Welcome to the Creatively Complicated podcast, where we dive into the messiness of our creativity. Summer and Stephanie are two Americans living abroad in two different countries: Germany and China. We met via podcasting so it made sense for us to start a podcast to talk through our creative ponderings. This podcast is NOT an advice podcast: it is more of a process through the deep, murky waters of our own creative struggles and guilty successes. 

 In this episode Summer and Steph are both on European soil. Summer is at home in Nuremberg, Germany and Steph is traveling in Lake Como, Italy. This travel sparks off a discussion about how when we travel a significant distance AND to a different enough culture, our brains can disconnect and let go. This release can (at least for these two expats) create space for creativity to flow through us and even create a brain frenzy of ideas. 

 Creative terminology/ideas to emerge from this episode:

-”visa job”: the job that you keep to have paperwork to live legally in a host country BUT is not necessarily something you’re passionate in

-”brain frenzy”: energy that is a mix of excitement, anticipation and relief when you step away from your daily life. Your body relaxes so your brain goes crazy with fun ideas.

-”podconfidence” ; owning our podcast selves instead of saying “I am just ….”

Example: I am just doing a podcast about creativity.

And finally, a request from these two expats:

When someone you know leaves to go live abroad, instead of saying:

”wherever you go, there you are”

please say

“I will miss you”.

It’s way more supportive.

Thanks.

-Summer and Steph

 LINKS

-Summer’s new mic: Samson Q2U

-Shiny new object syndrome: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/288370

-Lake Como: https://www.lakecomo.is/

Lake Garda : https://www.ytravelblog.com/things-to-do-at-lake-garda-italy/

 -”Parsley and Coriander” by Antonella Moretti

-Summer’s interview with Zack on the Expat Chit Chat Podcast

-Summer’s interview with Ni

www.stephfuccio.com

Producer, Host, Editor: Stephanie Fuccio: https://www.stephfuccio.com/contact.html

questions for audio creatives newsletter: https://stephfuccio.ghost.io/

Geopats YouTube channel: under construction

This podcast was created with (affiliate links):

• Streamyard for recording, going live, and distributing FULL videos to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube: https://streamyard.com?pal=5673660346007552
• Buzzsprout for podcast hosting: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1907332
• Acon Digital's DeVerberate to reduce echo: https://a.paddle.com/v2/click/11427/147398?link=3691
• Tube Buddy to optimize YouTube: https://www.tubebuddy.com/globalpodcasteditors

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In this episode I am pleased to welcome Yunus Emre Karasakal, a Turkish expat in Shanghai, China. Yunus is a Brazilian JiuJitsu (BJJ) Instructor here in Shanghai as well as an Abu Dhabi World Pro Masters Champion (Brown Belt) and an IBJJF Asian Open Champion (Brown and Black Belt). Yes, for the language geeks, he gives BJJ instruction in English and Chinese and yes, we chatted about him coming on the Changing Scripts show soon, don’t worry. Yunus is the first expat I’ve talked to that spends more time on his host country’s social media platforms than the ones he used before moving abroad. The platform he uses the most is the very popular Chinese video app, Douyin, which has an outside of China app spin off called Tiktok. He brings BJJ to a funny level on this current platform. If you don’t have Douyin, don’t worry, you can still see some of his videos on Instagram.  

Original publication date: September 13, 2019

More: https://linktr.ee/stephfuccio

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In this podcast episode, I chat with Ting, a Third Culture Adult who is currently interviewing fellow TCKs and TCAs about their experiences. I first heard about her project when I went to a TCK event in Shanghai earlier this year. During this event Ting shared her experiences living in China, Singapore, the U.S. and Hong Kong- all before she graduated from college. She had, as many geopats do, a complex mix of conflicting emotions and experiences connected to this multicultural identity. More on her story in a moment.

Original publication date: August 16, 2019

More: https://linktr.ee/stephfuccio

Norm's podcast, Podlovers Asia, is in English and thus gives us a view of the Asian podcasting scene and all of the many cultures that it includes, with zero linguistic effort. In this episode we start with the Asian podcasting scene and then move into his local scene in Malaysia and wrap up with his own podcasting experience and, of course, his tips for new Podcasters wanting to enter the Asian Podcasting scene. 

Norm's info:

• Twitter, https://twitter.com/NormanChella
• LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanchella/
• Quora, https://www.quora.com/profile/Norman-T-Chella 
• Pod Lovers Asia Website, podloversasia.com , now hosted on Whooshkaa,  https://www.whooshkaa.com/​
• Tempered Fables Podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tempered-fables/id1400476035

Links: 

• Waves (Vietnam) https://waves8.com/
• Renegade Radio (Malaysia) https://vulcanpost.com/688328/renegade-radio-podcast-network-malaysia/
• The Creative Curry Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-creative-curry-podcast/id1479066033
• Macha Men Podcast, https://themachamen.podbean.com/
• Asia Podcast Summit, https://asiapodcastsummit.com/

​Breaks: 

• (16:10) Bangkok Podcast, https://www.bangkokpodcast.com/
• (16:40) Writer & Geek Podcast, https://www.writerandgeek.com/
• #PodRevDay, https://www.stephfuccio.com/podrevday-podcast-review-day.html and Podcasters Accountability Groups, https://www.stephfuccio.com/podcast-events--groups.html
• #PodRevD

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738

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In this podcast episode we chat with Brendan Davis, an American expat who has lived in China for many years. Brendan is a Film and TV Writer, Producer, Director and fellow Podcaster. His podcasts are: If I Knew You Better, Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom and How China Works. Brendan somehow has kept grounded as has been involved with some pretty spectacular creative projects globally. Okay, to be honest, he is a bit crazy, good crazy, as his website, https://www.crazyinagoodway.com admits to. The kind of crazy that you want in your life and in your earbuds. 

 In this conversation Steph and Brendan chat about how his move to China changed what he did online, how he is splitting his time now that he has decided not to work IN China but will continue to keep a home base (and an Internet connection) here, and how he cultivated his crazy in a good way online persona while being a deep, thought provoking and may I say, wonderful human being.

Original publication date: June 21, 2019

More: https://linktr.ee/stephfuccio

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In this podcast episode we chat with Kelly Merks, a Texas expat who has lived abroad since 2011, in Japan and in the Netherlands. Her Twitter bio tells is: “A Texan full of fernweh (NOTE: “fernweh is a German word that means “ A Farsickness or Longing for Unseen Places.). Noob knitter and clay thrower. Fairy godmother of @WeAreXpats, a project of @xpatarchive: http://wearexpats.org “

​​@WeAreXpats is how Kelly and I first met online and connected over discussions of place, social medianess and expat life. For those of you not familiar with rocur accounts, they are rotating accounts where usually 1 person in that category (in this case, an expat) tweets for a week and then the account will rotate to another person after that. Kelly started this rocur account while she was a volunteer at the Expatriate Archive Center in The Hauge where she now is their Public Relations Manager. Outside of the EAC, Kelly also is raising a tiny human with her husband and somehow finds time to write about her geographic pondering in her blog, Bullet Trains & Bike Lanes.

Original publication date: May 14, 2019

More: https://linktr.ee/stephfuccio

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In this podcast episode we chat with China-United States Binational Documentarian Hao Wu about how his movement between these two countries has affected what he has done online, both in personal and professional capacities. Hao grew up in China and has had healthy movement from China to the U.S. and back in his adult life. Although he is currently based in New York City, he admits that he is most interested in stories about China.

​One of these China focused projects, People’s Republic of Desire, is about the Chinese live streaming platform YY and specifically about two popular Hosts on the platform. This documentary was screened in Shanghai, where I am currently living, earlier this year. Shannon Martin of Podbean and our local Host of the Podcast Brunch Club was there as well. In fact, during the screening and for days after the event, Shannon and I exchanged ideas, questions and ponderings about the documentary. We are very grateful that Hao was kind enough to agree to an interview so we could ask him about when the Internet became an integral part of his daily life, how creating a documentary about the trials and tribulations of live streaming for years affected his own online activities and the how his online tasks change, even now, when he flies from the U.S. to China and vice versa.   

Note: Hao’s latest project, All In My Family, about his alternative family journey from within a traditional Chinese family structure, is on Netflix May 3rd, 2019.

Original publication date: April 20, 2019

More: https://linktr.ee/stephfuccio

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In this podcast episode we chat with long term China Expat Andy Curtain about his geographical movement from Melbourne, Australia to Shanghai, China and what effect it had on his online activities/presence. Even though he was online quite early in Australia with IRC and ICQ, he admits that most of his current online activities have been utility based, focusing on his stand up comedy promotions and community building. 

​As a fellow Content Creator (and Influencer, lol), I find it very interesting that the making of his podcast, Stuck in the Middle, helps him process his own comedic material. There is so much to say about Andy, the deep impression he has made on the stand up comedy scene in China and his own business savvy that has impacted how I think of my own creative endeavors on and offline in the short time since this interview took place. But for now I will just say thank you Andy for coming on the show and sharing your story.  

Original publication date: April 9, 2019

More: https://linktr.ee/stephfuccio

Bianca is a Carnivore, biohacker and Nutritional therapist with a love of travel, cats, working out and playing sports, cooking at home, drinking coffee, spending time with her niece and nephews and discussing health and well being with anyone and everyone who is willing and able.

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738

In this podcasting episode we chat with Heather Jonasson, a Texan who made the long journey to Sweden many years ago, about her podcast, Life In The Land Of The Ice And Snow. In this lighthearted podcast Heather and one of her Co-Hosts (Monica or Diego) join her to chat with other expats from around the world about the quirks, challenges and advantages of living in Sweden. In this episode we talk about her podcasting set up, the benefits of interviewing guests in person and of course, the essential why in starting her podcast.  

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738