"What happens when you try to build a creative life while also being a responsible adult?
Disorder. But delightfully so.
Join writer Breallyn and her husband Lyndon as they navigate the unpredictable, deeply satisfying, and occasionally absurd reality of making art while managing, well… everything else. From creative breakthroughs to imposter syndrome, from the rush of finishing a project to the frustration of starting over, they share an unfiltered look at what it really takes to transform inspiration into finished work.
Whether you’re a writer, musician, artist, or just someone who believes creativity is worth the effort, this podcast from Creative Life Chronicles is for you.
Listen on your favourite podcast app -
https://access.acast.com/rss/66bc1a4d8681753490f376cc/default
Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
Produced on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung Peoples of the Eastern Kulin."
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"What happens when you try to build a creative life while also being a responsible adult?
Disorder. But delightfully so.
Join writer Breallyn and her husband Lyndon as they navigate the unpredictable, deeply satisfying, and occasionally absurd reality of making art while managing, well… everything else. From creative breakthroughs to imposter syndrome, from the rush of finishing a project to the frustration of starting over, they share an unfiltered look at what it really takes to transform inspiration into finished work.
Whether you’re a writer, musician, artist, or just someone who believes creativity is worth the effort, this podcast from Creative Life Chronicles is for you.
Listen on your favourite podcast app -
https://access.acast.com/rss/66bc1a4d8681753490f376cc/default
Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
Produced on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung Peoples of the Eastern Kulin."
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lyndon and Breallyn explore the essential role of hobbies and side projects in creative life. From cat-trapping adventures to furniture restoration and failed lapidary attempts, they discuss how low-stakes creative outlets prevent burnout and actually improve your main artistic work. The conversation covers the paradox of needing distractions from your art to make better art, the danger of raising the bar on hobbies, and why that calm creative clarity always seems to hit at the worst possible time.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Visual artist Kirrily Anderson continues her conversation with Lyndon and Breallyn about the realities of professional art practice. She discusses how moving from Melbourne to regional Victoria transformed her creative process, the exhausting pressure of social media marketing, and managing the business side of art. Kirrily shares honest insights on seeking validation, working with communities on public art projects, knowing when to stop tweaking, and why connecting with other creatives is essential.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lyndon and Breallyn chat with visual artist Kirrily Anderson about the transition from Melbourne street art to nature-inspired murals in regional Victoria. Kirrily shares insights on navigating community consultations, managing the business side of public art commissions, and finding creative space in country living. The conversation explores the challenges of balancing multiple income streams, dealing with burnout, and learning when to say no to opportunities while building a sustainable art practice.
See more from Kirrily Anderson
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What happens when your craft keeps improving, but the art world’s clock keeps ticking? Lyndon and Breallyn unpack the mid-career artist dilemma—too good to quit, yet somehow too old to be “emerging.” They talk about the art world’s unspoken timelines that leave little space for detours: caregiving, raising a family, or finding your calling later in life. It’s also a conversation about the hidden labour behind creative careers, and the families quietly making them possible.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What truly defines a creative workspace? Breallyn and Lyndon explore the reality of where art is made, referencing the call for "A Room of One's Own" alongside famous examples like Roald Dahl's writing hut and the house that became Motown. They dive into how diverse environments actively shape and inform the art that gets produced. It's a candid look at the powerful relationship between space and creativity, concluding the best place to create is simply wherever you are.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if the best creative compass isn’t advice from others but your own instincts? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon talk about trusting your judgment—the balance between instinct and expertise that shapes every creative decision. From artists who thrived by backing themselves to others undone by poor guidance, they ask: when do you lean on outside voices, and when do you steer by your own?
It’s a conversation about self-trust, creative confidence, and why your judgment might just be the ultimate compass.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From secret codes in Michelangelo’s frescoes to the cost of grinding up rare pigments, history shows that art has always carried more than meets the eye. In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon move from those hidden messages to the hidden value of creative work today—the money, time, and sheer persistence poured into art that audiences rarely see.
It’s a look at what gets tucked behind the canvas: the symbols, the sacrifices, and the true cost of making something worth remembering.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if the biggest risks in art and life aren’t as dangerous as they seem? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon talk about the illusion of risk, reflecting on how fear can stall creative momentum while inaction often carries the greater cost.
From everyday mishaps to big creative decisions, they look at how wonder and uncertainty once fuelled curiosity, and how today’s information overload can leave us stuck. It’s a conversation about rethinking fear in art and life—seeing past imagined stakes, and finding the courage to keep moving.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Every artist knows the sting of comparison. In this episode, Lyndon and Brea explore creative envy—the mix of admiration, aspiration, and longing that shows up when you see someone else succeed. They talk about how envy can stall your work, but also how it can be transformed into energy for making your own.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brea returns from a creative retreat and talks with Lyndon about what solitude gave her: space to reset, organise her novel-in-progress, and rediscover the joy of writing without the noise of daily life. Together, they explore the fragile nature of inspiration, the challenge of protecting it once you come home, and why art needs both distance and closeness to thrive.
They also reflect on memory and how it shapes the stories we carry, the experience of coming back to suburbia after a year of travel, and how even small retreats—a weekend away, a walk on the beach, or a quiet corner—can help keep creative sparks alive.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What happens when your art gets fed into the machine? This week, Breallyn and Lyndon dig into AI data mining laws and the Australian Productivity Commission’s latest report—the one creatives are calling a blueprint for theft. With copyright protections at risk and tech giants circling, they ask what’s really at stake for artists, livelihoods, and Australia’s cultural future.
It’s a serious chat about consent, compensation, and why artists are right to be worried when billion-dollar companies treat creative work like free fuel.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever felt like you can't switch off from your creative work? Like every moment not creating is somehow wasted? You're not alone.
Lyndon and Breallyn get vulnerable about the dark side of creative passion. They explore 'Opportunity Cost Anxiety' and ponder whether they've mistaken creative anxiety for ambition. They also discuss the pervasive feeling of creative guilt and the myth of "making the most of every minute."
It's a candid conversation that gets to the heart of what it means to be a creative in the modern world.
Share this episode with a creative friend who might need to hear they're not alone in their struggles.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What do silo art, classical music at train stations, and a council mural in a quiet suburb have in common? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon explore the subtle power of art in public spaces, and how public art and crime prevention have become unlikely partners in shaping the places we live. From revitalised shopping strips to the politics of “beautification,” they unpack how creativity gets used not just to inspire, but to influence.
With a healthy dose of skepticism and a few personal stories, they dive into the murky overlap between community engagement, urban design, and crime prevention strategies.
Silo Art and The Great Ocean Road Tag Along
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
At some point, the hustle gets old—and so do we. In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon reflect on creative growth in midlife and the Chip Conley idea of improving not proving: that quiet shift from chasing approval to following creative curiosity. They talk ambition, internal momentum, and the unexpected freedom that comes with loosening your grip on who you thought you had to be. It’s a conversation about growing up creatively, with a few detours and exactly zero TikTok strategies.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if the key to creative momentum isn’t a perfect system—but just doing something, however small, every day? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon reflect on building a creative practice through slow, steady progress and how easy it is to lose momentum—even when things are finally going to plan. It’s a conversation about staying in motion—even when everything’s pulling you sideways.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Does art lose its power if no one sees it?
In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon unpack the value of unseen work—where it lives, who it’s for, and whether the audience gives it meaning. From Emily Dickinson’s drawer to the Wu-Tang album no one can stream, they ask whether the act of making is enough… and somewhere along the way, Lyndon also demands recognition for being an early adopter of Crocs.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Support the show, access exclusive content, or explore our free tier on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
For more from Creative Life Chronicles (website coming soon!) and the Pain In The Arts podcast, visit our website:
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room.
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why is doing your taxes so emotionally exhausting—especially if you're a creative? In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon wade through the chaos of EOFY as artists, from mismatched thinking styles to getting sacked by accountants (I know right!?) It’s a painfully relatable look at why the financial world feels like another planet—and what it costs us just to exist on it.
Thanks for listening!
Support the show for free on Patreon
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
Visit our website here
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What does it really take to master your passion—and is it worth it? Breallyn and Lyndon dive into the obsession, transformation, and long-haul grit behind creative mastery. With a little help from RZA, they explore how mastering one passion sparks others—and how the journey reshapes who you become. Plus there's the usual detours and chats about parenting pit-falls, dentistry and adventures in DIY acupuncture.
Thanks for listening!
Support the show for free on Patreon
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
Visit our website here
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Caffeine rituals, bedtime Milos, and an AI assistant named Pablo—Breallyn and Lyndon swap notes on the low-effort habits that are helping them stay upright (for now).
What’s actually keeping us sane?
In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon trade notes on the tiny comforts and daily habits that are helping them stay upright—most of the time. From caffeine rituals and bedtime Milos to creative windows, soft starts, and a suspiciously supportive AI assistant named Pablo, it’s a low-stakes list of what’s working right now (with zero promises it’ll still be working next week).
Thanks for listening!
Support the show for free on Patreon
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
Visit our website here
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Technology changes, attention fades—art keeps asking to be noticed.
What happens to creativity in the age of attention, when focus is the rarest currency?
In this episode, Breallyn and Lyndon trace a conversation that starts in a Melbourne café and spirals out into a reflection on art, technology, and focus. From Jimi Hendrix’s experimental guitar work to the murky role of AI in writing, they explore how every generation wrestles with change—and how artists keep finding ways to make something that matters.
Thanks for listening!
Support the show for free on Patreon
http://www.patreon.com/painintheartslife
Visit our website here
Recorded and produced at Morning Phase Recording Room
Original theme music by Lyndon Wesley
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
