Field of Streams

Inspired by a lyric in a Gorillaz song, today's episode is all about finding your North, your meaning, your purpose in life. Try all the other directions, sure, but your true North - that's the direction to keep reseting your compass for. "Glitter Freeze" by Gorillaz feat Mark E. Smith https://open.spotify.com/track/4EJFCpthcrP6oOUUXQZ22Z?si=128b9e860c324034 This is an audio re...

Are you overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness? Feeling like everything is spiraling out of control around you? Art can help. And all you need is a pencil. As legend and artist, Laurie Anderson says, "Very dangerous art can be made with a pencil." "No Place for Self Pity, No Room for Fear" by Toni Morrison https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/no-place-self-pity-no-room-fea...

Do you have a habit of hanging onto bad memories? Bad conversations, bitterness, the pain of relationships – are you an emotional hoarder of them all? This is an episode about letting go. Remove this stuff—all the expired goods—from your life pantry!  This is an audio reading of the post “ Is it time to purge your life pantry?” originally published on August 29, 2022. Additional creative inspirati...

After several failed attempts at writing a book, I'm taking another crack. To give myself a pep talk, I consulted writers and scoured the internet for advice on the first draft and have concluded that to get through the first draft, you just have to keep PULLING THE PLOW. Don't stop and look back at the field until the field is done. "Writing a novel is like driving a car at night....

Wouldn't it be great if you could order courage from a catalog? Not just bravery, but a whole Life Package that equipped you with all the tools you need - bravery, judgement, curiosity, etc. - to be an artist? And what if you bought that package and it didn't work? Here is an imagined conversation between a customer and the company that sells the Life Package goods. This is an audio read...

Part riff on a Shakespearian soliloquy (hat tip, Hamlet Act 3) and part riff on finding out that bees can count, here is the text from an imagined letter by a drone bee to his Queen requesting reassignment of duties.  Video from Ze Frank. "True Facts: Bees That Play With Balls And Do Math!"  https://youtu.be/M6hGjh9SJ_M?si=mtoWVhrEQ6uE4cgI Watch the Behind the Scenes video about bees and...

Why is it so hard to believe in ourselves? Much easier to believe in UFOs and flat earth theories - but let's cut it out! Here is your pep talk for the day. This is an audio reading of the post "Faith is Unreal" , originally published on August 8, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpinthestream.com/faith/ Support the show About Field of...

If you were an alien tourist, visiting Earth in a humanoid rental body, would you know how to ask for help? Specifically "Where is the toilet?" Luckily, there is an alien tourist guide for that. Take a listen. Watch the behind the scenes video about the post here: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-help/ This is an audio reading of the post "How to Ask for Help"...

There are things you should care about and things that you should not. Do not expend energy on pointless trivialities! Direct those energies on empathy and understanding. Take a listen to my list of things that I shall care more and less about in my effort to show care to myself and others. This is an audio reading of the post "Take care of the caretaker" originally published on August 1...

How much of your own life - your memories your experiences and your time - do you use in your creative work? What else do you steal? In this episode, I ask for forgiveness from all those things I steal from my own life. In short - I pick my own pockets ruthlessly. How about you? Watch the Behind the Scenes video on this post - including a whole lot of pickpocketing ephemera - here https://www.jump...

Recognizing opportunity when its right in front of you can be a challenge. What does it look like? Is it really a chance at something, or is it not right for right now? Only you can decide, but when the right one comes along, your mission is clear: seize it! This is an audio reading of the post "What does opportunity look like?" originally published on July 25, 2022. Additional creative...

Did you know there’s a difference in the composition of tears shed from cutting onions when compared to tears triggered by emotion? Today, I read a piece of my writing inspired by weeping. Listen in… Related Links "Hello, I would like to purchase a high horse" https://www.jumpinthestream.com/outrage/ "Idea Fireworks for Explosive Minds" https://www.jumpinthestream.com/firework/...

