The Jeanne Oliver Podcast

Latest Episodes:

008: Art as Affirmation with Stephanie Lee Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Podcast 008, Art As Affirmation with Stephanie Lee

On this episode, Jeanne talks with Stephanie Lee, an artist, teacher, deep thinker, warm-welcomer, and friend based in southern Oregon.

4:16 “I’ve spent a lot of years believing that my presence as an artist was a lot more separate from who I am as a person than it is…”

5:08 “The reality is every aspect of life involves a certain perspective, a certain creative ingenuity, and that shows up in how we parent, how we garden, and the colors we put on canvas.”

9:32 “I did metal smithing for a long, long time, and because of the way I was relating to it, I did it longer than I should have. I was doing it to please the people who enjoyed it…”

10:15 “One thing I know is that the medium is going to let me know it's time to be a part of my creative practice again.”

11:06 “Am I doing the thing that feels really enjoyable for me to do, even if it is the same thing I did yesterday and last month and a week ago and a year ago…”

14:15 “Leaving lots of room for those conversations about yourself and your world and your life and your creativity to evolve over time in your head is the biggest benefit of doing work that to others may seem like it’s the same work.”

15:02 “Our creativity is not ‘just’ for making beautiful things, as important and necessary as beauty is in our lives; our creativity is also to be a tool with which we can start transferring our curiosity in mediums that we given into difficult limited circumstances.”

17:59 “It really is about helping people think differently and move at the pace that feels true to them. Because sometimes it’s not what you do, it’s the timing of when you do it.”

23:17 “It was an uncomfortable way of growing when I started realizing I need to be my own best advocate here.”

24:13 “Collaboration has helped me get more rooted in my own skills and talents and gifts that I have to offer the world, and it’s also made me more open to recognizing where somebody else is bringing something to the table that I don’t have.”

26:21 “Every hard thing that I’ve been through now is serving as information that I can share with people who are on that path, too.”

Stephanie Lee grew up among the mountains and red rocks of Utah but now calls Southern Oregon home. She lives with her (adorably sexy) husband, Vince (who can build/fix/do anything he puts his mind to), teenage daughter Annabelle, dogs Elsie and Rumi, and three cats who really need to up their game in their mole hunting duties. Vince and Stephanie share four more grown children (one of whom she brought into the world) and she's decided that being a grandma before the age of 40 is pretty much the best thing ever.

Her therapist is her garden and the backpacking trails where nature and Stephanie have pretty good conversations about all the things. She has pretty good homesteading skills and she admittedly fantasizes about living off the grid in a cozy cabin where there is snow in the winter and the summer finds her growing and canning her own food by the bushel (with a cute little coffee shop within walking distance, of course) and reading real paper books in the evening by firelight.

How Stephanie would describe herself:

I cry easily, even (and especially) when laughing and have amassed a plethora of other potentially useful skills that I have so far totally underutilized. These include, but are not limited to:

Playing the piano and guitar

Cooking over a fire

Canning and preserving food

Making new friends

Saving ab workouts on Pinterest

Using the very last drop of toothpaste out of the tube before throwing it away. (Waste not, want not!)

Things I would like to add to this list but have heretofore managed to under-excel in:

Running three miles without a lung collapsing

Being an overachiever (while simultaneously cultivating an Instagram feed of enviable “simple life” images, of course).

Earning “cool mom” status

Dancing in a way that does not look like a long armed troll trying to act casual when he just tripped over his shoelace.

Yodeling.

One thing is for sure: If you are excited about something, I will be SO excited with you and I will do everything I can to make sure you know how awesome you are. Because, if nothing else, I want you to feel really, really good about being all in with your unique and exquisite creative expression.

Stephanie Lee Art

You can find Stephanie on Instagram

Stephanie's new online course Art as Affirmation.

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Facebook.

007: Shabby Chic with Rachel Ashwell Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

Episode 7 | Shabby Chic with Rachel Ashwell

On this episode, Jeanne is excited to talk to the creator of the iconic Shabby Chic brand, Rachel Ashwell.

