At the start of 2023, I made a pact with myself: for the next year, I vowed to be Prolific AF.* I made the vow, then I wrote myself this pep talk, which I will happily read to anyone who needs it. Be prolific! Hope to see you out there, making stuff. This episode is somewhat of a follow on from the episode "What does it mean to be The Best?", which…

Inspired by a listicle in Rolling Stone magazine's "The 200 Greatest Singers of all Time", I got to thinking about what being The Best actually means? The Best by whose standards? What are you The Best at? Is that the point of making things? Hmm...Let's talk about being The Bestest. The Rolling Stone 200 Greatest Singers List https://www.rollingsto…

Difficult emotions, if left neglected, can take on a life of their own and cause all sorts of mischief. Similar to the Japanese myth of tsukumogami, where simple tools such as umbrellas and lamps can develop and spirit after 100 years of life and come back to haunt you, these emotions can play tricks on you. In this episode, I argue for the value o…

The things we make - our art, our poems, our preciousprecious things that I call in this episode "Glitter Spuds" - are special to us. Special and nutritious and sparkly. But people will only see that if we SHARE our Glitter Spuds with the world. It's possible someone will turn our glitter spud to mash, but that fear should not hold you back. Take a…

We've all been in a meeting or conversation where someone just rolls on in and takes over, flattening the whole experience, killing conversations, and sharing (often) unwanted and wrong opinions. Don't be that person! This is an audio reading of the post "Putting the role in steamroller", originally published on December 12, 2022. Additional creati…

It's the little things - the things that bring us joy - that can remind us in a moment of experience that we are alive. Things like full fat ice cream, or the smile of a friend. Don't deny yourself the full fat of life. This is an audio reading of the post "Proof of Life" originally published on November 14, 2022. Additional creative inspirations c…

Are you an Adventure Capitalist, aka someone who lives a curious and adventurous life with a curious and adventurous soul? Forget about investing in the markets, invest in yourself! Let's talk the basic principles and practices of the field of Adventure Capitalism. Want to dive deeper into it? Go watch the behind the scenes and themes of this episo…

Have you ever heard of the science of Optography? It is the study of the last thing a person sees at the moment of their death, which posits that your retina captures on final image as an imprint burned in, like a photograph. This imprint that can be used to identify criminals! Or so they theorized. I did a whole video on this, which you can watch …

Inspired by a Newsweek headline that read: “Woman Gave 'Russian Astronaut' $30,000 so He Could Pay Earth Landing Fees”, I remind us all that when it comes to creative projects, you do not need permission to land your ideas. Related links: Newsweek story This is an audio reading of the post “You do not need Permission to Land” originally published o…

Why does the vision of what I want to draw - the one that's so clear in my head - not come fully formed out of the end of my pencil and onto the paper? In this episode, I talk about skill deficit when it comes to the vision of what you're trying to create. Related reading: "How many Van Gogh's is one earth worth?" - Vox article https://www.vox.com/…

The number everyone throws around is 10,000 hours. That's the time you need to spend doing something to master it. But is that a hard and fast rule? Let's talk practice. Related links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uB5PUpGzeY

Inspired by something Patti Smith said in a post about poetry (“If you don’t understand a poem, sit in it and let it wash,”) this episode encourages you to do the same when attempting to understand influences, relationships, and experiences. This is an audio reading of the post "Burn before needing” originally published on May 8, 2023. Additional c…

Do you ever withdraw from other people’s timelines to make yourself unavailable, declining invites and hang outs to work on your creative projects? It’s the equivalent of “playing dead” socially to get things done. I do it—do you? Let’s talk about playing dead. Go behind the scenes and themes of this episode with a video and related links here, inc…

You're heard of pet influencers on instagram - famous cats and dogs and hedgehogs and the like? What about Verminfluencers? In case you didn't know, there's a whole niche for rats, rodents, and vermin out there, and in today's episode, you'll discover the raccoons are sniffing around and eager to get in on the action. This is an audio reading of th…

Did you know that we’re taller in the morning? Gravity and lying down overnight has a lot do with it. Along with being taller, I am also more creative in the morning. It is my “creative tall” time. When do you feel like you are at the height of your creative powers? And when is it OK to be small? Let’s talk about it. Go behind the scenes and themes…

Just because you think you have nothing - no ideas or creative inspiration - doesn't mean you do. We've all been there, but you can Turn nothing into something. This little missive is designed to keep you going on days when you open the brain pantry and it appears to be empty. This is an audio reading of the post "For Days When You Have Nothing." o…

“Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” David Lynch said that. He was a director, filmmaker, artist, painter, and I think above all else, a dreamer. R.I.P. David Lynch. Listen to the 1973 Kmart Reel-to-Reel here Go behind the scenes of this episode (and get more David Lynch inspiration) with Behind the Streams: https://janeenmccrae.substa…

