TOTALLY F#@!ING NORMAL – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Whidbey Island Taxidermy Website

Maggie's Instagram

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Episode 20: Beyond the Mount: The Art of Preservation w/ Matt Klope

Episode 20

Monday, October 28, 2024 • Duration 01:13:00

In this episode Maggie is joined by award winning Taxidermist and retired Federal Wildlife Biologist Matt Klope of Whidbey Island, WA to talk taxidermy. Matt discusses accessing the flow state and how to recover when you lose it; the role of creative vision in the art of preparation; real-world applications for taxidermy in research, conservation, and beyond; and the steep decline in the taxidermy community as it loses favor in the eye of John Q. Public. In this episode Matt also considers what else we stand to lose if taxidermy should become a lost art.

Show notes:

Matt's Instagram

INSTAGRAM: See how taxidermy is helping humans rehabilitate 'Ingo' for release in Germany

ARTICLE: 'Why Are Ducks Thriving as Other Birds Decline? Three Words: Investments by Hunters'

ARTICLE: 'What is Taxidermy? An Intimate Relationship Between Death and Maker'

Precious Creature Pet Taxidermy Instagram

Josh's work @ La Luz de Jesus Gallery

Maggie's Instagram

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Episode 11: Art in the Digital Age w/ Josh Stebbins

Episode 11

Friday, March 3, 2023 • Duration 01:48:00

In this episode Maggs is joined by Josh Stebbins of Enid, Oklahoma to talk about making art in the digital age. Josh discusses playing the "social media game"; the issue with ai art; the importance of literature and the written word for the preservation of our humanity in an increasingly digital future; how inaccessible it is for a good many artists to even be in a position to create; and being inspired by the creations of other writers, musicians, performers, etc. including Twin Peaks and all things David Lynch. Josh also shares his opinion on the age-old question of whether or not an artist must suffer for their art.

Show notes:

Josh's Instagram

Josh's Facebook

Josh's "No Stars: A Twin Peaks Tribute Exhibition" @ Stephen Romano Gallery

The Guardian Article: Turkey and Syria Earthquake: Where to Donate in the US to Help Victims

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Episode 8: CATASTROPHE: Creating Art in the Wake of Tragedy

Episode 8

Saturday, February 11, 2023 • Duration 22:37

In light of the major earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria this week, Maggs dives into art inspired by natural disasters in this special bonus episode. We first examine eyewitness accounts from survivors of natural disasters, look at why depictions of natural disasters are of continued interest to the scientific community, examine three specific paintings portraying natural disasters for their relevance in art history, and give a couple examples of masterpieces created in the wake of disaster that you may not have been aware of. Maggs also considers what art means to an artist and to humanity, being that nothing is permanent in this world where we live in a constant state of near-apocalypse.

Show notes:

Spokane Review Article: In the Eye of Mount St. Helens: Spokane couple was flying above volcano's eruption on May 18, 1980

Art UK Article: Having A Blast: The Science Behind Paintings of Volcanoes

Hamburger Junsthalle Exhibition: Nature Unleashed: The Image of Catastrophe Since 1600

Smithsonian Article: How Paintings of Sunsets Immortalize Past Volcanic Eruption

"Pele" by D. Howard Hitchcock, 1927

Episode 7: Making Your Living w/ Shayla Jolley

Episode 7

Friday, February 3, 2023 • Duration 43:59

Maggs is joined by Athabascan Maker + Entrepreneur Shayla Jolley from Alaska to talk about her business babies. Shayla discusses how the focus on music & art in Alaska's vibrant communities contributed to the opening and evolution of The Happy Hippie, how she got her start in business, reconnecting with her ancestors through the creation of beaded jewelry, and what inspires her in business and beyond. Shayla also touches on the notion of whether creativity is something you're born with or something that can be learned.

Show notes:

The Happy Hippie Website

The Happy Hippie Instagram

Design Your Life With Sandi Website

Design Your Life With Sandi Instagram

Design Your Life With Sandi Podcast

AK Wild Juice Bar Instagram

Anchorage Daily News Article: "Old Art of Athabascan Quillwork Rediscovered"

Drawing From Experience Podcast Website

Episode 6: Sacrifice Is A Certainty w/ Shane Izykowski

Episode 6

Friday, January 27, 2023 • Duration 49:10

Maggs is joined by Shane Izykowski of Los Angeles, California to talk about the many sacrifices that creatives make for the sake of their art. Shane talks about taking a leap of faith by moving across the country from PA to CA in pursuit of developing his art career, how he was shaped in his early life as a creative by criticism, and how this resulted in cultivating a plethora of skills that now all play a role in his creative process. Shane also shares his hot take on a controversial opinion in the art world that creatives that work "day jobs" aren't as dedicated to their art practice as creatives who are full-time creators.

Show notes:

Shane's Website

Shane's Instagram

Drawing From Experience Podcast Instagram

Shane's TikTok

Shane's Patreon

HuffPost Article: "11 Things Highly Creative People Sacrifice For Their Art"

LauraAmy's IG post w/ Maggs' photos for the AWMI Series

Episode 5: Artists with Mental Illness w/ LauraAmy Patterson

Episode 5

Friday, December 16, 2022 • Duration 53:49

Maggs is joined by LauraAmy Patterson of LAMP Photography Studio from San Jose, California to talk about a massive documentary series she has undertaken which she refers to lovingly as her "Artists with Mental Illness Series." LauraAmy discusses what set this project in motion for her, the profound honor and responsibility that come with creating a safe space for voices from this marginalized group of "outsider" artists, how she's funding such a huge and costly project, and what she plans to do with these sacred stories once they've all been collected and catalogued. LauraAmy also shares what it's been like for her to view images for the first time from cameras sent to every corner of the United States for artists to capture their own images of what their mental illness feels like to them.

Show notes:

LauraAmy's Website

LauraAmy's Instagram

AWMI Series Instagram

AWMI Series GoFundMe

Maggs' IG post w/ photos by LAMP Photography Studio for the AWMI Series

Episode 4: BIRDY MAGAZINE: Print Isn't Dead! w/ Krysti Jomei & Jonny DeStefano

Episode 4

Friday, December 2, 2022 • Duration 01:00:58

Maggs is joined by Krysti Jomei and Jonny DeStefano, co-founders of Denver, Colorado's premier indie publication, Birdy Magazine, to discuss the ins and outs of print; Birdy's humble beginnings, the role of print in society, how Birdy Magazine brings new life to a "dying" art form, and how to make it through the highs and the lows (especially the lows) as an artist. Krysti & Jonny also share their best advice on how to dream big with limited resources.

Show notes:

Birdy Magazine's Website

Jenny's Work at Beinart Gallery

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Episode 3: The Niche: A Symptom of Social Media w/ Jenny Allnutt

Episode 3

Sunday, November 6, 2022 • Duration 49:17

Maggs is joined by Jenny Allnutt, a remarkably talented figurative surrealist painter from Adelaide, Australia to discuss the subject of niching down; how important it is (and how important it isn't), how to do it organically, the importance of working outside of your comfort zone, and some of the reasons that artists can paint, draw or otherwise create the same things over and over again without tiring of it. Jenny also shares what she took away with her from art school and talks about what we may expect to see from her in the future.

Show notes:

Jenny's Website

Jenny's Instagram

Jenny's TikTok

Jenny's Episode of DFE Podcast

Cambridge University Press Publication: "Innovation and Prestige Among Northern Hunter-Gatherers: Late Prehistoric Native Copper Use in Alaska and Yukon"

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Episode 19: Forging Tradition: Re-Kindling the Ancient Art of Coppersmithing w/ Evelynn Combs & Gerad Smith

Episode 18

Monday, September 30, 2024 • Duration 01:16:32

In this episode Maggs is joined by Evelynn Combs & Gerad Smith of Alaska, both Archaeologists as well as artists, to talk about how they're re-conceptualizing the ancient art of coppersmithing. Gerad and Evie discuss the cultural and historical significance of coppersmithing in the Tanana Valley of interior Alaska; what it's like to work with a creative collaborator; the joys and hardships of time away from the forge; and the value of creative diversity. Evie & Gerad also consider cyclical time and the profound and incredible ways humans have been living the same experiences as our ancestors for millennia through the lens of Traveler and his stories in the Dene oral traditions.

Show notes:

Gerad's Dene Atlas

Gerad's Instagram

Evelynn's Instagram