1:30 “I was born out of a flea market family…my mother would repair and sell antique dolls.I learned her unique eye of wanting to restore these funny little creatures with real authenticity.”

3:38 “I don’t want to have a home where nobody can touch anything, but I still want it to be beautiful."

6:07 “I feel like I was a vessel, that this just came through me…as I grew up I just observed, and this kind of went into my wiring.”

7:03 “There was never a question in my mind of “oh no’s”, it was always “Why not?”

9:30 “I didn’t really know where I wanted to be a story teller.My story telling actually ended up being in my Shabby Chic world…there’s always a story behind it.”

11:11 “I do better when I have seasons. I feel that the seasons give me rhythm, it gives me the permission to go out and be exuberant, but it also gives me permission to go inward…”

15:30 “Faded glamour is a word that I use often to describe the vibe of the things that I buy [in England]…time-worn elegance is another…”

19:36 “Where I’m satisfied, where I feel my world reflects my authenticity…I’m such a deep philosophical person, that whatever those things are, if they go through my funnel of beauty-comfort-function, then it works.”

20:52 “Whatever that thing is, as little as a little ring dish with beautiful roses on it, or as big as a sofa, or a rug, or a chandelier, as long as it feels like it has soul…”

22:47 “There’s that bit in the middle, where I think I got too weighed down by the business of business. And I think that’s something that any entrepreneur and creative person has to be very wary of.”

23:16 “It really is a lifestyle of how you set up your life so that creativity has a place all the time.”

24:17 “As a designer, at least in me, what works is when it just feels authentic, it just flows, and that’s about having the right people around you.”

27:26 “I needed to feel that I had an anchor, and anchor of pilgrimage of Shabby Chic so no matter what the outcome of this kind of wobbly business time was, that there was this anchor of where Shabby Chic was solid, so I bought a Bed and Breakfast.”

29:29 “When I realized that the business side of it was overtaking the soulful joy of it, that’s when it became not something that satisfied me quite as much…”

31:51 “My benchmark with everything…is if there’s more, considerably more enjoyment than stress, and if there is, then its worth holding onto this and seeing how it can be nurtured.

30 years ago Rachel Ashwell had a very simple mission; to inspire, guide and educate households across the world to live beautifully and comfortably without care. To invest in practical solutions rather than meaningless décor and to surround oneself with treasures that bring joy and breathe life into a home. These have become the hallmarks of Rachel’s “Shabby Chic” philosophy; a way of living that has inspired households across the world.

Today we move onto the next chapter of our story. Inspired by our past and elevated to meet the needs of our ever more discerning customer, we bring you “Rachel Ashwell.” A designer collection of furniture, bedding and bath essentials that are an evolution of Rachel’s timeless design philosophy. Incorporating luxurious textiles, exquisite details and uncompromising quality that stands the tests of daily life.

Currently Rachel Ashwell operates a retail location in Los Angeles as well as an online store, shabbychic.com. Both offering high quality furniture, bedding, décor and hand-picked flea market finds. Her “Simply Shabby Chic” collection is celebrating its 12th year at Target. With several new branded partnerships coming soon.

In addition to her businesses, Rachel Ashwell has published 10 books, most recently in 2018 with Cico Books called “My Floral Affair.”

You can find more of Rachel's storytelling at Shabby Chic.

Also new clothing is available at https://www.shabbychic.com/ and https://www.dillards.com/search-term/shabby+chic?orderBy=6

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Facebook.

006: Turning Passion into Business with Bob Taylor Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

On this episode, Jeanne interviews Bob Taylor, cofounder of Taylor Guitars, pioneer of groundbreaking changes to the process of crafting guitars, and passionate advocate of forest conservation.

2:06 “I took industrial arts classes from the seventh grade on, and in 11th grade I wanted a guitar and thought ‘Well, I’ll just make a guitar.’

7:08 “My business partners and I were 19 and 21, which is a way better time to take on something like buying a business.”

7:41 “It was a dream, and we were able to starve, barely pay bills, work all day and all night and all weekends, and make it happen.”

8:56 “I’m going to say that in the beginning I had neither confidence nor success, but I loved making guitars…”

9:50 “I think I probably live in the future maybe even more than the present.”

11:03 “I wanted to build guitars, and in order to build guitars we had to sell them…everything is a business.”

11:17 “I went down to register for college, got close to the office and turned around and just said ‘I can’t do this’. I got back on my motorcycle and left.”

12:51 “Every time I made a guitar, I just tried to make it better.”

13:37 “I just made tools to make my work faster, so every single day there was less stupidity I had to face.”

18:31 “He looked at me and said the sentence that changed my life, he said “Bob, what would you rather have—one done guitar, or ten half-done guitars?”

24:20 “It better be keeping you awake at night. If you can go home and forget about it, you probably haven’t found your passion.”

25:02 “There’s three things you can do to improve your business, and I don’t think there’s four, I think there’s three: 1. Training, 2. Organization, and 3. Technology…”

27:40 “You just get a little bit better, every day, every year. Sometimes you can’t see the daily improvements; you have to turn around and say “Where was I last year? Oh yeah I guess I’m doing okay.”

34:51 “Your wealth is in your waste. Look around and ask what you are wasting— materials, time, talent, overproduction.”

37:10 “We’re just going to use what the forest is giving us. I got to make that decision with Taylor.”

37:54 “We make a lot of changes by just doing them to our guitars…”

39:03 “We miss the Rock ’n’ Roll God stage; there weren’t famous artists that played our guitars…so we decided to make our guitar the star of the story.”

45:37 “I think sometimes people lose their confidence along the way, and blame things on customers that customers have nothing to do with.”

46:07 “To this day we do not build guitars based on what focus groups ask for. We build the guitars that we want to build, we put them out there, and we take huge responsibility for that.”

46:57 “I think you’ve got to look all the way back to the first time you did something with confidence, and just kind of reach into that feeling and pull it out again, over and over.”

Bob Taylor

Co-founder and President, Taylor Guitars

Taylor Guitars co-founder Bob Taylor is a pioneering acoustic guitar maker whose modern innovations have transformed the company from a small shop into a world-class manufacturer.

Bob was 19 years old when he and co-founder Kurt Listug started the company that bears his name in 1974. Bob’s slim-profile guitar necks and easy playability helped put Taylor on the map, and in the decades that followed, Bob introduced many groundbreaking refinements to the guitar-making process, establishing new standards of quality and consistency, and making the acoustic guitar more inspiring to players at every level.

Today, Taylor is an industry leader and the top-selling acoustic guitar brand in North America. In recent years, Bob has turned his attention to forest conservation and sustainability initiatives, including several pioneering reforestation programs that are planting thousands of trees for the benefit of future generations of guitar makers and musicians.

Taylor Guitars

Stella Falone

Ebony Project

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Facebook.

005: Restoration House with Kennesha Buycks Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Episode 5: Restoration House with Kennesha Buycks

On this episode, Jeanne talks with Kennesha Buycks, a friend and collaborator who Jeanne admires for her honest and raw journey.

2:35 “I was in a really dark season of my life, I’d experienced a lot of loss, and was dealing with a lot of grief.”

2:52 “When you feel like you are not going to come out of that season— #1. You will, and #2. Find something that is just yours. Which is what I did.”

6:39 “I always think that God gets our attention with our love language…”

8:58 “I was never meant to be this one dimensional type of person, none of us are.”

13:22 “I think anytime you share what’s authentically in your heart it is so raw and so vulnerable, you have to just let it be what it is.”

14:29 “There is this collective idea out there somewhere that because I wrote this book that I somehow arrived at some place…”

15:43 “There is such value in recognizing that with every season of life, every home, that you’re probably going to have to go through it again…”

17:51 “I’ve discovered through this business more of who I am, and how much more impactful this has been because of that.”

