Originality

#25: You Are Not Alone

April 12th, 2019 · 63 minutes

This week, Tempest and Aleen talk about how to stay creative under the mental toll of life in America in 2019; the importance of friends, family, and community to sustain your creativity; using data to figure out what works for you, without judgment; when you should or shouldn’t listen to “experts” about how to create better; and why it’s good to …

#24: Bury Your Shoulds

March 26th, 2019 · 44 minutes

Get your shovels, because this week, Aleen and Tempest are discussing how to bury the dreaded “shoulds,” and focus instead on what you want to be doing. Also: The importance of saying “no” to things; the powerful motivation of avoiding a 9-to-5 job; how to find a word count goal that works for you; your invitation, listeners, to tweet at Tempest…

#23: Avoiding Patriarchal Nonsense

October 25th, 2018 · 72 minutes

Today the spotlight is on Tempest! Learn about her recent trip to Egypt, where she got the idea for her novel, and hear her epic retelling of Antigone.

#22: I Am Hugely Motivated by Spite

August 24th, 2018 · 69 minutes

This time around, Kelly Sue DeConnick joins Tempest and Aleen to talk about learning from critique and criticism (and practicing how to take the feedback), how people perceive the series Bitch Planet, and the importance of collaborative relationships.

#21: Irrational Brain Weasels

July 26th, 2018 · 45 minutes

We're baaaacccckkkkK! We use our triumphant return to talk about why the show was on hiatus, getting through stressful times, saying no, and letting go of The Shoulds.

#20: Creating a Fake World People Can Believe In

March 15th, 2018 · 65 minutes

"Drawing is a form of expressing story without using words," says our guest Grace Fong. In this episode, Tempest, Aleen, and Grace explore how artists tell stories, how they add to existing stories, why mind palaces are important, and how travel contributes to it all.

#19: You Don't Have to Be an Expert

February 1st, 2018 · 56 minutes

In a world and an era when
everyone
is vying for attention,
how do you you stand above the crowd,
make yourself heard,
build an audience?

#18: Turn on the Fountain of Words

January 18th, 2018 · 77 minutes

Sometimes you feel you've got to
Run away you've got to
Get away from the day-to-day things surrounding you
The things you make
Seem to go nowhere
And you've lost your light
For you try and try but just can't write!

#17: Stuff People in a Couch

January 4th, 2018 · 76 minutes

Sometimes life takes you
In unexpected directions
And to unexpected places
Like Portland
Or Broadway
Or entirely new continents and countries
And then, sometimes,
Life takes you right back to where you started
So you can foster your own creativity
And help others as they foster theirs

#16: Someone Needs Me to Talk About Jem & the Holograms

December 8th, 2017 · 96 minutes

from an idea
to toys
to television
to comics

a musical sensation more fun than Hooked on Phonics

it may be a remix
but don't dismiss it out of hand
this comic is packed with diversity
and it's anything but bland