Feeling Feelings

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

In this episode, we honestly and frankly explore our feelings on turning 30 and then being in our 30s. Jamie had a lot of feelings about turning 30, while Jessica divulges an unpleasant feeling about WHY she didn't feel many negative feelings about turning 30. It gets real! We discuss our friendship break-up (yep, we broke up for 4 years and then got back together). Lots to unpack here and boy, do we unzip the suitcase and let loose! We talk about stability versus passion. Mental health and the importance it plays in both our lives. We also discuss how neither of us can create when we're not emotionally stable, going against the cultural ideal of the starving, impassioned, manic artist. THINGS MENTIONED: - Jessica's Communication Arts feature

The best thing about this episode is that Jessica comes prepared with quotes and research, including the actual definition and backstory of Imposter Syndrome. Like, A+ for Jessica. (Jamie was useless in the research department, but had lots of feelings to share, so it evened out? Maybe? F for Jamie, but that's okay.) Lots of feelings about Imposter Syndrome are shared, but also feelings on receiving criticism/feedback as an artist, dealing with self-doubt, and how much of what we believe about ourselves comes from people trying to sell us shit we don't need. We kind of go IN on advertising and media. F-bombs are dropped. Not censored. Don't listen to this episode in the car with your children. Or any of our episodes for that matter. We are not responsible for your children's delicate sensibilities around the word FUCK. ;) Jamie goes off on doubt, as she's prone to do because she is prone to crippling self-doubt. GREAT. Jessica discusses how she wanted a client to love her work, but instead they had feedback. Uh oh. We talk representation and how if you don't see yourself in a room, you feel you don't belong. Gabi Fresh—QUEEN—is mentioned. (Gabi, if you're listening, please be our friend?) Body politics are discussed. Tattoos are discussed. We zigzagged a bit with this episode, but it all connected. Promise! THINGS MENTIONED: Gabi Fresh: https://www.instagram.com/gabifresh/ Nicolette Mason: https://www.instagram.com/nicolettemason/ Their clothing line: https://premme.us/ "Impostor Syndrome: How I fight the feelings that I'm a fake" by Bonnie Burton: https://www.cnet.com/news/impostor-syndrome-tips-for-feeling-less-like-a-fake/

Turns out: we feel lots of feelings about social media. Who doesn't, tho? Really? We're millennials, raised on AOL and chat rooms (asl?). To complain about social media, yet still be dependent on it is like breathing to us. Addictions are discussed. Yes, we both admit, without shame, that we are addicted, that we care about likes, that there is still some part of us that wants to throw our phones in the ocean and go live off the grid, yet neither of us ever will, since our careers and lives are so—ugh—dependent on this device and all its little apps. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Fuck! We discuss our frustrations about social media, the comparisons, the validations, the way we love/hate it in equal measure. Gigi Hadid is discussed, because of course. Good news: we also talk about the GREAT things about social media. No gatekeepers, so lots of voices get to be heard, lots of bodies and faces and skin colors get to be seen that otherwise would be shunned and hidden away. GREAT. Yet, to get to the good, there's also so much trash on social media to wade through. Feelings on that trash are discussed at length. Anecdotes are shared, like campfire stories. (No s'mores though, so that's fucked up.) Insecurities are divulged. Feelings are displayed. Honesty spit forth. It's a lot. But just enough? You tell us. Please be advised you can share all your feelings on all our social medias (feelingfeelings.co). Yep, meta. Complaining about social media but using social media to complain and also connect? Very Jess + Jamie. Ugh. PSA: In this episode we talk about Kanye West a cringeworthy amount but when we recorded the episode he’d only tweeted like 5 times so please forgive us and our pre-recorded episodes. We no longer share his views. 😣😭😳

The second episode of Feeling Feelings goes for it—big time. We discuss the ultimate taboo topic: MONEY. First, we talk about why nobody wants to talk about money. We go deep into our pasts, what we learned about finances from our parents (or, in Jamie's case, what she DIDN'T learn ), and all the money bags we carry around. (Money bags = money baggage. Neither of us have trust funds or are rich.) We get into debt (talking about it and being in it, of course). Jamie recently got herself out of debt. Jess talks about her debt and saving strategy. More money bags are discussed here. We have LOTS OF MONEY BAGGAGE. (You probably do, too, but maybe aren't as painstakingly self-aware as we are? Share your feels, friends!) Parents are discussed and the money habits they passed down. (Parents be advised, you *have* been put on blast, but that's okay, we forgive you.) There's also a lively conversation about making money from art and does that make you a sell out? We talk about sell outs and how calling people sell outs is bullshit. We also talk about how artists make money is always called into question and like, artists have to pay rent, too. We also discuss trust fund babies. Jessica defends trust fund artists. Jamie relents. This episode left us both feeling lots of feelings and with a vulnerability hangover. Be advised that talking about money is UNCOMFORTABLE AS ALL HELL. UPDATE 5/16/18: In what can only be described as an embarrassing turn of events, it turns out that Jordan Peele's mom is indeed named Lucinda Williams but she is not THE Lucinda Williams. Oopsie. Jamie is very sorry for spreading this untruth. (And very embarrassed.)

It's our first episode and we dust the cobwebs off our (brand new) mics and overshare about our feelings. Spoiler alert: We will be oversharing on every episode, so, I don't know, if you're not into that sorta thing, kindly put your earbuds down and don't listen to this. JK. Put your earbuds back in. Please? We like you! In this episode, we go into WHY we're doing Feeling Feelings, how we know each other (friends for 22 years met in 6th grade Bio, what what!), and general background on ourselves. Ya know, real first date material. We like long walks on the beach, too. Obviously. We go into some detail about what topics we'll converse about on the podcast—in just the first season alone, we're going for Money, Social Media, Imposter Syndrome, and the trials and tribulations of Being Over 30 (Jessica says she has no feelings on her age, but yeah, we'll see). Welcome to Feeling Feelings and please share your feelings with us anytime—and we hope you keep listening! Things Mentioned: - Our website: feelingfeelings.co - Our Facebook Group, Instagram, and Twitter (all linked up on feelingfeelings.co, naturally) - Please like us across all social media platforms, thank you, you understand, we are millennials.