Podcasts about fine arts

Flags over Solva / Fflagiau Dros Solfach is a 1992 film by Tim Davies, duration 3 minutes 16 seconds. This black and white film documents a site-specific event from the hills above Solva, Pembrokeshire, across the quay from The Gribin. In the centre of the windy overcast scene are five metal and wood flag poles, each a monumental 15 feet high, positioned next to each other in a group. The view of the village Solva in the background across the quay. The flags tussling and rippling in the wind and crashing into one another with each gust. Each flag is a long thin symmetrical triangle shape, with two central light-coloured flags surrounded by darker flags on either side. The flag poles are secured to the ground just under halfway down with supporting rope that creates a tripod like form, attached to the ground with white pegs. In the making of Flags over Solva, Davies had created the flag poles in parts so that they would be ready to assemble as needed and spent a week introducing them into the Solva landscape in a variety of configurations. Having spent part of his childhood in Solva, staying with his grandfather, it is a place well known to him. Using flags as monument, he explored the notion of land ownership as temporary, claiming a site for the duration of each intervention. From the innocent connotation of flags as a plaything for children marking sandcastles, reclaimed by the tide, to the implications of the moon landings; to lamenting the loss and disempowerment of local ownership in relation to Welsh cultural identity, the work references contested land ownership and the object as a signifier of site. The core of Davies' work is rooted in working time- and site-specifically, using 2- and 3-dimensional and performative media. His practice also explores the written, spoken and visualised word. Born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire in 1960, Davies studied Fine Art at Norwich School of Art and completed an MA in Issues in Art & Architecture at the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury. He has worked in a range of media over the last 30 years, exhibiting and making work in Wales, the UK and internationally. He has received many awards, including the Mostyn Open prize, the Gold Medal in Fine Art at the National Eisteddfod and a major Creative Wales Award. He was the first European artist shortlisted for the Artes Mundi Visual Arts Prize and represented Wales in a solo show at the Venice Biennale in 2011. Flags over Solva was acquired in 2005 through the Wakelin Award, an annual award given to an artist living and working in Wales, whose work is purchased for the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery's permanent collection.

Chameleon is a film by Helen Sear, made in 2012, duration 10 minutes and 41 seconds. This silent film begins in complete darkness in the dead of night, and gradually, a golden sunflower in full bloom, just before going to seed, emerges. Out of frame, the only light source, a single torch with adjustable focus, is used to slowly illuminate the petals that gently sway in the night's breeze. The torch's focus is gradually modified to intensify the light beam onto the centre of the flower. The sunflower begins to take on the impression of an ambiguous moving, staring eye, similar to that of a chameleon that can move in all directions and each eye independently. It then recedes back into the darkness as the torch's focus is reset. Artist, Helen Sear, said: “Sunflowers have always been very iconic in the history of art, including, obviously, Van Gogh, Ai Weiwei, Rose Finn-Kelcey, Man Ray, and many others. And I wanted to try and make a piece of work, which added another dimension to the already much depicted sunflower. “I'm very interested in the kind of porousness between animal, vegetable and mineral, and how sometimes, these things merge together. And while I was looking at the sunflower in its state of full bloom, and just before it was going to seed, I thought it looked very much like an eye that was looking directly at myself. So I wondered how I might be able to capture this feeling, where the flower could in some way become alive or somewhere between a plant or an animal or a mythical being, that is actually looking straight back at the viewer, in a way, looking at them straight in the eye.” Helen Sear's practice focuses on the co-existence of human, animal, and natural environments and is rooted in an interest in Magic Realism, Surrealism and Conceptual Art. She studied Fine Art at Reading University and University College London, Slade School, her practice coming to prominence in the late 1980s, when she worked primarily with mixed-media installation, performance and video. Photography remains a central subject and medium in her work, which often challenges the dominance of the eye and the fixed-point perspective associated with the camera lens, and explores the potential of the artwork to activate and elicit feeling. Sear was the first woman to represent Wales with a solo exhibition at the 56th Venice Biennale 2015, presenting a suite of new works…the rest is smoke. She was elected a Royal Academician in 2024.

Jason Fisher is an award-winning producer, former studio executive, and founder of StageRunner. As former Head of Production at Disney+, Paramount, AMC Networks, and First Look Media, Fisher oversaw production on prestige series such as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Mandalorian, and The Walking Dead and helped shape some of the most influential film and television projects of the past two decades. Originally from Connecticut, Jason graduated from Tulane University with degrees in Architecture and Fine Arts before driving cross-country to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a production designer. This ultimately led him on an unexpected path from production assistant to freelance producer to one of Hollywood’s top production executives. Currently, Jason is the CEO and Founder of StageRunner, a rapidly growing global soundstage marketplace and media platform connecting more than 850 studios across six continents. StageRunner is also a growing media company providing daily coverage of the latest production news, virtual production infrastructure, and the AI technologies reshaping how content gets made. In this conversation, Jason reflects on his unlikely career path, the evolution of prestige television, and the forces reshaping the entertainment industry today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shannon Gabor is the Founder, CEO, and driving entrepreneurial force behind Clever Creative, a premier, woman-owned and operated brand strategy and creative agency based in Los Angeles. Cut from the cloth of a fine artist but wired with a sharp business mind, Shannon graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Fine Arts and a minor in Communications. She built her early career working in fast-paced entertainment promotions for giants like Burger King and 7-Eleven, before spending five years at Mattel, Inc. leading global packaging design and worldwide licensing for major franchise properties, including the Barbie product line.

Episode 529 / Gonçalo PretoGonçalo Preto (b. 1991, Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portuguese artist living and working in New York. In 2024, he completed his Master of Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design, having previously studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, USA, and at Kassel Kunsthochschule, Germany. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon.Recent solo exhibitions include The Ballads of a Sundial (2026), Galeria Pedro Cera, Lisbon; Phantom Limb (2024), Andrew Reed Gallery, Miami, USA; A Cadência de uma Chama (2024), Middle Finger Pedestrians (2019) and FRAG-MEN-TO (2017), Galeria Madragoa, Lisbon; and LIMBO (2019), Museu Carlos Machado, Ponta Delgada (São Miguel), Azores, Portugal, among others.Recent group exhibitions include Out of Frame (2025), Jack Barrett Gallery, New York, USA; what lovers do (2024), The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, USA; Prophetic Dreams (2024), Goldau, Switzerland; BIG OBJECTS (2023), Marvin Gardens, New York, USA; and Silvers in the Void (2023), MAMOTH, London, UK, among others. Gonçalo is the recipient of several awards, including a Fulbright FCC Grant (2022-2024), a Rhode Island School of Design Fellowship (2022-2024), and a Hopper Prize Finalist (2023).

 Gabriela Rangel, director of Tucson's Museum of Contemporary Art, was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. As a curator focusing on Latin American art, she's worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Americas Society in New York City, and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. In the fall of 2025 she became the director of Tucson's Museum of Contemporary Art.  In this podcast with Caroline Tracey, The Border Chronicle's arts & culture editor, Rangel discusses how the concept of Latin American art" didn't come from Latin America, the necessity for politics in art, and what it's like living and working in the Sonoran Desert “This is a borderland city,” she says of Tucson. Of how the border figures into contemporary art, she adds: “Urgent matters in the repertoire of contemporary art are also crucial for the borderlands: water, ecosystems and immigration—these are issues that contemporary art has adopted in their concerns....Contemporary art is about what's happening in the present.”

This month's episode of the Harvard Data Science Review Podcast uncorks the fascinating intersection of wine, judgment, and data science. Economist and wine expert Orley Ashenfelter and Master of Wine Susan Lin join us to explore the enduring legacy of the 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” the blind tasting that reshaped perceptions of wine quality and transformed the global wine industry.  From statistical analysis of wine rankings to the psychology of taste perception, the conversation examines how experts evaluate wine and why even trained judges often disagree. Ashenfelter reflects on decades of wine tasting data and the role of probability, humility, and climate modeling in understanding wine quality, while Lin shares insights from her groundbreaking research on how music influences the perception of champagne. Together, they explore the complex relationship between sensory experience, human judgment, and data, revealing that wine may be as much about context, memory, and emotion as it is about chemistry and statistics. Our guests: Orley Ashenfelter is the Joseph Douglas Green 1895 Professor of Economics at Princeton University, transferred to emeritus status in 2024. Orley is known for his seminal research in labor economics, econometrics, and law and economics Susan R. Lin is a Master of Wine and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Piano and Musicology. She creates memorable experiences through music and wine.

Experience Talk Cosmos on Sunday May 31 at 1:00 PM PDT! Host Sue Rose Minahan and guest Jen Sachs, a Seattle astrologer, team up again sharing insights on a long transit “Uranus square Lunar Nodes”. Uranus will be tugging at two sets of Lunar Nodes for several months as it moves slowly through Gemini. Actually beginning in April, culminating June 12, the energy extends into late July. When the Virgo Pisces Lunar Nodes complete their 18-month cycle at 0 degrees, entering the Leo Aquarius Lunar Nodal cycle at 29 degrees. Freedom calls to liberate from past emotional ties to the details that clog instead of illustrating discernment. Two months remaining for us to consciously weed away unnecessary criticism that hasn't any constructive elements. To grasp the totality of diverse ideas and perspectives and assemble attitudes incorporating a wholistic view. To understand health operates closely with a relaxed state. To resolve fragmenting categories without understanding what connects themes. Whether or not those ideas all make sense, we are undergoing an intense revitalization. Shearing what isn't working with the Virgo South Node to integrate what does with the unity oriented North Node of Pisces. Connect with inspiration! Never miss an episode by subscribing to our email list and the Talk Cosmos YouTube Channel. Also available on Facebook, KKNW radio, and all major podcast platforms. JEN SACHS: Certified Astrologer with the American Federation of Astrologers (AFA); Consultant, Tarot Reader, Speaker, Classes. With over 20 years of clientele experience, Jen's work blends astrology, intuitive insight, and a love of calculations. Her studies in Spiritual Psychology help others engage more deeply with their experience and align with greater purpose. Rooted in modern astrology, Jen incorporates traditional timing techniques. Her approach is intuitive, empowering, and unapologetically real. She served on the executive team of the Kepler Astrologers Toastmasters club, growing as a speaker and storyteller while mentoring others. A member of Wine Country Speakers. Her weekly podcast, Jen Sachs Astrology, drops every Monday — covering planetary transits and their impact on personal growth with a blunt, empowering, and often humorous style. SUE ‘Rose' MINAHAN: Evolutionary Astrologer, Consultant, Writer, Speaker, Mythology enthusiast. Dwarf Planet University graduate; Vibrational Astrology Student, Kepler Astrology Toastmaster Club (KAT). Wine Country Speakers. Associate of Fine Arts Music Degree, & a Certificate of Fine Arts in Jazz. Artist, musician. Founder of Talk Cosmos weekly conversations awakening heart and soul consciousness since 2018. Website: TalkCosmos.com and YouTube.com/ @talkcosmos. #Uranus #Sedna #TalkCosmos #Astrology2026 #DwarfPlanet #LunarNodes #SueRoseMinahan #JenSachsAstrology #Gemini Talk Cosmos is your opportunity to ponder realms of what Carl Jung called the collective unconsciousness that's shared through time to the present…all through the lens of Sue's lifetime of peering into astrology. “Thankfully, I discovered Evolutionary astrology. Its perspective points directly to our unique personal spiritual soul growth…driven by our aligned intentions. Its promising purpose of soul growth ignited an entirely alive Zodiac. Captured, I felt compelled to study the deep significance of astrological application,” said Sue. Sue is your guide to focusing the Cosmos kaleidoscope. In the words of Einstein, “Energy's never destroyed, energy only changes.” Discover the energy that is Talk Cosmos, every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. right here on Alternative Talk 1150! Contact https://talkcosmos.com for weekly schedule, blog, and information.

Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace consistently invite us to enter a meditative state. Whatever the medium, each piece seems to raise more questions than provide answers. The artists, respected for their innovative work, have concluded the series for which they are most known, large-scale blown glass fruit and vegetable forms. Their subsequent work includes life-size figurative wood and glass sculptures as well as outdoor bronze installations and glass work that features blown vessels and cast panels with illustrations of the 'first facts' of bird identification realized through applied glass powder drawings. Most recently, the artists have been working on their Botanicals, a body of work that preserves real flowers in composite and glass.  Kirkpatrick and Mace have worked collaboratively for the past 47 years after meeting at the Pilchuck Glass School in 1979. The artists have consistently explored seminal themes: principles of drawing as incorporated into glass, the metaphoric content of human relationship to nature and the appropriation of materials to support a visual idea. They recently installed a large public art project at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington.  Kirkpatrick (born in Des Moines, Iowa, 1952) and Mace (born in Exeter, New Hampshire, 1949) have exhibited, lectured and taught extensively throughout the world. They taught for 12 years at Pilchuck Glass School. Their collaborative work is included in collections and museums around the world including the Corning Museum of Glass, NY; The Detroit Institute of Art Detroit, MI; The Boston Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA; Hokkaido Museum, Japan; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York NY; Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA; Toledo Art Museum, Toledo, OH and The National Museum of American Art, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.  Mark Doty, wrote in the introduction of the book, Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C Mace: "This might be the most complex yoking of all, the way that two sensibilities overlap, merge, separate, conflict and resolve. A continuing dynamic, itself both unstable and solid, evolving, transforming materials and processes as it transforms itself." Kirkpatrick and Mace were recognized in 2019 for their outstanding achievement in the field of contemporary glass art by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, and have been elected to the American Craft Fellows in 2005, interviewed for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in 2006 and given the 2001 Chateau Ste. Michelle Libensky Award by Pilchuck Glass School honoring outstanding contemporary artists working in glass. Kirkpatrick served as a trustee on the board of Pilchuck Glass School for 16 years.  Now, the artists split their time between a home and studio in Seattle, Washington, and a farm on the Olympic Peninsula near the Washington Coast. Their current Botanical sculptures grew out of a desire to capture the essence of a plant by preserving it through portraiture. Each plant is harvested as it shares its bloom, brought into the studio, deconstructed, dried and reassembled. The specimen is then suspended within layers of composites and glass. The finished work has been recreated through the artist's hand and dependent on the artist's view of the specimen by observing in life, the plant's structure, the result, a portrait of a flower. Of their Botanical sculpture, Daniel J. Hinkley, plantsman wrote: "The works of Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace capture the improbable if not the impossible, the apprehension of not just a moment reflecting the magic and majesty of our natural world but the abduction and amplification of a precise moment of perfection. To say that the paragon of their subjects has been frozen in time implies incorrectly that what you observe in their work is not simply an expiration and preservation of a plant at its floral zenith. These flowers embody the mystery and beauty, comprehended and embraced by the artists, to such a degree that one might actually perceive its ultimate drop of petal, abscission of leaf or growth of root." A selection of Kirkpatrick and Mace works is also on view now at the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, in Tough Stuff: Women in the American Glass Studio. The exhibition showcases the groundbreaking creators who shaped the past and future of glass art.   

