Welcome to Podcast 8 and the reward step of the Hero’s Journey. Nick Cain and Lauren Bailey sit down with the incredible Esther Anatolitis; a journalist, writer, arts advocate and civic leader. Co-chair of the Australian Republic Movement, founder of Test Pattern, and editor for literary cultural magazine, Meanjin, and author of "When Australia Became a Republic" (Monash University Publishing), she's a powerhouse in the arts industry. 

In this episode we explore how art is inherently political, the rewarding process of championing artists, and why a flourishing arts scene requires both strong voices and stable policy. We also dive into a range of practical tips and creative tools — from freehand writing and mind-mapping, to Esther’s own epic “Indexing System” that turns fragments of ideas into finished work.

In This Episode We Cover:

- The Common Thread in Esther’s Journey

- Art, Politics, and Advocacy

- Navigating Public Advocacy and Social Media

- Challenges in the Australian Arts Scene

- The Decline of Investigative Journalism

- Esther’s Book: When Australia Became a Republic

- The Artist's Process: Choosing Topics and Indexing

- Daily Writing Practices and Techniques

- Conundrum: Artistic Integrity vs. Wider Reach

Listen to our full interview with Throwback guest Budi Miller in TAOS Ch02.Podcast02

Connect with Esther on IG @estheranatolitis

This episode was edited by Nick Cain & Lauren Bailey, our interview with Esther Anatolitis was filmed and recorded by Simon at Visual Culture @visualculture10 and the chats between Nick and Lauren at Wisecast Studio, Sydney, with theme music crafted by Jared McFarlin, inspired by the sounds of Anita Quayle from Chapter 2 of the podcast. A big thank you to throwback guest and good friend of TAOS, Budi Miller, from Ch02.Podcast4, and of course to Esther for her wisdom, tenacity and thoughts on finding rewards in creativity

In TAOS Chapter 3, Nick & Lauren connect to a bunch of great artists at different phases of their artistic journey, and unpacking some wisdom and tangible tools during each episode, ultimately inspiring us all to tell better stories. 

Each episode features interviews with diverse creatives, throwback to wisdom from previous guests, a conundrum about the industry or the pursuit of storytelling, reflections on the creative journey and inspiration. Guests include: Dr.Simon Longstaff, Andrea Denholm, Matt Zeremes, Guy Edmonds, Madeleine Dyer and more.

Connect with us on IG:

• @actstorytelling 
• @laurenbaileycreative 
• @nickcainofficial 

This podcast was recorded across the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. We wish to pay our respects to Elders past and present. For over 60,000 years this land has been a place of storytelling, learning and community and we are privileged to continue that tradition.

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