Are you tired of feeling like you're missing out on all the good stuff in life? Is it getting harder to reconnect with the joy of your creative practice as we continue to live with the uncertainty of a peri-pandemic world? Same here! Allow Gio and Renée to introduce you to the alternative: JOMO (or, the Joy of Missing Out). In this episode, we walk you through our own struggles connecting to our creative practices, and our strategies for reconnecting with the things that actually matter (hint: it rhymes with "get off the smocial smedia"). Detours include the recent online writing conference Renée attended; the no-f*cks threshold age; and a quick recap of some of Renée and Gio's fave Vines (RIP). ⚠️Trigger warning: mentions of Canadian Indian Residential Schools; violence against trans people; police brutality; depression and death. We'd love to keep bringing new episodes to you! Check out our Patreon for ways to support the show: patreon.com/listen2mepod! 💖Connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Dustin Archibald (he/him) is always open to learning new things: whether it's martial arts, computer programming, or how to get into character as a college-student-stalking stranger on the set of an indie movie in rural Alberta (pro tip: duct tape an x-acto knife to yourself). But one thing has consistently drawn him in: the love of storytelling. Gio and Renée hear about Dustin's experience writing his Asha Anderson series for young adults (The Dragon and The Way Station available now); his creative approach to editing and writing; and the impact of mental illness on writing productivity. You can find Dustin at dcarchibald.com, and the socials @DCArchibald. We're trying to grow our audience, so every follow, review and retweet helps! Check out our Patreon for more on how you can support the show: patreon.com/listen2mepod.💖Connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Chantelle Quow (she/her) is a Business Strategy and Finance Consultant, and the President of CQ Business Consulting Inc. She improves organizations and businesses by evaluating, developing, and implementing strategic plans—basically, she uses her multiple areas of expertise to teach business owners the way to get from Point A to Point B better. Chantelle chats with Gio and Renée about her work as a business blueprint and community builder, collaborating with other entrepreneurs to leverage resources each might not otherwise have, her advocacy and research around the challenges the BIPOC community faces when navigating Canada's entrepreneurial industry. You can connect with Chantelle at cqbusinesscoach.com, and on Instagram and Twitter @cqbc_inc. Like the show? Go to patreon.com/listen2mepod to support us! See more of our work: Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Brian R. Williams (he/him) is an artist, graphic designer, college art instructor and webcomic creator. He joins Gio and Renée to chat about his studies in Illustration, Fine Art and Art History, and art crime; his success in turning several part-time jobs into a full-time career; his experience working in museums; his fascination with Bigfoot and his comic Orick & Argyle; the way he links narrative storytelling with visual expression; and the inspiration behind his evocative illustrations that fuse the history of human industry with the intriguing forms of the natural world. Bonus topics include repatriation of artefacts stolen by museums, the Bigfoot Research Organization, and Brian and Renée discovering that they are creative soul sisters. You can subscribe to Brian's comic Orick & Argyle at www.patreon.com/orickandargyle. Find more of Brian's work at brianrwilliams.com and @grey_graphite on Instagram. Want to keep Listen 2 Me pumping? Check out patreon.com/listen2mepod! 💖Connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Gio and Renée use this Work In Progress episode to check in on multiple topics, including: soft and hard g's, Gio's audio mixing and censoring, taking a break from pushing ourselves through pandemic-induced brain fog, heteroflexibility and whatever the hell Omegle is. The conversation quickly devolves into Gio asking Renée what they've been reading lately, and a discussion of the 🌶️️descriptive sex🌶️ in modern romance novels. ⚠️WARNING: a lot of spicy language during that segment.⚠️ Bonus topics include Renée speaking to her experience with burning herself out in order to distract from anxiety, and Gio waxing poetic about the joy of planning and hosting dinner parties. Trigger warning for discussion of depression, anxiety, alcoholism and gender dysphoria. If you want to support the show, please check out patreon.com/listen2mepod! 💖Connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Stacey Gonder (she/her) isn't shy about putting her passion for glitter and sass into clothing that looks as good as it feels, constructed for people who like to move. 💃🕺 Her love of dance and creative expression helped birth Flash Design Co. and the House of Sass & Magic, and her experience and expertise in constructing garments and costumes is what has helped her cater to underrepresented segments of the dance community. Gio and Renée hear from Stacey about how surprising her career trajectory has been so far, what we can all take away from rave culture, and the joy of connecting with other creatives through her Maker Monday and Friends Friday podcast series. Follow @flashdesignco and @housesmtdot to see more of Stacey's work and designs. Like this episode? Want to keep the L2M party going? Check out patreon.com/listen2mepod! Connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Sarah Feinstein (she/her) takes the time to connect with Gio and Renée from her home in northwest India to talk about the journey of her life so far: from studying analog photography as an art student in Toronto, to working as a medic in the backwoods of Yukon to pay off her student loans, then moving to northern India to study with a meditation community in the mountains, and finally setting up Superfein Design, her boutique design studio, from her current home in Himchal Pradesh. Sarah shares her wisdom about trying, failing, and persevering; learning from some (epic) failures, and bringing the spirit of inquiry and growth to her business practice. Follow @superfein on Instagram for more, and bookmark theselfreunion.com to see what Sarah's been working on. Love the show? Interested in keeping it going? Become a patron at patreon.com/listen2mepod! Connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Have you ever wanted to hear Gio and Renée ask each other icebreaker questions from a 1970s corporate team-building exercise? Well, you're in luck! Gio and Renée ask each other questions like "who are your heroes", "what is your ideal karaoke song", "what's one thing you would change about yourself" and "what is your favourite book" (a question Renée declined to answer). TW for mentions of suicide, death, and a horse snuff film Gio watched. Can't get enough L2M in your life? Go to patreon.com/listen2mepod to find out how you can keep the show going! See more of our work: Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com. 

Gregg Brown (he/him) joins Gio and Renée to talk about how he brings the lens of organizational psychology, behavioral science, change management, and talent development to individuals and teams looking to harness change and develop leadership skills in their personal and professional lives. From his early days teaching kids to canoe and macramé as a camp counsellor, working in harm reduction, and counselling sex workers, Gregg has always tried to use his "bleeding heart" in the service of meeting people where they are and helping them. Gregg discusses how these days, he's helping people figure out what makes their own brains tick, and coaching them in applying change management principles to create the behaviors and beliefs they want to see in their work and personal lives. Sidebars include the COVID-19 pandemic's long-term fallout and impact, young Gregg's Farrah Fawcett hair, and the universal human desire to be seen. Like the show? Go to patreon.com/listen2mepod to find out how you can support it! See more of our work: Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.

Author Alison Clarke (she/her) has been creating magical worlds as soon as she could put pen (or brush) to paper. She was awarded 2016 Writer of the Year by Diversity Magazine for The Sisterhood, Book One of her middle grade fantasy trilogy; has been featured in the Edmonton Journal; her latest book, Phillis, was featured on a CBC Book List; and she is the 2021 Writer in Residence for the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society. Alison takes Gio and Renée through her beginnings as a writer; how the themes in her work emerge organically from her interest in diverse mythology, cultures, and the power of the collective; how crucial it is for people of colour to see themselves represented in media; and why it's so important to listen to your own voice when it comes to your creative work. You can find Alison online on Twitter and Instagram, and more of her work at RealmofWyrniverdon.com. Like the show? Check out patreon.com/listen2mepod to learn more about how you can support the show, and connect with Gio at giografik.com and Renée at reneewrought.com.