On Friday's show: The U.S. Department of Justice has created a new "Anti-Weaponization Fund" as a way to compensate victims of "weaponization and lawfare." Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have filed a lawsuit to stop payouts from the fund from going to those attackers. Now, Houston Rep. Lizzie Fletcher has introduced a bill related to the fund, which she calls a “perversion of our system of justice.” She explains what her bill would do.Also this hour: From an investigation into how and when FIFA sells tickets to the World Cup, to Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta acquiring Caesars Entertainment, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston continues its series Movies Houstonians Love with a screening tonight at 7 of The Unbelievable Truth by indie filmmaker Hal Hartley. Harold Taylor, a longtime member of the MFAH's Ultimate Film Buffs, is presenting the movie. He explains why he chose it and what it means to him.Watch

Welcome, artist, gallerist, and educator, Judith Klein. This is her second podcast with us. Judith was our guest on Podcast Episode: 22.  Judith attended an art high school in Tel Aviv and later attended the Art Teachers College. Upon graduation, she attended the advanced program at the Avni Institute of Fine Arts in Tel Aviv. In the years following, she taught Fine Art in the Israeli Public School system and began exhibiting her artwork at a leading Tel Aviv art gallery. Judith later moved to Milan, Italy, where she continued her art education and career at the Brera Academy (Academia Brera de Belle Arte). She emigrated to the United States with her husband, Andrei. For the last 17 years, she owned and operated The Judith Klein Art Gallery in several locations throughout New Bedford, Massachusetts. Throughout those years, she embraced the opportunity to curate dozens of themed art exhibits, which supported local and regional artists. Her prints and paintings have been widely exhibited throughout Southeastern New England and abroad. Judith continues to offer art instruction and accept commissions. Judith spoke with The Artists Index's cofounder, documentarian, and now occasional podcast host, Ron Fortier, recently about his passion, his practice, and his journey as an artist. This episode was recorded at our recording studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.   Judith Klein Judith Klein Art Gallery & Studio 10 Merrymount Drive North Dartmouth, MA 02747 Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other We're not asking for you to finance a nonprofit. Instead, we are asking for your support to fund a legacy. Our mission is to preserve and document the lives and legacies of all South Coast Artists. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!    

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!Gary Pageau interviews Montauk-based photographer James Katsipis about his shift from self-taught surf photography—shooting New York winters and campaigns—to selling fine art through galleries and his own Montauk space. Katsipis describes learning to present work effectively, favoring large anti-glare acrylic prints for big installations and collaborating with interior designers and installers. He explains early print sales models, then the operational problems of manual order handling, shipping damage, and customer-service fallout. Katsipis details adopting WhiteWall's Shopify app integration: syncing high-res files, one-tap order acceptance, drop-shipping, improved packaging, fewer damages, and reduced weekly stress, plus easier global sales due to European production and faster shipping. He notes a wishlist item for multiple crop ratios and credits streamlined checkout (including Apple Pay) for reducing abandoned carts.Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. ShareMe.Chat ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEIndependent Photo ImagersIPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showSign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.comVisit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.Hosted and produced by Gary PageauAnnouncer: Erin Manning

Today's book lover is seeking a literary doorway into the creative world of art and museums. Kristine Parsons doesn't have an art background. She works as a county road commission manager in Michigan, yet she is fascinated by art and museums, and finds herself drawn to immersive and engaging stories that incorporate one or both elements into the story. Kristine loves to travel and visit museums in person, but her day-to-day life between work and two active pre-teens means that in this season, these visits are more likely to occur on the page. Today, Kristine and Anne explore stories featuring art and the creative process. If Anne has recommendations that are actually set in museums, well, so much the better. We'd love to hear your ideas for Kristine, too: please tell us by leaving a comment on our show notes page, where you'll also find the list of titles mentioned today. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/527. We're so happy to announce that our long-awaited MMD sorority style sweatshirt is available for pre-order. A mid-weight Comfort Colors crew, choose from two shades: a soft blue called blue jean and a soft red called crimson. Both feature an MMD applique in deep navy. These are cute and comfortable, and our team is excited to wear them on cool summer nights and into the colder months of the year. We also have a new hat style and other restocked favorites: find everything at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop. Chapters: 03:43 Meet Kristine 09:06 What brings Kristine to What Should I Read Next? 14:31 The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 17:55 The Unseen World by Liz Moore 21:47 Heart the Lover by Lily King 24:47 A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst 31:14 The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews 36:52 Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel 43:07 Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein 48:08 What will Kristine read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brendan Greene is a game designer whose work reshaped the landscape of competitive multiplayer video games. Raised on a barracks in County Kildare, he grew up in an army family with little more than an Atari 2600 for company. He studied Fine Art in college, taught himself web design, and spent years freelancing — even moving to Brazil — before rediscovering video games through the DayZ mod for Arma 2. What began as hobbyist tinkering on Reddit forums became something much bigger when he created the Battle Royale mod in 2013, inspired by the cult Japanese film. Three years later, the mod became PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. PUBG's brutal, hundred-player survival format exploded into a global sensation, helping cement the battle royale genre as a dominant force in modern video games. Now, through PlayerUnknown Productions, he has returned to his fascination with emergent storytelling with Prologue: Go Wayback!, a game that challenges players to navigate nature's unforgiving systems and carve their own path through the wilderness.Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club, Danielle Robay sits down with bestselling author Alexandra Andrews to discuss May’s Reese’s Book Club pick, The Fine Art of Lying. Alexandra unpacks why stories about wealthy people behaving badly are so irresistible and how female desire gets tangled up with wonder and meaning. She also shares her unconventional writing process, the pressure of following up a hit debut, and the surprising advice that finally helped her finish a novel. BOOKS MENTIONED: The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley Transcription: A Novel by Ben Lerner Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar Who Is Maude Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Why I’m Not an Atheist by Christopher Beha All Fours by Miranda July Normal People by Sally Rooney Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us in this episode as we talk with TAB Institute Directors Melissa Purtee, Jen Rankey-Zona, and past TAB Institute attendees Ellie Bejar-Benz, Darren Farris, and Margaret Fetzko about the TAB Institute. This year's focus is on building sustainable studios, and the power of being in community with other art educators. The conversation centers on how TAB helps students and teachers build creative confidence, use materials with intention, embrace authentic problem-solving, and reconnect with the joy and humanity of artmaking.Resources:Teaching for Artistic Behavior / TAB — official TAB website.TAB Professional Development — TAB workshops and professional development opportunities.TAB Mighty Networks Community — online TAB educator community.MassArt TAB Institute — MassArt's Teaching for Artistic Behavior Summer Institute page.Massachusetts College of Art and Design / MassArt — official MassArt website.Boston Modern Quilt Guild: Current Quilt Shows & Events — includes the no-new-materials/upcycled denim quilt challenge mentioned in the episode.Museum of Fine Arts, Boston — mentioned as being near MassArt.Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — mentioned as another nearby Boston museum.Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plates — linked for the “Gelli blocks” reference.NAEA Learning: Going Deeper with Teaching for Artistic Behavior — includes Katherine Douglas and Diane Jaquith discussing TAB.Here is a lightly edited transcript of this episode. We recognize that there are probably errors and grammatical issues. If anyone with the time or inclination to edit this wants to do so, please email us at ⁠storytellers@teachingforartisticbehaviors.org⁠.

Episode 528 / Beverly FishmanBeverly Fishman is an artist born in 1955 in Philadelphia, who lives and works in Detroit. She received her Master of Fine Arts in 1980 from Yale University and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1977.Her work has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at CUE Art Foundation, New York, NY; Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Gavlak Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, IL; KOTARO NUKAGA, Tokyo, Japan; Kravets Wehby Gallery, New York, NY; Library Street Collective, Detroit, MI; Louis Buhl & Co., Detroit, MI; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY; Ronchini Gallery, London, United Kingdom; SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC; The Contemporary Dayton, Dayton, OH; and Walter Storms Galerie, Munich, Germany.She has been included in group exhibitions at numerous international institutions including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY; Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey; Circulo de Bessa Artes, Madrid, Spain; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI; Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; National Academy of Design, New York, NY; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; The Drawing Center, New York, NY; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC; and White Columns, New York, NY, among others.Her work is in the collections of Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI; Eli and Edythe Broad Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; MacArthur Foundation Collection, Chicago, IL; Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University, Houston, TX; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC, and elsewhere.Beverly was inducted as a National Academician of the National Academy of Design in 2020. She is the recipient of the Anonymous Was A Woman Award; the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Hassam, Speicher, Betts, & Symons Purchase Award; a Guggenheim Fellowship in the Fine Arts; and a Fellowship Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Welcome to the story of Modus Fine Art Gallery, a new kind of creative space shaped by artists, for artists. Opening June 12 during ArtWalk, Modus Fine Art is a collective gallery where collaboration, experimentation, and artistic ownership take center stage. Two of the owners, Chris Grubb and Maya Rumsey, talk about their new venture located in the former Art Spirit Gallery on Sherman in Coeur d'Alene. Founded and run by five local artists—and supported by a wider collective of 22 working artists—Modus Fine Art brings diverse perspectives and mediums under one roof. Meet the five owner-artists leading the way: Sculptor Chris Grubb, painter Toby Keough, printmaker Hanna Kuhns, public art sculptor Sarah Thompson Moore, and potter Maya Melissa Rumsey. Whether you're curious about the creative process, the challenges and joys of running an artist-led space, or how a large collective gallery comes to life, this episode invites you into the heart of Modus Fine Art. Visit modusfineart.com, as well as instagram @modusfineart, to learn more, explore upcoming events, and connect with the artists. Join us as we celebrate art, community, and the power of artists creating opportunity for one another.

In our news wrap Thursday, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, made up of President Trump's appointed allies, approved the design for his proposed 250-foot arch, Trump and Secretary of State Rubio revived warnings about possible U.S. intervention in Cuba and a judge in Minnesota sentenced the former leader of a non-profit to nearly 42 years in prison for her role in $250 million dollar fraud case. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Episode 528 / Beverly FishmanBeverly Fishman is an artist born in 1955 in Philadelphia, who lives and works in Detroit. She received her Master of Fine Arts in 1980 from Yale University and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1977.Her work has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at CUE Art Foundation, New York, NY; Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Gavlak Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, IL; KOTARO NUKAGA, Tokyo, Japan; Kravets Wehby Gallery, New York, NY; Library Street Collective, Detroit, MI; Louis Buhl & Co., Detroit, MI; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY; Ronchini Gallery, London, United Kingdom; SOCO Gallery, Charlotte, NC; The Contemporary Dayton, Dayton, OH; and Walter Storms Galerie, Munich, Germany.She has been included in group exhibitions at numerous international institutions including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY; Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey; Circulo de Bessa Artes, Madrid, Spain; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI; Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; National Academy of Design, New York, NY; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; The Drawing Center, New York, NY; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC; and White Columns, New York, NY, among others.Her work is in the collections of Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI; Eli and Edythe Broad Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; MacArthur Foundation Collection, Chicago, IL; Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University, Houston, TX; Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC, and elsewhere.Beverly was inducted as a National Academician of the National Academy of Design in 2020. She is the recipient of the Anonymous Was A Woman Award; the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Hassam, Speicher, Betts, & Symons Purchase Award; a Guggenheim Fellowship in the Fine Arts; and a Fellowship Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Latest Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and author of one of my all-time favorite novels, Alexandra Andrews joins me on the podcast! Her latest thriller, The Fine Art of Lying, is a slow-burn suspense story packed with the kind of twists only Alexandra can deliver.Her debut, Who Is Maud Dixon, remains one of my ultimate gateway recommendations for anyone looking to get back into reading. I'm genuinely jealous of anyone experiencing it for the first time.The Fine Art of Lying follows a deliciously complicated leading lady who becomes entangled in the dark underbelly of the art world, and I could not put it down. Alexandra and I chatted about sophomore novels, the art world, becoming part of Reese's Book Club, and of course, my endless fangirling over Maud Dixon.I already can't wait for her next book… though if you listen to the episode, you'll probably hear me say that at least a million times.

In this episode of Design Emergency, Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli explore how craft has evolved into a powerful force for social, cultural, and environmental change. Design, art, and craft have had a long, complex relationship. For most of human history they were inseparable: the objects people made — textiles, sculptures, tools, paintings, ceramics, furniture — belonged to the same continuum of human creativity, skill, and material knowledge. Industrialization disrupted that balance, introducing divisions between art, design, and crafts, while often relegating crafts to the margins as decorative, domestic, and secondary to industrial production. Yet in recent years, amid ecological crisis, technological anxiety, and a growing desire for more meaningful forms of making, craft has returned with renewed urgency and visibility. Through a series of parables spanning continents and generations, Alice and Paola uncover remarkable examples of crafts as catalysts for social and cultural change: Ethel Mairet's radical weaving experiments in 19th century England; Ruth Clement Bond's quilting initiatives among African American communities in the American South; Fernando Laposse's collaborations with farming communities in Mexico; and Theaster Gates's transformation of neighborhoods and communities in Chicago through repair, making, and collective labor.Set against a backdrop of environmental crisis, technological acceleration, and renewed interest in material knowledge, the episode celebrates the re-emergence of crafts as a critical language for thinking about identity, ecology, community, and the future of making.You can find images related to the projects and people discussed in this episode on our Instagram grid @design.emergency. Please join us for future episodes of Design Emergency, when we will hear from other global design leaders who, through their work and ideas, are helping to shape positive change.Design Emergency is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creative Guts is pleased to share this episode of Off the Wall with Matt and Amy from the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, New Hampshire. Off The Wall is a semi-regular series where Matt and Amy chat with a wide variety of visual artists, digging into the nuts and bolts of their creative process to reveal more about the layers of meaning, emotion, and intent behind their work. In this episode, you'll hear Denise Manseau discuss "Making Way", an exhibition on view in the Carnegie Gallery until September 4, 2026. The Carnegie Gallery is located in the Rochester Public Library, 65 South Main Street, Rochester, NH 03867. Visit rochestermfa.org to learn more. Denise Manseau creates paintings that are inventions in response to place—inner landscapes that transform the visible world into tangible form. Her work emerges through a process of discovery, where observation and memory converge to shape environments that feel both familiar and imagined. Manseau holds a BFA from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has attended the Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Maine as an Open Studio Resident and was a resident artist at the Vermont Studio Center. Paintings developed during her residency in Monasterace, Italy were included in a traveling exhibition at the Monasterace Museo and at Hillyer Art Space for International Artists in Washington, DC. Learn more about this exhibit at https://www.rochestermfa.org/denise-manseau/.   Any views or opinions expressed by the RMFA hosts or guests do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Creative Guts. 

Johanna Calle was born in 1965 in Bogotá, where she lives and works. Following her studies in the visual arts at the Talleres Artísticos of the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá from 1984 to 1989, Calle received a British Council scholarship in 1992 to earn a master's degree at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. Her work draws on a range of archival and deciphering techniques, often associated with everyday life, to address the violence of recent Colombian history and evoke the victims of forced disappearances. Johanna Calle has been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including major prizes and honorary recognitions in Colombian art salons (1996–2003), a fellowship at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (2001), and international grants and residencies in Europe and the United States (2008–2013). She has been included in international biennials such as the Sydney Biennale (2016), the São Paulo Biennial (2014), SITE Santa Fe (2014), and the Istanbul Biennial (2014). Selected exhibitions include Arquitecturas, Bienvenu Steinberg & C, New York (2026); Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2024); Hayward Gallery (2020); Josée Bienvenu Gallery, New York (2019); La Maison de l'Amérique latine, Paris (2017); Museum of Modern Art (2017); Silentes 1985–2015, Museo de Arte del Banco de la República, Bogotá, traveled to Museum Amparo, Puebla, Mexico (2015); Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain (2013); the Drawing Room, London (2013); Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco (2012); Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California (2012); Sàn Art in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2012); and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2011). Her work is included in institutional collections such as the Museum of Modern Art; Tate Modern; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Museum of Modern Art, Buenos Aires; Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach; Museum of Bogotá; National Museum of Colombia, Bogotá; National Bank of the Republic of Colombia, Bogotá; Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami; Sur Collection, San Francisco; Comfenalco Antioquia, Medellín; Enersis Collection, Santiago; and Teorética Museum, San José. Johanna Calle Arquitecturas, 2026 Signed and dated on the back Nail polish on chromogenic print (anonymous photograph) Framed in Optium Museum Acrylic 3.5 x 3.5 in (image) Johanna Calle Arquitecturas, 2026 Signed and dated on the back Nail polish on chromogenic print (anonymous photograph) Framed in Optium Museum Acrylic 3.5 x 3.5 in (image) Johanna Calle Abstractas, 2026 Signed and dated on the back Erased found chromogenic print (anonymous photograph) Framed in Optium Museum Acrylic 3.5 x 6 in (image)

Anna Johnson studied English, Australian literature and Fine Arts at the University of Sydney graduating with a bachelor of arts in 1987. The following year she was appointed Art Editor of Interior Design magazine. Since then, Johnson has been a professional art writer and author contributing to Vogue (UK and Aus), Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Traveller, The Sydney Morning Herald and as a senior arts writer for Artist Profile Magazine. She is the author of several monographs and has been a critic for both television and radio. Holding many detailed artist interviews, provided an immersion in contemporary art three decades deeper than a conventional art school education. Raised in New York in the early 70s, time in her father’s loft studio on the Bowery, as well as the artist enclaves at Max’s Kansas City and Fanelli’s Bar in Soho had a formative impact. Making the gallery rounds each Saturday as a small family, laid the foundations of a lexicon steeped in both Colour Field and Lyrical abstraction. Establishing her own full time studio practice in 2017, three solo shows in Sydney followed, including a museum show at the NERA Museum in Australia. Johnson’s distinct griffe strikes a different chord to the dominant animism of Australian painting. Seven visits to Japan over the last decade, inspired her austere and symbolic use of space. The subtle rituals and expansive space within Heian screens, and calligraphy have been fused to a hyper-sensual use of colour. Her consuming project ongoing are the ‘Nymphaea Nymphaea’ paintings, works that speak directly to the expansive and progressively minimal paintings of the late and post-Impressionists. As her works grow larger and more complex the scope of creating an entire environment without spatial periphery is approached. Anna Johnson, Beau Rivage, 2026, Oil stick and acrylic on linen, 78 3/4 x 72 7/8 in | 200 x 185 cm © Anna Johnson. Photo: Morgan Waltz / Off Photography Anna Johnson, Nuage et Vide, 2026, Acrylic on linen, 78 3/4 x 70 7/8 in | 200 x 180 cm © Anna Johnson Photo: Morgan Waltz / Off Photography Anna Johnson, Tohji, 2025, Oil stick and acrylic on linen, 60 1/4 x 54 in | 153 x 137 cm © Anna Johnson. Photo: Morgan Waltz / Off Photography  

There's one number that should end the price-on-request debate forever: artworks with visible prices sell 2-6 times more often than the same works with hidden prices. The data is in. The artists are still hiding the prices. This episode runs the gallery test on your website. A real gallery prices the work, frames it, lights it, and puts a checkout at the desk. Christie's, Sotheby's, Gagosian, 1stDibs — every serious art business does this online too. Almost no working artist does. Today we close that gap. In this episode: The gallery test — the one rule every digital decision should pass The 5 things almost every artist website gets wrong "Oooooh so mysterious" — why "contact for pricing" is the gallery with the lights off The shop is the signal: how a real storefront tells visitors they're welcome to buy Why the biggest art sellers on earth all do this — and the artists somehow don't The generational gut-punch: collectors under 40 don't tolerate hidden prices Mix the feed the way you'd mix an opening — killing the "art-only Instagram" sacred cow Why a gallery with the lights off on Wednesday loses every Wednesday walk-in The data referenced (with sources): Artsy, Dec 2019 — works with visible prices are 2-6x more likely to sell than identical hidden-price works Hiscox Online Art Trade Report 2018 — 90% of new art buyers say price transparency is a key consideration (n=831 international buyers) Art Basel and UBS 2020 Mid-Year Survey — 81% of high-net-worth collectors say it is "important or essential" to have a price posted online Artsy Art Market Trends 2025 — 69% of collectors hesitate to buy because of lack of transparency; 43% name "lack of visible price" as a top barrier; only 5% call the art market completely transparent Hiscox Online Art Trade Report 2020 — 96% of online art platforms agree price transparency is "key to building trust" (n=62 platforms) Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2024 — 71% of collectors under 37 bought art online in the last year Robert Read, Head of Fine Art at Hiscox (Oct 2022) — "Buyers would like more clarity around pricing" Resources mentioned: Art Storefronts — the website and storefront engine built for working artists Walk into a real gallery this weekend. Then load your website. Stand them side by side. If your site doesn't make a stranger feel welcome to buy, you have work to do. The basics in this episode are the same basics in 2055. Stay Up To Date With The Latest https://linktr.ee/artmarketingpodcast

Seymour Mace spent time as a clown in Japan, did a Fine Art degree during COVID, built a potter's wheel in his back garden, got a first, and somewhere in the middle of all that did some stand-up. He's fine.Seymour Mace is a British comedian and actor known for his surreal, offbeat humour and cult status on the UK comedy circuit, best recognised for his role in the BBC series Ideal.How he ended up working as a street clown in Japan in the '90s — and how he nearly stayed on as Big Bird at Tokyo DisneylandWhat doing a Fine Art degree during lockdown taught him about creativity — and why the education system quietly beats it out of most people Comedy courses and clown schools — why Seymour thinks the best training is just being around funny people and working out why they're funnyThe freedom of not chasing fame, and why, with no mortgage or anyone to answer to, he's essentially living like a rich person without having to be a c**t Connect with Seymour here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Experience Talk Cosmos on Sunday May 17 at 1:00 PM PDT! Host Sue Rose Minahan delivers insights interweaving “Time Travel Identity Consciousness”. Astrology perceives the riddles and themes within repeating orbital cycles. Looking to the past solidifies old stories, which often spark a new chapter to develop new potential from old purposes. Yet, because some planetary cycles span enormous epochs of time, how can we grasp the past to understand the path leading us forward?As we navigate a unique set of cosmic patterns, our popular fascination with time-travel media carries a deeper message. Just as the Greek hero Theseus found his way through the Minotaur's labyrinth by unraveling a ball of yarn, we too can find clues. And because this involves the restart of a massive 6,400-year cycle, we can "bring it home" by looking at how various shorter cycles interweave.Connect with inspiration! Never miss an episode by subscribing to our email list and the Talk Cosmos YouTube Channel. Also available on Facebook, KKNW radio, and all major podcast platforms.SUE ‘ROSE' MINAHAN: Evolutionary Astrologer, Consultant, Writer, Speaker. Mythology enthusiast, Artist, and Musician. Dwarf Planet University graduate; Vibrational Astrology Student, Kepler Astrology Toastmaster Club (KAT), and Wine Country Speakers. Associate of Fine Arts Music Degree & Certificate of Fine Arts in Jazz. Founder of Talk Cosmos, weekly conversations awakening heart and soul consciousness since 2018.Website: TalkCosmos.com | YouTube: YouTube.com/@talkcosmos#SaturnNeptune #SaturnAries #NeptuneAries #6400yrcycle #UranusPisces #NeptunePisces #MercuryMarsSaturn #TalkCosmos #Astrology2026 #SueRoseMinahan #TimeTravel #ChironHealer #ConsciousnessTalk Cosmos is your opportunity to ponder realms of what Carl Jung called the collective unconsciousness that's shared through time to the present…all through the lens of Sue's lifetime of peering into astrology.“Thankfully, I discovered Evolutionary astrology. Its perspective points directly to our unique personal spiritual soul growth…driven by our aligned intentions. Its promising purpose of soul growth ignited an entirely alive Zodiac. Captured, I felt compelled to study the deep significance of astrological application,” said Sue.Sue is your guide to focusing the Cosmos kaleidoscope. In the words of Einstein, “Energy's never destroyed, energy only changes.”Discover the energy that is Talk Cosmos, every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. right here on Alternative Talk 1150!Contact https://talkcosmos.com for weekly schedule, blog, and information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Photographer and educator Eli Durst joins PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf to discuss his photobooks, artistic practice, and the evolving definition of documentary photography. Durst reflects on what it means to push and rethink documentary work today, from image-making to long-term engagement with subjects and place. Drawing on his experience working with Joel Meyerowitz, Durst also shares how he learned to build a sustainable life as an artist, balancing creative work with family. He discusses the role of mentorship, ongoing learning, and how collaboration with publishers and editors can reshape a project through new perspectives on sequencing and editing. The conversation also explores the importance of community in documentary practice, and how embedding within a community is often central to the work, sometimes even more than the act of photographing itself. https://www.elidurst.com https://www.instagram.com/durzt Eli Durst is an American artist whose work explores the social forces and group dynamics that shape the suburban American experience. Durst's photographs have been exhibited internationally and have been featured in Aperture, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Vogue, and The Atlantic among others. He has published three monographs: The Community (Mörel, 2020), The Four Pillars (Loose Joints, 2022), and The Children's Melody (Gnomic 2025). Durst lives and works in Austin, Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas College of Fine Arts. Durst has received numerous prizes, including the 2016 Aperture Portfolio Prize and a 2017 Aaron Siskind Individual Photographer's Fellowship Grant, and a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship.

Signs of Life - Medium Insights with Host Roman Karpishka Spirit Art, Evidential Mediumship, and the Healing Power of Consciousness Beyond Life Guest: #FFFCertifiedMedium Joseph Shiel Joseph Shiel is a highly regarded Evidential Medium and Spirit Artist internationally known for his accuracy and integrity, Joe is considered one of the foremost authorities on Spirit Artistry and is recognized the world over for his Spirit Portraits, referred to by many as "Portraits from Heaven." Joe shares his remarkable talents with students and audiences worldwide, and his talents are also expressed in his Fine Art, Music and Poetry. It is through creativity that he has come to understand the language of Spirit in a deeply unique and vibrant way. Joe is the author of "Edge of Wilderness - You are My Poems, Prayers and Songs." Introducing Joseph Shiel and Spirit Art In this episode of Signs of Life, host Roman Karpishka welcomes evidential psychic medium, spirit artist, teacher, and speaker Joseph Shiel. The conversation introduces Shiel's background as someone who has sensed spirit since childhood, later leaving the Catholic seminary and developing his mediumship and artistic abilities. Roman highlights Shiel's unusual gift of drawing people who have crossed over, noting how striking and accurate many of the portraits appear. Shiel explains that his drawings began almost accidentally, sometimes producing many faces in one sitting, and that over time the process became a deeper part of how he communicates with spirit. Drawing as a Way to Deepen Communication Shiel describes spirit drawing as more than a visual demonstration; for him, looking into the eyes of the person he is drawing helps him make a stronger connection and receive more information. He explains that not every drawing is exact, but that the process often brings through enough recognizable detail for the sitter to identify the loved one. He also discusses his “Soul Journey” artwork, which uses symbols, colors, animals, lines, textures, and life-path imagery to help people consider their options and directions. Rather than telling people exactly what will happen, he sees this work as a way of showing possible paths and helping people make more conscious choices. Family, the Afterlife, and Continuing Bonds A major listener question asks whether family life continues after death and whether loved ones who have passed will reunite with those still living when they eventually cross over. Shiel answers from his own experience as a medium, saying he has come to know within himself that consciousness continues. He reflects on losing his mother as a child and wondering who his father would be with in heaven after remarrying, then explains that his readings have shown him a larger understanding of love, family, and togetherness beyond earthly separation. In his view, the spirit world reveals why life unfolded as it did, what lessons were learned, and how love continues in a broader, more unified way. Integrity, Evidence, and the Medium's Role The episode spends significant time discussing the importance of integrity in mediumship. Shiel says he does not see his role as proving something to the sitter or performing for them, but as serving the spirit world for the sake of the person receiving the reading. He describes himself as an instrument through which information, emotion, physical impressions, mannerisms, voices, and sometimes even foreign words may come through. Roman and Schiel also discuss certification through Forever Family Foundation, the rigor of testing, and the danger of fraudulent online demonstrations, especially when mediums use visible names or internet searches to gather information. Justice, Life Review, and Spiritual Responsibility Roman asks about justice after death, especially for perpetrators of violent acts, and Shiel explains that he does not believe in a simplistic image of eternal punishment. Instead, he describes the possibility of life review, where a person sees clearly what they did and can no longer deny the impact of their actions. He shares that in some readings, spirits connected to violent deaths have identified perpetrators, and he has even sat with people he believed were responsible for deaths and encouraged them to turn themselves in. Shiel frames mediumship not only as contact with the dead, but as guidance for how the living should treat one another, take responsibility, and make better choices in this life. Mediumship, Grief, and Living More Fully The closing portion explores how mediumship can help people grieving profound losses, especially parents who have lost children. Shiel speaks with compassion about grief, saying he cannot fully know the pain of losing a child because he has not experienced it, but he has sat with many grieving parents and works hard to bring through evidence that their loved ones remain close. He also discusses altered states, the preparation involved in readings, how distractions can affect the connection, and a powerful story in which his own grandfather appeared during a reading to reveal a connection between his death and a client's daughter's death on Christmas morning. The episode closes with Roman thanking Shiel for his work and with Shiel inviting listeners to visit his website for readings, programs, and upcoming mediumship offerings.

I just got back from the Customer Alpha event that was part of the broader FTT Embedded Finance, Payments, and Future Identity event, put on by VC Innovations. It was the first time I've spoken publicly about my concept of THE UN-WOW, focusing our efforts more on everyday mundane experiences rather than transformative metamorphic experiences. There is more to it than that, so stay tuned for updates as I work on a book on THE UN-WOW.  While in London, I was able to go to the Tate Modern Art Museum. This was quite the shift after visiting museums in Florence with all of the Renaissance representational art. One of the interesting differences between the two is that the art in Florence often was made for patrons who were commissioning artwork, which ultimately was made to please those patrons. The art in the Tate often was made by artists who were trying to please themselves using art as a statement. As a result, the artists' statements became a key piece of looking at and understanding what the art was meant to represent and the response it was hoping to create.  Regardless of whether sponsored representational or abstract and surreal, through art one can give external voice to one's internal dialogue to create a social experience.  On today's episode of Experience by Design podcast, I welcome Ali Fawkes, the Head of Social Innovation at the social design firm Humanly. “Humanly is an award-winning design studio specializing in human-centered design for social impact.” On their website, they continue to describe themselves as, “specialising in inclusive, creative and participatory research and design with seldom-heard and underrepresented groups.” I came to learn about Ali and Humanly through a paper she co-authored on “Co-designing the Future of Respiratory Healthcare” in the journal CoDesign - the International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts, detailing their work and approach. Ali is a self-described “art kid,” who found an outlet for her own voice. She went on to get a degree in Fine Art from the University of Kent, as well as additional certifications and degrees in Secondary Art and Special and Inclusive Education from the University of Cambridge. Ali describes co-design efforts she did with students during her work as a secondary school art teacher and educator in schools whose students had special needs.  She describes her journey from that rewarding work to working with Humanly. We discuss how being an outsider with little knowledge about a setting or industry can be a real gift to having open eyes and ears to learn from people who are often not listened to. Ali discusses the ethical considerations and methodologies involved in working with underrepresented groups, emphasizing the importance of truthful representation and co-design approaches. We also discuss the importance of her artistic background as a source of challenging norms and disruption, leading to innovative approaches.  And if doing social design and impact isn't enough heavy lifting, Ali also participates in strongperson competitions, lifting very heavy things and sometimes having to carry them across distances. Which is not unlike trying to lift complex problems and carry solutions forward. I always love good art talk on Experience by Design, and especially when it is connected to social impact.  Ali Fawkes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifawkes/ Humanly: https://www.designhumanly.com/ “Co-designing the Future of Respiratory Healthcare”: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15710882.2025.2603298

Episode 527 / Erica WestenbergerErica Westenberger is a New Orleans–based interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans drawing, sculpture, painting, and installation. Her work builds immersive scenes shaped by apprehension, longing, and care, exploring emotional landscapes through intertwined bodies, objects, and imagined environments. She received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2014 and her MFA from Tulane University in 2023. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts as part of the Delta Triennial, Field Projects in New York City, and Tinney Contemporary in Nashville, Tennessee. She has presented solo exhibitions at Carroll Gallery and Sibyl Gallery in New Orleans, and at Neue Welt in Nashville. Her work has been featured in ArtMaze Magazine and the Nashville Scene, and she has participated in residencies at the Joan Mitchell Center, Oxbow School of Art, and Stove Works. Her work is currently on display in Tinney Contemporary's booth at Future Fair in New York City from May 13–16.

This week, Wes and Todd talk with Colorado Springs Artist, Jes Moran. Jes discusses her engagement with art as a child, growing up in Wisconsin, altering clothes & studying apparel design, her compulsion to make, loving process, having an intentional art practice the past five years, creative ideas, some of the other creative pursuits that she explored before doing the work she does now, being self-taught, learning to trust herself, her process, being fearless, quilts, sewing, what art does for her, letting go, her older work, titles, negative space, abstract art, experimentation & exploration, finding her voice, writing, space, memories, family, vulnerability, self-doubt, routine, sacrifices, potato chips, color, her new work, her show at Auric in June, being seen & valued, the support of her family, the Colorado Springs art community, and her idea of perfect happiness.Join us for a wonderful conversation with Jes Moran!Check out Jes Moran's exquisite work at www.jesmoran.comFollow Jes Moran on social media:Instagram - www.instagram.com/jesdmoran/ - @jesdmoranJes' exhibition “Seam Shift: painting through construction” will be on display at Auric Gallery through the month of June. Opening reception June 5th.  For more information go to www.auricgallery.comSend us Fan MailFollow us on Instagram:@tenetpodcast - www.instagram.com/tenetpodcast/@wesbrn - www.instagram.com/wesbrn/@toddpiersonphotography - www.instagram.com/toddpiersonphotography/ Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/TenetPodcast/Email us at todd@toddpierson.com If you enjoyed this episode or any of our previous episodes, please consider taking  a moment and leaving us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Thanks for listening! 

Brett records an episode without Christina and Jeff and chats with Melissa Davis (The Mac Mommy) about her start as a mommy blogger and longtime Mac podcaster, her tech-support work, and the strange lack of closure when online friends disappear. They trade mental-health and chronic-illness updates, Adderall vs. Vyvanse, difficulty finding curious doctors, and being labeled “worried well.” Don’t worry, they nerd out on mechanical keyboards, Karabiner, and remapping keys. GrAPPtitudes include Bartender 6 Pro, Sortio for AI tagging, Sketch Party TV, and Karabiner. Sponsor OneSkin improves your skincare routine with science-backed skin care products. With over 10,000 five-star reviews and validation from clinical studies, OneSkin has made a name for itself in the skincare industry. If you’re interested in trying OneSkin for yourself, you can get 15% off your order with the code OVERTIRED at oneskin.co/OVERTIRED. Chapters 00:00 Meet Melissa Davis 00:56 Early Podcast Days 02:20 Tech Support Seniors 05:52 Digital Legacy Work 06:50 Sponsor: OneSkin 08:14 Mental Health Check In 08:34 Insomnia And Focus 13:19 Doing Time Tracker 16:04 Suspenders And Stenosis 20:18 Mobility And Home Hacks 22:10 Melissa Health Update 23:25 ADHD Meds And Mutations 25:25 Curious Doctors Matter 27:59 Vyvanse Vs Adderall 30:26 Tracking Mood With Data 32:27 Cane And Somatic Therapy 36:09 Somatics For EDS 36:50 Yoga Modifications 38:19 Polycystic Liver Shock 39:20 Fatphobia In Healthcare 40:56 Pole Dancing Reality Check 41:55 Mechanical Keyboard ASMR 45:56 Nail Art And Picking 49:09 Keyboard Layout Rabbit Hole 01:00:59 Shortcuts And Muscle Memory 01:03:12 GrAPPtitude App Picks 01:14:07 Karabiner Power Tips 01:17:30 Wrap Up And Thanks Show Links hEDS Doing Timing Royal Kludge Keyboard Gamakey Silent Linear Switches EPOMAKER Switch Benefit Section EPOMAKER AegisSil Keycaps Set SketchParty TV Karabiner Sortio Bartender Pro Day One Join the Conversation Merch Come chat on Discord! Twitter/ovrtrd Instagram/ovrtrd Youtube Get the Newsletter Thanks! You’re downloading today’s show from CacheFly’s network BackBeat Media Podcast Network Check out more episodes at overtiredpod.com and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Find Brett as @ttscoff, Christina as @film_girl, Jeff as @jsguntzel, and follow Overtired at @ovrtrd on Twitter. Transcript Nails and Keys with Melissa Davis (The Mac Mommy) [00:00:00] Meet Melissa Davis Brett: Hey, this is Brett Terpstra. I am without my usual cohorts, Christina and Jeff. Um, so I, I wanted to, you know, get a, get an episode out for all of you listeners, and I reached out to Melissa Davis, known as The Mac Mommy. Um, I don’t, I, I don’t know if they’re still known as The Mac Mommy, but in m- in my lifetime they have been. Um, Melissa, why don’t you introduce yourself, let people know, like, M-Ma- long time, like Mac personality, podcaster. Tell us where you came from. Melissa: Where did I come from? Outer space. Uh, I came from being a mom. I, I, I will admit, this is hard to admit, But I will admit I started out as a mommy blogger. That’s, like, kind of a bad word nowadays. Brett: back, back, yeah, this is way Back when Melissa: [00:01:00] Yeah. Early Podcast Days Melissa: so we’re talking, like… Well, my oldest is gonna be 20, Brett. My oldest is gonna be 20 this summer. End of, end of June he’ll be 20 years old. So that’s about how long I’ve been doing podcasting. I mean, I started, I started, like, when… Well, you know what? I started listening to Adam Christianson’s The MacCast Brett: But you know what? I started Sure. Like one of the very first podcasts, Yeah. Melissa: still, I still listen to him on the Mac Geek Gab. Like, his voice is just so soothing to me. I used to… Like, that was the f- Back when I had, I had, I remember I had, like, an old G4, uh, Quicksilver Mac, and in the stinky little back room of our old house. And I used to, I used to download the podcasts, burn them on a CD, put them in my Walkman, ’cause I didn’t have an iPod yet at the time. I wasn’t that… I was never really that cutting edge. And I’d burn them on a CD, I’d put the CD in my Walkman, and then I would sit and nurse, I would nurse my baby. I, [00:02:00] and I would have to tuck the, uh, the headphones, you know, I’d have the ear- the, the wired, kinda like I have now, uh, and tuck it behind my back, like, behind my shoulder, because otherwise he’d, like, yank on the cord. And I would just listen to podcasts while I nursed. And I… And then, uh, then I met Victor Cajiao, and I started just kind of being, like, a serial podcaster, showing up here and there, and then it just kinda grew from there. Tech Support Seniors Melissa: Um, and I do… So I do tech support. I’m an IT tech s- tech support person. I… People call me their computer guru. I mostly work with, uh, the senior population, our, our vintage people, which I, I’m slowly becoming one of them. We’re all, we’re all gonna go that way. Brett: I feel like anyone who does Mac tech support deals with probably an, a, a population that skews older. Melissa: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s actually, it’s actually more– I will say it’s actually more difficult to work with somebody younger. Like, especially people my age or people [00:03:00] that are like, say, in their sixties I consider pretty young, 70 even. Uh, yeah, so but it’s, you know, the people are so, so interesting. You can learn so much. I love working with this population because they’re like encyclopedias, and the stories they tell you and the things you learn, it’s pretty amazing. And I could just, I could just spend– I have actually spent all day with some of them. Some of us just have really great chemistry and, you know, it’s… They– I, I’m also– I have ADHD, that’s no secret. And I think when you get older, um, not– it doesn’t affect everybody, but I do see a lot of what could be either they, they have ADHD or it’s like a– Brett: they have Melissa: of creeps in and it’s just a natural process of aging, cognitive decline. So, yep. Brett: have a lot of patience. Sure. S- some of my, some of my most interesting relationships over the last 10 years have been with, uh, Mac users in their late 70s, [00:04:00] 80s. And, uh, like they’ve been– They’re very– Like, they’re definitely… The people that I’ve known have been technically capable and very interested in learning. That’s why they follow me. That’s how I meet them, right? They’re like, they read my blog, which is just all nerd stuff. And, and so they’re, they’re technically competent, and they’re doing things that I can only aspire to be doing in my 70s and 80s. Um, I had a guy who was writing his memoirs at, in between like mountain bike rides. And so here’s the thing, though, is when you, when you know someone online and they’re in their 80s and you stop hearing from them for a Melissa: Yes. Yes. Brett: you have to assume that they have passed on. and that is sad, and you never really get any closure because you don’t know their friends or family. You [00:05:00] never get like a notice, an obituary. You don’t, you don’t know where these people go, um, and you don’t know how to check in on them once your normal channels of communication are severed. Melissa: Yeah, we’re at that age where we probably start reading the obituaries. Like, I haven’t heard from so-and-so in a while. Let me check the obits." Brett: I had, I had– Before NVUltra went on for, what’s it, like five years now, uh, without a release, um, I had a project called BitWriter with David Halter. And Melissa: remember you mentioning that, yeah. Yeah, and you wondered. Mm-hmm. Brett: he stopped responding. Melissa: you find out any at all? Any, Any, concrete… Brett: Nothing. I have put feelers out everywhere I can think of. I have no idea what happened to him. Melissa: went Richard Simmons, huh? Brett: yeah. Yeah. With less Melissa: No contact. No contact. Aw. Digital Legacy Work Melissa: I, I’m lucky that, uh, in my line of [00:06:00] work, I do typically hear from the family if they’ve passed on, because I form kind of a bond with a lot of people. I, I typically don’t lose clients unless they die, so… Brett: and you have some, like, in real life connections to Melissa: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I do, I do both. I do… I have some clients where I’ve never met them in person, I’ve only ever done remote. Uh, and then, but most of my clients are, are local, the majority of them. But I, I still s- see them remotely too, so yeah. I’ve, I’ve actually been hired by some people, um, mostly I’ve had two male clients who they got a terminal illness, they knew they were terminal, and they followed me online and they pretty much hired me to take care of their surviving spouse. So that, that was… that’s a difficult thing, but I’m just honored that they chose me to, to help them out with that. So I’ve kind of been a bit of a digital undertaker in that regard. Sponsor: OneSkin Christina: I want to take a moment to share something that has significantly improved my skincare routine, OneSkin. [00:07:00] So we all have those days when our skin doesn’t feel its best, and I’ve certainly been in that boat, especially recovering from surgery. And I was tired of navigating through endless products that promised results, but often fell short. And that’s when I discovered OneSkin. It was founded by scientists dedicated to longevity, and this brand stands out for its commitment to real science over marketing hype. They tackle the fundamental question of how to actually slow down skin aging rather than just masking it. And their groundbreaking ingredient is, uh, ZeroS01, and it’s a proprietary peptide designed to help deactivate the damaged cells that contribute to aging skin. Since incorporating OneSkin into my routine, I’ve actually been noticing some improvements. My skin feels smoother. It looks more vibrant. Um, it’s definitely more moisturized, and so this is benefiting from its focus on supporting collagen and strengthening the skin barrier. With over 10,000 five-star reviews and validation from clinical studies, OneSkin has made a name for itself in the skincare industry. If [00:08:00] you’re interested in trying OneSkin for yourself, you can get 15% off your order with the code OVERTIRED at oneskin.co/overtired. That’s 15% off at oneskin.co/overtired using the code OVERTIRED. Thank you for supporting our show by checking them out Mental Health Check In Brett: Um, so do you wanna do a mental health Melissa: Sure. Brett: I, I know, I know you’ve listened to the show before. I know you know how this works. Melissa: how this works. Brett: Would you like to start? Melissa: I think I would like to hear you start, and then I’ll, I’ll add on Brett: that sounds good. Insomnia And Focus Brett: Um, so sleep continues to be a major issue for me. Um, I actually for four days in a row last week, I got eight hours of sleep a night, which was insane. I felt so good. Um- The first night… So I take [00:09:00] Lamictal for bipolar, and if I miss my evening dose, I crash and I sleep in the next morning, and I sleep soundly. Like, it’s the best sleep I can get. And then I wake up and all of a sudden the withdrawal kicks in, and then I’m shaky and dizzy for half an hour after I take the dose. Um, but that’s after, like, a solid night of sleep, and it never works two nights in a row. And, like, I’ve tried, like, maybe if I take Lamictal in the mornings instead of the evenings, maybe I’ll sleep through the night. It doesn’t work after that first missed dose. Um, but then I just, without making any changes in my lifestyle, started sleeping, and I thought finally after, like, two years of insomnia, I had turned a corner, because I can’t remember the last time I got eight hours of sleep for more than two nights in a [00:10:00] row. And then it ended, and then I was up. I’ve been up since 2:30 today. Melissa: I wondered, yep. Brett: I mean, I went to bed at 8:00, so that’s still nine, 10, 11, 12, 11, Melissa: I actually dozed off on the couch around 8:30. Like, if only I could just be in my bed right now, just be, like, transported. Yeah. Oh. Brett: Oh, I, I wish. If I could go back to bed… Like, sometimes I’ll, I’ll lay back down around 7:00 or 8:00 and get, like, another half hour of sleep, but it’s really that, like, uninterrupted block of deep sleep that I need, not… I take naps during the day, and I can usually fall asleep for half an hour, um, given that I’m usually functioning on five hours of sleep anyway. But anyway, um, I– That, that’s just kind of par for the course for me, so, like, any, any of our listeners know that that’s gonna be the first thing I report. Melissa: are you, [00:11:00] like, kinda competing? Like, are you trying to get eight hours because that’s what’s prescribed? Have you ever thought about Brett: be- actually, what works eight and a half, like I’ve, I’ve… Back when I had the option to sleep more than five hours, like, I did a lot of kind of experimentation and Melissa: know where your sweet spot is. Brett: Well, it… See, the sweet pot- spot changes as you age, though, and you need less sleep as you get older. So, so I can’t say for sure that eight and a half hours is still my sweet spot. Um, and I think honestly, if I can sleep seven hours, I feel pretty good, and I consider seven hours a good night’s sleep. Melissa: Yeah, ’cause mine’s like between four and six. Brett: really? Yeah. See, Melissa: feel Brett: I don’t function well. Oh, I don’t function well on anything less than seven hours. Melissa: I just have a love-hate relationship with sleep. I just don’t– I just hate to sleep. I just would rather be doing other things. Life is [00:12:00] just too interesting. Brett: I get that. I– get that. I– as someone who’s bipolar and has had like manic episodes where I’m up for five days straight, like I, I love not sleeping. Um, w- when, when I have the mania to give me energy and back it up. It’s when I’m just dragging all day and feel like a zombie. The thing– The, the plus side to it is the more tired I am, up to a certain point, the better I can focus. Like my brain slows down and it’s really easy for me to get into hyperfocus. And like most mornings I’m up at, you know, 2:30, 3:00 and I just start coding. And I can not only hyperfocus, but I can switch focus between three or four different projects like simultaneously. I hit compile on one, I move on to the next one, and I can rotate [00:13:00] through them and like keep track of all of it. And then right around 10:00 AM, my ability to do that ends and suddenly I like flip to a project and I cannot for the life of me remember what I was doing, which is why I’ve spent my life building note-taking apps and, and time tracking tools. Melissa: Yep, same thing. Doing Time Tracker Brett: dude, h- d- I don’t… You might not be familiar with my project Doing. Melissa: N-no, but I– you alluded to something. that’s not what you’re working on with Dan though, is it? Brett: No, no, that’s gonna be Melissa: Dan on that too. I, I, don’t know what it is yet, but yeah, I’m, I’m Brett: Oh, it’s… Yeah, it’s gonna be cool. Melissa: that’s so exciting. Brett: no, Doing is a command line tool where you can type things like, “Doing now podcasting with Melissa,” and it starts a timer for like what I’m doing now, and then I can ask it if I leave and come back, I can say, “What was I doing?” And it’ll tell me, [00:14:00] “You’re podcasting with Melissa.” Obviously, that’s a weird example ’cause I’m not gonna leave in the middle of this. But then it can give you like totals, time, tag-based time totals, uh, for your week and everything. It can show you like what you finished yesterday. Um, it’s not so much a task tracking app as it is a tool for keeping track of what you’re doing in the moment. Um, for, for people like me who switch between four projects at once, it’s really handy. And some guy, some fucking guy Melissa: Some fucking guy. Brett: it, rewrote it in Rust, and it is really good. it is really good. Uh, he like, I- Oh yeah, I use Melissa: Okay, ’cause Brett: This is, this is separate. this is this is a little more ‘ intentional than Timing. Um, I use both. They kind of work together, and Doing can actually import Timing’s JSON exports. So you can turn your, you can turn [00:15:00] all your Timing data into command line, uh, readable Doing files. Um, but anyway, this guy rewrote it in Rust with my permission, and he gave me full credit on the page. And I think I’m switching ’cause Doing is written in Ruby, and Ruby is slow, and Rust is fast. And like my Doing file where it stores all of my current projects, like my Doing items, gets so big that it can take Doing like up to five seconds to respond when I ask it, “What was I doing today?” Which is five seconds is a long time on the command line. Um, and his Melissa: pretty instantaneous. Brett: his version is like 100 milliseconds. Boom. But anyway, Melissa: It’s almost like you built your own little AI thing. Like, what was I doing? What Brett: kinda, kinda, yeah. Melissa: you doing, Dave? Brett: This is, this [00:16:00] was built long before AI was a common thing, but the other thing that’s contributing to my mental health Suspenders And Stenosis Brett: is suspenders. Melissa: Ah, yes. Brett: So I have I have gained 100 pounds, um, not, n-not of my own choice, but like I had rapid weight gain and I recently got a stenosis diagnosis, which I hate the Melissa: telling you, I’m telling you, we’re like 23 and me here. I’ve got that too. Brett: apparently during one of my, like when I gained 50 pounds in like six weeks, my body was looking for places to store all the new fat and decided my spine might be a good place for that. Um, so I have fat in my spine and I have degrading discs. This is separate from my love of suspenders, so I’ll get back to [00:17:00] that. I, um, Melissa: Wait till you get it in your eyeballs. Brett: Oh, for real? Melissa: Yeah, you can have… I have, um, what’s it called? Cholesterol. Yeah, if you look at your eyes really close, if you see like a white kind of w- ridge around your irises, that’s cholesterol. Brett: Oh, wow. Yeah, I hope, I hope that hasn’t happened yet, but who knows? Um, Melissa: Brings out Brett: I– So I have all this, I have all this extra weight and I had a lot of trouble with belts. A, belts hurt ’cause they dig into my, my gut, and they don’t really work. I, every, every time I stood up, my butt crack showed and I had to like wiggle my pants up. And then I I tried a pair of suspenders and it was like a l- a switch had been flipped. All of a sudden my pants just stayed up without any constriction around my waist, just like they just stayed with me wherever I went. And now I can, [00:18:00] I can tuck my shirts in and it actually looks kinda cool when you got the suspenders look going on. Which means, so like for a long time I only wore one brand of shirt, um, and because they, it was, it fit my belly and it was long enough and like it wasn’t, wasn’t baggy around the top and didn’t hang off my belly like a muumuu. Melissa: Mm-hmm, Brett: And like, so I, I, I only wore this brand of shirt and I own like 15 of them, and I would just cycle through Melissa: dresses, they’re just your Walmart $10 cotton tank dress. Love it. Brett: Yeah. But now that I can tuck my shirts in and feel okay about it, I can buy those extra large nerd shirts, ones with funny slogans and stuff on them. And normally those would hang straight down off my belly, and I hate the way that looks. But now I can tuck those in, which means I can get back to wearing funny, [00:19:00] ironic T-shirts, and it, it’s like opening up a whole new world of possibilities Melissa: That is a bonus for mental health. Brett: every day now I put on my suspenders and it makes me happy. Um, Melissa: wonderful. It’s almost like a, like a mobility aid. Brett: Kinda, yeah. Melissa: yeah. Brett: of, I– So I, I have a monopod, um, like a tripod that folds up into a walking stick, and it’s nice and light and it is an adjustable height ’cause it’s designed to be used as a camera tripod. Um, and I’ve started walking with it Melissa: yeah. kinda like you’re Brett: I c- yeah. Yeah. Like one of my fat friends has s- literal like ski poles. They’re like half height ski poles and they walk with them and it helps them a ton, and I Melissa: Yeah, hikers use those. Brett: try that out. But a walking stick [00:20:00] really does help with my stenosis, but I can still, even with a stick, I can only walk for about five minutes, which is about .3, Melissa: Yeah. Brett: 3, .3 miles. Um, and then I have to stop and sit, and it’s been a real pain, literally. Mobility And Home Hacks Melissa: And is standing difficult, too? Brett: standing is worse than walking. Melissa: thing, yeah. Standing’s worse. Brett: Yeah. Like if I am in the kitchen and I’m at the stove cooking, before the onions start to brown, I have to sit Melissa: Yeah. Yep. Brett: Uh, so we now have a stool in our kitchen, Melissa: Do you have one in the shower? Brett: yes. Well, our shower, our shower has a nice, like the back of the tub is a seat. Melissa: Oh, okay. Yeah. Brett: I don’t know if this house was designed by old people or not, but, um, but it’s certainly everything is relatively [00:21:00] accessible in that way. Um, but the stool in the kitchen means I can cook dinner. Emptying the dishwasher is the worst for me. That just like bending over, picking stuff up, and then just moving back and forth, like the five feet across our kitchen. My– I, it takes me three stops, three rests to get a dishwasher emptied. Um, and then I’m kind of ruined after that. I hate it. And I hate that I Melissa: stress mat? Brett: What’s that? Oh, you mean Melissa: mat to stand on? Gotta get, gotta Brett: think that would help? Melissa: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I have Brett: used to have one Melissa: and one in front of the kitchen, and I don’t even, I don’t even, do the cooking. Brett: Ha. I used to, I used to have one of those in front of the stove when I w- when I didn’t have pain, but just because I was really getting into cooking and I was spending a lot of time, and I was starting to feel it in my knees. Um, yeah, maybe I should do Melissa: I think it’s a fatigue [00:22:00] mat, I think they call it. Brett: Yeah. Melissa: Yeah, Brett: That sounds Melissa: plus they look cool if you get little designs on them and stuff. Yeah. Oh, we could spend the day talking about just mobility aids and ergonomics and all that kind of stuff. Melissa Health Update Brett: Well, it’s your turn. Talk about whatever you like. Melissa: Yeah, you give me some ideas to talk about. Um, yeah, I struggle with a lot of the same things that you do. Um, I’m always like kinda comparing notes every time you post something. I’m like, "Oh No, ‘Cause you talked about Have you … You haven’t started the injections yet, have you? Brett: No, and they just delayed those. I don’t get them until like June 20th or something. Melissa: nervous about those for you, because I’ve had those and I’ve decided to just swear off them, so I’ll just kinda give you just a heads-up. I mean, it does raise your blood sugar, so that’s not great, and, um, it can give you the roid rage, kinda make you angry, so that’s something to watch out for, and more weight gain, so …But it’s like one of those things where you just have to kinda try [00:23:00] it and see if it works, because if it does work, then you could be more mobile and then maybe drop a few pounds and get some of that weight off of your spine. But if it doesn’t work, just know that that can happen, Brett: my doctor did not mention any of those side effects, so good to Melissa: Yeah. Yeah. It’s, it’s the chronic life, so that’s, that’s what, that’s what, uh, affects my mental health, so I’m, I’m really good at faking it. I am actually … I will say I’m actually feeling a little bit more even. ADHD Meds And Mutations Melissa: I’m on, uh … I love when you talk about different prescriptions and stuff. Uh, I just mentioned, so I’m taking Adderall. That is, ugh, it’s a mixed bag. Um, I wanted to ask you about Vyvanse, cause that’s the next thing for me, but it’s, like, super expensive, so I’m trying to make Adderall work as best I can, but I’m, I’m in the process of playing with the dosage. But I think she told me, like, the highest was 30. The thing is, uh, I’ve had genetic testing done, and [00:24:00] I have this condit- not a condition, but it’s a I’m a mutant. It’s a genetic mutation called, it’s, it’s just initials. It’s MTHFR, lovingly known as Brett: you process your, your, chemicals twice as … fast. I have Melissa: Yes, faster processing in the liver. So that’s when she told me, ’cause she started, uh, me out on methylphenidate, and I was like, “Well, what about Adderall?” Because it, I see it work for my kids, you know? The kids are chip off the old block, right? And so I’ve had them tested too, and all three of us are positive for that. It’s lovelin- lovingly known as the motherfucker gene mutation. Um, yeah, so, and it is. It’s, it’s quite a bitch, um, ’cause it causes a whole bunch of other problems. And of course, we’ve talked about Ehlers-Danlos, so I have, uh, hypermobile Eh- Ehlers-Danlos. I’m having a hard time … I’m just having a hard time with that in general, mental health wise, because there’s just not enough awareness about it, enough people, and doctors, doctors and nurses. And you know, I’ll, I’ll say I wanna, I would love to be able to get [00:25:00] to a point where I can just say, “I have H-E-D-S,” or heads or what- however they’re gonna pronounce it, and, like, somebody know what that is when I go in for an appointment. But I still have to explain it, you know? And then that, that cuts into my time. ‘Cause they only … When you’re, when you’re our age, they only give you, like, 15 minutes, if that. When you’re much older, ’cause I’ve had to take, I’ve had to take family members to the doctor, they get a whole lot more time. But, uh, you know, it’s like, "Oh, you’re, you’re too young to be this sick. You’re too young to be this old," Brett: Right. Yeah. Curious Doctors Matter Brett: Um, I did– I found that doctor for me that knew exactly what all those acronyms meant, knew exactly, like, not only did they know what POTS was, they knew like seven different kinds of POTS and what tests to use to narrow it down. And then she got called up to National Guard Melissa: Oh, I wondered, I wondered, what happened to that doctor, ’cause it sounded so Brett: I waited. I was on a, I was on– I w- I had an appointment scheduled that was gonna be six months from the time she [00:26:00] left. Um, and I had it scheduled, and it was on July 7th. And then I got a letter in the mail saying that her Guard duty had been extended, and now I can’t see her again until September. And, like, I’ve, I’ve tried seeing other doctors that work with her, but none of them have the knowledge she has, and it was such a relief Melissa: Is this the curious one? Okay. I always think about you whenever I’m either looking for a provider or in the, in the midst of, of getting, you know, shuffled around to a new provider. I’m like, “I hope they’re curious,” ’cause that made– that meant so much to me when you explained about how a doctor needs to be curious. I’m like, “That’s what I need.” I need somebody… Or even just my therapist. I have a new, a new therapist that I see, and she’s really curious, and I really, really like that about her. That’s something that helps with mental health, is when somebody’s curious, ’cause I’m Brett: it goes h- it goes hand in hand with credulousness. Like, [00:27:00] first they have to be willing to believe you, and like, especially when it comes to invisible issues like EDS. Like, you have to be willing to believe a person and then be curious enough to look for answers. Like, the first step is believing, and the second step is curiosity. Melissa: Yes. I’ve already had my patient record marked as… Have you ever heard this one? Worried well. Brett: No. Melissa: I looked it up. It’s basically hypochondriac. Brett: Yeah, that’s what I was gonna guess. That Melissa: Yep. I actually– I was proud of myself because I actually did confront the doctor about it and I said, “What does this mean?” I said, “I, I looked it up and it kinda concerns me ’cause it makes me look like a hypochondriac.” And she said, "Oh, no, no, that’s just a, a code that we use when we don’t have something else to assign to it so that insurance will pay." Bullshit. Brett: Yeah, right? I feel like that’s exactly the kind of [00:28:00] thing insurance doesn’t pay. Melissa: Mm-hmm. so Vyvanse Vs Adderall Brett: what do you wanna know about Vyvanse? Melissa: Um, a- and I know it’s different for everybody, but I just kinda wondered what your take was on it. Um, how– can you compare it to Adderall at all for me, Brett: Yeah. Melissa: no comparison? Brett: it’s basically a non-abusable, I would call it lower lying version of, of Adderall. Like, it’s in the same family of stimulant as Adderall, but it can’t– It isn’t processed or it’s… I don’t remember how the mechanics of it work, but you can’t snort it basically. Like, it doesn’t, it doesn’t do anything Melissa: Which I wouldn’t wanna do anyway ’cause there’s nothing up here. Brett: Sure. Sure. And then, yeah, I’m not suggesting that was gonna be a problem for you. Um, but it’s also, like, it’s way, um, for me anyway, it’s way calmer. [00:29:00] Um, and there are people that say it doesn’t do anything at all. Um, especially a lot of people, a lot of people say the generic version doesn’t do anything, um, and that the name brand version does, but I haven’t found that to be true. Like the generic, which you’re correct, still costs like 200 bucks a month, um, for the generic. Um, but it is– It’s not my favorite. Melissa: I wondered why– what made you stop taking it. Did it just not work for you? Brett: No, I still take Vyvanse. Um, yeah. Um, I used to take, um, Focalin, which I loved. Melissa: That really worked for my kiddo, yep. Brett: but it also triggered my mania, Melissa: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Brett: so I was always walking this line of like, do I wanna be super productive and manic with like weeks of depression in between, [00:30:00] or do I just wanna be somewhat productive and stable? Um, which is why I’ve stuck with Vyvanse, and my doctor loves it enough for me that she won’t, she won’t prescribe anything else for me at this point. Like, I’ve asked about switching. I’ve asked about moving back to Adderall and things like that, but, Melissa: It seems like you’re, like you’re kinda on an evening out. Brett: Yeah, I haven’t had a manic episode for a couple years now. Tracking Mood With Data Melissa: Do you track it? Do you– Like, have you ever seen those– I keep seeing these ads for it ’cause, you know, the algorithm feeds us the stuff for wearables that are, um, called– I think it’s called Visible, so it makes your symptoms more visible instead of invisible. Like, do you track it? Do you Have you nerded out on your own data? Brett: like my mania and depression? Melissa: Yeah, like do you track it and look at graphs or anything like that to Brett: See, I’ve never had to use an external tool because I can just look at GitHub contribution graphs, and I can look at [00:31:00] my RSS feed, and I can see exactly, like for a period of like eight years, I can pinpoint exactly where my manic episodes were, um, because that data is historically preserved out there on the internet for all to see. Um, it’s, yeah, it’s– Well, and that’s, like I built tools that gathered that, those various sources of data. Um, and then there was a, a tool called, um, I forget. Melissa: cool, though? Hmm. We’ll think Brett: But it could pull, it could pull in all that data. Um, Bell Beth Cooper, Hello Code, I can’t remember the name of the app. Melissa: Yeah, it’ll come to you eventually. Brett: sure. Uh, but it could pull in like your GitHub, uh, commits along with like what the weather was at the time, how many songs you listened to that Melissa: Oh, day one sorta does that, yeah. Brett: Does it now? Melissa: A little bit, yeah, your locations, [00:32:00] um, if you turn on some of those things. Like not– I don’t think it does the music and things like that, but Brett: I haven’t used it for a while. I haven’t used it for a Melissa: I was gonna switch to the journal app. I was actually really… I held off on upgrading to Tahoe for the longest time, but that one kept nagging at me ’cause I thought, oh, you know, maybe. I mean, as much as I love Day One, I, I thought about, I thought about actually switching over, but no. I tried it. I’m, I’m gonna stick with Day One. Brett: Cool. All right. Cane And Somatic Therapy Brett: Um, so did you have, did you have more to add to your Melissa: Oh, I was gonna, I was gonna add on to what you were talking about with the suspenders. I did start… I think you probably… Well, yeah, you commented on it. Um, I started using a cane, and that I have mixed feelings about that. Um, I should have brought it in here so I could show you. I’ll show you later, ’cause, uh, anyway, it’s, it’s purple. I did get a pimp cane. That’s what my husband calls it. I thought, damn it, if I’m gonna use, like, a cane, then it’s gonna be [00:33:00] purple, and I’m gonna like looking at it, as much as I hate to use it, so. So I’ve been trying to use it. I… What you were talking about with, uh, with finding a curious doctor, I do have new physical therapist, um, so I’m really happy about that. Same kind of thing where she’s super booked. I think that’s just how it is. Like, the really good ones, they’re good, and, you know, it shows because it’s, it’s hard to get in to see them. So yeah. So I’m, I’m looking forward to that. We’re gonna be doing… Have you heard of somatic therapy? Brett: Yeah. Melissa: Yeah. So ha- have you tried it? Do, do you like it? Okay. That’s, that’s what I’m embarking on. Brett: I actually have a friend who teaches classes in it. Melissa: Oh, Al probably knows about that. Brett: y- yeah, Melissa: Yeah, I’ll, I’ll Brett: and it is, it is amazing how hard just doing things, doing motions you’re used to, but doing them very slowly and intentionally. It is like you– Just like, Just like, doing y- like a clamshell where you drop your knee, you’re [00:34:00] on your back and you drop your knee down to the side and bring it back up. Like that motion, most of us, even infirmed people can do that okay. You try to take… You try to do that and take like five breaths in each direction, and you’ll start shaking. It’s very Melissa: Ah, uh-huh. Yep. Brett: Yeah, but it’s good. Like it’s g- it really retrains your muscles. It really, it strengthens, retrains, and helps with, uh, finer motor control. Melissa: Oh, that’s interesting. Yeah, I, I’m, I’m a little bit on the skeptical end of it, so that’s why I’m, I’m glad that, that you, you vouch for it too. It’s like I know that it works, but I just… I guess I wanna understand the science of it a little bit more. Like, for example, I’ve tried, uh, acupuncture, and I just didn’t feel like it did, did anything for me. I think you have to be, like, a believer, and I just Brett: think so. Melissa: I, I, I even did that on purpose knowing that I kinda felt like it wasn’t gonna work. I was like, well, what if I just go into this? ‘Cause, [00:35:00] ’cause I talk to people and they’re like, "Well, you have to believe in it." I’m like, but what if I don’t? I just don’t, you know? I’m, I see it Brett: it’s not medicine if you have to believe in it. Melissa: Yeah. I mean, I see it work for other people. I know there’s, you know, such a thing as placebos and things like that, and I don’t know, it’s, it’s woo-woo and I, I, I like woo-woo stuff. I, it just, it didn’t do anything for me, so… It’s not to say that it doesn’t work for other people, but it just did not work for me, and I, I kind of, I, maybe I just, uh, did that on purpose when I, I try- probably just tripped myself up going into it thinking, well, I just don’t believe it, so if it works, then there must be science behind it. And then, then, I’ll believe. But it didn’t work out, so. So the, I’m a little bit on the fence about the somatic thing, but the, the, the gal that I’m working with is just so, she has EDS herself, and like, like what you were saying, like, she, she knows all about it and she could even, you know, tell me the, the type that she has, and I was like, I met, I met, actually last week I met two zebras in one week. [00:36:00] You, you’re familiar with the, the zebra mascot? If you, uh, the saying goes, if you hear hooves, think horses. But we’re not horses, are we? Yeah, so Yeah, so that’s, that’s our, our Somatics For EDS Melissa: EDS Brett: somatic– somatics you don’t have to believe in for them to work. Melissa: Okay, that is Brett: it’s an actual physical therapy method that trains the finer muscles, um, that surround your larger muscles and, and strengthens those, and it– Yeah, it’s for real. It’s, yeah, it’s not like a… It’s soma- I think, Melissa: w- totally Brett: ’cause I I had the same reaction when someone said somatics, ’cause I think, “Oh, that’s some holistic idea of the body, um, of soma,” and it’s… No, it’s, it’s got legit physical therapy behind it. Melissa: And, Yoga Modifications Melissa: you used to do a lot of yoga too, so that probably makes Brett: I still do. Melissa: Yeah? That’s [00:37:00] wonderful. Brett: it’s gotten really hard. Um, I can’t, I can’t– So I get dizzy Melissa: Yeah. Brett: going from sitting to standing, um, and my back gives out if I am in, like, horse or warrior two for more than a couple minutes. Um, and I can’t do cobras because I have a belly like a nine-month pregnancy. Um, so I have to do, like, prenatal yoga, um, which is actually a thing. Melissa: that’s a good idea. I’m glad you brought that up. I should look Brett: a- and I do chair yoga, um, where I I take the class that everyone else takes, but I modify it to work with… Like, there, there are defined moves that you do with a chair instead of. Instead of doing down dog, you do, like, a 90-degree down dog holding the back of a chair. Um, and you put, like, a knee on the chair to do warrior two, so you’re actually [00:38:00] resting. And Um, and you can do it fully seated too and get at least the arm exercises out of it. So I’ve been trying to maintain, maintain flexibility and some endurance. I’m not doing yoga the way I used to do it, but I am still Melissa: I’ve seen some of your poses. It’s pretty impressive. Brett: Yeah, back in the day. Melissa: W- when you could be upside down. Polycystic Liver Shock Melissa: I should look into that because I, you know, although I’m done having babies, like far done having babies, I have… You probably know about this too, I have polycystic liver disease, which is a really rare type of liver disease, and it’s not fatty liver. Oh my God, I have to keep telling doctors that. That’s the other thing. It’s like, it is not fatty liver. It is not. It- they’re cysts. It’s a totally different thing. I’m basically full of bubbles. So I… But it feels like that’s why I went in to get it. I didn’t actually get that checked. I found it accidentally when I went in for an heart, for a heart CT. That’s when they found it, and for a, a breast MRI, so [00:39:00] both those, those types of scans caught it. The other parts were fine, so my heart’s fine, so that’s a relief. But yeah, so this was a bit of a shock. And so I don’t know exactly what it means moving forward, um, but my entire liver is, like, engulfed in cysts, so. Right? But my blood work is, is fantastic right now, so I’m just gonna keep Brett: That’s good. Melissa: hoping it stays that way. Brett: That’s something. Fatphobia In Healthcare Brett: Um, I I have heard for a long time about, um, doctors being fatphobic and, and always assuming that, um, always assuming that your health i-issue is because you’re fat and not even looking for underlying issues, which has been an interesting experience for me because that really never happened to me. Melissa: Mm. Brett: Um, at least not once I switched to Gundersen from, like, a local clinic. Then I realized that it’s not just being fat that gets you [00:40:00] stigmatized, it’s being a fat woman. Melissa: Mm, I was gonna say try having a uterus and being Brett: yeah. Yeah. Um, like I talked to one of my best friends, April, who he’s, has been on Melissa: by, women doctors. Brett: Yeah. Yeah. And that’s, that’s what April tells me. She tells me all these horror stories. Even after finding care she trusted, she still has to deal with people saying, “Well, if you just lost some weight.” Like, she’s been fat her whole life. She’s in better shape than most skinny people Melissa: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Brett: I mean, she does sit-ups with 50-pound plates and does, like, five, 10 miles at a time on her, like, on her bike and, like, she’s in great shape and still has to walk with the ski poles, and she’s getting her second knee replaced this week. And, like, it, it’s just infuriating to hear the way that doctors dismiss Melissa: You know what the problem is, Brett? Brett: goes through [00:41:00] when Pole Dancing Reality Check Melissa: Not enough doctors have watched fat pole dancers. That is the problem right there. They need more education. Brett: Um, yeah. There’s, there are a couple of, um, queer burlesque shows Melissa: shows, yes. Brett: in my area that almost always include a plus-size pole dance, and it is amazing to Melissa: Oh, it’s mesmerizing. It should be an Olympic sport. Remind me to send you the, the link to, unless you’ve already seen it, have you seen the Deadpool pole dancer? Brett: No, I don’t think Melissa: you are in for a treat. We might just have to put that in the show notes, but I don’t know, I don’t know if your listeners are that, are into that It’s fully clothed, but it’s, there’s even blue Crocs involved. Brett: So this is nobody that you’re seeing on the Melissa: I wondered, yep. I wondered, yeah. Aw, he looks so soft. Mm. Mechanical Keyboard ASMR Brett: So you’ve [00:42:00] gotten really into mechanical keyboards. Melissa: have, I have. In fact, uh, I was gonna, I was gonna see how this might sound, but I, I brought my little box of key caps to show you so that I could say, welcome to my ASMR channel. Brett: That would… is is that a thing? I bet there are ASMR, like, key switch testing. Melissa: yeah, yeah. I’ve run across a couple of videos where, you know, they’ll have a hashtag ASMR in there, and that’s, that’s what it is. Do you experience ASMR yourself? Brett: No. Melissa: No? So when you listen to those videos you don’t get like the s- the tickling of the spine and stuff? Brett: No. Melissa: I do. It actually, it goes, it… I forget. I always forget what the acronym stands for, but it, you know, has something to do with the meridian. So if you can i- imagine your brain like split in half, and I feel it right on this side. It goes, it goes like the, down the back of my head, behind my ear, and down into my shoulder. It [00:43:00] is the funkiest feeling, and I love it. I love it so much. Even when we were talking about animals in the, in the beginning and I even had a cat that would come and just like kind of lick my ear and, oh, I just, I love that. Most people cannot stand that sound. They have the opposite condition where they can’t handle somebody chewing gum. My grandfather had that. Um, some, some kinda, it ends in a tonia. Misatonia or something like that, um, where… I don’t know. Do you have any of those like sound sensory issues? I have a lot of Brett: really don’t. I’m very, I’m very, like, sound Like, I like loud, heavy music. Like, that does something for my psyche. Um, but general sounds, they neither bo-bother me nor stimulate me. Melissa: imagine what that’s like. I just can’t. I’m So bothered, and my kids too, and you know, ugh, God, Brett: So El Melissa: has been problematic. Brett: El is, El is, definitely sensitive to sound, um, in a way that Like, even my [00:44:00] mechanical keyboards can’t be, can’t be on the same floor of the house as Elle. We pretty much live in silence, and that’s fine for me most of the time because, like, it just doesn’t affect me either way. So, like, keeping things quiet is easy, and I focus well in silence. And then when Elle’s gone, I blast my music, and w- when I’m in the car, I blast my music, and then the rest of the time I live in the quiet place. Melissa: Mm-hmm. In The Quiet Place. Brett: Yeah. Melissa: Yeah, we have- something a little similar, but m- my husband and I have, uh… We have our his and hers kind of setup here in, in the, in our den, in our inner study. So he’s got his side and I’ve got my side. So we’re together, and he does a lot of grading papers, and he’s really good about putting his, his earbuds in and just tuning the whole world out. He’s… It’s fascinating to watch that man just [00:45:00] execute. I mean, I just am so envious of people who can just execute. But the, the, the, yeah, the sensory, it’s all about the sensory stuff for me when it comes to keyboards. I actually thought about… I don’t know how popular it would be, but I also thought about making a podcast, a video podcast, that would highlight the intersection of nail art and mechanical keyboards. Because I’ll tell you, that’s actually what… I’ve always loved mechanical keyboards, but yeah, the, the one that I had, someone had given me a, a Matias, and oh, it’s, it’s so loud, but it’s like high-pitched. It’s kinda sharp. And it was even kind of annoying to me after a while. And then it does not, it’s not a mechanical keyboard in that you can’t pull the switches out, so you’re kinda stuck with what you got. Like, you might be able to change the key caps if you could find them, but couldn’t change the switches. And something happened to the S key, and I was like, “All right, it’s over,” so. But I can’t get rid of them either, so one of these days I wanna have like a display of, of keyboards. [00:46:00] Nail Art And Picking Melissa: But what got me, what got me into saying, “Okay, I’m finally, I’m just gonna invest in a keyboard because it’s ergonomically important to me,” is I have… And I can’t pronounce it, so I’m not even gonna try, but there’s a condition, and it’s a self-diagnosed thing. But I, I am a picker. I pick my skin a lot. Um, I think it’s called derma something Anyway, so I wasn’t gonna try to pronounce it. But, uh, I’ve always had that condition since I was a kid. I didn’t even know it was a thing. I just thought everybody get, uh, picks. But then during the pande- during the pandemic, it got super bad. Like, I had, I had, um, some panic attacks and, you know, as a lot of probab- people probably did. But it got so bad to the point where I had picked my fingers and they were bleeding and they were throbbing and they were hurting. And I said to one of my kids, I said to my youngest, I said, “Can you just, like, if I, if I’m picking, can you just let me know?” And then I regretted doing that because then he took it on as this, like, full-time job, you know? And it kinda [00:47:00] gave him anxiety, and I thought, “Oh, okay, that, that was a bad thing to do.” So I s- I let him off the hook. I said, “No, you don’t have to tell me anymore.” Um, because, yeah, ev- even if I went to, like, just kinda, like, clean under my nail or something. So it was actually causing a real problem for the family that I was just picking so much. And it’s not just my fingers, it’s, like, other parts of my body. So I thought to myself, “Well, what can I do about this?” And so I started putting fake nail tips on. And I hate to be all, like… I don’t know, I’m not, I try not to be, like, a very vain person, but I really started kinda falling into the nail art side of things, and I, I just recently learned how to do gel and work with, um, uh, what’s it called? Uh, not resin. So I… Oh, that’s another ASMR thing. Do you like to watch resin pours? Brett: I do, actually, yes. Melissa: that’s… Okay, so if you like resin pours, if you like to watch the viscosity and the way the, the chemicals, like, form together and when they, when they mix colors in and stuff, [00:48:00] that’s what it’s like with nail art but on more of, like, a macro level because it’s, you know, you’re working with small stuff. Like, just, just recently I learned how to do… So I’m showing Brett this on, on camera, but I recently learned how to do the kind of nail polish that you take a magnet and you run the magnet along it, and it makes this, like, a cat’s eye. Brett: Yeah, that’s cool. Melissa: I love it. So, so that, so combining nail art then, and I thought, “Well, now I’ve got these long nails,” but all of my keyboards have been these flat, really low-profile keyboards. And, you know, I just, I started to dread it. So then I was kinda caught between a crossroads. Like, either I leave nails off and I can type really, really fast and have high accuracy with no nails, but then as soon as, as soon as I get, like, a little snag or something, then I start picking and then it’s just, it’s all over then. Or I try to find a way to work with these nails. So that’s what I started thinking, “Well, maybe if I had higher keys.” And so then I just, yeah, rabbit hole. [00:49:00] Went down the rabbit hole, and I’ve, I’ve just kinda been there ever since. And, uh, it really, I think, uh… Let’s see. How long ago did this start? It’s only been about maybe like six months or something like that, so. Keyboard Layout Rabbit Hole Melissa: But in that time so I’ve started, um, building a collection of switches. So I’ve been really interested in both the key caps and the switches. Um, I’ve got my baseboards. I like my Royal Kludge the best. This is… I’m gonna show Brett my Royal Kludge. So, so this is what it’s looking like right now. Brett: Yeah. Melissa: It is very purpley. Um, I did post some pictures. I can… I don’t know if you do pictures in show notes, but I could take some pictures for you It’s got a knob. It’s got, um… Let me see if I can do it real Brett: Do you use the knob. I have a couple keyboards with knobs and even a joystick, and I never actually use them Melissa: Good question. Um, I, I use it, I try to use it for volume at [00:50:00] times, and that’s probably what I use it for the most. But this one does have a… Let’s see if I can get this into focus here, backwards and upside down. It’s gonna be upside down, but you see how you can put, you can put your logo Brett: Oh, yeah. Nice. Melissa: got my The Mac Mommy little logo on there. Otherwise, it gives you the time in military format, so that’s kind of handy to have. Um, but yeah, it’s… To be honest, I, I love the, I love this Royal Kludge because it’s nice and heavy, and I love the form factor. It’s got a number pad, um, because I’m, because I am a grown-ass adult and I need a number pad. Um, but it’s nice and heavy. It doesn’t, it doesn’t move around my desk a lot. I kind of have to type, like, kind of crooked, ’cause that’s just the way my neck goes to the wrong way and stuff like that. So I like being able to fit it on my desk. I have a, I had a larger one made by Red, uh, what is it? Redragon. This is the one that I started [00:51:00] out with. Gonna make lots of noise here. But as you can see, this one is way bigger. And it was, as much as I liked it, I mean, I fell in love with it, but what was happening was my accuracy was, like, really thrown off because I fe- I kept feeling like it just needs to be, like, a couple centimeters to the right or a couple centimeters to the left. It just wasn’t centered very well. So this one, my husband gets all the hand-me-downs, so that one went over onto his desk. Uh, and then I also have a baby keyboard here, and this is another Redragon. This is my little mini one. Brett: that’s, that’s the kind of keyboard I mostly use, like a 70% keyboard. Melissa: Yeah, I think this one’s even 60. Um… Brett: My– The one I’m using right now is, uh, 60. There’s no, there’s no function row, there’s no arrow, there’s no keypad or, like, arrow pad. Um, Melissa: No [00:52:00] arrows? How do you live without arrows? Oh, do you, you mapped your keys to something Brett: so it looks like this, Melissa: nice. I love the Brett: that the, the space bar is split in two. Yeah, my, my, my partner says it looks like, uh, gay ’80s. It’s all pink and blue and purple. Um, but the, the space bar is split, and the right half of mine functions as something called a mod key, and when I hold that down, then my I, J, K, and L keys become arrow keys. Melissa: Oh, wow. Brett: once you get used to it, you never have to take your hand off the home row. Melissa: Oh my God, that must be amazing. Brett: It– Yeah, once you get used to it, it, it’s so… Like, g- moving to a keyboard that doesn’t have that is kind of tortuous. On my MacBook Pro, I have remapped it using Karabiner so that Melissa: [00:53:00] That’s what I’m using. Brett: if I hold, the semicolon down with my pinky, then H-I-J-K-L become, Melissa: Oh, nice. Brett: become arrow keys, so I still don’t have to move my hand all the way down and to the right. Like, that’s such a inefficient movement that then I have to, like… Because I don’t have great feeling in my fingers, so finding, on a low-profile keyboard, finding the, the homing buttons again Melissa: Oh, do you use the humming buttons? See, that’s the thing, I was never taught that. I mean, I took like a ty- I took like a typewriting class back in high school, and I just didn’t like it. I, I just taught myself. I just… I’m an autodidact that way, so I just taught myself. Brett: my dad, back in 1984, we had a typing program on our PCjr, and I Melissa: It wasn’t Mavis Beacon, was it? Brett: remember. I don’t remember. All I know is, like, It taught you touch typing, and it would give you [00:54:00] these lessons, and you would basically just mirror what was on screen. And at the age of seven, I was typing at about 68 words per minute on an, on an old IBM PCjr keyboard. Um, got a lot faster through high school and everything. But yeah, I was, I was, from day one, I was raised to be a touch typist, and, and I took all the classes they had in school. Melissa: But you still touch Brett: labs. Yeah. Melissa: Uh-huh, yeah. So you don’t do the home rows. Brett: No, that is touch Melissa: Oh, touch typing, so you do feel… for the bumps. Brett: Yeah, I feel for the bumps, and then I just, like, my f- my key, my fingers never really leave the Melissa: Oh, yeah. See, I wish I could do Brett: centered home row. Yeah. It’s, it, it’s good. Um, Melissa: And you’re using the split, so my gosh. Brett: What– You get used to that too. Um, like, [00:55:00] I can’t do it with the split far apart. I’ve seen people use, like, splits, like, way out to the sides, and I can’t, my, my brain doesn’t do that. Like, my hands have to be within, like, six inches of each other. Melissa: I always thought, it would be so cool to have something where you could have it, like, raised up like this, right? And use your hands sideways. Brett: Yeah. Well, that’s I mean, that’s essentially, I have, on the bottom of this keyboard, I have these risers. Melissa: Oh, uh-huh. Oh, Brett: So it sits, right now I have it at about a 45-degree tent, tent, tent. Um, but it can go up to more like an 80-degree tent, where you’re actually Melissa: Wow. Brett: uh, almost like you’re clapping, you’re typing. Um, I don’t Melissa: of that. I have a, a, handshake mouse. Brett: Vertical mouse. Melissa: You like… Is that what you have for a mouse too? Brett: no, I, I love Melissa: Trackballs. Oh, trackpads. Oh, okay. Brett: Apple’s Magic Trackpad changed my life. I’ve never used– I’ve never gone back to a [00:56:00] mouse since the first Magic Trackpad came out. Melissa: So you’re all about the gestures then? Brett: yeah, Melissa: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That’s great. Brett: Bet- bet- better touch tool for the win. Melissa: You know what it is for me, is because of the type of work that I do, and this is very much true for both of us, you do these things because of the type of work that you do. The type of work that I do, I’m in everybody’s homes, so I have to ty- I have to be able to type and use their mouse and, I mean, it’s actually a very dirty job. So I keep hand wipes with me everywhere. Um, that, that was why during the pandemic I was like, “I am not coming to your house and I am not touching the stuff that you just picked your nose and…” Yeah, mm-mm. But, so, so i- it’s been kind of keeping me almost like a purist in a way as far as keyboards have gone all these years. I, I finally just kind of let go and embraced this recently, th- which is why I’m so excited and why I’m just kind of nerding out on it, because when, when I worked [00:57:00] in, like, I’ll call it the industry, um, I got my f- my start in prepress. So I worked in prepress, I was a typesetter, and we had… That’s what I kind of miss. We had the old clunky beige keyboards, and I had my muscle memory such that I think my o- my Option key would have, like, the indentation of my nail on it. You know? ‘Cause I had, just like you have, keys that are programmed. I could… I was a Quark queen. I don’t know if you’re familiar with QuarkXPress? Brett: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I was a graphic designer. I I know Quark. Melissa: Yeah, I loved it. I was… And, and I used it back in the OS 9 days, OS 7 really, is when I started out. Uh, I did not like the OS X vers- OS 10 version of Quark. Did not like it at all. Brett: No, but that’s Melissa: it was slow. Brett: Adobe came out with, what was, what was Adobe’s… InDesign. Yeah. By the time I had started, by the time I had started my own ad agency, we were all InDesign. Melissa: Oh, [00:58:00] nice. Okay. I mean, it was a Brett: and none of the, none of the print shops expected Quark files Melissa: Yeah. Oh, it was so expensive. I remember I had to buy it when I was in college, and I remember it cost, like, $800. I’m probably still paying for that, damn it, in interest. Yeah, so that, that’s how I got my start originally, and that’s how I was doing… I, I went to… So I have, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I went to college in order to be a designer. I wanted to be a designer designer, and that’s what I, what I thought I was good at and thought that I liked doing, ’cause, you know, “Oh, you’re a girl. Go to art school. You like to draw.” You know? I’m always bitter about that because I really wish that I would’ve been able to go… I mean, this was, you know… I’m, I’m 51, so this was back in the day where girls, girls don’t do computers and girls don’t do coding. G- girls don’t do computer science. They didn’t even call it computer science. They didn’t even call it graphic design back then. It was commercial art. Um, so I studied that and, you know, I liked it ’cause I thought, “Well, this is what I could, I could take my art and make [00:59:00] a living into it.” And then fast-forward, um, I just started to fall in love with the technical troubleshooting side of things. So as, as good as I was at the technical typesetting and the technical, like, putting prepress things together, you know, um, uh, key sheets and s- you know, things like that. Do you remember, was there, uh, did you ever use a program called Quick Keys? That was one of the ones Brett: familiar. Melissa: you could map your own keys to things. So w- when I was in prepress and doing typesetting, I used that program and I, I mapped all my keys, and I had all these quick keys and stuff so I could go really, really fast, you know? So when they wanted something done fast, they gave it to me, and I could just fly through documents with this. But then as people learned that I was good at this kind of stuff and troubleshooting, they’re like, “Oh, hey, Roger needs, you know, has a problem. Can you go help him?” So I’d go over to his cubicle, I sit down, and he’s got nothing. You know, he’s got [01:00:00] no quick keys, no nothing, and you just kinda get lost because your muscle memory just adapts to it. And I couldn’t help people the way… And, and that was what it was about for me. I really liked more helping people and troubleshooting and the technology side of things than the actual design process. So I kind of went to the other side with it. And so I just kind of, like, vowed that, okay, I’m not gonna do any kind of, like, customization on my own workstation because then I’ll, my, my muscle memory will map to it, and then when I go to sit down to help somebody else, I won’t… You know, I’ll be so much in my own world that I won’t be able to help them. And so I just kind of, like, remained a, a pu

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with Ashley Normal, a New England-based artist, educator, and community builder whose work explores the strange, fragile, and absurd edges of everyday life. Through drawing, painting, mixed media, and altered materials, she examines themes like mental health, womanhood, gender, memory, and social taboos. To learn more about Ashley Normal's work, check out her website at www.ashleynormal.com or follow on IG at www.instagram.com/ashley_normal.  Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter at creativegutspod.substack.com.  If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax-deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com.  Thank you to Kennebunk Savings Bank for being an official sponsor of the podcast! Thank you to our friends at Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter, NH and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, NH for their support of the show!  Any views or opinions expressed by our hosts or guests do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Creative Guts.

She's with the Band, the show that aims to amplify the voices of women and femme people on stage, backstage, and in the business, hosted by Tori Kravitz. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join Talk Cosmos, Sunday 10 MAY 2026, 1–2 p.m. PDT as we explore the “TAURUS SAGITTARIUS MOON PHASES” on the upcoming New and Full Moon.This month's pair of lunations asks us to assess rejected parts of ourselves to become avenues of wisdom we share with others.The Taurus New Moon on May 16 begins an adjustment and activation process of accepting wounded areas of our identity. It involves putting an end to old scripts of what we thought we were or not. Instead, we begin making daily adjustments on how to activate our thinking in order to allow excluded parts to be in service of others. Effectively healing our perspective of how we use our wounds into a resourceful identity.The Sagittarius Full Moon works to reframe a perspective belief pattern. To reclaim the entire parts of our independent diversity. Because it contributes to creating our identity. The May 31 blooming lunation begins a synthesizing process of shifting parts once isolated to be accepted within. Then to repurpose into creating an identity embracing unification of all of oneself. One that voices a new holistic emotional story.The Essence of the LuminaryTalk Cosmos, in the second week of each month, focuses on capturing the Moon's essence during its New and Full phases. As our most personal planet, the Moon regulates the past as it flows into the present, allowing us to experience emotions, habits, and feelings. Ultimately, it helps us piece together the meaningfulness of our life story. Each month offers the energetic input needed to grow, heal, and develop creating in mind, body, heart, and spirit.The Conversation Joining Sue Rose Minahan from Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawai'i, will be Talk Cosmos member Amanda Pierce of Seattle, Washington.Catch new weekly episodes and subscribe to TalkCosmos.com to access the latest content through YouTube, Facebook, radio, and podcast platforms.AMANDA PIERCE: blends her eclectic style of astrology and energy magic around a soul-centered approach to life and healing. With a B.A. in Psychology, Astrology and Energy Work Consultation | Meditation | Writing & Editing. Empowerment-based Meditation: teaching in-person 4-week series classes. Email: Amandamoonastrology@gmail.com Past WSAA Board Member | UAC 2018 Volunteer Coordinator.SUE ‘ROSE' MINAHAN: Evolutionary Astrologer Consultant, Speaker, Writer, Dwarf Planet University graduate; Vibrational Astrology student, Kepler Astrology Toastmasters; Wine Country Speakers; holds an Associate of Fine Arts Music Degree, & a Certificate of Fine Arts in Jazz. Artist & musician. Mythology enthusiast. Talk Cosmos weekly conversations awaken heart and soul consciousness since 2018. talkcosmos.com#TaurusNewMoon2026 #SagittariusFullMoon2026 #Mars #Chiron #Aries #Astrology2026 #talkcosmos #sueroseminahan #amandapierceTalk Cosmos is your opportunity to ponder realms of what Carl Jung called the collective unconsciousness that's shared through time to the present…all through the lens of Sue's lifetime of peering into astrology.“Thankfully, I discovered Evolutionary astrology. Its perspective points directly to our unique personal spiritual soul growth…driven by our aligned intentions. Its promising purpose of soul growth ignited an entirely alive Zodiac. Captured, I felt compelled to study the deep significance of astrological application,” said Sue.Sue is your guide to focusing the Cosmos kaleidoscope. In the words of Einstein, “Energy's never destroyed, energy only changes.”Discover the energy that is Talk Cosmos, every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. right here on Alternative Talk 1150!Contact https://talkcosmos.com for weekly schedule, blog, and information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Golden Pen Award Winner Michael T. Kuester from Cincinnati, Ohio, with his story “In Living Color,” and Golden Brush Award Winner Bohuslav “Bafu” Argalas from Ruzomberok, Slovakia, with his illustration of the story “Saffron and Marigolds.” Michael is an engineer by day, a science fiction writer by night. An avid hiker and cooking enthusiast, he is a passionately curious individual and lives his life by the motto “In the twenty-first century, there's no excuse for an unanswered question.” His story, “In Living Color,” evolved into a surprisingly personal allegory for social isolation, generational misunderstanding, and neurodivergence. Bafu began drawing before he learned to read or write. That passion led him to study art at the private school of Applied Arts in Zilina and later at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno, Czech Republic. Bafu creates illustrations and comics filled with humor, emotion, and a touch of the strange, hoping to make people smile, think, and drift away from reality—even just for a moment. Michael can be found at https://michaeltkuester.com/ Bafu can be found at https://www.bafu.art/

Do you feel like an imposter? Most artists do, at least sometimes. But artist anxiety can take on a life of its own -- the voice that says your work doesn't matter, that you don't belong, that it's only a matter of time before everyone figures it out. This week's guest, Holly Wong, has thought hard about why the art world breeds this so reliably. When even objective markers of success can be questioned, the goalposts never stop moving. In this episode, we talk about how negative self-talk shapes outcomes, why grant writing can be a path to self-acceptance, and how to stay generous without losing yourself in the process. Resources:  https://hollywongart.com/ Biography Holly Wong creates fiber and drawing-based installations and collaged paintings that explore healing and resilience. She was educated at the San Francisco Art Institute where she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts. Holly has participated in over 100 exhibitions including group shows at the de Young Museum, the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. A Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she has received grants from the California Arts Council (Established Artist category), the Puffin Foundation, the George Sugarman Foundation, and the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. She is represented by SLATE Contemporary Gallery in Oakland, CA, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, ELLIO Fine Art in Houston, TX, and Walker Fine Art in Denver, CO. Holly lives and works in San Francisco.

This year marks the centennial of Route 66, the iconic American highway stretching from Chicago to LA and celebrated in story, song and television.It's been over 30 years since the highway was decommissioned, but we will hear from one photographer who's love of Route 66 has been memorialized in the form of stamps.A local author is fusing history lessons with ghost stories to create a fun and interesting way to learn Ohio history. Having already written two books in his “Ohio Kids” series and coming out with a third, he is continuing his family tradition of finding new ways of teaching.Cost should never prevent students from sharing experiences with their peers and having a good time. Fairy Goodmothers is a Worthington boutique that allows high school students to pick out prom dresses for free.Guests:David J. Schwartz, Route 66 Fine Art & Editorial PhotographerLogan Lyons, authorKatie Persico, president, Fairy Goodmothers

Go behind the easel with celebrated painter and educator Eric Santoli on the latest episode of the Plein Air Easton Podcast. Hosts Tim and Marie sit down with Eric for a lively conversation about his life on the road, the inspiration behind his Eric En Plein Air PBS series, and the artistic journey that shaped him into one of today's most exciting plein air voices. From studying at the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to living and painting at Claude Monet's House and Gardens as a Munn Fellow Artist-in-Residence, Eric shares the origin story behind his passion for outdoor painting, teaching, and adventure. It's an inspiring listen full of travel tales, career insight, and the spontaneous energy that makes plein air painting so magical.

The Creative Guts team is back with a new GUEST TAKEOVER of Creative Catalogues! In these bonus mini-episodes, a guest host will share a glimpse at their creative consumptions or something big happening in the creative community. This week's episode is brought to you by Kathleen McDermott and Brendan McCormick of B McCormick Art, who report on the new NH Alt Market, happening May 23, 2026 from 11 am to 4 pm at the Newmarket Millspace in Newmarket, NH. Get more information on the NH Alt Market at www.nhaltmarket.com and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nhaltmarket/. Learn more about Kathleen and Brendan at https://bmccormick.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bmccormick86/ Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter at creativegutspod.substack.com.  If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax-deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com.  Thank you to Kennebunk Savings Bank for being an official sponsor of the podcast! Thank you to our friends at Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter, NH and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, NH for their support of the show!  Any views or opinions expressed by our hosts or guests do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Creative Guts.

If your paintings feel flat or chaotic, your colors might be the problem, and the fix is messier than you think.  Let's talk about the thing most artists try to avoid at all costs …. Muddy color.  In this episode, I'm breaking down why that "ugly" mix on your palette is actually the secret to creating rich, cohesive, fine art. Because when everything is bright and saturated, your painting has nowhere to go.  I used to think I was ruining my work every time my colors got muddy. Turns out, I was missing the magic.  Today I'm going to show you how to use complementary colors to create depth, contrast, and those gorgeous neutral tones that make your art feel elevated and intentional.  Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a thing! And don't forget to come hang with me on Instagram @jodie_king_. Interested in being a guest on a future episode of Honest Art®? Email me at amy@jodieking.com! Resources mentioned: Join The Color Course for Rebels Between May 4th - May 17th, you'll also receive the Mother Color Bonus + 10 Best Abstract Painting Techniques Bonus: https://www.jodiekingart.com/ccfr   Enrollment is NOW OPEN for my Austin 2026 and Australia 2027 in-person workshops! Join me? https://jodieking.com/workshop  Make Better Art. Sell More of It. Feel DAMN Good Doing It with the Honest Art® Society: https://www.jodiekingart.com/has  Check out Episode 146: The #1 Painting Mistake: Choosing Color over Value: https://jodieking.com/episode-146-the-1-painting-mistake-choosing-color-over-value/  Have a question for Jodie? Ask it here: https://forms.gle/hxrVu4oL4PVCKwZm6  How are you liking the Honest Art® Podcast? Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform and let us know!     Watch this full episode on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMquJfuMsSg0fr46BRdia1cWd-81GThzF For a full list of show notes and links, check out my blog: www.jodieking.com/podcast  

Modern Egyptian art was not simply an institutional byproduct of the 20th century, but rather a profound ontological shift in how the nature of the art object was fundamentally understood. Moving beyond traditional nationalist timelines, this transformation was deeply intertwined with the physical dismantling of historic Cairo, where stripped architectural fragments were repurposed into autonomous art objects for a new elite. Today, reclaiming these narratives serves as an urgent resistance against the regional erasure and invisibility often felt in the global cultural landscape.   00:00 Introduction: Defining the Autonomous Art Object 02:28 Challenging the "East Meets West" Trope 05:28 The Ontological Shift 10:20 The Nahda Influence 13:31 Memories of Gaza and the Weight of Regional Crisis 18:03 The Urgency of Representation and Invisibility 22:22 Huda Sha'arawi: Feminist Icon and Anti-Colonial Art Patron 25:32 Disrupting Colonial Markets 30:14 Mahmoud Mukhtar & Publicly Funded Neoperonism 34:02 The Rise of Surrealist Criticism 37:06 Connectivity Across Lebanon, Syria, and the Cairo Salon 41:44 The National Salon vs. the European Cairo Salon 46:13 Confronting Pseudomorphism 51:39 Scholarly Recommendations for Re-centering Arab Art History 54:03 The Art and Liberty Group's Interruption of Futurism 56:11 Marxism, Feminism, and the Social Unconscious   Clare Davies is an associate curator at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She has contributed to a wide range of research, programming, and archival projects related to art and photography in the Middle East since serving as associate curator of the Townhouse Gallery in Cairo between 2004 and 2006. She completed her doctoral dissertation at New York University Institute of Fine Arts and was subsequently awarded the inaugural Irmgard Coninx Prize Fellowship at the Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin. She is the coauthor of "Robert Morris: Object Sculpture, 1960–65" and has published regularly on contemporary art from the Arab world.   Connect with Clare Davies

How do you feel about classical music? Like art, music is a language in itself that conveys thoughts and ideas that words alone cannot. Charlotte Mason recognized this and included musical appreciation in her curriculum as knowledge that was due to all children. Join us in today's podcast and get inspired to begin your own musical education if you haven't already. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Composer Study Guides from Tillberry Table Music Study with the Masters series from Simply Charlotte Mason Great Musicians series by RaeAnna Goss (info here; shop here) ADE on YouTube

Episode 525 / Madeline Ludwig-LeoneMadeline Ludwig-Leone is a Los Angeles-based visual artist working primarily in painting. She received an MFA in Fine Art from ArtCenter College of Design and a BA in Fine Art and American Studies from Yale University. She had a recent solo exhibition at Gattopardo, Glendale, CA and has previously shown at Felix Art Fair with Gattopardo and Tyler Park Presents; Good Mother Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Light Manufacturing, Portland, ME; The Aster Art Initiative, Los Angeles, CA; Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR; City Gallery at the Downtown Arts Center, Lexington, KY; and Dedee Shattuck Gallery, Westport, MA, among others. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings, Hyperallergic, and SouthCoast Today. She was a recent resident at ChaNorth Artists' Residency in Pine Plains, NY and at Cuttyhunk Island Artists' Residency in Gosnold, MA. 

“Kneecap was born out of this need to represent the identity of young people who speak Irish in the city, an identity a lot of people around the world wouldn't know exists,” says Móglaí Bap of Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap. “When I was growing up, you wouldn't have seen the language on mainstream radio or BBC1 or in the cinemas, so as a teenager it wouldn't have been that cool to speak Irish. So Kneecap was part of pushing that boundary and seeing what we could do, and also having a bit of craic, as we say.” In the lead up to their powerful new album, Fenian, Móglaí and bandmate Mo Chara joined me via Zoom for an in-depth discussion of their history. They talked about how the project evolved from being something they did initially for laughs and to get free tickets to festivals into a part of their larger fight against the marginalization of the Irish-language, of which they're native speakers, and their desire to raise awareness of the harms caused by colonialism worldwide. We also discussed their childhood: Moglai's memories of hearing his mother play traditional Irish music on her concertina, Mo Chara's teenage experiences learning Oasis and Stone Roses songs on guitar at a Belfast youth club, how they found each other within the Irish-language community and started making music together, and how their approach to Kneecap has evolved since then. For the uninitiated, in addition to listening to Fenian and their previous album, Fine Art, I also highly recommend watching the biographical film Kneecap, which is funny and dramatic and poignant and a mix of fact and fiction, starring the band as themselves.  It's awesome and it's available on Netflix, Apple TV and beyond. 

After Holly Frey's trip to the great museums of Italy, Holly and Bryan Young decided to talk about some of the greatest art and greatest artists of Star Wars over its life and history.

Children should learn pictures line by line, group by group, by reading not books but pictures themselves, Charlotte Mason writes. At a time when colored reproductions were non-existent, she required each student in her schools to own their own set of art prints. In this episode of the podcast, we're going to discuss how and why to teach art appreciation in the Charlotte Mason Method. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Emily's Picture Study Portfolios from Simply Charlotte Mason Artist Study from Riverbend Press Picture Study from A Humble Place ADE on YouTube

Most people think they're good drivers. But there's one simple thing you can do—or not do—that has a surprisingly big impact on how well you drive. It takes almost no effort, yet skipping it can quietly increase your chances of making mistakes behind the wheel. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25890276/ Your financial life may feel like a series of personal choices—what you earn, spend, and save. But many of those decisions are shaped by forces you don't always see. Technology, algorithms, credit systems, and even the way prices are presented can subtly influence how you think about money and what you do with it. Alex Mayyasi, reporter for the podcast Planet Money (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money) and author of Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (https://amzn.to/4s4H9DO), explains how these hidden forces work—and how becoming aware of them can help you make smarter financial decisions. Quitting has a bad reputation. We're taught to stick it out, push through, and never give up. But sometimes quitting is exactly the right move. The real challenge is knowing the difference between perseverance and persistence that no longer serves you. Jeffrey Lockwood, professor at the University of Wyoming and author of The Good Quit: Mastering the Fine Art of Giving Up (https://amzn.to/48oBEsG), explores how to recognize when it's time to walk away—and how making the right decision at the right time can actually move your life forward. An eye that suddenly starts twitching can feel strange and a little unsettling. It often comes out of nowhere and can linger longer than you'd like. But what's actually causing it—and is it something you should worry about? https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/eye-twitching/basics/causes/sym-20050838 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS QUINCE: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! SHOPIFY: See less carts go abandoned with Shopify and their Shop Pay button! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PLANET VISIONARIES : We love the Planet Visionaries podcast! In partnership with The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you are listening to this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices