Making Meaning – Details, episodes & analysis

In my nearly 20 years of creative work, I've developed a real passion for creating artwork with the input of others, either in group making or through contributions of stories. This podcast explores what I mean by co-creation and what benefits it brings to me and those who contribute. 

Find out more and read the transcript at https://ruthsinger.com/2024/06/11/co-creation-making-meaning-podcast-episode-42/

The gallery of co-created projects is here https://ruthsinger.com/co-creation-projects/

These talks are part of my Cultures of Care Group sessions which are free online discussion groups, once a month. The next ones are in July and August, dates and links to book are here: https://ruthsinger.com/cultures-of-care/cultures-of-care-group/

Find out more about reflective writing course here https://ruthsinger.com/2024/05/26/reflective-writing-for-creative-practice/

and my Maker Membership here https://ruthsinger.com/membership/

In this episode you'll hear an edited version of a live Q&A recorded last month on Zoom. The audience were invited to ask questions about my practice in general, or specific current or past projects. You'll hear me talk about topics including care practices within organisations, caring for others and its impact on practice, and working with funders. This is the first time I've tried doing a live recording, and I didn't know the questions in advance, so it's absolutely live and real responses.

I'm joined by my Cultures of Care project and podcast producer, Meghan, who you'll hear at various points in the recording, and by a wonderfully enthusiastic and engaged audience who had lots of interesting questions.

Find out more here: https://ruthsinger.com/2023/11/19/making-meaning-podcast-episode-34-qa-with-ruth-singer/

Support the podcast with a donation or subscription: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast-fundraiser

Find more episodes at: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast

Buy a copy of my Criminal Quilts book: https://ruthsinger.com/writing/criminal-quilts-book

Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal: http://ruthsinger.com/journal

Find Your Focus course (and other things): https://ruthsinger.podia.com/

Join my creative community, Maker Membership: http://ruthsinger.com/membership

Keep in touch by joining my email list: http://ruthsinger.com/email

I’m joined today by historian and writer Barbara Burman who has just published a wonderful new book called The Point of The Needle, Why Sewing Matters which celebrates and explores the cultural and social importance of plain stitching, using historical sources and also the voices of people sewing today.

I was asked to read a proof copy of the book earlier in the year and very much enjoyed it, and of course wanted to talk to Barbara more. In this conversation we talk a lot about the similarities between historian and artist and the power of sharing hidden or unseen stories. 

Find out more here: https://ruthsinger.com/2023/11/05/making-meaning-podcast-episode-33-with-barbara-burman/

Support the podcast with a donation or subscription: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast-fundraiser

Find more episodes at: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast

Buy a copy of my Criminal Quilts book: https://ruthsinger.com/writing/criminal-quilts-book

Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal: http://ruthsinger.com/journal

Find Your Focus course (and other things): https://ruthsinger.podia.com/

Join my creative community, Maker Membership: http://ruthsinger.com/membership

Keep in touch by joining my email list: http://ruthsinger.com/email

Episode 32 of Making Meaning is with designer and all-round creative powerhouse Zoe Murphy. Zoe works with colourful screen prints to transform old furniture into amazing, meaningful pieces. We talk about her multi-faceted creative life, about connecting and sharing creative joy and about how storytelling and research are fundamental to how she works.

Find out more here: https://ruthsinger.com/2023/10/20/making-meaning-podcast-episode-32-with-zoe-murphy/

Support the podcast with a donation or subscription: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast-fundraiser

Find more episodes at: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast

Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal: http://ruthsinger.com/journal

Find Your Focus course (and other things): https://ruthsinger.podia.com/

Join my creative community, Maker Membership: http://ruthsinger.com/membership

Keep in touch by joining my email list: http://ruthsinger.com/email

This is an extra bonus episode. Rather than the usual conversation, today’s episode is a recording of my recent Cultures of Care online talk, explaining my new major project, what’s led to it and what I’m working on now and in the next couple of years. The images referred to can be found in the blog post linked below.

Find out more here: https://ruthsinger.com/2023/10/13/making-meaning-podcast-episode-31-cultures-of-care/

Support the podcast with a donation or subscription: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast-fundraiser

Find more episodes at: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast

Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal: http://ruthsinger.com/journal

Find Your Focus course (and other things): https://ruthsinger.podia.com/

Join my creative community, Maker Membership: http://ruthsinger.com/membership

Keep in touch by joining my email list: http://ruthsinger.com/email

I’m talking today to ceramic artist Jennie McCall. I’ve known Jennie for quite a few years and have had the pleasure of seeing her work grow and develop as she finds her place, and supporting her through mentoring and one of my courses. We discuss reinvention, finding your place, understanding ourselves and putting emotions into our creative work. Jennie talks about finding the freedom to be herself and to work with authenticity and curiosity.

Please note: Jennie talks about childhood trauma in the first few minutes of the podcast, so do skip past this if you need to

Find out more here: https://ruthsinger.com/2023/10/08/making-meaning-podcast-episode-30-with-jennie-mccall

Support the podcast with a donation or subscription: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast-fundraiser

Find more episodes at: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast

Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal: http://ruthsinger.com/journal

Find Your Focus course (and other things): https://ruthsinger.podia.com/

Join my creative community, Maker Membership: http://ruthsinger.com/membership

Keep in touch by joining my email list: http://ruthsinger.com/email

For the first time, Making Meaning has been recorded outdoors! I met up with Kate Unwin of The Moon and the Furrow at her woodland in Wales. Kate is an artist, maker, grower and one of my closest friends. She moved to Wales to live a more sustainable and nature-connected life and she runs a small business that is very much aligned with her values and creative inspirations. We talk about nature, creativity and healing, about making conscious choices with a business, about living simply and about sharing wonderful things with other people.

Find out more here https://ruthsinger.com/2023/09/19/making-meaning-podcast-episode-29-with-kate-unwin

Support the podcast with a donation or subscription: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast-fundraiser

Find more episodes at: http://ruthsinger.com/podcast

Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal: http://ruthsinger.com/journal

Join my creative community, Maker Membership: http://ruthsinger.com/membership

Keep in touch by joining my email list: http://ruthsinger.com/email

In this episode, Ruth talks to textile artist and researcher, Lucie Bea Dutton. For the last few years, Lucie has been exploring Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell Trilogy though a large-scale sewing project inspired by Mantel’s work. Lucie trained as a historian and she works extensively with archival materials. In this episode, Ruth talks to Lucie about this project, as well as finding your place as an artist when it isn't your first career, the importance of a studio, how shifts in life influence how you want to work, creative process and how you don't need to be economically productive to be an artist.

Find out more and see images of Lucie's work: https://ruthsinger.com/podcast/

Also find details of Ruth's podcast fundraiser here: https://ruthsinger.com/podcastfundraiser/

Hello friends, Making Meaning podcast is back! Or it's almost back, if I can fundraise enough to keep it going. In this episode I'll explain where I've been and what is coming up if we can make it happen, together.

You can support a new series by donating at ruthsinger.com/podcastfundraiser

You can also join my email list for updates at ruthsinger.com/email

Previous episodes information and images can be found at ruthsinger.com/podcast 

In this final conversation of the series, I am talking to Gillian Lee Smith, a Scottish painter based in Northumberland. Gillian and I first met as members of a designer-makers group in the English midlands but we reconnected over Zoom during the pandemic and have had some wonderful conversations about our practices, our mentoring work and our creative ideas. In this conversation we focus on mentoring and talk about how both supporting others and being supported ourselves helps our practice. We talk about the zigzag journey of creative practice and how reflection and talking things through with others really helps to clarify things, to open new doors and to inspire. Find out more at ruthsinger.com/podcast