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Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she's gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay. SOURCE:Wendy MacNaughton, artist and graphic journalist. RESOURCES:"What Happens if Two Complete Strangers Draw Each Other?" video by the National Gallery of Art (2024).How to Say Goodbye, by Wendy MacNaughton (2023)."How to Have Fun Again," by Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2022)."Inside America's War Court: Clothing and Culture at Guantánamo Bay," by Carol Rosenberg and Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2019)."Drawing the Guantánamo Bay War Court," by Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2019).Think Like a Freak, by Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner (2014).DrawTogether.The Grown-Ups Table.Zen Caregiving Project.DrawTogether Strangers. EXTRAS:"Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
High above the banks of the Mississippi river, a nest holds the secret life of one of America's most patriotic creatures. Their story puzzles scientists, reinforces indigenous wisdom, and wows audiences, all thanks to a park ranger named Ed, and a well-placed webcam. If you want to spoil the mystery, here ya go: it's a bald eagle. Actually, it's three bald eagles. A mama bird and daddies make a home together for over a decade and give new meaning to our national symbol. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org. Watch “I Wanna Hear the Eagle” and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube.And badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast.Special thanks to Abigail Miller, Laurel Braitman, Stan Bousson, Molly Webster, and Maria Paz Gutierrez.We have some exciting news! In the “Zoozve” episode, Radiolab named its first-ever quasi-moon, and now it's your turn! Radiolab has teamed up with The International Astronomical Union to launch a global naming contest for one of Earth's quasi-moons. This is your chance to make your mark on the heavens. Submit your name ideas now through September, or vote on your favorites starting in November: https://radiolab.org/moonEPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Ana González and Lulu Millerwith help from - Alan GoffinskiProduced by - Ana González, Alan Goffinski, and Lulu Millerwith help from - Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita BhattOriginal music and sound design contributed by - Alan Goffinski and Mira Burt-Wintonickwith mixing help from - Joe Plourde and Jeremy BloomFact-checking by - Diane Kelleyand Edited by - Mira Burt-WintonickEPISODE CITATIONS:Videos -Check out The Trio Bald Eagle Nest Cam yourself!Did you know it's illegal to keep a bald eagle feather? Learn more in this AWESOME short video about the National Eagle Repository.Articles - An interview with Nataanii Means in Native Maxx MagazineThe funny history of how the bald eagle became America's national symbolAn article called “Dirty Birds” about what it's actually like to live with America's national symbol. Sign up for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.Draw:Journey up into the clouds like an eagle with a special drawing prompt made by artist Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team that will get you thinking about the weather (both inside and out).Play
This week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and pursue a passion. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Wendy shares techniques for talking to strangers. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. You can learn more about Wendy's work at her website, wendymacnaughton.com, and you can learn more about the DrawTogether Grown-Ups Table at club.drawtogether.studio. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and pursue a passion. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Wendy shares techniques for talking to strangers. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. You can learn more about Wendy's work at her website, wendymacnaughton.com, and you can learn more about the DrawTogether Grown-Ups Table at club.drawtogether.studio. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and pursue a passion. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Wendy shares techniques for talking to strangers. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. You can learn more about Wendy's work at her website, wendymacnaughton.com, and you can learn more about the DrawTogether Grown-Ups Table at club.drawtogether.studio. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and pursue a passion. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Wendy shares techniques for talking to strangers. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. You can learn more about Wendy's work at her website, wendymacnaughton.com, and you can learn more about the DrawTogether Grown-Ups Table at club.drawtogether.studio. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and pursue a passion. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Wendy shares techniques for talking to strangers. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. You can learn more about Wendy's work at her website, wendymacnaughton.com, and you can learn more about the DrawTogether Grown-Ups Table at club.drawtogether.studio. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 2017, illustrator Wendy McNaughton completed an artist-in-residency at the Zen Hospice Guest House in San Francisco. She got to know families, caregivers, staff, and the dying. What emerged is her new book, “How To Say Goodbye.” Drawn-from-life illustrations are paired with gentle advice on how to let someone go. “The person dying is in charge,” reflects MacNaughton, and her book offers simple ways to be witness to a loved one's last moments. And when mutual peace and understanding matters the most, she writes, simple declarations like,“I forgive you. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. Goodbye” can offer closure. We'll talk to MacNaughton and a hospice caregiver. Guests: Wendy MacNaughton, illustrator; artist; graphic journalist - McNaughton's latest book is "How to Say Goodbye." She has illustrated or authored eleven books, including "Salt Fat Acid Heat," and "Meanwhile in San Francisco," and is the creator of DrawTogether, the educational drawing program for kids and adults Ladybird Morgan, co founder Humane Prison Hospice Project - Morgan is a registered nurse and clinical social worker and has worked in end of life care for over 20 years. She is currently a palliative care consultant with Mettle Health.
It's time to revisit some ghosts of podcasts past, from rain clogs to private creative practices to an incredibly detailed review of an electric flosser. Our discussion of fun sports experiences is ongoing thanks to the Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team that's a must-follow on Instagram and TikTok. More on their founding story via WBUR. A morning-pages follow-up: Wendy MacNaughton created a DrawTogether 30-day Drawing Habit Experiment Challenge as a visual companion/alt. A quick hospice aside: Check out her forthcoming book How to Say Goodbye and the new release The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos R.N. A IG Thingies contributor recommended Plasticana mules as a summer rain shoe. And speaking of summer moisture, our listener Carly suggests battling mosquitos with Tougher than Tom Mosquito TNT. Report back?On a private writing—or any creative!—practice, this Hanif Abdurraqib's tweet thread.Looking for a gift? May we suggest some of the items we are obsessing over, like Cat's Cradle (see also: this TikTok), a Slate Flosser, Message sandals, and the Forme bra. Can't shut up about the podcast Wilder! It digs deep into Laura Ingalls Wilder (good and bad) and made us think of this classic 2007 Jezebel piece by Lizzie Skurnick.Let us know your flossing philosophy at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Give professional counseling a go with BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.Perfect your at-home manicure with Olive & June and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your first Mani System.YAY.Produced by Dear Media
For today's meditation: grab a pencil and paper! The bestselling illustrator and graphic journalist Wendy MacNaughton is the founder and host of Draw Together. She will lead us through a drawing exercise “Chill Out Drawing for Stressed Out Times.” Draw Together is a participatory drawing podcast and interactive art class focused on imagination and community. Although Wendy's show is ostensibly for kids, we have found it touches the inner kid in all of us. You can find more info and resources at GriefCollected.comMore about Wendy MacNaughton:Wendy MacNaughton is an illustrator and graphic journalist with a background in social work (MSW). She combines the practice of deep looking, listening and drawing to create stories of often overlooked people, places and things.As a visual columnist for The New York Times and California Sunday Magazine, Wendy MacNaughton drew stories everywhere from high school cafeterias to Guantanamo Bay. She has illustrated, authored and edited eleven books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, The Gutsy Girl by Caroline Paul and her own book, Meanwhile in San Francisco: The City in Its Own Word.She is the creator and host of DrawTogether, an participatory drawing show for kids that uses art to bolster social-emotional skills, self-confidence and connection. She is also the co-founder of the Women Who Draw with Julia Rothman, an advocacy database launched in 2016 to increase visibility and opportunities for underrepresented artists, illustrators and cartoonists. She lives with her wife in San Francisco, but you can often find her on the road in her mobile drawing studio built inside the back of a Honda Element. You can find Wendy MacNaughton @wendymac and Draw Together DrawTogether.StudioCredits for the Draw Together Podcast: Editor: Amy Standen, Drawing music: Chris Colin, Theme song: Thao NguyenSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Hellllooo Friends. This week we revisit one of our earliest DT Podcast episodes: Gratitude. Drawing is a great way for kids (and all of us) to begin a gratitude practice. Kids can do this at home in their art studio (aka the kitchen table) or as a group in a class or after school program, or as a family. And if you/your kids listen to the DrawTogether podcast as a group, this is a great chance to draw and share out loud what you are grateful for. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Why are people so hard to draw? Is it our wonky shoulders? She shape of our eyes? The funky curves of our ear? Or our weirdly formed hands and feet?! Answer: YES. Today on the pod, we try cartoonist's Lynda Barry and Ivan Brunetti's exercises from Lynda's book Making Comics and create some simple, squiggly wiggly human bodies, then transform them into characters. Grab some paper, pens, colors and young people, and let's DrawTogether. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
