Episode 67
From Nosey to Necessary: The Impact of Evanston Made
Welcome to episode 67:
From nosey to necessary: The Impact of Evantson Made with Lisa Degliantoni
"I started this work at 40, which just goes to show that it’s never too late to begin something new and impactful" - Lisa Degliantoni
Summary of the episode
Today's conversation centers on the vital role of community arts education and advocacy, delivered with profound insights from Lisa Degliantoni, a dedicated advocate for artists in her community. As the founder and co-director of Evanston Made, Lisa embodies a commitment to fostering visibility and support for artists, emphasizing the necessity of kindness and engagement in a world that often feels overwhelming. Throughout our conversation, we explore how Lisa's journey into arts advocacy began later in life, reminiscent of notable figures who found their calling beyond traditional timelines. She elucidates the importance of creating community among artists, highlighting that the isolation often experienced can be alleviated through collective support and shared experiences. This episode serves not only as a reminder of the power of community but also as an invitation to engage actively in fostering the arts within our own neighborhoods.
Topics Discussed:
- local initiatives can foster support and visibility for artists.
- Lisa’s journey into arts advocacy demonstrates that significant career transitions can occur later in life, inspiring individuals to pursue their passions.
- How Evanston Made serves as a model for community-driven arts organizations, focusing on the needs and aspirations of local artists.
Meet Lisa -
Lisa is a community advocate for artists and makers and is a passionate Community Arts Builder in Evanston. Working as the founder and co-director of the nonprofit arts organization, Evanston Made, Lisa’s enthusiasm for community art building drives the organization's mission-based programs and events that bring visibility and opportunity to the artists in the community.
Chapters:
- 00:08 - Introduction to Community Arts and Kindness
- 03:40 - The Heart of Community Engagement in Evanston
- 19:10 - Creating Community Through Art Advocacy
- 31:24 - Navigating Community and Self-Awareness
- 43:23 - Community Engagement and Cultural Renaissance
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Seriously Baddass Women Interview with Lisa Degliantoni
- Evanston Made
- Lefty’s Bagels
- Mensch’s Deli
- Terrain Biennial
- Zentli on Dempster
Connect with Lisa
Lisa’s Instagram: @thelisadshow
https://www.lisadegliantoni.com/
Connect with Stephanie
Instagram: @stephaniegraham
Email: stephanie@missgraham.com
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Transcript
Hey, friends.
Speaker A:Welcome.
Speaker A:And welcome back to Nosy AF conversations about art, activism and social change.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:Let's take a deep breath.
Speaker A:It's wild out here.
Speaker A:Lisa Dellentoni is exactly the person to deliver this message as a dedicated community advocate for art makers.
Speaker A:She is the founder and co director of Evanston Made, a non profit arts organization that brings visibility, support and opportunities to artists in her community.
Speaker A:What a treat.
Speaker A:Thank you, Lisa.
Speaker A:Lisa's passion for community and arts building is at the heart of everything she does.
Speaker A:And I really can't wait for you to hear what she has to say.
Speaker A:And also, Lisa, like started all of this at the age of 40, which I think is really great.
Speaker A:You know, like Julia Child, Vera Wang, Kirstie Alley kind of a thing.
Speaker A:I think it's dope.
Speaker A:So I'm really happy for you to meet Lisa today.
Speaker A:But first theme song.
Speaker A:Gotta get up, get up to the whole world.
Speaker A:You a winner, winner Vision of a star with a mission in the cause what you doing, how you doing, what you're doing and who you are Flex yourself and press yourself Check yourself don't wreck yourself if you know me then you know that I be knowing what's up.
Speaker A:Hey, Stephanie.
Speaker A:Graham is nosy as so Lisa, welcome to Nosy af.
Speaker B:Thank you for having me.
Speaker B:I am also Nosy af, so I feel right at home.
Speaker B:Stephanie.
Speaker A:That is awesome.
Speaker A:Yeah, it really.
Speaker A:It's important to be nosy, right?
Speaker B:I mean, some people are like, clean it up and use the word curious.
Speaker B:But I am one of the nosiest people I've ever met in my life.
Speaker B:And people are like, how did you know that about him?
Speaker B:I'm like, because I'm nosy and I ask all the questions all the time, regardless of who's in front of me.
Speaker A:I started to get to the point where there was like a fire truck up the street and I was like walking, like, what happened?
Speaker A:You know, like running out there.
Speaker A:Like, I'm really starting to take it to my neighborhood with my nosiness on the block.
Speaker B:We used to have a mailbox outside of my building and it got broken into like 25 times and the post office took it to fix it.
Speaker B:But every neighbor every day is like, where's the mailbox, Lisa?
Speaker B:So I was like, I don't I don't.
Speaker B:I guess I have to, on behalf of my neighborhood, start the investigation process.
Speaker B:So I'm like, in touch with Jan Chakowski.
Speaker B:I have a ticket out.
Speaker B:I'm talking to the US Government.
Speaker B:I'm like.
Speaker B:But I do think that nosiness that is matched with action is what's key.
Speaker B:Because plenty of people are nosy and they just get the info and then they just plant it right there and it's just nosy content of layers with no action attached.
Speaker B:But I'm like, nosy and productive.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:That's really good.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker A:It's true.
Speaker A:I think I'm this way as well.
Speaker B:I imagine you are, given that you have this podcast platform.
Speaker B:Like, Right.
Speaker B:You're nosy, but you're also recording, sharing, and then disseminating new information that you gather.
Speaker A:I really love Evanston Made because.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:You know, as we were, as we were talking before we started recording, I'm on with.
Speaker A:I'm with Terrain exhibitions, which is a DIY grassroots bringing art to front porches, lawns, storefronts, anywhere, basically.
Speaker A:And I just want to, you know, as a part of an artist.
Speaker A:I know you're an artist yourself that has created this space.
Speaker B:No, I'm not an artist.
Speaker B:Nope.
Speaker B:I do not make things.
Speaker B:Girl.
Speaker B:I hate making.
Speaker B:No, I hate creating, making things happen for artists because I'm very impatient and a lot of people are artistry.
Speaker B:But no, I'm a former news producer, magazine producer that has just chosen to help artists.
Speaker B:But I don't make anything.
Speaker B:I've made a pillow in a pot.
Speaker B:I see.
Speaker A:I don't know where in my research I pulled that from, because I knew you had the news, the producing career.
Speaker B:And I curated a gallery space for a long time.
Speaker B:So I did.
Speaker B:I ran a gallery.
Speaker B:But I.
Speaker B:No, I don't.
Speaker B:I don't make things.
Speaker B:I really have general disdain and impatience when it comes to making.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Why do.
Speaker A:Why help artists?
Speaker B:I know, right?
Speaker B:So I ran at the intersection of turning 40.
Speaker B:I was doing some self evaluation of career versus vocation.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, am I just gonna.
Speaker B:Because I'm by nature, I'm a hyperactive, extrovert workaholic.
Speaker B:I just like to be in work environments.
Speaker B:I like to execute.
Speaker B:I like deadlines, I like producing things.
Speaker B:So I, you know, I knew I could do that for the rest of my life.
Speaker B:But I wanted to either be like Oprah or Anna Wintour or not do it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I love like these women who are just like, I'm gonna defy all gender Roles at the workplace and just do me.
Speaker B:And by 40, in evaluating, like where I was using my talents and who I was giving my energy to and was I just going to get paycheck or was I chasing fame?
Speaker B:I did a sort of re evaluation and decided that I was going to pursue a vocation where I took my energy and my talents and I gave them to a group of people or a cause.
Speaker B:And when I looked at the landscape of who I would help animals, I'm not that into animals, the environment, I already can do my part.
Speaker B:But like, I needed actionable things that in front of my face that I could really affect change.
Speaker B:And I was like, well, artists need so much help.
Speaker B:I'm married to an artist.
Speaker B:I know that from concept to creation is this journey that is wrought with difficulty.
Speaker B:And then from creation to marketing to is like this whole different animal.
Speaker B:And maybe I could just help them go from creation to taking things to market.
Speaker B:Maybe I could fill that gap with all of this energy and all of this producer skill set.
Speaker B:And so I started just dabbling in like what it would look like to pursue a vocation, supporting artist in my community.
Speaker B:And I do think at 40, I was very much like I was going to be a global citizen.
Speaker B:I was going to, you know, just be in Milan on the weekends and have a magazine in China.
Speaker B:Like, I was just going.
Speaker B:The whole world was mine.
Speaker B:And the older I got, I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, sister, you can help.
Speaker B:You can get to know your neighbors, find out what they make and buy it like they're.
Speaker B:The world is really teeny tiny.
Speaker B:You just need to get super, super small.
Speaker B:And to the, you know, to the annoyance of most of the people in my world, I am like, I am the definition of hyperlocal.
Speaker B:I am, I disdain going beyond my city borders because I challenged myself to make a living, make a life within my.
Speaker B:Like, if I couldn't find a community that could sustain me in every way, then I had to go to a different community and find it.
Speaker B:And, and I, I have basically forced Evanston to be my everything.
Speaker B:And I've made it.
Speaker B:Evanston might be a blender and I've made it act like a toaster.
Speaker B:I've made Evans.
Speaker B:I've leaned on Evanston to be my absolutely everything.
Speaker B:And that includes my vocation.
Speaker B:And that vocation.
Speaker B:Then like many people who pursue a vocation with laser focused insanity workaholic energy, it has become, it has become everything.
Speaker B:Because now word on the street is if you are an artist, the Resource that you need in your community is Evanston made, period.
Speaker B:Our brand is like, call these people, they will help you.
Speaker A:Evanston's a really great area too.
Speaker A:It's very pretty.
Speaker A:It's very.
Speaker A:It feels so Lassie town too.
Speaker A:Like, because like, you know, like the neighborhood.
Speaker A:You're like, hi, neighbor.
Speaker A:I was sad.
Speaker A:I heard there's a Blaze Pizza that closed there which is not cool.
Speaker B:I know people are very angry that placed up.
Speaker B:People are very angry that those two establishments.
Speaker B:But there are places that have opened up like Zently on Dempster which is bananas Mexican food by Piloto, the artist that is like, if you don't eat there every day, I think there's something wrong with you.
Speaker B:Mensch's deli that just opened up a traditional Jewish deli with a pastrami sandwich that's like out of this world.
Speaker B:Like, we have closures, but there are openings in our food department that seem to just keep happening.
Speaker B:We keep getting like amazing lefties bagels.
Speaker B:Like these people who are super passionate about their food.
Speaker B:Jam do find this.
Speaker B:And Flat Chop was a chain and Blaze was a chain.
Speaker B:But we've got some independently owned restaurant things that are happening.
Speaker B:But still Blaze was like, that was the 5.99 Savior.
Speaker B:I loved Blaze Pizza.
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:I love them too.
Speaker A:Because everybody can always find something.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:When I heard that.
Speaker A:So sorry.
Speaker B:You're right.
Speaker B:Evanston, Evanston is this magic little.
Speaker B:And I've lived in, you know, I'm Gypsy Rose.
Speaker B:My bag is always packed, one foot out the door.
Speaker B:I'm always leaving somewhere.
Speaker B:I've lived in nine states in North America.
Speaker B:I love shiny keys.
Speaker B:I love new.
Speaker B:I have been here in Edmonton for 12 years longer than I've been anywhere since my parents house in the Bay Area.
Speaker B:So I'm like, this girl's been around.
Speaker B:And Evanston is very different than any other community I've lived in and communities that are like in my top three.
Speaker B:Like Brooklyn, obviously.
Speaker B:Brooklyn is the greatest place that's ever been invented in North America.
Speaker B:I love Brooklyn, but Evanston is this mishmash of sort of a petri dish of all the things that the rest of America is, but without extremes.
Speaker B:I mean, we have rich people, but we don't have like crazy like, you know, I think we have a billionaire when we have poor people.
Speaker B:But we don't have like our highs and our lows are pretty manageable.
Speaker B:But we have every single problem that any other community has.
Speaker B:But we have citizens who care AF about every problem we have.
Speaker B:There's no, like, disdain for what?
Speaker B:X.
Speaker B:Any problem we have, there's, like, 27 people who are crazy passionate about it.
Speaker B:And there's a lot of communities that are like, yeah, we got to.
Speaker B:We don't.
Speaker B:We don't do bikes well.
Speaker B:And who gives a crap?
Speaker B:We don't do bikes well.
Speaker B:In Evanston, there's 27 people that are like, bikes, bikes.
Speaker B:Like, we have a very engaged, caring community about so many issues.
Speaker B:And that's the part that I think really sets Evanston apart.
Speaker B:It's beautiful.
Speaker B:And there's a bunch of people who care about the beauty.
Speaker B:We have trees that are, you know, falling in the parkways, and we've got the, you know, tree advocates.
Speaker B:We have gun violence.
Speaker B:And we've got the people who are like, I'm gonna get out and pray and go to city hall and talk about guns.
Speaker B:I mean, like, people care here.
Speaker B:People are engaged in their community in Evanston in a way that lots of other places I have lived.
Speaker B:People been like, so what?
Speaker B:I don't care.
Speaker B:I'm gonna make my paycheck and then go to Walmart and go to bed.
Speaker B:This.
Speaker B:This place cares.
Speaker A:I wonder how so many caring people are gravitated towards to one spot, right?
Speaker B:Like, how many.
Speaker B:Why are there so many artists here?
Speaker B:There's something like the city did 150th anniversary audit.
Speaker B:Something like 11,000 people qualify as artists.
Speaker B:Whether it's landscape architects, painters, whatever, there's something that really pulls people.
Speaker B:I mean, I think the Midwest attracts, like, a very authentic, genuine person.
Speaker B:In general, less coastal.
Speaker B:Rah, rah, rah.
Speaker B:Look how great I am.
Speaker B:But also, like, there's a.
Speaker B:I think people who care and are engaged really gravitate toward one another.
Speaker B:Causes connect people in a huge way.
Speaker B:And I think that our little cause bat signal goes out and people are like, oh, yeah, maybe because we get a lot of new blood.
Speaker B:There's a ton of new people who move to Evanston all the time.
Speaker B:It's not like, places I hear, like Minneapolis, like, it's the same four generations of family.
Speaker B:And if you're new blood, they're like, go.
Speaker B:Evanston's, like, because of Northwestern, because of, I think, Chicago.
Speaker B:We get a ton of new blood, but we get people who want to plug in and be engaged citizens.
Speaker B:Because I think our bat signal of here are issues that we care about, and here are groups of people that you can connect with so that you also can pursue this vocation or this passion.
Speaker B:I think it.
Speaker B:It is a bat signal that goes out that brings People from afar.
Speaker A:How long has Evison made been around?
Speaker B: years ago, in June of: Speaker B:I was new to the Evanston Arts Council as just a private citizen volunteer who joined six other people to allocate $11,000 of grants to go out to artists in Evanston.
Speaker B:And I had moved here from.
Speaker B:You know, the 10th place I had lived in was El Paso, Texas, where we had a really substantial art studio tour in El Paso, the town with a dollar that invests more money in the arts than any other town I've ever lived in in America.
Speaker B:I know that sounds crazy, but we had this great art studio tour where you got a little map.
Speaker B:And when I moved here, I was like, oh, it's Evanston.
Speaker B:There's allegedly so many artists here.
Speaker B:When at Arts Council, I'm like, when is the studio tour?
Speaker B:And they're like, oh, yeah, no, that doesn't happen.
Speaker B:I'm like, wait, what?
Speaker B:There's all these artists.
Speaker B:What do you mean it doesn't happen?
Speaker B:Oh, it's way too much work, and it's just so hard to do.
Speaker B:And I'm like, no, it's like a map on a piece of paper, and you draw the dots and you're like, what?
Speaker B:And they're like, no, we don't do programming.
Speaker B:And that's just.
Speaker B:And I was like, that's just silly information coming out of your mouth.
Speaker B:It's like, if you don't do the arts walk, who does?
Speaker B:Like that?
Speaker B:Oh, right.
Speaker B:This girl.
Speaker B:So I.
Speaker B:My friend had a gallery named Heavenston Gallery.
Speaker B:Steven Bialer.
Speaker B:He was, like, a retired graphic designer.
Speaker B:And I'm like, knock, knock, knock.
Speaker B:Hey, Steven, I want to do this, like, studio tour, and I need to, like, make a map.
Speaker B:Is there any chance you could.
Speaker B:He's like, sure.
Speaker B:Designs a map, 45 locations.
Speaker B:We just do one simple studio tour.
Speaker B:That was it.
Speaker B:45 art studios and just handed out maps around town, hung them in windows, and just invited the community to just go explore art studios.
Speaker B:That was it.
Speaker B:That was.
Speaker B:It was free.
Speaker B:It was free to participate, free to be in it.
Speaker B:We did everything.
Speaker B:You know, me and Steven paid the printing bill and created the maps.
Speaker B:And then that was just like, that was it.
Speaker B:Because, like, as soon as artists were like, wait, someone's gonna help us?
Speaker B:Hold on.
Speaker B:There's helpers.
Speaker B:They were like, okay, that was really fun.
Speaker B:Thank you so much.
Speaker B:Next year.
Speaker B:Could we.
Speaker B:Could we do that again next year?
Speaker B:And could we also have, like, an exhibit so people could see the art before, pick which artist they like, and then build their studio tour on that.
Speaker B:We were like, sure.
Speaker B:And then the next year, you know, so it's just like every year, the artist and it's.
Speaker B:And this is an artist centered artist.
Speaker B:It's not artist run, but it's artist centered.
Speaker B:So whatever they came to the table with in terms of what they needed as a body of people, we were like, oh, well, we'll design a program that meets your needs.
Speaker B:And they were like, I think it'd be easier for the general public to like, see our art in person and then plan our studio tour.
Speaker B:We're like, oh, okay.
Speaker B:So every so for the last 10 years, it's just in this growing body of people, artists who've advocated for themselves, but then they've been able to take their needs to a group of volunteers, myself, Liz Kramer, Jackie Eddy, Kathy Helper, this like, huge group of people who've come together and said, we are in service of you.
Speaker B:Tell us what you need to level up your practice, your personal career, your visibility, all of it when it comes to art.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:This being so responsive to artists needs, I think, is also a different way to operate when it comes to supporting artists.
Speaker B:I think there's a lot of programs out there that are like, this is what you need.
Speaker B:You need.
Speaker B:You need X and you need this kind of frame and you need this kind of art dealer.
Speaker B:And we were like, just tell us what you need.
Speaker B:You've been doing this.
Speaker B:You're the experts in your own Field.
Speaker B:And 10 out of 10 times, and this has been the biggest shocking reveal is that artists need community.
Speaker B:It's a very lonely, isolating support.
Speaker B:You're in your studio, you're editing your podcast.
Speaker B:You're like, is anybody out there?
Speaker B:So they need community.
Speaker B:And some of that community is art patrons.
Speaker B:Some of that community is just neighbors to wave at and be like, you're alive.
Speaker B:We see you.
Speaker B:You've been in your studio for 20 hours.
Speaker B:And the other part of it is friends.
Speaker B:Because those art friends, maybe they have materials they need to let go of.
Speaker B:Maybe they have a certain practice technique that they've picked up.
Speaker B:So, like, it's this.
Speaker B:What has been the biggest interesting reveal is that Evanston Maid has just created Community A for a really typically disparate group of people who don't have a platform.
Speaker B:Dancers have a stage, bands have a fan base where they come, people come sing.
Speaker B:There's no, like, you know, artists are isolated and alone in a studio.
Speaker B:There's no platform.
Speaker B:That's like, let's come See all of them together.
Speaker B:You gotta like develop the platform.
Speaker B:And this is what we've done.
Speaker B:We've just created this platform for them to have community.
Speaker B:And I do think that is really, you know, 99% of the reason of this success is there.
Speaker B:Just we met a need that just was not even existing in this community.
Speaker B:This is not new.
Speaker B:It happens in many places, but in Evanston it certainly wasn't happening.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And you keep showing up and helping.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Which is.
Speaker B:Yeah, because a lot of people get tired.
Speaker B:I could just stop.
Speaker B:I could just go to the beach and stop.
Speaker B:I mean like.
Speaker B:Yeah, because it's really rewarding work because it's actionable, it's results driven.
Speaker B:It's not like ethereal.
Speaker B:And we're going to wait 27 years and see what happens.
Speaker B:I mean, we are change, we're trying to change the culture.
Speaker B:The cultural shift of it with the private citizens is longer term work.
Speaker B:Community building in any capacity is like you got to wait 10 years.
Speaker B:But the work that we do for and in service of the artist is really actionable.
Speaker B:Quick.
Speaker B:I need to learn how to photograph my work and I just, I can't afford a professional photographer.
Speaker B:Can you help me build an at home studio?
Speaker B:Like it's, it's all solvable problems that on their own, an artist just maybe wouldn't have the resources and the listserv of 400 people to reach out to.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:As you talk, I think of like, how could this be replicated?
Speaker A:And I think of like as you start small, like just start small.
Speaker B:Yeah, we get a lot of phone calls like Kankakee.
Speaker B:I got a friend who lives there.
Speaker B:She's like, could you come and create Kankakee Made?
Speaker B:And I'm like, no, but you can.
Speaker B:Like, you can do Skokie Maid.
Speaker B:I mean, like, and part of me is like, we should make a cute little franchise booklet of like how to grow an arts centered advocacy organization in your community.
Speaker B:Because as we, I mean, I also think there's this cultural shift that started what, I don't know how many years ago, the handmade shift where people care to know the maker ethically.
Speaker B:They want to follow and be conscious consumers and they want to move away from fast fashion and they're willing to pay the higher price.
Speaker B:Like there is this general draw towards really knowing the maker.
Speaker B:It's so much more interesting and sexy and fun and just makes you feel better.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And so I'm like, what's right in front of our face that we're not capitalizing on in this community, we have thousands of makers.
Speaker B:We've got a guy named Sam Goldbridge that creates knives that are works of art, but also like cut.
Speaker B:They could cut through a cell phone in like two seconds.
Speaker B:Like this.
Speaker B:Incredibly.
Speaker B:And every.
Speaker B:And then there's some guy who like makes guitars and the most incredible guitars and there.
Speaker B:But it's, you know, it's really quiet.
Speaker B:It's the Midwest.
Speaker B:People are very humble here.
Speaker B:There's not a lot of like, braggarts that are, you know, come see me and I'm so great.
Speaker B:So it's just like this could be replicated in so many communities because there's so many communities full of really, really talented people.
Speaker B:The missing link is just the sort of the loudmouth promoter pack of volunteers who, you know, want to make that happen.
Speaker B:But yeah, we could make a little cute booklet on like just how to do this everywhere.
Speaker B:That'd be so fun.
Speaker B:I'll add that to my list of things to do.
Speaker A:Yeah, right.
Speaker A:I know Terrain.
Speaker A:Terrain would be like that as well.
Speaker B:Like, oh my God, terrain is so awesome.
Speaker A:We want other people to say, like, you can have terrain, Skokie.
Speaker A:You know, you don't have to have, like, you don't have to wait for us to do anything.
Speaker A:You can do it right now.
Speaker B:Yeah, terrain is.
Speaker B:And that's the other thing too.
Speaker B:Like, I feel like our missions are so similar because one of the things about Evanston Made is we just want art to be everywhere.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:We don't want people to.
Speaker B:We want no barriers.
Speaker B:It shouldn't be on white walls behind the, you know, skinny person at the desk and making you feel like you don't have the language.
Speaker B:Like, art should just be just like murals.
Speaker B:It should be everywhere so that your life is just more beautiful and you get breaks to think about something other than just the crap that you're going through.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And what I love about Terrain is the whole front yard art phenomenon and like, really smart, interesting, amazing month long art installations that are just everywhere.
Speaker B:And, and it's just like Evanston Made.
Speaker B:People are like, what is that?
Speaker B:Why is that in my friend's yard?
Speaker B:What's happening?
Speaker B:And it just stops people, it forces them to engage.
Speaker B:The engagement methods are like, from the QR code to the website, I just, I think it's so pure and beautiful.
Speaker B:But again, it's like, how do you, how do you grow that?
Speaker B:How do you keep that going?
Speaker B:How do you get the enthusiasm?
Speaker B:And it's biannual, right?
Speaker B: So it's: Speaker A:How do you that keep from burning out.
Speaker A:Like, it seems like you have like a lot of energy to be a great advocate to share.
Speaker B:Um, how do I not burn out?
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things that really keeps me going just as a human in general.
Speaker B:It's like why I like cooking so much, why I like talking to people.
Speaker B:I really like results.
Speaker B:If I was doing work where I felt like, man, I mean of course there's goals and KPIs that we've set for Evanston made that are just like keep us striving.
Speaker B:Like, I really wish every single citizen in this town had one piece of art in their house and then there was a database and that I could thank them all in person.
Speaker B:Like we have these like really insanely ridiculous goals.
Speaker B:But what keeps me going is like the manageable day to day.
Speaker B:There's just really simple wins every single day with this kind of advocacy work that we do.
Speaker B:And it's, it allows us to have these low hanging fruit wins that keep us going while we're trying to make massive cultural change in our community.
Speaker B:So it's the like, I need a studio because mine burned down.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Here's one.
Speaker B:Like we, we have a simple low barrier.
Speaker B:I actually need to find a new place to do my framing because my old frame shop closed down.
Speaker B:Cool, here's one right here.
Speaker B:So we're, we are all, we operate like 20% of our deliverables every day are just super simple resource plugins.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:And we, we do that at such high volume that there's like, that's just this undercurrent of like wins.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:We're helping these people out.
Speaker B:We're making things happen for so many artists in our community.
Speaker B:So that the 80% of like really hard work that's like, oh, we gotta write this grant.
Speaker B:It'd be great if we got a building cheese.
Speaker B:It'd be great if we had a budget.
Speaker B:Like all of that big stuff.
Speaker B:It, that undercurrent keeps all that work flowing.
Speaker B:And I think the other thing too is the people who we work with, specifically Jackie, who's one of our strongest volunteers, and Liz Kramer, who's my co director, is.
Speaker B:They're really, you've got to work with visionary people who can see well beyond.
Speaker B:Like they can, they can jam on the day to day, but they can see five years down the road.
Speaker B:And that I think is really crucial to alleviate the burnout factor because you get burned out when stuff is just not moving.
Speaker B:When you just don't get results.
Speaker B:You're Burned out when it's like, man, I'm working so hard.
Speaker B:And, like, no one is coming to these events.
Speaker B:And we're very nimble.
Speaker B:We'll cancel stuff, we'll redesign things.
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:We are married to nothing.
Speaker B:We're like, if this is not working for the artist, there's no Lisa D's ego.
Speaker B:But I invented that.
Speaker B:No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Speaker B:If the artists are not getting served pull chalks, we're going to redesign.
Speaker B:We're going to do something else.
Speaker B:So we're also.
Speaker B:We are not married and burdened to the structure.
Speaker B:And I think that's another thing that burns people out, is they're like, yeah, I'm just doing the same old stuff.
Speaker B:Like, we redesign, we reboot, we rethink, we regroup.
Speaker B:We're very nimble and innovative.
Speaker B:And I do think that's also.
Speaker B:That is very inspiring to work in that kind of environment.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm learning, even for myself, to be more experimental in the process and not have to commit to stuff.
Speaker A:Like, it's okay to cancel, it's okay to change.
Speaker A:It's okay to come back to all of those things.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And just to be totally open.
Speaker B:And if you're open, open, then you're going to see, like, oh, yeah, somebody else gave themselves permission to try it that way.
Speaker B:Someone else gave themselves permission to just not be on Instagram for a week.
Speaker B:Like, there.
Speaker B:There's all of these opportunities to just, like, pause.
Speaker B:And the better, you know, that's the other.
Speaker B:Aha.
Speaker B:Epiphany.
Speaker B:The more I've always thought, like, oh, it's just gotta be about, like, helping, helping, helping these artists.
Speaker B:And it's like, the better I am at me being whole and me being awesome, the better service I am going to be to artists, my community, my spouse, my children, my dad.
Speaker B:Like, all of my interpersonals.
Speaker B:Like, and.
Speaker B:And that is the other thing that keeps me very invigorated in this work is that I'm also simultaneously doing a ton of personal work.
Speaker B:Like, okay, get my house together so that I can be an awesome podcast guest and say, yes and be open.
Speaker B:I just called myself an awesome podcast guest.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:Yeah, you did.
Speaker A:And you are.
Speaker A:You go, girl.
Speaker A:You had a podcast.
Speaker B:I had a podcast for forever.
Speaker B:I had a talk radio show in El Paso, Texas.
Speaker A:Talk radio.
Speaker B:Live calls from humans.
Speaker B:And then I thought, when I moved to Chicago, oh, my God, WBZ would be like, here's a show.
Speaker B:Lisa D.
Speaker B:And of course, like, that didn't happen.
Speaker B:So I did a podcast where I did 20 minute unedited conversations with people for like five years.
Speaker B:And I just, I love, as you can tell, I love talking to people.
Speaker B:I love talking.
Speaker B:I love human connection.
Speaker B:And I just, I love radio.
Speaker B:I love podcasts.
Speaker B:I just think it's an art form.
Speaker B:That is my.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's my favorite.
Speaker A:Are you gonna bring it back?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:I've thought about doing like.
Speaker B:Okay, so I've thought about doing really content based series.
Speaker B:Like, like my board president, our board president and my dear friend Denise Barreto.
Speaker B:We, during the pandemic were doing a lot of like IG live, the two of us together, talking about whatever.
Speaker B:So I have this vision that we would be like ebony and ivory, black lady, white lady, like kind of like advice radio show.
Speaker B:I think that would be really, really fun.
Speaker B:Cause we have a very different perspective.
Speaker B:We're like the same person, but we're not.
Speaker B:So I've thought about that and then I've thought about like, it would just be really fun to do live radio again.
Speaker B:But I don't know that I don't.
Speaker B:I'm not gonna pursue it.
Speaker B:Like, if somebody invited me to do it, I would do it, but I'm not.
Speaker B:Yeah, I'm not chasing it the way that I was chasing it before.
Speaker B:No more chasing.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, I understand that.
Speaker A:There was a.
Speaker A:Do you know the website Appsumo?
Speaker A:It basically it just always tells you about different web tools that are on sale.
Speaker A:So it can say like, Riverside paid $30 and you have it for a lifetime, like, things like that.
Speaker A:And they just had one for folks who wanna start their own radio show.
Speaker A:And I was like, oh, that looks fun.
Speaker B:Oh my God, that'd be so fun.
Speaker A:And there was a, there was a website.
Speaker A:They stopped doing it or.
Speaker A:No, it wasn't a website, I'm sorry.
Speaker A:It was a radio show.
Speaker A:Artists helping artists.
Speaker A:And I love these ladies so much.
Speaker A:Yes, they were on the east coast, they were always traveling.
Speaker A:They lived fabulous lives.
Speaker A:And they would just giggle.
Speaker A:And they stopped talking about plenty.
Speaker A:Or.
Speaker A:Yes, they stopped.
Speaker A:I don't know, they didn't really have like a goodbye.
Speaker A:They just stopped.
Speaker A:But I love listening to them.
Speaker A:People would get mad at them because they were traveling and they seemed like they might be like wealthy.
Speaker A:But I loved hearing them talk about that stuff like, I'm not taking.
Speaker A:I'm not going to see my son play volleyball in Venezuela.
Speaker B:But you're not.
Speaker B:And I want to hear about the.
Speaker A:Lady at the cafe that gave you an attitude like, I love those stories, you know, and it actually.
Speaker A:And it Even comes back to in that.
Speaker A:This interview.
Speaker A:And I'll put it in the show notes, the seriously bad women interview you did.
Speaker B:Oh, my God, that now.
Speaker B:But quick caveat.
Speaker B:I thought she said, answer all these questions and we'll edit them, but I think what she said was like, answer, like five questions.
Speaker B:So I just answered all the questions, and that was like, way too.
Speaker B:That was tmi.
Speaker B:That was tmi.
Speaker A:I liked it.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Well, in there, she asked this question, what do you know for sure?
Speaker A:And you said, talking to one another, sharing stories and personal truths is the solution to end all conflict and solve all problems.
Speaker A:It sounds so trite, but getting to know your neighbor block by block is how we survive and excel at community building and quality of life.
Speaker A:And this is something Lisa, I also very much agree with.
Speaker A:That's why I loved hearing those ladies, like, don't call those ladies, like, privileged and rude because they're teaching you about running your art business while they're out of the country.
Speaker A:You know?
Speaker A:But my question with that is, with that thought, how do you think about it in the world of true crime?
Speaker A:Because I want to be a good community member, but I'm not.
Speaker A:I also get scared sometimes with certain people because sometimes I could be too nice, and then now they're really nice back to me, and then I'm not trying to get hurt.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, that's true.
Speaker B:Well, and.
Speaker B:Well, that's two questions.
Speaker B:How do you move through the world without being a victim?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:What, what methods do you put up in place to be like, from self defense class to just like, reading the room?
Speaker B:So how can you be awake in a planet where.
Speaker B:And you don't want to operate from a.
Speaker B:Like, I'm so scared and everyone's coming after me.
Speaker B:But, like, you need to have your wits about you, not be a bird brain.
Speaker B:Some people are perfect victims.
Speaker B:Perfect.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:But then simultaneously, how do you not know your neighbor because.
Speaker B:And then be like, I had no idea he was a serial killer.
Speaker B:You see those interviews with those people?
Speaker B:They're like, we didn't know.
Speaker B:We saw Jamie killing the bunnies in the backyard, but we didn't know.
Speaker B:So, like, it's twofold.
Speaker B:Can you be self aware and awake enough moving through this world that you're learning who humans are, how they operate, who makes eye contact, who doesn't?
Speaker B:Simultaneously, can you get to know your neighbors and be like, okay, let me get, Let me get a read on everybody on this block in this room.
Speaker B:Because at the end of the day when I think Tim Waltz was just saying, like where he was from.
Speaker B:Like, if someone's house was burning, you would never like, get to the door and be like, how do you vote?
Speaker B:How do you love?
Speaker B:How do you pray?
Speaker B:You'd be like, get the cat out, save the people.
Speaker B:Let's go.
Speaker B:Like there's this fake interview process that people go through and it's like, well, no, when it comes to neighbors, you're like, oh my God, I'm locked out.
Speaker B:Do you have a ladder?
Speaker B:I am making cookies and I need.
Speaker B:So like there's this very basic screening and I really think that part, a lot of us on this planet just go through life with blinders on.
Speaker B:So they never learn different personality types, they never learn about themselves.
Speaker B:They never.
Speaker B:There's no authentic get to know yourself and the people around you because you're just whatever.
Speaker B:You're isolated and you're boring and you're not nosy.
Speaker B:Sorry to call un nosy people boring, but I do think that it.
Speaker B:Yeah, in the world of true crime, it does.
Speaker B:It's all about relationship building.
Speaker B:Because you gotta know who is the serial killer on your block.
Speaker B:I mean, you do to protect your.
Speaker B:Like we used to live.
Speaker B:When we first moved to Evanston, my kids were dinky.
Speaker B:They were like, I don't know, 5 and 9.
Speaker B:And we, they were immediately latchkey kids.
Speaker B:Both my husband and I working full time jobs, taking trains hella far.
Speaker B:And I'm like, all right, you two, you're on your own from like 3:27pm until 7.
Speaker B:Like you just, you're either inside or you're on the streets, but you're together.
Speaker B:And we lived next to a HUD building that was 10 floor, 10 floors of like the characters Vietnam vets and the mentally unhoused and former streetwalkers.
Speaker B:It was chaos.
Speaker B:And we were right next door and I was like, this is an opportunity for me to get every person in that building to get to know my babies and to understand that, yeah, I'm the mom.
Speaker B:Number one, I will cut every one of them if they mess with my babies.
Speaker B:But number two, if they see some other white lady taking my babies.
Speaker B:So I was like.
Speaker B:And instead of running right from that chaos, I was like, okay, let's get to know all the people.
Speaker B:So from Ross to Dennis down, we had besties in the building.
Speaker B:My kids knew.
Speaker B:These are so again, I could have taught my children who were dinky to be like, this is who you walk away from on the street.
Speaker B:But I'm like, no, every neighbor is a resource and they're a helper.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And if you build that relationship with them, if something is going wrong, you have help on the street.
Speaker B:And Also, here are 42 million different personalities that you need to start screening as a human.
Speaker B:And hopefully by the time you're big enough, you'll know who to be afraid of and who not to be afraid of.
Speaker B:But, yeah, it's.
Speaker B:It's super.
Speaker B:It's tiny.
Speaker B:But I think that's so funny.
Speaker B:In the world of true crime, do you listen to that podcast with the two girls who unpack the Kilgariff girl and somebody else?
Speaker B:All those crime stories?
Speaker A:I did for a little bit.
Speaker A:I've gotten away from true crime, but it still makes me.
Speaker A:And also I worked on the TV show Chicago PD for many seasons.
Speaker A:And so I think I have this in me that I trying to, like, break free from.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And it's like, I just think about.
Speaker B:That when that narrative is in your head, too.
Speaker B:I mean, also as a woman, also as a woman of color, like, you know, the stats are not in your favor, but I have this very disciplined, some might say myopic and not smart brain situation where I'm like, I'm just not letting that content in.
Speaker B:So, like, football.
Speaker B:Football, for instance.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I'm just.
Speaker B:I am not developing a base of information about a thing.
Speaker B:I'm just not going to.
Speaker B:So I try and.
Speaker B:And because with true crime and being a female, and I don't want to constantly burn down the planet because I'm a girl, but I do a lot.
Speaker B:I'm like, shit is stacked up against me.
Speaker B:But if I give into that narrative of constantly, like, every headline, it's never like, chick walks into a bar and bludgeons people.
Speaker B:It's always dudes.
Speaker B:It's always white dudes, and we are always the victims of every effing crime.
Speaker B:And so if I give into that narrative, my mindset can really get dark.
Speaker B:And I'd spend a lot of time being like, focus on happy, Focus on the positive.
Speaker B:Focus on what I can do.
Speaker B:So I kind of, like, I let the true crime stay at the door.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's a real thing.
Speaker A:And then I think, too.
Speaker A:I think about it as I.
Speaker A:This neighborhood I live in now, I've been here for maybe, like, five years.
Speaker A:I'm in Avalon park, and this neighborhood.
Speaker A:I'm like, okay, if I take a survey of who the artists are here, I'm not really sure.
Speaker A:Maybe I could think about how to help them or how we.
Speaker A:I could be a good neighbor to them and so I'm like thinking in my mind, like, oh, how do you navigate that safely?
Speaker A:But I guess you just don't know, right?
Speaker B:Well, you navigate it safely.
Speaker B:No, I mean like it's, it is a lot of the 3:00pm to 7:00pm hours, like when kids are getting out of school, buses are on the ground, cross guards are out.
Speaker B:Like you do it in the window of time where there's the most eyes on the street and you knock on doors so that people see you.
Speaker B:So you, you become a physically visible person with an, a bright yellow shirt on.
Speaker B:So people are like, oh, there she is, there she goes again.
Speaker B:And she does that every Tuesday at 6:00.
Speaker B:There's a pattern to her behavior.
Speaker B:Oh, there she is again at the coffee.
Speaker B:She's holding up a sign like if you start self identifying, like, people see me coming and they're like, oh, there's that big nosy gray haired lady who's going to ask me about art on my walls.
Speaker B:Like, you brand yourself as the person who's out there doing the census building for the artist in your neighborhood.
Speaker B:But like in a very visible window of time so that, yeah, if you do get pulled into someone's basement and murdered, they're like, yeah, she's out here Every Tuesday at 4:00.
Speaker B:This is where she is.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, they're like, she was supposed to be out here and I don't know, she usually is out here like clockwork.
Speaker A:Yeah, because that's what she stopped last time.
Speaker B:We just solved your murder.
Speaker B:Look at us.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you Lisa and the nosy AF community for finding me.
Speaker A:Oh my God.
Speaker A:Jesus.
Speaker A:No, but, yeah, but I just think about this stuff.
Speaker A:But you know, I definitely have been trying to, you know, take all that out of myself.
Speaker B:You know, one trick is to think about what you're doing right now.
Speaker B:That's one way to get rid of that worry and that fear is like, what are you doing right now?
Speaker B:And sometimes when I do that, I'm like, I'm just going to the bathroom.
Speaker B:It's like, that's fine, you're just going to the bathroom.
Speaker B:You have a bathroom.
Speaker B:Just calm down.
Speaker B:Like, you know, like, what are you doing right now?
Speaker B:You're talking to this super interesting person.
Speaker B:This is so great.
Speaker B:You're safe, you're in a room, you're like, your Internet works.
Speaker B:Like, you know, and then typically that most often will lead to gratitude, but then comfort of like, okay, I'm doing, I'm practicing self love and doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing can.
Speaker A:We volunteer for Evanston Made?
Speaker A:Like, are there opportunities to help out?
Speaker B:I mean really the, the main thing outside of brand ambassadors, just people talking about it.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Um, which lots of people do with without even filling out a form.
Speaker B:There are so many people who spread the good word gospel of Evanston Made.
Speaker B:That is awesome.
Speaker B:We have that in spades.
Speaker B:But physically being present at events like on we always get, people are always like, I'm having this event.
Speaker B:Can Evanston Made have a booth?
Speaker B:Can you bring an activity?
Speaker B:Can you do a pop up?
Speaker B:So Evanston is doing this folk festival, this folk music festival.
Speaker B:And they're like, it'd be really great if we had like a maker's tent of like all the art that gets made in this market.
Speaker B:And I'm like, oh my God, that would be so great.
Speaker B:And we could really publicize our artists.
Speaker B:But like, we're gonna have to have humans to answer questions.
Speaker B:So like at our events we have this on our website, we've got a volunteer tab and then we list events like show up at the makers market and answer questions or show up at this pop up.
Speaker B:So there is an opportunity to always just come for an afternoon and talk about what we do and.
Speaker B:Or the artist that's there.
Speaker B:Because it's also, I think not to globally say that all artists are very shy introverts.
Speaker B:But like by the time they get to the framed object on the wall, they've come a long way, It's a long journey.
Speaker B:They're tired.
Speaker B:They probably don't have a lot more resources left to like now have small talk with some idiot who doesn't know how to spell the word paint, I mean, like it.
Speaker B:So we like to have human buffers.
Speaker B:So that artist, when they're done describing or answering questions like, how long did that take you to paint?
Speaker B:That's not nice to say it in that kind of accent.
Speaker B:But people do just ask questions that are like, really?
Speaker B:Did you maybe want to rethink that question?
Speaker B:So we like to have like a human buffer between the artist and everyone else so that they can, they can be gracious and lovely.
Speaker B:So yes, the volunteer tab.
Speaker B:And then also, I mean there's a ton of people who we don't, we don't aggressively fundraise yet.
Speaker B:We don't have like a development schedule plan.
Speaker B:We create events and programs that break even.
Speaker B:So when we ask for money, we're doing this like 10 year anniversary, everybody give us $10 campaign.
Speaker B:Because we're like, if 500 people gave us $10 each.
Speaker B:That would be like, a lot of money.
Speaker B:And so we're trying to be.
Speaker B:And we're also trying to democratize the level of the philanthropic opportunities.
Speaker B:Like, we don't want you to be like, I'm an arts patron because you have $42 million.
Speaker B:You can be like, I'm an arts patron because I bought a poster for 75 from my neighbor and I gave this arts organization $10 and I am an arts patron in my community.
Speaker B:Like, we really want everybody to be a collector and everybody to be a patron.
Speaker B:So we always say to people, like, if you like what we do, send us $10.
Speaker B:Like, you don't need to.
Speaker B:You know, of course someday we'll be asking people for millions of dollars.
Speaker B:But the other way to get skin in the game is just to collect a piece of art.
Speaker B:Like, send us $10.
Speaker B:Volunteer at an event.
Speaker B:Just like, really get engaged in your community.
Speaker B:Because I mean, not to be like, it means the world for an artist to.
Speaker B:But it.
Speaker B:If you're making something and like, you go a whole year and you don't sell anything or, or no one comes to your studio, or like, you get a couple likes on Instagram, like, that lack of engagement might make you quit.
Speaker B:I mean, it's, it's not just about money and space and time.
Speaker B:It's like the lack of enthusiasm from your peers and your community might make you say, like, oh yeah, people just like beer and potatoes and don't want to support my art.
Speaker B:So like, the other way we always say, like, you can volunteer and get engaged is like, go to our sales platform and buy a piece of art.
Speaker B:We have plenty of pieces of art under 50 bucks.
Speaker B:Like, because that validation, I mean, and you, if you interviewed a thousand artists who were still making art after 40, and then you interview a thousand artists who quit at 19.
Speaker B:Like, the amount of people who quit art because somebody was like, why would you do that?
Speaker B:No one's going to buy it.
Speaker B:You know, so like, we were always just like, if you have time to help and energy, like, go high five an artist.
Speaker B:Go buy what they make.
Speaker B:Like, don't give us the money.
Speaker B:Go give it to some artist.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, and you, Stephanie, start knocking on doors in Avalon park.
Speaker B:Because, you know, even if you just did five people and even if you just did a pop up in a coffee shop like that, the, the ripple effect of the minuscule effort to help artists in your community is unbelievable.
Speaker B:And the reason you don't know who they are is because there's just no platform for them to share who they are and where.
Speaker B:And like, as soon as that launches, it's like, oh, my gosh, Avalon park made.
Speaker B:Boom.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's like, maybe I can just ask at the park, at the park district.
Speaker A:Maybe we can just have something there, even if it's just like a mixer or something.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Have to be a lot.
Speaker B:We are.
Speaker B:So there is this seismic shift that I just sort of mentioned at the top of this interview.
Speaker B:Like, we, we really need things to be different.
Speaker B:We have been in this ten year chaos hell based on this game show, Jackass, who somehow took over.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:All of our, all of our media outlets, all of our media outlets have been making a lot of money because of this fool and we need to cancel that.
Speaker B:We need to turn off his channel.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:But absolutely.
Speaker B:I think this whole entire world, if things go as planned and we all do something, we're about to go into this moment of, like, joy and connection and community.
Speaker B:And like, I am here for it.
Speaker B:I have been working on that infrastructure for 10 years.
Speaker B:I have everything in place for all of these people to come out of the woodwork and gather together in the name of community.
Speaker B:And I just kind of feel like there might be a little cultural renaissance in the connection department.
Speaker B:We might be about to see people finally feeling comfortable to just be super different and show up where before it was like you were going to be different, show up and then be just, you know, thrown into the river.
Speaker B:This is, I think we're about to enter a very different cultural time.
Speaker B:And people like you who are willing to record and share and be curious are just, you're really poised to be, I think, cultural change makers in that department because, like, you know, we're going to need that more than ever because people are going to be feeling the excitement and the joy to experience what it is you're doing.
Speaker B:So don't stop.
Speaker B:Do more.
Speaker B:If I could just give you some advice.
Speaker B:Do more.
Speaker A:Stephanie, thank you so much.
Speaker A:I want to tell you to do more too, but you're probably like, I don't need you to tell me that I'm doing plenty.
Speaker A:No, I'm going to the beach.
Speaker B:Or if you see a model out there, because you talk to a lot of amazing people, you're involved with terrain, you know, saic, homies, all the people.
Speaker B:Like, if you see one out there doing something in this artist, mission driven arena, be like here.
Speaker B:Because this is again, not about Lisa D.
Speaker B:It's not about Liz Kramer.
Speaker B:It's not about Evanston Made it's about the artist, how we can be in better service.
Speaker B:And if you see other humans doing that in great ways, let me know.
Speaker B:And then I'm super psyched.
Speaker B: of my letter, but the terrain: Speaker B:I want to help facilitate and make that happen, because typically we fold that into our big art weekend in October, and people love adding that studio tour, and it's.
Speaker B:So thank you also for that work because it's amazing and awesome.
Speaker A:Yeah, Cool.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:This was lovely.
Speaker A:Y'all know something that I realized I am super duper scary.
Speaker A:Like, you know what girl isn't right?
Speaker A:Like, it's like we're conditioned to always be with a buddy.
Speaker A:Jog with the buddy, walk down the street with the buddy, you know, Girl Scout orders.
Speaker A:When I was a little Girl Scout, we always had to do our cookie orders.
Speaker A:Going next door, next door with a buddy.
Speaker A:It's always this buddy stuff.
Speaker A:And so I think when I'm trying to do stuff and it's just by myself, I need to just get a buddy.
Speaker A:I should have asked Lisa, does she want to be my buddy?
Speaker A:Hmm, I'll have to call her.
Speaker A:But, you know, giggling about true crime and all this kind of stuff, it really made me think I should send us off with a little prayer.
Speaker A:So with that being said, Heavenly Father, protect those of us knocking on doors nosy enough to meet our neighbors, not always knowing why or what we'll find, keep us safe from harm.
Speaker A:One we are really wanting to be is curious.
Speaker A:We just want to know what's going on.
Speaker A:Is that nosy God?
Speaker A:Yeah, I guess it is.
Speaker A:But you know what, Lord?
Speaker A:You made us curious.
Speaker A:You gave us inquisitive minds, and we want to use them and do what is right.
Speaker A:And while we're at it, let me just go ahead and bind us from ever becoming stories of true crime.
Speaker A:Nope.
Speaker A:We are gonna speak only positive news stories over our lives.
Speaker A:So I just wanna put that out there, you know, because words have power, and so we're not about to play with that.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:So, you know, with that being said, I'm so happy Lisa came to hang with us.
Speaker A:And we recorded this interview back in the summer, you know, before we knew what would become of the election.
Speaker A:And here we are now, Tuesday, Feb.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:And I just want to say.
Speaker A:Well, I don't even know what to say, but I do know I'm grateful for the space.
Speaker A:Like, the one of Evanston made.
Speaker A:And if you want to be more involved in your community, well, I guess just like me, we better head out to the streets and I'll see you tomorrow from three to seven.
Speaker A:Knocking on doors thank you so much for listening to Nosy AF and I will see you soon.
Speaker A:This has been another episode of Nosy af.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Stephanie Graham.
Speaker A:What did you think about today's conversation?
Speaker A:I would love to hear your thoughts.
Speaker A:Head over to the Nosy AF website for all the show notes related to this episode.
Speaker A:You can also find me on Instagram.
Speaker A:Tefanie Graham, what would you know?
Speaker A:Or online@missgram.com where you can sign up for my newsletter where I share exclusive updates about my studio practice as well as this podcast.
Speaker A:Until next time, y'all stay curious and take care.
Speaker A:Bye.
