Writing and publishing a book is no small feat, so when my friend announced that he was doing a book signing for a novel he had written, I knew that not only would I go to show support for his accomplishment, it was also a perfect artist date to take myself on. 

A book can be many things to many people, and this book is the tangible result of a writer setting a creative goal and sticking to it. Not only did I enjoy the book - which, by the way, is a page-turning modern gothic mystery - I was so proud and happy for him for being successful in his journey to finish it.

I'm even happier to let you know that he was gracious enough to agree to my request when I asked him to record an excerpt for this episode. So, without further ado, please take a listen

below to the full episode and the excerpt.

Buy Grayscale: a novel on Amazon.

Read more about T. Reilly, the author.

T. Reilly will also be appearing at the Collingswood Book Festival on October 6, 2018 in Collingswood, NJ.

A transcript of this episode can be found here.

Revisiting the past can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Reminiscing about the good old days is something we all do, but what if your "good old days" weren't so good? Are our memories an accurate representation of what really happened, or do they, over time, become the stories that we've told ourselves so many times that they've become our reality.

That's the answer I was after when I decided to attend a realtor Open House at the house where I spent my teen years. Decades later, I categorize that time as the most challenging time of my life, so why would I want to go back? What would I find? What could I possibly find that could be considered inspiring?

As it turns out, maybe our memories are a bit faulty.

Stories, the ones we tell each other and the ones we tell ourselves are powerful. Can they be reshaped with a little distance and a little wisdom? Take a listen below to find out.

Learn more about Steven Pressfield here.

View the Zillow Listing here. (I can't guarantee how long this link will stay active).

A transcript of the episode can be found here.

Hidden gems are everywhere if we keep our eyes open.

Today's excursion takes us to New York City's Flower District: one single block in Midtown Manhattan that guarantees to impress and to likely transport you to an outworldly place of beauty and surprise.

Tucked on West 28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, we went looking for inspiration for color and DIY ideas where everyone "in the know" goes for anything floral or greenery-related. We spent the morning among florists, wedding and event planners, anxious hosts, excited brides-to-be and helpful shopkeepers all with one goal in mind: explore the thousands of species of flowers and plants to find just the perfect flower. Perfect shade of pink and purple. Perfect blooms for the perfect event.

So scroll down, take a listen, and visit the mentioned links below to learn more.

Jeremiah's Vanishing New York

Fast Company's "A Beautiful Ode to NYC's Dwindling Flower District"

The New York Times' "A Spin Through the Flower District with Susan Orlean"

The New York Times' "War of the Roses"

A transcript of Episode 104: Hidden Beauty on West 28th Street can be downloaded here.

Hi guys. Today marks a very special day - Episode 103 Day! Thanks as always for checking us out, we know you have a lot of choices in podcasts and we are truly appreciative that we chose to listen.

In this episode we decided to try something a little different than most of the artist dates we have lined up and escape the cold winter weather that we'd been experiencing. As the title of this post gives away, our time today was spent in a Chair Yoga class with a very interesting and mysterious octogenarian, Carolyn.

So scroll down, take a listen, and hear how we were reminded to keep always keep our minds open to new experiences and people. You never know what you might find.

A transcript of Episode 103: Chair Yoga With Carolyn can be downloaded here.

One of the unexpected benefits of this little adventure into podcasting has been happening since I have started chronicling my artist dates. Being a bit of a planner, it's been interesting to see how many cool things there are to do in just a couple of hours and that was definitely the case with this episode.

I'm no stranger to Philadelphia's The Barnes Foundation, but I was a stranger to Slow Art Day, which as it turns out, is a real thing. It seems we now have a "day" for everything: National Chocolate Cake Day (January 27), National Postage Stamp Day (July 1), even the appropriately-time National Doorbell Day (October 31).

But Slow Art Day was new to me. According to the Slow Art Day website, their mission is simple: to help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art. The rules are also simple: sing up at a local museum or gallery, attend and look at four pieces of art slowly, discuss your experience with the host.

Turns out, going slow has some real advantages, when looking at art, and when doing other things too. The Barnes Foundation has a wonderful collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modernist artworks. A trick to making the most of its many rooms and numerous sights to see: go slow...

Scroll down below the photos for the full episode.

From the top left to right, the four works viewed during International Slow Art Day: Edouard Manet's Laundry, Jules Pascin's Cuban Hospitality, Henri Rousseau's Scouts Attacked by a Tiger and Henri Matisse's Dishes and Melon.  Details of each of the four paintings, and a portrait of Dr. Albert C. Barnes by Giorgio de Chirico. All paintings are oil on canvas.

Read the ARTnews article about the beginning of International Slow Art Day.

A transcript of Episode 102: Going Slow at The Barnes Foundation can be downloaded here.

 

Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by. This marks the very first episode of The Enchant Me Podcast and I'm super excited to be here and to get started.

Before I dive into the premiere, I want to mention that you can read all about how the

podcast came to be here. In a nutshell, each week I'll be going on a different excursion that is meant to keep the creative juices flowing and to help me live a more creative life.

The first episode takes us back to post-Edwardian England as my mom and I visited a live exhibition of the beloved PBS show, Downton Abbey. We day-tripped to New York City to experience the Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, which is running through September, 2018.

Part museum, part memory lane, and all dramatic enjoyment, the exhibit showcased many

aspects of the show including sets, costumes and behind-the-scenes info and trivia that is sure to delight the many, many fans the show collected over its six year run.

So take a listen to get the full scoop, and below are some photos that I took to accompany the episode. The full episode is right below the photos.

From the top left, clockwise order: the kitchen, the bell board, the formal dining table, Lady Mary's evening dress, Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson's wedding dress and suit, a selection of dresses including one of the wedding gowns, and Lord Grantham and Henry Talbot's formal wear.

A transcript of Episode 101: Downton Abbey: The Exhibition can be downloaded here.

Music credits:

Enchanted by PunkCatMusic

Gaena by Blue Dot Sessions

from The Free Music Archive

CC BA NC