Starling

Since my last episode, the world has changed. As we face this crisis, we consider whether entertainment, meaning or experience will help us through this...and how the experience we are all living through may be an invitation to return to Romanticism. In this episode we discuss the artist William Blake and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and how their ideas might be relevant how we move forward...

Artists are products of the times we are imbedded in, and we give sound and vision to what we experience and imagine the next evolutions. Sometimes we are harbingers of a coming era, so what do we want that era to be? In this episode we look at rebuilding from the rubble of postmodernism and consider how we start to find meaning in a world that mocks human emotion. Read about the suggested practic...

Maybe it's time to take a break. How do you nurture yourself so that you can sustain your creative practice? In this season 2 opening episode I discuss the need for fallow periods and I share why that is especially important for me at the moment. We also take a look at how taking a vacation can give clarity to creative vision, as it did for the artist Paul Klee. Listen in and consider the imp...

As we wrap up Season 1 of Starling, we look at how our personality and psychological make up influence our creativity. There are many myths around artists and creative people being tourtured souls or egotistical weirdos, but...there is  research that says successful creatives are actually something "different". As we explore 10 traits laid out by Hungarian American psychologist Mihaly Cs...

Have you had an existential artistic crisis? In this episode I talk with Kansas City based artist, Jane Elizabeth Almirall about how she got through her personal crisis with creativity to rediscover her own vision. We talk about the struggle to find a "clear" path to becoming considered successful in our relationship with art & creativity. Learn about her art background and all her p...

Chaos, Control...Chaos, Control...You Like? You Like? Have you considered how you walk the edge between chaos and order in your artistic practice? In this episode we explore the borderlands, the area that the artist works from when creating art that moves culture forward. Like an explorer, an artist must be willing to move with the unknown in order to create something new. We will talk a bit about...

Can you claim the title of artist? How does your personal expression get seen in the world? In this episode we talk with Yoga Therapist Elizabeth Griggs about her creative practice. As a kinesthetic creator, she has had to struggle with the boundaries of where there is a product and if it can be considered art. We discuss how our childhood home life sets up our artistic understanding, discuss rece...

How can we create a structure to make sure we are challenging ourselves? Are you looking for ways to push yourself forward in your creative development? In this episode I discuss a personal creative failure and how that reminded me about the importance of self evaluation. We will also look at several different creative challenges and decide which developmental structures could actually help us get...

How do our friends support our creative practice? In this episode we look at a few artist friendships and think about the way we connect to the friends in our life. Did you know Duchamp and Dali were good friends? Let's consider how using the buddy system may help our artistic output as well as enrich our lives. Follow this link to all the curated content for the episode: Click Here 

Let's consider the haunting power of art. How does it allow the dead to speak to the living and what will our art say long after we are gone? Indulge in a few art related ghost stories this week as we look at the spirits that dwell within out own creative practice. To learn more about the artists and topics discussed in this week's episode (including links to other art related ghost stor...

As we enter the season of the darkening of the light...fall,  we look at how shadows shape our reality and our artwork. Discover a bit about how darkness enhances form and how shadows give depth to everything they touch. Learn about how the shadow has evolved through art history and evaluate your own relationship to...the dark. Contemplate what you may be projecting into the darkness and whether i...

How can creativity help us recreate the stories we tell ourselves? In this first ever interview episode of Starling, writer, brand catalyst and firebrand Michelle Mercurio discusses using creative practice to help heal grief. In workshops, Michelle helps grieving families create stories that connect and soothe suffering. Listen in to hear her approach and a little about her personal process. Follo...

How do we organize our thoughts and inner world to bring order to our creative process? In this episode we look at how exploring philosophical and psychological concepts can give structure to guide our artistic development. Follow this link for the show notes that include curated content around the topics discussed and as always a weekly playlist to accompany the ideas: https://www.smore.com/h4k8p

How is what we create connected to who we are? In this episode we look at the role of identity in our artwork and in our existence in general. Follow this link for all the content I discuss in this episode such as personality tests, artist information and of course this week's playlist. 

Change is constant, so why not put it to use? This week we look at the way we make transitions in our creative practice, notice habits we might have and consider changes we could make to invite fresh creative energy into our lives. Change can inspire new ideas, so what are you willing to change to get ideas flowing? Follow this link to find a recap of the practices, this week's playlist and o...

How does the mundane world provide inspiration and opportunity for artists? This week we discuss what creativity is and discuss practices for finding moments for artistic ideas to flourish, even when we are embedded in our daily lives. There are chances to spark creativity and take notice of simple beauty in even the most boring of situations. You can read more about all that I cover in this episo...

Are you pulling or following threads? Have you tied knots that anchor you or knots that keep you tied up and tangled. In this episode we discuss idea threads and understand it mythologically. Finding your way to the center of the labyrinth is a personal journey and our art practice can be part of the threads that guide us through the process. Follow this link  to resources mentioned in the episode...

Artists develop over time and our relationship with that evolution takes patience and trust. This week we take a look at how time can develop or damage our evolution. Time as a construct, concept and idea is very interesting to me and you can find some links that I find inspirational about time on my Blog Page . You will also find the weekly playlist and a recap of the practices I recommend in tha...

In college, a professor of mine told me that if I was to teach my students anything, it had to be symbols. At the time I was like “of course”, but it wasn’t until later when I found the meaning and my own personal relationship with symbols that I truly understood why.  “Symbolism is the obvious next key to unlocking our creative self.” In this week’s episode, I discuss the power of symbols and how...

What are you answering with your creative practice. Art can answer questions and push us to ask more powerful questions. In this episode we discuss how questioning can guide us to use artistic development to find personal and meaningful answers. You will find the content mentioned in this episode, including the workbook to help get you started here: The Fundamental Question

Join me on an expedition through The Artistic Realms as we discover the ways towards personal expression. I will take a few moments to point out important landmarks along the way and share a few methods for further adventure and discovery. To download an actual copy of the map and get the mixtape made to accompany this journey follow this link: The Artistic Realms

The theme of fear is one artists have a longstanding relationship with. In this episode we look fear in the eye in order to build an understanding of it, so that it can support our creative practice, not damage it. If you want to check out the playlist I made to accompany the idea of fear click here: Fear Playlist As I finished this episode I got another small cancer diagnosis...If you are interes...

In this episode I cover what I call the 4Ms that help build foundation for your creative practice. Understanding these foundational pillars will set the stage for creating your best work. 

How do you move forward in your creative development? By assessing where you are now. In this episode we discuss how to begin the process of personal skill assessment and why it is important. I will give you some questions to get your wheels turning as you develop how your individual assessment will look. This self reflection will lay the groundwork for mapping how your creative practice will unfo...

Well, here we go...This episode is just an introduction and a little about me, Amy Markham, as I begin Starling. A podcast about enriching our lives through creative practices.  I have online course and in person workshops planned to accompany the podcast. As of today this is a work in progress, but at least there is progress. Check out my website to see how this develops  http://www.starlingcreat...