What do you feel when you look at art? What do you feel when you... feel? Let's talk about it. Related post: "Happy is a list of things felt strongly by this body." This is an audio reading of the post “Just Feel It” originally published on September 26, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. Support the show About Field …

“Squirrels don’t find 80% of the nuts they hide.” This was the headline that inspired this week’s episode. In it, I equate collecting inspiration for your art as akin to a squirrel collection nuts. Art is nuts, and to make it, you must be a little but nutty, too. Welcome to Squirrel Math. Look for it at a university near you. Go behind the scenes o…

“A mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” That’s a line from Carl Sagan’s famous Pale Blue Dot text talking about Earth in the universe. This episode riffs of that, positing that we are, in a way, motes upon a mote. Seemingly insignificant, yet complex and full of potential—capable of so much. Listen in... This is an audio reading of the post “Mote …

What does it mean to be happy? Where do you feel it in the body? Can you recognize it when you are happy? Let’s talk about the importance of being able to call back to happy when you need it. Smile lines are badges of honor! Go behind the scenes of this episode and talk happiness with this BTS video, here: https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/behind…

Did you know that purple does not exist? It is a non-spectral color—not visible on the light spectrum—and so is invented on the spot by your brain. “Red plus blue but not green.” Today, we talk about how amazing your brain is, and that if it can invent a color out of thin air, just imagine what else you can make it do. Related Links Watch the Behin…

Feel like you're on the wrong path in life? Is it too late to change direction? In this episode, I talk about how the concept of ‘desire paths’ can be applied to life. Want to learn more about desire paths? Go behind-the-scenes of this episode here. https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/behind-the-streams-desire-paths Desire Path Reddit Group https:/…

Roosters are the absolute kings of self-promotion. We could learn a lot from them. If only there were some kind of seminar that we could attend where a rooster – nature’s megaphone – would share his secrets? Welcome to the rooster equivalent to a Ted Talk on how to promote yourself using. Go Behind the Scenes of this episode in this video. https://…

You are the newly crowned King or Queen of your creative realm. It is ordered by royal decree (which I will now read to you so that you are familiar with your Royal Creative Duties.) "Cash, stamps and flags: how royal symbols will change" - The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/08/queen-death-cash-stamps-flags Here is a link to …

Can AI make art? Can ChatGPT be a poet? Time for me to tackle this question, since my livelihood as a writer and copywriter is already being affected by it. Watch me in this Behind the Scenes video talking about protest art, propaganda, and asking the question: what is dangerous art anyway? https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/behind-the-streams-art…

Inspired by a lyric in a Gorillaz song, today's episode is all about finding your North, your meaning, your purpose in life. Try all the other directions, sure, but your true North - that's the direction to keep reseting your compass for. "Glitter Freeze" by Gorillaz feat Mark E. Smith https://open.spotify.com/track/4EJFCpthcrP6oOUUXQZ22Z?si=128b9e…

Are you overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness? Feeling like everything is spiraling out of control around you? Art can help. And all you need is a pencil. As legend and artist, Laurie Anderson says, "Very dangerous art can be made with a pencil." "No Place for Self Pity, No Room for Fear" by Toni Morrison https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/…

Do you have a habit of hanging onto bad memories? Bad conversations, bitterness, the pain of relationships – are you an emotional hoarder of them all? This is an episode about letting go. Remove this stuff—all the expired goods—from your life pantry! This is an audio reading of the post “Is it time to purge your life pantry?” originally published o…

After several failed attempts at writing a book, I'm taking another crack. To give myself a pep talk, I consulted writers and scoured the internet for advice on the first draft and have concluded that to get through the first draft, you just have to keep PULLING THE PLOW. Don't stop and look back at the field until the field is done. "Writing a nov…

Wouldn't it be great if you could order courage from a catalog? Not just bravery, but a whole Life Package that equipped you with all the tools you need - bravery, judgement, curiosity, etc. - to be an artist? And what if you bought that package and it didn't work? Here is an imagined conversation between a customer and the company that sells the L…

Part riff on a Shakespearian soliloquy (hat tip, Hamlet Act 3) and part riff on finding out that bees can count, here is the text from an imagined letter by a drone bee to his Queen requesting reassignment of duties. Video from Ze Frank. "True Facts: Bees That Play With Balls And Do Math!" https://youtu.be/M6hGjh9SJ_M?si=mtoWVhrEQ6uE4cgI Watch the …

Why is it so hard to believe in ourselves? Much easier to believe in UFOs and flat earth theories - but let's cut it out! Here is your pep talk for the day. This is an audio reading of the post "Faith is Unreal", originally published on August 8, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/f…

If you were an alien tourist, visiting Earth in a humanoid rental body, would you know how to ask for help? Specifically "Where is the toilet?" Luckily, there is an alien tourist guide for that. Take a listen. Watch the behind the scenes video about the post here: https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/behind-the-streams-help This is an audio reading …

There are things you should care about and things that you should not. Do not expend energy on pointless trivialities! Direct those energies on empathy and understanding. Take a listen to my list of things that I shall care more and less about in my effort to show care to myself and others. This is an audio reading of the post "Take care of the car…

How much of your own life - your memories your experiences and your time - do you use in your creative work? What else do you steal? In this episode, I ask for forgiveness from all those things I steal from my own life. In short - I pick my own pockets ruthlessly. How about you? Watch the Behind the Scenes video on this post - including a whole lot…

Recognizing opportunity when its right in front of you can be a challenge. What does it look like? Is it really a chance at something, or is it not right for right now? Only you can decide, but when the right one comes along, your mission is clear: seize it! This is an audio reading of the post "What does opportunity look like?" originally publishe…

Did you know there’s a difference in the composition of tears shed from cutting onions when compared to tears triggered by emotion? Today, I read a piece of my writing inspired by weeping. Listen in… Related Links "Hello, I would like to purchase a high horse" https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/outrage "Idea Fireworks for Explosive Minds" https://…

Do you have a penchant for putting yourself through hard physical and mental challenges? You might be a masochist. If you make/create art of any kind, you definitely are. Let's talk about why being a masochist isn't all bad. Things I've written about two Stupid Arbitrary Goals (cycling) Centuries are for the Birds http://www.nodirectionknown.com/ce…

Did you watch the most recent total eclipse? It got me thinking about how it's a chance for the Sun and the Moon to talk to each other without Earth butting in. So that's what this episode is - us humans eavesdropping on that conversation. This is an audio reading of a piece of my creative writing called "Totality is Lit", originally published on A…

Are you good at spacing out? Do you think that spacing out is an essential part of the creative process? Let's talk about it. (Oh, and if you are good at spacing out, I'll clue you in to a place where you can prove it to the world.) The Official Space Out Competition Rules This is an audio reading of the post “The Zone of No Returns” originally pub…

Inspired by the story of a man who shoved a Guinness record breaking number of matches up his nose and training his nostrils to accommodate such a feat, (I won't spoil the surprise of how many, but I tell you in the intro) please tune your ears to the sound of my voice and learn how to expand you heart, mind, and soul with some exercises I made up.…

The bird, the middle finger, the one-finger salute. It is a power gesture in the real world, but what about in your creative life? Here's a piece describing the different breeds of (metaphorical) birds you can flip at all the things in your creative pursuits that get in your way. From self-doubt to failure - flip those birds in your hand and keep o…

If human beings are made up of items pulled off the supermarket shelves of Life, what are two essential ingredients everyone should put in their basket? In today's episode, I advocate for "Cat food and cold cuts." Cat food for sass (cats don't care about anything) and cold cuts for saltiness (to preserve and save the day). Watch Behind the Streams …

Do foundational elements of a creative persona exist? As artists, do we use these elements - Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Aether - and how does each element affect our creative style? Let's talk about it. Behind the Streams and Themes of this episode: https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/behind-the-streams-elements This is an audio reading of the po…

Do you know "The Swimming Song?" by Loudon Wainwright III? To me, it speaks of risk and the importance of taking risks and practice. The lessons in this song can so easily be applied to the creative process. Yes, you might drown, but if you practice, if you dive in, if you take the risk and swim around in the works of others and try new strokes for…

Inspired by a Francis Bacon quote (the painter, not the philosopher), today I dig into the glitter of the mouth AKA words. Words can stick, so choose your words wisely. Watch the behind the scenes video about the post here: https://janeenmccrae.substack.com/p/behind-the-streams-ep-43-glitter (Some good links to Francis Bacon interviews there) This …

As a TV-addicted Gen X kid, I can tell you that quicksand seemed like the greatest threat to humans out there. But what ever happened to using it as a plot device? Why is it a joke of a TV and movie trope? And how is it like the creative process? Let’s dig into it. Slate story: Terra Firma: The The rise and fall of quicksand. Watch the behind the s…

The first and last lines of a book are important. How you start and how you finish - it's like nailing that perfect first and last bite of a meal. This is an audio reading of the post "The Last Bite Club" originally published on July 11, 2022. Additional creative inspirations can be found at that link. Support the show About Field of Streams This p…

Did you know that the painting "Whistler's Mother" has a different name? More than that, the subject of the painting was not even supposed to be Whistler's mother, Anna at all? Tune in to listen to this story, and listen to me ponder what it feels like when you step out of the shadows and become, suddenly, the center of attention. The story that in…