Create Art Podcast

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 12 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 12 Nov 2020 1749 daily count 21085 cumulative count Carl took a few deep breaths before reading the note. He wasn’t sure what it would contain, and his tears were making everything blurry. His heart began to race but a bit of calmness interrupted him when he thought ‘at least we can spare the child from having to identify the body’. Carl grabbed the book and note and went into the stall for privacy in case another patron came in. The writing looked like it was done quickly and was difficult to read because it was written in cursive. Who uses cursive these days thought Carl. Someone abandoning their child that’s who, came the thought back at him. The note read as follows “Carl, I can no longer care for my daughter Myra. We live far from here and she does not know our address. Once you read this note I will have already moved all my things from the rented room and moved on. My heart is devastated that I can no longer care for her as she should be cared for. There is no mother in the picture and no siblings. I will not come back for her as I do not know how much longer I will live. Please raise her as your own, I will not suddenly pop out of nowhere and try to take her back. I have left you with a book that is for you alone. Do not show it to Myra under any circumstances. There are instructions in the book and you will understand once you read the instructions. Under no circumstances leaf through the book. Once you read the instructions you will understand why. I know you think of me as a detestable person, and that is the exact reason why I am entrusting Myra’s care unto you. No matter what you or Myra thinks of me, I think of myself in much worse terms. It was not my intention to abandon my daughter as she is my world, however, circumstances have forced my hand and I can no longer care for her in the way she needs to be cared for. I know I cannot ask anything of you, but I am requesting that you do not turn her over to the state. You seem to be a resourceful person that can get things done. I don’t know if you really are, but it is my hope that you are. Please care for my daughter as your own. She is not aware of what is transpiring. She is a very alert and obedient child, I gave her a secret phrase that means she is to follow what you say. Tell her the giraffes are drinking tea with the flamingos. I am not sure how to make life easier on her, if you should tell her I died or committed suicide or I just ran off, I leave that to you as I know I will never see the two of you again. Its not that I don’t care what you tell her, its that I have come to terms with what I am doing right now. Again, don’t try to find me, by the time you have read this letter I have already made it past state lines and you and she will never find me. Take care of my daisy. Carl turned over the note in hopes that the father had written his name by accident or left some other clue as to who he was or where he was going. There was nothing, even the ink that the father used didn’t bleed onto the other side of the note. He looked at the book that the note referred to, it was hardbound, plain blue and had golden words in an old-style script that read diary. The edge of the papers in the book seemed ruffled and dog eared like he did with his books. He sat in the stall for some time knowing that he would have to face Cheryl, but more importantly Myra. Summoning his composure, he got up from the stall, placed the book and note on the sink and began to wash his face. The cool water brought him out of his fog from the recent events and the note. He called his boss as this obviously was not going to resolve itself quickly. “Hey Fred, this is Carl. I am going to have to take the rest of the week off, just not feeling good today, can you cover down for me at tomorrows meeting,” asked Carl with a mechanical voice that lacked any emotion? “Sure, not a problem, sorry you are not feeling well, going back to the doctor,” asked Fred? “Yeah, I think that would be best, calling him right after I get off the phone with you,” Carl replied almost whispering. “Okay get better and let me know what turns

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 11 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 11 Nov 2020 1439 daily count 19336 cumulative Carl went back to his book and coffee. Looking at his watch it was getting close to nine, he would need to leave no later than nine thirty to make it to work. Looking over at Cheryl, he saw she had a mini rush going on and the drink orders had lined up. The pattern had been thirty to forty minutes in the bathroom for the father so if the pattern held, he would be late for work at best by ten or fifteen minutes. Not the worst news in the world, but he hated being late. The twin responsibilities pulling on him were minor, he was not in danger of losing his job if he were to be late, and if he had to bolt on out of the shop early Cheryl would totally understand. He could feel his anxiety begin to creep up a few notches. The patrons at the counter were giving Cheryl a hard time with their drinks and she was visibly frustrated. Carl could not make out the commotion due to the music and din of conversations in the shop, but he could tell she was feeling the pressure of the upcoming confrontation. It had been ten minutes and Cheryl had finally finished with the group that was giving her a hard time. She came to Carl’s table and slumped down in the open chair. “I think I know how to make drinks, I mean I did win the barista of the year in this town for three years running right, and I know my way around an espresso machine, god I hate customers some days,” she said to Carl. “How are you doing over there young lady,” she asked the quiet girl. “I’m doing fine, just waiting for my dad,” said the girl timidly raising her head out of her book just for a few moments to answer the question and then back to her book. “What are you reading,” Cheryl asked. “Just a book my dad gave me, m not really supposed to talk to anyone. Can you leave me alone please,” said the girl still quiet and trying to look like she was engrossed in her book? Cheryl looked back over to Carl and said in a low voice, “it’s been fifteen minutes.” “And I am giving it another fifteen minutes and then I will head into the bathroom. Can you look after her while I do that,” Carl matched Cheryl’s volume? “Yeah, the lunch crowd does not start for a few hours and I am already caught up on my daily checklist. How are you holding up, how was yesterday,” she asked? “Had a great day, after I left here I went back to the park and ate the food and read another fifty or so pages and went home turned on a movie and fell asleep. Had a stuff neck this morning but it was good to take the day off and just sit in the park,” Carl replied. Cheryl was focused on the girl while Carl talked. She was trying to get a clue as to what was going on, looking at every movement the girl made, seeing how much of the cookie she ate or milk she drank. Girl was as unaware of the examination as was Carl and he was just a table widths away. “Do you need a refill on your milk or another cookie, its on the house,” Cheryl asked the girl. “No I am find thank you,” she replied. “I’ve got a really good chocolate chip muffin in the display counter and it’s got your name on it if you want it, plus I can get you a juice if you prefer,” asked Cheryl. “Uhm, I think my dad will be back anytime now, he doesn’t want me to drink sugary drinks like juice. I usually just drink milk or water,” replied the girl. “Well you are just about out of milk, do you want a chocolate milk, we won’t tell your dad,” asked Cheryl. “Really, uhm yes please,” said the girl even mor meekly. She peer from behind her book and looked toward the mens bathroom. “What if my dad comes back, he would be mad.” “Not a problem, I’ll take the chocolate milk off your table and put it on mine and we will make sure you have a full glass of regular milk on your table,” said Carl conspiring with Cheryl. “Tell ya what, Carl is going to head to the bathroom and I’ll grab that chocolate milk for you okay, drink it down fast,” said Cheryl. “Okay,” whispered the girl. A smile started to form on her face and her eyes sparkled for the first time in the four days that Cheryl had seen her. Carl took the cue and got up. His heart was pumping to be part

