Stream of Art

Following on the heels of our last episode on stories, this week, we’re each sharing a few of our own favourite stories. We also share a quick overview of the songs from our September playlist. Robyn starts acting classes and Michelle loves her new Kindle. 

Recorded on September 22nd, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:20) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Harry Potter: https://www.wizardingworld.com/

Organizations helping whales:

https://whale.org/ https://savethewhales.org/ https://www.canadianwhaleinstitute.ca/ https://uk.whales.org/

Books mentioned:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/286387/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen-edited-with-an-introduction-and-notes-by-vivien-jones-original-penguin-classics-introduction-by-tony-tanner-cover-by-coralie-bickford-smith/9780141040349

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

Story time! We all love a good story, and in this episode, we explore why storytelling is such an important part of being human. We also also consider in what ways stories can work against us, and what constitutes a good story. Robyn arranges flowers and befriends Disney characters, and Michelle (finally!) cleans out her filing cabinet.

Recorded on September 9th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:20) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Disney Dreamlight Valley (the game Robyn has been playing): https://disneydreamlightvalley.com/

Books mentioned:

The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr: https://www.thescienceofstorytelling.com/

Definitions, clarifications, and fact checking:

For anyone curious, here is the definition of a florist:

“A florist specializes in the art of floral design and arrangement. Florists work with various types of fresh, dried, and artificial flowers to create beautiful bouquets, centerpieces, wreaths, and other floral displays for a wide range of occasions and events. They have a keen eye for color, texture, and design aesthetics, allowing them to arrange flowers in visually appealing and meaningful ways that suit the occasion or the customer's preferences. Florists may operate their own floral shops or work in flower stores, garden centers, event planning companies, and other related establishments.

In addition to creating floral arrangements, florists also provide valuable advice and recommendations to customers regarding flower selection, care, and appropriate arrangements for specific events or sentiments. They may work closely with clients to understand their needs and preferences, crafting custom designs to convey emotions, celebrate special moments, and enhance the overall atmosphere of weddings, funerals, birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant occasions.” Source: https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/florist/

Jon Hamm fact check: So, Jon Hamm is listed as being active as an actor from 1996 to the present, so that would make him around 25 when he started. But he did teach eight-grade acting after he graduated college, and one of his students was indeed Ellie Kemper! Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Hamm

Article - How Reading Fiction Increases Empathy and Encourages Understanding (there is a link to the study referenced as well, for anyone interested in reading that): https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/how-reading-fiction-increases-empathy-and-encourages-understanding

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

Life is full of challenges so in today’s episode, we each share a challenge we’re currently facing and what we’re doing to work through them. Robyn practices positivity and Michelle shares some appreciation for Mel Robbins. 

Recorded on August 25th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:18) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Mel Robbins’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@melrobbins

Books mentioned:

Nevermoor Series by Jessica Townsend: https://www.hachette.com.au/jessica-townsend/

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

Those were the days! In this episode, we explore nostalgia—how we experience it, and how it can get in the way of us being fully present and embodied in the moment. We also discuss the Olympics, gratitude, some of our favourite nostalgia triggers. Robyn is inspired by Céline Dion’s comeback performance and Michelle starts a morning walking routine. 

Recorded on August 11th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:27) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Bent Knee’s upcoming album Twenty Pills Without Water: https://bentknee.bandcamp.com/album/twenty-pills-without-water

Books mentioned:

Mel Robbins’ book The 5 Second Rule: https://www.melrobbins.com/books#the-5-second-rule

Quotes, ideas, and insights:

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” - John Lennon, from the song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

In this episode, we attempt to tackle the topic of artistic identity. What is it? When is adopting an artistic identity helpful, and when might it become an issue? Robyn’s dog turns to a life of crime, and Michelle is having a hard time writing the lyrics for a song. 

Recorded on July 20th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:30) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Mark Lettieri’s new album Can I Tell You Something?: https://www.marklettieri.com/can-i-tell-you-something Michelle’s blog post on doing what you say: https://www.michellemonettemusic.com/post/do-as-you-say Michelle’s blog post on healing her relationship with music: https://www.michellemonettemusic.com/post/how-i-healed-my-relationship-with-music

Books mentioned:

Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

In this episode, we explore regrets and “shoulds”. We consider in what ways they’re related, how they hold us back, and what perspectives might help us to live our lives more on our own terms. Robyn organizes her closet and Michelle goes to the movies.

Recorded on July 14th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:28) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Show - Little Bird: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22750834/

Video - Unpopular Opinion: Nothing in Life is a Waste of Time - How to ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=662g7IjfY9s&t=347s

Video - Using Lifestyle-Centric Career Planning to Pursue a Life You Love - Cal Newport: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpSlr5TYAEw

Video - Mel Robbins: 5 Second Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI2VQ-ZsNr0

Podcast - Episode 23 - Setting Up Your Creative Environment - Stream of Art Podcast: https://streamofartpodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-23-setting-up-your-creative-environment/

Books mentioned:

We Are the Luckiest by Laura McKowen: https://www.lauramckowen.com/books

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: http://www.matthaig.com/books/midnight-library/

Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday: https://www.courageiscalling.com/

Range by David Epstein: https://davidepstein.com/range/

Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish: https://fs.blog/clear/

So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/writing/ (scroll down the page)

The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg: https://www.bradstulberg.com/books (scroll down the page)

The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins: https://www.melrobbins.com/5secondrule

Quotes, ideas, and insights:

Amor Fati - The love of fate: https://dailystoic.com/amor-fati/

“What man can you give me who puts any value on time, who counts a day, who understands that he dies daily? This is our big mistake: to think we look forward to death. Most of death is already gone. Whatever time has passed is owned by death.” - Seneca - Sources: https://dailystoic.com/letters-from-a-stoic/?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=convertkit&utm_campaign=dying-every-day https://dailystoic.com/you-are-dying-every-day/

“One way to see Nightingale’s story is that she spent years ignoring her call to service. The other is that she was preparing herself for the mission of her life. It took time for her to see through the smoke and noise of the family and society that attempted to discourage her from doing what needed to be done. It took time for her to acquire the skills she needs to transform nursing.” - Ryan Holiday, Courage is Calling, page 10

“The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy.” - Matthew B. Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft

“Stop shoulding yourself. Shift from an internal dialogue of I shouldn’t be in this situation to I wish I wasn’t in this situation; from I should be going about this differently to I want to be going about this differently. Language shapes reality, and these subtle shifts go a long way toward eliminating guilt, shame, and judgment and fostering self-compassion instead. When you catch yourself shoulding, try using another word and see what happens.” - Brad Stulberg, The Practice of Groundedness, pages 49-50

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

In this episode, we reflect on the first six months of 2024 and share our plans for the rest of the year. Robyn has a successful art show (despite getting rained out!) and Michelle rekindles her love of reading. 

Recorded on June 30th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:33) Intro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

Clip from The Simpsons episode Lisa’s Wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEqsuNwNojI

Books mentioned:

Apostles of Mercy (Book 3 in the Noumena series) by Lindsay Ellis: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/apostles-of-mercy/

Quotes, ideas, and insights:

The End of History Illusion: “In 2013, (Daniel) Gilbert, along with researchers Jordi Quoidbach and Timothy Wilson, conducted an extensive study of more than nineteen thousand people between the ages of eighteen and sixty-eight. They asked a series of questions designed to get at whether the subjects thought they had changed much in the past, and whether they believed they would change in the future. The results across the board, regardless of age, were the same: People uniformly believed they’d grown and changed in the past, but when it came to the future, they predicted they wouldn’t change at all. In other words, we believe history ends here in this moment—that all we’ll experience in the future is what we’re experiencing right now. Especially when we’re in pain.” - Laura McKowen, Push Off From Here, pages 91 and 92.

“Every event has two handles, one by which it can be carried, and one by which it can’t. If your brother does you wrong, don’t grab it by his wronging, because this is the handle incapable of lifting it. Instead, use the other—that he is your brother, that you were raised together, and then you will have hold of the handle that carries.” - Epictetus; Source: https://ryanholiday.net/two-handles/

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Learn more about Michelle at https://www.michellemonettemusic.com/

Follow Stream of Art on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/streamofartpodcast/

Follow Robyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robynlester.art/

Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemonettemusic/

Subscribe to Michelle’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64o4jtMmYWJE-7qVoLxtQA

Please feel free to send questions and comments to [email protected]

Connect with like-minded artists and creatives at our Discord server: https://discord.gg/mHa8GSQqsv

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

Theme music by: Michelle Monette

Podcast editing by: Michelle Monette

In this episode, we each share five of our favourite creatives. Our conversation also delves into the benefits of laying out your influences, originality, and being part of an artistic lineage. Robyn gets hangry at a Renaissance fair and Michelle starts her drawing journey. 

Recorded on June 8th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:30) Intro

Resources:

Brad’s Art School - The Learning to Draw Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6DrQeQ5rI&list=PLinIGX5eeFZLUdWmbfUu0eDdTgTzYuA51

Books mentioned:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/the-artists-way-a-spiritual-path-to-higher-creativity/

Robyn’s Favourites:

Karina Petersen: https://www.karinapetersen.com/

Michelle’s Favourites:

Jordan Rakei: https://www.jordanrakei.com/

James Blake: https://www.jamesblakemusic.com/

John Mayer: https://johnmayer.com/

Courtney Swain (Bent Knee): https://www.courtneyswain.com/

Mark Lettieri: https://www.marklettieri.com/

Links:

Sweetly Affordable Art Fair: https://www.wallcandy.art/saaf-2024

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Follow Stream of Art on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/streamofartpodcast/

Subscribe to Michelle’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64o4jtMmYWJE-7qVoLxtQA

Please feel free to send questions and comments to [email protected]

Connect with like-minded artists and creatives at our Discord server: https://discord.gg/mHa8GSQqsv

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

Being intentional about how we set up our creative spaces can help keep us inspired to make art. In this episode, we suggest ways to make your creative space work for you, explore why creating in solitude might not be necessary for everyone, and why it’s important to not let less-than-ideal circumstances stop you from creating. Robyn continues her creative pause, and Michelle focuses on her album and career.

Recorded on May 25th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:29) Intro

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

In this episode, we tackle the topic of building a creative habit. We start by examining how habits work, with the help of James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, and then offer five strategies to help you get started building your own. Robyn plays Stardew Valley and Michelle begins a full life slow overhaul.

Recorded on May 12th, 2024

Timestamps:

(0:30) Intro

(2:35) Robyn’s last few weeks

(11:53) Michelle’s last few weeks

(15:10) Notion, please sponsor us

(15:31) Some albums to check out

(16:03) Main topic: Building a creative habit

(16:21) How habits work (Atomic Habits)

(21:51) James Clear, please sponsor us

(22:40) Habit Strategy 1: Start Small

(25:08) Habit Strategy 2: Track Your Habit

(31:35) Habit Strategy 3: Don’t Break the Chain, and Learn to Recover When You Do

(42:09) Habit Strategy 4: Pick the Right Time and Consider Your Energy Levels

(47:12) Habit Strategy 5: Develop the Right Mindset

(52:50) Final thoughts

(57:21) Robyn’s next couple of weeks

(57:42) Michelle’s next couple of weeks

(59:03) Outro

Resources, references, and further exploration:

The Easiest Way to Create Recurring Tasks in Notion (2024) - Thomas Frank Explains

Thing. by Courtney Swain and Kyle Harris

The Loop by Jordan Rakei

Don’t break the chain

The Two-Day Rule - Matt D’Avella

Michelle’s blog post How to Build a Regular Practice Habit

Michelle’s blog post Regain Your Rhythm

Michelle’s blog post Focus on the Process, Not on the Prize

Michelle’s blog post Leading and Lagging Indicators

Books mentioned:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Quotes, ideas, and insights:

“Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing.” - Zeno, quoted in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, 7.1.26 (from The Daily Stoic)

“So in the majority of other things, we address circumstances not in accordance with the right assumptions, but mostly by following wretched habit. Since all that I’ve said is the case, the person in training must seek to rise above, so as to stop seeking out pleasure and steering away from pain; to stop clinging to living and abhorring death; and in the case of property and money, to stop valuing receiving over giving.” - Musonius Rufus, Lectures, 6.25.5-11 (from The Daily Stoic)

Links:

Learn more about Robyn at https://www.robynlester.com/

Learn more about Michelle at https://www.michellemonettemusic.com/

Follow Stream of Art on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/streamofartpodcast/

Follow Robyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robynlester.art/

Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemonettemusic/

Subscribe to Michelle’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64o4jtMmYWJE-7qVoLxtQA

Please feel free to send questions and comments to [email protected]

Connect with like-minded artists and creatives at our Discord server: https://discord.gg/mHa8GSQqsv

Credits:

Podcast art by: Robyn Lester

Theme music by: Michelle Monette

Podcast editing by: Michelle Monette