Shows
TerrestrialsThe Hybrid: A Miracle MuleIn the game of life, every species is like an action figure. You got your dogs and your dung beetles, your bald eagles and your blueberries. And for a long time scientists believed it was pretty much impossible for those action figures to mix and make a new kind of action figure that was able to have its own babies (dog beetles? Baldberries? Nah). But, today we tell the story of a four-legged beast in Kentucky whose existence is upending scientific beliefs. If you want a big fat SPOILER, here it is: the creature in question is a mule...
2025-11-1335 min
TerrestrialsThe Unimaginable: How Gravitational Waves (Literally) Rocked Our WorldOver a billion lightyears ago, in the darkness of outer space, a collision of black holes sent out a fleet of invisible waves that were headed right toward planet Earth. The waves were so powerful they could ripple spacetime but most people on Earth didn't believe the waves were real. SPOILER ALERT: The waves are called gravitational waves and…they are real! Astrophysicist Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced tells the story of what happened when they hit Earth in 2015 and how scientists came to learn to use senses beyond eyesight to detect the waves. We also learn from Dr. Sta...
2025-09-1126 min
Slate AdviceHow To Draw Outside the LinesDrawing isn’t just child’s play. It’s a shortcut to joy, presence, and connection—all things we could use a lot more of these days. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on artist, graphic journalist, and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton to explain how everyone at the grown-ups table can start drawing, too.
Courtney’s blind contour drawing
If you liked this episode check out: How To Be an Artist and Not Starve
Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or lea...
2025-06-1738 min
Slate Culture FeedHow To Draw Outside the LinesDrawing isn’t just child’s play. It’s a shortcut to joy, presence, and connection—all things we could use a lot more of these days. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on bestselling illustrator, graphic journalist, and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton to explain how everyone at the grown-ups table can start drawing, too.
Courtney’s blind contour drawing
If you liked this episode check out: How To Be an Artist and Not Starve
Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or...
2025-06-1741 min
Slate ConversationsHow To Draw Outside the LinesDrawing isn’t just child’s play. It’s a shortcut to joy, presence, and connection—all things we could use a lot more of these days. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on artist, graphic journalist, and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton to explain how everyone at the grown-ups table can start drawing, too.
Courtney’s blind contour drawing
If you liked this episode check out: How To Be an Artist and Not Starve
Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or lea...
2025-06-1738 min
Slate Daily FeedHow To Draw Outside the LinesDrawing isn’t just child’s play. It’s a shortcut to joy, presence, and connection—all things we could use a lot more of these days. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on artist, graphic journalist, and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton to explain how everyone at the grown-ups table can start drawing, too.
Courtney’s blind contour drawing
If you liked this episode check out: How To Be an Artist and Not Starve
Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or lea...
2025-06-1741 min
How To!How To Draw Outside the LinesDrawing isn't just child's play. It's a shortcut to joy, presence, and connection—all things we could use a lot more of these days. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on artist, graphic journalist, and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton to explain how everyone at the grown-ups table can start drawing, too. Courtney's blind contour drawing If you liked this episode check out: How To Be an Artist and Not Starve Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a...
2025-06-1737 min
TerrestrialsThe Water Walker: One Surfer’s Epic EscapeThe ocean can be a scary place: the waves are so strong, the water so deep. But surfer and illustrator AJ Dungo tells the story of an earthling who figured out how to walk on water and literally defy the rules of gravity. If you want a big SPOILER, here it is: It’s only human for the season, the grandfather of modern-day surfing, Duke Kahanamoku. Duke’s great grandniece, Heather Kina’u Paoa tells us about what Duke’s life was really like. We learn about the physics of surfing, and how surfing is an escape, not just on a spi...
