Episode 243: Take It or Leave It - a podcast by Amy Cowen

Above: "some" of the pens in the pile during the chaotic "take it or leave it" packing saga as I got ready to travel.

Episode 243 of the CMP, a Creativity Matters Podcast

In this episode of the CMP, the chaos of getting ready to travel and sorting out what to take. This show goes in the list of shows that feel too zany to share publicly. After recording this one, really off-the-cuff, I thought it might never see the light of day or might be posted only for Patreon subscribers. I think/fear I come across as even more nutty than normal. At the same time, for many of us, the struggle is real.



I was inspired to see a beautiful index card by one of the CMP community artists who listed a single pen as her emergency art kit. I had just recorded the monologue you will hear in Episode 243 about piles and piles of pens. Seeing that focused and pared down card and approach to creativity made my own crazy need for the comfort of my tools when traveling feel even crazier.  Removed by a few days from that moment, I am thinking more clearly that emergency kit and travel kit are not the same thing. But that night, with a gigantic to-do list in front of me and the stress of getting ready, seeing someone else who understood the essence of what you "really" need to have on hand made my piles look even more like mountains. My own internal narrative was so strong and loud and chaotic that night. Even though I recognize the chaos and can articulate it, the best thing I can do, at times, is simply embrace it.



I traveled with a single bag of pens. So far, I've used two ballpoint pens, thrown out one ballpoint pen, and used a pencil and an eraser. I do hope to load up my fountain pens today though, and I will feel more settled once they have ink.



Index-Card-a-Day is underway! I hope your first few days of ICAD have gone well.





The Flow of Episode 243 (and relevant links):



* Packing for the trip

* Matthew helps me narrow the pens

* Travel tin of gouache

* Syllabus

* Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

* References and allusions to the Copic show and the Holiday Inn Pen show and the More Ballpoint show and the Ballpoint show

* Guitar music: Nicholai Heidlas on SoundCloud

* Creativity Matters Group at Facebook

* Patreon page

Further episodes of Creativity Matters Podcast (CMP)

Further podcasts by Amy Cowen

Website of Amy Cowen