In this episode, Albert, Christina, and Aranea discuss the beginner's mindset and the value of approaching things with passion and curiosity.

Dispatches from Mt. Caz

Episode 17: Amateur Hour

What does it mean to be an amateur? Albert, Christina, and Aranea discuss how, contrary to popular opinion, an amateur mindset is great and how approaching things with the passion and curiosity of a beginner can lead to wonderful things.NOTES:Beginner's MindEtymology of AmateurLynda BarryThe full 'Jack of All Trades' idiomHOSTS:Albert Kong, Christina Tran, Aranea PushMUSIC:"Global Tech" from Purple Planet Music

This week, an experiment: an audio essay for whenever you may be feeling adrift in your creative process.

Get Back in the River

This week, an experiment: an audio essay from Christina for you whenever you may be feeling adrift in your creative process.FOOTNOTESThis audio essay is adapted from the essay “Get Back in the River” by Christina Tran, as part of her Dear Beloved projectOngoingness by Sarah MangusoMagic Lessons podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert and guest (playwright and actor) Sarah JonesMaking Your Life As An Artist book + workbookSpecial thanks to the folks who lent their voices to this week's experiment:Alisha 王 SavsonAlbert KongChris DurninGiulio Leon FloresKate StevensKendra SimsMUSIC CREDITS"Thought Bubble" by Lee Rosevere"Cloudloop" by Lee Rosevere"Plasticity" by blue dot sessions"Systematic" by Lee Rosevere"Fading Liftoff" by Brian PoucherPRODUCED AND EDITED BYChristina Tran

In this episode, Christina, Aranea, and artist-in-residence Lulu look for *any*thing to help us when we are feeling adrift in our creative process.

Episode 16: Artists Adrift

In this episode, Christina, Aranea, and artist-in-residence Lulu look for anything to help us when we are feeling adrift in our creative process. HOSTSAranea Push, Christina Tran, and Lulu Cheng NOTES"Hey everyone! Did you know that Aranea has a Patreon?? Please go and support her there!" ;)"We’ve discussed this before (in episode 7): Sharing is an inherent part of creating something…it’s about having a conversation with someone else and making a connection."Jenny Odell's How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy (or her EYEO talk that initially inspired the book)Follow Lulu on twitter "because of that product management article she wrote a few years ago" (lol)No seriously, subscribe to Lulu's newsletter.Read about the stranger quotient in The Art of Gathering by Priya ParkerRGB house, where they host events like Reading in Robes, Poetry Nap, and Everyone Stands UpChristina's essay about the Neofuturists, and how the format belongs to everyone. (Kurt Chiang's "onion article headline" after Too Much Light ended.) (Some neofuturist plays by Amy Langer.) (Go see a show if you're in NY, SF, or Chicago!) MUSICDispatches by Kaori Sato EDITED BYChristina Tran 

We're on break for the month of December. See you next year!

Happy Holidays - We're on Break!

We're taking a biannual break during December to recharge. We'll be back in January with new episodes! In the meantime check out our  Dispatches Field Guide for episodes that explore what Mt Caz is all about as well as some of our favorites!Happy Holidays!MUSICOpen Road by Purple Planet MusicEdited by:Aranea Push

In this episode, four non-masters question the conundrum of power, equity, and education through stores over tea.

Episode 15: Question-driven and Learner-Directed

In this episode, four non-masters question the conundrum of power, equity, and education through stores over tea.We share stories of our best learner selves, our worst teaching failures, and what draws us to learning and teaching (inside and outside traditional institutions of education). HOSTSAlisha Savson, Aranea Push, Christina Tran, and Jen Hernandez NOTESMaria Popova’s Brainpickings, an "archive of her becoming"Paolo Freire's "banking" concept of education, from Pedagogy of the OppressedThe Great British Bake Off learning modelCollege Hill in Corvallis, OREditors' note: Couldn't find a good link about interdisciplinary studies, but it made me think of Evergreen College in Olympia, WA where you create your own majorBrightworks in San Francisco, CAUnschoolingEmpty House Art Lab DIY artist retreatFreedom SchoolsPopular Education (aka participatory education) MUSICDispatches by Kaori Sato Edited by:Christina Tran

In this episode, Christina talks with resident artists Donna and Kaori about the process and challenges of making art for healing trauma.

Episode 14: Art for Healing

In this episode, Christina, Donna, and Kaori talk about making art for healing purposes. How does art help process trauma? How do you deal with twists and turns in the healing journey? What are the risks or fears in sharing our art when we're using our artistic practice to process trauma? What does all this have to do with poop?Alt episode title: I SHALL BE GENTLE! Hosts:Donna Chan, Kaori Sato, Christina Tran Notes:Solo Performance Workshop (Martha Rydberg)Donna's performancesKaori's Instagram Music:"Fading Liftoff" by Brian Poucher Edited by:Christina Tran

In this episode, Albert, Christina and Aranea discuss abundance and how practicing and attitude of plenty is necessary for creating community.

Episode 13: Plenitude and Abundance

In this episode, Albert, Christina and Aranea discuss the idea of abundance. We talk about specific examples that opened our eyes to the comfort that comes when we live with enough. We also discuss the difficulties that arise as practicing abundance requires us to be vulnerable and interdependent. Also, Aranea never learns how to say plenitude...Hosts:Albert Kong, Christina Tran, Aranea PushNotes:USDAC's Guide to Honoring Native LandChristina's Billfold article: Tracking Abundance in Our Grocery BudgetLewis Hyde's The GiftDavid Graeber's many booksMusic:"Greel Praree" by Nathan Nolte as sQriEdited by:Aranea Push

In this episode Aranea, Albert and Christina do a debrief of the Public Domain Variety Show, a recent event hosted at Mt. Caz. They share lessons they've learned about grassroots and amateur event production.

Episode 12: Grassroots Event Production - An Open Debrief

Conversations from a creative community. We are a rotating cast of hosts from Mt. Caz: a community of regular folks in central Oregon who are artists, musicians, designers, activists, and more. Each episode is a free-roaming conversation on a theme, with the common understanding that when we share our resources and collaborate, we create an atmosphere that generates beautiful things.

hubhopper

Dispatches from Mt. Caz

hubhopper