Masterpiece

I’ve wanted to chat to Jonno Seidler since 2022. I was standing in a queue at Palermo Airport, waiting for a flight back to London, when a friend sent me an excerpt from his memoir, It’s a Shame About Ray. I was immediately captivated by his writing, his honesty, and his bravery.

I grew up around Jonno but reading his memoir, I realised there was so much I didn't know. His experience of bipolar disorder, his dad’s struggles with depression, the shame that surrounded both, and the role that music and creativity have played in helping him make sense of it all.

In this episode, we talk about the pressure to succeed, the myth of the tortured artist, and how Jonno finds time to write—between a full-time job, two girls under four, and a looming book deadline.

We finish with the song Jonno is listening to on repeat, which I am now obsessed with.

I loved this chat. I hope you do too.

JYK 🤍

Episode Links:

• Learn more about Jonno Seidler here.
• Read It's A Shame About Ray and All The Beautiful Things You Love.
• Listen to Jonno on ABC's Conversations.
• Listen to Piero Piccioni's Addio, amore mio. 
• Order a One Word Journal.
• For new pods, sign up to my newsletter.

For anything else email [email protected] :)

This week I spoke with Madeleine Gottlieb — an award-winning director, producer, screenwriter, and one of my oldest friends.

I met Mads when I was five. She was the smartest person I’d ever met, with the bluest eyes and the most commanding presence.

We were a couple of drama kids. And listening back to this conversation on a walk this week, I realised, we still are.

We talk about morning rituals, meditation, ADHD, therapy, why Mads’ word for 2025 scares her, and how cutting off all her hair at a roadside barber in Hobart turned out to be the best thing she ever did.

I loved this chat. It’s messy and raw and it made me smile. It also made me want to be braver. To be more myself. 

Because over the last decade, Mads has stopped hiding. She’s learning to live, fully and honestly, as who she truly is.

I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did.

JYK 🤍

Episode Links:

• Learn more about Madeleine Gottlieb: https://www.madeleinegottlieb.com
• Sign up to Between The Lines: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com
• Read the letter by Sol LeWitt and Eva Hesse: Letters of note
• Pick your one word for 2025: www.myword.is

When Matteo and I spent two months in Puglia at the end of last year, living in a sleepy seaside town, we had a weekend ritual: a long walk by the sea, swimming and reading at Lo Scalo, spaghetti vongole and a spritz, a gelato along the promenade, and a movie on the couch.

Off our phones, away from the rest of the world, we could switch off. It was incredible.

I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately—less about Puglia, more about the presence we were able to cultivate there. Il dolce far niente—the sweetness of doing nothing—and how hard that is to access in the real world. A world that keeps getting faster and noisier, constantly telling us we should do more.

Should we?

More and more, I think definitely not.

This week on the pod, we talk about that. About going analogue, content fatigue, the tyranny of should, and why I forgot—then remembered—that I’m an artist.

🕊🕊🕊

You can find the One Word Journal here: https://www.myword.is/journal 

Between The Lines Newsletter here: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com/subscribe 

There’s a scene in A Complete Unknown I can’t stop thinking about.

Bob Dylan steps on stage at the Newport Folk Festival in ’65. Thousands and thousands of people chant his name. They came to hear the songs they know. To see the Dylan they know.

But Dylan has moved on.

He picks up his electric guitar and plays his new music. The crowd boos. They throw things. Festival organisers try to cut the sound.

It’s uncomfortable to watch. I caught myself thinking, Just give them what they want.

But he doesn’t.

He stands there and keeps playing. Looking forward, not back.

And sitting in that dark cinema on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I realised —

I want to be brave like Dylan.

Lately, I’ve felt torn—between what I think I should do and what feels true.

We talk about that on the pod this week.

Sign up to Between The Lines newsletter for more

After seven years at luxury fashion house Zegna, Nimisha Gupta walked away from the safety of a big role to rediscover herself—and her joy.

In this week’s episode of Between the Lines, we talk about making bold career leaps, finding your way back to creativity, and building a life that feels like yours.

We also dive into the rituals that help Nimisha stay inspired—including why she takes a bath at 2pm every day (iconic).

And, of course, her word for 2025.

I loved this conversation with Nimisha. I hope you do too.

🕊 Find Nimisha on Substack, instagram, and Nimisha Inc. 

🕊 Follow Between The Lines on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & Substack.

🕊 Find the One Word Journal here.

🕊 Find my art and instagram.

