Overthought, A Podcast

030 show notes The competitive spirit is pervasive and thinly veiled - even encouraged - in the world of music. (Is it that bad in fields outside the arts? We have only thi uninformed assumption to offer: Probably.) It's possible that an attitude of oneupmanship - and the over-awareness of one's own merits and faults that goes along with it - can have positive effects on the lives and careers of people that are NOT us. But we can't help but notice how much energy it sucks away from the creative headspace to always be trying to stay ahead of the next guy. (If we weren't quite so susceptible to this grubby little impulse, would we be better equipped to employ a healthy dash of competition to our advantage?) Chris also takes the opportunity to raise a soul-plumbing question - "Who ARE the Joneses?" - and Isaiah opens and closes the episode with a recitation of classic haiku. Never a dull moment.... -=- Show notes -=- Book - The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa (Essential Poets) http://www.amazon.com/The-Essential-Haiku-Versions-Basho/dp/0880013516 Website - Merriam-Webster - Defintion of 'quicklier' http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quicklier Website - I Love You http://iloveyoulikeafatladylovesapples.com/ Website - The Useless Web http://www.theuselessweb.com/ Website - http://hooooooooo.com/ Website - http://heeeeeeeey.com/ Book - City of Darkness, by Ian Lambot http://cityofdarkness.co.uk/category/the_book/ 'Photos' - xkcd comics https://xkcd.com/1314/ Kirsten Dunst Selfie Short Film Called Aspirational by Matthew Frost https://vimeo.com/106807552 Featured Music: Sousa - with_pleasure (dance hilarious) - United States Marine Band, via MusOpen https://musopen.org/music/445/john-philip-sousa/with-pleasure-dance-hilarious/ Featured Image: 'I'll carry mine...', photo by Ann Rosener - Library of Congress Digital Images http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/oem2002005680/PP/ © Copyright 2016, Isaiah Bell & Chris Mayell • All Rights Reserved

Perfectionism: necessary condition for high-quality output, or pathological and counterproductive compulsion? FIND OUT HERE! Chris and Isaiah, two accredited perfectionists, would like to set the record straight. Where does perfectionism come from? It's certainly responsible for endless general dissatisfaction - and the abandonment of many worthwhile endeavours - but is it a valuable tool, or is it more trouble than it's worth? Can it be harnessed? Amid legitimately topical tales of craft projects gone wild, we also take our first Overthought-coined acronym out for a test spin. What could OUTBREED possibly mean? Find out heeeeeeere.....-=- Show notes -=-Colt Express, Board Game | BoardGameGeekhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-expressTutorial for Wood Prints - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d3P5r47oHUAidan Ferguson, mezzo-sopranohttps://www.facebook.com/AidanFergusonmezzo/According to the dictionary, “literally” now also means “figuratively”, by Dana Coleman http://www.salon.com/2013/08/22/according_to_the_dictionary_literally_now_also_means_figuratively_newscred/Hamilton - Official Broadway Sitehttp://www.hamiltonbroadway.com/Vivien Shotwell, Author of Vienna Nocturne, Sopranohttp://vivienshotwell.com/SciShow - Why Do We Have Butt Hair?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgsdhmLrLPAMARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON, TWOhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta9K22D0o5QTreats and SnoozinSciShow - Aphids: Weird Poop, Weirder Babieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNzeshvjZdwImage of Isaiah's Tree Angel, named Ceciliahttp://overthoughtpodcast.com/images/Isaiahs-Tree-Angel-Cecilia.jpgImage of another of Isaiah's Tree Angelshttp://overthoughtpodcast.com/images/Isaiahs-Tree-Angel-2.jpg

Ever the contrarians, Chris and Isaiah turn from debunking the myth of Success to looking for the bright side of Failure. Everyone knows we're supposed to see our missteps as growth opportunities, but it's hard to embrace failure when it just feels so god-damned bad. Would it be easier if we could learn to excise the idea of failure from our emotional vocabulary entirely? Or is it the worst kind of academic nonsense to even suggest that, since failure - and our reactions to it - seems to be such an essential part of the human experience? Sigh. To test their theories, the fellas dredge up memories of Real-Life Times when things did not go so well, and Isaiah repeatedly demonstrates his fear of failing in even the tiniest ways as he squanders valuable listener time searching for Exactly The Right Word (when an imperfect synonym would do just fine).-=- Show notes -=-The City of Reginahttp://www.regina.ca/visitors/'Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open win : The art of an epic comeback', by Jena McGregor | The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-leadership/post/rory-mcilroys-us-open-win--the-art-of-an-epic-comeback/2011/04/01/AGB25kcH_blog.htmlYouTube - 'Failing - A very difficult piece for solo string bass' composed by Tom Johnson, played by Corey Schutzerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P8C6-XqaNs'Why Am I Obsessed With a Cellphone Game About Collecting Cats?', by Ryan Bradley | The New York Time Magazinehttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/magazine/why-am-i-obsessed-with-a-cellphone-game-about-collecting-cats.html'A Dog’s Purpose According To A 6 Year Old'http://weruletheinternet.com/2011/05/24/a-dogs-purpose-according-to-a-6-year-old/Music: Sousa - with_pleasure (dance hilarious) - United States Marine Band, via MusOpenhttps://musopen.org/music/445/john-philip-sousa/with-pleasure-dance-hilarious/Featured Image Copyright info:Stickman courtesy of clker.com - http://www.clker.com/clipart-blue-stickman-shooting-arrow-1.htmlBackground vector Designed by Freepik, courtesy of www.freepik.com - http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/watercolor-texture_765580.htm© Copyright 2016, Isaiah Bell & Chris Mayell

