PIVOTAL SLICE: on writing & composing

Jade talks to Eri Maeda, a Japanese 'Self-Love Artist' based in Paris. Eri creates sculpture, ceramics and homeware based on inclusive representations of human bodies and sexuality. Jade and Eri discuss the message of her work - "Everyone is different and everyone is beautiful" and talk about how she started to create art to fight against the beauty standards and social pressure with which she grew up.

Find out more about Eri and purchase her products:

Website
Instagram
TikTok

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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It may be harder to make a living as an artist than ever before. On this episode, David and Jade explore the exploitation of artists in modern society, discussing:

• self-worth and the energy of receptivity
• the role of technology in the undervaluing of art
• working for ‘likes’ 
• defining your purpose as an artist
• processing shame around selling your work

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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We continue our conversation on fiction writing with Jade Green. David talks to Jade about the ups and downs of writing novels and short stories, how her definition of feminism has changed through running a literary journal, and turning challenges into gifts.

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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We continue our conversation on writing music with composer David Mackenzie. Jade talks to David about what he has learned over the last year of running a new music brand, how he approached collaboration while working as a sound designer/composer for Wake the Tiger, and developing his sound through use of vocals.

We play a selection of David’s new music throughout the episode. 

05:59 The Underside 

24:42 Wallflower

49:20 Atmosphere, Satellites and Dreams

1:08:31 Circles, Squares and Stripes

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David chats to Cyrus Shahrad (Hiatus) about finding his way to writing and making music, differentiating language and musical form, and the role of the ‘self’ in artistic output.

Cyrus is an electronic music producer and writer based in London. His musical work combines Iranian instrumentation, poetry, nostalgia and modern ambient sounds. He has worked as a journalist and written for various acclaimed magazines and newspapers on a range of subjects, including music and movie reviews.

Read Cyrus’s work

Find him on Twitter and Instagram

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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We often over-think the end result of our art, and forget to enjoy the process. From childhood we've measured our worth based on external achievements - such as money, qualifications and job titles - but how do we undo this conditioning to get the most out of our passion? In this episode David and Jade discuss:

-          the difference between setting goals and obsessing over end results

-          maximising your enjoyment of the creative process 

-          how our culture conditions us to seek external validation

Share your thoughts and experiences by connecting on social media or writing a review!

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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It’s an oranges journal takeover! Jade invites five writers to share excerpts from stories published on orangesjournal.com and talk about their inspiration. oranges is an intersectional feminist journal dedicated to amplifying marginalised voices. The writers joining us are based all over the world and represent a cross-section of the work featured on the journal.

Stories:

06:00 Bathtup Kinship by Lukas Kofoed Reimann

11:30 The Other Side of Styx Street by Rebecca Kilroy

20:48 Oatman by Inés G. Labarta

31:24 The Monsoons Are Almost Here by Shrutidhora P Mohor

44:45 Refund, Discount or Gesture of Goodwill by Jasmine Kahlia 

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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It’s Halloween, it’s our one-year anniversary, and we’re delving into the scariest of subjects!

Jade and David talk about the fears we must overcome in our creative lives. They discuss getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and how vulnerability is the key to powerful creative work.

Jade also chats to Ellen Huang, a writer of horror and speculative fiction, about spirituality in stories and what makes the perfect ending.

Read Ellen's short stories:

“The Sticklerman”

“Prized Possessions”

“Halving My Child: What Wakwaks Want”

“Hidebehind Seeks”

More work on her website

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

FOLLOW AND SUPPORT US

Buy us a coffee

Join our Patreon for uncut interviews, bonus episodes and exclusive music

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Follow your hosts, Jade Green and David Mackenzie

On this bonus episode (unlocked from the Patreon feed) David and Jade talk about the role of rejection in the creative process, the energy of ‘I am enough’, and not taking rejections personally. 

Keep trying, keep submitting, and know that by living your truth, you are bringing huge value to the world!

We’ll be back soon with a brand new season of the pod, a fresh look, and more insightful guests and conversations.

Music: ‘Awakening’ by Stantz 

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https://linktr.ee/davidmackenzie

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Stress is a blockage to creativity. How can we manage the daily stresses and anxieties of life, so that we can give ourselves fully to our creative practice?

Meditation is one of the best techniques you can learn to help you cope with stress and other mental health issues, and clear space in your mind to get the most out of your imagination. Jade and David talk about the techniques they use, the impact of meditation on their lives, and the powerful role of intuition and the subconscious mind in creative practice. 

Read Jade’s writing on the meditation retreat she attended: Five days of silence

Book a coaching session with David.

Music by David Mackenzie. 

Follow your hosts:

https://linktr.ee/davidmackenzie

https://linktr.ee/jade_green

Buy us a coffee!

Support the pod on Patreon and you can suggest a topic for an exclusive mini-episode, available only to Patrons! 

Email us at [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @pivotalslice