Tessa Hulls is an artist/writer/adventurer whose work spans a multitude of genres and whose travels have taken her across all 7 continents, much of it on bike. She is the daughter of two first generation immigrants and is currently working on a graphic novel about her grandmother titled "Feeding Ghosts".

Tessa describes herself as a compulsive genre hopper who has worked in some capacity as an illustrator, cartoonist, editor, interviewer, writer, performer, chef, muralist, conductor of social experiments, painter, teacher, and researcher. She is fascinated by the concept of home. Outside of working on her graphic novel, Tessa is also focused on public speaking about little known women at the turn of the century and social activism.

In today's episode, we talk about Tessa's current project and its origin, we talk about Calvin and Hobbes and being either totally engaged in or out of work, and we talk about the feelings that come with home and solitude.

Quote

I'm completely convinced that serendipity is a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it… I just like to sling myself out in the universe and see what happens.

– Tessa Hulls

Notes

history and start into genre hopping

Feeding Ghosts and origin of Tessa's current project

reading habits

Calvin and Hobbes

a day in the life

combining work and hobbies while avoiding burnout

cooking professionally

lifestyle and trade-offs

concept of home

solitude and what it means

artists residency

coddiewompe: "to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination"

feminism and activism

getting to know America by biking across it

Closing

inspiration

overwhelming canon of women in the 20th century doing things that they shouldn't have been able to do

surprising fact

professional cook and how it started with rugby, whisky and pie

principles

piece by Jim Dodge: "They can do whatever you cannot stop them from doing. You can do whatever you can pull off and still live with yourself"

closing notes:

lookout for Guided by Ghosts, Tessa's upcoming project to be exhibited in Santa Cruz, which weaves together her current family history with the Chinese history of Santa Cruz

Links

Feeding Ghosts

Rage Becomes Her

2019 PEN Northwest Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency

Tessa's Piece on Bike Travel and Feminism

Coddiewomple

Tessa's Talks

This Is Home Project

Couchsurfing

Jim Dodge

Guided by Ghosts

Contact

Home Page

Instagram

Mailing List

Feeding Ghosts Notebook