Artfully Told

In this episode, I welcome Bryant Williams! Bryant hails from Mexico, and shares his stories about encounters with art that changed the trajectory of his life. 

Links to get in touch with Bryant Williams: https://www.facebook.com/BeMovedBryant/ | https://www.facebook.com/kcjazzdance/

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SHOW NOTES:

Episode 002 - Bryant Williams

Lindsey Dinneen: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to Artfully Told, where we share true stories about meaningful encounters with art.

[00:00:06] Krista: [00:00:06] "I think artists help people have different perspectives on every aspect of life."

[00:00:12] Roman: [00:00:12] "All I can do is put my heart in to the world."

[00:00:15] Elizabeth: [00:00:15] "It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It doesn't have to be perfect ever, really. I mean, as long as you, you're enjoying doing it and you're trying your best, that can be good enough."

[00:00:23] Elna: [00:00:23] "Art is something that you can experience with your senses and that you just experience as so beautiful."

[00:00:33] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:00:33] Hello and welcome to another episode of Artfully Told. I am Lindsey, and I am so excited to have one of my very favorite people on the show today, and his name is Bryant Williams, and he actually is hailing from Mexico on a beach. So I'm super jealous, but that's okay.

[00:00:57] But I am so excited. He is an amazing artist. He has had an incredible career as a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher, but that just like barely scratches the surface of who he is, what he contributes to the world through his art. So I will actually let Bryant introduce himself, but thank you so much for being here today. I really appreciate it.

[00:01:23]Bryant Williams: [00:01:23] Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me and thanks for creating this platform for us to come together and talk about art and how it inspires us. I think now more than ever is the time to really figure out the new directions for art.

[00:01:38] I've spent my whole life as a dancer. I started when I was five years old, and I started because I didn't get a job for a commercial that I auditioned for because I wasn't a dancer, and I was so upset that someone said no to me. And so I told Mom she had to put me into dance classes because I needed to get that job at five.

[00:02:01]And I started dance classes and fell in love with it, and dance and art in general have been in my blood, you know, ever since then and even before then. But my career has taken me all over the world. I trained to dance in New York City professionally, Chicago, L.A., Miami, and all over the world, which has been incredible, and really helped me gain inspiration from every corner and every culture, which has been awesome.

[00:02:30]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:02:30] That is awesome. Yeah. Well again, thank you for being here cause I'm super excited to chat with you

[00:02:36] Bryant Williams: [00:02:36] I'm so excited to be here!

[00:02:39] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:02:39] So I know you have a couple of different stories of some encounters with art that were particularly meaningful to you. So I would love, if you don't mind sharing.

[00:02:49]Bryant Williams: [00:02:49] Yeah. I think the first one-- art to me is so personal and spiritual in a way, you know, it's, and they always say, one moment in your life can completely change you, you know. As "Wicked" said best, you know, and far good. You know, there's so many unexpected moments that change you. When I was a young kid, I think I was 13, I was staying up late one night and I was watching a PBS documentary on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

[00:03:19] Now, keep in mind, when I was growing up as a kid, I was a jazz dancer. I was a competition kid, and I loved jazz. Still do. And so I was staying up really late watching this documentary on Alvin Ailey, which some of you may or may not know is the world's largest modern dance company. And they were talking about Mr. Ailey's specific, religious influences and how, his quote, unquote, "blood memories," as he called them, of his time growing up in Texas and the very religious culture that he grew up in had really inspired him to create some of the works that we love and know from him and his company.

[00:03:56] And there was this light bulb that went off in me, while I was up, I think it was like midnight that this was on. But I remember thinking, "Holy cow, like, wait, I can take my faith and I can take my personal life experiences and I can put that into my dance." And that all goes together. I think that as a young kid like that had never really, that had never really, come up for me. I just thought dance was jazz squares and a high kick.

[00:04:24] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:04:24] Everyone loves a good jazz square.

[00:04:25] Bryant Williams: [00:04:25] Right? I had never, I, I had never been so moved by someone being able to say, you can take every little part of yourself, every little piece of what makes you you and put that into dance.  And that's what dance is. That is what people resonate with when they watched dance and that has never left me--that one moment. And I remember going to the library, this was back before, we had like computers at home, and I went to the library, and I started researching Alvin Ailey and it turned out they were coming to the Bay area.

[00:04:57] I'm originally from San Francisco. They were on their national tour and they were coming, and I begged my mom to buy me tickets to go see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. And as true mothers do, she made me clean the garage, and I did it. And we sat, we sat there in the performance and the curtain came up. And I'm getting goosebumps telling you this now-- the curtain came up and there was a woman dressed in white. Her name was Renee Robinson--is Renee Robinson-- and all she did was walk down stage, in this white costume in this white light, and it was to, "Come Sunday" was the song, and I burst into tears and I can't, I cannot even tell you why I did.

[00:05:43] I just had this visceral moment of connection to her and this dance. And that had never happened in my life, especially for, you know a teenager. The piece was called "Grace," choreographed by Ronald K. Brown. And the piece is essentially about-- we are born free from sin and we are born in grace and through life, through the challenges that we have, we are in constant struggle of good and bad, of the choices we make and you know, of, just navigating our life. I think that resonates so much now in this current climate. And at the end of the piece, reprieves comes of "Come Sunday," and the entire company walks upstage into a white light, to really signify that at the end of our lives, we go into grace.

[00:06:32]And the curtain comes down and I look over at my mom and she is a blubbering mess. And I'm a blubbering mess, and it was intermission after that and we sat there during intermission and didn't say a thing. And to me, you know, when you told me that this episode was talking about, you know, art that inspired you, I think that to me was the first time I was ever viscerally moved by a piece of art. And that I'd never understood that dance can tell a story in that way that can connect to you in that way without ever saying anything.

[00:07:11] Um, still to this day, I think about "Grace" and you know, the impact that Ronald K. Brown had on me, in that moment, because it was, it was ever changing, you know, and my mom and I left the performance. They, of course, closed the performance with Alvin Ailey's "Revelations," and we walked out into the lobby and we saw a poster in the lobby saying they were auditioning for the summer program for the school the next day.

[00:07:39]I begged my mom to take me to the audition. and she did, and I was accepted, and I was in New York a couple months later in the summer program, and then never left. That's how I got to New York. For me, like, seeing "Grace" and being touched by this piece of art completely changed my life.

[00:08:01] You know, who knew before me watching that PBS documentary a couple of months earlier, and within six months I was living in New York and dancing in New York, and never left. And my professional career went on from there. You know, I think itself, it's so interesting even now to go watch dance performances.

[00:08:17] And I'm sure you have some too-- moments that you have when a piece of art just moves you so much. You know, whether it makes you cry or whether it makes you laugh. You know, dance is meant to convey that story.

[00:08:29]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:08:29] Yeah. That's beautiful. You were probably already on the path to become a dancer, a professional, but I love how that completely changed your trajectory. Who knew? You know, that's so cool.

[00:08:42] Bryant Williams: [00:08:42] In a moment,  and I think that's one of the coolest things about art in general is, you know, art has that opportunity to truly touch you in a way,  Even songs, like, I'm sure all of us can think of a song that can make you cry, that can make you miss somebody.

[00:08:58] Have you seen the, I dunno if you've seen that, "30 Day Music Challenge" that's going around.

[00:09:02] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:09:02] I haven't...

[00:09:03] Bryant Williams: [00:09:03] And it's on Facebook and every day, like, there's different themes of like songs you can choose. But I saw that and immediately thought of like, Oh my God, even music is so interesting. And when you're really forced to think of, well, what's a song that makes you think of this? Or what's a song that you know, reminds you of that? It's a really interesting concept of how art is impactful, you know, in so many ways.

[00:09:26]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:09:26] Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome.

[00:09:28]Bryant Williams: [00:09:28] There's so much inspiration out there. You know, I think as an artist, you're constantly looking for, the next thing to inspire you. You know, you're constantly aware of your surroundings and what's happening, because this could be that moment, you know, this could be that, that inspiration that you have. I choreographed a piece a couple years ago, and I kept looking for inspiration everywhere, you know, like what? And it was, the theme was I had to theme the piece around-- what's the word I'm looking for?

[00:09:57]A painter and artist, and I, I can't--let's see--now I can't think, but we're just going to keep moving on. I had to find an artist, a theme, a dance around, and I kept going back and forth, and there was one piece in particular--I had the idea of what I wanted to do and it was a crazy idea, but I didn't have the artist.

[00:10:19]And so I kept looking and looking and I found this mirrored room online, and I just love the picture of it. And it is an art installation, and it is a room full of mirrors and all of these circles and orbs. And I just thought it was so cool. And so I thought--keep in mind this dance that I was choreographing had a lot of big balls in it that the dancers were using to manipulate in their dancing.

[00:10:48]And so I was really inspired. I was intrigued by this room, and I started looking up the artist, and it's a Japanese artist, and her name is. Yayoi Kusama. And I could be pronouncing that wrong. I apologize if I am. But  what I thought was cool is she only draws circles and all of her art and these huge installations that she does is all in circles, whether it's a painting, sculpture, these giant installations, like that room of mirrors. It's a really abstract kind of thing, but I thought it was really cool. And so I started looking her up-- and what I think is more interesting, that really resonated with me-- is, since she was a young child, she actually has been experiencing hallucinations.

[00:11:30]And she was in and out of mental hospitals when she was younger, and a lot of people called her crazy. And one of the only things that ever helped and assisted with those hallucinations or those episodes was drawing circles. And that like, really blew my mind in a way because, you know, we all have those coping mechanisms, right? And this artist has found a way to take that coping mechanism that, you know, a way of life for her, and turn it into art. And I think the whole concept of art out of perceived insanity is so interesting and there's so much depth there and it's, there's, there's a lot to go with. I loved it when I originally came up with this concept.

[00:12:14] I was, like, I am crazy for, like, trying to choreograph this dance with these giant piles of--these girls are gonna dance on and I'm going to figure out a way to make it work. And then I just happened to find an artist who society calls crazy and she just happens to find a way to make it work. And so to me, there was such a like, cool--I felt so connected to her because, yeah, it was such a, it was such an interesting dynamic that we shared. But I think it's interesting now, and she still lives in a mental institution, and the only time she leaves there isto go to her studio to paint. She is still creating all of these installations and all of these amazing sculptures and paintings, and I just thought it was so--ever since then, I've been so captivated by her because-- first of all, she is an amazing dresser. She has all these fun, colorful linens and she's kinda kooky. And as artists, we love kooky.

[00:13:09] I think, that was one of those moments where I started with this concept of this idea and just knew that somehow it would come together. And as an artist, I think sometimes we do start with the ending and then figure out a way to make it work. Am I right?

[00:13:25] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:13:25] Yes. Oh yes.

[00:13:27] Bryant Williams: [00:13:27] And I just, I loved it like it how things come together then become an organic part of the process, you know, that it's not so, so structured and contrived in a way.  It's very, it's very organic and how that progression happens. And I loved that, you know, like that there's, again, art inspiration comes from everywhere.

[00:13:48]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:13:48] Absolutely. And so do you, when you choreograph, do you have, like, a kind of a set process that you follow or is it always different depending on what's inspiring you or whether you have, like, parameter--or what's it like for you?

[00:14:06] Bryant Williams: [00:14:06] It's very interesting how I choreograph and a lot of people would not, would not go about it this way. But I'm such an emotional person, which I hate to say, but that's okay... 

[00:14:18] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:14:18] Absolutely

[00:14:19] Bryant Williams: [00:14:19] That I have to--I cannot choreograph something that I'm not 100% invested in. and so for me, a lot of times I will create a concept of what I want. So I understand where we start, where we finish. And the middle to me should be a reflection of the process.  I only choreograph what I plan to do that day, and the reason being is--I could choreograph a whole piece in my home, but then can get in the studio and put it on those dancers,  and that's not what I want. And so there's a lot of ways that, like, I will take different sections of choreography, put them together in the moment, and then I always know that there's a way that they're going to go together. I don't ever know how, but I know that it will get there in the end because if it is a truly organic part of myself, and if I know where I want the story to end up,  then I know every chapter of sorts in between. I might have to move some around, but building that vocabulary of, of sections depending on where I am that day in my life.

[00:15:21] You know, what do I think about the topic? You know, what do I think about this piece today might be different than what it was yesterday. And so, I always say I'm just a half a step ahead of the dancers and I kind of like it that way. I feed off of that energy. And that pushes me. Like if we get to the end of the phrase that I'm tired and we still have more time, like, okay, what else can we do? Like what else can we explore? I love that. I know it sounds crazy, but a lot of people probably-- there's some people that are super prepared with choreography and like have everything written down and blocked and set. I do not cause I feel like it should be, it should be an emotional process, you know? And that is with the dancers as well.

