Field of Streams
Audio readings of original writing from the creative newsletter, The Stream, written by Janeen McCrae and designed to inspire you to get out and make the thing. Subjects range from writing and art to just some generally odd stuff about what it is to be creative. Sometimes essays, sometimes humor, sometimes creative exercises.
Episodes
130 episodes
The One About Dangerous Pencils
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 penci...
•
20:42
Is it time to purge your life pantry?
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 p...
•
9:53
"..and the draft horse you rode in on."
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 ha...
•
14:23
Can Bravery Be Bought?
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 packag...
•
14:27
To Bee or Not to Bee
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...
•
9:46
Faith is Unreal
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
•
7:08
How to ask for help
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
•
19:08
Take care of the caretaker
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 ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 33
•
12:12
Confessions of a Life Pickpocket
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...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 15
•
15:50
What does opportunity look like?
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 cl...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 25
•
7:52
Dial 1-800 Cry-On-Cue
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
•
Season 4
•
Episode 15
•
18:58
Signs you might be a masochist
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...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 29
•
12:00
Totality is Lit
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. ...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 14
•
13:46
The Zone of No Returns
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.)
•
Season 4
•
Episode 13
•
15:28
Singular Humanity: Approved Modifications to Accommodate a Better Life
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...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 11
•
21:37
How to Flip Your Way Out of Failure
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 cre...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 10
•
13:56
A Song for Clean-Up on Aisle Five
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 ...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 9
•
11:37
The Elements of (Your) Style
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.
•
Season 3
•
Episode 27
•
12:34
Drowning in Excellence
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 pra...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 8
•
10:45
The Glitter of the Mouth
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
•
Season 4
•
Episode 7
•
12:08
What ever happened to quicksand?
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 proces...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 24
•
11:47
The Last Bite Club
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 <...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 28
•
8:42
It was Never Supposed to be Whistler's Mother
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 fe...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 6
•
11:59
A Not-So-Simple Twist of Fate
Oreology is the study of Oreo cookies - specifically the twist and fracture of them in a very scientific study conducted at MIT. Are we like Oreo cookies, being twisted and manipulated, all with a goal of one side getting all the creme? Let's t...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 5
•
15:45