Success. Does the very word make you feel a little itchy? Certain tenors among us manage to project disdain for our rampant success-at-all-costs culture while still remaining vulnerable to its fundamental mantra: where you are is not good enough. Success means different things to each of us - and it's rarely something we can measure objectively. More often, it's an state of being, or a way of feeling, that we imagine will accompany our achievements in the future. The tantalizing effect of the success-carrot luring us on can be that we are unable to ever truly metabolize successes we've already achieved. Instead, we continuously chase the phantom destination of success, certain that some out-of-reach goal will finally quench our thirst for more. BONUS OFFER for our more success-hungry listeners: a REAL Cadbury Egg, sent through the mail, will reward the intrepid wordsmith who crafts a compelling compountmanteau (portmanteau of compound and portmanteau that I just made up) out of "Success" and "Sexsomnia", the topic of this week's Accident Moment of Awareness™.

We understand the world through the stories we're told, and we make sense of life's random nonsense by weaving our own personal narratives. In a meandering misadventure ironically titled "The Plot", Chris and Isaiah unpack some of the ways that storytelling affects our lives: from the real world's continually shifting objectives (Chris says, "Take your current age, subtract ten. What was the thing you really needed back then to be super happy? Do you have it now? Of course you do! Are you happy? NO!") to our tendency to believe that the lives of others - or indeed of our own potential selves - are less complex than our current situations (Isaiah thinks maybe some people's whole lives really DO happen in transfer filter). Would it be easier to take our own lumps if more people's stories were lumpy? And how much does the way we assemble the narrative of our past affect the events of our future? Also included: Isaiah says "you know" a truly maddening number of times, and Chris wantonly slags Broadway's most popular musical!-=- Show notes -=-Article - DiCaprio's Oscar speech cringe-worthy for some advocates of climate-change action - Calgary - CBC Newshttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/leonardo-dicaprio-climate-change-oscar-speech-alberta-reaction-1.3469010Website - The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows — nodus tollenshttp://www.dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/post/48395591256/nodus-tollensArticle - 18 lottery winners – the surprising truth about the Lottohttp://www.truthin7minutes.com/truth-about-lotto/Website - Hamilton - Official Broadway Sitehttp://www.hamiltonbroadway.com/Website - Kissin Interview in Zagrebhttp://evgenykissinfansite.co.uk/kissin-in-zagrebArticle - How to Copy and Paste Text on Facebook App on iPhone/iPadhttp://www.tech4more.com/copy-paste-text-facebook-apps-iphone/Website - iTunes App Store - Scanner&Translator Freehttps://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/scanner-translator-free-convert/id845139175?mt=8Website - IMDb - Six Feet Under (TV Series 2001–2005) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248654/Website - Bechdel Test Movie Listhttp://bechdeltest.com/Article - An 18-Year-Old Instagram Star Says Her "Perfect Life" Was Actually Making Her Miserablehttp://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/a-teen-instagram-star-is-editing-her-photo-captions-to-show#.fkze0l6B0Website - Vimeo - Why I think social media sucks from Essena O'Neill on Vimeohttps://player.vimeo.com/video/144201237YouTube - Charlie McDonnell (charlieissocoolllike) I'm Scaredhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_56nx3eHK4cArticle - ‘Consumers are tired of being packed into planes like sardines’ and Chuck Schumer isn’t going to take it anymore, by Fredrick Kunkle - The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2016/03/01/consumers-are-tired-of-being-packed-into-planes-like-sardines-and-chuck-schumer-isnt-going-to-take-it-anymore/Article - The Science of Happiness: Why complaining is literally killing you. | Curious Apes - The Creator's Pathhttp://thecreatorspath.com/the-science-of-happiness-why-complaining-is-literally-killing-you-curious-apes/Website - Download The Grindr Tone! - Grindrhttp://www.grindr.com/blog/tone/Article - 4 Rituals That Will Make You Happy, According to Neuroscience, by Eric Barker | Timehttp://time.com/4042834/neuroscience-happy-rituals/Article - Wikipedia - Black dog syndromehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_dog_syndromeWebsite - Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2042568/