2025-04-0229 min
TerrestrialsThe Trio: A Bald Eagle Love StoryHigh above the banks of the Mississippi river, a nest holds the secret life of one of America’s most patriotic creatures. Their story puzzles scientists, reinforces indigenous wisdom, and wows audiences, all thanks to a park ranger named Ed, and a well-placed webcam. If you want to spoil the mystery, here ya go: it’s a bald eagle. Actually, it’s three bald eagles. A mama bird and daddies make a home together for over a decade and give new meaning to our national symbol.
Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the sto...
2025-04-0227 min
GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine PodcastImages of the Dying: A Podcast with Wendy MacNaughton, Lingsheng Li, and Frank OstaseskiCan death be portrayed as beautiful? In this episode, we share the joy of talking with Wendy MacNaughton (artist, author, graphic journalist) and Frank Ostaseski (Buddhist teacher, author, founder of the Metta Institute and Zen Hospice Project) about using drawings and images as tools for creating human connections and processing death and dying. You may know Wendy as the talented artist behind Meanwhile in San Francisco or Salt Fat Acid Heat. Our focus today, however, was on her most recently published book titled How to Say Goodbye. This beautiful book began as a very personal...
2024-10-0349 min
People I (Mostly) AdmireDrawing from Life (and Death) (Update)Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay. SOURCE:Wendy MacNaughton, artist and graphic journalist. RESOURCES:"What Happens if Two Complete Strangers Draw Each Other?" video by the National Gallery of Art (2024).How to Say Goodbye, by Wendy MacNaughton (2023)."How to Have Fun Again," by Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2022)."Inside America’s War Court: Clothing and Culture at Guantánamo Bay," by Carol Rosenbe...
2024-09-211h 01
How to Feel AliveTalking Creativity with Wendy MacNaughton"Drawing for me is like a meditation and a joy. It's a time for myself. It centers me. If I prioritize it, everything else falls into line." —Wendy MacNaughtonI recently had the pleasure of speaking with artist Wendy MacNaughton about her artistic practice and her 30-Day "Drawing Habit" challenge that she offered to her substack community. If you enjoy our conversation, please sign up for our substacks!https://club.drawtogether.studio/https://catherineprice.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot...
2024-04-1421 minSlate ConversationsWorking: Drawing Strangers to Build EmpathyThis week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and p...
2024-01-0747 min
Slate CareersWorking: Drawing Strangers to Build EmpathyThis week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and p...
2024-01-0747 min
WorkingDrawing Strangers to Build EmpathyThis week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers, which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places around the U.S. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas discuss the courage it takes to find and pursue a p...
2024-01-0743 min
You’re Going to Die: The PodcastI’ll Never Be Ready w/Wendy MacNaughtonJoin host Ned Buskirk in conversation with New York Times best-selling illustrator & graphic journalist Wendy MacNaughton, talking about her book “How to Say Goodbye: The Wisdom of Hospice Caregivers,” combining drawings from her artist’s residency inside The Zen Hospice Project Guest House, with words of hospice caregivers she interviewed, including a list of The Five Things to help us say goodbye.
wendy’s
website: https://www.wendymacnaughton.com/
"The Grown-Ups Table" substack: https://substack.com/@drawtogether
book - How to Say Goodbye: https://www.wendymacnaughton.com/illustration/how-to-say-goodbye
Produc...
2023-08-171h 09
The Mash-Up AmericansMeditation: Drawing with Wendy MacNaughtonFor today’s meditation: grab a pencil and paper! The bestselling illustrator and graphic journalist Wendy MacNaughton is the founder and host of Draw Together. She will lead us through a drawing exercise “Chill Out Drawing for Stressed Out Times.” Draw Together is a participatory drawing podcast and interactive art class focused on imagination and community. Although Wendy’s show is ostensibly for kids, we have found it touches the inner kid in all of us. You can find more info and resources at GriefCollected.comMore about Wendy MacNaught...
2022-12-0209 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacGetting Grateful on the DT PodHellllooo Friends. This week we revisit one of our earliest DT Podcast episodes: Gratitude. Drawing is a great way for kids (and all of us) to begin a gratitude practice. Kids can do this at home in their art studio (aka the kitchen table) or as a group in a class or after school program, or as a family. And if you/your kids listen to the DrawTogether podcast as a group, this is a great chance to draw and share out loud what you are grateful for. This is a public episode. If...
2022-11-1808 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacThe Secret to Drawing PeopleWhy are people so hard to draw? Is it our wonky shoulders? She shape of our eyes? The funky curves of our ear? Or our weirdly formed hands and feet?! Answer: YES. Today on the pod, we try cartoonist's Lynda Barry and Ivan Brunetti's exercises from Lynda's book Making Comics and create some simple, squiggly wiggly human bodies, then transform them into characters. Grab some paper, pens, colors and young people, and let's DrawTogether. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes...
2022-11-1112 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacQuilt Portraits inspired by Bisa ButlerThis week on the DT Podcast we learn about the fiber artist Bisa Butler and use collage and drawing to create Bisa-inspired paper portraits of people we admire. Check out the DT newsletter to see Bisa's quilts and watch a video of her talking about her artwork. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
2022-11-0508 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacDT x Dia de los Muertos featuring Yuyi Morales!Yuyi Morales is on the DT podcast!!Hellloooo! This week on the DT pod we celebrate Día de los Muertos with special guest children’s book author and illustrator Yuyi Morales! Her might recognize her Caldecott-nominated Viva Frida, or her other award-winning books, including Niño Wrestles the World, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, and Dreamers. We spent some time talking about one of my favorite of Yuyi’s characters, Señor Calavera. He’s the trickster skeleton star of two of Yuyi’s books: Just a Minute and Just in Case. He even mad...
2022-10-2812 min
Radiolab for Kids Presents: TerrestrialsTerrestrials: The HybridIn the game of life, every species is like an action figure. You got your dogs and your dung beetles, your bald eagles and your blueberries. And for a long time scientists believed it was pretty much impossible for those action figures to mix and make a new kind of action figure that was able to have its own babies (dog beetles? Baldberries? Nah). But, today we tell the story of a four-legged beast in Kentucky whose existence is upending scientific beliefs. If you want a big fat SPOILER, here it is: the creature in question is a mule...
2022-10-2734 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacIt's a Terrestrials Take-Over!!We interrupt our regularly scheduled DrawTogether Podcast to bring you an awesome episode from the new podcast from Radiolab and WNYC, Terrestrials! Every episode of Terrestrials explores the strangeness that exists right here on Earth (and maybe a little beyond.) What DrawTogether does with drawing, Terrestrials does with stories.We’re featuring their episode Gravitational Waves. You can listen to more episodes on their website. We love you sister-podcast, Terrestrials! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/su...
2022-10-2128 minRadiolab for Kids Presents: TerrestrialsTerrestrials: The Water WalkerThe ocean can be a scary place: the waves are so strong, the water so deep. But surfer and illustrator AJ Dungo tells the story of an earthling who figured out how to walk on water and literally defy the rules of gravity. If you want a big SPOILER, here it is: It’s only human for the season, the grandfather of modern-day surfing, Duke Kahanamoku. Duke’s great grandniece, Heather Kina’u Paoa tells us about what Duke’s life was really like. We learn about the physics of surfing, and how surfing is an escape, not just on a spi...
2022-10-2029 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacThe Spooky Shadows EpisodeIt's Halloween at DrawTogether! In this extra spooky episode we start with a calming circle-drawing warm-up while we listen to a poem, then learn to draw drop shadows and turn our flat circles into 3D spheres. After a quick lesson on light and shadow, we turn our 3D spheres into spooky shadow monster heads! Then we go get some candy.Warning: this episode is spooky. It contains spooky sounds and spooky voices and spooky drawings and… JUST KIDDING. It’s just silly. Appropriate for kids of ALL ages. Bwahahahaha! This is a publ...
2022-10-1408 minRadiolab for Kids Presents: TerrestrialsTerrestrials: The UnimaginableOver a billion lightyears ago, in the darkness of outer space, a collision of black holes sent out a fleet of invisible waves that were headed right toward planet Earth. The waves were so powerful they could ripple spacetime but most people on Earth didn't believe the waves were real. SPOILER ALERT: The waves are called gravitational waves and…they are real! Astrophysicist Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced tells the story of what happened when they hit Earth in 2015 and how scientists came to learn to use senses beyond eyesight to detect the waves. We also learn from Dr. Sta...
2022-10-1326 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacPut a Stamp on it!Episode 3 is all about the USPS & STAMPS. After a relaxing drawing warm up, the DT Pod takes a field trip to the post office where DrawTogether Kids get their most pressing questions answered by Mekkah, an Oakland postal worker, and Bill Gicker, Director of Stamp Services for the USPS. Then we draw our own stamps featuring our favorite places, things, and people, including Mary Fields, the first African-American star mail carrier. Subscribe to the DrawTogether Newsletter for more on the USPS and Art, including what goes into making a stamp, and a look at some inspiring mail art. Everything...
2022-10-0714 minRadiolab for Kids Presents: TerrestrialsTerrestrials: The TrioHigh above the banks of the Mississippi river, a nest holds the secret life of one of America’s most patriotic creatures. Their story puzzles scientists, reinforces indigenous wisdom, and wows audiences, all thanks to a park ranger named Ed, and a well-placed webcam. If you want to spoil the mystery, here ya go: it’s a bald eagle. Actually, it’s three bald eagles. A mama bird and daddies make a home together for over a decade and give new meaning to our national symbol.
Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the sto...
2022-10-0627 min
Influence with Damian BradfieldWendy MacNaughton on Positive Social Change with ArtIn this episode, the award-winning illustrator and founder of DrawTogether Wendy MacNaughton discusses the power of art. She talks about how her graphic journalism seeks to create policy and social change, how her work teaching kids to make art builds their confidence and creativity, and how drawing and sharing stories brings us closer together. Or, as Wendy says, “Pencils up! Everything is better when we draw together.”Get your free WeTransfer pro account here: we.tl/wendyInfluence is a production of WeTransfer, produced in association with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on A...
2022-10-0435 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacWhat happens when we look closelyWendy introduces us to one of her art she-roes: Sister Corita. Yes, she was a radical nun. Yes, she was a teacher and an artist. Yes, she was an absolute icon. Join Wendy for a Corita-inspired project that will help you look closely and see the world in a whole new way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
2022-09-3014 minRadiolab for Kids Presents: TerrestrialsTerrestrials: The GuardianA singing entomologist, Dr. Sammy Ramsey, and a biologist with a knack for inventing things, Dr. Paul Mireji, tell us about one of the most fearsome animals on our planet. If you want a SPOILER of what it is, read on: It sucks our blood, spreads diseases; it's the tsetse fly. Both Sammy and Paul were afraid of this creature, but share the story of what can be gained by looking close at what scares you. In the case of the tsetse fly, we learn that these creatures give live birth, produce milk, protect entire ecosystems, and just might ho...
2022-09-2931 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacThe DT Podcast is back, baby!Drawing is a superpower that can help us make sense of our feelings. Join Wendy as we explore what it’s like to draw the storms and the sunshine we feel inside. Plus, we meet a weather-obsessed kid who grew up to name the clouds. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe
2022-09-2315 minRadiolab for Kids Presents: TerrestrialsTerrestrials: The MastermindSy Montgomery, an author and naturalist, shares the story of a color-changing creature many people assumed to be brainless who outsmarts his human captors. If you want a SPOILER of what the creature is, read on: It’s an octopus. We hear the story of one particularly devious octopus who lost a limb, was captured by humans, and then managed to make an escape from its aquarium tank—back into the ocean! The tale of “Inky” the octopus calls into question who we think of as intelligent (and kissable) in the animal kingdom.
Learn about the storytellers, listen t...
2022-09-2223 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#26 Blind Contour: Looking & LovingHelloooooo DT fam. As the school year is wrapping up, so is Season One of the DrawTogether Podcast! (Can you believe it?? 26 episodes!) As our Season One finale, we do a big-hearted DrawTogether classic: the blind contour portrait. This is a partner exercise, so grab a family member, friend or stranger, hit play above, and get ready to learn to LOOK in under a few minutes. Because in addition to helping us imagine a world we want to see, drawing teaches us to LOOK at one another. To slow down and pay attention. I deeply...
2022-06-0307 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#25 Transmundane Tuesdays with Carson EllisHellllooooo! This week on the DT Podcast, the phenomenal, Caldecott-honor winning children’s book illustrator/author, artist, mom, partner, friend, gardener, and llama-mama Carson Ellis joins us to talk about her art and teach us her favorite drawing game: Transmundane Tuesdays. Let’s call it TT for short. TT is a super fun drawing game anyone, any age, can play. It works like this: Carson pulls three prompts from three jars. Then she reads them to us. Then we combine all three prompts into a wacky, wonderful character drawing. Easy right? Totally. And super fun. And that’s exac...
2022-05-2212 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#24 Emotional FruitHello! This week on the DT Pod we’re drawing EMOTIONAL FRUIT! Timid tomato. Angry apple. Silly Strawberry! If you can feel it and eat it, you can draw it! Grab your kids, your supplies, press play and DRAW. I’d LOVE to see your emo eggplants. Post your excellent food-feeling artwork on instagram, tag @Drawtogether.studio and we’ll share them out so others can see them, too. DrawTogether Podcast & Newsletter is made possible by folks like you. Subscribe to support!For subscribers this week: we’ll dive into the...
2022-05-1310 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#23 Body's ChoiceHello DT fam! This week on the DT Podcast we’re making a drawing based on an old surrealist drawing practice: Automatic Drawing. Popularized in the early 1900’s automatic drawing by famous artists like Andre Breton and Joan Miro, this exercise helps us get out of our busy brains into our instinctual bodies. When we let our bodies take the lead, it’s surprising what reveals itself on the page. I’ll share more about the history of Automatic Drawing and body/subconcious-focused art in next week’s subscriber news letter.While the surrealist...
2022-05-0607 min
DrawTogether with WendyMacWorld's Best Drawing Game is BackThis week on the DT Podcast: The World’s Best Drawing Game is back! Grab a pencil, paper, press play above and get ready to surprise yourself. It’s fun to play on your own, and way more fun with two people. If you want to share your favorite doodle drawing on instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio, we’d love to see and share.AND! A call for kid storytellers from our friends at Radiolab! Terrestrials, a new podcast for kids from Radiolab, is looking for a youth storyteller for their first season. Could it be YOU? They’r...
2022-04-2908 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#21 Getting Griddy with Agnes MartinDrawTogether hereby officially proclaims the 3rd week of April “Agnes Martin Week!”And to celebrate, in the podcast we explore of the work of this legendary artist and draw with a similar technique she used in many of her paintings. Press play and let me know how you grid goes. Agnes Martin’s large, square abstract paintings (which are often drawings) appear simple and clean. I mean really, they’re just criss crossing lines on a canvas, right? They don’t LOOK like anything. But somehow they hold our attention and vibrate with a calm energy. They are filled...
2022-04-2210 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#20 "What Does Sound Look Like?" With Special Guest Colin MeloyHellllooo! Today on the DT Podcast we continue our sound theme with a visit from one of my all-time favorite musicians: Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. Using a variety of sophisticated sound-making tools (aka: instruments) Colin helps us explore the question “What does sound look like?” He plays six of his favorite sounds for us, and we use our sophisticated mark-making tools (aka: pencils) to DRAW our visual interpretation of the sound, and create an abstract musical score. No rules! Use different mediums and marks. Get messy. Colin is not only a literal rock star, but...
2022-04-1510 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#19 Draw with Your EarsHelllloooo! This new DrawTogether Podcast episode might be my favorite yet. Today, we swap out our Art Eyes for Art Ears, head outside and draw a Sound Map. In DrawTogether we often focus on sight - as in, “Drawing is Looking, and Looking is Loving.” But when we slow down, pay attention and truly SEE, we don’t just use our eyes. We use ALL our senses when see, and in turn, when we draw. So today, we focus on a new sense: our hearing. We take our drawing supplies outside and we LISTEN to the world around...
2022-04-0809 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#18 Super Surreal Silly MonsterA quick thank you to our paying subscribers. Without you, there is no DT Podcast (or anything really!) If you want to see DrawTogether continue to grow, please subscribe to this DT newsletter for just $6/month. It helps us keep the lights on as we work on more shows, DT Classrooms, partnerships and projects, and continue to grow hearts with art. Thank you! It’s Friday! That means a NEW DrawTogether Podcast episode! We take a special DT kid request (yes, we take requests!) and the result is a super fun family or classroom drawing adventure filled wi...
2022-03-2514 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#17 Mystery Animal!Hellooooo! Pardon our delay, we wanted to get this one just right. Because this is a whole new kind of drawing podcast… this is an experiment, a risk, a graphic hurdle into the great unknown. This week we draw a…..That’s right. In this podcast episode, I take you through drawing an animal step by step, but I’m not going to tell you what we are drawing. WHAT?! HOW?! Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and press play above and let’s see how it goes. Remember: there’s no such thin...
2022-03-1908 min
33voicesSlowing Down to Forge Deeper Connections"If you slow down, I promise, pay attention and really look, you will fall back in love with the world and everyone in it."When beloved illustrator Wendy MacNaughton was growing up, her grandmother showed her around museums and the city. The trips weren't solely to expose her to art. Bernice had a deeper intention for her granddaughter: to teach her to pay attention. Decades later, looking, listening, and loving are pillars of Wendy's life philosophy. As a graphic journalist — admired for her culture-shifting work in The New York Times, bestselling books, and children's show, DrawTogether — Wendy's journey offers her a unique...
2022-03-1042 min
33voicesSlowing Down to Forge Deeper Connections“If you slow down, I promise, pay attention and really look, you will fall back in love with the world and everyone in it.”When beloved illustrator Wendy MacNaughton was growing up, her grandmother showed her around museums and the city. The trips weren’t solely to expose her to art. Bernice had a deeper intention for her granddaughter: to teach her to pay attention. Decades later, looking, listening, and loving are pillars of Wendy’s life philosophy. As a graphic journalist — admired for her culture-shifting work in The New York Times, bestselling books, and children’s show, DrawTogether — Wendy’s journey offers her...
2022-03-1042 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#16 Sunflowers for UkraineHi, DT friends. Today’s DrawTogether Podcast is special.Today we take a special request from 8-year-old DrawTogether Kid Keira and her mom, Dasha. Dasha is Ukrainian and lives in SF with her family. They asked if we could make a drawing to show the people of Ukraine our support. And that’s exactly what we do on today’s podcast. Hit play above, or listen on Apple Podcast. In the 10-minute episode, we talk a little about the war and feelings kids might be having, and what we can do with those feelin...
2022-03-0410 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#15 Bring on the Funky Robot!Hellllooo! It’s a tough week around the world, so here’s an 8 minute fun, silly DrawTogether Podcast to help take a breath. I promise your drawing will be unexpected, ridiculous, and full of joy. I think we could all use that right now. Click play above, and you can always find us (and give us some stars!) on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes we know what we want our drawing to look like, and our hands just won’t do what we want them to do. When we’re trying to “get things right” or have strict expectations, unanticipate...
2022-02-2508 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#14 Drawing Energy with Alma Thomas“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.” - Alma Thomas (1891-1978) This weeks DrawTogether Podcast is a special one: we learn about the painter Alma Thomas and draw ourselves some ENERGY. Grab your paper and some colors and hit play above. Good news for subscribers: a special interview with the award-winning illustrator LoveIs Wise who illustrated the forthcoming children’s book “Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas” will land in your inbox early next week. And! One DT subscriber will win a copy of the...
2022-02-1810 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#13 "What Should I Draw?"Hellloooo! It’s another DrawTogether Podcast episode. Subscribers received a special letter yesterday: notes from a conversation with Ruth Asawa’s son, Paul Lanier, about cultivating creativity in young humans. If you’d like to get special treats like this that dig deeper into things we explore in the podcast, please subscribe. You’re also helping DrawTogether continue to make fun, educational, creative stuff for kids of all ages. Thank you. On to the podcast! This week we answer that age old question: How do you figure out what to draw when you don’t know what...
2022-02-0408 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#12 Drawing in the Air with Ruth AsawaHellllloooo! Happy Friday. It’s been less than a week since DrawTogether was featured on PBS NewsHour, and boy did we get a great response. A big welcome to all the new folks joining us! And to our longtime DT peeps: thanks for continuing to draw, look and love with us as the DT family grows. Onwards! Our podcast drawing today is based the work of one of my favorite artists, Ruth Asawa. We explore her magnificent light-as-air wire sculptures using shape & line/pencil & paper. (Hit that play button above - or listen on iTunes or Spotify!) ...
2022-01-2809 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#11 The Big Warm UpBig news: You can now listen to the DrawTogether Podcast on iTunes and Spotify! We’ll continue to share the podcast here in our DT Club Newsletter, and paying subscribers get additional behind the scenes tips, interviews, and inspiration. We count on your support to keep going, so please and thank you for your support! And without further ado… Hit the play button above for the new podcast ep! We call it, “The Big Warm Up.”Athletes warm up before a game. Musicians warm up before a performance. Should artists warm up before drawing? HECK YES WE S...
2022-01-2108 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#10 Thanks, Don't Mondrian if I Do!Hey, friends. A new DrawTogether Podcast episode is here!! And! A twist: in some upcoming episodes we’ll look to artists working in different mediums to inspire our drawing. We’ll learn a little about their artwork, how they make it and why, and then we’ll explore their work through drawing. Cool? Cool. Let’s go. First up: Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Like most artists, Mondrian’s work changed drastically over his lifetime. He explored different styles and for a long time he actually made a living by painting copies of other artists artworks. After deca...
2022-01-1408 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#9 Chill out drawing for a stressed out timeHappy new year, friends. Despite being a stressful time with the uncertainties around Covid, so many people getting sick, the constant calculations we’re doing to keep ourselves and others safe, and the roller coaster with schools, I’m still planting a flag in the ground that reads: there is so much to be grateful for, and so much to feel hopeful about. That includes this wonderful DrawTogether family. You know what you all did?? You raised over 70k to send 2,000 DT kids vital art supplies. YOU DID THAT. You know what else you did? You opened this...
2022-01-0708 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#8 Out the Window Helllllooo. New Friday, new DT Podcast episode! We’re trying something new. Today we take a kid request (thanks DT Kid Rosa!) and then head out on an art adventure together... to our windows! We learn about perspective and scale and a bit about composition. And most of all, we slow down, look closely and see/draw at all the magical things we often overlook. This episode is a fun, easy little drawing meditation with some learning tucked inside. It’s about 10 minutes, and is fun to do alone or with a family member. So grab...
2021-12-1710 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#7 Most Fun Drawing Exercise Ever: The Blindfold!Hello! NEW DRAWTOGETHER PODCAST IS HERE. This is perhaps the silliest drawing exercise to have ever appeared on any drawing podcast, ever. (Yes, I know, the DT podcast is the *only* drawing podcast. Still.) I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so if you’re playing the audio for a kid/family/classroom, keep this on the DL... We’re doing Blindfold Drawing. It’s fun, magical, and hilarious - and contains serious art lessons. All you need is paper, a pencil, and a mask - and then press PLAY above. Blindfold drawing makes us rely...
2021-12-1007 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#6 Emotional Doodles, part 3: Slow & SteadyHey there!This is our third and final episode in our series “Emotional Doodles” - drawing to alleviate anxiety. Reminder: UCSF Pediatrician and friend of DrawTogether, Dr. Lee Atkinson-McEvoy, shared that she’s seeing unprecedented levels of anxiety in kids and asked if DrawTogether could help. So we’re doing a few short, simple, fun drawing podcast exercises here on the podcast that can help reduce anxiety in a big way. You can do them on your own, with family members or friends, or with an entire classroom. The first episode explored how drawing varying types of...
2021-12-0309 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#5 Emotional Doodles, part 2: GratitudeHey hey! Belated happy day of thankfulness. Our regular Friday email got bumped for our fundraiser to give DT art kits to kids*, so I’m extra happy to DrawTogether with you on a Sunday. Feels like a special occasion. Today we’re continuing with our 3 part series “Emotional Doodles” - drawing to reduce anxiety in kids (of all ages.) Last week, we used drawing to help identify feelings and move them out of our bodies and onto the page. This week, in the timely spirit of giving thanks, we use drawing to identify and focus on...
2021-11-2808 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#4 Emotional Doodles, part 1: Scribble it outHelloooo!! It’s Friday! I highly recommend at some point today that you stop whatever you are doing, stand and/or stretch, shake the fingers, shake the arms, and do The Friday Dance. I feel like we all could use it, right?? Well, I hope this newsletter also helps inspire and excite: we have a new super important DrawTogether Podcast episode for you, and a very special DrawTogether group effort. Let’s go! * NEW DT PODCAST EPISODE. (Hit that big play button above to listen!) Last week I got a call from Special DT Guest and pediatrician Dr...
2021-11-1908 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#3 Spiral in, Spiral out with Louis BourgeoisHi, it’s me, WendyMac. It’s episode 3 of the DrawTogether Podcast! It’s also my birthday week. To celebrate, I wanted to do one of my favorite drawing exercises with you, which also happens to be a DrawTogether classic: the world famous Heart Spiral. But let’s do it with a twist… If you’ve watched DrawTogether, you probably know the Heart Spiral was inspired by cartoonist, writer and educator (and DT patron saint) Lynda Barry. Lynda believes drawing spirals helps people get out of their head and into their bodies. (We strongly agree!) In this episode, we me...
2021-11-0508 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#2 The Doodle Game (No Rules in Art!)Hi DT friends and welcome new folks - Wendy here. So happy to see you.Our little experiment creating the world’s first audio-drawing-show seems to have been a hit! So let’s keep going. Welcome to the second episode of what we’re calling the "DrawTogether Podcast.” (Until we think up a catchier name.) Grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and press play above. Our first episode was a calming, centering drawing exercise. This one is different: it’s about imagination. In this episode I teach you my favorite drawing game… a game with NO...
2021-10-2907 min
DrawTogether with WendyMac#1 DrawTogether Podcast Begins: Calming Fireworks in the SkyHey it’s Wendy! We have a special DT treat for you today - it’s a fun art experiment: A DrawTogether Podcast! (Sort of.) But really, when we say listen up, we mean it literally. Grab a pen and paper and PRESS PLAY on the audio above.A little backstory: when my TED talk came out, it was released only via video, and not via audio on TED's iTunes podcast. Some folks didn’t think that such a visual talk would translate to audio. The wonderful Helen Walters, head of curation, advocated for the talk to be...
2021-10-1505 min