message throughout the interview is the importance of mentorship. Dr. Brown emphasized that young people benefit from seeing successful individuals who share similar backgrounds and experiences. She encouraged professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to volunteer their time and expertise. Why Mentorship Matters: Provides real-world guidance. Builds confidence. Expands career awareness. Helps break cycles of poverty. Creates positive role models. 5. Challenging Negative Stereotypes Dr. Brown spoke passionately about overcoming what she called "deficit ideology," the belief that young people from marginalized communities lack the ability to succeed. Her message was clear: Talent exists everywhere. Success is not determined by zip code. Every child has strengths that deserve recognition. Soft skills are just as important as academic achievements. She stressed the importance of helping young people recognize their own value and potential. 6. Preparing Youth for Adulthood The organization serves youth from ages 5 to 25, including young adults who are still exploring career options. For older participants, the Club focuses on: Professional development Workplace readiness Internships Career exploration Leadership opportunities Dr. Brown also discussed expanding partnerships with local businesses to expose young adults to skilled trades and vocational careers. 7. Community Involvement Is the Solution Both Dr. Brown and Rushion McDonald repeatedly stressed that real change happens when communities become actively involved. The interview served as a call to action for: Volunteers Business owners Corporations Churches Mentors Community organizations The message: everyone has something valuable to contribute to the success of young people. Notable Quotes On Community Responsibility "I can't complain about the position of Black and Brown people in society if I'm not going to do the work necessary to support its elevation." On Motivation "It's hard to get to sleep at night because you're constantly thinking about what's next and what you must do. But I am motivated to jump out of bed every morning to come and support these communities." On Potential and Success "No matter where you come from and no matter what you look like, no matter what skin you show up in, you have the capacity to become great." On Building Confidence "We have to help affirm those skills just like the others, so that young people can be confident in who they are." On Mentorship "One of the best motivating factors for most young people is being able to look into the eyes of a person who looks like them, who has a similar background." On Entrepreneurship "Many of our teenage female club members wanted to start their own businesses." On Community Access "We want to make ourselves available to the community as often as the community has a need." Executive Summary Dr. Christina Dukes Brown's appearance on Money Making Conversations Masterclass was a powerful call for community-driven youth empowerment. She highlighted the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic's efforts to address educational challenges, develop future leaders and entrepreneurs, provide mentorship, and create pathways to long-term success. Her overarching message is that every child has the potential to thrive when surrounded by opportunity, encouragement, and a community willing to invest in their future. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Christina Dukes Brown. CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey. The discussion centers on the organization's mission to support underserved youth through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, life skills development, athletics, and community engagement. Dr. Brown also shares her vision for empowering young people and calls on businesses, volunteers, and community leaders to help create opportunities for the next generation. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Highlight the needs of children and families in Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey. Showcase the impact of the Boys & Girls Club's programs. Encourage volunteers, mentors, business owners, and corporations to get involved. Promote youth entrepreneurship and leadership development. Demonstrate how communities can work together to improve outcomes for young people. Key Takeaways 1. The Boys & Girls Club Is a Lifeline for Many Families The organization serves more than 1,400 children and teens daily through after-school programs, summer camps, tutoring, athletics, arts, and mentoring. Many of the families served face challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and educational barriers. Impact: Academic support and homework assistance. Nutritious meals and safe environments. Positive recreational and leadership opportunities. Family and community support services. 2. Education Requires Community Support Dr. Brown explained that schools alone cannot provide everything children need to succeed. The Boys & Girls Club helps fill those gaps through smaller group settings, individualized attention, and additional academic resources. Programs Include: Homework support (Power Hour) Tutoring Character development Leadership training Creative arts and athletics College and career preparation 3. Entrepreneurship Is a Major Focus One of the Club's signature initiatives is Girls with Goals, a 10-week entrepreneurship program designed to help young women develop business skills. Participants: Learn from successful women entrepreneurs. Create business plans. Develop pitching skills. Present their ideas in a Shark Tank-style competition. The program aims to build confidence, leadership abilities, and financial literacy while inspiring future business owners. 4. Mentorship Is Critical A central message throughout the interview is the importance of mentorship. Dr. Brown emphasized that young people benefit from seeing successful individuals who share similar backgrounds and experiences. She encouraged professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to volunteer their time and expertise. Why Mentorship Matters: Provides real-world guidance. Builds confidence. Expands career awareness. Helps break cycles of poverty. Creates positive role models. 5. Challenging Negative Stereotypes Dr. Brown spoke passionately about overcoming what she called "deficit ideology," the belief that young people from marginalized communities lack the ability to succeed. Her message was clear: Talent exists everywhere. Success is not determined by zip code. Every child has strengths that deserve recognition. Soft skills are just as important as academic achievements. She stressed the importance of helping young people recognize their own value and potential. 6. Preparing Youth for Adulthood The organization serves youth from ages 5 to 25, including young adults who are still exploring career options. For older participants, the Club focuses on: Professional development Workplace readiness Internships Career exploration Leadership opportunities Dr. Brown also discussed expanding partnerships with local businesses to expose young adults to skilled trades and vocational careers. 7. Community Involvement Is the Solution Both Dr. Brown and Rushion McDonald repeatedly stressed that real change happens when communities become actively involved. The interview served as a call to action for: Volunteers Business owners Corporations Churches Mentors Community organizations The message: everyone has something valuable to contribute to the success of young people. Notable Quotes On Community Responsibility "I can't complain about the position of Black and Brown people in society if I'm not going to do the work necessary to support its elevation." On Motivation "It's hard to get to sleep at night because you're constantly thinking about what's next and what you must do. But I am motivated to jump out of bed every morning to come and support these communities." On Potential and Success "No matter where you come from and no matter what you look like, no matter what skin you show up in, you have the capacity to become great." On Building Confidence "We have to help affirm those skills just like the others, so that young people can be confident in who they are." On Mentorship "One of the best motivating factors for most young people is being able to look into the eyes of a person who looks like them, who has a similar background." On Entrepreneurship "Many of our teenage female club members wanted to start their own businesses." On Community Access "We want to make ourselves available to the community as often as the community has a need." Executive Summary Dr. Christina Dukes Brown's appearance on Money Making Conversations Masterclass was a powerful call for community-driven youth empowerment. She highlighted the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic's efforts to address educational challenges, develop future leaders and entrepreneurs, provide mentorship, and create pathways to long-term success. Her overarching message is that every child has the potential to thrive when surrounded by opportunity, encouragement, and a community willing to invest in their future. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode features Rev. Jim Grossnickle-Batterton and Rebekah Priest, organizers of PeaceFest: Forging Peace & Cultivating Justice Together, a family-friendly community event taking place September 19, 2026, in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Representing local Church of the Brethren congregations, Jim and Rebekah share the vision behind PeaceFest and the importance of fostering peace, justice, and community engagement in today's world.Harrisburg Opera Association is launching its first complete season in more than 20 years, marking a major milestone in the organization's evolution toward a multidisciplinary arts festival serving Central Pennsylvania. Artistic and Executive Director Tami Swartz joins us to discuss the exciting 2026 season, which includes the free outdoor concert Opera in the Park: Battle of the Sexes featuring Broadway, television, and film star Rachel York, a new visual arts and therapeutic program, and the world premiere of The Velveteen Rabbit, a children's opera by composer Michael Gamon.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Christina Dukes Brown. CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey. The discussion centers on the organization's mission to support underserved youth through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, life skills development, athletics, and community engagement. Dr. Brown also shares her vision for empowering young people and calls on businesses, volunteers, and community leaders to help create opportunities for the next generation. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Highlight the needs of children and families in Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey. Showcase the impact of the Boys & Girls Club's programs. Encourage volunteers, mentors, business owners, and corporations to get involved. Promote youth entrepreneurship and leadership development. Demonstrate how communities can work together to improve outcomes for young people. Key Takeaways 1. The Boys & Girls Club Is a Lifeline for Many Families The organization serves more than 1,400 children and teens daily through after-school programs, summer camps, tutoring, athletics, arts, and mentoring. Many of the families served face challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and educational barriers. Impact: Academic support and homework assistance. Nutritious meals and safe environments. Positive recreational and leadership opportunities. Family and community support services. 2. Education Requires Community Support Dr. Brown explained that schools alone cannot provide everything children need to succeed. The Boys & Girls Club helps fill those gaps through smaller group settings, individualized attention, and additional academic resources. Programs Include: Homework support (Power Hour) Tutoring Character development Leadership training Creative arts and athletics College and career preparation 3. Entrepreneurship Is a Major Focus One of the Club's signature initiatives is Girls with Goals, a 10-week entrepreneurship program designed to help young women develop business skills. Participants: Learn from successful women entrepreneurs. Create business plans. Develop pitching skills. Present their ideas in a Shark Tank-style competition. The program aims to build confidence, leadership abilities, and financial literacy while inspiring future business owners. 4. Mentorship Is Critical A central message throughout the interview is the importance of mentorship. Dr. Brown emphasized that young people benefit from seeing successful individuals who share similar backgrounds and experiences. She encouraged professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to volunteer their time and expertise. Why Mentorship Matters: Provides real-world guidance. Builds confidence. Expands career awareness. Helps break cycles of poverty. Creates positive role models. 5. Challenging Negative Stereotypes Dr. Brown spoke passionately about overcoming what she called "deficit ideology," the belief that young people from marginalized communities lack the ability to succeed. Her message was clear: Talent exists everywhere. Success is not determined by zip code. Every child has strengths that deserve recognition. Soft skills are just as important as academic achievements. She stressed the importance of helping young people recognize their own value and potential. 6. Preparing Youth for Adulthood The organization serves youth from ages 5 to 25, including young adults who are still exploring career options. For older participants, the Club focuses on: Professional development Workplace readiness Internships Career exploration Leadership opportunities Dr. Brown also discussed expanding partnerships with local businesses to expose young adults to skilled trades and vocational careers. 7. Community Involvement Is the Solution Both Dr. Brown and Rushion McDonald repeatedly stressed that real change happens when communities become actively involved. The interview served as a call to action for: Volunteers Business owners Corporations Churches Mentors Community organizations The message: everyone has something valuable to contribute to the success of young people. Notable Quotes On Community Responsibility "I can't complain about the position of Black and Brown people in society if I'm not going to do the work necessary to support its elevation." On Motivation "It's hard to get to sleep at night because you're constantly thinking about what's next and what you must do. But I am motivated to jump out of bed every morning to come and support these communities." On Potential and Success "No matter where you come from and no matter what you look like, no matter what skin you show up in, you have the capacity to become great." On Building Confidence "We have to help affirm those skills just like the others, so that young people can be confident in who they are." On Mentorship "One of the best motivating factors for most young people is being able to look into the eyes of a person who looks like them, who has a similar background." On Entrepreneurship "Many of our teenage female club members wanted to start their own businesses." On Community Access "We want to make ourselves available to the community as often as the community has a need." Executive Summary Dr. Christina Dukes Brown's appearance on Money Making Conversations Masterclass was a powerful call for community-driven youth empowerment. She highlighted the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic's efforts to address educational challenges, develop future leaders and entrepreneurs, provide mentorship, and create pathways to long-term success. Her overarching message is that every child has the potential to thrive when surrounded by opportunity, encouragement, and a community willing to invest in their future. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How and why do art and Summer join forces? Art, and visual arts especially, show imminent change–but so does Summer and its ideal of creative flow. How did–or did not–art speak of the climate emergency, gender policing, the war–in short, of loss? What role does this hot and luscious season play in the hubris of conquest, or the black hole of grief? Art curator and writer Joana P. R. Neves, our host, reminisces about Agnes Martin and John Cheever, and their opposing ideas of Summer and of creation, touching on two paintings by David Hockney and a poignant text by Luigi Pirandello. Joana loved a text sent to her by its author, Vittorio Zappa, on Substack, that guided the last part of the episode, leading to its denouement. Is Summer the season of creative flow of life and art making, full of light and sensorial stimuli? Is creativity about desire or meditative art? Or are all these myths, perpetuated by capitalist simplifications? Has art contributed to create them? Or has it always been alerting us to the cruelty of change via Art Wonderment, the art of paradox?Did you enjoy the episode? Think about supporting Exhibitionistas by leaving a small donation: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhibitionistaThe painting A Bigger Splash, 1967, by David Hockney, is the epitome of hubristic summer. But it hides another painting, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with two figures), 1972, with a far more poignant story: they both tell the extremes of summer, and investigate the very special artifice telling a story of desire, change, loss and healing? Sign up for a tiered monthly support: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2624749/monetization/supporter_settings Your contribution keeps us going.Joana P. R. Neves reads a text by Vittorio Zappa: https://substack.com/@vittoriozappa/p-209760240Other references include:The Swimmer, John Cheever, 1964, New Yorker.The Swimmer, a film by Frank Perry, 1968.Did the episode stir Art Wonderment memories? Share them via text or voice message.Support the showCreated & Hosted by Dr. Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer with over 20 years of experience in the contemporary art field. Artistic director of Drawing Now Paris since 2018, she has worked across the industry, from the art market to education. She co-launched the art residency and project space Worlding in 2020. Exhibitionistas' first year offered exhibition discussions with guest co-host Emily Harding; organically, it grew into a more experimental show exploring art topics, stories and interviews complemented by Joana's publication Art Thinkosaurus on Substack. She champions ‘Art Wonderment's' embrace of complexity against the lure of ready-made opinions. A polyglot, she grew up in Lisbon, studied and lived in Paris, to finally settle in London with her artist husband, four children and two cats. Find us:On Instagram – @exhibitionistas_podcastOn Substack (NEWSLETTER: sign up!): Art Thinkosaurus > Exhibitionistas FilesOnline: www.exhibitionistaspodcast.comDo you want to be a guest on Art Etiquette? Reach out: joana@exhibitionistaspodcast.comCopyright: Joana P. R. Neves, 2024.

"I really do believe that the arts are critical to how we move forward together, and live performance in particular, I think, is a way of us practicing how to move across our ideological boundaries and find one another and imagine these new worlds together and create together."Shanta Thake is the Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—the nation's largest performing arts complex. Before stepping into this role, she spent nineteen years at The Public Theater, shaping the city's cultural landscape through Joe's Pub and expansive community initiatives. Today, she is tearing down walls—both the literal barriers separating Lincoln Center from its neighbors, and the figurative ones that dictate who belongs in our cultural spaces. She views the arts not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure. We are pleased to have Shanta Thake to discuss her journey, the power of radical curation, and the future of public performance.(00:00) Reimagining Lincoln Center(03:09) A Collective Caretaking(03:47) The Technology of Human Creation(04:20) The Curiosity of Childhood(09:25) San Juan Hill and The Wall(14:20) globalFEST: Music and Connection(16:06) The Gift of Pause(17:20) A Collective CaretakingEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

My "challenge" is to refrain from thrifting or buying new clothes! As a very light Soft Summer with Angelic/Natural blend, I wonder if it's even possible for people like me to stand out when they need to hold the floor. I truly feel invisible because I've muted and hidden myself.