How we see the world is not how the the world really is. But our perceptions have a pesky way of controlling our behaviour anyway. If you're colourblind, like Chris, you may not realize how much what you can't see affects your everyday interactions. If, like Isaiah, you insist on saying "daltonien" instead of "colourblind" (because you just found out that's how they say it in French and you "just think it's cooler,") you may not be fully aware of the distancing effects of your deep-rooted pretension. Our personal defaults are never truly "neutral". But even if we try to account for pre-existing bias, can we ever know for sure if that inscrutable opera director REALLY thinks we're ne'er-do-wells? And is it worse to always suspect disdain than it would be to hear it spelled out? [See: Schrödinger's Critique] Finally, in honour of Overthought's silver jubilee (25 episodes!) - and to cut down on constant mid-show disclaiming -we've implemented a content-flexible pre-show disclaimer: an ever-expanding compendium of the quirks, fallacies, and acts of self-effacement our listeners have come to expect and/or tolerate. It promises to eventually cannibalize the entire hour. Please enjoy.-=- Show notes -=-

YouTube - And I saw a New Heaven, Edgar Bainton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE7zTYcn3RwArticle - Wikipedia - Philologyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhilologyYouTube - Colorblind Man Sees Purple for the First Timehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCcxwieuDH0Moderate Deutan Colorblindless Simulator | EnChroma:http://enchroma.com/test/result/medium-deutan/5 Reasons Listicles Are Here to Stay, and Why That’s OK | WIRED:http://www.wired.com/2014/01/defense-listicle-list-article/VoiceTalk: Reading Lamperti:http://www.voice-talk.net/2009/12/reading-lamperti.htmlChris' Reaction to Isaiah's Description of the Rice Experimenthttp://www.overthoughtpodcast.com/images/ReactionToTheRiceExperiment.jpgYouTube - The Mid-Atlantic Accent for Singers and Actorshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XwGCqM_t4YouTube - Big Bang Theory - Schoringer's Cathttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNTMYNj2UlkArticle - 40 Words For Emotions You’ve Felt, But Couldn’t Explain | Thought Catalog, by Brianna Wiesthttp://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2016/02/40-words-for-emotions-youve-felt-but-couldnt-explain/Website - The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, by John Koenighttp://www.dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/

Feelings: The Worst? If you're anything like a certain pair of ponderous podcasters, you likely spend a good portion of your day thinking about and managing your Feelings. Is every person's life like this? Are some people just better at placating that perpetually squalling infant inside them? Or do they truly just not Feel So Hard? Being an artist-type can *feel* like being a professional Feeler — but is there a greater purpose to all this relentless sensation? Or, if we were given the choice to do nothing and Just Be Happy, would we take it? Bonus material: that really great Martha Graham quote, and a brand new psychological condition, coined right here at Overthought!-=- Show notes-=-YouTube - Game of Thrones Season 6: Hall of Faces Tease (HBO)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmrA8nOZF2QWebsite - Definition of 'sonder' | Organizing Creativity How to generate, capture, and collect ideas to realize creative projects.http://www.organizingcreativity.com/2014/03/realizing-that-each-random-passerby-is-living-a-life-as-vivid-and-complex-as-your-own/Website - CinemaBlend - The True Behind Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy's Set Fighthttp://www.cinemablend.com/new/True-Story-Behind-Shia-LaBeouf-Tom-Hardy-Set-Fight-113267.htmlImage - Tom Hardy (Animated GIF)http://www.overthoughtpodcast.com/images/tomhardy.gifArticle - Martha Grahamhttps://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martha_GrahamYouTube - Rebooting Your DPC3848 (AGAIN) - A Promotional Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Pt4_7aYoMWebsite - This American Life - 146: Urban Nature Transcript http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/146/transcriptWebsite - The Happiness Box | Delight Springshttp://delightsprings.blogspot.ca/2009/09/happiness-box.html

Today's urban Facebook dweller is steeped in the culture of positive thought; there's no devil more insidious than Negative Energy. But is there no one left to defend the Lost Art of Complaint? Chris and Isaiah devote an hour to just such devil's advocacy. Could there be a dark side to looking only on the bright side? Is it healthy to leave negative feelings suppressed and unexpressed? What about the sweet relief of hearing your troubles echoed in the troubles of a pal? You may doubt our suppositions, but admit it: you do kind of want to find out how a Complaint could possibly be like a Picasso. NERD BONUS: Good Schumann vs. Bad Schumann - The Mystery Unlocked.

-=- Show notes -=-Article - The Science of Happiness: Why complaining is literally killing you. | Curious Apes - The Creator's Path:http://thecreatorspath.com/the-science-of-happiness-why-complaining-is-literally-killing-you-curious-apes/Book - The Anger Traphttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/329381.The_Anger_TrapVideo - Coughing Dude Causes Chris to Wear a Scarfhttps://www.facebook.com/overthought/videos/1701031913473798/Article - 43 Folders with Merlin Mann - The Inbox Zero Strategy to Email Managementhttp://www.43folders.com/izeroPodast - Back To Work http://5by5.tv/b2w/Webpage - Urban Dictioniary - Can't Be Arsed (CBA)http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Can%27t+be+arsed

In the second half of our deeply Uncomprehensive exploration of creativity, Chris and Isaiah try to nail down this slipperiest of concepts. What exactly Is creativity, and in what habitat does it flourish? Extreme stress? Meditation, procrastination, poverty? All of the above? And why does it only seem to come when we're not trying? Plus: who's going to volunteer to discuss the uncomfortably undeniable efficacy of certain chemical aids? If you've ever written a novel in your head, chased a poem across a field, or sung to the universe, this is the podcast for you. Bonus Feature: the introduction of our recurring silent foil, Straw Man Tom Hardy.-=- Show notes -=-Vancouver 2010 Closing Ceremony - Catherine O'Harahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDs8yUgzmYcTED - Your elusive creative geniushttps://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?language=enThe Death Spiral Of M. Night Shyamalan’s Career, by Walt Hickey | FiveThirtyEight http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-death-spiral-of-m-night-shyamalans-career/Phyllis Curtin, sopranohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_CurtinValentine’s Day Cards for Puritanshttp://laughingsquid.com/valentines-day-cards-for-puritans/Movie - Victoriahttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt4226388/Soundcloud - Erwäge wie sein blutgefärbter from Bach's St. John Passion, sung by Zach Finkelstein, tenorhttps://soundcloud.com/canadiantenor/erwage-wie-sein-blutgefarbter-bachPodcast - Back To Work - Episode 1: Alligator in the Bathroomhttp://5by5.tv/b2w/1Podcast - Back to Work - Episode 7: Vocational Wheelhttp://5by5.tv/b2w/7Tom Diamond, opera directorhttp://www.schmopera.com/tom-diamond-on-directing-opera/27 Middle-Class Problems, BuzzFeedhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/middle-class-problems#.nerN9lKO9The Horrible Anger You Feel at Hearing Someone Chewing Is Called Misophoniahttp://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-horrible-anger-you-feel-at-hearing-someone-chewing-is-called-misophoniaBook - The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/615570.The_Artist_s_Way

Every creative type has opinions to offer about the process of making something that Is Not into something that Is. In the first installment of our first ever two-parter, Isaiah and Chris apply their unique brand of madcap misquoting to the mystical realm of creativity. Have you ever lived somewhere you absolutely Could Not create? Do you ever compulsively hack away at a project for hours on end because you just can't NOT? Is creativity really un oiseau rebelle, or should we all just buckle down and do the work? Tune in this week to hear our very own Christopher Mayell, tenor, attempt to break the world record** for most conversational instances of the word "like" within ten seconds!**Previously held by Isaiah Bell, tenor-=- Show notes -=-Diary: Let’s not get physical, by  Tabard | The Stage:https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/tabard/2016/diary-lets-not-get-physical/Glyndebourne opera critics spark 'sexism' row, by  - BBC Newshttp://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27500461TinTin is Racist?http://fr.tintin.com/images/tintin/albums/01congo/C01%2036%20C1sstxt%20COLOR.jpgKnow Your Meme - Scumbag Brainhttp://knowyourmeme.com/memes/scumbag-brainThe Importance of Rest - Feldenkrais Centre Vancouverhttp://feldenkraisvancouver.com/the-importance-of-rest/750 Words - Write every day.http://750words.com/National Novel Writing Monthhttp://nanowrimo.org/Quantity Always Trumps Qualityhttp://blog.codinghorror.com/quantity-always-trumps-quality/Quote: J.S. Bach - "I was obliged to be industrious..."http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johannseba404536.htmlxkcd comic - 'I Could Care Less'https://xkcd.com/1576/'Your Elusive Creative Genius', Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talkhttps://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?language=enFear is boring, and other tips for living a creative life, TEDhttp://ideas.ted.com/fear-is-boring-and-other-tips-for-living-a-creative-life/"If you have a creative mind, it’s a little bit like owning a border collie."