The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF Garrard

Brian Ceci shares his experience growing up Hard of Hearing,reflects on the emotional challenges of making his documentary HEARD, and explains why patience is one of the most valuable qualities a filmmaker can develop.

For Brian Ceci, growing up Hard of Hearing was something was seldom acknowledged, but clearly a very important part of daily life. Brian’s career evolved in a more visual medium unfolded much later, catapulting him all over the world, documenting the human condition with his camera. Brian has shot numerous documentaries as a Director of Photography on networks like Discovery +, OMNI,and Telus Originals. The idea of leaning into his hearing came much later, through a series of events over decades which ultimately led to this film’s creation (HEARD). Brian’s hope is that this film will help people understand the limitations of hearing loss across it’s spectrum, whilst helping empowering people on their journey with with their own hearing.

Film page link: https://heard-film.com/

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M. C. JOUDREY discusses the importance of safeguardingcopyright for creatives, the origins of At Bay Press, and why both community and professionalism are essential for writers to succeed.

M. C. JOUDREY is an award-winning Canadian writer, artistand designer. His second novel Of Violence and Cliché was released 2013, followed by his collection of short stories Charleswood Road: Stories in 2014 (nominated for a 2015 John Hirsch Manitoba Book Award). His novel Fanonymouswas released in 2019 and won the Independent Publisher gold medal for best work of fiction for Western Canada. It was also nominated for two Manitoba Book Awards, including the Margaret Laurence Award for best work of fiction. M. C.Joudrey has been a member of the submission selection committee for the CBC Short Fiction Prize and a jury member for the Manitoba Book Awards. As a designer, his work has been awarded two Alcuin Design Book Awards and theManuela Dias Manitoba Book Award for Design. He is also a bookbinder and a number of his works are held in galleries internationally.

In this episode, Matthew reads from Marmalade Parade.
Book link: https://guernicaeditions.com/products/marmalade-paradeArtsy Raven links:
For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/

If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreon subscribers remember to access your bonuscontent for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

Kayla Branstetter talks about the insights she gained fromhundreds of interviews with women, her strategies for overcoming writer's block, and reflects on the cultural contrasts between rural Missouri and suburban Denver.

Kayla Branstetter is a published writer, an award-winningartist, and TEDx speaker from Missouri. While growing up, she split her time between rural Missouri and the suburbs of Denver. With her feet in two worlds, she became adept at connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. She has apassion for breaking through barriers to achieve gender equality and amplifying marginalized voices. Her forthcoming nonfiction book, Don’t Be an Athena, where women tell their stories about abortion, birth, and infertility, is scheduled to be released in July 2026.

In this episode, Kayla reads from Don’t Be an Athena.
Author website: https://kaylabranstetter.wordpress.com/about-2/

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Emmalea Russo discusses her transition from poetry andvisual arts to novel writing, the creation of her sci-fi novel The Moon Papers, and why she believes creativity works best when she doesn’t force the writing process.

Emmalea Russo is the author of Vivienne, Confetti, WaveArchive, and G. She lives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In this episode, Emmalea reads from The Moon Papers.
Author website: https://emmalearusso.com/

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Wanda Nolan and Ting Ting Chen discuss the making of theiraward-winning documentary Muse, how a meeting with Robert Tilley grew into an extraordinary friendship, and the creative challenges of bringing his story to the screen.

The Muse is now streaming free on The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) platforms - https://www.nfb.ca/film/the-muse/

Wanda Nolan is a writer, story consultant and filmmakerresiding in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her award-winning short films have been screened nationally and internationally, including The Mystery of the Secret Room, which was produced by the NFB and nominated for two Golden Sheaf Awards (Yorkton Film Festival) and a Golden Egg Award (Reykjavik International Film Festival). In March 2020, she was honoured to be a Visiting Writer at the University of British Columbia School of Creative Writing. Wanda holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from UBC. https://wandanolan.com/

Ting Ting Chen is a St. John’s based fine art photographer.Her photography works showcasing the beauty of Newfoundland have won multiple prestigious international photography awards.  She left her home in Asia and came toNewfoundland, Canada in 2018. She found her new home in Newfoundland and her muse, Robert Tilley, her best friend and eternal muse. https://www.tingtingchenart.com/

About Muse - When 74-year-old Robert Tilley agreed to take photographer Ting Ting Chen on a road trip across Newfoundland, neither could have predicted the deep, cross-generational friendship that would blossom between them, nor how Robert’s role in Ting Ting’s art would challenge traditional ideas of the artist-muse relationship. This touchingshort film explores the concepts of aging, memory and identity while demonstrating the power of creative connection. Sadly, Robert passed away in December 2025.
 
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