S2 E8 - Feeling Feelings About Getting Paid

In this episode, we went VERY meta. Feeling feelings about feeling everything. We discuss what it's like to feel everything, the importance of expressing feelings, and why sensitivity is a strength, NOT a weakness. It's a strangely vulnerable episode as we discuss our past experiences with feeling too much or too little. Mental health is discussed again and we go startlingly honest in our season 2 finale. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we discuss QUITE an involved topic: BEING ENOUGH. Woo, did we go real, real, real vulnerable on this one! Both of us talk about how inadequacy manifests in our lives, what that means for our careers, and how to overcome feelings of inadequacy. The concept of being enough is one that inevitably deals with comparison and this is an idea we heavily interrogate in the episode. If being enough requires being better than someone else, then what is the real point—and why are we all so enamored with the idea of being ENOUGH? This and more in this episode!

In this episode, we discuss the complicated and often-fraught world of getting paid as a creative. Jessica talks about her experience being paid through an agency / agent that hustles on her behalf. Jamie talks about how she invoices, gets paid directly from her clients, and what that entails. We get down to the practicalities here: what do you charge and how do you figure out your rate; do you have contracts, do you require a deposit, how do you deal with inconsistent income? All of this and more in the episode!

In this episode, we talk with badass, Anita Sarkeesian about a topic near & dear to us: BURN OUT. We talk about all our feelings on avoiding burn out, what burn out looks like in each of our lives, and how we deal with burn out once it happens. Each of us are SO different in how we approach and look at burning out, so it's a lively and interesting conversation filled with both honest truths (as always!) and some seriously practical self-care tips. THINGS MENTIONED: Anita Sarkeesian: http://anitasarkeesian.com& https://twitter.com/anitasarkeesian Feminist Frequency: https://feministfrequency.com History vs Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don't Want You to Know http://a.co/axay3BI

In this episode, we discuss all our complicated feelings on love, relationships, and marriage. We share our dating experiences from our 20s (kinda horrifying, but also formulative). Of course, and as always, both of us have VERY different behaviors and experiences in love and in dating. It makes for an interesting, vibrant convo. Bless us and our differences. Find us on all the social channels at: feelingfeelings.co

Content Warning: In this episode, mental health issues are discussed. Also discussed: sexual assault and other potentially triggering topics. After the recent deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, both of us wanted to talk about our experience with mental health, as we felt very affected by the news of both Spade and Bourdain. Both of us take turns sharing our past and current struggles on mental health. This is one of our more deep and heavy episodes, both of us feeling quite an emotional hangover after this one. Our hope with this episode is to spread awareness, normalize mental illness, and to make sure people who are struggling do not feel alone. That’s what has helped us—when others have shared their experience. We hope that by us sharing our stories here we can add to the many who are spreading awareness about mental illness and the importance of mental health. THINGS MENTIONED: Aundre Larrow, Stories from Here - http://storiesfromhere.com The Real Link Between Creativity and Mental Illness | Scientific American: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-real-link-between-creativity-and-mental-illness/ A Little Weird? Prone to Depression? Blame Your Creative Brain | Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prescriptions-life/201204/little-weird-prone-depression-blame-your-creative-brain A Dangerous Son | HBO Documentary: https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/a-dangerous-son National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number 1-800-273-8255, and online chat: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx

In this episode, we have our first guest, Kevin Avery. Kevin is an Emmy-winning TV writer, comedian, podcaster, and actor. In this conversation, we talked about his early days trying to "break into" Hollywood. The overarching topic of this episode is PAYING YOUR DUES and what does that mean and what does that look like? So many great anecdotes are told and Kevin is hilarious and honest and transparent about what it REALLY took to get to the place he's in with his career, which is to say: he's stable and "made it." THINGS MENTIONED: Kevin Avery: https://twitter.com/KevinAvery & https://www.instagram.com/KevinAveryComedy Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period: https://www.earwolf.com/show/denzel-washington I’m Just A Girl Standing In Front Of Shonda Rhimes Asking Her To Be My Best Friend | Thought Catalog: https://thoughtcatalog.com/jamie-varon/2015/04/im-just-a-girl-standing-in-front-of-shonda-rhimes-asking-her-to-be-my-best-friend

In this week's episode, we discuss our feelings on INTUITION. Listening to it. Following it. Being inspired by it. We talk about how we both believe our art is intuitive, but also guided by practical knowledge. It's a whole convo and it's a good one! Of course, we talk about moon cycles (it was a full moon when this episode was recorded and we were both VERY affected by this fact). We discuss science-y things about currents and gravitational pulls even though we have no knowledge of it. Just winging it, friends! We also discuss... does everything happen for a reason? (Spoiler: NO. And it's bullshit to say that, but kinda not? We get into it!) Somehow, we get into a long tangential conversation about higher education. Jess did not study photography in college and Jamie does not have a degree in communication arts. We discuss the merit and necessity (or not) of education and the importance of real world experience, inspired art, and how sometimes education creates boundaries on creativity where there shouldn't be any. It's a good talk! Thanks for listening and supporting. Don't forget to review us so that others can find our podcast! We believe in the power of talking through your feelings—and that it's a cornerstone of being mentally and emotionally healthy. Find us on all the social channels at: feelingfeelings.co

In this week's episode, we discuss the idea of "choosing" happiness? Is this bullshit? Or is there some truth to it? We both dissect our feelings on what it means to be happy, how it feels to be told you can "choose" happiness, and the way that intersects with our mental health and careers. We bust through some myths about being able to control your life. Jessica reveals that she's a chaotic person who seems to have her shit together. Jamie reveals she's a reformed chaotic and is now very into routines and habits (and is kinda boring, in a good way?). We discuss our differences, of which there are many. We go deep into mental health, which... OF COURSE. And, while we wanted this episode to be one of the "lighter" of the season, we actually went pretty damn hard into the idea of happiness and how it intersects in all areas of our lives. So like us to try to be light and breezy and then go SUPER DEEP. Lol. As always, thanks for listening. Don't forget to review us so that others can find our podcast! YOU'RE ALL AMAZING. Let's talk about feelings forever. <3 Find us on all the social channels at: feelingfeelings.co

In this week's episode, we discuss THE HUSTLE. Is it toxic? Is it aspirational? Does it actually make us happy? Both of us have varying thoughts on ambition. Competitiveness is discussed and as it relates to being a woman. Are women taught to be competitive? Nope. Only with each other as it relates to men, but not for jobs, for work, for the pursuit of excellence. This bullshit is discussed—and of course, our feelings on it. Does the hustle WORK? Or, WERK? We dive into this idea and try to determine whether or not either of us likes that endless pursuit of achievement. There's a lot of contradiction, because, well, it's a fraught topic, and emotions are not linear! We talk habits. Jamie is into routines. Jess is into chaos. It works for both of them for different ways. Jess talks about her need for control and how stressful it is. Jamie talks about her past of being a garbage human who never had her shit together. Growth! As always, find us on social media at feelingfeelings.co where you can share all your feelings with us across all our social channels. And please, leave us a review (but only if it's nice, we are sensitive) (jk?) (kinda.). <3 Jess + Jamie THINGS MENTIONED: Justina Blakeney: http://www.justinablakeney.com & https://www.jungalow.com Caroline Lee with Team Woodnote & Out of Line: http://www.woodnotephotography.com & http://outoflinepodcast.podbean.com