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Episode 23: Art and Nature – A Beautiful Intersection That Fuels Creativity and Well-Being

Image of Mama Judy and Jill and the title of this week's episode: Episode 23: Art and Nature - A Beautiful Intersection That Fuels Creativity and Well-Being

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

This week, Mama Judy and I explore how stepping into the great outdoors not only fuels your creativity but also works wonders for your wellbeing.

It’s scientifically proven that the calming effects of nature can reduce anxiety, a perfect antidote when tackling new art projects or techniques. Whether it’s the sea’s soothing sounds or the quiet solitude under a tree, nature can help us feel more relaxed and focused, thereby enhancing our creativity.

Join us as we chat about the benefits of being immersed in nature, from the mental wellbeing perspective to being able to observe the tiny nuances of plants to allowing the shapes and colors of nature to inspire your work. There’s a certain depth and texture that pieces of nature – leaves, sticks, shells, even tree bark and acorn caps – can add to your artwork.

Whether you’re an artist seeking inspiration or simply a lover of nature, we hope you’ll enjoy this episode.

A few inspiring creatives mentioned in this episode:

Alexandra on Instagram (uses shells and pebbles in her art)
Megan on Instagram (uses eco dyeing/printing in her art)

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

Episodes every Wednesday! Subscribe where you listen so you don’t miss a thing.

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Episode 22: Unlocking Creativity – A Chat with Kimberly Mason

Image of Mama Judy, Jill and their guest Kimberly Mason with the title of the episode: Unlocking creativity: A chat with kimberly Mason

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

Creativity is often a deeply personal and transformative process, but many of us find ourselves held back by fear and self-doubt. In this week’s episode, we dive into this critical intersection of creativity and fear with our special guest, Kimberly Mason.

A busy wife, mother, and pathologist by profession, Kimberly shares her personal journey of longing for artistic expression and the roadblocks she’s faced along the way.

One of the biggest barriers to creative expression is fear. Fear of vulnerability, fear of judgment, and fear of disappointment often stop us from pursuing our creative dreams. Our conversation with Kimberly uncovers the importance of creating a safe space for creativity and the value of taking small, consistent steps towards our creative goals.

Tune in to find out if the art “challenge” we propose to Kimberly helps get her creative juices flowing. If you’re feeling stuck, this same challenge might be just the thing to get your own creative momentum going.

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

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Episode 21: Together At Last: Our In-Person Podcast and Gratitude Giveaway

An image of Mama Judy and Jill as they recorded this episode in person. The image also says that there's a giveaway told about in this episode.

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

We’ve got something special to share with you in this podcast episode. It’s a bit different this time because Mama Judy and I (Jill) are together in the same room, and let us tell you, the joy of recording in person was incredible!

But here’s the best part – it’s not just about us. This episode is a big shoutout to our amazing creative community. Your love and support mean the world to us, and we wanted to show our appreciation. So, we’re launching our Gratitude Giveaway! We’ve put together a beautiful journal and a handcrafted bag just for you and we share them with you on today’s episode.

Click here for the details on how to enter and win the giveaway. (NOTE: Deadline for entry and winner announcement is on Saturday, November 4, 2023)

We can’t thank you enough for being a part of our journey. Your enthusiasm keeps us going, and we can’t wait to share more with you in our upcoming episodes. Until then, keep that creative spirit alive!

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

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Episode 20: How Emotions Shape Our Creative Journey

Image of Mama Judy and Jill and the title of this week's episode: Episode 20: How Emotions Shape Our Creative Journey

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

Have you ever looked at a piece of art and wondered about the feelings that inspired the artist? Can you imagine how their happiness, sadness, anger, or love influenced every brushstroke and color choice?

We’re going to explore how our emotions have a big impact on our creative output. We’ll share our own experiences and talk about how our inner and outer feelings not only guide our artwork but also affect how people see it. We’ll also ask a tough question: is it ever okay to stop working on a creative project if it’s making us feel bad?

Plus, we’ll explore how art can change us and share some tips on using our emotions to boost our creativity.

This journey has given us a better understanding of how emotions and creativity are connected, and we hope you’ll find it just as enlightening. Tune in and let’s celebrate the emotional side of art together!

Also, we’re celebrating our 20th podcast episode today!

It’s been so much fun and we so appreciate you joining us each week.

Please take a listen today and celebrate with us by sharing our podcast with a friend or two.

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

 

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Episode 19: Embracing Boredom – How Idle Moments Fuel Creative Growth

Image of Jill and Mama Judy with podcast episode title: Episode 19: Embracing Boredom: How Idle Moments Fuel Creative Growth

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

Ever wondered how embracing boredom can fuel your creativity?

Join Mama Judy and myself as we dive into an intriguing concept that many may find counterintuitive: embracing boredom to fuel creative growth.

Instead of filling every moment of the day with busyness, we invite you to embrace those idle moments as golden opportunities to declutter your thoughts and let your imagination fuel your creativity.

We also discuss how boredom is intertwined with patience. Patience is required in the creative process and is often challenged by our culture’s incessant demand for instant gratification.

By embracing these idle moments and exercising patience, we can uncover our hidden creative potential and foster personal and creative growth. The key lies in shifting our perspective on boredom and redefining it as a beneficial tool for creativity. Instead of fearing boredom, let’s repurpose it as a catalyst for personal and creative growth!

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

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Episode 18: Understanding Yourself – The First Step to Creative Growth

Image of Mama Judy and Jill with title of episode: Episode 18: Understanding Yourself - The First Step to Creative Growth

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Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

There’s a compelling correlation between self-understanding and the artistic process. Today’s podcast episode dives into this concept, exploring how personal traits can profoundly influence creative growth.

Mama Judy explains how the first step towards unlocking our artistic potential lies in self-reflection. The importance of knowing oneself, one’s likes, dislikes, and individual quirks cannot be understated.

For instance, procrastination, often seen as a negative trait, can serve as a valuable tool for better artistic results. By recognizing and harnessing such characteristics, we can channel them into creating something unique and representative of our personality.

We also chat about how personal preferences guide artistic choices. The artistic medium we choose is often influenced by our comfort with certain mediums. A significant insight here is that understanding our own selves can lead us towards creating something beautiful. Questions like what stresses us about our creative practice or what we love about the creating process can help us understand our artistic practices better.

Here’s the deal… the more we understand ourselves and our art, the better our creative output will be. Whether it’s moving towards pleasure or away from pain, understanding our creative strengths and weaknesses can help us make better decisions and grow as artists.

This exploration of self-understanding in the artistic process offers a fresh perspective on creativity. It’s a journey worth embarking on, and we hope that you will join us on this insightful adventure.

We mentioned a few episodes during our chat today. Here are the links:
Watch episode 17 with artists Bee Sieburg and Molly Courcelle.
Listen here to episode 15 on the power of commitment to your art.
Listen to episode 12 here and episode 13 here where we talk about the power of accountability to be able to create art consistently.

Here are the questions Mama Judy posed during the podcast chat. We hope you can use them for your own self-exploration to enhance your creativity.

  • What brings you joy?
  • When you come up against something new or something you don’t know how to do the way you want to, what do you do at that point? (Quit, keep trying, research for help/tutorial, etc.)
  • What do you like about creating?
  • What stresses you about your creative practice?
  • Why do you really want to create? (That’s a question that came from Molly Courcelle in episode 17. When we asked her why she created, Molly gave a phenomenal reason on why she was compelled to create.)
  • What is it you really like about creating?
  • Why do you do it/create?
  • What did you love about the creating process as a child? Now, do you still have that in your practice?
  • Do you like structure or are you more unstructured?
  • Do you procrastinate or do you need to reach a daily goal?
  • Do you give up easily or do you stick with something that is uncomfortable?
  • Are there any fears that keep you from creating something you want?
  • Do you have a mindful practice? Do you sit down and are you present at that time, in the moment, with a mindful approach to what you’re doing? Do you truly feel the emotions of what you’re going through when you create? Do you bring in extra sensory things to the experience?

 

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Episode 17: A Chat with with Artists Bee Sieburg and Molly Courcelle

An image of four women on episode with episode title: Episode 17: A chat with artists Bee Sieburg and Molly Courcelle

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here

In this episode, Mama Judy and I had the pleasure of chatting with Bee Sieburg and Molly Courcelle, mother-daughter duo who both happen to be successful professional artists in Asheville, NC.

Bee and Molly each share their own stories of how they came to be the artists they are today. From where they draw from for inspiration in their art, to what it’s like working in adjoining studios in the River Arts District, to an “origin” story that will give you full body goosebumps!

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

Click here to find Bee on Instagram.
Bee’s website.

Click here to find Molly on Instagram.
Molly’s website.

 

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#16: The Perfection Trap: Why Seeking Perfection in Your Art Can Hold You Back

Image of Mama Judy and Jill with title of episode: Episode 16: The Perfection Trap: Why Seeking Perfection in Your Art Can Hold You Back

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here

In this episode, Mama Judy and I (Jill) are diving deep into the challenges of perfectionism in the realm of creativity.

If you’ve struggled with perfectionism, you know it can take serious hold of your creativity and imagination – acting like a brake – stripping away the joy, spontaneity, and natural flow that fuels the artistic spirit.

We talk about the fact that true growth in any art form is a journey, and reaching a point of perceived perfection leaves no room for evolution.

We also touch on the difference between the healthy pursuit of excellence and the stifling weight of setting impossibly high standards, and what that looks like.

And for anyone really struggling with this mental block, Mama Judy and I offer a challenge to you… one we hope will set you free from the constraints of perfectionism.

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

A few of our past episodes mentioned in this episode:

#11: How to Enrich Your Imagination to Fuel Your Creativity
#8: Art Can Heal Part 1 (Where Mama Judy and I share our stories)
#9: Art Can Heal Part 2: An Interview with Val Vaganek
#15: The Power of Commitment in Your Art Practice: Exploring Dedication, Balance, and Freedom

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Episode 15: The Power of Commitment in Your Art Practice: Exploring Dedication, Balance, and Freedom

Image of Mama Judy and Jill with title of episode: Episode 15: The Power of Commitment in your Art Practice: Exploring Dedication, Balance, and Freedom

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Google Podcasts  |  iHeart Radio  |  Amazon Music

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here

Mama Judy read something about commitment to art recently that turned the lightbulb up in a way that gave her a renewed desire to be committed to the entire process of a creative journey, NOT just the easy and fun stuff!

So this week we decided to explore some different angles of the word commitment – different ways that we hope might spark you to look at how you view commitment, in the general sense, and how you view your commitment to your art.

We hope you enjoy today’s chat!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Book: Creativity from the Inside Out by Cathy Wild 

Artists on Instagram mentioned in episode:
Shawn Petite
Katie Holmes 

 

 

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Episode 14: Why do we do art?

An image of Mama Judy and Jill recording the episode with the title of the episode, Why do we create art?

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Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.

This week Mama Judy and I are diving into the age-old question of why humans are drawn to create art.

We discuss how art provides you with a way to express the inner part of your being –  a way that traditional forms of communication can’t express. Mama Judy shares how doing art can physiologically change your body, alleviating anxiety and pain. And we both share how creating art can bring you a sense of joy.

We’d love to hear from you… why do YOU do art? 

We hope you enjoy!

Listen to the episode now! 

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts
Click here to listen on Spotify
Click here to listen on Google Podcasts
Click here to listen on Amazon Music
Click here to listen on iHeart Radio

Watch on our YouTube channel.

Come say hi over on Instagram:
>> Mama Judy Instagram
>>Jill Instagram

Resources mentioned in episode:

Book: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Artists on Instagram mentioned:
Alex Castro Ferreira
Carinne Meyerink Instagram