Being creative during times of stress, whether it’s a personal crisis or a global pandemic, is akin to running in hot humid weather. You can do it, but it requires so much more effort than it does on a clear, dry day. What normally might feel easy or enjoyable feels slow and sluggish. This week’s episode is all about being creative in stressful times. From a little science about creativity and stress to suggestions for getting your mojo back, this podcast episode is for anyone who has struggled with creative flow.

Episode 4: Being Creative in Stressful Times

The Lisa Congdon Sessions is a podcast for creative folks about living and working with more intention, curiosity, and joy. Most interesting to Lisa is what happens at the intersection between life as an artist and life as a human, with all our baggage, aspirations, hopes and dreams. From big questions to practical ones about business, social media, time management, and finding your way through the winding creative path- each episode Lisa will share stories, tips, insights, and conversations from the heart.

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Visual Arts

Episode finale! Yep, I'm quitting podcasting after two truly wonderful years. I’ve been on a systematic mission to examine and quit everything in my life/work that feels finished or too time consuming or draining or one-sided or obligatory or without purpose or joy. I have not felt as happy, “balanced” (if such a thing exists) and such a sense of spaciousness in nearly 20 years. I’ve begun to think of this as “loud quitting” — intentional, communicated, assertive (as opposed to passive), and unapologetic. So, to be clear, this not necessarily the opposite of “quiet quitting,” which is about not going above and beyond in the workplace (which I also support) — just simply my way of overtly claiming and taking control over my time in a way I haven’t in my entire life. In this episode I talk about all of this and more. If you are someone who feels overwhelmed, I hope you find it helpful. And thank you to everyone who has listened to my podcast over the past two years! I appreciate you! -Lisa

Episode 41: Podcast Finale on Loud Quitting

Timothy Goodman is a designer, illustrator, muralist and author. His art and words have covered walls, buildings, packaging, shoes, clothing, books, magazine covers and galleries all over the world. Tim’s most recent book, a graphic memoir titled I Always Think It’s Forever, is a love story in two parts, and really, in the end, is more about learning to love yourself and your own journey of healing than it is a love story for another person. His memoir reflects all the things he is known for – humor, humility, and, ultimately, real vulnerability. This episode is a conversation about vulnerability, and what Tim’s own journey into the vulnerability vortex has looked like – not only as a cis gender man raised on toxic masuculinity, but also as someone who has a large following and is an artist in the public eye.

Episode 40: A Conversation with Timothy Goodman on Vulnerability

In this episode  friendship teacher and thought leader, Kat Vellos, and I talk the side of friendship that we don’t talk about enough: setting and maintaining boundaries, having hard conversations and even ending friendships. Kat Vellos is the author of The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships and leads conversations about friendship for businesses and organizations.

Episode 39: A Conversation with Kat Vellos on Cultivating Boundaries and Honesty in Friendships

This week’s conversation is with pro bike racer and graphic designer, Sarah Sturm. Sarah is one of my favorite people and this is her second appearance on The Lisa Congdon Sessions. Sarah has forged her own way in her profession as a bike racer by making her own rules and allowing her creativity and divergent brain to lead the way over a strict training regimen or constantly looking at data. We talk about doing hard things and staying connected to fun – what that looks like, why it’s important for Sarah, and how that has changed her relationship to sport.

Episode 38: A Conversation with Sarah Sturm on Doing Hard Things and Staying Connected to the Fun

Ruth Chan is an acclaimed children’s book illustrator and  author and, more recently,  she has become known for her comics for adults which she shares regularly on her Instagram feed. Ruth’s first graphic memoir will be released next year – and her personal work (which takes shape mostly in her comics and upcoming graphic memoir) perfectly mix deep vulnerability and humor. Our conversation revolves around our mutual love for story telling – and how story telling can heal, educate and connect us to others.

Episode 4: Being Creative in Stressful Times

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