[00:15:57] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:15:57] Yeah, you're right. Yeah. Well, it's fun as a dancer to have that kind of style where you almost get--maybe a little more, kind of, insight into the process of somebody setting a piece on you, which is kind of interesting. And me being such a planner, I mean, I've, I've choreographed in both ways, but there are a lot of times where I'll just come in and like--"Here's, here's the piece," and we'll just, like, knock it out, you know, in a day or something. But,  I love the creativity that can develop when you, when you do something a little more organically, like you were saying--okay, so we ran out of material for today, but maybe let's just experiment for a little while and see what happens. You know, that can create the most magic that way sometimes.

[00:16:43] Bryant Williams: [00:16:43] Absolutely, and a lot of times in the middle of that, like I could create a phrase and then in the middle I would be like, "Oh, well let's add something here. It's missing something here." You know? And I like that process. I also felt as a dancer, I've worked with a lot of choreographers and I, the ones I didn't like as much were the ones that treated me solely as a vessel for their agenda. You know, I also want it to be a part of that, if that makes sense. And so there were some choreographers that I worked with that, you know, didn't care what I thought--or not that they should-- but didn't care about me as a person dancing their work.

[00:17:23] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:17:23] Yeah.

[00:17:24] Bryant Williams: [00:17:24] And I never want my dancers to feel that way.

[00:17:27] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:17:27] Yeah, that's good. You care, no, that's--you care. And it's good because once you have those experiences that you don't-- that you didn't love, we'll just put it that way--then it's, it's helpful cause it helps you grow as, you know, as a creator as well. So that's, that's cool. And I think there is something to that too. And you know, because we're all artists. And in theory, you would hope that the process would be more, you know, collaborative, at least a little bit more because you're an artist just as much as, you know, the choreographer is an artist, and so hopefully it's just a meeting of minds and bodies and creating this, you know, inspirational piece.

[00:18:15] Bryant Williams: [00:18:15] So I have this-- if I can tell you another funny story.

[00:18:18] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:18:18] Oh, please do.

[00:18:19]Bryant Williams: [00:18:19] When I was dancing with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the world's largest jazz company-- when I was dancing for them, we had a new piece set--it was my second year in the company,  and choreographer, Ron De Jesus came in, and set a piece and--I, we were all ready to get up and start dancing, and he took us into his studio and he turned the lights off and he told us to lay down on the floor. And he gave us a piece of paper and a pencil. And I was like, "What the heck are we doing?" And he said, "Okay, put your pencil on the paper, close your eyes." And he said, "Without lifting your pencil off the paper, draw your life story. Draw your lifeline." And keep in mind, I was 18 or 19 when this happened. I had not a lot of life story

[00:19:12] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:19:12] Oh my word!

[00:19:14] Bryant Williams: [00:19:14] And he turned the lights off and he put this really soothing music on and we were there for five minutes and I had no clue what I was doing. So I was just doodling around, just drawing circles. And I just remember I kept thinking, like, I do not get it, but I'm too embarrassed to ask questions so I'm just going to go with it.

[00:19:37] We stop, and we go back upstairs to the main studio and he said, "Okay, now I want you to imagine this studio is that piece of paper. Go to the spot in the studio where you started your lifeline on the paper." And I'm like, "Okay, I can do that." So I go to like the general area and he said, "Okay, I want you to walk your lifeline." And that's when I thought, "Oh no, I completely failed because I'm just going to be walking in random circles!"

[00:20:08] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:20:08] Oh my word.

[00:20:09] Bryant Williams: [00:20:09] And I'm there until other people started moving because I wasn't sure, like, what I was supposed to be doing, and then I just aimlessly started walking around because, again, it was too embarrassed to ask the question. Might as well just keep going. So we did that for about 15 to 20 minutes. I--no lie--like we walked for a long time.

[00:20:28]And, keep in mind who was videotaping this whole thing. This is so odd. Oh, and after that 15, 20 minutes, he said, "Okay, put your papers down. I want you to go back to that same spot in the room that you started your lifeline." And so we all did. And he put on some music and he said, "Okay, now I want you to dance your lifeline." And I was like, "Okay, this is no better."

[00:20:59] And so we started at improving our lifeline, and so this was now step three of the process, and we're doing this for like another 20 minutes. And what was interesting is as I started improv, and at first I was just arbitrarily moving around, like trying to fit in with what everyone else is doing. And then I kept noticing that I kept going back to the same spot in the room.

[00:21:24] You know, and I would go away from it and then I would go back to the same spot in the room. And to me, that really clicked and resonated with me that sometimes in life we keep going back to the same stuff. Maybe we shouldn't. Maybe we should. Maybe it's just part of life. But to me that was comfortable. And the one thing I got out of doing that is, like, I always kept going back to the comfortable, to the same spot, to the same mess. And I was like, I remember thinking, and this is like, what, an hour into this now? And I'm like, "Oh, maybe I did get it! And I just had no idea. And this went on for the whole day. And so we walk in the next day and there's a big whiteboard up and there were like two or three TVs in the room, with VHS tapes in them.

[00:22:10] There were our names on the board and it had a time next to it, like a time code, and he said, "Okay. I want you to go find your name, your time, and then go to one of those TVs. Scroll to that part of the video, learn your phrase, and then you're going to teach it to all of us. So all of us took that day, you know, learning those phrases and really coming up with them.

[00:22:33] And out of those phrases, he took our lifelines and he put them into this piece,  and his--in his voice. And so it was a really interesting process because we created the vocabulary for it, you know, based on our life's experiences.  And it's so funny thinking about it now, cause I've never asked anyone else if they were just as confused as I was.

[00:22:53]I don't know to this day if they really had a clue. But, you know, what I think is amazing about that is, how he could take so much of that,  so much of that that made us us and translate that movement and that vocabulary into his voice, into his piece. Still to this day--the piece was called"Prey." P. R. E. Y. Like preying on something, and it's still one of the pieces that, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago is known for, because it is such a powerful piece. And I remember when we premiered that piece and the end came and the standing ovation was nuts, cause--and we had no idea like what the audience reaction was going to be! What I think is interesting is, you know, most people don't know that, that story behind creating it, but you know, that was a choreographer that definitely worked in a different way, but in a way that still resonates with me. It was a cool piece.

[00:23:51] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:23:51] Yeah, that is really cool. Well, thank you. Oh my goodness. Thank you for sharing all these amazing stories. I just love hearing people talk about, you know, experiences that helped shape them and inspire them. And that's just awesome. So thank you.

