Art Horse

From cat drawings to sock knitting to pottery, Britta makes art just for herself - not for a job, not for social media, and not to show off to friends and family. This episode is about a life-long creative practice of making art in the cracks of daily life, what you make when nobody is watching, and using art classes to give you a boost of inspiration and play.

We mention:

• Nobody wants your shit by Messie Condo
• The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
• The Wise Fool Handbook

In this walking episode:

• A shining moment of full creative expression
• Baking and cooking as a life preserver for sanity
• A surprising mindset shift: away from wishing I was somewhere else and towards making the most of this thing

I mention

• Hidden Brain podcast episodes: Designing a Life that Matters and Radical Acceptance (thanks Morgan!)
• How to Live a Meaningful Life by Dave Evans and Bill Burnett
• Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
• Cookies I Have Loved by Julie Van Rosendaal

The eternal question! Lots of letting go in this episode: the dance, the studio, the piano, some nasty shredded dog toys, and "wanting".

• Prioritizing family while they still have the health to make memories (oof)
• The missing piece of my creative practice (ideas! and how to find them)
• Out: selling tickets and trying to give others what I want. In: giving it to myself instead.

I mention:

• Nobody Wants your Shit by Messie Condo
• Die with Zero by Bill Perkins
• Cake Picnic: https://www.cakepicnictour.com/

In this episode we explore how everything going wrong (SO FUN) might be taking you exactly where you need to go: 

• I throw a party and no one comes, again
• An absolute gauntlet of unreasonable requests
• What if you don’t have to fix your hump (or anything) before you can have what you want?

I say it in my head and I'm finally saying it out loud 🤣. Although, I looked it up and it said "a merciless, destructive, and unstoppable force" which... I could probably get behind 🤣

In this episode:

• Sending a gallery-showdown-concluding email
• Facing the fear of raising the price for Dancing in the Dark
• Submitting tickets to my own complaint department
• Trying to do more of what's important without getting distracted by how it feels 😅

The book:

• Unbound: A Woman's Guide to Power, by Kasia Urbaniak

In this episode

• A gallery showdown and corresponding revelations
• A Very Important Conversation with Teresa
• Learnings from recent events: public band practice, fiddle jam, and a first-ever pop-up choir
• A Dancing in the Dark reckoning

Wait, I can do whatever I want at the studio! Including record episodes. Which is good because if I'm not at the studio I'm not alone and can't record lol

• What if you invest in FUN (instead of blowing $1000 on stage lights)
• An illuminating lesson on fiddle and designing for community
• A previously unknown artist career path - but the catch is you have to dabble and explore everything your heart desires

I mention:

• Ookpik Waltz (the Frankie Rodgers version)
• Telepathy Tapes Season 2 Episode 3

Just trying to document this as it's happening: I'm slowly finding a way around some fears that have been holding me back for a long time.

• I have been blocking the flow of creativity with fear - 'they'll never put my event on the marquee', 'I'll offend the dance teacher by negotiating me not putting on this event for free'
• I didn't realize how much this was limiting my opportunities - the ones that come in naturally and the ones I make for myself
• Each time I send a hard email or put on a successful event it's more data about what's possible and what I'm capable of
• ChatGPT is propelling me forward by helping me communicate my ideas and managing the tension of making tricky requests
• And also just clenching my butt a little bit less about everything is also helping

I mention

• William Whitecloud
• Telepathy Tapes: Season 2, Episode 3.

A walking episode from an imperfect member of the human group.

• Never say never: a polka do-over
• Dress, saved by the belt
• "T he worst thing that could happen would be that I waste my life thinking about it, but never actually take a bite out of it because it feels like too much work" yikes
• How to survive when someone breaks up with your creative project (no, I'm asking)

I mention:

• Patsy Blouse by Charm Patterns: https://charmpatterns.com/shop/patsy-blouse/
• Art & Fear by Ted Orland and David Bayles

An update: calling dances, forming a band, and accumulating dings from the universe. I mention the book Art & Fear by David Bayles