Gary Trente is a gifted artist who shares wonderful insights into the act of making art and what it means to him, whether he is painting, drawing, or working through the process of creating his next piece.

Even during those periods in his life when he was doing other things, he never stopped thinking about making art.

Check out his profile @garytrente to see some of his beautifully rendered drawings of the buildings and streets of Manhattan.

Lynda Williams is a pioneer in multiple realms

Among many accomplishments, she wrote a 10-book series set in Okal Rel, a universe of her own creation

She shares her thoughts and experiences of writing, being published, connecting with an audience, and creating works of art in the spirit of #slowculture

Learn more about her work at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynda_Williams

Teddy Syrette/Ozhawa Anung Kwe/Yellow Star Woman, who sits in the Wolf Clan, tells compelling stories about their life as a first nation 2Spirit storyteller, actor, artist, and advocate from Sault Ste Marie.

The term '2Spirit' (niizh manidoowag) is a cultural identity that speaks to the long indigeneous history of gender diversity and same-sex relationships in different tribes and nations, which has been muddied and lost over centuries of colonial influence and law.

I relate to his story about connecting with a gay character on TV; I did the same and the relief I felt was equal measures unexpected and inspiring. The power of identifying with positive representations of oneself can never be overestimated.

The residential school system, and the havok it has wrought, should haunt and inform all Canadians. For more on that, you can read my brother's book Valley of the Birdtail.

To stay up to date, you can follow Teddy on instagram @ozhawa_anung_kwe

My conversation with Jocelyn Lee, an artist and photographer based in Portland Maine and Brooklyn New York, made me realize how vulnerability and strength truly complement each other. 

The proof is in her photographs, which marry them in an exquisite way, as landscapes and human forms pass through stages of birth and blossoming, fertility, bounty, fragility, and death.

Jocelyn shares how she feels about challenging herself to take new directions in her work, experimenting with a looser, more surreal style, taking photographs and videos in the dark.

When it comes to vulnerability, "We all work so hard to hide those feelings of insecurity, uncertainty, anxiety...to appear a certain way. All the energy is going into that rather than being present."

Be sure to check out Jocelyn's website jocelynleestudio.com and her work on instagram @jocelynleephotography

I took this opportunity to reflect on what I've heard from the people I've spoken with so far, what it has meant to me in my personal life, and what the podcast is about.

As Nova Scotian artist Nicole Travers explains, her art is "almost like a subtle takeover." We have to be gentle with our selves and spirits. If that bead is not laying quite flat, maybe it's not supposed to.

Nicole works mainly with beads, inspired by traditional quillwork, elaborate Mi'kmaq indigenous patterns, and the loom she built with her father before he passed away. She pursues a boldness that takes people aback.

She stitches modern designs into fish skins she tans herself with natural dyes, highlighting personal, family, and cultural identities, and creating art intimately linked with heritage, belonging, and good prayers.

Learn more about Nicole's work on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-travers-9792038a/?originalSubdomain=ca

Erika Doyon, tattoo artist and owner of Studio Artease in Montréal, shares stories about the art of tattooing, mentoring artists, and her remarkable grandmother.

Getting tattooed puts people in a vulnerable state. In those moments she plays two roles, both tattoo artist and therapist, creating body art in her own style that delivers on client desires.

Her grandmother made a living as a painter from the age of 30. From a start studying illustration and design in school, Erika worked office jobs until jumping headlong into a tattoo apprenticeship. She continues to make abstract oil paintings when she can make the time for personal art, alongside running her tattoo studio.

Learn more about Erika at studioartease.com and on instagram @artease

Mary Ann Becker shares her experiences and insights into photography on the streets of Paris and we talk about the challenges of expressing ourselves through different media.

She describes her experiences at school, enjoying the magic of the kiln (as a sculptor), and then using the camera to capture experiences out in the world, waiting to see what images emerged - maybe 6 good ones out of 36 - while playing invisible pool, not looking when pressing the shutter.

It's so important to play, to believe in ourselves, and to trust in how we choose to live our lives. Trust in the elements of chance and surprise.

Learn more about Mary Ann's work at maryannbecker.com

Jianli Wu is a concept artist who visualizes character ideas for video games and explains how AAA video game development depends on a few highly skilled artists driven by passion.

He shares how painting sexy beautiful men changed his life, while working in a straight male industry targeting a straight male audience, in line with market demands. 

We can never underestimate the importance of being open with ourselves if we want to create our best work. You have to be honest with at least a part of yourself to be able to share work that means something. Then go for it.

You can explore Jianli's art online at artstation.com/jianliwu and on instagram @jianliwuart

Jeanne Quinn became a ceramic installation artist and professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Colorado by way of the Art Shack at music camp.

She's enraptured by the role clay has played at the heart of every civilization that has ever existed, including the relationship of ceramics with food (with a great story about the unique vessels created in Europe to be able to drink hot chocolate made from cacao imported from South America).

Imagine not being able to sleep at night because you're obsessed with cups, because there's so much to learn about something that can be taken for granted. Many of us have lost the sense of richness and diversity of objects designed to serve, which can vary even by the number of people we're setting the table for.

As Jeanne says, we're vulnerable when we're eating. Consider vulnerability as a willingness to being hurt, showing your heart through what's important to you.

Be sure to check out her work at jeannequinnstudio.com and on instagram @quinnje1957