[00:24:09]Bryant Williams: [00:24:09] And you know what I'll say is like in this time especially, I just want to encourage people, go out and find an artist in a different medium than you, know, go out and find a painter, or go out and find a singer/songwriter. Like that's been the coolest thing for me is really, going out there and celebrating other people's art. You know, I think especially now, go find an amazing artists and send them a comment and say, you're awesome. You know, keep going.

[00:24:35] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:24:35] Yes, yes.

[00:24:37] Bryant Williams: [00:24:37] We've got the time. I mean now's the time more than ever to go be inspired by new things in art.

[00:24:44] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:24:44] Yeah, you're right. And everyone needs that encouragement. I mean, even if you are a, quote unquote, "accomplished artist," you're still going to have moments of complete insecurity when you're premiering something new or just, yeah. It's so important.  So I have a couple of questions for you, if that's okay. Okay. So how do you personally define art or what is art to you?

[00:25:11] Bryant Williams: [00:25:11] Art to me is inspiration. Art to me is vital. I think that's the best--where art is vital and art is a form of expression meant for the world to share in a mutual experience.

[00:25:26]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:25:26] Yeah, I love that. Okay. What do you think is the most important role of an artist.

[00:25:32]Bryant Williams: [00:25:32] Artists needs to be truly authentic. You know, in this day and age, you know, whether people like that or not, it's--art is subjective--and be authentically you.

[00:25:45] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:25:45] Love it. Okay. And then,  for the last question I have, I'll kind of explain my terms because it might sound a little funny, but, do you personally-- just a personal opinion--feel that art should be inclusive or exclusive? And to give some context to that. So exclusive kind of referring to: an artist creates something, puts it out there, but doesn't necessarily put much of an explanation behind it. It could be something that's not even titled or you're just, you don't have the context of, maybe what inspired the artist or kind of the reasoning behind what they did. Versus inclusive being artist trying to share with you more about either what inspired the piece or why they created it, or basically giving the audience, more context.

[00:26:37]Bryant Williams: [00:26:37] Yes. To all of the above. As an artist, like, there's so many different phases of--oh, art that you go through life. You know, even if you don't classify yourself as an artist, like, there's so many ways each one of us creates in our life. And there are some times that you want to go shout that from the rooftops and tell everybody what it is. And there are some times where you want it to be super internal and it's more of a cathartic experience for you. And I think they can live in the same person. You know, they definitely lived within me, you know, and I think what's so cool about, the artist's opinion in, in sharing something or not sharing something or--decision not opinion--decision to share, is such a personal thing for them.

[00:27:26] And it's something that I think a lot of artists spend time thinking about. Am I willing to open myself up to share this, you know, or is this something that's more of an intimate experience for myself? I've definitely created works that I was so proud of that I was like, it's about "this!" And I want everyone to know. And there are certain works that I've choreographed, based on people in my life based on experiences in my life that maybe I don't wanna share.

[00:27:54] But I think the great thing about artists, there's a universal experience that everyone has when they see it. You know? And that's why I think art is so vital that, I think both are valid in a way. Do I think there should be more of either way? I know this is a horrible answer, but I don't, I don't know: I think that's all up to the artist and I think it's up to-- think people respond either way. The cool thing is that you get different responses, but I think that's kind of cool too.

[00:28:22]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:28:22] Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I asked that question cause I get, a variety of responses and I always just sort of love hearing different perspectives on it because. You know, like art, everyone's opinion on this is subjective, and I think that, you know, it's, it's what you, it's what you make of it and get from it ...

[00:28:39] Bryant Williams: [00:28:39] I think it depends on where you are in your life. Everything is ever changing. I think after, you know, this unique shared experience that we're all in, I'm excited to see what, what comes out of this in the art world. I'm excited to see what people create during this time and, you know, immediately after this time. Like, what an interesting time that we get to live in. And if there's one silver lining, you know, the amount of really personal art that I think is going to be created is mind blowing to me. I mean, I'm excited to see it. I'm excited to see what, what people's experiences were that are different than mine.

[00:29:17]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:29:17] Yes. Yeah. Well, and I think you just struck upon a really good, really good point about art in general is that people's experiences are different. And one of the most wonderful things that art can do is share those differences, in a truly unique and beautiful way that help us to relate to each other  more so than if, you know, we were just talking about it even.

[00:29:40]Bryant Williams: [00:29:40] I agree a hundred percent, you know? And you never know when that's going to happen or what that's going to be. You know? You just have to be open to whatever that is.

[00:29:49]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:29:49] Yeah. Love it. Love it. Well, thank you so much, Bryant. You are awesome. Really appreciate you being here.

[00:29:57] Bryant Williams: [00:29:57] I talk a lot, I'm sorry. I've got a lot to say.

[00:30:00] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:30:00] No, no. Yeah, never apologize. I love it. No, it's wonderful. And so if people want to connect with you, are, do you have, some ongoing things that, that you--or any upcoming projects you want to talk about or share? Any way that we can keep in touch?

[00:30:20]Bryant Williams: [00:30:20] I  teach a really, really important, and I use this word again--vital --dance movement called BeMoved Dance, and this was created by a mentor of mine, Sherry Zunker, who wanted a dance experience for people of all skill levels, but really designed for former dancers  who want to be in class, but our bodies don't want to do eight pirouettes and a battement to a split, which...

[00:30:43] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:30:43] What are you talking about? Don't we always want to?

[00:30:43]Bryant Williams: [00:30:43] I want to; I just wouldn't get up. I would be permanently on the floor.

[00:30:51] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:30:51] Right.

[00:30:53]Bryant Williams: [00:30:53] So BeMoved has really allowed me a space to find peace and joy, and just space to remember the things that we love, you know, being a part of that shared community. So I'm just about to start teaching BeMoved classes online-- which I'm so thankful for the opportunity to continue to share in this community in a new way. And I'll be honest, I'm still getting used to this new way that we're doing it. But, any opportunity we can to share that community, I think is important.

[00:31:25]And especially with the dance movement, like BeMoved that is so vital to keeping that space in our lives for joy and for happiness. And now, they say you can't pour from an empty cup and, you know, finding those things in your life, whether it's BeMove or yoga, or meditation--find the things in your life that fill your cup, to get you through this time and to do all that.

[00:31:47]And you can follow that at @BeMoved Bryant-- are all of my classes for that. Yeah. So that'll be, I, there's a lot that we're working on.

[00:31:57]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:31:57] Awesome. I love it. Well, good. Yeah, and I just have to say, I have taken Bryant's class. I took it regularly back when he was still in Kansas City, and first of all, he's an awesome instructor in general, but the BeMoved experience is really special. And, I kind of came at it at a time where I couldn't take regular technique classes, because they, they just, they hurt my body a lot. I was coming out of some injuries and so BeMoved was my way to get back moving and actually do a class where I wasn't, like, miserable at the end.

[00:32:32] I was completely the opposite. I was just, you know, filled back up with energy and joy, and it's just so much fun. So I would say as a recipient or a student, yeah, these classes are awesome. So, once all the craziness is over and you're not, necessarily having to take everything virtually, definitely try to find a class in your area because it's for everyone, truly, and it is so fun.

[00:32:59] Bryant Williams: [00:32:59] I mean, you leave class and there's just such a, there's such a beautiful sense of energy to it, which is cool. And I hope you all get to experience it wherever you live. BeMovedDance.com has a list of all the classes, all over the country. There's some people, even in Australia that teach teach it, in the UK, in Canada. So there's lot of BeMoved teachers around. Yeah, and until then, take some of mine online.

[00:33:26] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:33:26] Exactly. Exactly. It is fun. Well, again, thank you so much, Bryant, and thank you for your contribution of art to the world, and the fact that you're still contributing and creating and, and, you know, teaching the next generation through the dance intensive and just everything you do.  I'm a firm believer that art--I'm biased--but art makes the world better. And I just really appreciate anyone who's willing to share art with, with the world. So thank you.

[00:33:58] Bryant Williams: [00:33:58] I agree with you 100%, and thank you for what you're doing. And this is an awesome platform for people to continue to inspire and get inspiration and continue moving that forward. You're amazing.

[00:34:10]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:34:10] Aww, you're sweet. All right. Well, thank you, everyone, so much for joining us and definitely get in contact with Bryant through those different avenues that he has, to continue dancing and encourage other people to do so, and we will catch you next time.

[00:34:29] If you have a story to share with us, we would love that so much and I hope your day has been Artfully Told.

[00:34:39]Hey there, Artfully Told listeners, I wanted to share a really amazing resource with you that I think you will find invaluable. This website is called Artist's Edge. The mission of Artist's Edge is to raise the level of business intelligence, life skills, and emotional intelligence for people who are committed to expressing their passions, creativity, and unique genius through their careers, helping them reach higher levels of success with ease. Artist's Edge is the education arm of Debra Russell Coaching, and she is an awesome person who uses all of her business background and skills to really assist artists become who they want to be. She has a bunch of different courses that you can go through as well as personalized coaching. If you are a wannabe artist that wants to turn their passion into a career, or is an already established artist that wants to take their career to the next level, she is the person to talk to you about this, so please follow the link in my comments and show notes, and we will catch you next time.

Intro & Outro Music Credits:

Bad Ideas (distressed) by Kevin MacLeod

In this episode, I welcome my first guest, Ashley Taylor! Ashley hails from New York City, and shares her story about a time when she realized that art has the power to rewrite and redeem narratives.  

Links to get in touch with Ashley Taylor: https://www.facebook.com/ashleytaylorcreative/ | https://ashleytaylordance.wixsite.com/ashleytaylordance

Arteza: Arteza makes art supplies affordable to creators with every budget. Art is about the journey. They provide the tools – you steer the way. Click here and use promo code PB8PROMO for 8% off all purchases!

Artfully Told links: www.facebook.com/artfullytold | [email protected]

Schedule your interview with Artfully Told! https://calendly.com/artfullytold/podcast-interview

SHOW NOTES:

Episode 001 - Ashley Taylor

Lindsey Dinneen: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to Artfully Told, where we share true stories about meaningful encounters with art.

[00:00:06] Krista: [00:00:06] "I think artists help people have different perspectives on every aspect of life."

[00:00:12]Roman: [00:00:12] "All I can do is put my heart in to the world.""

[00:00:15] Elizabeth: [00:00:15] "It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It doesn't have to be perfect ever, really. I mean, as long as you, you're enjoying doing it and you're trying your best, that can be good enough.

[00:00:23] Elna: [00:00:23] "Art is something that you can experience with your senses and that you just experience as so beautiful."

[00:00:31] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:00:31] Hello and welcome to Artfully Told. I am Lindsey and today I'm super delighted that my guest is actually my very own sister. She's coming to us live from New York city, which is super cool, and her name is Ashley Taylor. Ashley, thank you so much for joining us.

[00:00:50] Ashley Taylor: [00:00:50] Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.

[00:00:52] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:00:52] Awesome. Well, could you start by just sharing a little bit about your background and  your art interests.

[00:00:58] Ashley Taylor: [00:00:58] Sure. So as mentioned, I currently live in New York City with my husband and my son and I have been interested in all forms of art for as long as I can remember going back to being a kid and drawing fun in my sketchpad. And I've been dabbling in different forms of art ever since I have been a dancer since I was four years old and continuing to do that on a professional level in different freelance projects right now. And I also am a choreographer and I love writing. That's probably my favorite way to express myself and process things is through writing. So I'm trying to get into that more and working on a few different projects at the moment.  Other than that I enjoy different crafts and, going to art museums and just appreciating art in all of its forms.

[00:01:51] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:01:51] Wonderful. Yes, you are quite the well-rounded artist, I would say. Awesome. And I know you have some stories to share or a little bit about a meaningful encounter with art, so I'd love if you would share a little bit with us.

[00:02:06] Ashley Taylor: [00:02:06] Yeah. So. It's hard to narrow down one meaningful encounter with art because I've had so many. But the one that came to mind first was actually watching a film called "Saving Mr. Banks," which is the story of the making of the "Mary Poppins" movie. And it's kind of about how Walt Disney convinced P.L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins books, to let him make an adaptation of her story. And she resisted for a long time. And when she finally gave in, she was extremely particular about how the story was told on film. And one of the things that she kept harping on was that the character of the father in the story, Mr. Banks, needed to be a kind character with a redemptive arc in his story. And this was extremely important to her. And as we watch the film, we understand that the reason for that is because her own father, while he was a good dad to her and helped develop her imagination, and she loved him and admired him, he was an alcoholic and did not have a happy ending.

[00:03:21]And, he really let the family down because his own demons that he was dealing with. And so we understand that what she did through the Mary Poppins story was tried to redeem her own father in the art that she made. And to me, that concept was just absolutely fascinating and profound because I realized that through the art we make, we choose how we remember someone or how we look at a situation in retrospect that has happened to us. And you know, a lot of us think that stories or art come out of our heads and are just completely fictitious or maybe loosely based on events, but not necessarily a true depiction of what happened-- and that's true. But to me, just the idea that art is a way we can process things that have happened to us in a healthy way and even rewrite the ending to what we wished it had been is such a powerful concept to me. So that really stuck with me, to the ability to just reframe the narrative of life through what we make.

