Jordan Marchand (she/her) took her love of art, opulence, and the macabre and turned it into Buttered Lemonade : artistic collages evoking dark and romantic figures. She might not own a cell phone, but with over 11k followers on Instagram, Jordan knows a bit about what it means to go viral. Jordan joins Gio and Renée to chat about the therapeutic value of making art; finding your way to your own signature style; nurturing your creativity and her own struggles with imposter syndrome. Detours include Guillermo del Toro, Gio's pun game, and not underselling your work. TW for mentions of sexual assault, pedophilia, and trauma disclosure. Looking to add more Listen 2 Me to your life? Patreon.com/listen2mepod has all the bonus content you've been missing. Find us on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook); Gio at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

We find moments of joy where we can, but overall, it's been a rocky road from the start of 2020 to here. Gio and Renée check in with each other in this episode about the things that have been bringing them joy, what they're grateful for, and what they've found difficult in the last 12 months. Topics include why it really is okay to take a break, or just do what you can instead of all the things; how emotional support trash TV shows and social media apps can be both helpful and detrimental; and a reminder to treat ourselves with compassion and patience. 🚧 Detours include Gio's Nonno's change purse, why we unfollow people online, and Renée's current read: The Art of Showing Up by Rachel Wilkerson Miller. You can check out L2M on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find us on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Check out Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

Emily Campbell (she/her) is a writer, a poet, the founder of The New Cambrians book club/writing group, and has published with The Bolo Tie Collective, The Anti-Languorous Project and the inaugural issue of Lida Literary Mag. Joining Gio and Renée, Emily talks about the evolution of her writing; decoupling her writing career from "making it" as a Big Name Author and making it fun to write again; gatekeeping in the writing and publishing community; the gratifying experience of creating a writing community of her own and so much more.  🚧 Detours include erotic fanfiction, being pigeon-holed as "the art kid" in grade school, and the burnout inherent in hustle culture. You can check out L2M on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find us on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Find more of Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

Adi Berardini (she/her) is on a mission to bring more femme and queer art to the hearts, minds and eyes of every internet user with her online publication, Femme Art Review. Gio and Renée have the pleasure of speaking to Adi about how FAR evolved from a blog she started in undergrad to the accessible online publication it is today. Adi speaks about her start as an artist, Femme Art Review's first print issue, the importance of visibility and representation in the queer art community, and FAR's previous and upcoming artist features.  Detours include underselling yourself, Drag Race, and that good ole' gay agenda. Find more of Adi's work at adiberardini.com and follow Listen 2 Me Podcast on social media @listen2mepod. You can help support the show by visiting our Patreon--our tiers start at $1! Go to patreon.com/listen2mepod to learn more.

What is it like to love a creative? Let us tell you! 💝 Renée and Gio discuss their experiences as the creative partners in their relationships, and what kind of things you can expect when you partner with another creative. This is a fluffy episode full of personal anecdotes and commiseration, including how to soundboard with someone who understands nothing about your chosen creative craft, how to manage conflicting schedules, and different ways creativity impact your understanding and insights into the world and human experience. 💌 Detours include love languages, former academic high-achievers' praise kink, Gio and Renée's conflict styles, and a callback to Episode 10: The Intersection of Queer and Creative! You can check out L2M on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find us on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Find more of Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

Gio and Renée revisit the importance of checking in with our inner child, and how it helps get us unstuck in our creative process. We offer practical tips for remembering what you were into as a kid, talk about why shame becomes a barrier to connecting with our inner child, and why loving things unironically and making things for fun instead of side-hustling is so important. Detours in this episode include 90s fashion, the film Venom (2018) starring Tom Hardy and its relation to monsterfuckers, Renée's history of bad haircuts, and why receiving socks and cooking appliances as gifts in your 30s is the best. We love making this show and your support means so much to us! You can check out L2M on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find us on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Find more of Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

Do you ever put things off to the last minute? Find yourself struggling with time management? Grappling with indecision? We're right there with you. Gio and Renée discuss their own personal experiences with procrastination, why procrastination is so pervasive and what it actually is (did you know that it's a learned behaviour?), and our top tips for the long- and short-term solutions you can use to bust those procrastinating tendencies. Detours in this episode include the evolution from MySpace to Twitter and Italian greyhound fashion.  You can support L2M on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find us on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Find more of Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

Joining Renée and Gio for their first episode of the year is beauty marketing maverick Laura Woolner (she/her) , creator of the viral beauty ad "Bad Beauty Lighting".  Laura talks about how her plans to study fashion design didn't exactly pan out, why taking whatever work you can get when you're starting out can pay dividends in the long run, and why being a Jane of All Trades keeps her creative. Detours in this episode include sex work (legalize it!) and Renée's Social Justice Soapbox finally has its own sound effect (thanks, Gio)! Want to support the show? Check us out on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find L2M on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Find more of Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and on all social media @reneewrought.

Gio and Renée close out the year with a retrospective of the small moments of joy, how rough it's been on many fronts, and what we're doing to take care of ourselves during our moments of fatigue. Grab a cup of something warm and cuddle up for a cozy listen. Bonus topics include Gio as a one-man Snatch Game panel, Renée reading her [redacted], and a shout-out to all our listeners for just making it through the year. Find out more about how you can support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod and find L2M on social media @listen2mepod (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Find more of Gio's work at giografik.com and social media @giografik and Renée at reneewrought.com and social media @reneewrought.

Gio and Renée are back to talk about Imposter Syndrome's unpleasant and downright douchey cousin, Comparisons. Do you ever measure your success based on other people's? We're here to help you break that habit and figure out how to set goals that are meaningful to you and not just something you do in order to get it on your social media highlight reel. Topics include the pitfalls of toxic positivity, taking the time to acknowledge your successes, and how to combat backsliding.

Follow & Support Listen 2 Me: Patreon | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook • Find Gio at giografik.com and @giografik • Find Renée at reneewrought.com and @reneewrought Instagram | Twitter | Facebook