Art

Listening – The Hilarious World of Depression

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hilarous-world-depression_tile@2When I first saw the title of “The Hilarious World of Depression” podcast I thought hmmm depression as comedy?  Well not really.  It’s more of a podcast about depression which features comedians.  There are definitely funny moments.  But there are also heart wrenching and potentially triggering discussions about personal experiences with mental illness, substance abuse, self-worth, and suicide.

The podcast is hosted by John Moe and created in partnership with the Make It Okay campaign.  Each episode features John Moe talking with a comedian about their professional practice and their mental health past.  It’s funny but filled with serious and real moments.  As the opening blurb for the podcast says, “Depression is a vicious cycle of solitude and stigma that leaves people miserable and sometimes dead. Frankly, we’re not going to put up with that anymore. The Hilarious World of Depression is…a chance to gain some insight, have a few laughs, and realize that people with depression are not alone and that together, we can all feel a bit better.”

It’s worth a listen but I would definitely put a trigger warning on this podcast and make sure you’re in a good head space when listening.

Listening: Chris Derksen

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The other day while I was driving into work I was listening to Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean.  One of my favourite parts of that show is the Canadian indie music that is included in every episode.  The episode that was on that morning was featuring Indigenous musicians from Canada.

I was blown away by a number of the artists featured but was particularly enthralled by the music of Chris Derksen.  Derksen is a trained cellist and weaves orchestral music around contemporary powwow music.  The unexpected combination of these two genres is unlike anything I have ever heard before – but is amazing.  It’s inspiring to hear a new form of music that is creating something completely different and unique.

Derksen’s third studio album Orchestral Powwow was nominated for a the Instrumental Album of the Year Juno in 2016.  Take a listen to her music – the only way I can describe it is mind-blowing. Derksen is also one of the individuals I hope to help create a Wikipedia page for during the upcoming Rewriting Wikipedia event focused on Indigenous women.

A New Painting

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For a number of years now I have dabbled in abstract painting. For the last year or more I haven’t spent much time exploring that avenue, but recently I finished another painting and I’m hoping to do more on a regular basis. I’m fairly pleased with the result I achieved on this painting.  I  have other paintings I’ve done as well as some that Krista and I painted together on my website.  I would also like to further explore the methods used by another painter I am a fan of – Gerhard Richter.  Krista got me a DVD which shows Gerhard painting and it’s fascinating to watch!