The ClearOut

In this episode, Dara has a long hard look at the notion and reality of madness and places it in a context of conflict. The world of karate and traditional martial arts and the codified dynamics of attack and defence therein is a key reference point. The Joker, as featured in Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's 1988 graphic novel 'The Killing Joke', also contributes to the conversation. It is a meeting...

In this episode, Dara talks about how listening to another podcast stimulated all of this episode's talking points. He discusses the casting and similar subject matter of three very recent movies, at the end of which discussion Kevin Costner's butt puts in a brief appearance. A guest's voice from that other podcast reminds him of a friend who put down a very clear boundary. He talks about issues o...

In this episode Dara revisits his relationship with hats and head coverings and recalls a distinctive haircut from his teens that he took with him to a summer job in the USA in 1990. He also discusses a piece he wrote about a recent period of anxiety he was going through, the reaction it got, the value of articulating our pain, and an element of his coping mechanism that he didn't write about. Thi...

In this episode, Dara explains why he has a little cold and reflects on the not so great behaviour we tolerate in ourselves towards those closest to us. He takes the discussion further to reflect on the legacies of family trauma and how the challenge of not passing that trauma to subsequent generations should be embraced. Included in this section is a reflection on his own relationship with depres...

In this episode, Dara can't remember what a theremin is called. He talks about playing cricket with his daughter and then recalls watching the Detroit Tigers baseball team in Detroit 31 years ago. A discussion of the American baseball novel The Natural, its Arthurian roots, and Robert Redford's acting in the 1984 movie adaptation follows. Finally, sentimentality and resentment are discussed as opp...

In this episode, Dara relives some acting experiences he'd rather forget. He admits that clowns inspired him to want to become an actor and goes on to argue that clowns have a lot to teach about human wonder and vulnerability. Along the way he discusses being the owner of an interesting chin, a significant first date with his wife, and something fun to do with a blender! Dostoyevsky and Shakespear...

In this episode, Dara goes on a bit of a deep dive into his relationship with swimming, including revealing his fear of water as a child. This leads to a reflection on the importance of exercise in his life as a pillar of his mental health maintenance. He also wonders if he might have met a serial killer... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dara Clear - writer, actor, martial artist, sea swimmer - introduces his new podcast, a spin-off of his website theclearout.com , and elaborates on his vision for the podcast before going into how a very recent battle with his daughter got him thinking about the power of positive assumptions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.