James Rees and Keeping the Channel Open

How can we “keep the channel open” for inspiration? In this episode, Lisa Valentine Clark and professional artist James Rees discuss the spiritual side of art. James shares his best practices as an artist and an art teacher, and he and Lisa explore how we can keep ourselves open to transcendental experiences as we live creative lives.

0 Comments

Finding Connection and Community

People will often talk about creative pursuits as a way to make friends--maybe you'll meet people at a pottery class, or you'll find people who are interested in the same music as you. But what we don't often discuss is how creativity connects us not only to the people around us, but also to ourselves! In the episode of The Lisa Show's series on creativity, Lisa talks with friends and experts to find out how being creative can help us understand ourselves, the people around us, and our place in the universe. No small task!

0 Comments

Jake Van Wagoner and Enjoying the Creative Process

Creativity can be incredibly fulfilling. So why is it so hard sometimes? Lisa Valentine Clark and Studio C showrunner and producer, Jake Van Wagoner, take a look at imposter syndrome and the importance of giving yourself permission to make bad art. They discuss how to enjoy the process rather than putting pressure on ourselves to create something great every time. Plus, Jake improvises a new theme song for The Lisa Show.

0 Comments

You’re More Creative Than You Think

Are you a creative person? Everyone answers this question differently. Whether you feel too busy to participate in your old hobbies, or you think there's "not a single creative bone in your body”, there's no limit to the obstacles keeping us from exploring our creative sides. But as it turns out, there's a science to the way we define our creative potential--and knowing the odds makes it easier to beat them. Lisa chats with Drs. Lynne Vincent and Jack Goncalo, as well as James Valentine, about what makes a person creative or not--and how to overcome some of the biggest misconceptions standing between us and our most creative selves.

0 Comments

Book Club: Ch 14 & Conclusion – Using Technology Deliberately

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,” says Thoreau. But how do we live deliberately in the world of smartphones, robots, and the internet? In this final installment, Lisa and Kacy Faulconer discuss the conclusion of Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together. Lisa and Kacy discuss digital manners, and Lisa shares how technology helped her late husband have a higher quality of life. What do we live for, and how can technology augment that rather than replace it?

0 Comments

Building Community

We live in a time of unprecedented loneliness. Even in the luckiest of circumstances, when we're surrounded by supportive friends and family, we might be feeling crushing loneliness in one facet of our lives or another. Maybe you have a chronic illness that no one seems to understand. Or maybe it feels like you're the only one that's struggling to raise a troublesome toddler. Whatever the circumstances, there's a community out there that can help. In this final installment of The Lisa Show's series on Your Life Online, Lisa talks to friends and experts to learn how we can use the internet tools at our disposal to feel a little less isolated and alone.

0 Comments

Book Club: Ch 12 & 13 – Internet Confessions

What is it about being human that gives us a need to post secrets online? Is there something deeper that we're hoping to get in return? In this episode, Lisa and Whitney Call discuss the next two chapters of Alone Together by Sherry Turkle. Whitney shares her experience with Post Secrets, and she and Lisa discuss the illusion of vulnerability that the internet provides.

0 Comments

Am I Addicted to My Phone?

So many of us wonder if we're on our phones too much. It's easy to turn to social media or other online spaces to numb feelings of anxiety, depression or loneliness, even if we know that it can impact our mental health in the long term. How do we break this cycle? In this episode, Lisa talks with our very own producer Becca Hurley about her experiences with technology addiction. Lisa and the Council of Moms (Ashlynn Allen and Angie King) discuss how to put our phones down and be present with our families, and licensed therapist Dr. John Sovec shares advice on how to become more mindful of our technology use, and create the space for intentional choices that keep us in control.

0 Comments

Book Club: Ch 10 & 11 – No Need to Call

As Lisa and her sister Gina James dive into the next two chapters of Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together, they discuss how the way we communicate on our phones has changed over time, from calling to texting to Facetime and Snapchat. Lisa and Gina also discuss how we explore and construct our identities online. In a world where streamers make real money playing video games and influencers post about their personal lives, the lines between online life and real life have never been more blurry. How does online life overlap with real life— and where do we draw the line?

0 Comments

Improving Media Literacy

Do you remember the last time you read a headline or a post online, and later found out it wasn’t true? How did you feel? How did it change the way you see the world? The internet is filled with people sharing information, whether they’re journalists breaking a big story, or influencers talking about their favorite skincare products, or even just family members talking about things that interest them. And no matter what your personal beliefs are, it can be hard to always spot incorrect or completely false information when it comes up. So what can we do? And what difference can media literacy make in our lives? Lisa talks to cybersecurity expert Amanda Hughes, media literacy professor Julia Smith, as well as her producer McKay to find out.

0 Comments