Artists for Joy

This week on the podcast, Merideth celebrates (almost) 200 episodes by looking back on everything we've learned in joyful mashup form! Listen for a turbo-sized creative pep talk, a love letter to you, my podcast listeners.

This week on the podcast, I've got 10 things that are bringing me joy this fall. Some are deep and others may, at first glance, seem trivial, but this collection of what's bringing me joy adds up to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts: in a profoundly simple way, these small wonders are saving my life in this season.     By consciously bringing good things to mind, we teach our brain...

This episode originally aired in October 2023. Enjoy this throwback while Merideth practices some self-care ;)  Read "Let Art Be Light," Merideth's latest substack piece  Original Show Notes: This week on the show, Merideth answers a question we all tend to ask when the world is on fire. How can I feel creative joy in the face of violence, injustice, and brokenness? She explores why art matters in...

In today's podcast, the final installment of our Joy Sessions series, Merideth chats with Christina, a musician, coach, and teacher who wants to reexamine the beliefs and negative inner dialogue she's been having about performing. They explore perfectionism, performance anxiety, how to show up authentically when we cannot stop judging ourselves, and so much more. By the end of the call, Christina...

This week's episode features a Joy Session with Mara, a writer who wants to write a novel but struggles to find the time or energy. We watch Mara identify the underlying reasons for her creative block, including fear of failure and too much focus on the product rather than the process. She names a deep desire for community and encouragement from other writers.   BONUS: At the end of this week's ep...

Continuing our new series, Joy Sessions, I chat with Jessi, a musician and educator who reflects on how, as a multipassionate artist, she could engage with music in a more meaningful way.   We explore the idea of experimentation and taking small, sustainable steps towards this goal, recognizing the need for a different kind of energy than the usual "discipline button" approach. The conversation hi...

Introducing: Joy Sessions. Each week I'll feature excerpts from real sessions with artists of all disciplines, pulling back the curtain on creative coaching as we focus on overcoming creative challenges and finding joy in the artistic process. This week, Merideth chats with Ericka, a writer who longs to set herself free from the shame cycle of past and current criticism. Learn more about coaching...

This week on the podcast,  the first installment of a new series started earlier this week over on Substack called "Art's Open Door," where we'll explore the profound ways creativity and spirituality intersect and how viewing art through a spiritual lens is a powerful tool for well-being, connection, and joy. Usually, these essays will only exist in blog form at  artistsforjoy.substack.com, but th...

This week on the podcast: a musical meditation for making sense of life.    In this guided reflection, explore the following: Consider your life's puzzle. Hold a couple of pieces in your hand, and consider now the growth that each piece represents. What do you see? Look for the piece(s) that don't seem to fit. What experiences or areas of growth or interest, disparate parts of your journey of life...

This week on the podcast, a new metaphor to cultivate more resilience, perspective, and joy while we work to make sense of our lives. Join the next Creative Cluster Buy Merideth's book Get your printable journal

This week on the podcast, Merideth offers a pep talk for artists and creatives who feel overwhelmed or unmotivated, particularly during transitional periods like the month of August. Grab your worksheet , so you can:  Name your season Decide if you need a new routine or rhythm (or both!) Discover the small step you'd like to take toward your goal Join the next Creative Cluster Buy Merideth's book...

This week Merideth offers some strategies to overcome procrastination to embrace a more joyful and fulfilling creative life. She offers 3 common lies we tell ourselves when we are having a hard time getting things done:  I'm lazy. I just need the right routine. I'll wait for inspiration to feel motivated.  She then translates these less-than-helpful thought patterns into questions to unlock what w...

Back from the first leg of her book tour, Merideth shares a little about how she's still learning how to celebrate in this throwback from October 2022. Original show notes: Why is it so much easier to celebrate the accomplishments of others than it is our own? Merideth shares two things she is forcing herself to celebrate these days and why she believes celebration should be a core value for every...

