Art Class Curator

After interviews, I often say "wow that was my favorite one" and looking back I have a lot of favorites, but this one may be THE favorite. My conversation with artist and musican, Geoffa Fells, about art and emotion and neurodiversity and music and how all of those intersect still give me chills when I think about it a month after having this conversation. I am so excited for you to hear it! For links to all of the artworks featured as well as Geoffa's contact links, head over to the shownotes at this link.  -- Want to connect? Join the Art Connection Circle Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Instagram Join my email list  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

After episode 117 with Kate Wurtzel, we realized we had been looking at a cropped image, and because of this we had more to say! In this episode, we have a blast geeking out about art philosophy, the idea of the artist as genius, the artist as a healer, following intuition, experimentation, and much more. I had so much fun talking to Kate again, and I hope you enjoy this conversation with her as much as I did. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

This week I've gotten the delightful experience to witness the joy of creation through my 13-year-old daughter. That, plus my musing on the book Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey, have made me think more about the ways in which I am not following my own advice and how I can give myself a deeper permission to create without the burden of capitalism on my shoulders. For links discussed on today's episode, visit the show notes at this link. Get Involved Join the Art Connection Circle -- Now enrolling for summer sessions!  Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

Amanda Koonlaba is a blogger and art teacher who has been running her blog “Party in the Art Room” for more than a decade. In this episode, Amanda and Cindy discuss One Woman Show by Celeste Rapone through our lenses as mothers, educators, and creatives. As former art teachers, we talk about the importance of arts integration and how art can help face uncertainty.  For links to all of the artworks featured as well as Amanda's contact links, head over to the shownotes at this link.  -- Want to connect? Join the Art Connection Circle Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Instagram Join my email list  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

I've been talking about it for a while, but I'm finally sharing my painting I made! In this episode, I talk about the vulnerable process of sharing and creating this painting as well as what benefits I get from knowing myself better. Click here to visit the shownotes to view my painting!  Get Involved Join the Art Connection Circle -- Now enrolling for summer sessions!  Art and Self on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

Daniel Popper's Chasm is one of my favorite works of art as there are sooooo many rich, personal connections to be found. I was delighted Dr. Charryse Johnson, therapist and author of Expired Mindsets: Releasing Patterns That No Long Serve You Well, chose it as the artwork to focus on. We talked about a lot in our discussion from how we change and grow as we age, to how we adopted stories from a variety of sources that aren't really who we are, how we can explore our own inner selves, and how we can  break away from any 'expired mindsets' that may be holding us back. For links to all of the artworks featured as well as Dr. Johnson's book and social media, head over to the shownotes at this link.  -- Want to connect? Join the Art Connection Circle Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Instagram Join my email list  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

We flip the script on the podcast this week as my guest, Dr. Kate Wurtzel, chooses and presents the art choices. t was so fun to have it flipped on me, and the artworks she chose are right up my alley. I absolutely loved this delicious conversation about painting through the lens of Byzantium by Jenny Saville. Kate definitely made me want to paint during this conversation! See all of the art choices and links to things we discussed over at the shownotes on artandself.com. -- Want to connect? Join the Art Connection Circle Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Instagram Join my email list  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talk about how I am working to overcome my perfectionism in my art, writing, and business--taking inspiration from Simone Seol's Garbage Post Challenge (Joyful Marketing Podcast Episode #160) and Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts" (in her book Bird by Bird)  Perfectionism stops creativity in its tracks. In this episode, I discuss how I have taken these messages to heart by taking time to experiment, to play, and to create without any expectations of the outcome. When we let go of our need to be perfect, we open ourselves up to our authentic selves, and this is where the magic lies.   For links and more info about the Art and Self podcast, check out the shownotes at https://artandself.com/116-create-garbage -- Want to connect? Join the Art Connection Circle Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Instagram Join my email list  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, photographer Kelly Ferguson and I discuss the artwork Desire by Miss Meatface aka Kat Toronto. This artwork captures the complexities of identity in a single photograph. In the conversion, we discuss the layers of influence a person goes through as they express their identity, themes of blending in and standing out, how to capture a person’s true essence on camera, and the freedom of expression of womanhood across generations.  Get more episodes and information on the show notes at https://artandself.com   -- Want to connect? Join the Art Connection Circle Follow me on Facebook Follow me on Instagram Join my email list  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

There are moments in life that you walk away from forever changed. One of the most magical, forever changed moments in my life happened thanks to my guest today, Lyn Carpenter. Lyn is an Equine Gestaltist who helps women discover their authentic selves and recover from people pleasing through coaching and a healing environment filled with a herd of horses. The majesty of horses and their connection with humans has been captured in artwork for generations. It's easy to understand why when you experience their incredible ability to sense when the words you say do not match your heart. See the artwork we discussed and learn more in the show notes. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

Word of the Year Update #3 - In this episode, I share about a few powerful conversations that cracked me open and helped me tap into parts of my creative identity that I had long forgotten. Also, check out the beginning of the episode for some updates about the podcast moving forward and my availabilty for coaching! Interested in checking out coaching, schedule a free discovery call at https://artandself.com/discovery  Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

There is so little in the world that we can control. All we really have power over is our own actions, reactions, and the thoughts inside our head. That doesn't seem like much in a world moving at the speed of scrolling screens with opinions and expectations at every turn. But it's everything we need and more. The covid pandemic changed all of us. Some in big ways. Some in small ways. For Michelle Gordon, life before 2020 looks very different to life now. She left a career in medicine and discovered who she was beneath society's shoulds and shouldn'ts. In this episode, we discussed the power of perspective through the artwork When We Return You Won't Recognize Us by Glen Brown.  How do you get your voice back? How do you get rid of shame? How do you learn to love yourself? What changes when you realize everything you need is already inside of you? Get links and more in the show notes. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

We all want to belong, but what happens when the world doesn't accept who you are? All of us wear (often uncomfortable, ill-fitting masks), but the masks society tells autistic people to wear degrades their authenticity and ability to recognize and be themselves. Chris Bonnello is an author, activist, and autism advocate. Together, we discussed neurodivergency through the artwork Mask the Decay by Mitch Christian. Chris talks about how autistic masking feels for him, radical acceptance, his writing journey, and what the world is missing out on by asking autistic people to deny their full selves. See the artworks and get all the links mentioned in the show notes. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

Thoughts on being an artist this week after a few tortured days. Having compassion for the creative process. Showing up for my practice even when it is hard. Giving myself the support to work through it. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

Though music has been a part of theatrical arts since ancient times, modern Western musical theatre was born in America. Josh Kreitzman, my guest today, argues that musicals are the best art form, and I'm inclined to agree with him. How often do you get to witness art as it is happening and be a part of its creation with a room of people? Musicals are fully body sensory experience and the stories they tell have always been a reflection of the triumphs and heartbreaks of life. Music is a language beyond borders—how better to capture the heart and soul of our times? In this episode, we discuss Prayer from Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. The musical tells the real life story of the Newfoundland town of Gander during the week following the September 11th attacks when 7,000 passengers were ordered to land unexpectedly at Gander International Airport. We discuss the power of musicals, the lasting effects of grief and trauma (even when we get up to go to work the next morning), the difference between

They say that those who can't do teach. Unsurprisingly, teachers hate that phrase. It isn't true. And yet, for so much of my life, I believed it. I could be an art teacher, but I would never be an artist. I resisted the label mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. My version of being an artist wasn't worthy. But something has shifted. I'm finally learning what it means to be an artist and to live my life as an artist. It's playful, risky, experimental. It's not about being good. It's about the process. Through the magic of attention, daily practice, and community, I've opened myself up to what the world has to teach me. And that is why my 2023 Word of the Year is ARTIST. Join me on this year-long journey of connection and creativity as I share my insights on what it means to live life as an artist. If you'd like to experience the magic of making art in community, join me in The Creativity Cocoon. See the show notes at this link. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindy

Does truth exist? If it does, is it possible to know the truth? That's what me and Dr. Amy Winebarger talked about as we discussed Action Painting II by Mark Tansey. Science and art are often seen as opposites—one concerned with numbers and facts, the other dipping into emotion and feelings. But both science and art are a way of exploring and explaining the world, the universe, and our experience of it all. Humans are curious. We've been seeking knowledge and attempting to share our own truths for as long as we've existed. No matter how we view the world, what matters most is the space between us and the connections we make there. Amy R. Winebarger is an astrophysicist in the Heliophysics and Planetary Science Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. She specializes in the analysis of observations of the solar corona. In our conversation, she shared the thrilling nature of her work, the magic of finding the career that's right for you, and talked about where she finds God in th

Creating a work of art is a process—a process that can change who you are. Too often, we judge or rush our creative pursuits, ignoring the messages included in every brushstroke or written word. We end up saying too much or not enough. But when we approach the creative process with patience and compassion, we make connections with ourselves and with all who resonate with our work. And the impact? It's infinite. Heather Doyle Fraser is a publisher, writer, and coach who believes in the power of voice and works with writers to bring their words to the world. In fact, she's helping me write my book! Together we discussed the deep work and tangled process of creation through the artwork Alison the Lacemaker by Swoon. See the artworks and get the links from this episode in the show notes. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a paranormal experience? Are you drawn to ghost stories in art? Jane Mesa's first encounter with a ghost happened in her childhood bedroom. Now she investigates the paranormal. Jane joined me to discuss her experiences, both frightful and delightful, as we discuss Haunted House by Morris Kantor. Get all the links and see the artworks Jane chose from in the show notes. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe

What is your relationship to your body? Our society does not make it easy to have a healthy, loving connection to your body. Krystal and I discuss how motherhood changed our bodies, how being fat affected how we move through the world, and how our thirties brought healing and wholeness. Get all the links mentioned in this episode and see the artworks Krystal chose from in the show notes. This episode contains conversation about an eating disorder. Get full access to Art and Self with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe