Make Something 365 & Get Unstuck

Foreground/Background podcast episode 22: Jennifer Egan

4/13/2022

The latest episode of my Foreground/Background podcast is out now! Give it a listen below or subscribe on your favorite streaming service (including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Breaker, Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Radio Public) to get new episodes as they come out.

In this episode, I interview Jennifer Egan. Jennifer is the Pulitzer prize winning author of the novel A Visit from

the Goon Squad, she also wrote Manhattan Beach, which won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in

Fiction and many other multi-award winning books. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine,

Granta, McSweeney's, and The New York Times Magazine. And Her new book The Candy House, a sibling novel

to A Visit from the Goon Squad, came out from Scribner on April 5, 2022.

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

Pursuing a career in writing
The process of publishing novels
And so much more!

Jennifer Egan’s site: jennifergan.com

Jennifer Egan’s IG: @jennifereganwriter

Noah on Patreon: patreon.com/noahscalin

Music by Jantrax

Foreground/Background podcast episode 21: Hamilton Glass

3/9/2022

In this episode, I interview Hamilton Glass. Hamilton, AKA Ham, is a Richmond, Virginia based artist with a background in architecture and design. Ham is a prolific painter and muralist, who is well known for using his art as a tool for inspiration and healing in the community. In 2020, Ham founded the influential large-scale public art project: Mending Walls which was created to bring about healing through public art while adding to the conversation of Black Lives Matter.

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

The power of public art
Shifting career paths
And so much more!

Hamilton Glass’ site: whosham.com

Hamilton Glass’ IG: @hamglass

My Patreon: patreon.com/noahscalin

Music by Jantrax

Patreon Anniversary Special Offer!

2/14/2022

I'm celebrating my fifth year on Patreon this month!

In honor of this milestone, I'm running a special offer for new and existing patrons! Starting today if you pledge $10 or more you'll get a limited edition print of my piece #Still_Life. This archival 9 x 9 in. print is signed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. In addition you'll become part of my exclusive Team Art community of supporters who get access to content available nowhere else. Folks who pledge $25 or more will also get a surprise item of my choice from my archive! This special offer will be available to claim only until MIDNIGHT Eastern Time on Monday, February 28th.

Why sign up to be my supporter on Patreon?

Patreon is a way for creators to make more meaningful direct relationships with fans of their work. As the social media landscape becomes more fractured and difficult to navigate I'm putting my focus on sharing my process and inspiration with my supporters through this more intimate platform. On my Patreon page I have an exclusive feed, where you get behind-the-scenes look at the work I'm making as well as other content available nowhere else!

Here's what one of my supporters had to say about his experience:

“I’ve been following Noah since his Skull-A-Day website days, and it’s wonderful to continue to access his art through Patreon. I really enjoy seeing and reading about his creative process, but seeing Noah’s art installed is the biggest thrill. It removes that feeling of distance and disappointment that I am never likely to see his art work in the flesh, when I can interact with Noah and his work online.”

– Beck Archer

Don't miss out on this limited time offer, find out more HERE.

Foreground/Background podcast episode 20: Kate McKean

1/26/2022

In this episode I interview Kate McKean. Kate is a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency in

Brooklyn, NY. She is also an adjunct professor at New York University. Her work has appeared in Electric

Literature, Catapult, Racked, Popula, and in SCRATCH: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living.

She writes the fantastic substack newsletter Agents & Books about, you guessed it, literary agents and books.

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

What exactly a book publishing agent does (and why you might need one)
As well as the reality of what it means to get a book published.
And so much more!

Kate McKean’s site: morhaimliterary.com

Kate McKean’s substack: katemckean.substack.com

Kate McKean’s IG: @kate_mckean

Noah on Patreon: patreon.com/noahscalin

Music by Jantrax

#Still_Life

I was invited to participate in an all skull art show at Blockfort Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, so I decided to create a special new sticker art piece just for the exhibition.

As with my other sticker art work I just overlap the stickers without altering them in any way. My goal with this one was to get as much detail in as possible.

The piece is on a wooden 20 x 20 inch panel and the background is painted on after the piece is sealed. The piece is for sale and will be available through the gallery during the exhibition which runs October 1-31st.

p.s. FYI my Patreon supporters got an exclusive first look at this piece with additional background information I've shared nowhere else. They also get first dibs on my art, including discounts on new prints, and have access to an art savings account to buy pieces, including commissions. You can join up for as little as $5 a month. Find out more HERE.

Foreground/Background podcast episode 19: Talking with Freehand Profit about NFTs

4/19/2021

In this episode I interview Freehand Profit. Freehand is an LA based multi-disciplined artist who’s infamous for destroying coveted sneakers to make unique masks - a body of work stemming from a year long, daily project called MASK365 (inspired by own Skull-A-Day project!) Since 2010 he has made more than 200 one of a kind sneaker masks, working with brands like Nike, adidas, Puma, Cadillac, Converse and more. Freehand was also my very first podcast interviewee and I’m excited to have him back for the 2nd time to specifically talk about the world of NFTs.

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

Navigating Non-fungible tokens as an artist
The pros and cons of this new digital space
and more!

I couldn’t have made this podcast without my Patreon supporters! If you enjoyed this podcast please leave a comment and let me know what resonates with you and give it a thumbs up or 5 star review wherever you listen to it. And of course if you’re not already a Patreon supporter I hope you’ll check it out at Patreon.com/NoahScalin. For as little as $5 a month you get access to my studio and practice including content available nowhere else.

Foreground/Background podcast episode 18: Michael-Birch Pierce

3/11/2021

In this episode I interview Michael-Birch Pierce. Michael-Birch is a fiber artist and fashion designer who has interned for Diane von Furstenberg, embroidered Christmas decorations for the Obama White House, and designed an exclusive collection for Levi’s. They have performed their embroidered portraits at Oscar and Super Bowl events, Design/Miami, and SXSW, and worked with clients such as Visa, Target, Amazon, Delta, NBCUniversal, and Airbnb. And they have exhibited in numerous galleries and museums both domestically and abroad.

In this hour long conversation we discuss:

Surviving as an artist during a pandemic
Collaborating with corporations
Dealing with scam inquiries
and more!

Check out my interview on the podcast series Sidewalk Ghosts

2/5/2021

I recently spoke with Richard Radstone for an episode of his Sidewalk Ghosts podcast. You can listen here below, on the website, on Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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Based on life found experiences and interviews of diverse strangers, Richard’s short stories and observations entertain as they share ideas for appreciating the worth of yourself and others. Real-life stories and openhearted dialogues that can enhance your consideration of just how far your individual influence can reach.

I originally met Richard many years ago while he was doing a daily project about interviewing strangers! To read about 365 Strangers/365 Days, click HERE.

Making Art for 365 Days

Eric Rhemrev of Louisville, Kentucky created daily art based from the prompts in the Daily Creative Journal as well as suggestions and ideas from other people.

Why did you decide to do this project? The simplest answer would be to prove to myself that I could do it. The long answer is that I was depressed, only I didn't realize it. I thought being depressed meant feeling sad, but I didn't feel sad, I felt stuck.

Thankfully I came to the realization that if I wanted things to change, I would need to change the way I approach things. And one of the things I wanted to change was my lack of follow through, and what better way to test myself than a yearlong project.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Doing a yearlong daily project has affected my life in many different ways. From getting my creative juices flowing to giving me the confidence to call myself an artist.

I have gone back and finished a few projects that have been long abandoned as well as completed new ones. It has helped build discipline when it comes to everyday things such as making my bed and keeping my home organized. This project really has changed my life.

To see more of Eric's art, follow @arikmakesart on Instagram!

Catch my interview on the podcast, Artivism NOW!

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Kyle Roman for his latest episode of Artivism NOW!⁠ Have a listen to our conversation where we chat about my non-traditional methods and media, the impact of public art in the southern US, and how @alrcreates is impacting the minds of corporate America.⁠⠀

Artivism NOW! discusses the intersection between art and activism and how artists all over the world are making a statement with their work. Politics, culture, and current events inform and carry forward the work of artists. These interviews tell the story of people who are dedicated to truth telling and compassion in a cynical world.

Show art made by @megheimanart.

Find Out What Day of the Week It Is, During The Pandemic

Janet Scagnelli of Richmond, VA is sending out daily texts to subscribers, an activity she calls VeriDay.

Why did you decide to do this project? Back in April I was having trouble remembering what day of the week it was, and even if I figured it out, I’d forget a few hours later. So I wrote the day on a business card and left it on my counter all day. It worked, so I made a week’s worth. I texted a photo to a friend, who laughed and said I needed to send this to her every day.

Of course, I couldn’t just shoot the card, I had to add a tomato or a leaf to the photo. Fast forward, 7 months later—I have over 20 subscribers (through texting). I call my service VeriDay. Sometimes I make videos, I use 5 languages some days, and I haven’t missed a day. I called upon guest hosts for the week I was away.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I think it has created a (daily 6am-7am) meaningful connection among us. Some of the smaller subscriber groups react to the prompts with deep conversations (The rise of the Nazi movement in NYC in the 1930’s, Baptist hymns, Russian children’s book illustrations from the 1950’s, crop circles).

It seems to make people smile. I’ve gotten to know some subscribers so much more intimately, even though I’ve known them for decades. And it keeps me making art daily.

I recently read this article from the NYTimes and it dawned on me—this is VeriDay’s mission! (The entire article is worth reading.)

Excerpted from the NYTimes article:

"The key to coping during this, or any, time of upheaval is to quickly establish new routines so that, even if the world is uncertain, there are still things you can count on...

Luckily, there is a vast repertoire of habits you can adopt and routines you can establish to structure your days no matter what crises are unfolding around you. [VeriDay!]

The truth is that you cannot control what happens in life. But you can create a routine that gives your life a predictable rhythm and secure mooring. This frees your brain to develop perspective so you’re better able to take life’s surprises in stride."