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 10 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 10 Nov 2020 1867 daily count 17897 cumulative count The day stayed peaceful and the park was quiet all morning. Carl had to stand up a few times as he was falling asleep on the picnic table bench. He had made good progress through the book and felt the relaxation that Cheryl and Nate had promised would happen if he took time for himself. It was nearing noon and he did feel a few pangs of hunger. The coffee was gone and all he had in the car was a few water bottles he kept in case of emergency. He walked back to the car and debated on if he wanted to leave for lunch or just bring back a water bottle and continue reading. That debate didn’t last long as he sat in the car and turned it on. He would grab some food at the coffee shop and check in on Cheryl’s progress. The drive wasn’t as quick as when he drove out to the park. The lunch rush was happening all over the town and cars were lined up at every food establishment. He made it to the coffee shop and had to park two clocks away. The line was out the door as it was yesterday, and he sat in his car debating on waiting out the crowd or just going home for lunch. Finished his water bottle, he decided to go ahead and brave the crowd. Standing in line alone, he was able to overhear conversations from the people in front of him but paid them no mind. He didn’t recognize many of those in line as he usually packed his lunch for work and ate it in the lunchroom or in his car. When he got up to the counter, Cheryl had a disapproving look on her face. He knew that she would scold him for coming in early and not taking the entire day to himself. Stephanie was taking his order. “I’ll have a pastrami with swiss, hold the sauerkraut, sweet potato fries and a red eye please,” said Carl. “Carl, two days in a row having lunch here, you are making this a habit. I am sure there are a few tables on the patio and I will run back there when your food is up. That will be nine fifty,” said Stephanie. “Well the service is great and the food is wonderful, I should have had lunch here every day. Now the barista, she needs to smile more,” joked Carl. “And someone needs to rest more,” said Cheryl overhearing his conversation. “I did, I went to the park and knocked out thirty pages of my book. A guy has got to eat to keep up his strength with all this relaxation stuff, I never knew it took so much out of a person,” laughed Carl. Cheryl quickly made the red eye with only a half shot of espresso and handed it to Carl as he walked by. She looked at him sternly, and then started to giggle as he looked at her sheepishly. “I’ll give you a holler when your food is up. I’ll have them make it to go so you can get back to the park and rest, and I mean it,” said Cheryl. “Yes ma’am, understood,” said Carl. He took his red eye to the patio and waited for his name to be called. He did enjoy the care that Cheryl did display to him, it wasn’t a romantic thing, at least not from his end. He just enjoyed having someone else besides family care about him. He thought about playing the exercise that he sowed Cheryl yesterday, but he left his notepad in the car. He sat at the table, alone in his thoughts, barely listening to the din of the other patrons’ discussions. He realized it had been a good day, even with the weirdness of the father and the child and the car in the park, he would tell Cheryl about that when he came back after her shift to help her with her assignment. The more he thought about it the more he thought he was just being paranoid, and he would appreciate her dismissing his encounter as coincidence. “Carl, your To Go order is ready,” yelled Cheryl. Carl instantly shook himself out of his thoughts and went to the counter picking up his lunch. Cheryl grabbed his coffee and refilled it for him. Once done she handed it back. “Now I don’t want to see you for a few hours, preferably until tomorrow, go get some rest,” she said forcefully. “You got it, a few hours. I promise to rest,” said Carl. He left the coffee shop and walked the two blocks to his car feeling good. He started to drive toward the last park and was at hoping it would still

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 9 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 9 Nov 2020 1559 daily count 16030 cumulative count Carl stared at the two as they left the shop. He saw them get into a car but he could not make out what the father was saying to his daughter. It didn’t appear that he was yelling at the girl, but the way he mouthed his words was very stern. When they pulled out into the street Carl got back to reading his book and drinking his coffee. After about thirty minutes, Cheryl approached Carl. “See what I mean, kinda weird, its not me,” she said with the same worry in her voice. “I didn’t get a great vibe off of them, he seems very dominant and naturally the girl is submissive. I am not sure if anything weird is going on there. He doesn’t seem like a druggie, but it is odd that they are coming in and essentially sitting around here mid-morning. I’ll drop in tomorrow like I said and try to spark up a conversation. They have been getting here at eight thirty right,” asked Carl? “Almost on the dot for the past few days. I appreciate you getting involved, I know it’s not your job and this is your relaxation place,” said Cheryl. “No worries, tell you what, when I was in college taking theater classes we did an exercise where we would sit in a café and make up stories of people who were in the café. It gave us tons of content for plays or background character studies. That might help you with your dialogue assignment,” said Carl. “Let’s give it a try, the shop is pretty slow right now. How do you know all this theater stuff though, your degree isn’t in the arts,” said Cheryl? “I took a ton of courses outside of my major, theater was one I loved in high school and it really got me out of my shell. Business analytics can get boring, so I needed to spice things up. Besides, theater had all the cool kids and I wanted desperately to have a reason to dress in all black and put on makeup occasionally,” said Carl. “Grab a pencil and paper and we can begin.” Cheryl went into the back room to grab the required objects. “Okay so lets start, what are their names,” asked Carl? “Oh I don’t know, I mean it could be anything,” said Cheryl. “Let’s start with the name that you wish were called when you were a kid.” “I wanted to be an Olivia,” answered Cheryl. “Done, the girls name is Olivia. What does she call her father,” asked Carl? “Dad, pops, I don’t know,” answered Cheryl. “What did you call your father,” asked Carl with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, I see what you are doing, you are making it personal. I called me dad Papa until I turned fifteen, then I called him his first name just to piss him off,” said Cheryl with a knowing look in her eye as she grasped the exercise. “So we have Olivia and Papa, what is their relationship like?” “Well it is a father daughter relationship.” “But is it, you are assuming he is the father. Don’t you think that might be too easy,” asked Carl? “Well who else would she call Papa, that is a pretty intimate name,” asked Cheryl? “Could he be her uncle or godfather because her father died when she was younger and this man has raised her for a few years,” asked Carl? “Wow, where do you get all of these ideas, wait, you do spend a lot of time in here writing don’t you. This isn’t relaxation for you its material for something,” Cheryl said. “Before you ask, no I don’t write stories about you because I know a lot about you through our talks. What you and I say to each other does not make it to the printed page. But yes, I love playing this game with close friends because it helps my writing. So, let’s start from what the reader doesn’t expect. We have a girl named Olivia and her godfather that has raised her since she was three years old and she is about nine now. What would they be talking about,” asked Carl? “He has something important to tell her, something earth shattering, but he doesn’t want to cause a scene, so he does it in public. That happens here all the time, people come in here to break up or propose or tell someone something very private, but they don’t want the person to freak because most people will hold back in public,” said Cheryl. “Hence why I brought my brother in here yesterday, he would

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 8 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 8 Nov 2020 2664 daily count 14471 cumulative count Nate checked the map app on his phone for his trip home. He saw the yellow and red starting to form as people were hitting the roads and going back home from work. He finished his tea and looked over at Carl. “I think I am going to head out and go home, the traffic is picking up and I’m sure I have missed a few emails while out here. I’ll drop you off and head back home,” said Nate. “Yeah, I am sure I missed some important emails from work myself. Its great to see you as always. I’ll just drop off our dishes at the station,” replied Carl. He collected their cups and dishes and bussed the table as they both walked toward the front of the coffee shop. “I think I’ll take a nap once I get home, for some reason I’m feeling tired from all the excitement. Doctors appointments are the worst on your day off,” said Carl as he got into Nates car. “You should take tomorrow off and do absolutely nothing. Work hard all the time, even here you do work by busing tables and tutoring the waitstaff. Take the day off and go for a walk in a park or just sleep in till noon,” said Nate as he put the car in reverse to get out of the parking lot. It took a few more minutes to get back to Carl’s apartment and Nate stopped next to Carl’s car so he could move it to his reserved spot. Neither brother said anything as Carl got out of the car and into his, they just nodded to each other and Nate took off for home as Carl parked his car. Carl entered his apartment and began to wash out the cup that Nate had been drinking tea from. The day was turning to evening slowly and he turned on his kitchen light to see better. Soon it would be time to make one of his signature dinners, Oh My God Mac and Cheese. Before Nate and his family went vegan and while he was still married, he would make this for family gatherings. The kids loved it because it was so cheesy, the adults loved it because they didn’t have to cook or clean up the dishes, Carl loved it because everyone had a smile while eating it. These days he still cooked great meals, he usually made them too big for one person to eat. Even when he was married he usually cooked for four people and kept the left overs in the fridge to be eaten the next day. Because he would be the only one eating it, he could experiment more and put the ingredients he liked in the dish. Lately he had been experimenting with goat and feta cheese with his recipe. He made the cheese sauce first while boiling up the noodles. Because he was using goat and feta to melt with the alfredo and cheddar the sauce was a few shades lighter than yellow. The smell was buttery and slightly pungent. It gave a nice kick when eating it with the bland macaroni elbows. The pasta of choice tonight was a mixture of elbows and shells because he only had about a quarter box of elbows. After Carl got the pasta started and the sauce was melting nicely, he went over to his grocery list and wrote pasta – elbows. He hadn’t learned yet how to make his own. He saw on the calendar next to the fridge that the pasta making class he was going to take was in a few weeks and he knew he couldn’t wait that long for pasta as many of his home made dishes used pasta in their recipe. When the pasta was all cooked he drained it in the sink and put it back into the pot. He added chopped up sun dried tomatoes, fried onions and the cheese sauce into the pot and mixed all the ingredients together. He wanted to plop down in front of the television and put on a movie and just eat the whole pot right there, but he decided to set out one table setting as he had done since his divorce and eat the meal at the table. Turning on the television and putting it on a music channel that featured jazz, he began to eat one bowl of the mac and cheese. It was not a classy meal like he used to make, but it was all he had strength for that day. Once he finished the bowl, he put I tin the sink and divided up the remaining mac and cheese into four Tupperware containers. He planned to drop one off for Cheryl and keep the rest for himself for lunches for the rest of the week. The