This week on the DT Podcast we learn about the fiber artist Bisa Butler and use collage and drawing to create Bisa-inspired paper portraits of people we admire. Check out the DT newsletter to see Bisa's quilts and watch a video of her talking about her artwork. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Yuyi Morales is on the DT podcast!!Hellloooo! This week on the DT pod we celebrate Día de los Muertos with special guest children's book author and illustrator Yuyi Morales! Her might recognize her Caldecott-nominated Viva Frida, or her other award-winning books, including Niño Wrestles the World, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, and Dreamers. We spent some time talking about one of my favorite of Yuyi's characters, Señor Calavera. He's the trickster skeleton star of two of Yuyi's books: Just a Minute and Just in Case. He even made an appearance during our interview!On this special DrawTogether Podcast, Yuyi joins us from her art studio in Veracruz, Mexico for some Day of the Dead drawing, including a fun sugar skull warm-up and alter-drawing to celebrate someone we love who has passed. Yuyi also plays us some original drawing music on her jarana. Grab some paper, pens, colors and press play above. Enjoying the DT Pod? Can you think of someone else who would love it, too? Please share with a friend!AND! Does your kid want to be featured on the DrawTogether podcast? Call the DT Hotline and ask your kid to tell us about their FAVORITE FAMILY FOOD. Call 1-866-4-DRAWTOGETHER with your young person, leave a message after the beep and they just might end up on a future episode. The GUT's First Visiting Artist: Maira Kalman!Ask and ye shall receive! This Sunday, Maira Kalman joins us at the Grown-Ups Table where she answers some of my most pressing drawing/life questions, shares a little about her new book “Women Holding Things”, and gives us an inspiring drawing assignment. We'll be taking questions from the table, so start thinking what you'd like to ask her, too! If you haven't joined the Grown-Ups table, subscribe for weekly creative wanderings, explorations and lessons, visiting artists, and drawing assignments - and most of all, a joyful, creative, supportive community of fellow drawers. Thank you Yuyi for joining us on the pod this week, and producers Liz Scheltens and Arjuna Saeed, and editor Amy Standen for all your hard work to make this podcast so great. And thank YOU, DrawTogether Supporters and GUT members, for making this all possible. See you next week! xoxow Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
In the game of life, every species is like an action figure. You got your dogs and your dung beetles, your bald eagles and your blueberries. And for a long time scientists believed it was pretty much impossible for those action figures to mix and make a new kind of action figure that was able to have its own babies (dog beetles? Baldberries? Nah). But, today we tell the story of a four-legged beast in Kentucky whose existence is upending scientific beliefs. If you want a big fat SPOILER, here it is: the creature in question is a mule! After almost 20 years of living her life as a hybrid (a mix between a horse and a donkey), believed to be incapable of having babies, Peanut the mule shocked the world by doing the impossible. Peanut's owners, Teresa and Jerry Smothers, tell us the story of her life. Evolutionary biologist Dr. Molly Schumer explains how scientists' understanding of hybrids has changed dramatically over the course of Peanut's lifetime. And no mule episode would be complete without a cowboy-hatted mule packer leading us deep into the rocky trails of the American West on muleback to explain why mules are the best of both worlds of their parents. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org. Watch a hybrid gameshow and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube. Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you've made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Get creative with a special listen from our friends from DrawTogether Do - We've put a bunch of concrete - and even kinda fun - things we can all do to help protect the nonhuman life on this planet IN BINGO form! This week's storytellers are Jerry and Teresa Smothers, Dr. Molly Schumer and mule packer James Reeves. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the sure-footed, stubborn hybrid helper that is the MULE: Watch a TV news report about Peanut and MiracleLigers and Zonkeys and Narlugas, Oh my! Read an article about hybrids in nature and whether being a hybrid helps or hurts your genetic success.Learn the story of the first narluga (narwhal and beluga) spotting. Learn more about James Reeves, Mule Packer to the stars! Or, rather, to the mountains.Follow Mule Packer James Reeves' instagram, full of videos of him and mules!Is breeding hybrids (like Ligers) unethical?Did you know mules are STILL used in the military? Check out Susan Orlean's wonderful article about that.A video about the myth of Pegasus vs. The Chimera“Mules and More” MagazineDetailed list of reports of fertile mules over history Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Natalie Meade. Sound design by Phoebe Wang with additional engineering by Joe Plourde and Andrew Dunn. Our storytellers this week are Jerry and Teresa Smothers, Dr. Molly Schumer, and mulepacker James Reeves. Special thanks to the punks at the Music Resource Center in Charlottesville, Virginia: Riles, Susie, Jack, Tate, Tiny, Cheyenne, Zina, Bray, Jordan and Orion Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org
We interrupt our regularly scheduled DrawTogether Podcast to bring you an awesome episode from the new podcast from Radiolab and WNYC, Terrestrials! Every episode of Terrestrials explores the strangeness that exists right here on Earth (and maybe a little beyond.) What DrawTogether does with drawing, Terrestrials does with stories.We're featuring their episode Gravitational Waves. You can listen to more episodes on their website. We love you sister-podcast, Terrestrials! Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
The ocean can be a scary place: the waves are so strong, the water so deep. But surfer and illustrator AJ Dungo tells the story of an earthling who figured out how to walk on water and literally defy the rules of gravity. If you want a big SPOILER, here it is: It's only human for the season, the grandfather of modern-day surfing, Duke Kahanamoku. Duke's great grandniece, Heather Kina'u Paoa tells us about what Duke's life was really like. We learn about the physics of surfing, and how surfing is an escape, not just on a spiritual level, but a physical one too. Finally, we learn how Duke's story of learning to conquer the waves while remaining true to his Hawaiian heritage inspired AJ to get through one of the hardest times of his life. TW: this episode deals with the loss of a loved one and grief. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org. Watch a music video for “It Comes in Waves” and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube. Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you've made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Got the big feelings? Drawing can help. This week's drawing prompt from Wendy Mac at the DrawTogether podcast is a three part series called Emotional Doodles all about how to translate feelings into art (and, in turn, maybe even help you move through the hard feelings). Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “IT COMES IN WAVES” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet! This week's storytellers are AJ Dungo and Heather Kina'u Paoa. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the gravity-defying history-maker, Duke Kahanamoku: Check out Makani Tabura's Culturised podcast (about Hawaiin culture and history!)Check out AJ Dungo's comic book (aka graphic novel), In WavesWatch the new documentary about Duke, WatermanResources on Grief: Guide to Helping Children Cope with Grief from the Child Mind Institute is a resource available for families navigating the loss of a loved one. When a Loved One Dies: How to Help Your Child (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealthI Cannot Heal My Children's Grief, but I Can Help Them Name It“Do Animals Experience Grief?” from Smithsonian MagazineA Guide for Grown-Ups Helping Children Through the Toughest Times from Sesame Street in Communities If you or someone you know is considering suicide, self-harm, or harm to others, please get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. If you're outside the U.S., you can visit findahelpline.com to find resources for your country. Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Natalie Meade. Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde. Our storytellers this week are AJ Dungo and Heather Kina'u Paoa. Transcription by Russell Gragg. Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org