Catherine Ricketts, essayist, songwriter, writing instructor, and author of The Mother Artist: Portraits of Ambition, Limitation, and Creativity , is my guest today. We talk about: The historical underrepresentation of mothers in the art world and the societal factors contributing to this. The tension between caring for children and dedicating time to creative work. The importance of support syste...

In the final installment of this inspiring series, Robin White, Joshua Long, Lorrie Fredette, and Merideth Hite Estevez read their Artist's Oath. The culmination of Merideth's book, "The Artist's Joy," the Artist's Oath is a powerful coaching exercise that helps artists name how they want to show up in the world and what they believe. When we stay connected to our values, we are able to move throu...

This episode features Artist's Oaths, written and read by Elmer Perry, David Westerlund, Sara McMahon, and Sila Wolf. The culmination of Merideth's book, "The Artist's Joy," the Artist's Oath is a powerful coaching exercise that helps artists name how they want to show up in the world and what they believe. When we stay connected to our values, we are able to move through creative challenges and t...

This episode features Artist's Oath's written and read by Kelsey Bogan, David James, and Karen Rege.  The culmination of Merideth's book, "The Artist's Joy," the Artist's Oath is a powerful coaching exercise that helps artists name how they want to show up in the world and what they believe. When we stay connected to our values, we are able to move through creative challenges and tough decisions w...

In today's episode, Merideth chats with artist, composer, and songwriter Angela Sheik. Angela (whose name you may recognize from every episode's credits as our resident theme songwriter here at Artists for Joy) composed a full-length anthemic jam for Merideth's new book "The Artist's Joy." In this episode, you'll hear the complete track for the first time! They also discuss how central community i...

This week on the podcast, Merideth gives the mic to Kenneth Moton, a TV news journalist and childhood friend, and together they dive deep into her new book, The Artist's Joy . Kenneth and "Meri" explore the book's relevance to a broad audience, Meri's motivation for writing the book, her journey of creative recovery, and the concept of using creativity as a means of self-discovery. They explore th...

This week, I am reading an excerpt from The Artist's Joy-- this time from the Prelude (that's what I call the Introduction) of the book. I explore why I believe seeking joy is a worthwhile pursuit for all people, but especially artists, as well as more about my "why" behind the book and who exactly it is for. (Hint: its for you!)   Give it a listen and if you can, would you mind sharing this episo...

Do you ever worry they will figure out you actually have no idea what you are doing?   Studies show that imposter syndrome, the feeling of being a fraud despite evidence of success, affects everyone.   It reared its ugly (and soul-sucking) head in my life this week during one of the busiest times of my career, maybe ever.   And so here's what I did: I sat down and wrote a podcast that we could all...

This week, Merideth chats with two fellow writers, Sarah E. Westfall and Jenai Auman. They explore ways to foster joy for the long haul as they discuss their experiences writing and publishing their first traditionally published books together. (They come out within weeks of each other!) Merideth, Sarah, and Jenai emphasize the importance of community, celebrating milestones, and managing vulnerab...

This week, Merideth reads an excerpt from Chapter 3, "Ode to Creative Devotion," from her forthcoming book, The Artist's Joy. THE most important tool for creative joy (after taking care of yourself) is the creative devotion routine. Are you in a practice rut? Too busy to create in this season of life? Do you have a time management challenge? Maybe you're good at getting things done, but you feel l...

In today's episode, I give you a sneak peek into the overarching structure of my new book, The Artist's Joy, and share a bit about the meaning behind its central metaphor. I also chat with Rebe Huntman, author and multi-passionate artist, who shares her Artist's Oath.    Links: The original Artist's Oath podcast Pre-order Merideth's book "The Artist's Joy" Connect with Rebe on IG Pre-order Rebe's...

Today's episode encourages us all to "mind the gap" between our dreams and reality, between the current state of a creative project and where we long for it to be. Listen for encouragement to keep going despite all the gap's perils!  See the first Call for Art submission created by Elmer Perry Join "The Artist's Joy" Launch Team Citytransportinfo video of the London tube BBC article about Oswald L...