Field of Streams

You are the newly crowned King or Queen of your creative realm. It is ordered by royal decree (which I will now read to you so that you are familiar with your Royal Creative Duties.)

"Cash, stamps and flags: how royal symbols will change"- The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/08/queen-death-cash-stamps-flags

Here is a link to a video about my Grandma. A eulogy of sorts.
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-grandma/

This is an audio reading of the post "The Royal You", originally published on September 12, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/royal/

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About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Can AI make art? Can ChatGPT be a poet? Time for me to tackle this question, since my livelihood as a writer and copywriter is already being affected by it.

Watch me in this Behind the Scenes video talking about protest art, propaganda, and asking the question: what is dangerous art anyway?
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-artificial/

This is an audio reading of the post "Is there Art in Artificial", originally published on July 24, 2024. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/is-there-art-in-artificial/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Inspired by a lyric in a Gorillaz song, today's episode is all about finding your North, your meaning, your purpose in life. Try all the other directions, sure, but your true North - that's the direction to keep reseting your compass for.

"Glitter Freeze" by Gorillaz feat Mark E. Smith
https://open.spotify.com/track/4EJFCpthcrP6oOUUXQZ22Z?si=128b9e860c324034

This is an audio reading of the post "All signs point to North", originally published on September 5, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/north/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Are you overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness? Feeling like everything is spiraling out of control around you? Art can help. And all you need is a pencil. As legend and artist, Laurie Anderson says, "Very dangerous art can be made with a pencil."

"No Place for Self Pity, No Room for Fear" by Toni Morrison
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/no-place-self-pity-no-room-fear/

Watch me in this Behind the Scenes video talking about protest art, propaganda, and asking the question: what is dangerous art anyway?
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-dangerous/

This is an audio reading of the post "The one about dangerous pencils", originally published on November 8, 2024. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/the-one-about-dangerous-pencils/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Do you have a habit of hanging onto bad memories? Bad conversations, bitterness, the pain of relationships – are you an emotional hoarder of them all? This is an episode about letting go. Remove this stuff—all the expired goods—from your life pantry! 

This is an audio reading of the post “Is it time to purge your life pantry?” originally published on August 29, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/pantry/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

After several failed attempts at writing a book, I'm taking another crack. To give myself a pep talk, I consulted writers and scoured the internet for advice on the first draft and have concluded that to get through the first draft, you just have to keep PULLING THE PLOW. Don't stop and look back at the field until the field is done.

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." - E.L. Doctorow

 Agree? Disagree? How you approach a first  draft?

Watch the Behind the Scenes video about first drafts, with Stephen King, Anne Lamott and more, here:
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-draft/

This is an audio reading of the post "...and the draft horse you rode in on", originally published on June 26, 2024. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/and-the-draft-horse-you-rode-in-on/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Wouldn't it be great if you could order courage from a catalog? Not just bravery, but a whole Life Package that equipped you with all the tools you need - bravery, judgement, curiosity, etc. - to be an artist? And what if you bought that package and it didn't work? Here is an imagined conversation between a customer and the company that sells the Life Package goods.

This is an audio reading of the post "Can bravery be bought?", originally published on August 22, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/brave/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Part riff on a Shakespearian soliloquy (hat tip, Hamlet Act 3) and part riff on finding out that bees can count, here is the text from an imagined letter by a drone bee to his Queen requesting reassignment of duties. 

Video from Ze Frank. "True Facts: Bees That Play With Balls And Do Math!" 
https://youtu.be/M6hGjh9SJ_M?si=mtoWVhrEQ6uE4cgI

Watch the Behind the Scenes video about bees and this post here
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-ep-54-bee/

This is an audio reading of the post "To Bee or Not to Bee", originally published on May 7, 2024. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/bee/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

Why is it so hard to believe in ourselves? Much easier to believe in UFOs and flat earth theories - but let's cut it out! Here is your pep talk for the day.

This is an audio reading of the post "Faith is Unreal", originally published on August 8, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/faith/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here 

If you were an alien tourist, visiting Earth in a humanoid rental body, would you know how to ask for help? Specifically "Where is the toilet?" Luckily, there is an alien tourist guide for that. Take a listen.

Watch the behind the scenes video about the post here:
https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-help/

This is an audio reading of the post "How to Ask for Help" originally published on April 30, 2024. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/how-to-ask-for-help/

Support the show

About Field of Streams
This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main feature. The Stream is written by Janeen McCrae, and aims to provide a weekly dose of personal essays and creative inspirations that'll get you revved up to 'make the thing.'

Dip a toe into the stream and sign up for my free ramblings here