It's Halloween at DrawTogether! In this extra spooky episode we start with a calming circle-drawing warm-up while we listen to a poem, then learn to draw drop shadows and turn our flat circles into 3D spheres. After a quick lesson on light and shadow, we turn our 3D spheres into spooky shadow monster heads! Then we go get some candy.Warning: this episode is spooky. It contains spooky sounds and spooky voices and spooky drawings and… JUST KIDDING. It's just silly. Appropriate for kids of ALL ages. Bwahahahaha! Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Over a billion lightyears ago, in the darkness of outer space, a collision of black holes sent out a fleet of invisible waves that were headed right toward planet Earth. The waves were so powerful they could ripple spacetime but most people on Earth didn't believe the waves were real. SPOILER ALERT: The waves are called gravitational waves and…they are real! Astrophysicist Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced tells the story of what happened when they hit Earth in 2015 and how scientists came to learn to use senses beyond eyesight to detect the waves. We also learn from Dr. Stavros Katsanevas about the building of a giant gravitational wave catcher called “The Interferometer.” This episode also explores how to persist in the face of doubt as we learn Wanda's tale of going blind and learning how to listen to the stars. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org. Watch the interferometer come to life, disco style, and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube. Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy!If you want to share what you've made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Use your ears to draw! In this very special drawing prompt, Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team pull in an actual rockstar to play you various favorite sounds to draw. It's a feast for the mind, ears, and hands. Grab a pencil, pen, crayon, marker, anything, and check it out here! Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “UNIMAGINABLE” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet! This week's storyteller is Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the time-bending power that is the gravitational wave: Get to Wanda a little better; watch her TED talk!Take a tour of the world's first interferometer! (Free monthly tours in person in Richland, WA)Train yourself to use sound for signal detection in astronomy. Learn more about asteroseismology with the wonderful Hank Green!Spooked by the idea of the infinite universe? Listen to John Green's “Against Nihilism” (probably best for 13 and up)! Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Natalie Meade. Sound design by Phoebe Wang with additional engineering by Joe Plourde. Our storytellers this week are Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced and Dr. Stavros Katsanevas. Transcription by Caleb Codding. Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, Alice Wong, and Tara Welty. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org
Episode 3 is all about the USPS & STAMPS. After a relaxing drawing warm up, the DT Pod takes a field trip to the post office where DrawTogether Kids get their most pressing questions answered by Mekkah, an Oakland postal worker, and Bill Gicker, Director of Stamp Services for the USPS. Then we draw our own stamps featuring our favorite places, things, and people, including Mary Fields, the first African-American star mail carrier. Subscribe to the DrawTogether Newsletter for more on the USPS and Art, including what goes into making a stamp, and a look at some inspiring mail art. Everything is better when we DrawTogether! Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
High above the banks of the Mississippi river, a nest holds the secret life of one of America's most patriotic creatures. Their story puzzles scientists, reinforces indigenous wisdom, and wows audiences, all thanks to a park ranger named Ed, and a well-placed webcam. If you want to spoil the mystery, here ya go: it's a bald eagle. Actually, it's three bald eagles. A mama bird and daddies make a home together for over a decade and give new meaning to our national symbol. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org. Watch “I Wanna Hear the Eagle” and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube. And badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you've made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Journey up into the clouds like an eagle with a special drawing prompt made by artist Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team that will get you thinking about the weather (both inside and out). Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “I WANT TO HEAR THE EAGLE.” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet! This week's storytellers are Ed Britton and Nataanii Means. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the complex lives of the bald eagle: Check out The Trio Bald Eagle Nest Cam yourself!An interview with Nataanii Means in Native Maxx MagazineThe funny history of how the bald eagle became America's national symbolAn article called “Dirty Birds” about what it's actually like to live with America's national symbol. Did you know it's illegal to keep a bald eagle feather? Learn more in this AWESOME short video about the National Eagle Repository. Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Diane Kelley. Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde. Our storytellers this week are Ed Britton and Nataanii Means. Transcription by Caleb Codding. Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org
Wendy introduces us to one of her art she-roes: Sister Corita. Yes, she was a radical nun. Yes, she was a teacher and an artist. Yes, she was an absolute icon. Join Wendy for a Corita-inspired project that will help you look closely and see the world in a whole new way. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
A singing entomologist, Dr. Sammy Ramsey, and a biologist with a knack for inventing things, Dr. Paul Mireji, tell us about one of the most fearsome animals on our planet. If you want a SPOILER of what it is, read on: It sucks our blood, spreads diseases; it's the tsetse fly. Both Sammy and Paul were afraid of this creature, but share the story of what can be gained by looking close at what scares you. In the case of the tsetse fly, we learn that these creatures give live birth, produce milk, protect entire ecosystems, and just might hold the solutions to some of our planet's biggest problems Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Watch Lulu and Dr. Sammy drink roach milk (!!!!!) and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube. Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy!If you want to share what you've made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Listen to a very special drawing prompt created by artist Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team to explore just that! Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “Yum Your Yuck” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet! This week's storytellers are Dr. Sammy Ramsey and Dr. Paul Mireji. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the gnarly guardian that is the tsetse fly: In The Fight Against Tsetse Flies, Blue Is The New Black A Tsetse Fly Births One Enormous Milk-Fed Baby | KQED New Tool to Fight Deadly Tsetse Fly - The New York Times Cockroach Milk: Yes. You Read That Right : The Salt : NPR Kenyan 'junk artist' recycles rubbish into artworks - CGTN Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Diane Kelley. Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde. Our storytellers this week are Dr. Sammy Ramsey and Dr. Paul Mireji. Transcription by Caleb Codding. Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org
Drawing is a superpower that can help us make sense of our feelings. Join Wendy as we explore what it's like to draw the storms and the sunshine we feel inside. Plus, we meet a weather-obsessed kid who grew up to name the clouds. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Sy Montgomery, an author and naturalist, shares the story of a color-changing creature many people assumed to be brainless who outsmarts his human captors. If you want a SPOILER of what the creature is, read on: It's an octopus. We hear the story of one particularly devious octopus who lost a limb, was captured by humans, and then managed to make an escape from its aquarium tank—back into the ocean! The tale of “Inky” the octopus calls into question who we think of as intelligent (and kissable) in the animal kingdom. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Find MORE original Terrestrials fun on Youtube. Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you've made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Octopus brains are in their arms. What would happen if you got out of your head and let your limbs draw the world they saw? Listen to a very special drawing prompt created by artist Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team to explore just that! Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “1800 Little Kisses” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet! This week's storyteller is Sy Montgomery. Sy is an author, speaker, and naturalist who has published 31 books! She writes for adults and children, for print and broadcast, in America and overseas in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible at what she considers a critical turning point in human history. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the brilliance that is the octopus: Inky's Amazing Escape, a picture book by Sy Montgomery“Deep Intellect,” a beautiful essay on octopus intelligence by Sy MontgomeryThe Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery's science book all about octopuses”Why The Octopus Brain is so Extraordinary,” a video by Claudio L. Guerra”If Your Hands Could Smell, You'd be an Octopus,” a video by TEDEd Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Diane Kelley. Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde. Our storyteller this week is Sy Montgomery. Transcription by Caleb Codding. Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, Tara Welty, and Alice Wong. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org.
Watch now (33 min) | First up: let's draw a Rocket in Space!
Yup, you read that right. We're blasting kids drawings into space.
Helloooooo DT fam. As the school year is wrapping up, so is Season One of the DrawTogether Podcast! (Can you believe it?? 26 episodes!) As our Season One finale, we do a big-hearted DrawTogether classic: the blind contour portrait. This is a partner exercise, so grab a family member, friend or stranger, hit play above, and get ready to learn to LOOK in under a few minutes. Because in addition to helping us imagine a world we want to see, drawing teaches us to LOOK at one another. To slow down and pay attention. I deeply believe drawing is one of the most accessible and immediate ways to create connection between people and open doors for deeper relationships. My TED talk features this drawing exercise, and goes deeper on how Drawing helps us slow down, look closely and connect with the world around us - and each other. That drawing is looking, and looking is loving. And that DrawTogether isn’t really about drawing. ;) I hope you enjoy this episode, and continue to do this exercise anytime, anywhere, with anyone. I’ve done it in classrooms, workplaces, in hospitals - I even got a bar full of strangers to draw each other all at once. It’s the ultimate humanity ice-breaker/connection maker. I can’t wait to hear what you think (and see what you see.) Do let me know how it goes. Looking back on the DT Pod for a minute: When we started this podcast 26 episodes ago, we never thought we would come so far. With the help of phenomenal editor Amy Standen, we learned about artists Alma Thomas, Agnes Martin and Ruth Asawa. We talked about the war in Ukraine and drew sunflowers to process our feelings and show our support. We drew the shape of sound with musician Colin Meloy, and visited with children’s book author/illustrator Carson Ellis. We moved our feelings through our bodies and onto the page with five finger drawings and silly emotional fruit, and made a bunch of fun imaginary animals - because why not. We drew SO. MUCH. All these DT podcasts and more are here on Substack and on Apple Podcasts. If you or your kids missed any, they are here for you over the summer. Speaking of Summer: next week I’ll share deets on what’s coming next, what subscribers will be receiving in their inboxes, all that fun stuff. Plus a recap on everything DrawTogether has done in our classrooms program (SO MUCH STUFF) and some pretty awesome partnerships we’ll finally be able to share. For now, a huge thank you so much for being part of DrawTogether. There is no DT without YOU. And as we say at the end of every class, show, podcast episode, and first podcast season (!): Drawing is Looking and Looking is Loving. Also, Everything is better when we DrawTogether. See you soon!xoxow Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
A note of love and support to our DrawTogether community
Hellllooooo! This week on the DT Podcast, the phenomenal, Caldecott-honor winning children’s book illustrator/author, artist, mom, partner, friend, gardener, and llama-mama Carson Ellis joins us to talk about her art and teach us her favorite drawing game: Transmundane Tuesdays. Let’s call it TT for short. TT is a super fun drawing game anyone, any age, can play. It works like this: Carson pulls three prompts from three jars. Then she reads them to us. Then we combine all three prompts into a wacky, wonderful character drawing. Easy right? Totally. And super fun. And that’s exactly what we do on the podcast. With some chit chat and drawing music. Here’s the drawing Carson did on the episode. And here’s mine: Okay, so now it’s your turn. JOIN US. Grab your supplies, press play above or over on Apple Podcast, and see what you come up with. Be sure to post your artwork on Instagram and including the hashtag #TransmundaneTuesdays and tag us at @DrawTogether.Studio so we can see it share it with everyone else, too! You can also look at the hashtag #TransmundaneTuesdays on Instagram to see THOUSANDS of people’s TT drawings Carson and her fellow TT drawers have created over the years. It’s astounding to see how everyone’s imagination works so differently, all the different approaches to drawing, and all the effort people put into something that is purely for the joy of it. She’s really created something so special. When Carson posts them on her Instagram and Substack they look like this: (Note this is not the DT pod prompt!)So fun. And! Be sure you subscribe to Carson’s substack “Slowpoke” for more Transmundane Tuesdays and general art and drawing goodness. She is one of my favorite artists and one of the best human beings I know and I promise you will be delighted and inspired. She also has a show in SF at Gallery 16 (June 3-July 31) with another favorite artist, Nathaniel Russell coming up soon!Can’t wait to see your Transmundane Tuesday drawings. See you next week, all. Everything is Better When We DrawTogether. xoxowps - thank you Kate Levitt for jumping in and helping Amy and I with a last minute edit on this week’s episode! Yes, we had some tech issues this week. Happens. Life! DrawTogether with WendyMac is reader-supported. If you value this podcast, publication and any/all things DrawTogether, please subscribe to keep it going and growing. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hello! This week on the DT Pod we’re drawing EMOTIONAL FRUIT! Timid tomato. Angry apple. Silly Strawberry! If you can feel it and eat it, you can draw it! Grab your kids, your supplies, press play and DRAW. I’d LOVE to see your emo eggplants. Post your excellent food-feeling artwork on instagram, tag @Drawtogether.studio and we’ll share them out so others can see them, too. DrawTogether Podcast & Newsletter is made possible by folks like you. Subscribe to support!For subscribers this week: we’ll dive into the creative (and often beautiful) world of emotional charts and diagrams. We’ll look at some of the more visual, thoughtful and unique ones, and learn why they are so helpful. Spoiler alert: When we can identify our emotions, we can decide what we want to do (or not do) about them. And by kids, I mean all of us. Now go grab your drawing supplies and press play - can’t wait to see your EMOTIONAL FRUIT. Spread the word about the DrawTogether Podcast & Newsletter - share with a friend! Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hello DT fam! This week on the DT Podcast we’re making a drawing based on an old surrealist drawing practice: Automatic Drawing. Popularized in the early 1900’s automatic drawing by famous artists like Andre Breton and Joan Miro, this exercise helps us get out of our busy brains into our instinctual bodies. When we let our bodies take the lead, it’s surprising what reveals itself on the page. I’ll share more about the history of Automatic Drawing and body/subconcious-focused art in next week’s subscriber news letter.While the surrealists called this Automatic Drawing, I’m renaming it, and calling our drawing today “Body’s Choice". I’m stealing this phrase from my dear friend, the writer Courtney Martin. (If you don’t subscribe to her newsletter The Examined Family you’re missing out.) I heard Courtney use that terms when talking to her eldest daughter Maya. Maya was maybe 5 or 6 at the time, and Courtney was giving Maya a couple options. Instead of asking her, “What do you think?” she offered, “Body’s Choice!” and Maya knew immediately which direction she wanted to pursue. It completely blew me away. So many of us are trained to default to our rational brain for decision making. In turn, we lose touch with those first, most essential feelings - the ones that occur in our bodies. By practicing listening to the body, trusting it, and leading with it, we develop a deeper understanding of who we are and what is right for us. And while we practice noticing that what is right for OUR bodies, we also notice that it’s often different than what’s right for OTHER people’s bodies. And we can develop a strong respect for that, too. By having awareness and boundaries around our own bodies, not only do we respect ourselves but we respect other people, too. My body, my choice. Your body, your choice.Hope you enjoy today’s DT Podcast. I’d love to see what you draw. Share it out on Instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio so we can share it there, too - or email us a photo here and we’ll share it in next week’s email. Speaking of, check out 8 year old Cole’s awesome Doodle Game Drawing. SO MUCH FUN. Everything is better when we draw together, xoxo,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
This week on the DT Podcast: The World’s Best Drawing Game is back! Grab a pencil, paper, press play above and get ready to surprise yourself. It’s fun to play on your own, and way more fun with two people. If you want to share your favorite doodle drawing on instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio, we’d love to see and share.AND! A call for kid storytellers from our friends at Radiolab! Terrestrials, a new podcast for kids from Radiolab, is looking for a youth storyteller for their first season. Could it be YOU? They’re looking for stories about “trash mammals.” That’s right. Mammals that are not considered cute or cuddly, but deserve some recognition. Some examples are skunks, rats, porcupines, opossums, bats, stray dogs, street cats, raccoons, coyotes, hyena, ferrets… stuff like that. Tell them a TRUE STORY about an experience you’ve had with a trash mammal that surprised you or changed you or your understanding of the world in some way. Make it fit in 5-7 sentences or a 30-60 second audio or video clip. Send your stories BY MONDAY to Ana at agonzalez@nypublicradio.orgAlso! Our homebase is here in the DT newsletter, but if you’re listen to the DT Podcast on Apple Podcasts could you take a moment and give us a rating and review over there? It makes a real difference and is a great way to support DT. Thank you!Everything is better when we DrawTogether.xoxo,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
DrawTogether hereby officially proclaims the 3rd week of April “Agnes Martin Week!”And to celebrate, in the podcast we explore of the work of this legendary artist and draw with a similar technique she used in many of her paintings. Press play and let me know how you grid goes. Agnes Martin’s large, square abstract paintings (which are often drawings) appear simple and clean. I mean really, they’re just criss crossing lines on a canvas, right? They don’t LOOK like anything. But somehow they hold our attention and vibrate with a calm energy. They are filled with beauty and joy. And while they might not be a drawing OF something, they FEEL like something. Her painting “Summer” feels like summer. Her painting “Mountain” feels like a mountain. How is that possible?Perhaps what goes into a painting determines what comes out… (Yup, we talk about this in the podcast.) Agnes Martin said “There’s not such thing as a perfect painting.” And while we might be tempted to try to “get it right” when drawing straight lines, grids and dots, perhaps what makes her work - and our drawing exercise this week - so satisfying is the impossibility of perfection, and the way each of our drawings end up becoming uniquely our own. If you’re doing this exercise with kids or a classroom, this is a great opportunity to refute fussiness and embrace mistakes. The imperfections are truly what makes this simple drawing special. Also, deep breathes, shaking out extra energy and sound effects never hurt. When we learn about an artists life, we unlock a whole new dimension to their art - we get to see it in a whole new way. This is doubly true with Agnes Martin. While I talk a bit about Agnes’ life in the podcast while we’re drawing, I’ll share more in the subscriber email in the coming days, along with the transcript of the podcast. (If you would like a transcript of the DT podcast and aren’t able to make it happen right now, write us and we’ll comp you. No barriers to art!)Alright, grab your pencil, maybe a ruler, and I can’t wait to hear how it goes. Pencils up, friends! Everything is better when we DrawTogether,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hellllooo! Today on the DT Podcast we continue our sound theme with a visit from one of my all-time favorite musicians: Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. Using a variety of sophisticated sound-making tools (aka: instruments) Colin helps us explore the question “What does sound look like?” He plays six of his favorite sounds for us, and we use our sophisticated mark-making tools (aka: pencils) to DRAW our visual interpretation of the sound, and create an abstract musical score. No rules! Use different mediums and marks. Get messy. Colin is not only a literal rock star, but he’s also a phenomenal writer (hello Wildwood Chronicles made with fave human/illustrator/kids book author Carson Ellis. They also happen to be married.) Colin recently launched a substack to share the BTS of his songwriting process, old tracks, lessons - def worth a subscribe. (Carson just launched an amazing art one, too!)I’ve heard from a lot of you that you miss the DrawTogether shows. I know. I do, too. Friends, they are coming… It’s just takes so darn long. YOU will be the first to know what’s next, I promise. Meanwhile, if you like, maybe I’ll pull back the curtain a little on what’s going on with the show, with DT Classrooms, the art kits and more for subscribers… Yes? No? Let me know if you’d like to hear more about that (or anything else) in the comments. Also, with all this talk of sound on the podcast this week and last, I’m mortified I haven’t been creating transcripts for DT folks who are deaf or hard of hearing. My deep apologies. I’m learning. As of this week, paying subscribers will receive a transcript of the DT Podcast along with behind-the-scenes notes, exercises and reading suggestions. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and can’t afford a subscription right now, write me and of course we’ll give you free access. Can’t wait to see your Cabinet of Sound! Post them on Instagram, tag @DrawTogether.Studio and we’ll share some of them here. Maybe we can even convince a rock star to play some of the abstract scores you create. :) Pencils up, friends. Everything is better when we DrawTogether. xoxowEpisode 20 Credits: Drawer-in-Chief: WendyMacEditor Supreme: Amy Standen DT Drawing Music: Chris ColinDT Theme Song: Thao NguyenSpecial guest: Colin Meloy Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Helllloooo! This new DrawTogether Podcast episode might be my favorite yet. Today, we swap out our Art Eyes for Art Ears, head outside and draw a Sound Map. In DrawTogether we often focus on sight - as in, “Drawing is Looking, and Looking is Loving.” But when we slow down, pay attention and truly SEE, we don’t just use our eyes. We use ALL our senses when see, and in turn, when we draw. So today, we focus on a new sense: our hearing. We take our drawing supplies outside and we LISTEN to the world around us, and draw what we hear. A Sound Map is a visual story of a time and place. It’s also a wonderful listening exercise for kids, a great mindfulness exercise for adults, and just a fun way way to connect with the world around us. Drawing a Sound Map is a great solo, family, or group activity for the weekend or after school - and a wonderful exercise for classrooms. All you need is 10 minutes, a safe, comfortable place to sit outside, a sketchbook (or “mobile studio’’ as I call it - the podcast will explain), a pencil and maybe some colors. And most of all, you’ll need your Art Ears. The rest will come to you. I’d love to see your Sound Map. Take a photo, post it on Instagram and tag @DrawTogether.Studio. We’ll share some of them out here in the newsletter. Next week is our 20th episode, and to celebrate we have another sound-focused DT episode featuring super special guest musician and writer Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. (!!!) Set your Friday drawing alarm clock. Finally, ODE TO PENCIL follow up! Turns out DT peeps love: Ticonderoga, Blackwings, Colored pencils and Microns the most. The WINNER of the DrawTogether ODE TO PENCIL is…. Patricia Chavez! Patricia, email me at submissions@drawtogether.studio and we’ll send you some super awesome DT pencils.
A quick thank you to our paying subscribers. Without you, there is no DT Podcast (or anything really!) If you want to see DrawTogether continue to grow, please subscribe to this DT newsletter for just $6/month. It helps us keep the lights on as we work on more shows, DT Classrooms, partnerships and projects, and continue to grow hearts with art. Thank you! It’s Friday! That means a NEW DrawTogether Podcast episode! We take a special DT kid request (yes, we take requests!) and the result is a super fun family or classroom drawing adventure filled with animals, monsters, superheroes and SURREALISM. While it’s only a few minutes longer than than our typical 5-10 minutes - it will provide hours of fun for a kid, family or classroom. Supplies: For this drawing, kids will need 3 pieces of paper, a pencil, maybe some colors, and scissors. For the littler kids who aren’t using scissors on their own yet, they will also need a grown up.FLIP BOOK IT: If you/kids are working in sketchbooks, try not removing the paper. Instead, keep the paper INSIDE the notebook while drawing and cutting. You’ll end up with a super fun surreal FLIP BOOK of silly monster combinations. Group Sport: This is a twist on the surrealist game Exquisite Corpse, in which two or more people pass a folded piece of paper around and create a mish-mash drawing together. If you want to to try that, my pal Austin Kleon (who has an awesome new Substack) did a wonderful post on it not so long ago.Can’t wait to see your silly surreal monster drawing! If you’d like to share your kid’s drawings with the DT Community, take a photo of your Silly Monster and send it to submissions@DrawTogether.studio, or post a pic on instagram and tag us at @drawtogether.studio - we’ll share it out on our instagram account and maybe feature your kid’s drawing in a special newsletter (include first name and age, please!)Have fun!Everything is better when we DrawTogether.
