Shows
Fain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast43: A fierce devotion to the beauty of the ordinary w/ Emileigh ZolaYears ago, a class Emileigh Zola signed up for was canceled last minute and she ended up in a traditional broom making class. This serendipitous turn of events put her on the path to what would become a big love of her life as well as her main livelihood. It's more than just how good it feels to make things with our hands, Emileigh has what she describes as "a fierce devotion to the beauty of the ordinary." A special, handmade broom meant for sweeping your floor can help transform the "blah" of an everyday chore into more of...2023-05-0135 min
Fain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast42: Creativity as a language that moves us beyond words w/ Ginger HuebnerThe medium where Ginger Huebner feels most at home is the mixing of collage and chalk. Trained as an architect she realized that what called to her more than how a building was designed and put together was how a space "felt." She now uses these mixed media as a way to translate those feelings and, in her words, considers the process her second language. She reminds us that creativity comes in many forms, that we all have our own creative language and that developing our sense of creative freedom and choice is incredibly important no matter our age...2022-12-2030 min
Fain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast41: Building it is just the beginning w/ Lindsey LidenLindsey Liden has had quite a few creative step-stones in his life. He has played full drum kit for a punk band, painted huge colorful wall paintings that couldn't even fit into his car, worked in various restaurant kitchens, toured as a fiddle player and completed a university degree in classical percussion. Little did he know that all steps would lead to his now career as a banjo builder and fine woodworker. Though he now has a working studio next to his wife's ceramic studio, and just across the field from my very own studio (did I mention he...2022-12-1342 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast40: Start Where You Are w/ Jason PiersonQuilter, natural dyer, Jason Pierson has all kinds of ways of folding his making life into his work and family life. Sometimes it means working on smaller wall hangings rather than large, full-scale quilts. Sometimes it means stirring the dye pot on the stove in-between work meetings on his computer or always having his hand sewing nearby, road trips and visits with friends included. He reminds us that much foraging for natural dyes can be done even along your average roadside, that you don't need any special permission to try something new and that dabbling just might help you...2022-11-0938 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast39: Making something from nothing w/ Rachel YearickSeamstress, quilter, mom of three, Rachel Yearick, loves to sew so much and has sewn for so long that she doesn't even remember learning how. At some point she found herself with a big batch of tossed king size, hotel sheets from the second hand shop and started experimenting with natural dying. Eventually these sheets got cut into pieces and became a source for her dress fabrics. She now makes and sells beautiful dresses with quilt-square panels that run down the front. The enjoyment that comes from making something from nothing is huge in her life and is a...2022-11-0141 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast38: Facing the Blank Canvas w/ Hannah SengPainter, fiddler, banjo player Hannah Seng feels deeply that not matter what we say, we're all creative. We put so much pressure on ourselves to do things just right, even from the beginning, forgetting that we are just not going to hit the mark the first time and that's ok. Hannah knows from experience that it all boils down to alot of repeating of gestures by regularly "doing the thing." Though it's not easy and takes lots of humility and patience to get through to the other side, it's so worth it! Hannah reminds us that there is real...2022-10-2555 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast37: Move your feet w/ Becky HillDance has been the main guiding force in Becky Hill's life. Her love of, and involvement in, percussive dance has quite literally shaped friends she's made and places she's been. With banjo playing and square dance calling added to the mix, Appalachian music and dance traditions have become a sacred connection to place and community for her. She reminds us that some of our creative loves may be relaxed and informal (like playing tunes in the kitchen) and others may be arduous and complicated (like pushing the envelope of your craft or medium, especially if you are making it...2022-09-2240 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast36: We are all born creative w/ Kate KingFor Kate King the world of creativity has always felt like a safe place to be. As an artist, author, licensed counselor, art therapist and creator of the Radiant Life Project, Kate's approach to overall wellness is to honor the connection point where psyche meets spirit meets art. This holistic perspective of using art for healing, growth and insight involves a mix of clinical analysis with what she describes as "the warmth and accessibility of creativity." Making art can be healing in itself and it can also be an incredible way through the back door into a person's unconscious...2022-09-1538 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast35: Dreaming in real time w/ Kelcey LoomerShould you make just what you know will sell or just what your heart wants to make? Or both? This question and many more flow through Kelcey Loomer's head as she paints for hours at her canvas. Working mostly with oils and prepared mixed media surfaces, on both large and small scales, she finds inspiration from everything to time in the woods and her kids to facing grief and a new favorite song put on repeat. She describes her process as "dreaming in real time" and as a type of meditative state that has been incredibly healing to her...2022-09-0742 min
