Change—even when it’s for the best—is hard. Merideth shares a time when she was surprisingly resistant to change and offers one way of viewing our creative work as an offering and invitation into hope. She’ll answer a listener’s creative conundrum about creative blocks, plus share a special announcement.
26: The Purpose in Play
This week on the podcast Merideth explores the purpose we may find in play, how making space for unstructured, unproductive, purely playful activities can lead us all to deeper creative joy and might even help us uncover our next step or truer purpose.
25: Letting Go
This week, Merideth explores the art of letting go. Is it beautiful or just plain painful? She’ll share her thoughts on how it can be an expected part of the creative process and a road to healing.
This week’s artwork is by Emie Hughes of Blue Jar, LLC. To read more about the cyanotype process and purchase her work click here, view her instagram here, or her etsy shop here.
Learn more about the Pixis piano quartet here.
Submit a creative conundrum here.
24: Failure
This week Merideth takes on the tough topic of failure. She’ll offer 3 tips for processing, bouncing back, and cultivating a healthy sense of self outside of our art form or roles in life.
Hear the full recording of Beethoven’s Sonatina for Mandolin here.
23: Artist with a capital A
Hands down the most common statement in Merideth's inbox about the show is--"I love your show but I am not an artist!" This week Merideth explores this conundrum...who gets to call themselves an Artist with a capital A? She'll share a quote from an inspiring book about creativity, plus offer some insights on how to unclip the wings of your inner artist and perhaps find healing in the process.
22: Rest
Do you know how to rest? This week Merideth explores the full spectrum of rest from an artist's perspective-- from mind-numbing TV to the REM cycles of the coveted 8 hours of sleep. She explores one writer's idea on how to do nothing, how we might translate our knack for creativity into a practice of restorative rest, and how this idea is built right into the creative process itself.
Read more about Jenny Odell's book here.
Listen to Jessica X. Osborne here.
Download Jason Blythe's music here.
21: Some Dreams Take a Lifetime
This week, in our 20th episode, Merideth looks at the themes within the theme. Ever feel like you are losing hope in the face of disappointments or detours? Merideth will share her experience of those feelings, plus something we all have in common with child prodigies. She'll help us all celebrate the twists and turns of the long game that an artist's life often involves.
Listen to Angela Sheik's full version of the theme song here.
Help us celebrate the 20th episode milestone by leaving us a review.
20: Tuning In To Your Inner Dialogue
Do you hear the voices? The inner voices that chastise or criticize you at every turn? This week on the podcast, Merideth explores how we all might tune in to our unique inner dialogues. Listen to learn how defining the negative voices inside your mind can help quiet their chatter, plus other tips. Lastly, don’t miss the exclusive offer for podcast listeners that goes live soon---listen to learn more!
Download your companion worksheet here
Take advantage of the special offering for podcast listeners here
19: How to Feel Better
Six months into this pandemic (here in the US, anyway), Merideth checks in and offers one idea about why so many of us may be struggling anew right now. She’ll share her experience with the Abraham Hick’s Emotional Guidance Scale (image below), used as a tool for self-regulation of emotions. This week’s episode features the music of Schubert, Grieg, Elgar, Debussy, Vivaldi, and Salvatore Di Vittorio, performed by Chamber Orchestra of NY. (Don't worry: the phrases “unprecedented times” or “the new normal” will never appear in this podcast! OK... well... almost never...)
18: The Art of Studying and Teaching with Joy
This week Merideth explores how arts training can burn us out or zap our creativity. She’ll propose some ideas for staying joyful as we study or teach our art form, like naming and claiming your creative impulse, finding your tribe, and more. This episode features music of the most popular composer you’ll hear in any classical music school—J.S. Bach. Don’t forget to download your worksheet here to answer the prompts she mentioned in the show.
Click here if you are in crisis and need support right now.
17: Bonus Content: The Well, a visualization
This week, in lieu of a full episode, Merideth shares a visualization exercise that explores our thirst for self-acceptance and worthiness. Join her on this guided daydream of sorts to explore the concept of an inner well; a source we all might draw from on the journey. This episode features music of Seth Waldron, Joseph McDade and Angela Sheik.
Read more about the science behind visualization here.
Read a transcript of the exercise here.
16: Do (Not) Read the Comments
Ever read the comments and then swiftly regret it? Wonder how to manage criticism, the need for recognition, the desire to be applauded, especially in this age of the internet? Merideth shares some personal advice that one of her favorite writers offered on the subject. Plus, an alternative: how we might draw a sense of value and recognition from a different source.
15: Self-care
In this episode, Merideth shares some practical tips for taking care of yourself. Interwoven with music of Chopin, Swift/Rose, Piazzolla, and Bach, you’ll hear a special three part “Ode to Taking Good Care” inspired by the email signature of her therapist.
14: The Stories We Tell Ourselves
What stories do you tell yourself about your life? This week Merideth explores this concept and how we artists can find courage to change our inner narratives and rewrite the ending. This episode features music of Schubert, Schumann, and Sheik, performed by Andrew Parker, oboe and Alan Huckleberry, piano.
13: Being a Beginner
This week Merideth explores the joy in being a beginner. Listen if you’re looking for grace, patience, or courage to try something new, change directions, or attempt a do-over. Merideth shares about her attempts to learn German, answers a piece of listener mail from a fellow artist struggling with the pandemic, and more. This episode features music of Haydn, Sheik, Debussy, and Ravel.
Nominate us for the 2020 Podcast Awards.
Join the next Artist’s Way Creative Cluster starting September 1st, 2020 via Zoom.
12: Buried Dreams
Italian Renaissance sculptor, Michelangelo, said, "I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free." This week Merideth explores buried dreams, what our tantrums say about us, and the hope we can find when we have the courage to dig. This week’s podcast features music of Sheik, Schumann, Saint-Saëns, and Ravel. Plus, illustrator Mike Cunningham repurposed Michelangelo's "Atlas Slave" for this week's artwork.
Listen to music from the show here.
Learn more about Michelangelo's process as a subtractive sculptor
Register for the Enneagram workshop here
11: Belonging
Where do you belong? This week Merideth dives into this question, reflecting on her own upbringing in small-town South Carolina. She explores how artists might find community and friendship by showing up as themselves and using their artist-eye to love others well.
10: Procrastination
Are you a procrastinator? This week on the podcast Merideth explores the role procrastination can play in an artist’s life. She proposes a few reasons why we may put things off and shares some ideas to help us keep moving.
Read the Procrastination Research Group study that Merideth mentions in this episode.
Nominate us for the 2020 Podcast Awards here! Voting closes July 31st so don’t put this one off ;)
9: Hearing
This week Merideth remembers the most meaningful course she's ever taken, and how it reminds her that even with highly trained ears, we can be unconscious to the sounds of our own lives telling us who we are. With music of Milhaud, Bach, Faure, and Ravel, she dives deep into the topic and the task of "hearing" our lives speak.
Check out the bonus content for this episode on our website here.
Have you been or are you currently creatively blocked? Wanna talk about it? Click here.
8: Body Image
This week Merideth takes on the topic of body image and how hatred for our bodies stops us from finding joy in the artist life. She shares a bit about her personal struggles with self acceptance and offers an idea that helps her find self-compassion on the darkest days.
Check out the gallery of visual art submissions mentioned in the episode here.
Have you been or are you currently creatively blocked? Wanna talk about it? Click here.