Hellooooo! Pardon our delay, we wanted to get this one just right. Because this is a whole new kind of drawing podcast… this is an experiment, a risk, a graphic hurdle into the great unknown. This week we draw a…..That’s right. In this podcast episode, I take you through drawing an animal step by step, but I’m not going to tell you what we are drawing. WHAT?! HOW?! Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and press play above and let’s see how it goes. Remember: there’s no such thing as a wrong animal drawing. We’ll all end up with a fun, funny looking something - and everyone’s will be wonderful. What’s important is that we slow down, listen closely, and in just a few minutes you will have drawn A MYSTERY ANIMAL. Again, I’m not going to tell you what that animal is. But I will say it’s made exclusively of circles and ovals.We can draw almost any animal with circles and ovals. Try it! Try and find an animal you can’t draw with just circles and ovals. I dare you. For DT subscribers (we love you, subscribers!): Tomorrow I’m going send a VIDEO of me drawing the mystery animal along with the audio of the podcast. If you want to send us your drawings, I’ll include YOUR animal drawing, too. Let’s see how our animals are all different, similar, and all equally mysterious!Send your drawings to submissions@drawtogether.studio Educators: this podcast is extra good for focus and listening skills. Love to hear how this experiment works in your classroom. Alright, happy mysterious-circle-oval-animal drawing, everyone. Can’t wait to see what you create. Everything is better when we DrawTogether,wps - Listening to the DT Podcast on Apple Podcasts? Rad. Please give us a review and a rating on the platform. It really helps us get the word out. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
A look back on what DrawTogether has accomplished, and all we have ahead.
Hi, DT friends. Today’s DrawTogether Podcast is special.Today we take a special request from 8-year-old DrawTogether Kid Keira and her mom, Dasha. Dasha is Ukrainian and lives in SF with her family. They asked if we could make a drawing to show the people of Ukraine our support. And that’s exactly what we do on today’s podcast. Hit play above, or listen on Apple Podcast. In the 10-minute episode, we talk a little about the war and feelings kids might be having, and what we can do with those feelings (acknowledge them, ask caregivers and teachers questions, look at a map, draw.) Then we draw a big bright sunflower to hang in our window. Maybe other kids in our neighborhood will see it and feel inspired to draw a sunflower for their window, too. Maybe we can take photos and post them on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter (tag us so we can share it, too!) and maybe kids in Ukraine will see them, too. We might be far away from each other, but we are all neighbors. For subscribers this week, i’ll be sharing some great resources for parents and educators about talking to kids about Ukraine and war in general (and some Ukrainian art you can share with your kids, too.) Honestly, the info is great for grown-ups, too. We all have feelings and questions, and doomscrolling on twitter probably isn’t the best way to maintain our mental health. There will be tips. :) If you are enjoying these podcasts, another way way to support is to leave us a review over on Apple Podcasts. It makes a big difference in getting the word out. Thank you. Pencils UP. Everything is better when we DrawTogether. xoxo,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hellloooo! It’s another DrawTogether Podcast episode. Subscribers received a special letter yesterday: notes from a conversation with Ruth Asawa’s son, Paul Lanier, about cultivating creativity in young humans. If you’d like to get special treats like this that dig deeper into things we explore in the podcast, please subscribe. You’re also helping DrawTogether continue to make fun, educational, creative stuff for kids of all ages. Thank you. On to the podcast! This week we answer that age old question: How do you figure out what to draw when you don’t know what to draw?? Turns out, the answer is right in front of you. When you look closely, the most ordinary object becomes extraordinary (and makes an extra-extra ordinary drawing.)We practice our skills of observation by learning how to do a blind contour drawing (aka drawing without looking at your paper.) This practice helps us look closely and pay attention to the shapes and edges of an object, how it twists and turns. Then we do a little coloring and shading to help us notice texture and light. 3 months of art school into an 8 minute podcast! Hit the play button above or LISTEN ON iTUNES. Thanks for drawing together, y'all! Post your blind contour drawings of your extraordinary objects on instagram and tag @DrawTogether.Studio to share them out. Pencils up ,friends! See you next week. xo, wDT PODCAST CREDITS: Drawer: WendyMac, Editor: Amy Standen, Drawing Music: Cheeky CP, DT Theme Music: Thao Nguyen, Hold Music: Jay YouPS! DrawTogether got some BIG LOVE in New York Magazine this week! Thank you Liz Weil who wrote an amazing profile, and Damien Maloney who took the funnest photos. A reminder: even though it’s my silly face in the profile, there’s a whole group of kind, creative, hard-working folks who make DrawTogether happen. It’s not called DrawAlone, right?? Big love and shout out to everyone who contributes to DT.
Hellllloooo! Happy Friday. It’s been less than a week since DrawTogether was featured on PBS NewsHour, and boy did we get a great response. A big welcome to all the new folks joining us! And to our longtime DT peeps: thanks for continuing to draw, look and love with us as the DT family grows. Onwards! Our podcast drawing today is based the work of one of my favorite artists, Ruth Asawa. We explore her magnificent light-as-air wire sculptures using shape & line/pencil & paper. (Hit that play button above - or listen on iTunes or Spotify!) I discuss a bit of Ruth’s work and life in the podcast, but her are a few more fun facts: Ruth Asawa was the quintessential maker. She used her HANDS and whatever materials were available. She focused as much on the process of making art as the outcome. And through all the changes and chapters in her life, she kept making art. Ruth and her family were unjustly placed in a Japanese American internment camp during World War 2, and she kept on creating. She went on to study at the experimental Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and travelled to Mexico to see Diego Rivera’s murals and painting first hand. There, a local artisan taught her a basket weaving technique that became the basis for her wire sculptures. Here are some traditional weaving techniques that look similar to Ruth’s wire work, and the drawing we do on today’s podcast.And here’s a photo of Ruth weaving a wire sculpture based on technique she learned in Mexico. Or rather, here’s a photo of Ruth drawing in the air:Ruth worked constantly. She was always folding paper, drawing on scratch paper, or looping wire… so you can imagine what life was like given she had six kids (!) always hoping for her attention. BIG NEWS: I’m interviewing Ruth Asawa’s son, Paul Lanier (a teaching artist himself) about growing up in a creative home and cultivating creativity in young people. I’ll share conversation with subscribers in the days ahead. If you’d like access to features like this, please support/subscribe here:“An artist is not special. An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special.” Ruth Asawa wove different techniques, cultures, identities and experiences into a tremendous life and body of work that continues to contribute so much to our creative humanity. She made, taught and tirelessly advocated for arts education. She drew in the air. Thank you Ruth Asawa.I’d love to see your Ruth Asawa inspired drawings. After you listen to the podcast, take a photo and post it on instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio, and we’ll share it with the community. Pencils up, friends. Everything is better when we DrawTogether. xo,wps - You can now listen to the DrawTogether Podcast on iTunes and Spotify! Please subscribe over there and share it out with your friends. We appreciate it.
Plus the Who, What, Where of DrawTogether
Big news: You can now listen to the DrawTogether Podcast on iTunes and Spotify! We’ll continue to share the podcast here in our DT Club Newsletter, and paying subscribers get additional behind the scenes tips, interviews, and inspiration. We count on your support to keep going, so please and thank you for your support! And without further ado… Hit the play button above for the new podcast ep! We call it, “The Big Warm Up.”Athletes warm up before a game. Musicians warm up before a performance. Should artists warm up before drawing? HECK YES WE SHOULD. On today’s DT podcast, we learn a quick warm up exercise to loosen the muscles and mind, get our blood flowing and heart pumping, and help us draw with our whole bodies. Whether it’s making a cup of tea, putting on some music or doing some stretches, many artists do some kind of warm up to switch into making mode. The British painter Chris Ofili starts every day in his studio by creating a few abstract pencil drawings and loose watercolor portraits.The American painter Wayne Thiebaud (who passed away a month ago at the age of 101) started his days with a game of tennis before heading to his studio to paint. How about you? What gets you into the making mood? Share your warm up routine in the comments!And PRIZES: Thanks to everyone who told us how you listen to the podcast. So happy to hear you’re all digging it. And our three winners are… Anna David, Linh Nguyen, and Cherylann Ganci! Congrats and please email WendyMac@DrawTogether.Studio to claim your prize. Everyone else: more chances for DT Swag coming soon.And as we say at the end of everything, including Friday newsletters: Everything is better when we DrawTogether. See you soon.