Do you have a penchant for putting yourself through hard physical and mental challenges? You might be a masochist. If you make/create art of any kind, you definitely are. Let's talk about why being a masochist isn't all bad. Things I've written about two Stupid Arbitrary Goals (cycling) Centuries are for the Birds http://www.nodirectionknown.com/centuries-are-for-the-birds/ The Year...

Did you watch the most recent total eclipse? It got me thinking about how it's a chance for the Sun and the Moon to talk to each other without Earth butting in. So that's what this episode is - us humans eavesdropping on that conversation. Watch the Behind the Streams video where I discuss the themes and dissect my own writing as it relates to this very episode, plus provide bonus links...

Are you good at spacing out? Do you think that spacing out is an essential part of the creative process? Let's talk about it. (Oh, and if you are good at spacing out, I'll clue you in to a place where you can prove it to the world.) The Official Space Out Competition Rules View a Behind the Scenes video about the spacing out here: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-space-...

Inspired by the story of a man who shoved a Guinness record breaking number of matches up his nose and training his nostrils to accommodate such a feat, (I won't spoil the surprise of how many, but I tell you in the intro) please tune your ears to the sound of my voice and learn how to expand you heart, mind, and soul with some exercises I made up. Here's the story of the nostril stretch...

The bird, the middle finger, the one-finger salute. It is a power gesture in the real world, but what about in your creative life? Here's a piece describing the different breeds of (metaphorical) birds you can flip at all the things in your creative pursuits that get in your way. From self-doubt to failure - flip those birds in your hand and keep on making. Behind the Streams and Themes of th...

If human beings are made up of items pulled off the supermarket shelves of Life, what are two essential ingredients everyone should put in their basket? In today's episode, I advocate for "Cat food and cold cuts." Cat food for sass (cats don't care about anything) and cold cuts for saltiness (to preserve and save the day). Watch Behind the Streams and Themes of this episode: ht...

Do foundational elements of a creative persona exist? As artists, do we use these elements - Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Aether - and how does each element affect our creative style? Let's talk about it. Behind the Streams and Themes of this episode: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-elements/ This is an audio reading of the post "The Elements of Your Style" origin...

Do you know "The Swimming Song?" by Loudon Wainwright III? To me, it speaks of risk and the importance of taking risks and practice. The lessons in this song can so easily be applied to the creative process. Yes, you might drown, but if you practice, if you dive in, if you take the risk and swim around in the works of others and try new strokes for yourself, you will over time, master yo...

Inspired by a Francis Bacon quote (the painter, not the philosopher), today I dig into the glitter of the mouth AKA words. Words can stick, so choose your words wisely. Watch the behind the scenes video about the post here : https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-ep-43-glitter/ (Some good links to Francis Bacon interviews there) This is an audio reading of the post "The Glitter of...

As a TV-addicted Gen X kid, I can tell you that quicksand seemed like the greatest threat to humans out there. But what ever happened to using it as a plot device? Why is it a joke of a TV and movie trope? And how is it like the creative process? Let’s dig into it. Slate story: T erra Firma: The The rise and fall of quicksand. Watch the behind the scenes video about the post here: This is an audio...

The first and last lines of a book are important. How you start and how you finish - it's like nailing that perfect first and last bite of a meal. This is an audio reading of the post "The Last Bite Club" originally published on July 11, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/bite/ Support the show About Field of Streams Th...

Did you know that the painting "Whistler's Mother" has a different name? More than that, the subject of the painting was not even supposed to be Whistler's mother, Anna at all? Tune in to listen to this story, and listen to me ponder what it feels like when you step out of the shadows and become, suddenly, the center of attention. The story that inspired this post: "James...

Oreology is the study of Oreo cookies - specifically the twist and fracture of them in a very scientific study conducted at MIT. Are we like Oreo cookies, being twisted and manipulated, all with a goal of one side getting all the creme? Let's talk about. Do a deep dive into this episode and learn all about Oreology with my Behind the Streams (scenes) video on it. https://www.jumpinthestream.c...