(Not Quite) Losing It Podcast

This episode’s a fun one, especially if you’re a sucker for a little nostalgia. Listen for mentions of Ann M. Martin, Louis Sachar, and the great Kate Baer (who is one of our creative-mom heroes), alongside our reminiscing about puff paint, severed hand props, and dads diving head first into the baptistry.We all can think of dozens of artists, writers, teachers, musicians who helped shape the kind of art we love and want to create, but y’all— the first people that came to our minds re: who taught us how to be creative? Our parents— even the ones who wouldn’t consider themselves creative. Lots to think about there.Maybe, just maybe, we’re all a little more creative than we think.Good Fight Spotlight: René Chandler of The Host Hacks: Budget-Friendly Design and Hacks for Midterm Rental Hosts. Even if you’re not in the process of renovating a basement to become a mid-term rental, you’ll enjoy following René’s progress and hearing her tips for decorating a space for beauty and durability. Go check her out on tiktok, pinterest, or instagram!Leave Snack: This week’s homework is to tell someone that their work has inspired you. It could be a friend or someone famous. Send them an email, DM, or social media tag. Don’t be afraid to be a fan-girl/boy/person. It’s cool to think something’s cool, and it’s cool to share your gratitude. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Y’all, starting this week we have video! (Skip to 38 seconds if you want to see our smiling faces after the intro graphics!)This week, we’re talking about creative failures, and man… do we have some to share. Sometimes you have to laugh or cry, and this episode, we may have done a little of both as each of us revisited some of our most notable creative failures, from empty journals, to very earnest infant portraits, to melted wedding cakes. In the end, though, Katie said it best: “The real failure is never letting yourself get started because you're too afraid of being bad at something.”So let’s hear it for failures! Because that means you succeeded at trying a thing, and that is hard! GOOD FIGHT SPOTLIGHT: Go check out Mary Huggins of Mary Huggins Art — she’s a landscape painter from Rome, Georgia, who started painting as personal catharsis to fill her own home with original art and turned it into a successful career.LEAVE SNACK: The homework this week is to make a brave attempt. Try something you might fail at, sign up for a class where you might be the worst in the room, or revisit a failure you've buried and ask whether it's worth trying again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Isn’t it wild how lonely you can feel, even when you’re never actually alone? Parenting can be so isolating. All three of us have gotten relief from that loneliness through different creative communities we’ve found (or created for ourselves): writing critique groups, pottery classes, twitter sub-cultures, text threads, and collaborating on this podcast. This week, our Good Fight Spotlight features our friend (and member of Melissa and Brynn’s former writing group), Christy Petterson, who has done a million creative things and has recently launched daytimemooncreativity.com. She’s currently got registration open for some creativity workshops in the Atlanta area. She’s amazing, encouraging, and smart, and attending one of her workshops could help you make the creative connections we are advocating for in this episode. Go check her out! Leave snack: Connect with another adult human about art this week. Bronze = leave a comment or review; Silver = share your own creative goals with a friend; Gold = make an actual date (in-person or virtual) to create or talk about art together.You can do it! We believe in you! You’re not alone in this. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Many creatives use social media as their primary way to connect with inspiration and to find an audience. But… how can we make our phones creative tools instead of the place where all our discretionary time goes to die? The short answer? Just be more intentional and less impulsive. Easy, right? 😅We definitely don’t have it all figured out, but we’ve got some good ideas worth trying. This week’s Good Fight Spotlight: Neeli Brisky , a very talented photographer and videographer Katie’s used for years to capture precious family moments. This week’s leave snack: Where and when do you normally get sucked into social media? Make a plan for an analog activity or a more intentional use of social media during that time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

We definitely don’t want to be like those parenting books that tell you what you’re doing wrong (which you already knew), but don’t offer any practical advice on how to actually make changes. In this episode, we compile a bunch of actual road-tested strategies to squeeze creativity into the nooks and crannies of our busy lives. We hope some of what we share will be helpful to you, and we would love to hear your ideas! This week’s Good Fight Spotlight highlights Callie Murray whose debut novel The Brunswick comes out today. Today also happens to be our very own Brynn Barineau’s release date for Jungle of Ashes so go out and support these moms who are doing the dang thing, y’all! Leave Snack for this week: Look for one part of your day where you can take something you already have to do and make it a little less mundane and a little more creative. Whether it's packing lunches, listening to music, making up stories or songs with your kids — where is an opportunity to notice and add some creation? Maybe make yourself a creativity first aid kit to take to ball practice, for example. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Wrapping your entire identity in motherhood isn't good for you or your kids. So why do we still feel so bad when we make time to be our own person? Here’s a little excerpt from our discussion: Melissa: What does it mean to be a woman? To be an ambitious woman? To have hopes and dreams and goals in addition to loving being a mom?Brynn: Just being a mom does not fully satisfy me. I want to do things other than raising my child. And I feel terrible admitting that.Katie: Or is pursuing other things inversely related to the quality of my kids’ lives? Is every moment I spend on anything else somehow hurting them? And of course — your creative moments process things and help you, which can only make you better as a mom. Not just on the surface level of your kids seeing you do something creative, but if you can sort your brain out, you don’t blow up as much.Melissa: You don’t lose your temper and then feel guilty about it. I am 100% a better mom when I’m writing and have a creative project going — that’s how I process what I need to process.Katie: It lengthens the rope, so you’re not so short in the moments when you need a little extra patience.Leave Snack: Keep noticing the art-worthy moments in your day. And also, in the spirit of our mom guilt episode, spend a little time — journaling, talking to a friend, drawing, making a cartoon, whatever works for you — pondering this: What kind of experience do you want your child to have one day, if they choose to become a parent? What advice would you give them if they came to you with their own parental guilt? And then ask yourself: could I offer myself that same advice? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Our expectations for ourselves need to take into account to the real constraints of our current season of life. At the same time, if we wait until “things calm down” to start prioritizing our creative selves… it might never happen. So where does that leave us? Basically, we argue that it’s going to look different at different stages of life, but no matter how busy you are, you can find ways to affirm and stretch your creative spirit. We offer practical, low-effort ways to intentionally preserve that part of yourself. Even if you don’t have time to make art, you can be training your artist’s eye. Leave snack: Choose at least one day this week to be intentionally observant — look for one art-worthy moment, sight, interaction, experience.Capture it quickly: write it down, voice-memo it, or text a friend.Bonus: Spend five minutes with it — doodle it, write about it, or express it in any form that feels natural. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

In this episode, we decide that tying success to external outcomes like wealth or fame is a recipe for unhappiness. We discuss what our goals should look like in general, what kind of guidelines we should set for ourselves, and discuss our own specific goals. The homework for this week is to think about and write down specific, attainable goals for your own creative endeavors. Good-Fight Spotlight: Check out Hannah Miller’s embroidery on instagramCheck back later this week for some goal-setting worksheets/templates/resources. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

In this episode, we discuss the idea that while most folks can run, at least a little bit, not everyone considers themselves a runner. How does this compare to creativity? Do you have to be “successful” at some kind of art form to consider yourself an artist or a Creative (with a capital C)? Homework: Make a list of ways you’ve used your smart brain to make things better. Consider how you’ve already woven creativity into your life. You’re probably doing it more than you think. Extra credit: Share some of that list here in the comments here so other folks can be inspired! Double Extra Credit: Go buy Brynn’s book. Triple Extra credit: Find out if Publix will give the moms a free cookie, too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Brynn brings us an article that examines the important role of creativity in mental health: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/06/tchaikovsky-cure-anxiety-creativity/678786/The three of us definitely agree with the importance of having those creative outlets, but lament how hard it is to prioritize that when there are so many other demands on our time. Homework: Reconnect with your creative self. What would you like to be doing creatively? If it’s been a while since you’ve had a chance to nurture that part of yourself, think back about the last time you enjoyed a creative activity. Or what kind of project could you get excited about, if you had sufficient time, materials, and childcare? Journal about it, tell a friend, or post it here! We genuinely care about your creative ambitions and want to encourage you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com

Get to know your hosts! Hear a little about the wild weeks we had leading up to our first recording, then around 14 minutes, we jump into what brought us together and what we hope to accomplish. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notquitelosingit.substack.com