Hey, friends. A new DrawTogether Podcast episode is here!! And! A twist: in some upcoming episodes we’ll look to artists working in different mediums to inspire our drawing. We’ll learn a little about their artwork, how they make it and why, and then we’ll explore their work through drawing. Cool? Cool. Let’s go. First up: Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Like most artists, Mondrian’s work changed drastically over his lifetime. He explored different styles and for a long time he actually made a living by painting copies of other artists artworks. After decades of effort and experimentation, he arrived at the signature abstract style he is most known for (seen above.) In today’s episode we learn a little about why Mondrian painted like he did and the basic elements involved, then we use these elements to make a drawing of our own. All you need is a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and three colors. (No worries if you don’t have colors, all good.) I’d **love** to see the composition you create. If you and your kids would like to share your drawings with the DT Community you can take a photo and post it on instagram and tag @DrawTogether.Studio. I’ll see it and share it out! And! Let me know what you think of this direction in the comments. As always, if you/your kids/classrooms/families are digging this drawing podcast, please support by subscribing (just $60/year is a huge support!) and sharing this post and newsletter with your friends. It makes a giant difference. Thank you. And as we say at the end of, well, everything: Everything is better when we DrawTogether. xo,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Happy new year, friends. Despite being a stressful time with the uncertainties around Covid, so many people getting sick, the constant calculations we’re doing to keep ourselves and others safe, and the roller coaster with schools, I’m still planting a flag in the ground that reads: there is so much to be grateful for, and so much to feel hopeful about. That includes this wonderful DrawTogether family. You know what you all did?? You raised over 70k to send 2,000 DT kids vital art supplies. YOU DID THAT. You know what else you did? You opened this email, and we are going to DrawTogether right now. YES WE ARE. Why? Because in the middle of mayhem inside and/or out, we can always find a some peace and a moment of calm using just a piece of paper and a pencil. Today’s podcast is a short and sweet drawing exercise based on neurologist Dr. Jud Brewer’s Five Finger Breathing technique, which a 6 year old taught me. Let’s call him Rafael. PBS Newshour was recently here shooting a feature on DrawTogether (!) and we visited a DrawTogether Classroom in at Cesar Chavez Elementary in SF’s Mission District. I was speaking with the first graders about drawing and managing big feelings. Rafael got so excited by the mention of deep breathing that he jumped up, ran to the front of the class and taught us all how to focus our breath using this awesome technique. Turns out it was the practice popularized by Dr. Brewer. I’ve modified it slightly to become a drawing exercise: Five Finger Drawing. Grab a pencil, piece of paper and maybe some colors and press play. Can’t wait to hear how it works for you. xo,wIf you value this podcast, please subscribe to support! A few bucks a month goes a long way. Thank you.
Helllllooo. New Friday, new DT Podcast episode! We’re trying something new. Today we take a kid request (thanks DT Kid Rosa!) and then head out on an art adventure together... to our windows! We learn about perspective and scale and a bit about composition. And most of all, we slow down, look closely and see/draw at all the magical things we often overlook. This episode is a fun, easy little drawing meditation with some learning tucked inside. It’s about 10 minutes, and is fun to do alone or with a family member. So grab a pencil or pen, paper, and maybe a book if you need a surface to draw on, and press play above. I’d love to see DT peeps window views from around the world and I bet everyone else would, too - so if you want, you can post your drawing on Instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio and we’ll share it out. And if YOU have a kid who has a drawing request, you can send a voice memo (ask them to include first name, age, and request) to submissions@drawtogether.studio and maybe we’ll draw your kid’s request! If you like the DT podcast and want to support more audio art adventures in the new year, please share this newsletter with a friend, and consider becoming a paid subscriber or giving the gift of a subscription to a friend this holiday. We are because of you!Keep drawing, looking, and loving. xo,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hello! NEW DRAWTOGETHER PODCAST IS HERE. This is perhaps the silliest drawing exercise to have ever appeared on any drawing podcast, ever. (Yes, I know, the DT podcast is the *only* drawing podcast. Still.) I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so if you’re playing the audio for a kid/family/classroom, keep this on the DL... We’re doing Blindfold Drawing. It’s fun, magical, and hilarious - and contains serious art lessons. All you need is paper, a pencil, and a mask - and then press PLAY above. Blindfold drawing makes us rely on our minds and movement to create an image. It removes the option to “get it right” or “do a good drawing” based on our limited visual expectations. I have a hunch you’ll be surprised by how specific your memories/mind-images are when you use your hands to imagine and remember. (Remember, not everyone thinks in pictures. There’s no “right” or “better” way for our minds to work.) And, when we do them multiple times, our drawings evolve. We slow down. Let go of expectations. Our hand/mind coordination improve. Here are my blindfolded drawn snow people:Look at the change from Number 1 to Number 4!!! Okay, maybe i’m the only one who gets giddy about this stuff, but it’s such a great example of how we build muscles through removing limiting expectations, slowing down, and practicing. The podcast is short today with some bonus drawing suggestions at the end. Have fun! And! A reminder that we’re doing a GoFundMe to send DrawTogether Art Kits to kids around the US who don’t have quality art supplies in their classrooms. We’re half way to our goal, so if you can contribute a few bucks to support a kid, please do! AND! If you want to support THIS podcast/newsletter - AKA world’s first and only drawing podcast - please subscribe:Number Four thanks you. xoxo, w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hey there!This is our third and final episode in our series “Emotional Doodles” - drawing to alleviate anxiety. Reminder: UCSF Pediatrician and friend of DrawTogether, Dr. Lee Atkinson-McEvoy, shared that she’s seeing unprecedented levels of anxiety in kids and asked if DrawTogether could help. So we’re doing a few short, simple, fun drawing podcast exercises here on the podcast that can help reduce anxiety in a big way. You can do them on your own, with family members or friends, or with an entire classroom. The first episode explored how drawing varying types of abstract marks can help us identify feelings, and scribble them out of our bodies and onto the page. The second episode used drawing to focus our attention on things we’re grateful for, which studies show helps reduce anxiety and depression. And TODAY, we do a simple and powerful doodling exercise that I do all the time. Let’s call it LINES. It’s simple, powerful meditative drawing exercise. After a few minutes you feel more calm, less anxious, and you end up with a pretty cool drawing. So grab a pen and a piece of paper and press play. It’s less than 10 minutes. :) And COMMENTS! Friends! I heart feedback! Your input helps me know what is and isn’t working. Are these too long? Too short? Too literal? Too abstract? Easy to follow? This is one big experiment, so please take a moment and leave a comment or shoot me a message. I so, so appreciate it. Thank you! And thanks Chris Colin for the DT Podcast drawing music, Amy Standen for the edit, and Thao Nguyen for the DT theme song. See you next week with a very different kind of drawing direction. xoxo,w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hey hey! Belated happy day of thankfulness. Our regular Friday email got bumped for our fundraiser to give DT art kits to kids*, so I’m extra happy to DrawTogether with you on a Sunday. Feels like a special occasion. Today we’re continuing with our 3 part series “Emotional Doodles” - drawing to reduce anxiety in kids (of all ages.) Last week, we used drawing to help identify feelings and move them out of our bodies and onto the page. This week, in the timely spirit of giving thanks, we use drawing to identify and focus on things we’re grateful for. Press PLAY above for an 8 minute drawing that will change your perspective. Studies show a “gratitude practice” reduces anxiety and depression, strengthens relationships, improves mental health and minimizes stress in the short and long term. Regularly focusing on what we’re grateful for literally changes the way we experience the world. Drawing is an easy and fun way for kids (of all ages) to begin a practice. You can do today’s DT podcast on your own, like visual journaling - or together as a family or classroom. And as always, drawing like this is a great starting point for a deeper conversation. After you’re done, if your kiddo wants to share their drawings, I’d love to see it. Post a photo of it Instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio. Also, I’d love to hear from you: How are these podcasts are working for you? What do you want more or less of? Longer or shorter? We’re only 5 episodes in, and have some fun ideas and plans, and I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts - please post in the comments below.Grateful for you. xo,w *Thank you so so much to everyone generously supporting this effort to give life-changing art kits to kids in classrooms across the USA! We are so excited and proud to be in such good cahoots with YOU!
Helloooo!! It’s Friday! I highly recommend at some point today that you stop whatever you are doing, stand and/or stretch, shake the fingers, shake the arms, and do The Friday Dance. I feel like we all could use it, right?? Well, I hope this newsletter also helps inspire and excite: we have a new super important DrawTogether Podcast episode for you, and a very special DrawTogether group effort. Let’s go! NEW DT PODCAST EPISODE. (Hit that big play button above to listen!) Last week I got a call from Special DT Guest and pediatrician Dr. Lee Atkinson-McEvoy. She said she’s witnessing higher levels of anxiety amongst her young patients than ever before. Dr. Lee asked if DrawTogether would consider dedicating an episode to helping kids of all ages process feelings. Of course we said YES. For the next few weeks, the DT Podcast will focus on drawing to help identify, clarify and process emotions. Let’s call them “Emotional Doodles.” Like everything DrawTogether, these exercises are intended for kids, but growns might find them helpful, too. We’ve heard the DT Podcast is also excellent family dinner table material, and awesome to use in the classroom. Remember, these podcasts are a quick bites - starting points for exploration. Keep drawing on your own and see where it leads. Please share thoughts, suggestions or requests you for future DT podcasts with a comment. DrawTogether is a big community endeavor, and we want to hear from you. LET’S DO THIS: Help Boost Kids Creativity with Art Supplies! I know from personal experience how much having quality art supplies as a kid cultivates creativity and confidence. Unfortunately, many schools don’t have visual art classes, let alone any decent art supplies. DrawTogether’s non-profit “DrawTogether Classrooms” just launched our pilot program: we’re delivering FREE social-emotional art programming to 100 classrooms in 30 states. (Woot Woot!) Now, with you, we want to make sure those kids have the art supplies they need. We just kicked off a Go Fund Me campaign to deliver 2,000 beautifully designed, high quality DrawTogether art supply kits directly to emerging kid artists in classrooms around the country. We need your help. Just $30 will give a kid a life-changing art kit. For $300 bucks, you’re supporting ten small artists. And for $1,000, you’ll stock an entire classroom with supplies for a year, and change these kids lives forever - and we’ll send you a kit of your own. :) Every dollar makes a difference, as do tweets and posts - please kick in if you can, and please help us spread the word. Hit the button below to share this email with a friend. Pass it on! Thank you so, so much. It’s an exciting time for DrawTogether. I have a little DT insider info I’ll share on Sunday - subscribe to support DT and get the inside scoop.... Meanwhile, thank you for being part of this incredible growing community. Pencils up, friends. Everything is better… xo, w Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hi, it’s me, WendyMac. It’s episode 3 of the DrawTogether Podcast! It’s also my birthday week. To celebrate, I wanted to do one of my favorite drawing exercises with you, which also happens to be a DrawTogether classic: the world famous Heart Spiral. But let’s do it with a twist… If you’ve watched DrawTogether, you probably know the Heart Spiral was inspired by cartoonist, writer and educator (and DT patron saint) Lynda Barry. Lynda believes drawing spirals helps people get out of their head and into their bodies. (We strongly agree!) In this episode, we meet another artist with a spiral drawing practice: Louise Bourgeois. Louise made drawings constantly from her home in New York (and before that France) until she passed away at 98. Best known for her large scale installation and sculptures, she also drew, carved, printed and painted spirals using all sorts of materials She even created spirals using text. She said, “I love the spiral. It represents control and freedom.” Louise believed the direction in which you draw a spiral changes how you feel: when you draw outside in, you feel in control. Draw inside out, you feel a sense of freedom. In today’s DrawTogether podcast, we explore Louise’s hypothesis. I’d love to know - did drawing a heart spiral change the way you feel? Did you notice a difference between the two? Let me know in the comments below. And I’d also love to see your finished drawings. Post them on instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio to share them with the DT community.Happy Diwali!Later this weekend, subscribers will receive a special post celebrating Diwali by illustrator Ishita Jain. Become a subscriber-supporter to get more cool stuff like this, and help DrawTogether keep going and growing. Thanks to Chris Colin for the music, Thao Nguyen for the DrawTogether theme song, and Amy Standen for the mix. Everything is better when we Draw (all sorts of spirals) Together! Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hi DT friends and welcome new folks - Wendy here. So happy to see you.Our little experiment creating the world’s first audio-drawing-show seems to have been a hit! So let’s keep going. Welcome to the second episode of what we’re calling the "DrawTogether Podcast.” (Until we think up a catchier name.) Grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and press play above. Our first episode was a calming, centering drawing exercise. This one is different: it’s about imagination. In this episode I teach you my favorite drawing game… a game with NO RULES. It’s called The Doodle Game. Many artists I know play this game. And I was delighted to learn that psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott - the same guy behind the theory of transitional objects (like blankets and stuffies) and the “good enough” mother - used a version of the doodle game with young children to help them communicate ideas and feelings. But he called it "The Squiggle Game.” But this isn’t therapy. The Doodle Game is a simple drawing game for kids of ALL ages you can do anywhere, anytime, on your own or with a friend, to loosen up your creative brain and jumpstart your imagination. I’d love to see what you do, and I’m sure others would too. If you want, please share your drawing on Instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio so everyone can see each other’s doodle-drawings. Here’s mine, based on my doodle above. Also, a little note: usually I’d be encouraging you/kids to go your own way, and not be too influenced by my silly looking dog with a monkey’s tail. But part of the magic of The Doodle Game is you can’t help but move in your own, unique direction. No rules. No expectations. You’ll see. :) Okay, let me know what you think in the comments below - about this episode and any suggestions or requests you have about this new audio-drawing-class-show format. The request/feedback line is open. And if you’d like to support this new audio-cast (and DrawTogether in general), you can become a paid subscriber. Thanks so much for being part of the DT fam. Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
Hey it’s Wendy! We have a special DT treat for you today - it’s a fun art experiment: A DrawTogether Podcast! (Sort of.) But really, when we say listen up, we mean it literally. Grab a pen and paper and PRESS PLAY on the audio above.A little backstory: when my TED talk came out, it was released only via video, and not via audio on TED's iTunes podcast. Some folks didn’t think that such a visual talk would translate to audio. The wonderful Helen Walters, head of curation, advocated for the talk to be on iTunes. People agreed, and up it went. Since then, so many people have responded positively to the audio-only version. Like, big, big feelings. Seems that listening to a talk about looking works. So I thought… what if we created an audio-only DrawTogether?? A drawing podcast. Would it even make sense? Would it be relaxing? Confusing? Calming? Frustrating? Fun? Answer: I DON’T KNOW. So, in true DT spirit: let’s try! It’s just a short 5-minute drawing exercise, and it’s powerful for focusing and centering. If you haven’t already, grab a pen and paper and PRESS PLAY at the top.How was it? Tell us in the comments below. If it’s clear and relaxing and fun to do, maybe we’ll try more. Thanks Chris Colin for the awesome background music, Kate Levitt for the mix (Kate is not only lead of the DT Classrooms project, she is also a DJ!), Hrishikesh Hirway for the audio advice (his TED talk on listening was my fave of the conference), and writer Jon Mooallem who has been working with me on DT ideas since the jump and suggested doing something with audio ages ago. If this doesn’t work, blame him! :) P.S. - Educators and community leaders! This is THE LAST CHANCE to apply for the FREE DrawTogether Classroom program!! APPLY HERE. Deadline is this Sunday. If you already applied, you’ll hear from us next week.P.P.S. - DrawTogether was featured in the LA Times! Get full access to DrawTogether with WendyMac at club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe