In this episode I reflect on the cyclical emotional process of making this podcast, tumble down a fascinating eel rabbit hole, ponder the excruciating greyness of “normal”, and explore my love of the brilliant weirdo.

TL;DL
1’ 15” Running in the dark and the peril of head-torches
6’ 34” The repeated process of making this podcast
8’ 55” The excruciating greyness of normal
10’ 53” Patterns of stuckness
12’ 54” Tumbling down an eel rabbit hole
18’ 22” My love of the brilliant weirdo
32’ 20” Making little zines that you can buy
33’ 02” Mask workshop promo
33’ 24” Spread the word

Links to things I mentioned
Sound of Silence podcast
Pavement’s “Type Slowly”
Michael Malay’s “Late Light”
Watzlavick et al on stuckness
Daniel Johnston: “Walking the cow”
Lucia Pamela: “Walking on the moon”
Wesley Willis: “Rock and roll McDonalds”
The Shaggs: “Philosophy of the world”
Connie Converse: “I have considered the Lillies”
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in
Shooby Taylor live at The Apollo
Daniel Johnston’s first live TV appearance
Buy my zines
My next mask workshop
My online shop
Become a patron of my studio
Buy me a coffee (from £1)

The written substack version of this episode: Stevexoh’s substack thing.

If you're wondering why this is an accidental podcast then listen to the first 5 minutes of episode one.

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 34’42”)

In this episode I talk about how discovering a bizarre mural has helped me approach the festive season with a little more resilience, reflect on ego ideals as the posters my inner critic keeps on its bedroom wall and tell the story of the man who loved dragons as a way of exploring the phenomenon of aboutism.

TL;DL
6’ 17” The Kingstonymus Bosch mural
15’ 38” The ghostly posters on the inner critic's bedroom wall
24’ 05” All about aboutism
24' 45” The man who loved dragons
30'56” The imperfect portrait experiment
36'25" Plug for my 20% off sale in my shop and mask workshop

Links to things I mentioned
London's horrific AI mural (Evening Standard article)
My talk about learning to dance with my inner critic
The Inexpert 2018 conference experiment
Drawing portraits in Trafalgar Square
John Luke Robert’s telling the story of the person who hated his gig
My online shop
My next mask workshop
Become a patron of my studio
Buy me a coffee (from £1)

The written substack version of this episode: Stevexoh’s substack thing.

If you're wondering why this is an accidental podcast then listen to the first 5 minutes of episode one.

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 38'00")

In this episode I reflect on how much I love autumn, tell the story of a crow reunion, play a weird song I wrote and performed in assembly age 8, experiment with less censored/more eccentric social interaction and talk about the power of masks that help reveal more of who we already are.

TL;DL
2’ 15” I really love autumn
4’ 36” A crow reunion
14’ 27” The open studio/welcome to my world
22' 02” The bizarre assembly performance remembered
26’ 51” Experiments in social interaction
31’ 01” Reflections on masks that reveal
44’ 32” Plugs for festive markets I’m doing
46’ 06” Weird greetings cards available in my shop

Links to things I mentioned
Buy a print of "Crow Therapy"
Feelings are Real exhibition at Barbican (Feb 25)
My studio
Partners zine
Keith Johnstone
Len Dancing
My mask workshops
My shop

The written substack version of this episode: Stevexoh’s substack thing.

If you're wondering why this is an accidental podcast then listen to the first 5 minutes of episode one.

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 47’ 12”)

In this episode I tell the story of how getting trapped on an exposed beach in a lightning storm became the highlight of a disastrous snorkelling trip, explore how dreams can be a scary, intense but ultimately helpful healing process and reflect on the beauty and power of inexpertise through the lens of the Portsmouth Sinfonia.

TL;DL
3’ 32” The disastrous snorkelling trip
13’ 13” Live from "lightning beach" (contains swears!)
25’ 10” The fish that makes dreams
36’ 53” Reflections on beautiful inexpertise
50' 29” Plug for (Not a) Lost Cat prints and open studio

Links to things I mentioned

My One Track Minds "LSD" talk about Daniel Johnstone
The Portsmouth Sinfonia play Also sprach zarathustra
My One Track Minds talk on the Portsmouth Sinfonia
The One Track Minds website
The Inexpert 2018 website
The Back Gaemen project
Buy (Not a) Lost Cat limited edition prints
Come to my open studio

The written substack version of this episode: Stevexoh’s substack thing

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 53’ 01”)

In this episode I reflect on the big creative slump I found myself in August, explore how learning to see the world as strange can help us experience wonder and share the story of a beach trip with Poppy the dog that inspired me to make a little zine entitled “Be kind to crabs”.

TL;DL
4’ 08” Kindness for crabs
12’ 11” Thoughts on the creative slump
24’ 20” Learning to see the world as strange
34’ 36” What the February?! Book, backgammon invitation and About Time podcast

Links to things I mentioned

A video of my “Be Kind to Crabs” zine
Print off a copy of my “Be Kind to Crabs” zine
What the February?! Book
The Back Gaemen project
The “About Time” podcast

The written substack version of this episode: Stevexoh’s substack thing

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 40’ 30”)

In this episode I talk about The Windowsill Gang and how they bring me joy but also steal my crab shells, all about Arnie Mindell's beautiful concept of Quantum Flirting and share the story of how I have ended up inviting strangers to play Backgammon with me.

And an exciting moment (for me anyway) when I witness a crow/spider skirmish right outside my window.

TL;DL
1' 50" The Windowsill Gang
9' 09" Quantum Flirting
14' 55" The Back Gaemen project
15' 27" Spider/crow skirmish
31' 51" New t-shirts and upcoming workshops

Links to things I mention

The Windowsill gang

T-shirts

Workshops

The written Substack version of all of this: Stevexoh's Substack thing

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 36 mins and 57 secs)

In this episode I enjoy following the random gifts of a dyslexic mind and reflect on some of the comments that people made about my "create windows into your world" philosophy in episode one.

I also explore the idea of "niche environments" and "reasonable adjustments" as important considerations for anyone wanting to nurture their own spontaneous self-expression.

TL;DL
3' 42" The union of onions
6' 10" More thoughts on "windows into your world"
16' 35" Niche environments and reasonable adjustments

Links I mention

The origin story of "XOH"

The "Dog trolley"

Thoughts about opening windows four-box-grid

The (Not a) Lost cat project

Workshops

Framed original drawings

The written Substack version of all of this: Stevexoh's Substack thing

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 37 mins and 37 secs)

In this episode I realise that in attempting to make an accessible audio version of my Substack that I have accidentally created a podcast. Maybe.

I also consider the idea that all apps and digital platforms are evolving to eventually become the same thing (a bit like the evolutionary theory of carcinisation where everything becomes a crab) and I share my "Four lightly held philosophies for living a creative life" from an article I forgot I wrote a number of years back.

TL;DL
1' 01" The carcinisation of tech
2' 23" The accidental podcast
11' 07" Four lightly held philosophies

Links I mention

The written Substack version of all of this: Stevexoh's Substack thing

The Sound of Silence podcast: www.soundofsilence.org.uk

For Creative People podcast: Listen on Spotify

My website: www.canscorpionssmoke.com

My shop: The Amazing Emporium of Everything

Comments, questions, requests and stuff to stevexoh@gmail.com

(Total listening time 33 mins and 34 secs)