Fain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast34: That feeling is worth a million bucks w/ Margaret CogswellMargaret Cogswell's artistic style appears, at first glance, childlike. With closer inspection is comes clear that much contemplative and technical savior faire goes into each piece she creates. Her range of mediums include everything from paper mâché sculpture and artist books to mixed media crowns that can really, truly be worn on your head. After years raising her two children, she decided that the time had come to apply for a live-in artist in residence program at Penland School of Crafts while still juggling her family life (and she got it!). It was the first time in her li...2022-08-0851 min
Fain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast33: Enjoying the process w/ Annie ErbsenAnnie Erbsen grew up in a musical family and as a child equated people jamming in the kitchen as community. She later studied and worked as a physicist which she describes as "using math as your toolbox to figure out literally every thing about the universe, known and unknown," and as one of the most satisfying creative times of her life. Her varied and fun list of endeavors include being a soap maker in Italy, a learner of waltzes on the fiddle, swing dancer, cooking instructor with a focus on gluten-free cooking, a maker of ceramics, and as a...2022-06-0728 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast32: Finding gratitude for the road blocks w/ David HughesIn his college years David Hughes was a guitar/banjo playing math major who converted vehicles to run on restaurant waste grease. As the years passed he found himself in a stressful, all consuming job, but the desire to take his music more seriously never left him. He has since taken the leap and now teaches music, works for his local arts council and has made a record inspired by his love for old American music (specifically Piedmont blues, old-time string band music and ballad singers of his native state of North Carolina.) He reminds us that enjoying music...2022-05-1729 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast31: Exploration is Inspiration w/ Jen SwearingtonJen Swearington's creative life seems to boil down to one main thing: A strong sense of curiosity which has led to a love of constant learning. Though she is most known for her textiles her creative ideas span a range of media including paper cutting, bookarts, drawing, quilts and sculpture. Drawn by the belief that art is everywhere, she finds inspiration not only from international travel and artist residencies, but also from walking out of her own front door and simply looking around and being open to what's out in front of her. She reminds us that it's ok...2022-05-0455 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast30: The power of accumulation w/ Géraud BarralonMusician, singer, builder of things (and my very own husband) Géraud Barralon is a great believer in the power of accumulation. If you have something new you want to learn or a skill you want to maintain, take just 15 minutes every day and you will start to see, what he describes as, "positive consequences." In his mind, song and music are spiritual food and are things meant to be shared. If shyness or insecurity is what you are struggling with it's important to start by acknowledging that it's truly meaningful to you and to do whatever you can t...2022-04-1235 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast29: Creativity is a kind of concentrated mindfulness w/ Daniel Nevins.Daniel Nevins is a painter turned psychotherapist. Looking back he thinks that even as a painter he was, in a sense, trying to do "some form of therapy...with shapes and colors." Though he still paints, his work as a therapist has shifted his perspective in a way that he describes as "the change from being the painter to being the painting." He reminds us that one of the best ways to turn the dial down on anxiety is to be involved in a task that takes all of our concentration and because this is an element of being...2022-04-0643 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast28: Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness w/ Zak FosterImprov quilter extraordinaire Zak Foster's specialties are memory quilts, burial quilts and community quilts made with salvaged and repurposed materials in his self-described wonky, free-form style. All is connected to his main project of "how to live the good life." After years of planning and prep he made the leap from his day job into the world of self employment where he pursues what he calls the "community quilting bee instinct." Quilts are a great excuse to get together and there is much richness in the idea that everyone brings their offerings with them and that when our hands...2022-03-2240 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast27: Creating a life of craft w/ Jessica KaufmanJessica Kaufman loves passing on what she knows so much that she created a masters degree in Craft Education. She has experience in various mediums both as a maker and a teacher including knitting, group harmony singing, hand dying and developing craft focused businesses. After years leading the craft cabin at the camp where she worked, she realized she could take all she did to order, organize and teach at camp and use it as a model for creating her own business. You can now visit her storefront Waxon Batik & Hand Dying Studio in West Asheville, NC and try...2022-03-0134 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast26: Sparks of Inspiration w/ Jessica JohnsonBy the age of six Jessica Johnson was already hooked on singing and loved collecting her seashell, snake skin, rock "treasures." Eventually she picked up the guitar, studied herbalism and wellness, started a garden and became a mother. Through struggles along the way she has found that lots of healing and creativity can come from being in community with others. She reminds us that if you need to take a break or hit the reset button on your creative path, tell yourself you'll be back again some day soon and always stay open to the sparks of inspiration as...2022-02-0231 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast25: Play accordion? "No way!" w/ Rachel BellWhen Rachel Bell's grandmother suggested she pick up the accordion her answer was "No way!" Eventually her education in music led her straight back to the accordion and this time around she fell in love. It's different than other instruments in a variety of ways and as Rachel says, "you can strap it on, it welds into your body and you can feel the vibrations as you play." Collaboration is where her heart is. It's a way to be in good company with fellow musicians she admires, exchange ideas and also be inspired to try something she wouldn't have...2022-01-2533 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast24: Sometimes the distance between dreaming and doing is our biggest hurdle w/ Alex McLeodWe are all on a quest for a more satisfying life in our own ways and Alex McLeod is no different. With the support of his family he chose to leave his corporate job in exchange for a bit of financial struggle paired with the opportunity for more daily life happiness. His working theory is that each of us has a genetic memory for things like living in community, being outdoors in all its forms and working with our hands. This is why making more room in our lives for what we consider truly valuable feels right and good...2022-01-1836 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast23: Give yourself space & hold yourself up w/ Erica Stankwytch BaileyThrough the years designer/jeweler/metalsmith Erica Stankwytch Bailey started to figure out who she was as an artist and that, in fact, she had always known it. She is now sure that all the "I should"s and "I have to be"s might be the biggest barriers we all face, both in daily life and in creative life. As we are all on that quest for the enigma that is balance we have to give ourselves space to have crash and burns. Everything we make isn't supposed to be a success. It turns out "fail" is a...2021-12-1548 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast22: Perfectionism and beauty are not the same thing w/ Hannah BurnworthWhy are we compelled to make? For mixed-media collage artist, Hannah Burnworth, it is something so deep inside that it's hard to get in touch with it until she's doing it. She says making art makes her feel good about herself and it "pulls the joy out of the inside" of her. She reminds us that the more and more we make, the more that deep part of ourselves is fed and it becomes bigger and bigger. When our brains are in the way and we have a fear of moving ahead it might be because we don't want...2021-11-2347 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast21: Take the idea that art does heal and fold it into your own making w/ Elizabeth GarlingtonElizabeth Garlington describes herself as a treasure hunter. She goes into her studio, gathers her collected treasures (fabrics, threads, buttons and imagery), gets in the flow and comes out with narrative art quilts meant to hang on the wall while sharing a story of human experience. She believes it's important to "play hard at work and work hard at play" and that if you are stuck, go in your studio anyway and know that often when we focus on process rather than product our work turns out better. She reminds us not to wait for inspiration before we make...2021-10-2629 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast20: Inspiration is all around w/ Karl EngelmannKarl Engelmann is a producer of food and music (including an annual Christmas album!). He discovered early on that work in kitchens dovetailed nicely with his calling to be a musician. He would sometimes work all day in the restaurant, leave to play a night-time gig, sleep a few hours and then show up again for his work shift. As the years passed, and as adult responsibilities increased, he found himself as a chef in the corporate world with endless work hours, rare family time and too worn out to create his music. Realizing this wasn't sustainable he and...2021-10-1229 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast19: Your practicing is hidden in your playing w/ Riley BaugusHailing from Walkertown, NC Riley Baugus has had all kinds of amazing experiences because of his banjo, everything from being part of the musical line-up for film Cold Mountain, to touring with Willy Nelson, to meeting his wife in England. When he was a kid, making things meant they had things...all the way down to his first banjo he and his dad made together around age 10. He reminds us that making mistakes can actually be fun and that if you worry too much it can be detrimental to your cause. It makes it harder to learn things if...2021-09-2851 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast18: There are many different pathways to get somewhere w/ Annie SilvermanAnnie Silverman always knew she was an artist, but it wasn't until her 30s that she had the courage to make the leap. Now, after doing and teaching printmaking, writing and bookarts for years she feels like it is really brave for people to take a class in something they don't know anything about and that if they are provided with good materials and interesting options a beginner can easily have success. She reminds us that there are many different pathways to get somewhere...just keep working and eventually you are going to like something and then that's going...2021-09-1437 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast17. Living the creative life can be as simple as a walk in the garden, singing a song or even whipping up your favorite cornbread recipe w/ Tipper Pressley.When Tipper Pressley opens a jar of home canned tomatoes and she sees that beautiful red color she says, "It's almost