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: A Creative Collision: Oskar and Lena's Artistic Encounter Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2026-08-10-22-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Vid den lilla kaféet i Visby, där de pittoreska kullerstensgatorna slingrar sig bland färgglada trähus, sitter Oskar och Lena.En: At the little café in Visby, where the picturesque cobblestone streets wind among colorful wooden houses, Oskar and Lena sit.Sv: Solen skiner.En: The sun is shining.Sv: Det är sommar, och Visby blomstrar med turister och doften av nybakat från kaféet.En: It is summer, and Visby is flourishing with tourists and the smell of freshly baked goods from the café.Sv: Små bord omgivna av blommor lockar till avkoppling.En: Small tables surrounded by flowers invite relaxation.Sv: På ett av dessa bord, med sina identiska läderväskor vid sin sida, sitter Oskar och Lena.En: At one of these tables, with their identical leather bags by their side, sit Oskar and Lena.Sv: Oskar är en konstnär.En: Oskar is an artist.Sv: Han älskar att måla landskap.En: He loves to paint landscapes.Sv: Denna gång vill han imponera på Lena, en författare som ofta är djupt inne i sina tankar, sökandes efter sin nästa stora idé.En: This time he wants to impress Lena, a writer who is often deep in her thoughts, searching for her next big idea.Sv: De har fikats tillsammans tidigare, men idag är behövd något speciellt.En: They've had coffee together before, but today required something special.Sv: Oskar är nervös.En: Oskar is nervous.Sv: Hans blick vandrar ner till hans väska, som bär akrylfärger, penslar och några gamla tidningar.En: His gaze drifts down to his bag, which carries acrylic paints, brushes, and some old newspapers.Sv: Lena, å sin sida, bär alltid på sin väska med anteckningsblock, pennor och en bok om gamla Gotlandssägner.En: Lena, for her part, always carries her bag with notebooks, pens, and a book about old Gotland legends.Sv: När de reste sig för att beställa sina drycker, hamnade deras identiska väskor i riktigt onödigt kaos.En: When they stood to order their drinks, their identical bags ended up in totally unnecessary chaos.Sv: Ingen märkte bytet.En: No one noticed the switch.Sv: När de återvände till sina platser med kaffe i hand, var det som om ödet spelade dem ett spratt.En: When they returned to their seats with coffee in hand, it was as if fate played a trick on them.Sv: Medan de pratade och skrattade, öppnade de sina väskor samtidigt.En: While they talked and laughed, they opened their bags simultaneously.Sv: Där, i Oskars väska, låg Lenas inspirationsbok och penna.En: There, in Oskar's bag, lay Lena's inspiration book and pen.Sv: I Lenas väska fanns Oskars penslar och några tidningar fyllda med märkliga rubriker som "Är Gotlands får en hemlig konstnär?"En: In Lena's bag were Oskar's brushes and some newspapers filled with strange headlines like "Are Gotland's sheep secret artists?"Sv: Först blev Oskar rädd och lite generad.En: At first, Oskar felt scared and a bit embarrassed.Sv: "Åh nej, nu tror hon säkert att jag läser om fårkonst," tänkte han.En: "Oh no, now she'll surely think I read about sheep art," he thought.Sv: Men Lena tittade upp, hennes blick full av nyfikenhet och skratt.En: But Lena looked up, her gaze full of curiosity and laughter.Sv: "Är detta din hemliga konstinspiration, Oskar?"En: "Is this your secret art inspiration, Oskar?"Sv: frågade hon med ett busigt leende.En: she asked with a mischievous smile.Sv: Oskar tog ett djupt andetag och bestämde sig för att spela med.En: Oskar took a deep breath and decided to play along.Sv: "Ja, jag visste att du skulle veta," sa han med en teatral falskhet.En: "Yes, I knew you would find out," he said with theatrical falseness.Sv: De skrattade båda högt.En: They both laughed loudly.Sv: Det var så absurt, men komiskt, att det bara förde dem närmare.En: It was so absurd yet comical that it only brought them closer.Sv: Med humorn som bärare av deras nya vänskap, föreslog Lena ett gemensamt konstprojekt.En: With humor as the carrier of their new friendship, Lena suggested a joint art project.Sv: "Du kan måla, och jag kan skriva," sa hon.En: "You can paint, and I can write," she said.Sv: Oskar log brett.En: Oskar smiled broadly.Sv: Hans hjärta svämmade över med en nyfunnen glädje och mod.En: His heart overflowed with newfound joy and courage.Sv: "Det låter fantastiskt," svarade han och kände att hans mål inte bara handlade om att imponera längre utan om sann kontakt och kreativt utbyte.En: "That sounds fantastic," he replied, feeling that his goal was no longer just about impressing but about true connection and creative exchange.Sv: I den långa sommarsolen, i kaféets levande atmosfär, lämnade Oskar och Lena stället med sig ovärderlig inspiration och nya planer.En: In the long summer sun, in the café's lively atmosphere, Oskar and Lena left the place with invaluable inspiration and new plans.Sv: Deras väskor var tillbaka där de hörde hemma, men deras innehåll hade förenats i en gemensam, inspirerande vision.En: Their bags were back where they belonged, but their contents had united in a shared, inspiring vision. Vocabulary Words:picturesque: pittoreskacobblestone: kullerstenswind: slingrarflourishing: blomstrartourists: turisterrelaxation: avkopplingidentical: identiskaartist: konstnärlandscapes: landskapimpress: imponerawriter: författaregaze: blickacrylic paints: akrylfärgerbrushes: penslarnotebooks: anteckningsblocklegends: sägnerchaos: kaosfate: ödetsimultaneously: samtidigtinspiration: inspirationheadlines: rubrikerscared: räddembarrassed: generadcuriosity: nyfikenhetmischievous: busigttheatrical: teatralabsurd: absurtcomical: komisktfriendship: vänskapcourage: mod

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Finding Inspiration in Urban Chaos: Sofia's Artistic Revelation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2026-08-08-07-38-20-es Story Transcript:Es: Sofia caminaba por el parque de la ciudad con sus amigos Mateo y Carlos.En: Sofia was walking through the city park with her friends Mateo and Carlos.Es: El aire fresco de invierno era revitalizante, y sus bufandas ondulaban con el viento.En: The fresh winter air was invigorating, and their scarves fluttered in the wind.Es: El parque, conocido por sus artistas y músicos callejeros, estaba lleno de vida y colores.En: The park, known for its street artists and musicians, was full of life and colors.Es: Mateo hablaba emocionado sobre la última obra de un pintor famoso, mientras Carlos comentaba lo bien que sonaba una banda de música improvisada al fondo.En: Mateo spoke excitedly about the latest work of a famous painter, while Carlos commented on how great an impromptu band sounded in the background.Es: Sin embargo, Sofia no podía concentrarse en sus conversaciones.En: However, Sofia couldn't concentrate on their conversations.Es: Su mente estaba en otra parte, buscando esa chispa de inspiración para su proyecto final de arte.En: Her mind was elsewhere, searching for that spark of inspiration for her final art project.Es: El caos de la ciudad la abrumaba.En: The city's chaos overwhelmed her.Es: Había tanta gente, tanto ruido; las voces, los risas, las melodías se mezclaban como un gran torbellino sonoro.En: There were so many people, so much noise; the voices, the laughter, and the melodies blended like a great sonic whirlwind.Es: Sofia se sentía pequeña e insignificante entre tal algarabía.En: Sofia felt small and insignificant amid such clamor.Es: Decidió distanciarse un poco de sus amigos y buscar un lugar más tranquilo para pensar.En: She decided to distance herself a bit from her friends and seek a quieter place to think.Es: Encontró un banco cerca de una gran fuente, desde donde podía observar el bullicio del parque sin estar en medio de él.En: She found a bench near a large fountain, from where she could observe the bustle of the park without being in the middle of it.Es: Respiró hondo y dejó que sus ojos recorrieran el escenario.En: She took a deep breath and let her eyes wander over the scene.Es: Miró cómo la gente paseaba, cómo los niños corrían, y cómo los artistas dejaban su marca en el suelo con tiza colorida.En: She watched how people strolled, how children ran, and how artists left their mark on the ground with colorful chalk.Es: De repente, al otro lado del parque, un muralista llamó su atención.En: Suddenly, on the other side of the park, a muralist caught her attention.Es: Este artista estaba creando un gran mural de tiza en el suelo.En: This artist was creating a huge chalk mural on the ground.Es: Sofia observó la dedicación y la pasión con la que el artista trazaba cada línea.En: Sofia watched the dedication and passion with which the artist traced each line.Es: Su corazón se aceleró.En: Her heart raced.Es: Cada movimiento del artista parecía contar una historia.En: Every movement of the artist seemed to tell a story.Es: Fue entonces cuando una idea surgió en su mente.En: That was when an idea arose in her mind.Es: Sofia sacó su cuaderno de bocetos y rápidamente comenzó a dibujar.En: Sofia took out her sketchbook and quickly began to draw.Es: Las líneas fluyeron, inspiradas por la energía del lugar y la creatividad del artista.En: The lines flowed, inspired by the energy of the place and the creativity of the artist.Es: Se dio cuenta de que su proyecto podría ser un mural que reflejaría las interacciones caóticas pero hermosas de la vida urbana.En: She realized that her project could be a mural that reflected the chaotic but beautiful interactions of urban life.Es: Finalmente, sus amigos la encontraron.En: Finally, her friends found her.Es: "¿Qué estás haciendo, Sofia?"En: "What are you doing, Sofia?"Es: preguntó Carlos, curioso.En: Carlos asked, curious.Es: Mateo miró el cuaderno y exclamó, "¡Es increíble!En: Mateo looked at the notebook and exclaimed, "It's amazing!Es: ¿Todo esto surgió hoy?"En: Did all this come to you today?"Es: Sofia sonrió.En: Sofia smiled.Es: Sus ojos brillaban con emoción renovada.En: Her eyes gleamed with renewed excitement.Es: Había encontrado lo que buscaba: la inspiración en medio del caos.En: She had found what she was looking for: inspiration amidst the chaos.Es: Se levantó del banco con una nueva confianza, lista para enfrentar cualquier desafío que su proyecto le presentara.En: She stood up from the bench with a new confidence, ready to face any challenge her project might present.Es: El parque seguía igual de vibrante, pero para Sofia, era un lugar nuevo y prometedor.En: The park remained just as vibrant, but for Sofia, it was a new and promising place.Es: Había aprendido a mirar más allá del ruido, a observar desde otra perspectiva.En: She had learned to look beyond the noise, to observe from another perspective.Es: Se marchó esa tarde con sus amigos, llenos de historias para recordar y más ideas para crear.En: She left that afternoon with her friends, filled with stories to remember and more ideas to create. Vocabulary Words:invigorating: revitalizantescarf: la bufandawhirlwind: el torbellinobustle: el bulliciomuralist: el muralistamural: el muralchalk: la tizafountain: la fuenteconfidence: la confianzaperspective: la perspectivasketchbook: el cuaderno de bocetosinspiration: la inspiraciónproject: el proyectointeraction: la interaccióndedication: la dedicaciónchaos: el caosband: la bandasonic: sonorospark: la chispalaughter: las risasartist: el artistascene: el escenariotrace: trazargleamed: brillabansound: sonartrace: trazarenergy: la energíasonic: sonoroclamor: la algarabíaoverwhelmed: abrumada

Message for future generations: Time capsule beneath Wenceslas Square contains coins, newspapers and a beer glass, Who is the greatest queer Czech? Prague Pride survey highlights unknown chapters of Czech queer history, How did people write in the past? Prague exhibition highlights artistic value of historic writing tools

Unlock your creative genius with 15 riddles only true artistic thinkers can solve!

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Brushstrokes of Courage: Lucía's Artistic Destiny Unveiled Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2026-08-04-22-34-01-es Story Transcript:Es: El aroma de las flores de cempasúchil llenaba el aire mientras Lucía caminaba por el mercado artesanal de Oaxaca.En: The aroma of the cempasúchil flowers filled the air as Lucía walked through the artisan market of Oaxaca.Es: Era invierno en el hemisferio sur y el sol brillaba suavemente, creando un ambiente perfecto para explorar.En: It was winter in the southern hemisphere and the sun shone gently, creating a perfect environment for exploring.Es: Las preparaciones para el Día de los Muertos se sentían en cada rincón.En: The preparations for Día de los Muertos were felt in every corner.Es: Lucía llevaba una mochila llena de pinceles y colores, su esencia de artista siempre presente.En: Lucía carried a backpack full of brushes and colors, her essence as an artist always present.Es: El mercado estaba vivo.En: The market was alive.Es: Colores vibrantes de papel picado colgaban de puesto en puesto.En: Vibrant colors of papel picado hung from booth to booth.Es: Cubos de cerámica pintados a mano, textiles de vivos colores y calaveritas de azúcar decoraban las mesas.En: Hand-painted ceramic cubes, brightly colored textiles, and sugar skulls decorated the tables.Es: Era un festín para los sentidos.En: It was a feast for the senses.Es: Lucía amaba este lugar; su madre, quien tenía un puesto en el mercado, la había traído desde pequeña.En: Lucía loved this place; her mother, who had a booth in the market, had brought her here since she was little.Es: Hoy, sin embargo, Lucía no venía solo a ayudar a su madre.En: Today, however, Lucía wasn't just there to help her mother.Es: Venía con un objetivo propio, uno que llevaba guardado en el corazón desde hace tiempo.En: She came with her own objective, one that she had kept in her heart for a long time.Es: Quería decirle a su madre que deseaba dedicarse por completo a su pintura, en lugar de continuar el negocio familiar.En: She wanted to tell her mother that she wished to dedicate herself entirely to her painting, instead of continuing with the family business.Es: Al acercarse al puesto de su madre, encontró a Martín y Renata, una pareja de turistas que recorría el mercado con los ojos llenos de curiosidad.En: As she approached her mother's booth, she found Martín and Renata, a couple of tourists walking the market with eyes full of curiosity.Es: "Hola," saludó Lucía.En: "Hello," greeted Lucía.Es: "¿Buscan algo en especial?"En: "Are you looking for something special?"Es: Martín, con una sonrisa, respondió: "Nos encantan las artesanías locales.En: Martín, with a smile, replied: "We love the local crafts.Es: Queremos llevar regalos únicos."En: We want to take unique gifts."Es: Renata añadió, "Todo aquí es tan hermoso.En: Renata added, "Everything here is so beautiful.Es: La cultura es tan rica."En: The culture is so rich."Es: Lucía asintió, orgullosa de su tierra.En: Lucía nodded, proud of her homeland.Es: Pero sus pensamientos volvían a su propósito del día.En: But her thoughts returned to her purpose for the day.Es: La idea de hablar con su madre la ponía nerviosa.En: The idea of speaking with her mother made her nervous.Es: Su madre siempre había soñado con que Lucía siguiera con el negocio familiar.En: Her mother had always dreamed that Lucía would continue the family business.Es: A medida que el día avanzaba, Lucía miraba a su madre trabajar.En: As the day went on, Lucía watched her mother work.Es: La veía feliz, hablando con los clientes, mostrando cada pieza con amor.En: She saw her happy, talking with customers, showing each piece with love.Es: Lucía dudaba cada vez más.En: Lucía doubted more and more.Es: ¿Cómo podría romper la tradición familiar?En: How could she break the family tradition?Es: Finalmente, reunió coraje, aprovechando un momento tranquilo.En: Finally, she gathered courage, taking advantage of a quiet moment.Es: Su madre, con una expresión suave, la recibía.En: Her mother, with a gentle expression, received her.Es: "Mamá, necesito hablar contigo," dijo Lucía.En: "Mom, I need to talk to you," Lucía said.Es: Su voz temblaba un poco.En: Her voice trembled a little.Es: Su madre la miró con curiosidad.En: Her mother looked at her with curiosity.Es: "Claro, hija.En: "Of course, my daughter.Es: ¿Qué pasa?"En: What's up?"Es: Lucía respiró hondo.En: Lucía took a deep breath.Es: "Amo ayudarte aquí, pero mi corazón está en la pintura.En: "I love helping you here, but my heart is in painting.Es: Quiero seguir mi propio camino, dedicarme por completo a mi arte."En: I want to follow my own path, dedicate myself entirely to my art."Es: Por un momento, el silencio fue fuerte.En: For a moment, the silence was strong.Es: El bullicio del mercado parecía lejano.En: The bustle of the market seemed distant.Es: Pero Lucía no apartó la mirada de la suya.En: But Lucía did not look away from hers.Es: Finalmente, su madre sonrió, con sorpresa pero también comprensión.En: Finally, her mother smiled, with surprise but also understanding.Es: "Lucía, siempre supe que tenías un don especial," dijo su madre.En: "Lucía, I always knew you had a special gift," her mother said.Es: "Quiero que sigas lo que te hace feliz.En: "I want you to follow what makes you happy.Es: Este puesto siempre estará aquí, pero tus sueños son lo más importante."En: This booth will always be here, but your dreams are the most important."Es: Lucía sintió un alivio profundo y cálido.En: Lucía felt a deep and warm relief.Es: Había temido decepcionarla, pero encontró apoyo y amor.En: She had feared disappointing her, but found support and love.Es: Con un abrazo fuerte, comprendió que su camino estaba por abrirse, lleno de colores y posibilidades.En: With a strong hug, she understood that her path was about to open, full of colors and possibilities.Es: Mientras el mercado seguía vibrando a su alrededor, Lucía sabía que este era solo el comienzo de un hermoso y valiente viaje hacia su verdadera pasión.En: As the market continued to buzz around her, Lucía knew that this was only the beginning of a beautiful and brave journey towards her true passion.Es: El amor de su madre sería su guía, como siempre lo había sido, en cada pincelada.En: Her mother's love would be her guide, as it always had been, in every brushstroke. Vocabulary Words:the aroma: el aromathe flower: la florthe hemisphere: el hemisferiothe environment: el ambientethe preparation: la preparaciónthe corner: el rincónthe backpack: la mochilathe market: el mercadothe sun: el solthe artisan: el/la artesano/athe booth: el puestothe cube: el cubothe skull: la calaverathe textile: el textilthe tourist: el/la turistathe curiosity: la curiosidadthe gift: el regalothe culture: la culturathe path: el caminothe family: la familiathe piece: la piezathe tradition: la tradiciónthe courage: el corajethe expression: la expresiónthe silence: el silenciothe dream: el sueñothe relief: el aliviothe hug: el abrazothe guide: la guíathe brushstroke: la pincelada

"I really do believe that the arts are critical to how we move forward together, and live performance in particular, I think, is a way of us practicing how to move across our ideological boundaries and find one another and imagine these new worlds together and create together."Shanta Thake is the Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—the nation's largest performing arts complex. Before stepping into this role, she spent nineteen years at The Public Theater, shaping the city's cultural landscape through Joe's Pub and expansive community initiatives. Today, she is tearing down walls—both the literal barriers separating Lincoln Center from its neighbors, and the figurative ones that dictate who belongs in our cultural spaces. She views the arts not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure. We are pleased to have Shanta Thake to discuss her journey, the power of radical curation, and the future of public performance.(00:00) Reimagining Lincoln Center(03:09) A Collective Caretaking(03:47) The Technology of Human Creation(04:20) The Curiosity of Childhood(09:25) San Juan Hill and The Wall(14:20) globalFEST: Music and Connection(16:06) The Gift of Pause(17:20) A Collective CaretakingEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

Fluent Fiction - French: Artistic Ambitions: Triumph and Inspiration in Montmartre Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2026-08-02-22-34-01-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Le soleil brille fort sur Montmartre cet été.En: The sun shines brightly over Montmartre this summer.Fr: Les ruelles pavées vibrent au rythme des touristes qui déambulent, émerveillés par la vue panoramique de Paris en contrebas.En: The cobblestone streets hum with the rhythm of tourists wandering, amazed by the panoramic view of Paris below.Fr: Mathis, un jeune artiste plein d'ambition, se promène avec son carnet de croquis sous le bras.En: Mathis, a young artist full of ambition, walks with his sketchbook under his arm.Fr: Son cœur bat fort.En: His heart races.Fr: Il est décidé à capturer l'essence de Paris pour son premier projet artistique majeur.En: He is determined to capture the essence of Paris for his first major artistic project.Fr: Cependant, Mathis éprouve des doutes.En: However, Mathis experiences doubts.Fr: Il se moque souvent de lui-même pour cacher ses insécurités.En: He often mocks himself to hide his insecurities.Fr: "Regardez, un artiste bancal !En: "Look, a clumsy artist!"Fr: ", plaisante-t-il tout bas en observant une vitrine de galerie.En: he quietly jokes as he observes a gallery window.Fr: Alors qu'il traverse la place du Tertre, des enfants rient et jouent autour de lui.En: While crossing the Place du Tertre, children laugh and play around him.Fr: Sans faire attention, Mathis trébuche sur un pavé irrégulier et s'écroule.En: Without paying attention, Mathis trips on an uneven cobblestone and falls.Fr: "Aïe, ma cheville !"En: "Ouch, my ankle!"Fr: s'exclame-t-il avec douleur.En: he exclaims in pain.Fr: Assis, il réalise qu'il ne peut plus marcher aisément.En: Sitting down, he realizes he can no longer walk easily.Fr: Il a une entorse.En: He has a sprain.Fr: Le moral en berne, Mathis se sent découragé.En: Feeling disheartened, Mathis is discouraged.Fr: Comment va-t-il découvrir Montmartre et s'inspirer s'il ne peut marcher ?En: How will he explore Montmartre and find inspiration if he cannot walk?Fr: Mais après réflexion, il décide de ne pas abandonner.En: But after some thought, he decides not to give up.Fr: "Je vais dessiner d'ici", se dit-il, assis sur un banc.En: "I'll draw from here," he tells himself, sitting on a bench.Fr: Il commence à observer son environnement avec plus d'attention.En: He begins to observe his surroundings more attentively.Fr: Alors qu'il esquisse les façades colorées, deux jeunes femmes s'approchent de lui.En: As he sketches the colorful facades, two young women approach him.Fr: "Salut !En: "Hi!Fr: Je suis Chloé, et voici Éloise.En: I'm Chloé, and this is Éloise.Fr: Besoin d'aide ?"En: Need some help?"Fr: demande Chloé avec un sourire chaleureux.En: asks Chloé with a warm smile.Fr: Éloise ajoute : "Montmartre est plein de secrets.En: Éloise adds, "Montmartre is full of secrets.Fr: On peut te montrer nos endroits préférés."En: We can show you our favorite spots."Fr: Mathis sent une lueur d'espoir.En: Mathis feels a glimmer of hope.Fr: Les deux amies l'emmènent dans des coins cachés du quartier.En: The two friends take him to hidden corners of the neighborhood.Fr: Elles parlent des artistes qu'elles ont vus, des danseurs sur la place, et des peintres de rue.En: They talk about the artists they've seen, the dancers on the square, and the street painters.Fr: Mathis écoute, émerveillé par leurs témoignages et leur passion pour Montmartre.En: Mathis listens, amazed by their stories and passion for Montmartre.Fr: La cheville de Mathis le lance toujours, mais sa motivation est ravivée.En: Mathis' ankle still throbs, but his motivation is rekindled.Fr: Il dessine avec ardeur, capturant les ombres et les lumières, les rires et les histoires racontées.En: He draws with fervor, capturing the shadows and lights, the laughter and stories told.Fr: Grâce à Chloé et Éloise, il comprend que l'inspiration est partout, même lorsqu'un obstacle survient.En: Thanks to Chloé and Éloise, he understands that inspiration is everywhere, even when obstacles arise.Fr: À la fin de cette journée ensoleillée, Mathis admire ses croquis.En: At the end of this sunny day, Mathis admires his sketches.Fr: Son art reflète l'animation et la beauté unique de Montmartre.En: His art reflects the animation and unique beauty of Montmartre.Fr: Il réalise qu'il a gagné une précieuse leçon : la confiance vient en affrontant les défis avec patience et créativité.En: He realizes he has learned a valuable lesson: confidence comes from facing challenges with patience and creativity.Fr: En quittant le quartier, Mathis est plus confiant.En: As he leaves the neighborhood, Mathis is more confident.Fr: Il n'est plus seulement un artiste plein d'humour ; il est un artiste avec une vision renouvelée.En: He is no longer just an artist full of humor; he is an artist with a renewed vision.Fr: Le soleil commence à se coucher sur Paris, promettant d'autres aventures et découvertes à venir.En: The sun begins to set over Paris, promising more adventures and discoveries to come. Vocabulary Words:the cobblestone: le pavéthe sketchbook: le carnet de croquisthe ankle: la chevillethe sprain: l'entorsethe bench: le bancthe shadows: les ombresthe gallery: la galeriethe facade: la façadethe rhythm: le rythmethe obstacle: l'obstaclethe inspiration: l'inspirationthe artist: l'artistethe project: le projetthe doubt: le doutethe window: la vitrinethe laughter: les riresthe challenge: le défithe vision: la visionthe sunset: le coucher de soleilthe motivation: la motivationthe storyteller: le conteurthe testimony: le témoignagethe corner: le cointhe painter: le peintrethe secret: le secretthe ambition: l'ambitionthe street: la ruethe square: la placethe discovery: la découvertethe neighborhood: le quartier

The conversation focused on Andry, a multifaceted artist from Greece, during her appearance at Wacken as a VIP guest. The discussion explored her musical career, artistic persona, challenges women face in the metal scene, and personal philosophies regarding individuality, empowerment, and authenticity. Several points were raised, including stories from both participants about developing their public personas and navigating industry expectations.Main Topics CoveredAndry's background and journey as an artist from Greece 00:42Experiences performing at Wacken and with major artists 01:04Her musical style blending genres and empowering themes 02:46The development of her on-stage persona, "the Mistress" 03:07Perspectives on personal growth, identity, and how life experiences shape who we become 03:29The meaning of "niceness" and the importance of balance and authenticity 05:57Navigating perceptions and labels in the music industry, particularly for women 09:52The importance of artistic uniqueness versus industry conformity 11:06Encouragement for listeners to embrace their own individuality 13:25Key Discussions & StoriesOne concept discussed was Andry's evolution from a young, kind performer to embracing a more empowered, assertive alter ego in her art 03:46.The discussion explored the process of finding balance between being “nice” and being true to oneself, and how this relates to personal and professional relationships 06:07.A key theme that emerged was the need for women in metal to assert themselves in male-dominated spaces, challenging stereotypes about femininity and power 09:52.Several points were raised, including the impact of industry expectations, the pressures to conform to specific female archetypes, and the continual struggle for artistic authenticity 11:03.A lighthearted story was shared about cultivating on-air and public personas, demonstrating how perceptions can shape or distort personal narratives 04:02.Notable Quotes“Basically I'm a one-woman band and I have my own record label, Baby Mistress Records.” 01:23“Most of all, I bring the feminine power, the empowerment of the women.” 02:55“Life is supposed to turn you into something… not something you're born, but it is a part of your personality.” 03:19“Being nice is having balance as a person. When you don't have balance, this is where you become a fool.” 05:57“You decide which version you want to be.” 06:36“If they see me as a bitch because I do my work and my job and I'm a professional... then I'm a bitch. No problem.” 08:12“You don't have to jump on the pit like a monkey to be powerful or to be considered as equal. That's nonsense.” 09:52“I am myself and I am me and I'm gonna do me and you are not going to impose what type of music I should play or how I use my voice.” 11:06“Maybe this has closed a lot of doors for me, but in the end, I sleep in peace.” 11:53“Keep on fighting, fighters. Don't give up. Not yet. You're not dead yet.” 13:27Resources & Links MentionedYouTube Channel: Andry's full live video clips and performances 12:19Instagram: @andry_blues_metal_queen 12:37Facebook: Andry – Blues Metal Queen (A-N-D-R-Y) 12:42Patreon: Connect and support Andry's work 12:44Record Label: Baby Mistress Records 01:23Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-adventures-of-pipeman--941822/support.Click Here to Subscribe for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!Follow @pipemanradio on all socials & Pipeman Radio Requests & Info at www.linktr.ee/pipemanradioStream The Adventures of Pipeman daily & live Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays at 1PM ET on W4CY Radio & Talk 4 TV. Download, Rate & Review the Podcast at The Adventures of Pipeman, Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & All Podcast Apps.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Amos's Artistic Leap: Finding Voice Amid Traditions Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-08-01-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: השמש במרפסת נתלתה בשמיים כמו אש גדולה, ומזכירה לכולם את ערבי הקיץ החמים.En: The sun on the balcony hung in the sky like a great fire, reminding everyone of the warm summer evenings.He: בחדר האוכל שבבית משפחת כהן היו פזורים כלי כתיבה וספרים חדשים לבתי הספר.En: In the dining room of the Cohen family home, there were scattered writing tools and new schoolbooks.He: תמונות הישנות על הקירות העניקו לחדר אוויר תקוע, מלא בזיכרונות ומסורות.En: The old pictures on the walls gave the room a stagnant air, full of memories and traditions.He: עמוס התיישב ליד השולחן, נוזף בשרוכים שנחתכו בנעליו הישנות, מול הצלחות שהוכנו לארוחת ערב.En: Amos sat down by the table, scolding the frayed laces on his old shoes, across from the plates prepared for dinner.He: "עוד שנה אחת," לחש לעצמו, "ואני חופשי".En: "One more year," he whispered to himself, "and I'm free."He: אמו, שירה, נכנסה עם קערת סלט קל, נאנחת עמוקות, מצטערת על מה שיכול היה להיות ולא התרחש.En: His mother, Shira, entered with a bowl of light salad, sighing deeply, regretting what could have been and wasn't.He: "עמוס, שוב אתה עם הרעיונות האלה?En: "Amos, are you again with those ideas?"He: " היא שאלה בעודם מסדרים.En: she asked as they arranged the table.He: "אתה יודע שחשוב שתבחר במשהו רציני לשנים הבאות.En: "You know it's important to choose something serious for the coming years.He: משהו כמו משפטים או חשבונאות.En: Something like law or accounting.He: אמנות לא תחנך שום בית.En: Art won't support any household."He: "עמוס נשך את שפתיו, מביט אל עבר אחותו, תמר, שהגיעה מהאוניברסיטה מלאת סיפורים על חיי העצמאות.En: Amos bit his lip, looking towards his sister, Tamar, who returned from university full of stories about independent life.He: "תמר, ספרי לנו על השנה הראשונה שלך," ביקשה שירה, מנסה לשנות את הנושא.En: "Tamar, tell us about your first year," requested Shira, trying to change the subject.He: תמר חייכה, עיניה נעוצות בתמונות שבקירות.En: Tamar smiled, her eyes fixed on the pictures on the walls.He: היא סיפרה בלהט על הכרה רחבה וחוויות חדשות, אך ראשה היה אצל עמוס.En: She passionately recounted her broad recognition and new experiences, though her mind was with Amos.He: היא ידעה מה עובר עליו.En: She understood what he was going through.He: "עמוס, מה החלום שלך?En: "Amos, what's your dream?"He: " שאלתה פתחה דלת לא צפויה לשיחה אמיצה.En: her question opened an unexpected door to a brave conversation.He: הלב של עמוס פועם בחוזקה.En: Amos's heart pounded strongly.He: "אני רוצה ללמוד אמנות," ענה בקול חזק מבעבר, למרות החשש.En: "I want to study art," he answered in a stronger voice than before, despite the fear.He: "אני יודע שזה לא מה שציפיתם, אבל אכפת לי.En: "I know it's not what you expected, but I care.He: זה מה שמלהיב אותי.En: It's what excites me."He: "שירה עצרה לרגע, מביטה בו עם דמעה קטנה בזווית עינה.En: Shira paused for a moment, looking at him with a small tear in her eye.He: "בני האהוב," אמרה בספקנות, "האמנו לך במשהו אחר.En: "My dear son," she said with skepticism, "we believed in something else for you."He: "תמר חייכה, נוגעת בזרועו בעדינות.En: Tamar smiled, gently touching his arm.He: "אני מבינה אותו.En: "I understand him.He: גם אני הייתי שם.En: I was there too.He: זה לא קל.En: It's not easy.He: אבל אם זה מה שעמוס רוצה, אנחנו צריכים לתמוך.En: But if this is what Amos wants, we need to support him."He: "האווירה השתנתה.En: The atmosphere changed.He: שירה, למרות ההתנגדות הראשונית, התחילה להבין את הרצון הכנה של בנה.En: Shira, despite her initial resistance, began to understand her son's sincere desire.He: "אנחנו נמצאים כאן בשבילך," אמרה לבסוף במבט שיהודי ההזדהות.En: "We are here for you," she finally said with a gaze full of empathy.He: בערב ההוא, בחדר האוכל החם, המשפחה הבינה שתמיכה אמיתית מתחילה בהקשבה ובהבנה.En: That evening, in the warm dining room, the family realized that true support begins with listening and understanding.He: עמוס, בדרכו, התחיל למצוא קולו.En: Amos, in his own way, started finding his voice.He: הוא ידע, הפעם הראשונה שהוא דיבר בבירור - הייתה הדרך להתחיל את דרכו לשם מה שבליבו באמת.En: He knew, the first time he spoke clearly was the way to begin his path towards what was truly in his heart. Vocabulary Words:scattered: פזוריםstagnant: תקועfrayed: נחתכוscolding: נוזףsighing: נאנחתregretting: מצטערתarrange: מסדריםserious: רציניaccounting: חשבונאותrecognition: הכרהbrave: אמיצהpounded: פועםdespite: למרותskepticism: ספקנותunderstand: מבינהsincere: כנהempathy: הזדהותsupport: לתמוךlistening: הקשבהtruly: באמתexperiences: חוויותpaused: עצרהtear: דמעהfixed: נעוצותpath: דרכוbroad: רחבהhousehold: ביתgazed: מבטindependent: עצמאותrealized: הבינהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

In this episode we explored our thoughts and history behind "The Death of Marat." The political climate of France and the background that led up to the events of the painting were discussed in detail. Our group discusses our personal opinions on history, the intent behind Jacques-Louis Davids choice of art, and more. Join us on our historical exploration of David and Marats relationship and impact!

Government extremism report raises questions; historic store in regions gets renovation; Prague exhibition highlights artistic value of writing instruments.

Writer Rachel Cusk asked: "Can a Woman who is an Artist Ever Just Be an Artist?" (NYT). Our host, contemporary art writer and curator Joana P. R. Neves, turns this  question of gender and skill on its head: can men be (good) artists? Cusk's book "Parade" (2024) is this Art & Literature special episode's book of choice.Joana embarks on an art and feminism quest: is gender a prison? Or is it the forceful power of the patriarchy? She is helped by living and fictional contemporary artists and writers, intersectional feminism, and philosophy of art via Vilem Flusser and his "theory of gestures".Did you enjoy the episode? Think about supporting Exhibitionistas by leaving a small donation: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhibitionistaArt and Feminism claim to walk hand in hand, but what if the structure of the art system itself was an inheritance of archaic patriarchal systems? The famous artist Georg Baselitz, who passed away this year, is a central figure in Cusk's book "Parade". Was he a product or an instigator of the system? And what is the patriarchal system? How and where does it manifest? And finally, where are modern men now, within this system that seems to block creative flow and artistic expression?Sign up for a tiered monthly support: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2624749/monetization/supporter_settings Your contribution keeps us going.Listen to the Women who Sarcast Episode" Sarcasm and Contemporary Art.Read Cusk's article in the New York Times (07/11/ 2019).Jingle: "Wunder", experimental poem by Joana P. R. Neves.Did the episode stir Art Wonderment memories? Share them via text or voice message.Support the showCreated & Hosted by Dr. Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer with over 20 years of experience in the contemporary art field. Artistic director of Drawing Now Paris since 2018, she has worked across the industry, from the art market to education. She co-launched the art residency and project space Worlding in 2020. Exhibitionistas' first year offered exhibition discussions with guest co-host Emily Harding; organically, it grew into a more experimental show exploring art topics, stories and interviews complemented by Joana's publication Art Thinkosaurus on Substack. She champions ‘Art Wonderment's' embrace of complexity against the lure of ready-made opinions. A polyglot, she grew up in Lisbon, studied and lived in Paris, to finally settle in London with her artist husband, four children and two cats. Find us:On Instagram – @exhibitionistas_podcastOn Substack (NEWSLETTER: sign up!): Art Thinkosaurus > Exhibitionistas FilesOnline: www.exhibitionistaspodcast.comDo you want to be a guest on Art Etiquette? Reach out: joana@exhibitionistaspodcast.comCopyright: Joana P. R. Neves, 2024.

Coinciding with Tu B'Av, the Jewish festival of love, the Jerusalem Moon festival will take place July 28th and 29th among the alleyways and historic buildings of the Kfar Shaul mental health center in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood. The festival, which is open free to the public, features music, theater, circus arts, visual arts, puppet theater, workshops, and more. Adam Yakin, Founder and Artistic director of the festival, spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal (Photo: Jerusalem Moon Festival)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

International Film Festival has showcased feature films from across the globe, kicking off at the Civic with the Aotearoa premiere of drama Big Girls Don't Cry, directed by Kiwi Paloma Schneideman. Artistic director Paolo Bertolin spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Finding Her Artistic Voice: Almudena's Journey of Self-Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2026-07-26-22-34-01-es Story Transcript:Es: El sol brillaba intensamente sobre el Parque del Retiro.En: The sun shone brightly over el Parque del Retiro.Es: El lugar estaba lleno de vida: familias paseaban, parejas remaban en el lago y los estudiantes de la escuela de bellas artes esparcidos por todas partes aprovechaban el taller de verano al aire libre.En: The place was full of life: families were strolling, couples were rowing on the lake, and art school students scattered everywhere were taking advantage of the open-air summer workshop.Es: Almudena, con su cuaderno de dibujos en la mano, miraba a su alrededor.En: Almudena, with her sketchbook in hand, looked around her.Es: El parque con sus jardines verdes y árboles altos era su refugio.En: The park with its green gardens and tall trees was her refuge.Es: Sin embargo, algo pesaba en su corazón.En: However, something weighed on her heart.Es: Miró a su amiga Maritza, quien trabajaba con confianza en una acuarela de colores vivos.En: She looked at her friend Maritza, who was confidently working on a watercolor full of vivid colors.Es: La seguridad de Maritza parecía venir de un lugar profundo, y Almudena sentía una punzada de duda sobre su propio estilo artístico.En: Maritza's confidence seemed to come from a deep place, and Almudena felt a twinge of doubt about her own artistic style.Es: —Almudena, ¿qué tal va tu obra?En: "Almudena, how's your work going?"Es: —preguntó Javier, acercándose con una sonrisa.En: asked Javier, approaching with a smile.Es: Almudena dudó.En: Almudena hesitated.Es: —No estoy segura.En: "I'm not sure.Es: Mi estilo es diferente.En: My style is different.Es: Siento que no encajo.En: I feel like I don't fit in."Es: Javier, siempre optimista, se sentó junto a ella.En: Javier, always optimistic, sat next to her.Es: —Tu arte es especial.En: "Your art is special.Es: No lo olvides.En: Don't forget that.Es: Compite contigo misma, no con otros.En: Compete with yourself, not with others."Es: A pesar de las palabras de Javier, Almudena sentía la presión.En: Despite Javier's words, Almudena felt the pressure.Es: La próxima exhibición en la escuela se acercaba, y ella deseaba que su arte fuera parte.En: The upcoming exhibition at the school was approaching, and she wanted her art to be part of it.Es: No quería ser solo otra más en la multitud; deseaba que su verdadera visión brillara.En: She didn't want to be just another face in the crowd; she wanted her true vision to shine.Es: Las horas pasaron, los pinceles iban dejando huellas de colores en papeles y lienzos.En: Hours passed, brushes left trails of colors on papers and canvases.Es: Almudena sabía que debía tomar una decisión: seguir su corazón o intentar captar la aprobación de los jueces siguiendo los pasos de otros.En: Almudena knew she had to make a decision: follow her heart or try to gain the judges' approval by following in others' footsteps.Es: Entonces, algo en ella cambió.En: Then, something in her changed.Es: Sabía que su arte significaba más cuando era sincero.En: She knew her art meant more when it was sincere.Es: El día de la presentación llegó.En: The day of the presentation arrived.Es: Con manos temblorosas, Almudena mostró su obra.En: With trembling hands, Almudena showed her work.Es: Era un paisaje del Retiro, pero no cualquier paisaje.En: It was a landscape of el Retiro, but not just any landscape.Es: Había un juego de luces y sombras, una abstracción que reflejaba sus emociones más profundas.En: There was a play of light and shadow, an abstraction that reflected her deepest emotions.Es: Mientras los jueces observaban, Maritza se acercó.En: As the judges observed, Maritza approached.Es: —Me gusta mucho lo que has hecho —dijo con una mirada genuina—.En: "I really like what you've done," she said with a genuine look.Es: Es diferente y auténtico.En: "It's different and authentic.Es: Me inspira.En: It inspires me."Es: Sentirse apreciada por Maritza, alguien cuyo talento admiraba, fue un giro inesperado para Almudena.En: Feeling appreciated by Maritza, someone whose talent she admired, was an unexpected turn for Almudena.Es: Sus miedos se disiparon poco a poco.En: Her fears gradually dissipated.Es: Javier le dio un rápido apretón en el hombro.En: Javier gave her a quick squeeze on the shoulder.Es: —¿Lo ves?En: "See?Es: Tu arte tiene un valor auténtico.En: Your art has an authentic value.Es: Jamás lo olvides.En: Never forget it."Es: Al terminar el día, Almudena no solo había ganado un lugar en la exhibición, sino algo aún más valioso: la confianza en su propia voz artística.En: By the end of the day, Almudena had not only earned a place in the exhibition but also something even more valuable: confidence in her own artistic voice.Es: Entre los árboles y el murmullo del parque, había encontrado su propósito y la valentía para ser fiel a sí misma.En: Among the trees and the murmur of the park, she had found her purpose and the courage to be true to herself. Vocabulary Words:the sketchbook: el cuaderno de dibujosthe refuge: el refugiothe heart: el corazónthe watercolor: la acuarelathe confidence: la confianzathe twinge: la punzadathe doubt: la dudathe exhibition: la exhibiciónthe crowd: la multitudthe brush: el pincelthe canvas: el lienzothe light: la luzthe shadow: la sombrathe abstraction: la abstracciónthe judges: los juecesthe murmurs: el murmullothe landscape: el paisajethe purpose: el propósitothe courage: la valentíathe voice: la vozunique: únicoartistic: artístico/apressure: la presióngenuine: genuino/aoptimistic: optimistaauthentic: auténtico/avaluable: valioso/ato earn: ganarto approach: acercarseto inspire: inspirar

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Anastasia Mironova is the founder of UpLevelMedTech, a leadership development and executive coaching practice focused on shaping the next generation of medtech executives. Anastasia shares her path from joining Medtronic as an MBA intern to building a career across marketing, strategy, sales, and M&A, and the pivotal moment that cemented her purpose. She breaks down the core themes she sees in leaders at every level—team effectiveness, operating with GM-level ownership, and influence without authority—and explains how “leadership by subtraction” and time inventory create the capacity for strategic impact. She also explores how music shaped her leadership through listening, pausing, and performing under pressure.    Guest links: www.uplevelmedtech.com Charity supported: Save the Children Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium Medical   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 085 - Anastasia Mironova [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and today I'm delighted to welcome as my guest, Anastasia Mironova. Anastasia is the founder of UpLevelMedTech, a leadership development and strategic advisory firm dedicated to shaping the next generation of executives in medtech. Through a blend of executive coaching, strategic advisory, and custom leadership programs, she helps senior leaders and teams elevate their influence, decision-making, and organizational impact. She is a passionate advocate for advancing women in leadership and brings two decades of lived experience navigating corporate growth, career transitions, and motherhood with authenticity and humor. Known for her relatable approach and her ability to make leadership growth feel both practical and empowering, Anastasia helps leaders show up with clarity and confidence in complex environments. When she's not coaching or facilitating programs, she loves spending time with her husband and daughter, often recharging at a beach somewhere and supporting mentoring initiatives that help women lead boldly and thrive in their careers and lives. All right. Well, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being here today. I'm, I'm really excited to speak with you. [00:01:55] Anastasia Mironova: Thank you for having me. I'm excited also. [00:01:58] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Well, if you wouldn't mind starting off by just sharing a little bit about you, who you are, your background, and what led you to medtech? [00:02:08] Anastasia Mironova: Oh my gosh. My name is Anastasia Mironova, and I'm the CEO and founder of UpLevelMedTech. We are the leadership development and executive coaching practice focused specifically on medtech, but I have not grown up around medtech at all. You probably hear that from other guests, I'm assuming, quite a bit. But I was born and raised in Kazakhstan in Central Asia, and I kind of grew up more around music and entrepreneurship and totally did not know anything about medtech. I came to US in early 2000s to do my MBA program, and one of my classmates was, at the time, working for Medtronic. And when I was finishing my MBA program, she said, "You know, we're hiring for a variety of marketing roles, including an intern, and I was thinking maybe you should apply because you have some of those skills." And I said, "Sure, I, I'm interested." And so the rest is history. I joined as an intern working for Medtronic and eventually worked my way up into product management roles and then global marketing, marketing and strategy, marketing strategy and sales, and then added M&A components to it. So loved it, and I very shortly thereafter, there was a situation that made me completely fall in love with the industry. And I would say that what I really appreciate about it the most is just how much purpose there is behind it, and that's what really connected me to it, and also just how much innovation is being brought forward because I come from a place that didn't necessarily have a lot of innovation readily available, you know, at the speed that we're producing it here. And so I, I really appreciated that, and that's how I-- that, that was my journey in medtech up until I then became a, an entrepreneur and opened up my own business. [00:03:51] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Okay, well thank you for sharing. There's so much I wanna dive into, but you said you did grow up around maybe not medtech, but entrepreneurship and leadership and things like that. Do you mind sharing a little bit about that and what maybe intrigued you? Because obviously you've become not only an incredible leader yourself, but you are coaching other leaders too. [00:04:11] Anastasia Mironova: Yeah, sure. It's, it's a really good question. I grew up around my parents' little, I call it mom-and-pop loving business. That business didn't start until after the wall fell and, and, and all of that, but because the business was so tiny, everybody was involved, and I was very much spending a lot of my time around that. And my mother was my early impact on how I was shaped as a leader later on. Unbeknownst to me, I would say she was what you and I would describe a servant leader today, probably long before that term was coined somewhere in a book or in a business school. But what it really taught me was one thing, which is you're not bound to any specific functional area. You are in the business of something, whatever your business is. And so it taught me to think more broadly and to think like a business person, and I would say, again, I was very unconscious to that at the time. I was just doing a lot of things, helping out, having fun, sometimes thinking about how I absolutely don't know what I'm doing, you know? But then later on, I became more and more self-aware about the fact that how much that business thinking actually helped me to succeed later on as a leader and, and help other leaders grow. [00:05:29] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, and I'm curious about that aspect. So you, you said it was lovingly a mom-and-pop place, which is wonderful, and, you know, you said sort of everybody was involved, and I feel, feel like that is a very common theme. And so one of the things that I'd be curious to have your take on is something that I discovered owning my own dance studio is there were, there were a lot of moments that were really fun, right? And you, you got to kinda show up in the community, and you, you had a business, and that's, that's a fun thing to do. But, you know, on any given day, I was everything from the CEO to the janitor, and everything in between. And I think that's a wonderful thing to experience as a leader, but I'm curious as to how that experience probably shaped your own style of leadership beyond being able to observe really good leadership up close and personally. But I'm just kinda curious how that, how, how sort of having a take in all the different aspects of the business may have really helped shape you. [00:06:27] Anastasia Mironova: Yeah. It, it, it's really kind of fundamental when I think about it, 'cause my mom said exactly the same phrase that you just mentioned. She told me always, "You have to be able to get along with everyone equally and treat everyone equally with respect, whether it's a janitor or your CEO, and your ability to get along with every level of the organization is what's going to shape the success." And, and she was very much modeling that behavior. But where I feel it shaped me was that when you work in, in medtech in particular, it's very cross-functional, right? So when you work in a particular area, say I was in marketing in early, in early days, I didn't think of myself as a marketeer. And, and what that meant for me is certainly I would focus on what I needed to do and my goals and our functional area imperatives and all of that, but I always was curious about how does the rest of the business work. And so I didn't think of myself as "I'm a marketing leader." I thought of myself as "I'm a business leader." And when you remain curious in how other aspects of the business work, how it all comes together, what are the macro trends? You know, what do the customers want? How are people compensated? How does the innovation pipeline get shaped? All of those things working together helps early on to make better decisions in your own swim lane. And it kind of like, it shaped me as a leader because I felt that it helped me to make better decisions in larger context in mind. But also it helped me to relate, to relate to a lot of people in a lot of different functional areas, and not assume what their life was like and what their day-to-day was like, but be curious about it. So I would say that definitely both of those things shape how I saw business as well as people in it, if you will. [00:08:18] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, I love that. I love the idea of curiosity and being willing to have conversations, meet other people, learn different aspects of the business, 'cause you're absolutely right. The only thing it can do is help you better understand your lane in relation to other people's lanes. And I'm wondering if part of that was also learning how to kind of to, to speak the language of other people's areas of expertise a little bit, in the sense of you're probably going to have a little bit of a different explanation for, say an upcoming project you wanna launch, say, like a, a marketing campaign to the CFO than you would maybe an engineer. So I'm curious how you, how that ha- unraveled for you. [00:08:59] Anastasia Mironova: Oh it was quite a journey. So earlier when, when I first started in medtech, and I was probably on my second role, I had a, a tremendous boss that was very visionary and, and she believed in talent development very much. And she said to me, "You need to go and probably get even more training in influencing and influencing skills." And I was like, "Wow, I would love to do that. I love everything that has to do with human psychology, behavioral, you know, psychology." And so she actually sponsored that, and I was able to do that. And what I quickly found was that the way you position your message and the way you deliver your message and how you influence different people varies drastically. And that really helped me later on as a leader to advocate for my team. I felt like at minimum, the influencing skills and the ability to relate to different people from different walks of life, it helps you to advocate for yourself and for your own initiatives and for whatever you might be focused on. But for leadership, it definitely helped me to be heard as a leader and advocate for my own team later on. And I also felt like other leaders were telling me, "You really understand what it's like to be in our shoes," and therefore were more willing to listen to what I had to say. So it's, it's such a counterintuitive thing at times, but I do believe in this concept of it is our job to inform ourselves of our conversation partner and not the other way around. And it, it works. It's very effective. [00:10:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that's, that is, that is incredible and such a great skill set to have and to pass along, and I really love your point about advocating for others as well, in addition to advocating for yourself. And so I know one of the things that you do brilliantly now is to help people who are potentially interested in taking that next step in their own leadership journey, whether they're interested in, you know, going from, let's say, director to VP, VP to C-suite, and things like that. So I was just wondering if you could share a little bit about how you made this successful for yourself, because you mentioned on, on your LinkedIn profile that you didn't work-- It's not like you were working crazy hours, or you were doing all the right things. And so I'd love to hear about your journey and then how you help others too, through their journeys as well. [00:11:27] Anastasia Mironova: Yeah, certainly. I'm thinking about back when most of my career happened, probably while I was very much navigating the demands of everything all at once, the demands of young family or having young family at the time, you know, parents and, and everything that we normally have on our plate. And I firmly believe that as a leader, you have to be very, very clean and clear on what your one or two things are that are super strategic in your world that only you can really do and drive, and this is your primary role. And so one of the ways I did that is I, I definitely was very, very intentional about how I spent my time, and I did a process once a month that had to do with my inventory, time inventory, believe it or not. And I would do it on the plane or, you know, on, on the ride to, to, you know, a, a seminar or something or a meeting, and it really helped me to hone in on these are the things that only I can really ensure to drive, and the rest belongs to my team so that they can shine and they can also, you know, we can be effective together. One of the things that I find the hardest is that people graduate from execution to that strategic impact, and it's hard to do that. Most of the time when I help my clients, the, the challenge is not the capability. It's not the skill set. I work with tremendously talented people. It's the capacity. It's the creation of that leadership capacity, and that takes what I call leadership by subtraction. You have to subtract something to create that space for your strategic impact, and that's what we work on often together, but that's what really truly helped me to be successful, is leadership by subtraction and inventorying it. [00:13:20] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Okay, great. Well, yeah, th- that's great because I'd love to learn more about your company now how you work with people, and kind of where you find perhaps some of the, the hardest things as, as you're growing in your career and your leadership responsibilities increase. So what are, what are some of the common things that you see that don't work well as you're trying to continue to grow in your, in that way? [00:13:46] Anastasia Mironova: For me or for my clients? [00:13:48] Lindsey Dinneen: Let's talk about for your clients. [00:13:51] Anastasia Mironova: Okay. So for my clients, I would say there are definitely very common themes as I see it. It's interesting to me because when I first opened up my business, I had this theory that the kind of challenges that people maybe at an individual level will face might be drastically different from those that are faced at the executive level. And I quickly learned that the challenges are all the same. The way they show up in your day-to-day life may be different, but the challenges are all the same, and they have to do oftentimes with three things. Do you really get laser-focused on how effectively you manage your team so that you and your team can elevate? The second area that's probably by far the most common is, are you operating at that GM level? Even if you're individual contributor, are you thinking from an ownership perspective like an owner would in a business versus a particular title or a particular role in, in honing in on that business, business acumen and the one that crosses all lanes, all company sizes, I would say all teams, all functions is, is influencing skills and presence. How do you show up in a way that honors other people but helps you to move both business and people forward and you have absolutely no authority over them, right? So it's that influence without authority. These are very, very for like front of mind for a majority of the teams that I work with. And I'd say one of the ways to probably, you know, deal with that or address that is, is definitely to be very intentional about development. So it's not just here and there or, you know, as time permits, but as, as the companies become more intentional about the development, the more capacity they create. I definitely believe that our future is not, not in necessarily having high potential development, but high capacity development. [00:15:55] Lindsey Dinneen: Hmm. Yeah. [00:15:56] Anastasia Mironova: If that makes sense. [00:15:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So how, how can we encourage companies to prioritize this? 'Cause I, I agree with you that the development all along the path is really important, and I know a lot of people take very personal ownership of that, and they do a lot of their own you know, training and things like that, and coaching. But, but what about from the perspective of a company? How can we encourage companies to be more involved and to understand the importance of the ROI associated with it, just to be frank? [00:16:27] Anastasia Mironova: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And that's the conversation where I would say the CHROs, the people leaders, are now taking a significantly more active role in companies to allow for that conversation to take place and to have a much deeper partnership with the business leaders to be more intentional about development. And I would say what I see is that's the best practice where they partner together and say, "My needs are like this," right? "These are some of my needs on my team, and here's our solutions. And how do we bring these solutions more systematically to all levels so that we can uplevel everybody?" And companies that do do that and have these conversations, then they, they're more disciplined as well as more prioritized around that topic. And where it doesn't become that partnership conversation on the table, it's harder, certainly harder. And I'm being completely frank and candid on that. [00:17:28] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah. Okay, so one of the things I noticed on LinkedIn is --you have w- several wonderful things. One of them that I really enjoyed was kind of seeing your different book recommendations, so it seems like you are a very avid reader, and also you grew up in a very musical environment, yeah? That's part of your background. So I'd love if you share a little bit about those, and maybe how you think that has helped you as a leader in your career. Just h-how do those things interplay? [00:18:02] Anastasia Mironova: Oh, you, you, you run a risk of getting me into my soapbox a little bit, but mus- yeah, yeah. Music is big. So I, I went to music school for 10 years and learned to, to play piano. But I probably could write a book about the parallels between music and leadership just for fun of it at someday when I retire and have time, because learning music really taught me a lot about leadership in, in a number of ways. If you think about medtech and you think about, again, how much of it is very cross-functional, a lot of different groups have to come together, words like alignment come to mind, right, all the time. In music, it's interesting because you have to listen to yourself as you play to make sure that you self-correct. And so that listening, that ability to listen to "How am I coming off right now?" is, is really important, I think, in leadership, particularly today when everything is more about being more inclusive, right, being more diverse in how you build your team. So I would say that listening ability is huge and shaped me as a leader. And the other one is the power of pause. If you, if you don't pause when you play when you're supposed to, it's just not gonna sound the same. It's not gonna land the same. And so, like that power of pausing to allow for a better response is another huge parallel, particularly in executive levels and like how you show up. And I would say probably the other one is ability to prep. There is a lot of preparation in leadership. You can attest to that. There's a lot of prep that goes into it. But then there comes the time when you have to go and in high stakes be composed and, and read the room and, and, and get there. So lots of parallels. I could think of many more, but these are just like the top three that I would say definitely prepared me, again, when it matters, you know? 'Cause I, I think a lot of times in leadership we talk about, you know, culture and engagement, right? And trust, and those are fundamentally unbelievably important. But I oftentimes think that leadership falls apart in those high-pressure moments, right? And music prepared me to deal with that quite a bit, so. [00:20:23] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Oh, I love that. So I t- I talk about this quite a bit too with s- my background is also in the arts, but on the dance side. I'm a professional ballerina, and, and one of the things that I often talk about is how, yeah, it prepares you for really high-stakes environments where you're gonna go in, and honestly, it doesn't really matter what kind of day you've had, what you, what's going on in your life. You're there to perform, so you have to learn to show up poised and in command and with confidence that may or may not actually exist. [00:20:56] Anastasia Mironova: Yes, definitely. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah, you have to compartmentalize it all. And even if you make a mistake, which is inevitably that does happen on stage when people are watching and all eyes are on you, and there, lo and behold, you tripped on a note or it didn't land quite there, and you just have to keep going. And I think that that skill is tremendous in leadership. [00:21:25] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, could not agree more. Okay, so you mentioned when you were first telling us a little bit about your story that there was a moment that kind of really made you fall in love with the industry or, or helped you feel fairly passionate about it, and I was just wondering, I always love learning what, what is a moment or a couple of moments that stand out to you as just affirming, "Wow, I am in the right place at the right time"? [00:21:50] Anastasia Mironova: Yeah, it's, it's a little bit of an emotional story, but I started my career in medtech in a external defibrillation category, which in simple terms, at the time, it wasn't something that was mandatory in schools, stadiums, airports, planes, you know, all these things were now are equipped with a little portable defibrillator wasn't the case. The laws haven't yet been passed, and so we were pretty early days, and we had to fight oftentimes very hard to get one of these into, say, schools. And so one of our team mem- members on the sales side did that, and later on, I met a six-year-old boy with his mom who survived sudden cardiac arrest in the school that we were able to fight and place the AED in because he collapsed with sudden cardiac arrest. And so we, we brought him to, to our company, and this little human was on stage, you know, alive because so many people carried that part, right? And I just get emotional just talking about it. That was my moment. It was really early on, and I literally just committed to it and never looked back. And I'm so happy that he was there , and then we met many more, you know, throughout the years, but that was my pivotal moment for sure. [00:23:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, that's such a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing that. I, yeah, that, yeah. I can see why that would get you every time because what an amazing, what an amazing thing to get to... 'Cause, you know, you, you know you're in a good industry doing good things, but when you get to see the impact on a patient, and a little human and to top it all off, oh my gosh, that's, that's beautiful. Yeah. [00:23:34] Anastasia Mironova: Thank you. Kids, right? And, and, and I've met a few patients since then that have been positively impacted, adults, various ages. And again, it just-- it's such a reminder every time. Even when I now work with my clients and I, you know, would talk to them about whatever their challenges are and work through that, most all of them share that and tell me, " Yesterday I was reminded, you know, because I met-- I went to the hospital, and I met, you know, some, some patients." It's unbelievable. Purpose. [00:24:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, okay, pivoting the conversation a little bit just for fun, and based on a previous answer, now I'm, I'm wondering if this will be similar, but imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a master class on anything you want. Could be within your industry, it doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach? [00:24:28] Anastasia Mironova: I would choose, I would choose to teach two things. One would be how to not fall apart under pressure, for sure. I would teach that in a heartbeat because I feel like there's just so much to it, and it's fun. It's actually fun. It's very, very learnable, and contrary to people's belief, anybody can learn that. So I would totally teach that. And I would teach it, believe it or not, how to tailor your message. The marketeer in me is still very much alive. I would teach about you can take this one thing that you really need to deliver and deliver it 16 different ways, and this is the one or two ways that it's going to get it landed, whether it's your investor pitch, your initiatives, your budget, your people, whatever you need. There's so much power in that, in tailoring it to the audience, and I have fun doing that, so I would probably teach those two things. [00:25:27] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. That's awesome. Okay, and then how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:25:33] Anastasia Mironova: That's a weighty question. Probably in two ways. For me, my most important values are my family, if you haven't guessed that already. So I would want to be remembered that I've spent a lot of really good special moments with my daughter and with my family because I feel like that's, that's what matters at the end of the day. And I would like for all the people whose lives I touch today and throughout my career leave with feeling more clarity, lighter, and just more uplifted after talking to me, and so that I leave them better off than when we started because that's, that's the legacy I want to create. I do believe both leadership as well as our personal life are comprised of those hundreds of very small moments, and that's how I would like to be remembered probably. [00:26:26] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes, I, I love that. I-- that's a beautiful legacy, yeah. All right, and then final question: What is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:26:40] Anastasia Mironova: My daughter's paintings, hands down. So I have a, an artist in the house, which I, I'm not artistically inclined from, from, from a painting perspective. Music, right, not painting. And she paints a lot, and so every time I see something being created, whether it's silly or serious, whatever she- her, her mood is at, it just makes me smile. So it's my, it's my instant instant smile of the day. [00:27:04] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that. Yes, I, I love art in general, and very much share the same, you know, idea that there's so much that you can take from what you learn from the discipline of, of being in the arts to where you go in the future. But anyway, that's so much fun to hear, so thank you for sharing. And just in general, thank you so much for being here today. I really appreciate it. We are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to Save the Children, which works to end the cycle of poverty by ensuring communities have the resources to provide children with a healthy, educational, and safe environment. So thank you so much for choosing that charity to support. I, I loved hearing your stories and your advice, and I appreciate how you're helping the next generation of leaders to succeed. This is such an important industry, and we want people to be successful, so thank you for the work you're doing to change lives for a better world. [00:28:05] Anastasia Mironova: Oh, thank you, Linds. Thank you for having me. I am really honored. You bring such wonderful guests always, that I look forward to your next episodes as well. Thank you very much for having me. I had so much fun talking to you. [00:28:16] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Good. Well, thank you, and until next time. [00:28:20] Dan Purvis: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium Medical. Velentium Medical is a full service CDMO, serving medtech clients worldwide to securely design, manufacture, and test class two and class three medical devices. Velentium Medical's four units include research and development-- pairing electronic and mechanical design, embedded firmware, mobile app development, and cloud systems with the human factor studies and systems engineering necessary to streamline medical device regulatory approval; contract manufacturing-- building medical products at the prototype, clinical, and commercial levels in the US, as well as in low cost regions in 1345 certified and FDA registered Class VII clean rooms; cybersecurity-- generating the 12 cybersecurity design artifacts required for FDA submission; and automated test systems, assuring that every device produced is exactly the same as the device that was approved. Visit VelentiumMedical.com to explore how we can work together to change lives for a better world.

Fluent Fiction - French: The Vibrant Canvas of Montmartre: Lucien's Artistic Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2026-07-22-07-38-19-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Dans le cœur animé de Montmartre, sous le soleil chaud de l'été, les drapeaux tricolores flottaient le long des rues pavées.En: In the lively heart of Montmartre, under the warm summer sun, the tricolor flags floated along the cobblestone streets.Fr: Les rires des touristes et les musiques des cafés emplissaient l'air.En: The laughter of tourists and the music from cafés filled the air.Fr: C'était le 14 juillet, la Fête Nationale, et Paris brillait de mille feux.En: It was le 14 juillet, la Fête Nationale, and Paris shone brightly.Fr: Lucien observait les étals colorés de l'exposition d'art de rue.En: Lucien was observing the colorful stalls of the street art exhibition.Fr: Il avait décidé, malgré ses doutes, d'exposer une de ses toiles les plus personnelles.En: He had decided, despite his doubts, to display one of his most personal paintings.Fr: C'était un tableau inspiré de ses rêves d'enfant, avec des couleurs vives et des figures dansantes.En: It was a painting inspired by his childhood dreams, with vivid colors and dancing figures.Fr: La peinture lui tenait à cœur mais le doute l'envahissait.En: The painting was dear to him, but doubt engulfed him.Fr: Serait-elle à la hauteur ?En: Would it meet expectations?Fr: Margaux était là, à ses côtés, comme toujours.En: Margaux was there, by his side, as always.Fr: Elle admirait son travail d'un œil bienveillant.En: She admired his work with a kind eye.Fr: « Ne t'inquiète pas, Lucien, c'est magnifique », disait-elle.En: "Don't worry, Lucien, it's magnificent," she said.Fr: Mais Lucien cherchait quelque chose de plus, un signe, une étincelle.En: But Lucien was looking for something more, a sign, a spark.Fr: Amélie se promenait, curieuse et enthousiaste.En: Amélie was strolling around, curious and enthusiastic.Fr: Elle venait de Marseille pour profiter de l'art et de l'atmosphère unique de Montmartre.En: She came from Marseille to enjoy the art and the unique atmosphere of Montmartre.Fr: Ses yeux se posèrent sur le tableau de Lucien.En: Her eyes fell on Lucien's painting.Fr: Intriguée, elle s'arrêta.En: Intrigued, she stopped.Fr: « C'est vous qui avez peint ça ?En: "Did you paint this?"Fr: » demanda-t-elle en souriant.En: she asked with a smile.Fr: Lucien hocha la tête, timidement.En: Lucien nodded, shyly.Fr: « Oui, c'est une de mes œuvres », répondit-il.En: "Yes, this is one of my works," he replied.Fr: Amélie prit le temps de regarder.En: Amélie took the time to look.Fr: « C'est vivant.En: "It's lively.Fr: On ressent une émotion intense.En: One feels an intense emotion.Fr: Vous avez un style unique.En: You have a unique style."Fr: » Les mots d'Amélie touchèrent Lucien.En: Amélie's words touched Lucien.Fr: Il sentait une chaleur dans sa poitrine.En: He felt a warmth in his chest.Fr: Peut-être sa peinture avait-elle une âme après tout.En: Maybe his painting did have a soul after all.Fr: Ils discutèrent longuement, Amélie parlant de son amour pour l'art et Lucien, de ses hésitations en tant qu'artiste.En: They talked for a long time, Amélie speaking of her love for art and Lucien, of his hesitations as an artist.Fr: Ils débattaient sur la signification et le but de l'art.En: They debated the meaning and purpose of art.Fr: Amélie le regarda dans les yeux et dit : « Vous devez croire en vous.En: Amélie looked him in the eyes and said, "You must believe in yourself.Fr: Votre perspective est précieuse.En: Your perspective is precious."Fr: » Ce fut un déclic pour Lucien.En: It was a turning point for Lucien.Fr: Amélie avait raison.En: Amélie was right.Fr: Soudain, la peur lui semblait moins lourde.En: Suddenly, fear seemed less heavy.Fr: Il se sentait plus confiant, prêt à montrer son vrai potentiel.En: He felt more confident, ready to show his true potential.Fr: Le soir venu, les feux d'artifice éclataient dans le ciel de Paris, illuminant Montmartre.En: By evening, fireworks exploded in the Paris sky, illuminating Montmartre.Fr: Amélie et Lucien regardaient ensemble, tandis que Margaux les rejoignait, souriante.En: Amélie and Lucien watched together, while Margaux joined them, smiling.Fr: Lucien avait trouvé non seulement une admiratrice, mais une amie.En: Lucien had found not only an admirer, but a friend.Fr: À cet instant, Lucien comprit qu'il devait suivre son intuition.En: At that moment, Lucien understood that he had to follow his intuition.Fr: L'art était une aventure, pleine de hauts et de bas.En: Art was an adventure, full of ups and downs.Fr: Il sourit, décidé à embrasser chaque moment et à avancer avec passion.En: He smiled, determined to embrace every moment and move forward with passion.Fr: La fête battait son plein, et dans ce tourbillon de couleurs, Lucien avait trouvé ce qu'il cherchait.En: The celebration was in full swing, and in this whirl of colors, Lucien had found what he was looking for.Fr: L'inspiration et la confiance se mêlaient à l'art de vivre, là, sous les étoiles parisiennes.En: Inspiration and confidence mingled with the art of living, there, under the Parisian stars. Vocabulary Words:the heart: le cœurlively: animéthe sun: le soleilthe flags: les drapeauxthe laughter: les riresthe cobblestones: les rues pavéesthe stalls: les étalsthe exhibition: l'expositionthe doubts: les doutesthe canvas: la toilethe figures: les figuresthe childhood: l'enfancevivid: vivesengulfed: envahissaitthe admiration: l'admirationshyly: timidementmagnificent: magnifiquethe warmth: la chaleurthe spark: l'étincelleunique: uniquethe emotion: l'émotionthe style: le stylethe potential: le potentielthe hesitations: les hésitationsthe fireworks: les feux d'artificeenthusiastic: enthousiastethe intuition: l'intuitionadventurous: aventureuxdetermined: décidéthe inspiration: l'inspiration

