Field of Streams

Forget Playstations - what about something from the Human's Gift Guide to Being Human this holiday season? Marketing emails hit our inboxes with extreme violence at this time of year, suggesting gifts for loved ones that will make them squeal. Subject lines that entice you with discounts, free shipping, and the promise of winning Christmas. But what about this? How about instead of material g...

How do you turn the kernel of an idea into something bigger? Or decide that it's not worth pursuing at all? In this episode, I explore the idea of letting your mind wander to help it figure out what it is before bringing it into land.  Watch me talking about the inspirations and themes of this episode on Behind the Streams video, here: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-unmoor...

What makes something a Masterpiece? Have you got one in you and if so, how are you going about getting it out of you? Let's talk about it. The song: "When I Paint My Masterpiece - Studio Outtake 1971" by Bob Dylan This is an audio reading of the post "Have You Seen My Masterpiece?"   originally published on February 14, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found a...

Does what you see in the mirror match the vision you have of yourself? What do you do if it doesn't? In this episode, we dig into how to approach body image and why you should stop playing the 'shell game' with your "Self."  Mirrors. Never trust a mirror. Curious about MackIntosh? Read this:  "Charles Mackintosh and his Famous Coat" This is an audio reading of th...

Why are we so hooked on nostalgia? Why do we want things to go back to the way they were and resist change? Was the past really that good? Let's discuss. This is an audio reading of the post “Forged on the Anvil of Change” originally published on February 7, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.   https://www.jumpinthestream.com/anvil/ Support the show About Field...

It's easy to freeze and get set in old ways. Wake up! Don't stay frozen like a worm in the Siberian tundra. Defrost and get at it - there's work to be done.   Worms Revived After 46,000 Years Frozen in Siberian Permafrost https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/science/roundworm-nematodes-siberia-permafrost.html Watch me talking about the inspirations and themes of this episode on Behind...

Grief is a slippery emotion. A slippery roller coaster. Written on the three-year-anniversary of my Mum’s passing back in 2022, in today’s episode, we take a look at what grief is and why, though it sucks, it can also be considered a gift. WandaVision’s Controversial Line This is an audio reading of the post “Grief is a Gift. Don’t Pretend it Isn’t There” originally published on January 31, 2022....

At the start of your life, you are given a box. You put stuff in. You take stuff out. Let's discuss how to get the balance right.  Watch me talking about the inspirations and themes of this episode on Behind the Streams video, here:  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-life-box/ This is an audio reading of the post " Are you Carrying Unnecessary Weight in your Life Box? &q...

The best way to figure out how to create or find your style is to try. This post was inspired by something Georgia O'Keeffe said, which got me thinking about mountains and how the world speaks to us.  Watch Behind the Streams and Themes of this episode with more juicy Georgia O'Keeffe action: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-mountain/ This is an audio reading of the pos...

Have we lost the ability to wait for things? When it comes to entertainment, when did we become a "gimme now!" society? Let's discuss the value of waiting. Stephen King and George R.R. Martin interview mentioned in the post This is an audio reading of the post "Gimme now, later" originally published on January 24, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that...

To figure out your one true voice, you will spend a lot of time imitating the work of those you admire. Go for it! Imitate, imitate, imitate until you learn to create, create, create. It'll help you figure out your own voice along the way.  Watch me talking about the inspirations and themes of this episode on Behind the Streams video, here:  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-...

Why is it so important to us that people think we have good taste? In this episode, I not only ask that question of myself, I make a compelling case for watching the Nicolas Cage pig revenge film, PIG. For real. This is an audio reading of the post "Pig. It Tastes Good" originally published on January 17, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.  https://www.jump...

In loving memory, Margaret Florence McCrae, born 1924, died 2023. If you want to see some lovely photos of my grandma and the most recent rug she made me, go here. Vale, Grandma! Watch me talking my grandma and how we honor those who've been in our lives, here: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-grandma/ This is an audio recording of a piece of my writing taken from my newslet...

Inspired by the sassy surfboard-stealing sea otter, Santa Cruz’s own Sea Otter 841, this episode attempts to explain her Wavestorm-ways via, of all things, Craigslist Missed Connections.  Go behind the scenes of this episode to see how it came together here: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-otter/ This is an audio reading of the post "Hello, I am the Sea Otter Who Stole Your...

Sometimes we all need a little time out. Today, I talk about the value of stepping away—alone, in the shoulder of life—to revive and come back to it all.   This is an audio reading of the post "Get Lost to Get Found" originally published on January 3, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/lost/ Support the show About Field of S...

Are we just like eggs? Do we need to get sat on to warm up and hatch ideas? This is an audio reading of the post "What the Cluck?" originally published on December 27, 2021. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/cluck/ Support the show About Field of Streams This podcast provides audio readings of The Stream newsletter's main fe...

When you are in the proximity of great art - paintings, books, film, whatever - does it affect you deeply? Do you feel too much? Perhaps you need to call the offices of Feel Free, a company that can help rid you of that nasty overfeeling problem. Read the Mark Maggiori Art Safari story Watch me talking about the inspirations and themes of this episode on Behind the Streams video, here: https://www...

What is it to love a band? To love music? Come along with me as I attend my first live gig in over 3 years, which just happens to be a band I love. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Darkness.  Go behind the scenes of this episode. Watch: https://www.jumpinthestream.com/behind-the-streams-darkness/ This is an audio reading of the post "The Darkness: A Love Letter" from October 2023. Ad...

What is creative juice? Is it a fruity juice or a meaty juice? In this episode, I discuss the properties of the liquid that fuels our creativity. Play him off key board cat This is an audio reading of the post "Creative Juicing for Dummies" originally published on December 20, 2021. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/juice/ Suppor...

Why do we abandon ideas before they get off the ground, and is there a way to get back to them? Let's explore, together. This is an audio reading of the post "Pretty Vacant" originally published on December 13, 2021. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link.  https://www.jumpinthestream.com/vacant/ Support the show About Field of Streams This podcast provides audio...

What is your vehicle for self-expression and is your heart driving it? Inspired by a weird story of a guy getting pulled over for driving a motorized cool, today we’re digging into your heart and if you know what it wants and where it is. Motorized Cooler story This is an audio reading of the post "A Heart on Ice in an Esky" originally published on December 6, 2021. Additional creative i...

Inspired by a kid “accidentally” ordering $2,618.85 worth of Spongebob Squarepants popsicles and having them delivered to his aunt’s house, this episode explores the joy of the unexpected order… from your brain.  Spongebob ice cream article This is an audio reading of the post "How to Deal with Unexpected Edibles" originally published on November 29, 2021. Additional creative inspiration...

If the message of today's episode can be summed up in one sentence, it's probably this: focus on the right things, not perfecting the perfect 140 characters of whatever it is. Why? Because, as writer, comedian, and podcaster Julie Klausner says in a Creative Independent interview, "No one mentions Twitter in your obituary." Julie Klausner Interview at The Creative Independent T...

Is turning fifty such a big deal? If feeling the most creative and alive is a big deal to you, then yeah, it is! This episode is for anyone feeling a little nervous about hitting this number. This is an audio reading of the post "And So This is Fifty” originally published on the day I turned 50, November 15, 2021. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://www.jumpint...

"Poetry is bad standup." This is a quote from Jerry Seinfeld to Norm Macdonald during an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and while I know it's just a line, it really got me inspired. All the world's a poem, and everyone is a poet in training. Even Jerry Seinfeld. Norm Macdonald on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee This is an audio reading of the post "Can'...