[00:04:32]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:04:32] Oh, I like that. Reframe the narrative. Yeah, that's incredibly powerful. And do you feel like you have had an experience like that, just an experience with something that you've translated into art and then had a different frame? Like you've reframed it yourself?

[00:04:49] Ashley Taylor: [00:04:49] Yeah, I think there are. So I'm going to answer that generally and specifically.  Generally speaking, I am a huge believer that there's always a silver lining of some kind in every situation, and oftentimes it's very difficult to see it and you might not see it until years later when you look back and realize how an experience shaped you for better or for worse, and it's valid.

[00:05:17] If it was for worse, that's still good to know. That's a valuable thing to be able to say. That that was bad and that changed me for the worst. I mean, we need to acknowledge that too. Anyway, so to be able to see the good in a situation, or at least the value in a situation--let me say that.

[00:05:37] So the value in a situation that we go through that's rough, I think, is an incredible gift, and really a vital skill because if we look back on things and only see the negative about them or how hard it was or how unfair it was, we're just going to become bitter and resentful and have a very dark outlook on life.

[00:05:58]And similarly in art, I mean, a lot of people make art that is very realistic perhaps, but it's dark and gritty and there are no happy endings. And, and you know, that is true there. There are aspects of truth in art that is dark and does not have a redemptive arc because not all of real life stories have an obvious good aspect to them.

[00:06:24]However, I do believe that good comes out of every situation. I think that is something that God has the ability to turn any situation around, or to bring learning or some kind of beauty out of it. So all that to say, generally speaking, I always try to have an element of hope in whatever I make.  If it's a dance, even if it's sort of an abstract one or if it's about a tough subject, or if it's a story that I'm writing, I always try to have some element of, okay, where is the light in the darkness? Where's the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak? Or maybe the tunnel doesn't end, but maybe there's something about being in it that shapes us for the better. Right?

[00:07:06]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:07:06] Yeah, I love that.

[00:07:07]Ashley Taylor: [00:07:07] I mean, there are cases where it's valid to make art that does not have a happy ending, but you realize how it changed you. So for example, right now I have this idea which has not come to fruition yet, but this idea about a song that inspired me, which is about a relationship that ended, and I was thinking, "How would I choreograph a dance to this song that had some element of hope or, or truth to it?"

[00:07:31] Not just, look, here's a relationship that ended. Now we're sad. I mean that in real life, we don't need that in art. Right? So I was thinking, what if in this, in this piece, it starts out with the guy is the one who's been abandoned and he's dancing out his disappointment about this.

[00:07:49]And in the end, she realizes what she did and regrets it, but it's too late because he moved on. And now that's not exactly hopeful except in the sense that she has now realized, "You know what? I made a mistake. This was my fault. It's too late with this particular relationship, but maybe in the future I will have learned from this and can change how I am acting as a person, in a future relationship," if that makes sense.

[00:08:17] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:08:17] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:08:19] Ashley Taylor: [00:08:19] Anyway, so that's just, that's just one example of something I was thinking about recently. But to answer your question, your original question for specifically, I'm sorry, I'm going off on a tangent here, but, I had a very intense job for, for several years and with a very complicated employer,  and I generally had a good relationship with this person, but, there were moments that were very dysfunctional. And I heard a lot of stories from other people about even worst encounters they'd had. And so I, I am again, remembering that I can choose how to remember this person. Most people that I know who were also in the same job, have only negative things to say.

[00:09:04]And that is a very valid response to some of the things that happened to them. However, for me, I can never look at the situation only negatively because I did grow and learn so much from, from the job, from my employer, and I feel like the fair thing to do for me to process this out would be to write about the bad things that are true.

[00:09:26]And also the good things that are true and what I got out of this situation, what I got out of my relationship with this person and that I can choose to remember her by, you know, for example, that time in the office when I told her, "I'm not sure if I can do this anymore," and how understanding and just sympathetic, kind, she was with me during that time.

[00:09:47]And that's something that maybe not everybody experienced with her, but I did. And so for me, I would rather remember her by that moment than by something else where it was a bad time for her, or we had a disagreement or something. I would rather say those things happened. I acknowledged they were bad and they were hard. But I can choose instead to, to look back on this person and say, you know, but I do remember that one time she was kind.

[00:10:13]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:10:13] Yeah. and there's a lot of power to that.

[00:10:15]Ashley Taylor: [00:10:15] Yeah, and freedom too. I mean, who wants to go through life constantly remembering only the bad things about your family or, or, you know, and we all have those, but, but in ours, I think it's just an amazing opportunity  to remember the good, and then choose to be changed by that.

[00:10:31] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:10:31] Hm. I like that. And I think it's exactly like what you were talking about where you could probably go crazy, or at least feel pretty depressed if you really chose to only remember the bad. So I think there's a lot of transformative power that you have in writing about this experience. And the other thing that really stood out to me was I liked the fact that you're going to be including both the good and the bad, but you talked about both things being true. And I think it's so important to place a lot of value on honesty. And if you're going to be honest on one side, the bad, then it's almost only fair to also be honest about the good.

[00:11:12] Ashley Taylor: [00:11:12] Right.

[00:11:12]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:11:12] Yeah. That's, that's awesome.

[00:11:15]Ashley Taylor: [00:11:15] Yeah. Cause I think it's easy to, when we were telling our story to somebody else, we're trying, we're all coming into it with a kind of, hoped for outcome. Right? So, if I tell you my story, I'm kind of trying to influence you to think about it the way that I thought about it, right? So I might leave out the parts that don't support my point right.

[00:11:34]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:11:34] Yeah!

[00:11:35] Ashley Taylor: [00:11:35] And I mean, in art, you have to do that, right? You do need to edit down to the representative moments that supports what you're talking about. However, it's also important to remember that no situation is black and white. Almost no situation is black and white. And there's many more layers to human relationships or human situations than what we can see or, Then, oh, this was a good person. This was a bad person like that. That's, that's very shallow-- not, not the way life is. Life is messy. We're all, we're all human. So, to have the chance to explore that in art and try to see the deeper meaning behind it is just a really cool opportunity, I think.

[00:12:19] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:12:19] Yeah. Yeah. I love that. It's great perspective too. Well, thank you. Thank you for sharing that.  I just have a couple questions about art in general, if you don't mind me asking--how do you personally define art or what is art to you?

[00:12:37] Ashley Taylor: [00:12:37] Wow. Okay. What is art? To me, art is way for us to make sense of the world that we live in at its most basic level. I think we can do that a number of different ways. For one thing, sometimes when I think of art, I think of still life painting or landscape painting. That's like a very basic example of art. Or even going back to like the cave paintings, which is little stick animals, right? That's a way of humans who are saying, " Here's what I see. I'm going to try to copy it or represent it."

[00:13:13] And that's a very simple, almost primitive way of trying to make sense of the world of the world that we live in. So we can start there, or we can go all the way to very abstract paintings or dances or music, which sometimes are so abstract that the audience doesn't even understand what the inspiration was, but that is somebody trying to make sense of the world in their own way.

[00:13:37]I'm sure even trying to say, I can't make sense of the world--life is meaningless, so I'm going to make this hard to tell what it means art about it, right, that's still representing something. It's our way of trying to grapple with what we're seeing and experiencing. So that was a long winded answer. I hope that made sense.

[00:13:58] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:13:58] It was great. No, I, I'm putting you on the spot here. That was great. I love that. Okay. What do you think is the most important role of an artist?

[00:14:11]Ashley Taylor: [00:14:11] I wrote about this one time and I'm going to try to summarize what I said. I believe that the role of an artist is to observe. Observe and express. So observation is a very important part of, if you're the landscape painter, you have to spend a lot of time looking at the landscape that you're going to paint. And you have to observe the details in ways that you may not. Ordinarily, if you're just looking at this picture, but trying to put it down on paper, you have to consider all of this at great detail.

[00:14:43] And so a metaphor that I love is -- as an artist drawing or painting or doing something visual like this, you have to always ask, "Where are the shadows in what I'm drawing, where the shadow is falling." And that tells you:  "Where is the light and where's the light coming from to cast these shadows?"

[00:15:05] And so when I expand that into sort of a metaphor for what the artist is doing, I think, I think that's what we are supposed to be doing personally is like, okay, I'm looking at life or I'm looking at the situation. This is like exactly what I said earlier. Where are the shadows? Where are the dark things, the bad things?

[00:15:25]Right. But then if, if these are the shadows, okay, there's gotta be light coming from somewhere because shadows don't exist without light. I mean, if there was no light, you'd be looking at a blank black piece of paper. And we all know life is more than that . Anyway, so all that to say, I think the role of the artist is to say, "Where's the darkness, where are the shadows, where's the light? How do I represent both fairly?" And then let you draw your own conclusions. Like I can infuse my conclusions into what I make. But in the end, art is up for interpretation. It's usually subjective. And so, you may look at my story. And say, well, the darkness is way more important than the light there.

[00:16:13] The shadows, you know, outweigh the light in this. But somebody else might say, wow, look at the way the sun is shining.  So that's what I would say to be a careful observer of the world and to draw out where the good things are as well as the bad.

[00:16:31] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:16:31] I love that. That's awesome. Okay. I have one final question. Okay. So do you think that art--and the words I'm going to use for it are--I'll explain-- but do you think that art should be exclusive or inclusive? So as far as being exclusive, does that look like an artist who produces a piece of work and does not share the intentions behind it. So for example, going to a museum where you see a painting and perhaps it's a little more abstract and it's not clear necessarily what the artist was after.

[00:17:10] Ashley Taylor: [00:17:10] Right.

[00:17:10] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:17:10] Versus an inclusive approach of the artists always including people in their process as far as sharing the reasoning behind it or the inspiration, or how do you feel about all that?

[00:17:24] Ashley Taylor: [00:17:24] That's an interesting question. I would probably tend to fall somewhere in the middle of either extreme. So on the one hand, I think sometimes we can overexplain art. And say, for example, if I'm choreographing a dance, there's usually a reason behind at least some of my choices in how many people did I pick? What were the patterns? What was a gesture that appeared? Usually that has something to do with my theme, but if I sat there and explained all of that to you, it'd be a little overkill and kind of take out some of the fun of, of you, the audience trying to get that for yourself, right? It's like reading a book versus watching a movie.

[00:18:05] When you read a book, you have to use your imagination. I think we can fall into overexplaining. the other hand, if I, here's a great example. It was like when you see an abstract painting and you're like, okay, I don't really get anything out of this. I wonder what the title is. And then it's like untitled number seven.

[00:18:25]So that's going a little too far, right? At least give it a title--even if you won't explain anything else--at least give it a title. Maybe say, " Cloudless Day," or something where I can be like, okay, that's interesting. Now how do I see that in this painting or in this work?

[00:18:41]At least that gives me something to kind of go off of. So I would say if we can fall somewhere in the middle of being inclusive in the sense that we hint at least at what we're trying to say without necessarily spelling the whole thing out, because that takes some of the joy of it for the audience or the viewer.

[00:19:01] Because I think we've all had that moment where the title of a book, for example, suddenly becomes clear what it's talking about while you're reading the book. And it's like, yes, I get it, triumphant moment. And it makes you think about things in a deeper way and appreciate it more. And I wouldn't want to take that away from people.

[00:19:19]

[00:19:19] Lindsey Dinneen: [00:19:19] Yeah.

[00:19:21] Ashley Taylor: [00:19:21] Yeah, yeah.

[00:19:22]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:19:22] Well, thank you so very much for joining me today. That was awesome. I feel very inspired. Thanks so much for sharing with us and for creating art. I mean, I'm an artist and I'm biased, but I also do feel that art is really important for the world, and I just appreciate everyone who contributes, even if they're only contributing for themselves. But I just, I think there's a lot of value in that. So thank you on behalf of the world.

[00:19:55] Ashley Taylor: [00:19:55] No, absolutely. It's great to have an outlet to talk about it in, in this way, because I know there are a lot of likeminded people out there and, it's just nice to be able to discuss our thoughts about why art is important. So thanks for doing this. I appreciate it.

[00:20:13]Lindsey Dinneen: [00:20:13] My pleasure. Well, that is all for today. Thank you so much for joining us and we will catch you next time.

[00:20:24] If you have a story to share with us, we would love that so much and I hope your day has been Artfully Told.

[00:20:34] Hey, Artfully Told listeners, I'm excited to share with you a little bit about one of my very favorite resources for artists. It's a website called Arteza. They have incredible products, but what makes this company really unique is that they have supplies that are affordable to creators with every budget. So whether you're just starting out or dabbling or you, or you do have that budget available to you, they do have options for every budget level. They provide the tools, but you steer the way. Literally you can access hundreds of thousands of high quality unique products through their website, and right now they are offering a promo code to receive 8% off of any purchase and you can access the link and the promo code in my comments and show notes.