like I can feel the sunshine and remember myself starting the seed, planting it in the garden, then nurturing it and harvesting it with the sun on my arms, processing it...and then there you are eating it on a cold winter day." Maybe the way to a creative life is as simple as loving that certain color of tomato red, being close enough to the land to notice small signs of the changing of the seasons, working...2021-08-3124 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast16. Believe, believe again and when in doubt believe some more w/ Karen HurtubiseKaren's creative endeavors range from being a farmer of ginger and turmeric and seasoned massage therapist to resident artist for gardening & homesteading, nature studies, soap making and story telling for the John C. Campbell Folk School. Though she's happy to be living her dream, there have been times in her life when her dream started to look like a nightmare. In those moments she tapped into her super power for constant curiosity which, combined with a willingness to stay open to possibility, brought the dream back in shapes and forms she couldn't imagine. She reminds us that even when w...2021-08-0435 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast15: If you're getting a lot of joy from it, keep doing it w/ Ian BrownleeIan Brownlee dreamed of being an animator and once in art school realized that the reality didn't match the dream. His search for his destined art form continued and he now finds himself an oil painter, mural painter, writer and musician living by his motto "Go places and make things." Though at certain points his entire income has come from painting, he now appreciates his day job as a way to take the pressure off his art making and in a way, protect it. He reminds us that time in nature can be the ultimate recharge, that if you...2021-07-2132 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast14: Feeding your creative soul radiates out into the world w/ Albert JerezOne day Albert realized that it wasn't people or things outside of him that would heal him. After bouts of depression and a challenging education in what he calls "the school of hard knocks" (a.k.a. life as an adult and young father of two) he had a wakeup call. It was time in nature, time in his ceramics studio and time in quiet contemplation that fed his soul and made it possible for him to radiate all the good he had to offer into the world around him. He encourages us to "live our lives like jazz,"...2021-07-0739 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast13. Step up, take a seat at the table and own it w/ Atiyeh GhanbariWe all know that when there is something our heart wants to do we should just dive in and do it. We also know that this simple idea is often easier said than done. Leadership coach, Atiyeh Ghanbari reminds us that designing your own life is not only possible, but also an ultimate creative act. After gaining a huge love for books from her father, making homes in different countries, tackling a university degree in French (not her native language) followed by years in the corporate world leading teams, large and small, in English (also not her native language...2021-06-2336 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast12. Make your life a work of art w/ Hannah LevinPotter, singer song writer, yoga instructor, Ayurveda practitioner and personal health coach Hannah Levin's motto is "Make your life a work of art." Though being multi-passionate has meant different things to her at different times, she has remained faithful to the ebb and flow and enjoys the fact that her different mediums of focus are now overlapping in nice ways in her present work. She encourages all of us to find simple ways to honor our health so that there are fewer barriers between us and our creative inspirations. This could be waking before the sun and letting your...2021-06-0845 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast11. Not forcing it combined with pure persistence might just be the supportive combo you are seeking w/ Heather Stewart HarveySometimes the answer to overwhelm in art (and in life) is to narrow the infinite number of possibilities down from a great many to a limited few. After a number of enjoyable years as an academic librarian and documentary film maker/teacher Heather Stewart Harvey has found great freedom in this idea as it applies to her main passion of the moment: ceramics. Endless shades of gray, a minimal aesthetic, play with shadow, a focus on form and choosing hand building over wheel throwing because it fits into her start-and-stop work schedule are all part and parcel of a...2021-06-0135 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast10. It's really ok to be all about what makes you happy w/ Melissa Weaver DunningWhat if we want to knit a pair of socks with skulls on them? What if we want to learn the old songs of the Gaelic lands or grab a concertina? Well. If that's what calls you, then you should just get to it. Melissa Weaver Dunning understands this feeling and has plenty of experiences spinning, knitting, natural dyeing and hand weaving that overlap with great stories, traditional music and a desire to choose a life for it's rich variety over the money that may or may not flow in. Melissa reminds us that sometimes these choices mean more...2021-05-2543 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast9. Put down the Facebook and pick up the banjo w/ Jim PankeyMulti-instrumentalist, performer, teacher and award winning yo-yoer Jim Pankey decided one day to quit his day job as a banker and pursue a career as a professional musician. He now mixes "old-timey" traditional tunes and teaching on banjo, ukulele and mandolin with "new-timey" technologies such as YouTube to put his work out into the world. He encourages students to always keep their instrument out and to practice their banjo a little bit every day that they brush their teeth. Added Bonus: Jim plays a tune for us at the end of the episode!
See Jim's lessons & free...2021-05-1834 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast8. Having great teachers paired with practicing motor skills make for a great start in your creative journey no matter the medium w/ Lauren deSerresLauren deSerres went from explorations with clay, sculpture, wood carving and toy making to becoming a mixed media painter, art teacher and raiser of chickens. She experienced an improved emotional quality of life when she decided to become a self-employed, full-time artist. Though some days are full of accounting rather than painting, it remains her happy place...especially if she sticks to her morning ritual of starting each day with yoga. She shares that art making isn't all magic and inspiration, it is also practicing seeing well and noticing combined with lots of motor skills practice and getting your...2021-05-1031 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast7. If you're always filling your pockets with inspiration, there will surely be a new idea there for you when you need it w/ Melissa Engler & Graeme Priddle.Melissa and Graeme are partners in life and partners in work. They share a love for nature, tiny house building and learning old-time banjo and are known internationally for their collaborative sculptural wood art. Though a life of constant collaboration isn't always easy and juggling the emotions that come with Graeme having left New Zeland to make his home with Melissa in the U.S. can be very challenging, they have a great respect for each other's aesthetics, level of technique and care for the protection of our planet. Life and art are always a work in progress and...2021-05-0442 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast6. Life should not be so incredibly hard when you've got friends and community that you can share it with w/ Nanette DavidsonMusic, art and dance have pulled Nanette through both the good times and the bad. Everything from her background in weaving, cooking & Morris dancing to intergeneration friendships to super tasty shortcuts for family dinner making to parades with large puppets have helped her deal with life's ups and downs. She agrees that creative expression is good for all of us and therefore good for those around us and therefore good for the entire planet...on so many levels.
Check out the John C. Campbell Folk School Cookbook by Nanette: https://craftshop.folkschool.org/products/folk-school-cookbook
See w...2021-04-2735 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast5. No one can change what you have in your mind or in your heart...creativity included w/ Misty KelischeckHead of a cosmetology department, mother and mixed media painter Misty Kelischeck admits that creative thoughts pass through her mind all day long. Though those thoughts may not make it onto paper or canvas, no one/nothing can change what we have in our mind or in our hearts, not even the constant flow of daily responsibilities. She reminds us that there is always a place for color studies, thinking like a designer, collecting inspiration where you can find it and even sometimes being a little obstinate in defense of your own creative life.
Check out Misty's w...2021-04-2032 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast4. Art is one of the great reasons to be alive w/ Georgia SmithReader and writer, bookmaker and encaustic painter Georgia Smith is now also training to be a therapist. She thinks often about the place of creativity in our lives and reflects here on how it is a different process for each of us often involving both internal and external struggles. Some are healed through the making of art/music/dance/etc. Others have to face the struggles that keep them from actively making and that it is in fact art that is worth healing for.
See some of Georiga's writing here:
- https://www.thegreatsmokiesreview.org/2018/poetry...2021-04-1440 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast3. Pursuing your creative endeavors is a way to get your internal needs met w/ Tom LidenCommercial and fine art photographer, painter, traveler and mentor Tom Liden shares stories of everything from homesteading and being a solopreneur to how long commutes make for good thinking time and supportive parents can have a huge impact on your creative journey, even if they don't exactly understand it.
Learn more about Tom's work here: http://www.tomliden.com/
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Donate to support this podcast: https://paypal.me/anniefain...2021-04-0232 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast2: Doing art can be a way of coming home w/ Greta DietrichMulti-media artist, metalsmith, designer, owner of Woodwise Botanicals and mother of two reminds us that sometimes it's more important to choose the creative project over the dirty dishes. Even when her 3 year old took a hammer to one of her gallery pieces and when making a business of art with children around means constant interruptions she holds true to her own advice, "Keep dreaming. Don't stop."
Learn more about Greta here:
https://www.instagram.com/greta.dietrich
https://www.instagram.com/woodswise_botanicals/?hl=en
Visit her etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com...2021-04-0135 minFain House Radio: Creative Living Podcast1: How being "hell-bent" is an important part of your creative path w/ Aubrey AtwaterMulti-instrumentalist, singer, dancer and poet Aubrey Atwater shares stories about how being "hell-bent" has been a key ingredient in staying true to her creative path despite the many life challenges that have come along the way. (She also sings us one of her original songs!)
Learn more about Auburey here: https://www.atwater-donnelly.com/
See Aubrey dance & play banjo at the same time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HMHyjVhqKs
Signup for our email list: www.bit.ly/FainHouse
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/FainHouse
Instagram: www.instagram...2021-04-0149 minFain House Radio: Creative Living PodcastFain House Radio TrailerWelcome to Fain House Radio. I'm so glad you're here.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fain-house-radio/message2021-03-0801 min