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 7 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 7 Nov 2020 1728 daily count 11807 cumulative count “Well it’s a long drive back, lets grab lunch and continue this conversation,” said Nate. “Coffee shop it is, and before you ask, they have vegan and vegetarian options for you. Are you planning on staying in town tonight or heading back after some grub,” Carl asked? “Are you inviting me to stay and watch over you tonight,” asked Nate? “Well, the luxurious accommodations here are not up to your standard I am sure, but I do have the two spare bedrooms, although one of them is set up for my office. You can crash here if you want,” said Carl. “Let’s grab lunch and see how I am feeling. So where is this coffee shop you are taking me to,” asked Nate? “Just a few minutes down the road, I did promise to help Cheryl with her dialogue for a class project she is doing today, do you want to lend a hand with that? Lord knows we can talk for hours about nothing important,” Carl asked? “So, who is this Cheryl, is something going on that I should be aware of in case she tries to get in on your estate,” asked Nate? “Not everyone is out for the little bit of money I have. She is a barista at the coffee shop and is taking classes in theater at the college. She is a good kid wants to be a lighting designer and I am just giving her a hand with the stuff that I know,” replied Carl. They both got into Nate’s car and drove off to the coffeeshop. It was a quiet and quick drive, however, they had to park a few blocks away as the lunch crowd had swarmed as Carl feared it would. “Wow this little place is hoping, must have some great food huh,” said Nate. “It’s the lunch crowd, they should clear out in about 20 minutes or so, do you want to go someplace else,” asked Carl? “No, this will be fine, you said they have vegan food, right? So, let’s eat healthy,” said Nate. The line to get in spilled out onto the sidewalk. Nate feared there might now be enough food when they ordered as had happened to him in the past with popular eateries. Neither brother talked while in line, they smiled at the other patrons, but didn’t engage in any conversation. Once they finally got to the counter to order Nate had memorized the menu and Carl was a regular, so his mind as made up before they even entered. “This will be for here, I’ll take the Rueben with sweet potato fries and a red eye and this guy is with me and he is paying,” said Carl to Cheryl’s coworker Stephanie. “I’ll grab the vegan wrap sandwich and sweet potato fries as well, and some green tea please,” ordered Nate. “Oh hey Carl, Cheryl is swamped, but we are winding down on the lunch rush, she wanted me to let her know when you came back, you look great, is this your father with you,” said Stephanie with a giggle? “This old man is my older brother Nate; he is the vegan in the family. He keeps the world in balance with all the chaos and destruction I bring into it. No worries on it being busy, we will be outside in the back at the tables. Just holler at me and I will grab the tray,” said Carl. “Did you tell her to say that” asked Nate? “Standing order here, any male that comes in with me is my dad, any female is my younger sister. E perks of being a good customer and big tipper, by the way, minimum tip I give is thirty percent. Cough it up big guy,” said Carl. Nate paid the bill with a forty percent tip. Carl always talked about the coffee shop as if he were a financial backer or a silent partner. It was everything that Carl described, comfortable, personable staff, lots of art and very lively. After being there for five minutes, Nate understood why Carl enjoyed the place, it felt like Carl was inviting him to his private island. They grabbed a small table on the back open-air patio. It felt very private and exclusive being so close to downtown. Nate made note of the location for future client meetings. It felt good to see his little brother be treated like royalty, and he knew it would never go to his head. “So how is the legal business, keeping criminals like me on the street,” asked Carl? “Business is always good, putting in seventy-hour weeks is tough, but I’ll be able to cut back to

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 6 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 6 Nov 2020 1545 daily total 10079 cumulative total He got to his door and scowled at the car taking his spot. He looked at it again, he knew he recognized the car, just not the owner. As he entered his apartment, the cologne of his brother greeted him before his brother said a word. “I knew I should have changed the locks,” said Carl to the man sitting on his couch and watching TV with hot tea in front of him. “Gotta check up on you to make sure you are still alive. Where have you been,” asked Carl’s older brother Nate? “Well since you broke into my house and defiled it by making a drink of moldy muddy leaves, you should know,” replied Carl. “I know where you weren’t, and that’s here. I was supposed to take you to your doctor appointment today,” said Nate. “I am forty-two, I have lived on my own before you did, and you are my older brother by four years. I have been handling all my doctors appointments for decades. I think I can handle this one,” replied Carl. “I thought we agreed I would take you so I would know what is going on with you in case I need to step in and take over,” replied Nate. “No you said you wanted to step in and take over when you felt the time called for it, I don’t remember telling you to come with me to any appointment. Don’t you have a wife that listens in on our calls and orders you around,” replied Carl? “She’s worried because you have no one here to look after you, plus I am your big brother and I’m kinda responsible for you. Remember the brain surgery a few years ack,” said Nate? Carl did remember and regretted the decision to have his older brother look after him. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the help after the divorce and having the surgery. Carl resented the fact that Nate and his wife thought they should swoop in and take over. It was that attitude that Carl’s marriage and now was threatening his relationship with the last family member that he talked to on a semiregular basis. “Okay well you can call your wife and report in, your little brother slipped out before you could catch up with him and you made green tea in my house. You probably brough in vegan cookies and food to help “heal me” and I ate some and was instantly healed, promised to name the next cat I adopted after you and wished you well on your way back home. Is that what she wants to hear,” asked Carl? “She cares about you and I don’t want to see you go down that lonely path that you love sipping toward oblivion to. You are still working a full time job, keeping a full time schedule of events that don’t include anyone else and we don’t want to come over here one day and find that you died three weeks before. The smell from the rotted meat in your fridge would be wretched and then of course your corpse would probably be sitting on the easy chair with a cold cup of coffee and a half eaten steak diner with old reruns of M*A*S*H* blaring on the television,” teased Carl. “We really care about you and want you to take care of yourself. You are my only brother and I don’t want to lose you.” “Nate, I haven’t changed the will, the ex-wife gets her cut, you guys get your cut and the coffee shop gets their cut. All my bills except for the medical ones that keep popping up with all these visits are the only thing left. I appreciate all the legal advice for all these years that you have given to me, but everything is in order, I am not afraid of death and I won’t be ruled by trying to grasp onto a life I don’t want. Now if you forgive me I am a bit tired and would like to lie down before I go back to the shop this afternoon,” said Carl. “Wait, you are going back to the coffee shop but you won’t tell me what happened at the doctors office,” asked Nate? “It was the usual thing, the doctor doesn’t listen, the nursed don’t listen. I insult them, I flirt with them, no one listens, so I don’t listen to them. I play their little game because it still amuses me to do such right now, maybe a part of me is hoping to grasp onto something, but for the most part, the doc wants to start chemo treatment on me I the new year, I have an MRI coming up in a few weeks and then we hav

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 5 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 5 Nov 2020 1673 daily count 8534 cumulative count “Hmmm, well my ex-wife and I had a great time, and I had a great time when I went by myself the year before. Where did you end up staying,” Carl replied? “Oh, some flea bag hotel in Paris somewhere. They were very snotty towards us, we had to wait forever for our meals the first day or two and then I let the manager have it. After that our food came out quick, but it was always cold,” said the older man. “Hmm, well the custom there is that dinner lasts a long time so you can enjoy your food and the company you are with. We stayed in Montparnese, just a few blocks from the graveyard and the Metro and Montparnesse Tower. I remember when I landed both times it was market day and the next day it was art day on the street just down from our hotel. I went on a tour group of people your age or older and we all had a grand time. Out tour guide was an expat and knew all the places I wanted to visit and gave me a bunch more that I had not heard of. Just a magical time indeed. I’ve considered retiring there when the time comes,” said Carl. “Well I am sure you experienced the rude people there, they were all over the place. Do not see how anyone could be an expat and love living over there. They hate us you know, “the old man said. “Nope, can’t say I experienced that, the people I met were very friendly and were forgiving of my attempts at French. In fact, we had a bunch try their English on us and it was fun to help them out and they had a great time helping us out. Lots of laughter is what I remember. I just treated it like I was going over to someone’s house and played by their rules. It really worked out for us and we took thousands of pictures and made some excellent memories. Tell me you at least went to the I Love You wall with your wife,” asked Carl? “The I Love You wall, what the heck is that” asked the old man? “Oh wow, okay, here is the info on the tour company we used. I think you got ripped off, you need to give It another shot. Here is a picture of my ex-wife and I at the I Love You Wall,” Carl opened up the photo app on his phone and showed the older man. “So, its this wall in Mon Marte I believe the neighborhood was called, anyhow, it’s a wall with I Love You written on it in all of these languages from tourists that have visited. Very romantic and magical place, the whole city is like that really you should give these guys a call and book a trip as soon as you can,” Carl gushed. “Yeah, its probably out of my price range though and I don’t want to give them frogs anymore of my money,” the old man said. “Divorce is more expensive,” Carl muttered. “What’s that,” the old man asked? “Oh, well I was just saying divorce is more expensive, I’ve been divorced for a few years now. That was expensive, Paris, well that is a bargain for the memories I have,” Carl said wistfully. “Carl, we are ready for you,” said the phlebotomist over the din of the patients. “Coming, “replied Carl. “Talk with these folks, give it another shot. We only live once and the memories will last the rest of your life. Trust me you never know how short life can be.” Carl put his phone and book away and carefully made it through the crowd. He headed to the back room and was led to a chair. Instinctively he rolled up both sleeves and set his bag on the floo next to him. “Okay name and birthday please,” asked the nurse? “Carl Bayer, 6, 10, 78. I am a Gemini and like long walks on the beach,” joked Carl. “I didn’t know Gemini’s liked long walks on the beach. I’m a Leo so I like being in control. Which arm will we be using today,” asked the nurse? “You are the one with the sharp pointy objects, I’ll let you decide. Besides, you are a Leo so you will probably tell me which one anyway. No seriously though, the left arm is usually the best one,” answered Carl. “Sounds good to me. Looks like you have had a bunch of sticks so I’ll use that one. How are you feeling today,” asked the nurse? “Decided to take the day off and come see you,” joked Carl. “Aren’t you the charmer, I’ll make sure to use the no pain needle on you. Looks like we will be tak

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 4 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So far 4 Nov 2020 day count 1701 cumulative count 6862 “Well if you see an uptick in these episodes that tells me we need to move forward. Let us look at the latest MRI to see if this latest episode did any damage or shows an increase in size of the tumor greater than what we have been seeing. If you or those around you notice any slurring of speech or awkwardness in speech that could be a sign. Once we get the bloodwork back, we can see if this tumor is spreading into your bloodstream or impacting it in your brain. Again, I cannot stress enough that being more aggressive now buys you more time in the future,” replied the doctor. “Yes, but what about quality of life towards the end of this ride. My quality is good right now except for all these tests and appointments. You even said it is steadily growing at a slow pace. I am a frustrated little hen. Okay we just stay on standby until things get worse, “replied Carl. “I’ll have my nurse give you a call when the results come in and we can talk more after that. I just want you to be aware of the options and think more long term, “said the doctor. “I am thinking long term trust me, the tumor is in my brain not yours. So as usual I must talk with the nurse and get the MRI and bloodwork scheduled through her. Do I need to come in or can we do a phone consultation when we get the results, “asked Carl? “My nurse can set up a phone consultation with you, so you don’t have to take another day off f work. The MRI and bloodwork should come back within a few days of the tests. Just keep monitoring your symptoms and let us know what is happening. You have been very good about doing that and we appreciate it, think about the chemo though, I can have my nurse give you information on it and if you want we can schedule a time to go through the process in detail with the staff that performs those procedures,” replied the doctor. “Before I forget, are you involved with any support group, if not I can get my nurse to look that up for you and give you information?” “Yeah, I am not the support group type of guy. My knitting skills are fine the way they are,” joked Carl. “You do more than knitting in those groups. It might help, or maybe you could do some online groups. I just want to make sure you are not going through this alone. It is not a sign of weakness, think of it as a tune up and oil change with other people who are experiencing something similar to your experience. Wo knows, you might meet your next ex-wife in one of those groups,” said the doctor. “I’ll do the online stuff so that if I need to make a face or snort at what someone says I can do it in the comfort of my own home in my house coat. I am not sure I am ready to date someone who is as sick as I am though, I like the attention everyone gives to me,” replied Carl. “Alright that sounds reasonable, I can live with it if you can live with it,” replied the doctor. With that conversation ended, the doctor stood up and rolled his laptop desk out into the hall and pointed Carl to the nurses station. Carl made it to the desk as the nurse was on another call and motioned for him to wait. He leaned on the counter and waited patiently. While she was on the call he pulled out his phone and opened his calenda app to put down the next appointments he was sure to get. The intake nurse approached him from behind. “So all done with appointments for today,” she asked? “Yeah, gotta schedule another MRI and some bloodwork. He doc wants to get more aggressive with the tumor and do some chemo on me but I am not sold on the idea yet,” he replied. “Well good luck to you, hope the tests come back and give you some good news,” she replied. “Looks like I will be back here in a few weeks to talk it all over again, if it wasn’t for you I would not bother coming in here,” Carl flirted with the nurse. “Ten years younger and would be going out to that coffee shop you are always talking about,” she flirted back. The receptionist finished her call and the intake nurse went out into the waiting room to get the next patient. “Okay Carl, looks like the doctor wants another MRI and some more blood wor

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 3 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 3 Nov 2020 Day count 1644 Cumulative Count 5151 Carl sat in the sterile exam room. There were a few magazines on the wall magazine rack that he internally laughed at. Home and Garden, Urology Today and a few home improvement periodicals. Nothing really to spark his interest to pick any o the rags, so he went back to his dog-eared copy of The Paris Review. He decided to skip ahead and read the rest of the poetry, a few of the pieces spoke to him, not in a profound way, but enough to notice the subject matter. The time seemed to drag, and he looked at the posters on the wall of the various body parts and internal organs. He wondered how someone got into that type of work, medial diagraming seemed to be such a waste of talent, or just a way for someone to make an easy buck. How much competition was there in making these diagrams and how did they et the source material to inspire someone to draw these things up. They all seemed to have a wetness to them. In every doctor’s office he saw them and really wondered if other people looked at them and said to themselves, I wish my insides looked like that. He gazed briefly on the image of the brain. It was sectioned off so nicely and looked pink and juicy, extremely healthy. None of them showed the reduced electrical output from a deformity or what a tumor really looked like. The brain depicted probably came from someone who was disgustingly positive. That brain was not a picture of his own, not that he was a depressed, negative person, its just that with his current condition he could not imagine his brain looking so pristine. The pictures of his brain looked grainy, when the docs initially pointed out the tumor it was like looking at an old tv with a tone of static, or when he was a kid trying to look at porn from the cable channels. It did not register with him, and it was not because of his tumor that it did not register, his ex-wife could not make heads or tails of what they were looking at. Of course, neither of them were medical experts and neither devoted years of their lives looking at these obscure pictures. It was like trying to find Where’s Waldo, except you did not have a color picture to look at or you were colorblind. The knock at the door to the exam room was firm, a little too firm. It meant that the doctor was ready to see him now. It broke him out of his thoughts on medical artistic representations. “Come on it doc,” said Carl weakly. He heard his own voice, and it did not possess the usual robust energy behind it. Maybe it was because he was not on equal ground. The doctor had more information about him that he had on himself and that made him feel lesser of a person, maybe he was just weary from the number of doctor appointments like this he had experienced over the years. “Good morning Carl, I’m sorry to be a little late, had to finish up with another patient. How are you feeling today,” came the almost mechanical response from his brain doctor? Carl had told two other people how he was and they each told him they would tell the next person. This was one of the multitude of things he hated about the medical field. “Well like I told your receptionist and intake nurse, I am doing swimmingly, never felt better in my life,” was Carl’s curt reply. It was a stupid question in Carl’s mind because no matter how often he said things, it did not make him feel better. “Oh, because I was just looking over the notes from my nurse and it looks like you had another episode this morning. Are you feeling okay, any dizziness or nausea happening right now,” the doctor replied. After years in practice he was used to some of his patients in Carl’s position being snarky with him. “Nope, just had an episode that I put down on the tracker here,” said Carl. He began to pull out his notebook tracker and just left it unopened on his lap. “Well tell me what happened in your own words, it looks like in my notes its been pretty consistent over these past few months right,” replied the doc? “I had a rough night last night, couldn’t get to sleep to easily, got up this morning went to the coffee shop, sat down there to read