Intro & Outro Music Credits:

Bad Ideas (distressed) by Kevin MacLeod

In this episode, I introduce the podcast, letting you know its mission, format, frequency, and a little about me! 

Links referenced: www.facebook.com/artfullytold | [email protected] 

Schedule your interview with me! https://calendly.com/artfullytold/podcast-interview

SHOW NOTES:

Episode 000 - Introduction to Artfully Told

Lindsey Dinneen: Hello and welcome to Artfully Told, where we share true stories about meaningful encounters with art.

[00:00:06] Krista: "I think artists help people have different perspectives on every aspect of life."

[00:00:12] Roman: "All I can do is put my heart into the world."

[00:00:15] Elizabeth: "It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It doesn't have to be perfect ever, really. I mean, as long as you, you're enjoying doing it and you're trying your best, that can be good enough."

[00:00:23] Elna: "Art is something that you can experience with your senses and that you just experience as so beautiful. "

[00:00:32] Lindsey Dinneen: Hello and welcome to the very first episode of Artfully Told. I am so excited about this launch, and so thrilled that you are here with me.

[00:00:43] Thank you so much for joining. My name is Lindsey Dinneen and I am excited to share these stories with you. We have brought together so many different people, artists of all kinds, creatives of all kinds to just share their stories about their inspiration or what prompted them to start in the first place, or funny things that happened along the way-- just sharing life together. And I think it's absolutely incredible, and I am so excited to share with you the mission statement that we have. And so at Artfully Told, we know that art is a vital aspect of everyone's lives. Everyone has a story about how art has impacted them, whether they are professional artists, amateur dabblers, or simply anyone who has seen a movie, read a book or attended a live performance. Whether inspiring or humorous, sad or sweet, these stories have the power to connect us and to transform the way we think about and experience art. We strive to make our podcast accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds and involvement with art. Together, we can create a community of people who value art in all of its forms and enjoy having their days be Artfully Told.

[00:02:04] And on that note, if you have a story to share, I would love to hear it. So I do have a whole wonderful set of episodes ready and waiting to launch for you. But in the meantime, I'm still recording and I will be recording, recording, recording as we go along. So if you have a story to share or you know somebody who has a story to share it and you think, "Hey, that person should definitely tell their story," please feel free to connect them to me. I will be posting all the different ways that you can connect with the community of Artfully Told listeners and with me personally in the comments and show notes. But for right now, always know that Facebook is a great option to connect. It's facebook.com/artfullytold. Or you can always email me at [email protected] and that's E L E V A T E [email protected].

[00:03:10] I'd also love and welcome your feedback, so if there's something that particularly stands out to you that either good or bad or indifferent, please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know. I value having your feedback. I value knowing what connects with you, what doesn't connect with you, even ways that we can improve and make this better. Because ultimately this is for you as a listener, and I want it to be the best experience that it can be for you.

[00:03:40] So just so you know, as far as our frequency and format is going this is an interview based podcast.  And so every single time, you'll hear me chatting with somebody who is either an artist or a non-artist--it doesn't matter, but who has a story to share about art. So you'll always hear some stories from them directly, but then you'll also have a chance to hear them answer some questions about art. I ask the same three questions every single time to all of my guests, and it's really interesting because they have such dynamic answers to what I'm asking, and it's subjective, just like art is, and so it's cool to hear how different perspectives are.

[00:04:26] So in the future, we'll have an episode every week, maybe eventually more than one per week. But to start, we'll be releasing new episodes every Monday. And to start at this point as you might have already noticed, we have this episode, this intro episode, and then we also have two more. So you can kind of get an idea of what the podcast is all about, and feel free to subscribe. Please do subscribe, and if it inspires you, please share with a friend or two. That would be absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to see you in this community. Like   the Facebook page, and we'll start gathering this community together, because I think there's a lot of us who really do care about sharing art and sharing our stories about art. And I just can't wait to interact with all of you.

[00:05:18] So like I said before, my name's Lindsey. I am an artist;  I grew up dancing. My mom introduced me to ballet when I was very young by watching "The Nutcracker," and I fell in love with it for the costumes, naturally. I was enrolled in a summer camp shortly thereafter, and I basically never stopped dancing. I went to college and earned my degree in dance, and then right after that started dancing professionally, and four years into that professional career, I decided to launch my own company.  That is VidaDance, and I am the artistic director of that company.  We perform all over the Kansas City area and have traveled to St. Louis to perform as well.

[00:06:02] And then just some fun things I do on the side--every once in a while I play piano, although,it's been awhile and I'm not that good. And then I also liked to sing, but don't have any formal training in it. But I do enjoy expressing myself through singing. I also write, and I cook, and I've recently been dabbling in painting, which has been a lot of fun. Never thought it was something I could do. And I'm not sure it is still, but I absolutely love it, and so I do spend some time doing that every once in a while.

[00:06:37] And this podcast is really my passion project. I am so excited about it because I know that it's going to sound cliche, but I truly believe that art is for everyone and that art should be accessible to everyone. And I never want somebody to walk away from a situation and think, "I did not get that. At all. Why are we even here at this art museum?" Or, "I don't understand this show." As much as I possibly can, my goal with this podcast is to demystify art, right? To connect us together with stories that help us maybe understand where the artist is coming from or what inspired them or. Maybe it's just to help us realize that we're all humans and what seems glamorous to one person is actually a lot of work to that other person, you know?

[00:07:30] And just to be able to share life together in that way, and help us realize and recognize the value and the impact and the joy that arts can bring and do bring to so many lives. And, really, it doesn't matter whether or not you feel that you're an artist per se, or you would take on that title-- you are creative inherently, and you are also somebody who consumes art, whether you really feel like you do or not.

[00:08:00] I mean, like I mentioned earlier in the mission statement, reading a book, watching a movie, if you've done any of those things. You're participating in art. And that's kind of my whole point, is to try to make sure that all of us realize and recognize not only the value of art, but how it can change us, how it can move us, how it can elevate us, right?

[00:08:22] And I just am very passionate about this and so excited to share these stories with you. So, I don't want to take up any more of your time cause I'd really love for you to dive into some of the episodes and just enjoy this podcast. So again, feel free to reach out to me anytime you with you have questions. If you have a story to share, if you have feedback, I would love, love to hear from you. And until that time, I hope your days will be Artfully Told.

Intro & Outro Music Credits:

Bad Ideas (distressed) by Kevin MacLeod