JYK 🤍

My earliest memories are anxious ones. 

Clinging to my mum’s legs as a child. Hiding under a laundry basket when people popped in. Waking up at 5 AM, putting on my school uniform, and sitting there for three hours—because I was terrified of being late. 

For most of my life, anxiety was my default state. 

And then last year, driving from Milan to Umbria, Matteo and I were listening to a podcast about anxiety when he paused it and asked—How is your anxiety?

To my surprise, I said, Good. I hadn’t felt anxious in ages. 

We both sat in silence, a little stunned. 

Where did my anxiety go?

I’ve been sitting with that question for months. And recently, as I felt anxiety creeping back in, I realised—there’s one thing that helps me most.

This week, Matteo and I talk about: 

• The unexpected weight of moving home
• My life with anxiety
• The turning point that forced me to make a change
• And the ritual that’s helping me feel more at ease (and could help you, too)

The One Word Journal: https://www.myword.is/book

Between The Lines Newsletter: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com/

Not long ago, I sat down with Grace O’Neill in her Kitchen in London, and we recorded a chat. Grace is a writer. The former editor of Elle Australia. The co-host of After Work Drinks. And one of the most important people in my life.

We met during lockdown—Grace and Zach in Apartment B, Matteo and I in Apartment D. The pandemic turned us, and our neighbour Lena (Apartment C), from strangers into family.

Grace and I have spent hours walking through Holland Park, talking about the messy reality of being an artist—fantasising about a life where we simply make art, go to bed early, and occasionally go somewhere fabulous.

Now, Grace is stepping into a new chapter, launching her Substack, embracing motherhood, and writing her first novel. 

In our chat, we talk about the vulnerability of making things and sharing them. The temptation to jump ahead, to seek validation, to chase the third thing. And why, really, we should all just move to Paris.

We also talk about Rick Rubin—a lot. The Creative Act is, to us, the bible. We discuss how there was life before that book and life after, and why we’re so obsessed with it.

Every time I speak to G, I feel seen, inspired, and so grateful.

I loved this chat. I hope you do too.

Links:

Grace's Substack 'So Darling': https://graceoneill.substack.com

The One Word Journal: https://www.myword.is/book

Between The Lines Newsletter: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com/

Matteo and I sat down to talk about redesigning our life in Sydney—finding new rituals, navigating productivity shame, starting therapy, and having the courage to be ourselves. We share the Big Little Things we’re learning and why, in the end, it all comes down to one question: Does it charm you?

You can find my newsletter here: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com/
Our One Word Journals here: https://www.myword.is/book
And my IG here: https://www.instagram.com/jessicayolandakaye

Episode Links:
Dr Aditi x The Mel Robbins Show (Horizonless)
Alex Hormozi x Diary of a CEO (Courage To Be You)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve woken up early. I used to resist it. But lately, I’ve realised it’s a secret part of the day—a time to catch ideas.

In this week’s pod, I talk about protecting your creative flow, the art of deep work, and the biggest thing I learnt from David Lynch’s 2.5-hour masterclass.

Would love to hear what resonates.

JYK 🤍

You can find my newsletter here: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com/
Our One Word Journals here: https://www.myword.is/book
And my IG here: https://www.instagram.com/jessicayolandakaye

Episode Links:

David Lynch's Masterclass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/david-lynch-teaches-creativity-and-film
Matters Of The Art: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SVBZY2u6rmR7Sj4nzWMXc?si=ca0ff7ed7f644c9a

A few weeks ago, I took my brother for breakfast and traded coffee and eggs for advice. I told him everything—my podcast vision, the name, the look and feel. I talked for 40 minutes. And then I asked him for a strategy.

Then he looked at me and said:

"You love the planning. The mood boarding, the strategy, the world-building. But while you’re doing all that, you’re not making the podcast. Stop planning. Start the podcast."

Annoying, because he was right.

I thought I was moving forward, but really, I was hiding behind the planning.

So what does it take to actually do the work? To stop circling the idea and step into it fully?

That’s what I explore in this week’s podcast—through the wisdom of Liz Gilbert, Nick Cave, Lucian Freud, Steven Pressfield, Rick Rubin, and my brother.

Would love to hear what resonates.

JYK 🤍

You can find my newsletter here: https://jessicayolandakaye.substack.com/
Our One Word Journals here: https://www.myword.is/book
And my IG here: https://www.instagram.com/jessicayolandakaye

Episode Links:
Fashion Neurosis with Nick Cave