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 2 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far 2 Nov 2020 day count 1565 cumulative count 3507 Carl got into his car. On the dash, the clock flashed 9:00. He was about 10 minutes away from the doctor’s office and he would make it with a few minutes to spare. He turned on the car and opened the windows. Lit a cigarette from the crushed pack and sucked I the fumes for a moment. He switched his phone to a podcast he was listening to yesterday that he wanted to finish and pulled the car out of the parking spot. He was sure that the conversation would be about the recent MRI he had and all that entailed, more MRI’s, his doctor recommending another procedure for more in depth testing, more money to be spent that he would have rather saved for a rainy day. Its not that he did not have insurance, it is just that with every test, with every appointment, he was always rubbing up against his annual maximum benefit. During his last brain surgery, he hit his maximum that year just from that one procedure and it did not slow the glacial growth of the tumor. Sure, everything was “free” for the rest of the year, but he had to call his brother to help him after the procedure to watch him for 4 days. He hated calling on anyone for assistance, especially his family. These thoughts and others brought him to the doctor’s office without him realizing it. The building was a three-level box near the mall. He had to maneuver the car around the back as the parking lot was already full at this time of day. This office was not like his primary care docs office which was much more inviting and had a better parking lot, this office was tucked away, not visible from the main road. He often wondered how his brain doc decided on this place to establish his practice. He found a spot that was not too crowded, the car next to him had handicap plates as the handicap spots had been filled probably by daybreak. The car was askew in the spot, but not too much, Carl was able to fit his vehicle between the car and the curb. He got out and headed around the building to the main entrance. He would have to take the elevator today as the stairs were being mopped according to the wet floor sign blocking the stairway door. The elevator was slow and would get him to the office on the third floor just in time for his name to be called. It smelled a little like urine, and e was sure when he was done, the custodian would have it blocked off to clean up the accident that must have recently happened. Once the door slipped open to the third floor, he got out with his insurance card in hand and approached the receptionist. She was on the phone with another patient that from what he could tell was giving her all sorts of grief. Without a word he signed in, smiled at the harried receptionist and handed his card and driver’s license to her. “Good morning Carl, I’ll be right with you,” said the nurse, cupping her hand over the receiver. “Take your time, I am still early,” replied Carl. He found a seat near the receptionist station and opened The Paris Review from where he left off at the coffee shop. He suddenly remembered that he left the coffee that Cheryl had made him in the car, by the time he got out of here it was sure to be tepid or worse yet, cold. “Carl, I am ready for you,” said the receptionist. He jumped up and dog eared his spot in the book. He pulled out his credit card as he owed the co-pay. The process was robotic at this point with all f his specialists. He handed the card to her with a smile. “Did you need a receipt,” asked the receptionist? “That would be great, gotta keep all these for tax time right,” replied Carl. “Here you go, the doctor is running a bit late, but he should be ready for you in about fifteen minutes,” said the receptionist. “What are you reading this time,” she asked? “Oh, just last season’s Paris Review, they have a great interview with my favorite writer in this issue,” Carl replied. “You always bring in the best books. I wish I had time to read as much as you do.” “Well when you have as many appointments as I do and wait in as many waiting rooms as I do, you can catch up on a lot of reading.” “I don’t think I want t

WRITING AND PODCASTING A NOVEL 1 NOV 2020 Todays Topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo. You will be able to listen to what I wrote for the day and read it at the same time. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] The Story So Far Shared Diary 1 Nov 2020 day count 1942 cumulative count 1942 It was his day off, well not really a day off, he did have a doctor appointment later that morning, so he got up at his usual time and went to the coffee shop. The day had started a bit too bright for his liking, these fall mornings usually threw off his circadian rhythm, so he thought it was later than it was. Rolling over and looking at the clock the piercing red digital numbers read 6:43. He took the whole day off because he wasn’t sure of what he was going to hear from the doc that day, plus he usually didn’t use much leave time since the divorce. The coffee shop was his refuge since his life had fallen apart. It was not too trendy, there were people his age that would come and spend time. Being in his early forties, fewer places were open to him in that he felt like the creepy old guy. Often, he’d attend movies alone, his old friends were married and had their own lives to live, where as his life was forced to begin anew after 15 years of marriage. The dissolution of the marriage was amicable, they had no kids because he was unable to perform in that aspect. She had wanted kids, the house, two cars and the dream. Most of that he was able to provide, but the kid part was beyond his control. It was a similar doctor visit that he attended alone when he received the news of the impending end of his life. It was a fluke that they found the brain tumor that would eventually lead to his status. There was little they could do to help him go into remission and all he wanted to do was work until the very end. She had wanted him to take time off and just be with her. That for him was torture, he was wired differently that she was. He did not want to be mothered and nursed back to health. He wanted to go out quietly without much fanfare. When they could not see eye to eye, they both decided that he needed to see this to the end on his own terms. It was a Tuesday when he went to the coffee shop. There was still some fog in the air as it was not quite 7:30 AM. There were a few patrons in the shop. He stood in line and looked for his favorite spot to be open, an old couch that gave to his weight exactly right, it cuddled him into an hour or two visit each time. Luckily, no one had taken the couch so he would be able to enjoy the day despite the news he was going to receive from the doc. He stood in the line and gave the barista his drink order. “Red eye with an extra shot and an everything bagel please,” he said. “Busy day for you today huh, usually don’t see you in here this early,” replied the barista behind the bar. She worked the early shift most days and, on the weekends, he would come in and order the same drink and food. She was going to the local college in the theatre department and they had talked many times about what she was going to do after she graduated which changed ever few weeks. “Doctor stuff today, took the day off and couldn’t sleep in so I figured I’d come in and read or write. How is the play going,”? He asked as she was taking a playwriting class to finish her required classes this semester. “Having a hard time with the dialogue, my prof says write like you talk, but how exactly do you do that and make it interesting,”? She replied while mindlessly making his red eye. The forced steam started to run in the espresso machine so they needed to talk over the noise. “Well what you could do is record a conversation and then type it out to get the feel for what people talk about. “ “Yeah, people act funny when they are being recorded, I need someone that would be natural even when I record them. Hard to find people that can act natural.” She was finishing his drink and used finger quotes when saying ‘act naturally’. “Well you can record me, although I doubt what I have to say would be interesting for your play,” he replied. “Well if you have time after your doctor stuff, would you be able to come by and I could record you, Tuesdays are pretty light here and we could go toward the back tables where few people go. That way I would not get anyone else on the tape, just us,”? “Yeah I can d

Today's topic Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education helping you tame your inner critic and provide you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. Today's episode is a commentary on Gratitude in Art. The kicker is not only will we be talking about gratitude, but you will see it in action during this episode. Why Gratitude? When we appreciate what we have, it helps our mental state and reminds us of what we have accomplished. Gratitude is a two-step process: looking back and verbalizing what we have accomplished and then making an action plan for what we want to accomplish in the future. Gratitude comes from Latin gratus, loosely translated means pleasing, thankful. Putting Gratitude Into Practice In this episode I want to thank the people who have been on the show and discuss why I appreciate their contributions. Cliff, a listener that has written in to [email protected] who has expressed his gratitude for what he has learned through this podcast Scott Murray from The Crimson Files and Comic Book Noob podcast for his insights on podcasting and audio drama. C.J. Robinson from The Poetry Novelist for his unique approach to podcasting by being open and unpretentious in his review of other poets and writers. Joel Ciaccio for his podcast in hiatus The Hack sessions Podcast. We did double duty in our combined episodes talking about T.S. Elliot, one of our favorite poets. Brandon Larson, my former boss. We talked about talent and management styles, he must be good because he put up with me. Tia Sunshine Dye, we talked about watercolors and her regional showing. She has a wonderful website for her work and has reasonably priced work. York Campbell from Poetic Earthlings podcast. We discussed creativity in a pandemic and how he produces his podcast with excellent production values and challenging topics. Christopher Simms, we discussed his history with poetry and political art. It was a great time to catch up with him and receive a deeper appreciation of his work. Kyle Bondo, has been working with me on our podcast Podwrecked, and has been my podcasting mentor since 2016. We discussed his attempt at NaPoWriMo and how he uses poetry in his IT job. Mathew Passey, not a guest, but another mentor that audited my podcast and website. he provided many insights that help me create this podcast for you. Lessons Learned in Gratitude Gratitude reminds us we are not alone on our artistic journey. There are others who helped us along the way, make sure to reach out to them. The subject of gratitude has been used by others in their art discipline, try it out as subject material if you are stuck on ideas. Doing a project based on gratitude can help improve your mental health and push you through any blocks that you have that are stifling your creativity. Closing Thoghts Use gratitude in your work, it may take you out of a bad space and it will bring your audience closer and provide a more intimate connection. To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email : [email protected] IG : @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast Postscript I will be closing down KDOI Podcasting, my old podcast about creating art, and putting those episodes here. Be on the look out. I have a number of gems that I know you will enjoy.

Talking with Kyle Bondo and his experience with NaPoWriMo Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where we help you tame the inner critic and unleash your creativity through conversations, interviews, commentary, and projects. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator here and at Gagglepod Studios. I bring over 20 years of experience in the arts and education to help you overcome the many barriers to creativity. I have 4 books of self-published poetry, 1 fully produced play, 2 other plays in the works, 40 paintings, and hundreds of hours of music composed. Yes, I love all forms of art and I find enjoyment in life from experiencing and creating art in all its forms. Today's episode we talk with Kyle Bondo, head of Gagglepod Studios. He shares his experience with NaPoWriMo earlier this year. NaPoWriMo is National Poetry Month, every April thousands of people go online and receive poetry prompts and information on poetic styles. I encouraged Kyle to attempt the 30 poems in 30 days project which includes creating a page on your website and linking it to the NaPoWriMo website. Once that is created, individuals will receive a daily prompt that they have the option to use or not and to connect with other poets. Here are Kyle's poems on his website. In the past few episodes, we have been focusing on poetry and this episode brings it all together. The last episode we discussed with Christopher Sims about his 30 years of poetry helped define his political activism and with York Campbell we discussed how he uses his poetry to help out his podcast Poetic Earthlings. I took it upon myself to also attempt the 30 poems in 30 days and the results are on our website here. Topics Discussed Year of doing things that test bravery Kyle's experiences with poetry before NaPoWriMo How he stayed on track to complete 30 poems in 30 days The results of this experiment How he creates more than he consumes Connect with us Thank you for taking the time to listen to this podcast. We are always looking for more people to discuss their journey with creativity and how it positively impacts their lives. Reach out to us, we would love to have you on the show and share your story of encouragement. Email : [email protected] IG : @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

Christopher Sims discusses his journey from rapper to activist Christopher "Universoulove" Sims talks with CAP about his journey from being inspired by the first and second generation of rappers, his approach to performance poetry vs slam poetry to the last 5 years of political performance poetry. Topics Discussed Christopher's initial inspiration Time with Poetic Justice League of America Influence of Saul Williams on his work and performance Performance Poetry vs Slam Poetry 5 Years of writing political pieces Next projects, books, possible Poet Laureate appointment Need some inspiration? Make sure you check out our Poetry Page to be inspired by #NaPoWriMo throughout the year. National Poetry Writing Month occurs in April Each year. Check it out and connect with others who share a love of poetry. Overview of Today's Episode Discussion with Christopher Sims on how he became an activist through poetry. Find out how you can also use your discipline to create political/protest art. Create Art Podcast Misson Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast. Our goal is to help you create more than you consume. We have interviews, conversations, commentary, and projects to energize your creative side. You can create art, let my over 20 years of art experience in various fields help you break loose from the internal critic that plagues us all. Thank you for listening to Create Art Podcast. Feel free to reach out to me directly my email is [email protected] you can also join our FB Group, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. Create More Thank You Consume. Let us know about your projects and be a guest on the show.

York Campbell from Poetic Earthlings talks with CAP York Campbell with Poetic Earthlings Podcast has been creating his own audio drama tinged with SciFi and Psychology for years. Dave Jackson from Podcast Rodeo has praised the production value. I discovered Poetic Earthlings through twitter when York reached out to me and let me know he appreciated KDOI Podcasting ( my previous show) and now he has made the transition listening to Create Art Podcast. York uses poetry and storytelling to create one of the most immersive soundscapes in audio drama. Enjoy this episode and share it with a friend. Topics Discussed How to keep Creativity Fresh in a Pandemic Description and goals of Poetic Earthlings Writing for a Podcast vs writing for pleasure How Podcasting influenced his writing style How Art impacts his job What is next for Season 2 Create Art Podcast Mission Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast. Our goal is to help you create more than you consume. We have interviews, conversations, commentary, and projects to energize your creative side. You can create art, let my over 20 years of art experience in various fields help you break loose from the internal critic that plagues us all. Need some inspiration? Make sure you check out our Poetry Page to be inspired by #NaPoWriMo throughout the year. National Poetry Writing Month occurs in April Each year. Check it out and connect with others who share a love of poetry. Quick Overview of today's episode Discussion with York Campbell of Poetic Earthlings Podcast on how to maintain your creativity through a Pandemic. Be encouraged to continue your discipline. Thank you for listening to Create Art Podcast. Feel free to reach out to me directly my email is [email protected] you can also join our FB Group, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. Create More Thank You Consume. Let us know about your projects and be a guest on the show.

Welcome friends to Create Art Podcast, today's topic is Storytelling and how to use it to improve your artistic practice. Being able to tell a story is the kernel of all artistic practices. We want to convey an idea or an image to our audiences and be able to truly reach them and impact their lives. To do this we must be able to tell a good story. Todays episode is broken down like this : Ways to incorporate Storytelling into your art Two Stories by your head instigator Important items that need to be in any story How can we incorporate storytelling into our artistic practice? Use a journal to note the initial inspiration and the journey Interview your favorite artists or teacher ( if alive) and ask about the story behind their creations Study your favorite artist ( if not alive or "unreachable"), see if they have a biography or review interviews they have given where they discuss their works journey and find these elements in their work Try another form of art and tell a story through that new form Join up with a local storytelling group and practice telling stories I recently have been trying StreamYard to tell my stories on FaceBook and Instagram. The first story I am presenting is my first time seeing the movie Rocky. This was inspired by a good podcasting friend of mine Lance Anderson from Verge of The Dude Podcast. The second story was inspired by the local storyteller's meetup that I attend monthly. During Valentine's day in 2020, we met up at a local gallery, took a piece of art that reminded us about a story we had and connected the two in the story. It is by practicing and presenting these stories that we get better at incorporating stories in our work. Good storytelling has elements that need to be in place. Reviewing the article titled "A Refresher on Storytelling 101" by JD Schaum in The Harvard Business Review he reminds us of these elements. Parachute in, don’t preamble Choose first and final words carefully Follow the “Goldilocks” theory of details Focus your delivery on “one person with one thought Consider the power of poetry Use silence for impact and emphasis Know your AIM Thank you for listening to Create Art Podcast. Feel free to reach out to me directly my email is [email protected] you can also join our FB Group, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. Create More Thank You Consume. Let us know about your projects and be a guest on the show.

Welcome friends to create art podcast. I'm Timothy Kimo, Brian, an artist, podcaster, and teacher with over 20 years of experience in multiple artistic disciplines and I'm here to help you tame your inner critic and spark your creativity to live a more fulfilling life. Here you're going to find conversations, interviews, commentary, and projects that will help you to discover your voice. Today we're talking about self-care and how that can help you overcoming burnout, sparking fresh ideas, and keeping you invested in your chosen interest. Articles discussed in this episode are : Simon Gottschalk To Be More Creative, Embrace the Art of Doing Nothing In a hypermodern society propelled by the twin engines of acceleration and excess, doing nothing is equated with waste, laziness, lack of ambition, boredom, or “down” time. But this betrays a rather instrumental grasp of human existence Thomas Oppong For A More Creative Brain, Take Breaks on Purpose Your brain needs downtime to remain creative and generate its most innovative ideas. A growing body of evidence shows that taking regular breaks from mental tasks improves creativity and that skipping breaks can lead to stress, exhaustion, and creative block. Shane Mehling Creative Breaks, Why You Should Take One Immediately Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to finish something, or trying to start it, that we end up spending a few anguished moments of our day before we get frustrated and then kick the can down the line, the task always on our mind, weighing us down and pretty much keeping a little black cloud over us. Not only do we not finish our project but we also constantly feel bad about ourselves for being so lazy/uncreative/dumb. So maybe it’s time to take a vacation. Strategies discussed: Set time aside to do nothing Turn off phones, computers, tablets any distractions Set up a meditation area Take a walk Use a journal to track your journey Take a hot bath Thank you for listening to Create Art Podcast. Feel free to reach out to me directly my email is [email protected] you can also join our FB Group, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. Create More Thank You Consume. Let us know about your projects and be a guest on the show.

Today's guest is Tia Sunshine Dye, you can find her works at tiasunshine.art She has been doing watercolors for about 2 years as of the date of this episode. She started her process by writing in a bullet journal and discovering her love of painting. We talk about how this helped her with creativity and overcoming challenges she faces while making and marketing her art in these tough days. Topics covered : Why she chose watercolors How using a bullet journal helped her discover her talent When it is time to stop a painting Dealing with impostor syndrome Balancing business requirements with creativity The importance of having a mentor What creativity provides on a personal level Overcoming negative perceptions of artists Tia has now opened her website so you can purchase original works and prints. Her blog gives you the behind the scenes info on her thoughts. She has a newsletter that is very unobtrusive. If you would like to be featured on Create Art Podcast or have an idea for a show reach out to me [email protected] . Create Art Podcast is part of the Gagglepod Network. We help creatives tell their story through podcasting. Listen in to our other shows Podwrecked where we help podcasters survive their podcast.

Hello friends, thank you for catching another episode of Create Art Podcast, I am your head instigator Timothy Kimo Brien with over 20 years of experience in the art world in many disciplines. My aim is to help you unlock your creative side and inspire you to ward off that internal critic that says no. You can do this by creating more than you consume. This episode is a little different from the previous 6, we have had conversations with some great fellow artists and some commentary on articles that deal with creativity. I will be presenting my project on The Hollow Men by T.S. Elliot. I have a long history with this poem as it sparked my awareness and love of poetry back in high school. I recently had a great discussion with Joel Ciaccio from The Hack Sessions Podcast on T.S. Elliot and here you will listen to how I hear the poem. This is a project for me as I have reenvisioned this piece many times in my life as a stage performance, a death metal song and now as an audio project. Take a listen and let me know what you think. I am challenging you to take a piece of work and reenvision it in your own way. Share it with everyone and let's discuss. You can reach out to me in many ways, email [email protected], website createartpodcast.com, IG and FB @createartpodcast and Twitter @createartpod. I am excited to hear what you come up with and what you think of this project. Create More Than You Consume

Hello friends. This is Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator of create art podcast, part of the gaggle pod network of podcasts. And I have over 20 years of experience in various disciplines of art, ranging from poetry, theater, music, and podcasting. My mission is to help you unlock your creativity and help you overcome any barrier you may encounter, including your inner critic. Today's episode we will explore a few ways to be more creative such as Don't accept writers/artists block be intentional/plan out your time Avoid distractions while in your creative time Read, a lot, not just for your discipline, but in all areas Walk away from the project for a time Ask for help from a mentor Put the unfinished piece out there to solicit feedback and incorporate the feedback Drop the project entirely Reuse "failed" projects for a "Frankenstein" Project You can reach out to me for more tips by sending me an email at [email protected] look through the website www.createartpodcast.com connect via social media @createartpodcast on both IG and FB groups @createartpod on twitter #podcast, #people, #innercritic, #critic, #create, #gagglepod, #Creativity, #art, #inspire, #inspiration, #write, #writing, Writes, #poetry, #poem, #poets, #experiment, #experimental

Welcome Friends, Today we will be talking about Talent. In this episode, I am talking with my previous boss Brandon Larson who is a logistics guy and a woodworker. Our overall conversation deals with talent between the generations and his management techniques to get the best out of his team. We discuss : How Baby Boomers are aging out, Gen Xer's are taking over and Millenials are filling in the gap behind Millennials have many ways to gain experience besides just working a job, Youtube, 500 cable channels, internet resources Brandon's approach to managing different generations How he learned how to do woodworking by watching YouTube channels and getting plans through Pinterest How due to making more objects and furniture he was able to increase his talent, learn by doing method He reads a lot of online resources on management as an art form and gets to practice that on the job How he uses mentorship to fill in his experience gaps Starting a new talent, go with cheaper materials so that it costs less and the cost of failure is low and not a detriment How he brings each individual's skills in the workplace to make a more cohesive tea Forbes article discussed https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/11/08/the-rise-of-the-millennial-and-why-theyre-changing-work-for-the-better/#1d0b7e995e12 Below are examples of Brandon's work You can reach out to me for more tips by sending me an email at [email protected] look through the website www.createartpodcast.com connect via social media @createartpodcast on both IG and FB groups @createartpod on twitter #talent, #millenials, #worplace, #management, #managementstyles, #generation, #generations, #genx, #babyboomers, #woodworking, #trades, #skills, #military, #miltarymanagement, #skill,

Hello, friends, this is Timothy Kimo Brian hit instigator at Create art Podcast, where I have over 20 years of experience in the art world under various disciplines. And today's episode is a special presentation where I gave at map con Mid Atlantic podcasting conference in 2019. And it deals with the Fred Rogers style podcasting. we're going to break this down into eight topics here for us. Who is Fred Rogers, some of you don't know? It's amazing. The philosophy behind the Fred Rogers style of podcasting We'll have an obligatory audience exercise, which will be interesting for you listening in on this podcast. But I want you to try it out. We'll talk a little bit about fourth wall theater, customer service, fake it till you creating an avatar and changing your vocabulary. So he's got nine rules for talking to children. And I'd like to go over those here with you. “State the idea you wish to express as clearly as possible, and in terms preschoolers can understand.” Example: It is dangerous to play in the street. ​​​​​​ “Rephrase in a positive manner,” as in It is good to play where it is safe. “Rephrase the idea, bearing in mind that preschoolers cannot yet make subtle distinctions and need to be redirected to authorities they trust.” As in, “Ask your parents where it is safe to play.” “Rephrase your idea to eliminate all elements that could be considered prescriptive, directive, or instructive.” In the example, that’d mean getting rid of “ask”: Your parents will tell you where it is safe to play. “Rephrase any element that suggests certainty.” That’d be “will”: Your parents can tell you where it is safe to play. “Rephrase your idea to eliminate any element that may not apply to all children.” Not all children know their parents, so: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. “Add a simple motivational idea that gives preschoolers a reason to follow your advice.” Perhaps: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is good to listen to them. “Rephrase your new statement, repeating the first step.” “Good” represents a value judgment, so: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is important to try to listen to them. “Rephrase your idea a final time, relating it to some phase of development a preschooler can understand.” Maybe: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is important to try to listen to them, and listening is an important part of growing. We talked about breaking the 4th wall, breaking the fourth wall, it's a theatrical convention that goes all the way back to the times of Shakespeare. Shakespeare uses it for comedic effect. The naturalist's theater movement, which was in the 1800s, late 1800s used it extensively through all their shows. They were always DIRECT addresses to the audience. Smile at your audience use a mirror to ensure you are smiling Amp up the energy Fake it till you make it Use post-it notes to remind you to smile Create an avatar to look at Update your vocabulary You can reach out to me for more tips by sending me an email at [email protected] look through the website www.createartpodcast.com connect via social media @createartpodcast on both IG and FB groups @createartpod on twitter #audience, #podcast, #podcasting, #podcasts, #listen, #fredrogers, #smile, #4thwall, #create, #creativity, #creating, #gagglepod, #podwrecked, #shakespeare, #avatar, #avatars. #theater, #theatertricks, #theatergames, #kennethbraunaugh

Hello friend, Today we have a special treat in store for you. This is part 2 of a conversation I had with Joel Ciaccio of The Hack Sessions Podcast and you can reach him on IG @the_hack_poet where he discusses poetry with other poets and does magnificent deep dives. For part 1 of this conversation go to his podcast and tune in. If you are coming over from The Hack Sessions, welcome, we will be finishing up our conversation in this episode and as you already know it is an enjoyable one. For my fans, dive in and make sure you head over to Joel's site for in-depth interviews with some amazing poets. So why T.S.Elliot? Well, he was the first poet that inspired me to write. I have been writing poetry since 1988 and have self-published 4 books of poetry and have hosted numerous open mics from Rockford Illinois to Phoenix Az and Richmond Virginia. I have also branched out to music, theater, painting, and podcasting because of my love and devotion to the arts. Joel is also an accomplished Poet and runs a very good IGTV program where he has his viewers submit poetry to him and he reads it on his feed. In this part of the episode, we discuss the hardships TS Elliot faced, how some people view him today through a #metoo lens and how others stand on our shoulders as we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Sit back listen and learn about TS Elliot, let me know what your favorite poem by TS Elliot and lets get the conversation rolling with you. Thank you for listening to Create Art Podcast. We welcome you to the conversation, reach out to us via our website www.createartpodcast.com email: [email protected] IG, FB groups @createartpodcast Twitter @createartpod #tselliot, #read, #poet, #poetry, #poems, #life, #write, #writing, #podcast, #podcasting, #podcasts, #gagglepod, #conversation, #conversations, #lenses, #optics, #feminism, #metoo

Thank you for catching this episode of Create Art Podcast. This is Timothy Kimo Brian, your head instigator at Create Art Podcast, where I have over 20 years of experience in the arts from multiple disciplines. My passion is to teach others how to unlock their creativity and experience the joy that art can give each and every one of us. We are going to be talking about how creativity into your workplace and possibly rise the corporate ladder or be inspired to start your own business. We are using two articles to get our point across today. first up is Erik Wahl from his All Business article The Importance of creativity in the workplace. He discusses how creativity and problem-solving are interlocked and require the same skills. The 4 major points he discusses are Fluency, Flexibility, Elaboration, and Originality. https://www.allbusiness.com/the-importance-of-creativity-in-the-workplace-24566-1.html Michael Schneider, in Ink magazine, published an article discussing how taking three steps a manager can make a more creative workplace. His three main points are Encourage risk-taking. Increase connection and collaboration. Create a shared vision, but allow employees to pursue it autonomously. https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/leaders-who-inspire-creativity-build-these-3-values-into-their-teams-culture.html Thank you for listening, please feel free to reach out to us at our website www.createartpodcast.com email is [email protected] IG ad FaceBook @createartpodcast Twitter @createartpod #art, #creativity, #ideas, #podcast, #gagglepod, #work, #workplace, #create, ##creative, #risk, #boss, #people, #collaboration, #artists, #book, #books, Projects, #sites

In this episode, we bring on CJ Robinson from The Poetry Novelist Podcast. CJ is a short story writer, poet, musician, and podcaster. I was featured on his show episode #8 We discuss his early challenges with being a poet to his friends and family, what drives his creativity and what the three books he currently has on Amazon and google play. We get into stage fright at performing his own work and how he overcame his stage fright one night while watching another, much younger poet took the stage. CJ adeptly uses social media to get the word out about his podcast and his published work and we go into his tactics for using it to his advantage. Check out CJ's Books here on Amazon Hear his podcast on anchor #poetry, #people, #book, #books, #podcast, #reading, #read, #writers, #poet, #poets, #feeling, #stage, #emotion, #audience, #audiences, #create, #poem, #words, #creativity, #instagram, #amazon, #google, #googlebooks, #poetizer, #art, #arts, #artist email [email protected] twitter @createartpod IG @createartpodcast FB Group @createartpodcast

Welcome back friends as we talk about creativity at any age. Today we look at 2 articles that discuss current research about when creativity peaks. Both articles use the same research and approach creativity by talking about the difference between experimental and conceptual creativity thought patterns. I will be commenting on articles I find, mainly through the app Flipboard, but also through other sources. https://flipboard.com/ The Ladders article by CW Headly https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-age-when-we-become-less-creative-and-the-reason-why Psychology Today article by Suan McQullian https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cravings/201911/what-age-does-creativity-peak The differences between these two types of creativity are really eye-opening. Is age stopping you from creating? Age is just a number, don't let it stop you, don't let lack of experience stop you, don't let conventional knowledge stop you from making your best work. Here is my attempt at oil painting after the age of 40, let's see what you have. Create more than you consume. Continue the conversation with us. email [email protected] twitter @createartpod IG @createartpodcast FB Group @createartpodcast #psychology, #creativity, #painting, #oilpainting, #acrylicpainting, #einstein, #woolfe, #grandamamosses, #age, #ageism, #conceptual, #experimental, #flipboard, #family, #art, #artists, #articles, #research, #harvard, #harvardresearch, #inspiration

Hello friends, Today we are speaking with Scott Murray from The Crimson Files. This podcast has been going on for 2 seasons and possibly a third season is in the works. We talked about his biggest challenges that he overcame in podcasting, dealing with other creative people working on his project, lessons learned from his other creative exploits, what pushes his creative drive when he knows it is time to close a project, what helps him maintain his focus and how he creates more than he consumes. Bonus material is we discuss my favorite character on The Crimson Files Mr. Bill, we may have a follow-up with that character. sites for Scott: The Crimson Files Comic Book Noob scottmurrayonline.com Disney Plus Streamcast @mrscottmurray on twitter This the first interview of Create Art Podcast, you can reach out to us via many formats email [email protected] twitter @createartpod IG @createartpodcast FB Group @createartpodcast #createartpodcast, #podwrecked, #gagglepod, #audience, #sound, #sounddesign, #comicbook, #characters, #drama, #soundeffects, #actors, #voiceacting, #directing, #npr, #podcast, #podcasting, #audiodrama, #superheroe, #superheroes, #female, #femalelead, #felmalesuperheroes, #indiepodcon, #dcpodfest, #texas, #dallas, #mapcon, #superjoepardo, #geek, #geekculture, #geeks

Welcome to the Create Art Podcast, where we dive headfirst into the colorful chaos of creativity! I’m Timothy Keem O'Brien, your enthusiastic guide on this artistic adventure, and let me tell you, we’re all about unleashing that inner artist you might not even know you have. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just someone who thinks doodling is an Olympic sport, this podcast is your new creative playground. Expect a mix of interviews, insightful conversations, and the occasional rabbit hole of projects that’ll get those creative juices flowing. So, grab a comfy seat, maybe a snack (or a paintbrush, no judgment here), and let’s explore how art can spice up your everyday life—even if your daily grind feels more like a tedious treadmill than a thrilling rollercoaster!Our beginning with you to create more than we consume. Welcome to our friends from KDOI Podcast and hello to our new friends. We will be having conversations on art, interviews with artists, projects to share and commentary about articles and books on creativity. Creativity is best when it is with friends. Let's connect and create together. Our Website is createartpodcast.podbean.com  Takeaways: In this episode, I introduce myself as Timothy Keem O'Brien and welcome everyone to the Create Art Podcast! Whether you're a seasoned artist or just curious, expect to get inspired and learn how to unleash your creativity! The podcast aims to connect with creatives, sharing stories, interviews, and insights on making art part of our daily lives. I believe we all have the potential to be artists, and I'm here to help you explore that creative side you might not even know you have! Don't forget, interaction is key! Reach out with your ideas, or let's collaborate on something creative together! As I like to say at the end of each episode, create more than you consume, and let's keep the artistic vibes flowing! Links referenced in this episode:createartpodcastmail.comcreateartpodcast.comcreateartpodcastgagglepod.com