The Light Grey Art Lab Podcast

What keeps us going? How do we navigate the reoccurring complexities of life while still maintaining a creative lifestyle? Is there any real secret, or is this a process unique to each individual? Jenny, Lindsay, James and Calvin discuss this, followed by an interview with visiting artists Bene Rohlmann and Christina Mrozik.

Ohhhhh boy, it’s that season, it’s that time, it’s Halloween, baby! Jenny, Calvin, and James spend this episode spooking each other with stories, grossing each other out, and screaming in the Light Grey Art Lab basement. We barely even talk about art because we’re so caught up in the Halloween spirit! Join us, and we hope you don’t mind some gross eyeball talk.

Join Calvin as he sits down with illustrator, adventurer, Boatist, and comics maker Lucy Bellwood amidst her book tour of 100 Demon Dialogues. The book explores the relationship many creators have with their inner critic/imposter syndrome/anxiety, and is a relatable but oftentimes lighthearted look at this very present "demon".

This episode explores these themes as well as travel, the boundaries of being a working artist, the weirdness of being in the Digital World, and the business of doing all of this while maintaining as healthy of a life as you can! Listen to hear more! (Warning: Some Explicit Language)

Calvin sits down with Dennis Madamba and Kyle Harabedian post-April Blizzard to talk about their recently printed project, Campfire Comics, as well as Autoptic, Minneapolis' upcoming indie comics convention.

Winter in Minneapolis is a time for many things: shoveling, wearing lots of layers, shivering... But it's also a time for learning and researching while cooped up in our respective homes. As we begin our hopeful shift into spring, we take a minute to discuss our favorite books, factoids, fantasies, and life thoughts. We might be getting over colds and the winter blues, but we're all fired up for the coming of productivity and warmth!

In preparation for Winterland, our show celebrating the local craftspeople of Minneapolis, Calvin stops by the letterpress design studio Fontlove in order to speak with the founder, Elana Schwartzman. They discuss the importance of design in social activism, the letterpress process, and what it's like to be a Minneapolis designer. (Note: This podcast was recorded on-site with a portable mic, so we apologize for the audio quality!)

This week's podcast features Megan Nicole Dong and Stu Livingston's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab prior to the Color Anthropology opening reception on Friday, April 21st. Megan is currently a director at Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and still finds time to create hilarious comics under the name Sketchshark, for which she's found a massive audience online. Stu recently finished co-directing "Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie" for Nickelodeon Animation Studios and has previous credits on "Futurama," "Steven Universe" and "Clarence," and his personal comics have appeared in numerous anthologies nationwide. Together they share a bit about their respective backgrounds and journey to where they are now, before turning to the audience for some thoughtful Q&A about work/life balance, fulfilling creative needs, and the nuts and bolts of working in the animation industry.

Just like the title of this podcast, sometimes it's best not to think too hard about things. At our core, we're all a constant swirling evolution of ideas, identity, and goals, and if you have to deliberate over every decision, you might find yourself getting bogged down by it all. For this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris are joined by the newest additions to the Light Grey team, James Lavella and Calvin Bauer, to discuss the art not overthinking decisions and allowing change to happen.

In the final days of 2016, Lindsay and Chris packed up their sleeping bags and headed out to the Pacific Northwest to camp, ski, and hike their way through remote Washington, Olympic National Park, the Hoh Rainforest, and Vancouver Island, Canada. Between the days of exploring the beautiful landscape and nights of sleeping in backwoods shacks or WW2-era tugboats, the pair took a few moments here and there to share the details of their adventure.

Earlier this month, Lindsay was joined by Teagan White on a trip overseas for the U.K. Tarot Conference in London, England. This week's podcast picks up right where last week left off. As you might recall, Teagan and Lindsay had just returned to London after a week of exploring the English countryside. Now, back in London, the dynamic duo recap their urban-themed adventures, from creeping through ancient cemeteries to studying in esoteric museums to signing in empty karaoke bars. Finally, they go deep into ideas and insights gained at the U.K. Tarot Conference, discussing topics about creativity, symbolism, and personal reflection.