Fluent Fiction - French: Rain and Resilience: Élodie's Artistic Triumph in Paris Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2026-07-22-22-34-02-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Le jour de la fête nationale à Paris, Montmartre scintillait de vie et de couleurs.En: On the day of the national holiday in Paris, Montmartre sparkled with life and colors.Fr: Les ruelles pavées étaient remplies de stands d'art, et l'air était rempli de l'odeur des crêpes et du café.En: The cobblestone alleys were filled with art stands, and the air was laden with the smell of crêpes and coffee.Fr: Au loin, l'ombre majestueuse de la Tour Eiffel se découpait dans le ciel, tandis que des nuages menaçants commençaient à couvrir le soleil d'été.En: In the distance, the majestic shadow of the Eiffel Tower stood out against the sky, while threatening clouds began to cover the summer sun.Fr: Élodie, une artiste passionnée, se tenait nerveusement devant son stand.En: Élodie, a passionate artist, stood nervously in front of her stand.Fr: Depuis des mois, elle préparait patiemment ses tableaux, espérant que ces œuvres captiveraient l'attention des critiques d'art et des propriétaires de galeries.En: For months, she had been patiently preparing her paintings, hoping these works would capture the attention of art critics and gallery owners.Fr: La peinture était sa vie, son rêve.En: Painting was her life, her dream.Fr: Mais soudain, sans prévenir, le vent se leva.En: But suddenly, without warning, the wind picked up.Fr: Les nuages noirs éclatèrent en une tempête d'été, le tonnerre grondant au-dessus de la colline sacrée de Montmartre.En: The black clouds burst into a summer storm, with thunder rumbling over the sacred hill of Montmartre.Fr: Les premières gouttes de pluie tombèrent, lourdes et froides, menaçant de transformer le rêve d'Élodie en cauchemar.En: The first drops of rain fell, heavy and cold, threatening to turn Élodie's dream into a nightmare.Fr: Paniquée, elle regarda ses œuvres de papier et de toile commencer à s'alourdir sous l'eau.En: Panicked, she watched her paper and canvas works begin to sag under the water.Fr: Devait-elle tout abandonner et chercher un abri ?En: Should she abandon everything and seek shelter?Fr: Son cœur palpitait de la décision à prendre.En: Her heart raced with the decision she had to make.Fr: Avec calme mais détermination, Élodie fit le choix de rester.En: With calm but determination, Élodie made the choice to stay.Fr: Elle se précipita pour couvrir ses toiles avec une bâche en plastique.En: She rushed to cover her canvases with a plastic tarp.Fr: Les autres artistes autour, voyant sa détresse, vinrent à sa rescousse.En: The other artists around, seeing her distress, came to her rescue.Fr: Ensemble, ils utilisèrent des sacs en plastique, des parapluies, et même des nappes pour protéger chaque chef-d'œuvre de l'assaut de la pluie.En: Together, they used plastic bags, umbrellas, and even tablecloths to protect each masterpiece from the onslaught of the rain.Fr: La tempête passa aussi vite qu'elle était arrivée.En: The storm passed as quickly as it had arrived.Fr: Le soleil réapparut, et avec lui, un arc-en-ciel éclatant qui s'étirait au-dessus de leur petite enclave artistique.En: The sun reappeared, and with it, a brilliant rainbow stretched over their little artistic enclave.Fr: Les visiteurs, curieux de l'agitation, s'arrêtèrent devant son stand.En: Visitors, curious about the commotion, stopped in front of her stand.Fr: Les tableaux d'Élodie, épargnés par la pluie grâce à la force collective, scintillaient d'authenticité et d'émotion.En: Élodie's paintings, spared by the rain thanks to the collective effort, shimmered with authenticity and emotion.Fr: Les passants étaient captivés par son histoire de courage et de persévérance face à l'adversité.En: Passersby were captivated by her story of courage and perseverance in the face of adversity.Fr: Ce jour-là, Élodie apprit une leçon inestimable.En: That day, Élodie learned an invaluable lesson.Fr: Sa créativité ne résidait pas seulement dans son talent, mais aussi dans sa capacité à s'adapter et à persévérer.En: Her creativity lay not only in her talent but also in her ability to adapt and persevere.Fr: Les échos de son succès se répandirent parmi la foule, et son art devint le symbole du triomphe sur les tempêtes inattendues de la vie.En: The echoes of her success spread among the crowd, and her art became a symbol of triumph over life's unexpected storms.Fr: Alors que les feux d'artifice illuminaient la nuit de la fête nationale, Élodie souriait.En: As fireworks lit up the night of the national holiday, Élodie smiled.Fr: Elle n'avait pas seulement protégé ses œuvres, mais elle avait aussi trouvé en elle-même une nouvelle force, consolidant son dévouement à l'art sous le ciel toujours changeant de Paris.En: She had not only protected her works, but she had also found within herself a new strength, solidifying her dedication to art under the ever-changing sky of Paris. Vocabulary Words:the national holiday: la fête nationalethe alley: la ruellethe stand: le standladen: remplimajestic: majestueuxthe cloud: le nuagethreatening: menaçantthe artist: l'artistenervously: nerveusementpatiently: patiemmentto capture: captiverthe critic: le critiquethe gallery owner: le propriétaire de galeriethe work: l'œuvreto burst: éclaterthe thunder: le tonnerrethe hill: la collinethe nightmare: le cauchemarto sag: s'alourdirthe shelter: l'abrito race: palpiterthe determination: la déterminationthe tarp: la bâchethe umbrella: le parapluiethe tablecloth: la nappethe onslaught: l'assautthe rainbow: l'arc-en-cielthe enclave: l'enclavethe perseverance: la persévéranceto spare: épargner

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lost in Serenity: Mei Lin's Artistic Rebirth in a Hidden Temple Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-07-21-07-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在阳光的温暖照耀下，梅琳站在那座隐秘的寺庙前，面前是古老的雕刻建筑和盛开着莲花的静谧池塘。En: Under the warm sunlight, Mei Lin stood in front of the hidden temple, with ancient carved buildings and a tranquil pond blooming with lotuses in view.Zh: 寺庙坐落在翠绿的山峦之中，像是一片安宁的绿洲。En: The temple was nestled in lush green hills, like a peaceful oasis.Zh: 她在寻找灵感，但这远离城市的宁静让她有些不知所措。En: She was searching for inspiration, but the serenity away from the city left her somewhat at a loss.Zh: 这时，寺庙的僧人君走来，他身穿简朴的袈裟，面带平和的微笑。En: At that moment, the temple's monk, Jun, approached, dressed in simple monastic robes and wearing a peaceful smile.Zh: 说话间，他对梅琳充满了好奇，因为她的到来带来了他从未接触过的新世界。En: As they spoke, Jun was filled with curiosity about Mei Lin, as her arrival brought a new world he had never encountered.Zh: “你好，我是梅琳，我是一名画家。En: "Hello, I am Mei Lin.Zh: 最近，我感到与自己的文化脱节，不知道如何重新找到灵感。En: I am a painter.Zh: ”梅琳诚恳地说。En: Recently, I feel disconnected from my culture and don't know how to find inspiration again," Mei Lin said sincerely.Zh: “你好，梅琳。En: "Hello, Mei Lin.Zh: 我是君，这里的一名僧人。En: I am Jun, a monk here.Zh: 或许，我可以帮你。En: Perhaps I can help you," replied Jun in a gentle voice.Zh: ”君用温柔的声音回答道。En: Mei Lin felt a ray of hope.Zh: 梅琳感到一丝希望，她知道君的世界与她的完全不同，但她还是决定向他寻求指导。En: She knew that Jun's world was completely different from hers, but she decided to seek his guidance.Zh: 君考虑了一会儿，按耐住内心的犹豫，决定向梅琳展示寺庙里的一些古老艺术实践。En: After contemplating for a while, Jun decided to show Mei Lin some ancient art practices within the temple, despite his own inner hesitation.Zh: 随着端午节的临近，寺庙装饰着五颜六色的灯笼，池塘中莲花的倒影给节日增添了几分生机。En: As the Duanwu Festival approached, the temple was adorned with colorful lanterns, and the reflection of lotus flowers in the pond added liveliness to the festival.Zh: 君邀请梅琳参与庙里的传统仪式。En: Jun invited Mei Lin to participate in the temple's traditional ceremony.Zh: 梅琳抱着好奇与期待，跃入到浓厚的文化氛围中。En: With curiosity and anticipation, Mei Lin immersed herself in the rich cultural atmosphere.Zh: 仪式中的音乐、色彩和香气让梅琳沉醉于此，她忽然意识到，传统元素与现代风格可以完美融合。En: The music, colors, and fragrances of the ceremony intoxicated Mei Lin, and she suddenly realized that traditional elements and modern styles could blend perfectly.Zh: 参与完古老的端午节祭祀后，她萌生了全新的创作灵感。En: After participating in the ancient Duanwu Festival rituals, she was inspired with a new creative vision.Zh: 在离开寺庙时，梅琳带着崭新的信心。En: When leaving the temple, Mei Lin carried a renewed confidence.Zh: 她回到自己的工作室，创作出一系列融合传统图案与现代风格的作品，既表达了她的独特声音，又传递了她对文化根源的敬意。En: She returned to her studio and created a series of artworks blending traditional patterns with modern styles, expressing her unique voice and conveying her respect for her cultural roots.Zh: 这些作品精致而充满个性，展现了她在寺庙中的心灵领悟。En: These pieces were exquisite and full of character, showcasing the spiritual insights she gained at the temple.Zh: 君也因梅琳的作品，见识到了现代艺术的美丽。En: Jun was also amazed by Mei Lin's works, appreciating the beauty of modern art.Zh: 他开始欣赏变化与现代性，理解到多样性也能与简朴相得益彰。En: He began to admire change and modernity, understanding that diversity can complement simplicity.Zh: 在这个隐秘的寺庙里，梅琳找到了自我，君也学会了一点开放心扉。En: In this hidden temple, Mei Lin found herself, while Jun learned to open his heart a bit.Zh: 两人都在这次偶遇中得到了成长，世界也因此变得更加丰富与精彩。En: Both grew from this encounter, making the world richer and more vibrant as a result. Vocabulary Words:sunlight: 阳光hidden: 隐秘carved: 雕刻tranquil: 静谧pond: 池塘blooming: 盛开nestled: 坐落inspiration: 灵感serenity: 宁静sincerely: 诚恳contemplating: 考虑hesitation: 犹豫adorned: 装饰reflection: 倒影anticipation: 期待immersed: 沉醉ceremony: 仪式intoxicated: 沉醉blend: 融合creative: 创作vision: 想象confidence: 信心culture: 文化exquisite: 精致insights: 领悟modernity: 现代性diversity: 多样性complement: 相得益彰open: 开放vibrant: 精彩

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Linnéa's Artistic Revival: Finding Inspiration in Chaos Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2026-07-21-07-38-19-sv Story Transcript:Sv: I Stockholms skärgård, bland klipporna och den doftande tallskogen, kämpar Linnéa med ett hjärta fullt av tvivel.En: In the Stockholms skärgård, amidst the cliffs and the fragrant pine forest, Linnéa struggles with a heart full of doubts.Sv: Som en sommarfjäril i vinden, söker hon tillbaka till konsten som en gång gav hennes liv mening.En: Like a summer butterfly in the wind, she seeks to return to the art that once gave her life meaning.Sv: Midsommarafton har just passerat och nu, i denna stilla efterdyning, står hon vid kanten av ön, blickande ut över vattnet.En: Midsommarafton has just passed, and now, in this calm aftermath, she stands at the edge of the island, gazing out over the water.Sv: Björn, hennes trofasta partner, står vid hennes sida.En: Björn, her faithful partner, stands by her side.Sv: "Jag vet att du kan," säger han med en röst full av lugn.En: "I know you can," he says with a voice full of calm.Sv: Men Linnéas blick är osäker.En: But Linnéa's gaze is uncertain.Sv: Det är som om färgerna på duken har bleknat, lika orörliga som hennes inspiration.En: It's as if the colors on the canvas have faded, as immobile as her inspiration.Sv: En dag, när moln samlas hotfullt på himlen, hörs ett skratt från stigen.En: One day, when clouds gather threateningly in the sky, laughter is heard from the path.Sv: Elsa, en gammal vän från staden, kommer oväntat på besök.En: Elsa, an old friend from the city, comes for an unexpected visit.Sv: I sin hand håller hon en krans av björkris och blommor, en påminnelse om midsommarens löften.En: In her hand, she holds a wreath of birch twigs and flowers, a reminder of midsummer's promises.Sv: "Du måste inte vara rädd, Linnéa," säger Elsa med ett leende.En: "You don't have to be afraid, Linnéa," says Elsa with a smile.Sv: "Låt stormen leda dig.En: "Let the storm guide you.Sv: Kanske behöver du bara lite kaos för att se klart igen."En: Maybe you just need a bit of chaos to see clearly again."Sv: Himlen mörknar och vinden drar i hennes hår när Linnéa står inför sitt beslut.En: The sky darkens and the wind tugs at her hair as Linnéa stands before her decision.Sv: Hon känner bävan i kroppen.En: She feels a tremor in her body.Sv: Det stormar både omkring och inom henne.En: The storm rages both around and within her.Sv: Men en ny beslutsamhet vaknar.En: But a new determination awakens.Sv: Med uppmuntran från Björn och Elsas viskande ord i minnet tar hon sina penslar och ställer sig på den steniga strandkanten.En: With encouragement from Björn and Elsa's whispered words in her memory, she takes her brushes and stands on the rocky shoreline.Sv: När stormens fulla kraft når ön målar Linnéa i en frenesi.En: When the storm's full force reaches the island, Linnéa paints in a frenzy.Sv: Regnet piskar och vinden rycker i duken, men hon ger inte upp.En: The rain lashes and the wind tugs at the canvas, but she does not give up.Sv: Varje penseldrag är ett rop, en befrielse från de bojor av tvivel som hållit henne fången så länge.En: Each brushstroke is a cry, a liberation from the chains of doubt that have held her captive for so long.Sv: Havet vrålar, men hennes händer är säkra.En: The sea roars, but her hands are steady.Sv: Plötsligt, lika snabbt som det började, försvinner stormen.En: Suddenly, as quickly as it began, the storm vanishes.Sv: Molnen skingras, och en gyllene solnedgång sträcker sig över horisonten som en mjuk filt.En: The clouds disperse, and a golden sunset stretches across the horizon like a soft blanket.Sv: Vattnet ligger återigen spegelblankt och reflekterar himlens tusen färger.En: The water lies mirror-smooth again, reflecting the sky's thousand colors.Sv: Linnéa sänker penseln, ser på sin målning och känner hur något nytt föds inom henne.En: Linnéa lowers the brush, looks at her painting, and feels something new being born within her.Sv: Det är en känsla av förnyelse.En: It is a feeling of renewal.Sv: "Du gjorde det," säger Björn och lägger en varm hand på hennes axel.En: "You did it," says Björn, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.Sv: Elsa ler bredvid honom.En: Elsa smiles beside him.Sv: "Jag visste att du skulle klara det," tillägger hon.En: "I knew you would manage," she adds.Sv: Linnéa vet nu.En: Linnéa knows now.Sv: Det är inte alltid lätt, och ibland är stormen inom oss starkare än den utanför.En: It's not always easy, and sometimes the storm within us is stronger than the one outside.Sv: Men genom att möta den, med mod och öppen famn, hittar vi tillbaka till oss själva.En: But by facing it, with courage and an open heart, we find our way back to ourselves.Sv: Hon känner sig fri och målarens livsglädje är återfunnen.En: She feels free, and the painter's joy of life is rediscovered.Sv: Den natten i skärgården, med vågornas milda sång i öronen, somnar Linnéa med en känsla av trygghet och vetskap.En: That night in the archipelago, with the gentle song of the waves in her ears, Linnéa falls asleep with a sense of security and knowledge.Sv: Osäkerheten blev en bro till inspiration och hjälpte henne att återupptäcka sin passion för konsten.En: Uncertainty became a bridge to inspiration and helped her rediscover her passion for art. Vocabulary Words:archipelago: skärgårdamidst: blandfragrant: doftandestruggles: kämpardoubts: tvivelaftermath: efterdyninguncertain: osäkerthreateningly: hotfulltchaos: kaostremor: bävanfrenzy: frenesilashes: piskarliberation: befrielsechains: bojorvanishes: försvinnerdisperse: skingrasmirror-smooth: spegelblanktrenewal: förnyelsedetermination: beslutsamhetgaze: blickandepath: stigwreath: kranstugs: ryckershoreline: strandkantenhorizon: horisontgolden: gyllenestretches: sträcker sigblanket: filtcaptivity: fångenrediscovered: återfunnen

'As You Like It' puts Shakespeare to music in Grand Marais Scotty Reynolds, producing artistic director of Mixed Precipitation, is shining a light on the Grand Marais Playhouse. The theater is staging a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's “As You Like It" this summer. Music and lyrics are by Shaina Taub, the creator of the Broadway musical “Suffs.” This local production opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. This is Artistic and Technical Director Sue Hennessy's final summer production before she retires in spring 2027. She has two more community plays planned for this fall and spring. Reynolds says: “'As You Like It' is one of Shakespeare's fantastical rom-coms, which has lots of fun frolicking and gender bending happening in the forest of Arden. The way [Taub] sets it to music using a multi-generational cast is just really special, fun, magical; it makes you laugh and cry, kind of within 20 seconds, with its sweetness and earnestness.” The Jayhawks headline Nature Rocks in Aitkin Stephanie Mollet loves the arts and music scene of her hometown of Aitken, Minn., where she is the executive director at the Aitken Area Chamber of Commerce. She recommends the annual Nature Rocks concert put on by the Long Lake Conservation Center.The Jayhawks are headlining this year's fifth annual event. It's the Minnesota band's only concert in its home state this summer. Martin Zellar & the Hardways open, though the whole event kicks off with a special performance by kids from Long Lake's camp, who have been learning about live music this week. The concert, a fundraiser for scholarships at the Long Lake Conservation Center, takes place July 18 at the Aitken County Fairgrounds. Attendees should show up early to grab a picnic table or bring your own chair and shade umbrella. Mollet says to arrive by 5:45 p.m. if you want to hear the children: “I'm really excited to see it because these kids — let me tell you — it's amazing the things that they know and how much they care for the area that's around them.” Dances at the Lake brings movement to the Lake Harriet Rose Garden Jose Leonardo Santos is an anthropologist at Metropolitan State University. A big fan of the arts, Santos particularly enjoys watching dance. He recommends bringing your lawn chair to see Dances at the Lake, which takes place at Lake Harriet Rose Garden July 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. This year's event, organized by KASM Dance Collective, includes 15 dance troupes in various styles. Santos says there's something special about seeing live dance performance in that beautiful outdoor setting. “The thing I love about dance is that it's totally immersive, right? A video of [a dance performance] is not the same thing; you've got to be there to enjoy it. Dance can be just like the funnest little thing, or it can make you cry, and you don't even know why because there's no words, right? It forces you to just go off of your senses.”

Margo is joined by Lisa Bardot, an illustrator, author, and Procreate educator who has spent the past decade helping people discover the joy of drawing digitally. She's the founder of Art Maker's Club, a thriving online membership for Procreate artists, creator of the Making Art Everyday drawing challenge, and the artist behind Bardot Brush, known for its popular Procreate brushes and tutorials. Lisa is making her second appearance on Windowsill Chats, and this time she's digging into what she's learned after years of building online creative communities — and why consistency and connection matter more than raw talent. Margo and Lisa discuss: What Lisa has learned after years of running Making Art Everyday and Art Maker's Club, two of the most active creative communities in the Procreate space Why people join Art Maker's Club thinking they're there to learn Procreate — and why they actually stay for the consistency, encouragement, and friendships Why so many adults stop making art as they get older, and what it takes to reconnect with that creative side of themselves How small, sustainable creative habits can have a bigger impact than sporadic bursts of inspiration Why curiosity is often more valuable than talent when it comes to building a lasting creative practice Reflections on Founder's Month and four years of Art Maker's Club — what's changed, what's stayed the same, and what Lisa's most proud of Practical encouragement for anyone who's been wanting to try Procreate but doesn't know where to start A look at what's coming up during Art Maker's Club's Founder's Month celebration, including live tutorials, community events, and creative challenges Connect with Lisa Bardot: Art Maker's Club: https://artmakersclub.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/lisabardot Procreate Brushes: https://bardotbrush.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@BardotBrush Connect with Margo: www.windowsillchats.com www.instagram.com/windowsillchats www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Art criticism is vanishing from mainstream media, but here's the uncomfortable question: does art and culture still need critics? Our host, Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer, examines why critics are leaving big outlets without being replaced—and what this means for art criticism, artistic quality assessment, curatorial etiquette, and the future of art evaluation itself. What is art criticism actually for? And where does Joana's feminist critique of critique lead to? And who decides what's good art now? Or, rather, is “good art” the yardstick by which art experiences should be measured?Did you enjoy the episode? Think about supporting Exhibitionistas by leaving a small donation: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhibitionistaJoana explores 3 questions in this episode: What is Art Criticism? Who reads it and who or what does art criticism serve? And finally, what is her own relation with it as someone who admittedly is not fond of the genre?Sign up for a tiered monthly support: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2624749/monetization/supporter_settings Your contribution keeps us going.Art Etiquette Segment guest: Elizabeth Botten, Reference Specialist at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art Art question: what can we do to accommodate visitors and make their exhibition experience enjoyable while preserving art etiquette?Soon: Bonus – full length Art Etiquette episodes.Segment: Brainstorm in a Teacup:Come for the art, stay for the creative writing segment, where Joana reads short texts from her notebooks exposing her inner thoughts and odd fictional flash writing.Jingle: "Wunder", experimental poem by Joana P. R. Neves.0:00: Intro: Where to continue your Exhibitionistas experience.2:27: Today's question: is art criticism still valid?4:56: Why are art critics vanishing? And how?7:05: 3 guiding questions of the episode: what is it, who does it serve and who is reading - or not8:46: What is art criticism? A scandal and a text.15:35: Genius, excellence, quality: are these outdated questions?24:35: Who is reading art criticism?27:12: Art Etiquette with Elizabeth Botten38:08: What does art criticism do, and what or who is it upholding?46:44: Joana's honest reckoning with art criticism54:14: Brainstorm in a Teacup (Creative Writing segment)Did the episode stir Art Wonderment memories? Share them via text or voice message.Support the showCreated & Hosted by Dr. Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer with over 20 years of experience in the contemporary art field. Artistic director of Drawing Now Paris since 2018, she has worked across the industry, from the art market to education. She co-launched the art residency and project space Worlding in 2020. Exhibitionistas' first year offered exhibition discussions with guest co-host Emily Harding; organically, it grew into a more experimental show exploring art topics, stories and interviews complemented by Joana's publication Art Thinkosaurus on Substack. She champions ‘Art Wonderment's' embrace of complexity against the lure of ready-made opinions. A polyglot, she grew up in Lisbon, studied and lived in Paris, to finally settle in London with her artist husband, four children and two cats. Find us:On Instagram – @exhibitionistas_podcastOn Substack (NEWSLETTER: sign up!): Art Thinkosaurus > Exhibitionistas FilesOnline: www.exhibitionistaspodcast.comDo you want to be a guest on Art Etiquette? Reach out: joana@exhibitionistaspodcast.comCopyright: Joana P. R. Neves, 2024.

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: From Office Blues to Vibrant Hues: Adrià's Artistic Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-07-12-07-38-19-ca Story Transcript:Ca: El sol brillava amb intensitat al Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, il·luminant cada racó amb una llum càlida i acollidora.En: The sun shone intensely in the Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, illuminating every corner with a warm and welcoming light.Ca: Era un matí perfecte per a un taller de pintura botànica.En: It was a perfect morning for a botanical painting workshop.Ca: Les fulles de cada planta semblaven dansar al ritme suau del vent, i els colors de les flors competien per atraure l'atenció dels visitants.En: The leaves of each plant seemed to dance to the gentle rhythm of the wind, and the colors of the flowers competed to capture the attention of the visitors.Ca: Adrià, amb el seu cavallet i pinzells a la mà, va entrar al jardí ple d'expectatives, però també de dubtes.En: Adrià, with his easel and brushes in hand, entered the garden full of expectations, but also doubts.Ca: Adrià treballava en una oficina grisa i avorrida.En: Adrià worked in a gray and boring office.Ca: Cada dia semblava igual al d'abans.En: Each day seemed the same as the one before.Ca: Però en el fons del seu cor, somiava ser un artista a temps complet.En: But deep down in his heart, he dreamed of being a full-time artist.Ca: Avui, el taller representava una oportunitat per explorar aquest somni.En: Today, the workshop represented an opportunity to explore this dream.Ca: Tot i així, la veu de l'auto-dubte el perseguia.En: Even so, the voice of self-doubt pursued him.Ca: Què pensarien els altres si deixava la seva feina estable per seguir un somni?En: What would others think if he left his stable job to follow a dream?Ca: La posada en escena del jardí era idíl·lica.En: The setting of the garden was idyllic.Ca: Colors vius, textures diverses, i una tranquil·litat que invitava a la reflexió.En: Vivid colors, diverse textures, and a tranquility that invited reflection.Ca: Adrià va decidir pintar una cosa diferent.En: Adrià decided to paint something different.Ca: Alguna cosa audaciosa.En: Something bold.Ca: Va trobar un racó especial, on la llum del sol es filtrava entre les fulles, creant un joc de llums i ombres fascinant.En: He found a special corner, where the sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a fascinating play of lights and shadows.Ca: Mentre pintava, les seves pinzellades es tornaven cada vegada més segures, capturant l'essència de la llum i els colors.En: As he painted, his brushstrokes became increasingly confident, capturing the essence of the light and colors.Ca: Les seves emocions fluiren pel seu braç fins al pinzell.En: His emotions flowed through his arm to the brush.Ca: De sobte, va adonar-se que havia creat una obra plena de vida i moviment que mai havia somiat aconseguir.En: Suddenly, he realized he had created a piece full of life and movement that he had never dreamed of achieving.Ca: El seu instructor també ho notà, quedant impressionat per l'originalitat de la seva peça.En: His instructor noticed it too, being impressed by the originality of his piece.Ca: Adrià va sentir un alliberament sanador i, en aquell moment, va decidir que havia arribat el temps de prendre el seu art seriosament.En: Adrià felt a healing liberation, and at that moment, he decided it was time to take his art seriously.Ca: Va acabar el dia amb una determinació nova.En: He ended the day with a new determination.Ca: Comprengué que el que realment valorava era la seva passió per la pintura, més que la seguretat d'un treball que no l'omplia.En: He understood that what he truly valued was his passion for painting, more than the security of a job that didn't fulfill him.Ca: El taller va concloure, però Adrià no va marxar amb les mateixes pors amb què havia arribat.En: The workshop concluded, but Adrià didn't leave with the same fears he had arrived with.Ca: Va sortir del Jardí Botànic decidit a seguir pintant, no només per distreure's, sinó com una declaració de qui era realment.En: He left the Jardí Botànic determined to continue painting, not just as a distraction, but as a declaration of who he really was.Ca: A partir d'aquell dia, la seva vida va començar a encaixar amb els seus somnis, i el camí davant seu es va obrir com un llenç en blanc, ple de possibilitats.En: From that day on, his life began to align with his dreams, and the path ahead of him opened like a blank canvas, full of possibilities. Vocabulary Words:the corner: el racóthe wind: el ventthe easel: el cavalletthe instructor: l'instructorto capture: capturarself-doubt: l'auto-dubteidyllic: idíl·licato filter: filtrarfascinating: fascinantthe brushstroke: la pinzelladaconfident: seguressence: l'essènciafull of life: plena de vidathe movement: el movimenthealing: sanadorthe determination: la determinacióto align: encaixarthe path: el camíthe dream: el somniemotions: les emocionsreflection: la reflexióbold: audaciosaliberation: alliberamentthe shadows: les ombresto pursue: perseguirstable job: la feina estableexploration: explorarto realize: adonar-sethe tranquility: la tranquil·litatto fulfill: omplir

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Locked In: An Artistic Night in Stockholm's Museum Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2026-07-11-22-34-01-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Erik stirrade upp mot taket med de stora valvbågarna.En: Erik stared up at the ceiling with the large arches.Sv: Museo di Storia Naturale i Stockholm var hans tillflyktsort, en plats där han kunde tänka och drömma.En: The Museo di Storia Naturale in Stockholm was his refuge, a place where he could think and dream.Sv: Men den här gången hade han stannat för länge.En: But this time, he had stayed too long.Sv: Han hörde plötsligt ett klickande ljud bakom sig.En: He suddenly heard a clicking sound behind him.Sv: Dörren var låst.En: The door was locked.Sv: Det var mitt i sommarnatten, och det lilla ljus som fanns kom från månens strålar genom de stora fönstren.En: It was the middle of a summer night, and the little light that was there came from the moon's rays through the large windows.Sv: Erik kände en kylig känsla i magen.En: Erik felt a chilly sensation in his stomach.Sv: Han kunde höra skuggorna röra sig mellan dinosaurieskeletten.En: He could hear the shadows moving among the dinosaur skeletons.Sv: Var det vinden?En: Was it the wind?Sv: Eller var det något annat?En: Or was it something else?Sv: Erik lutade sig mot en stor glasmonter.En: Erik leaned against a large glass display case.Sv: I mörkret såg han skepnaderna av forntida djur som stirrade tillbaka.En: In the darkness, he saw the shapes of ancient animals staring back.Sv: Det var då han hörde det.En: It was then he heard it.Sv: Ett eko av fotsteg.En: An echo of footsteps.Sv: Någon eller något rörde sig i galleriens djup.En: Someone or something was moving in the depths of the gallery.Sv: Han visste att han måste fatta ett beslut.En: He knew he had to make a decision.Sv: Erik kunde inte stanna där och vänta på morgonen.En: Erik couldn't stay there and wait for the morning.Sv: Han behövde vara modig.En: He needed to be brave.Sv: Han samlade mod och började röra sig mot ljudet.En: He gathered courage and started moving toward the sound.Sv: Hans fötter skrapade lätt mot det kalla stengolvet.En: His feet scraped lightly against the cold stone floor.Sv: Ju längre han gick, ju mer kände han sin gamla rädsla krypa upp inom honom.En: The further he went, the more he felt his old fear creeping up within him.Sv: Minnet av ett tidigare misstag, när han förlorade sitt ansvar, fick hans hjärta att bulta snabbare.En: The memory of a past mistake, when he lost his responsibility, made his heart beat faster.Sv: Men han ville bevisa för sig själv att han kunde klara det.En: But he wanted to prove to himself that he could handle it.Sv: Plötsligt, framför honom i månljuset, såg han en skugga.En: Suddenly, in front of him in the moonlight, he saw a shadow.Sv: Erik stannade och höll andan.En: Erik stopped and held his breath.Sv: Skuggan rörde sig, formade sig till ett märkligt, nästan mänskligt väsen.En: The shadow was moving, shaping into a strange, almost human-like being.Sv: Hans händer skakade.En: His hands shook.Sv: "Vem där?"En: "Who's there?"Sv: viskade han, rösten knappt hörbar för honom själv.En: he whispered, his voice barely audible to himself.Sv: Inte ett ljud kom tillbaka.En: Not a sound came back.Sv: Men skuggan sträckte ut en hand och signalerade till honom.En: But the shadow reached out a hand and signaled to him.Sv: Erik, fylld av både nyfikenhet och rädsla, steg fram.En: Erik, filled with both curiosity and fear, stepped forward.Sv: När han kom närmare såg han vad det verkligen var.En: As he got closer, he saw what it really was.Sv: En stor installation, konstnärligt uppsatt inför en ny utställning.En: A large installation, artistically set up for a new exhibition.Sv: Ljuden, skuggspelet, allt var en del av en mäktig konstupplevelse.En: The sounds, the shadow play, everything was part of a powerful artistic experience.Sv: Erik kunde inte låta bli att skratta.En: Erik couldn't help but laugh.Sv: Det som hade skrämt honom var bara konst.En: What had scared him was just art.Sv: Han kände sig lättad och lite dum.En: He felt relieved and a bit foolish.Sv: Erik insåg att hans största fiende var hans egen rädsla.En: Erik realized that his greatest enemy was his own fear.Sv: Han hade konfronterat sina tvivel, sett genom illusionerna och funnit styrkan inom sig.En: He had confronted his doubts, seen through the illusions, and found the strength within himself.Sv: Han visste nu att han kunde lita på sig själv igen.En: He now knew he could trust himself again.Sv: Och plötsligt, i det tysta museet, kände han sig inte mer ensam.En: And suddenly, in the silent museum, he no longer felt alone.Sv: När solens första ljus trängde in genom fönstren, hittade han vägen ut, med ett leende på läpparna och en nyfunnen tro på sina egna instinkter.En: When the first light of the sun filtered through the windows, he found the way out, with a smile on his lips and a newfound belief in his own instincts.Sv: När han lämnade museet den morgonen, kände Erik sig som en ny människa.En: As he left the museum that morning, Erik felt like a new person.Sv: Midsommarsolen sken och han visste att allt skulle bli bra.En: The Midsummer sun shone and he knew that everything would be all right. Vocabulary Words:arches: valvbågarrefuge: tillflyktsortchilly: kyligsensation: känslashadows: skuggornaleaned: lutadedisplay case: glasmonterancient: forntidaecho: ekodepths: djupresponsibility: ansvarheart beat: hjärta att bultacreeping: krypaform: formadehuman-like: mänskligtaudible: hörbarsignaled: signaleradecuriosity: nyfikenhetinstallation: installationartistically: konstnärligtexhibition: utställningshadow play: skuggspeletillusion: illusionernastrength: styrkantrust: litabelief: troinstincts: instinkterrelieved: lättadfoolish: dumMidsummer: Midsommarsolen

For this final installment of interviews from Winnetka Music Festival, I spoke to Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist Vivian McConnell just after her set at this amazing local festival which took place June 19-20 on Chicago's North Shore.Vivian's solo project, V.V. Lightbody, is best known for its “flute-forward” lush compositions, and also known for her work synth pop project Valebol with noted Chicago drummer Daniel Villareal. Vivian is involved in numerous collaborations and lends her talents to a broad list of indie bands including Finom, Whitney, Fruit Bats, Elizabeth Moen and Rose Hotel, among others. V.V. Lightbody's third album is due for release in the Fall.In this fun convo between friends, Vivian shares with me her current evolution and mindset, and we discuss the importance of community in music, how her own DIY ethos has evolved, and the factors that have guided her in the growth of her now 10-year career. Vivian is thoughtful, grounded and super talented — and she holds a unique space in the firmament of Chicago indie artists. You can find this awesome interview at the link in the bio!!=======================================Chapters:00:00 - Episode Intro with Host Josh Rosenberg03:32 - Introduction and V.V. Lightbody's musical background04:12 - Transition from flute to indie artist and upcoming album hints05:32 - The role of Chicago's music scene and community06:58 - VV's experience with live performances and connecting with audiences08:40 - The musician triangle: music, hang, and money10:24 - Valuing intimate shows and the long-term art perspective11:51 - Challenges of the modern music scene and streaming impact13:42 - Success metrics beyond numbers and audience engagement14:52 - Artistic purity and balancing expectations17:05 - Reflection on childhood roots and musical family influence18:13 - Midwest music culture and inspirations20:06 - Touring band lineup and collaborations21:15 - Memorable festival moments and industry highlights21:41 - Creative direction of upcoming records and personal growth22:35 - The loosened "life corset": themes of release and authenticity24:16 - Embracing aging and the evolving identity of the artist25:41 - The significance of live music as a unifying force26:46 - Focusing on what's meaningful amid industry pressures28:22 - Personal projects, identity, and staying true to oneself31:18 - The importance of community, relationships, and artistic support32:54 - Influences of family, Midwestern values, and artistic kinship34:18 - Family, siblings, and early musical environment36:24 - Upcoming festivals, summer plans, and future releases37:12 - Final thoughts on artistic longevity and next steps38:00 - Episode Wrap-up with Host Josh Rosenberg=======================================For more information on Roadcase:https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.comOr contact Roadcase by email:  info@roadcasepod.comRoadcase theme music:  "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer

An Austin-based multimedia artist with 17 full length albums as well as being the author of two books and being a prolific visual storyteller that expresses himself through photography, music, drawing, painting and writing. 

Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Shanta Thake is the vision behind Lincoln Center's free Summer for the City festival happening right now through August 8 in New York. It's a good moment to go back and hear how she thinks about building a season for an entire city, not just a subscriber base. ----- Shanta Thake sees artistic curation as a practice rooted in curiosity and community connection. As the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Shanta is helping redefine what one of the world's most storied institutions can be. Since joining in 2021, she's helped usher in an era of experimentation and access to ensure the arts remain central to New York City's civic life. In this episode, Shanta reflects on what it means to democratize the programming process, how the arts contribute to community wellbeing, and why leading with curiosity sparks meaningful innovation. She also takes listeners behind the scenes of initiatives like Lincoln Center's West Side Expansion and Summer for the City—efforts rooted in humility, collaboration, and partnership with local communities. ---- LINKS Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: https://lincolncenter.org/ Summer for the City: https://lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/ 

Fluent Fiction - Danish: From Shadows to Sunshine: Mikkel's Artistic Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/da/episode/2026-07-07-22-34-02-da Story Transcript:Da: I den milde skumring af en sommerdag, hvor solen gav himlen en gylden glød, summede den moderne forstad af liv.En: In the gentle twilight of a summer day, where the sun gave the sky a golden glow, the modern suburb buzzed with life.Da: Børn løb forbi Mikkels hus, deres latter fyldte luften, mens duften af grillmad svævede over de velholdte haver.En: Children ran past Mikkel's house, their laughter filling the air as the aroma of grilled food wafted over the well-kept gardens.Da: Mikkel stod ved sit stuevindue og betragtede nabolaget.En: Mikkel stood by his living room window, observing the neighborhood.Da: Aftensolen kastede et varmt skær over de nymalede stakitter og indkørsler.En: The evening sun cast a warm light over the freshly painted fences and driveways.Da: Der var en sæsonmæssig sommerfest i gang i den nærliggende park.En: There was a seasonal summer party happening in the nearby park.Da: Han så, hvordan Sofie og Jens slæbte en stor kurv fyldt med mad og drikke til grillpladsen, hvor de andre naboer allerede var begyndt at samles.En: He saw Sofie and Jens carrying a large basket filled with food and drink to the barbecue area, where the other neighbors had already begun to gather.Da: Mikkel var en stille mand i treserne, en, der sjældent forlod sine kunstprojekter i huset.En: Mikkel was a quiet man in his sixties, one who rarely left his art projects at home.Da: Hans daglige rutine involverede ofte at stirre ud af sit vindue, studere skyggerne af forbipasserende og hemmeligt skitsere landskaberne i sin notesbog.En: His daily routine often involved staring out of his window, studying the shadows of passersby, and secretly sketching the landscapes in his notebook.Da: Ingen i nabolaget vidste, at Mikkel drømte om at være kunstner.En: No one in the neighborhood knew that Mikkel dreamt of being an artist.Da: "Kom nu, Mikkel," mumlede han til sig selv og løftede skitsebogen fra sofabordet.En: "Come on, Mikkel," he muttered to himself, lifting the sketchbook from the coffee table.Da: Barbecuen var en mulighed for at komme tættere på sine naboer, for at vise en del af ham, de aldrig havde set.En: The barbecue was an opportunity to get closer to his neighbors, to show a part of himself they had never seen.Da: Men hvad hvis de ikke kunne lide hans tegninger?En: But what if they didn't like his drawings?Da: Tanken bekymrede ham, men han vidste, han måtte tage chancen for at bryde ensomheden.En: The thought worried him, but he knew he had to take the chance to break the loneliness.Da: Mikkel ankom til parken, hvor naboerne allerede grillede, spiste og pjattede.En: Mikkel arrived at the park, where the neighbors were already grilling, eating, and joking around.Da: Jens vinkede, mens han vendte pølserne på grillen, og Sofie sad fordybet i en samtale med børnene.En: Jens waved while he turned the sausages on the grill, and Sofie sat engrossed in a conversation with the children.Da: Han satte sig lidt væk på en bænk og kiggede efter et passende øjeblik at deltage.En: He sat a little away on a bench, looking for an opportune moment to join in.Da: Mens han sad der med skitsebogen tæt krammet til brystet, bemærkede Sofie ham.En: As he sat there with the sketchbook hugged tightly to his chest, Sofie noticed him.Da: "Hej Mikkel!En: "Hey, Mikkel!Da: Har du bragt noget at tegne?"En: Did you bring something to draw?"Da: spurgte hun venligt med et smil, som beroligede hans hjerte.En: she asked kindly with a smile that calmed his heart.Da: Mikkel nikkede forsigtigt.En: Mikkel nodded cautiously.Da: Sofie rakte frem og åbnede bogen for at kigge.En: Sofie reached forward and opened the book to take a look.Da: Hun studerede de detaljerede træskitser indeni, hendes øjne lyste op.En: She studied the detailed tree sketches inside, her eyes lighting up.Da: "Dette er fantastisk!En: "This is amazing!Da: Du bør vise det til de andre," opmuntrede hun.En: You should show it to the others," she encouraged.Da: Det var øjeblikket.En: This was the moment.Da: Mikkel følte en varm bølge af mod.En: Mikkel felt a warm wave of courage.Da: Maksimal beslutsomhed i sit sind, gik han hen til gruppen sammen med Sofie.En: With maximum determination in his mind, he went over to the group with Sofie.Da: Hun præsenterede hans bog for de andre, og snart kiggede de alle gennem hans tegninger.En: She introduced his book to the others, and soon they were all looking through his drawings.Da: Deres ansigter lyste op af beundring og undren.En: Their faces lit up with admiration and wonder.Da: "Wow, du har talent!"En: "Wow, you have talent!"Da: sagde Jens med et bredt smil.En: said Jens with a broad smile.Da: "Det vidste vi ikke."En: "We didn't know that."Da: Kommentarerne væltede ind, og med hver rosende bemærkning følte Mikkel en tung vægt lette fra sine skuldre.En: The comments poured in, and with each praising remark, Mikkel felt a heavy weight lift off his shoulders.Da: For første gang følte han sig virkelig set og accepteret.En: For the first time, he felt truly seen and accepted.Da: Hen mod slutningen af aftenen sad Mikkel blandt sine naboer, mere indlevende i samtalerne end nogensinde før.En: Towards the end of the evening, Mikkel sat among his neighbors, more engaged in the conversations than ever before.Da: Han indså, at ved at dele sit indre univers havde han åbnet døren til en ny forbindelse med dem omkring sig.En: He realized that by sharing his inner world, he had opened the door to a new connection with those around him.Da: En skælvende start blev en fortrolig aften, fyldt med latter og nyvunden venskaber.En: A trembling start became a familiar evening, filled with laughter and newfound friendships.Da: Da han senere gik hjem, vidste Mikkel, at han ikke længere behøvede at skjule den del af ham, der længtes efter farve og form.En: As he walked home later, Mikkel knew he no longer needed to hide the part of him that longed for color and form.Da: Han havde fundet sin plads i nabolaget.En: He had found his place in the neighborhood.Da: Farvel, generthed – velkommen, selvsikkerhed.En: Goodbye, shyness – welcome, confidence. Vocabulary Words:twilight: skumringsuburb: forstadgratitude: taknemmelighedwafted: svævedeobserving: betragtedefreshly: nymaletgather: samlessketching: skitsereopportune: passendetightly: tætstudied: studerededetailed: detaljeretencouraged: opmuntredeadmiration: beundringenclosed: indlejrettrembling: skælvendeembraced: omfavnedeconfidence: selvsikkerhedlaughter: latterneighborhood: nabolaganxiety: bekymringmomentarily: øjeblikkeligtdetermination: beslutsomhedremark: bemærkninglift: letteloneliness: ensomhedsignificant: betydeligfamiliar: fortroligengaged: indlevendeopportunity: mulighed

Today, we enter the world of classical music and artistic perseverance — a conversation about resilience, mastery, identity, and what it takes to stay devoted to your craft over a lifetime.Our guest is David Singer, internationally acclaimed clarinetist, educator, chamber musician, and author of the memoir From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall.David's WebsiteDavid's Facebook pageDavid's extraordinary career has included performances at the White House for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, appearances at Carnegie Hall with Yehudi Menuhin, performances alongside Yo-Yo Ma and Rudolf Serkin, and years as co-Principal Clarinetist with the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.But behind those accomplishments is another story — one of overcoming an abusive childhood, struggling financially as a young musician, driving a cab to support his family, and refusing to let go of his calling.The Journey from Survival to CallingDavid, your memoir title alone — From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall — tells a powerful story of perseverance.Take us back to those early years. Despite difficult circumstances growing up and the instability of life as a young musician, what kept pulling you back toward music? At what point did you realize this wasn't simply something you loved — it was something you were willing to sacrifice for?The Influence of Rudolf Jettel and Musical ObsessionYou've described Rudolf Jettel, Principal Clarinetist of the Vienna Philharmonic, as your “musical father.”You first studied with him as a 12-year-old boy and even sat beside him during Vienna Philharmonic performances. What did those experiences awaken in you creatively and emotionally? And how did that mentorship shape not only your musicianship, but your standards for excellence?Performing at the Highest LevelYour career has brought you into some of the world's most prestigious musical environments — from Carnegie Hall to collaborations with artists like Yehudi Menuhin, Yo-Yo Ma, and Rudolf Serkin.When performing at that level, what separates technical mastery from true artistic expression? What have you learned about communication, emotion, and presence through music?Reinvention, Teaching, and Giving BackIn addition to performing, you've spent decades mentoring young musicians and building chamber music programs at institutions like Montclair State University, Yale, and Princeton.What do you believe young artists today most need to understand about building a sustainable creative life? And how has teaching deepened your own understanding of creativity and performance?Writing the Memoir: From Musician to AuthorThis book marks your debut as an author, and it goes far beyond music. It's about resilience, identity, family, and survival.What inspired you to finally tell this story now? And during the writing and audiobook process, what did you discover about yourself that surprised you?David, after a lifetime devoted to music, performance, and teaching, what advice would you give to someone who feels deeply called to a creative path — but is struggling to hold onto belief inIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with someone who loves music and creativity, and leave us a review.

Elif Koyutürk is a filmmaker, photographer, and all-around artist originally from Istanbul, now based in Bend, Oregon. Elif works across many mediums—photography, poetry, film, and more—but the throughline in everything she does is a drive to make people feel a story, not just read the facts of it. She brings a rare kind of power and passion to her work, and it's clear that her connection to land and place isn't just a subject for her, it's personal. Like so many fascinating people I talk to on this podcast, her path wasn't a straight line. She grew up between the massive city of Istanbul and her family's farm, raised by journalist parents and a house full of grandmothers steeped in Anatolian tradition. She taught herself photography using a camera with a moldy, secondhand 23-euro lens and won international awards with it before she ever touched professional, high-dollar gear. From there she talked her way onto a Red Bull film crew in a hotel lobby, worked in Austria, and eventually landed in Los Angeles with one suitcase and no contacts, on an "Extraordinary Ability" visa. In this conversation, we get into all of it—her childhood in Istanbul, her creative process and her synesthesia, and how she built a career from nothing through sheer resourcefulness and energy. We also spend a lot of time on her new film, Guardians of Anatolia, which premiered at Telluride Mountainfilm and follows a female-led nomadic tribe in Turkey's Taurus Mountains as they fight to hold onto a 9,000-year-old matriarchal way of life against modern water and land pressures. I hope you enjoy this one, as it hits on so many of the topics I enjoy– art, conservation, agriculture, creativity, and hard work– but with an international perspective that is now rooted here in the West. --- Elif Koyutürk Guardians of Anatolia Elif on Instagram Episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/elif-koyuturk --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Freeflow Institute, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and the Well Done Foundation for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Elif Koyutürk 2:49 - Early Elif 7:36 - Artistic inclinations  11:33 - To the U.S.  18:34 - Off the plane in L.A. 22:20 - Making money 24:57 - Connections to friendships 28:50 - Being raw and clumsy 30:49 - Guardians of Anatolia origin story 37:49 - A vanishing way of life 40:23 - Emerging filmmaker  43:40 - Path forward for the film 45:54 - What's next 51:39 - Old Salt takeaways 57:15 - Plot twist: jiu jitsu! 1:02:52 - Rivers in Bend, OR 1:05:35 - Book recs 1:08:16 - Wrapping up --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

In this special episode, author and contemporary art historian Clare Carolin joins EMPIRE LINES live, to discuss the British government's deployment of art as an instrument of war in the North of Ireland and the Falklands (Malvinas) in the 20th century, and their research in the archives and collections of the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London.This episode was recorded live as part of A Conversation about Art, Media, and the State, with Laleh Khalili, Munira Cheema, Asif Akhtar, and Jamie Hakim at Bush House, King's College London in June 2026. Find all the information online: kcl.ac.uk/events/a-conversation-about-art-media-and-the-stateThe Deployment of Art: The Imperial War Museum's Artistic Records Committee, 1968–1982 (2025) by Clare Carolin is published by Routledge.Dissenting Counter-Publics in Pakistani Social Media and Cafe Culture (2025) by Munira Cheema is published by Palgrave Macmillan.Both are available in all good bookshops and online.Read about Clare Carolin's lecture-performance, How to Build a Decolonial Peace Museum (A Provocation in Three Parts), at On Radicalism, the Contemporary Art Society (CAS) Annual Conference 2025 in London: contemporaryartsociety.org/sites/default/files/attachments/On Radicalism (1 May 2025)%2C report by Jelena Sofronijevic.pdfFor more about the Venice Biennale 2026, and EVA International in 2016, read this article for the Contemporary Art Society: contemporaryartsociety.org/explore/resources/minor-keys-view-61st-venice-biennaleFor more about the Kipling family and the National College of Arts (NCA Lahore), hear contemporary artist Suleman Aqeel Khilji on the painting Elevation (Chiltan) (2025-2026), recorded at White Cube Paris: pod.link/1533637675/episode/YWYwMDNkMTgtNmJjOC00ZGZhLTlhYmItZWUzZjUyY2Y4ZjEyPRODUCER: Jelena Sofronijevic.Follow EMPIRE LINES on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/empirelinespodcast⁠⁠Support EMPIRE LINES on Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/empirelinesEMPIRE LINES is a project within the ecosystem of Radical Ecology (2025-2026).

Art has the power to shape the spaces we live in, preserve culture, and become part of our personal legacy.In this episode of the WEInvested Podcast, Wesley Earp sits down with artist and gallery owner Piper J for a conversation about the intersection of art, business, and wealth. From building a career as a creative entrepreneur to helping collectors find pieces that truly resonate, Piper shares insights that challenge the way we think about buying and living with art.Together, they discuss what people should consider before purchasing artwork, how galleries decide which artists receive exhibition space, the value of in-home art consultations, and why collecting art can be about far more than aesthetics.At WEInvested, we believe wealth is more than numbers—it's about building a life filled with purpose, culture, meaningful relationships, and lasting impact. This conversation is part of our Summer of Art series, highlighting the creators and entrepreneurs shaping our communities.If you enjoyed this episode, follow the WEInvested Podcast on Spotify and share it with someone who appreciates the connection between creativity and wealth.Connect with WEInvested:• Instagram: @weinvested• YouTube: @WEInvested• TikTok: @weinvested

Tarot cards hold a specific place in society, popular for their divination imagery and fortune-telling. The Morgan Library and Museum has organized a new exhibit about the artistic and cultural history of Tarot cards, Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions. Morgan curators Joshua O'Driscoll, Frank Trujillo, and Claire Gilman discuss the show, on view through October 4. Plus, listeners share their interest in tarot cards Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images: Tarot card depicting the Moon, 1490, by Antonio Cicognara (active ca 1480-1500). Italy, 15th century. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.