21:28 “I never felt like I needed permission to be who I am from anyone but God…”

25:01 “There were a lot of black women who [in response to my blog post about race] said ‘Thank you for raising this point, thank you for opening this conversation…”

26:18 “The most engaged people are is when I talk about the connection between race and home.”

28:17 “We can really make changes right now, if we choose to, in who we are sharing and what we are looking at, and that’s doable…Who are we cheering on, who are we promoting?”

31:10 “When I say ask the hard questions, I don’t just mean talking to someone who’s not like you, I’m saying introspectively turning the mirror on yourself and asking ‘Why do I feel this way?’”

32:32 “What comes out of our brokenness and the recognition of that brokenness is that you heal, which is beautiful and whole…”

37:21 “When I feel the calling for something and I have have no idea where it’s going to lead me, but if I follow my gifts and my passions, it will lead to my purpose…”

Kennesha Buycks is the creator of Restoration House--a home and lifestyle brand + blog focusing on creating spaces that fulfill beyond the aesthetic and that speak to the restorative aspects of home.

A Southern transplant to the Pacific Northwest, she has a passion for connecting others, gathering, and inspirational styling and design. When Kennesha is not busy being a wife to her amazing husband or a mama to her four kids, she spends her time writing, blogging, and encouraging others to live life uniquely and with passion.

Find her online HERE

Connect on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

Creatively Made Business with Jeanne Oliver

Is your business aligned with how you want your life to look and feel? Many creative business owners feel trapped and overwhelmed by the business that was supposed to add more freedom to their lives. You didn’t take the risk of starting a business just to end up in the same place, or worse – moving in the opposite direction of the life you want.

Your business should be a bridge to the life you dream of, not a barrier. To learn more click HERE.

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Facebook.

004: Publishing vs Self-Publishing with Tonia Jenny Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

Episode 4 | Publishing vs. Self-Publishing with Tonia Jenny

On this episode, Jeanne interviews Tonia Jenny, editor and artist who helps creatives publish their own work. Jeanne and Tonia talk in depth about the pros and cons of different approaches to publishing.

1:25 “I feel like right now, if you are a writer, if you have creative ideas, if you want to put them out into the world, I think for the first time, you have more options than ever before.”

2:57 “What are the pros of going with a publishing company?”

3:24 “Credibility and expense are the two greatest advantages of working with a publisher.”

6:22 “As somebody who has worked with a publisher, I did like that a lot of the small details were taken care of...”

7:45 “One of the downsides of working with a publisher is your lack of freedom in all those decisions...”

9:32 “While it is a pro that a publisher is going to have a greater chance at distribution for your book, they simply don’t have the resources to put all of their dollars into marketing your book.”

12:03 “If you pour love into the creation of your book, why wouldn’t you want to pour that same love into making sure that as many people that need to see your book have the best chance possible?”

13:21 “The biggest advantage to self-publishing is that you do have complete freedom over the final product.”

14:21 “The biggest reason not to publish is if you believe you’re going to make a substantial income from a book...”

15:01 “The reasons, to me, for publishing are posterity, credibility, self-promotion, and my favorite reason: I consider it an act of service, to enrich the lives of others...”

19:11 “I don’t think anyone who has taken the time to go through process, I’ve never heard anyone say that they wished they wouldn’t have done it...”

20:09 “I still, every time I get the hard copy book in the mail, I just love it.”

23:38 “Publishers like to publish around trends, so if you are the first person with an idea related to a trend, there is a chance they will take a chance on you.”

24:03 “To successfully win over a publisher, you have to think of yourself as a lawyer, building a strong case for the need of your book.”

30:25 “You have to kind of prepare yourself that whatever you are putting out into the world, that you are also coming to a place that you are letting it go...”

33:57 “Don’t ever feel like you aren’t legitimate...”

Tonia's mission is to guide creative individuals in refining their unique message and offering, while determining the best means for them of sharing it. She offers editorial, writing and coaching services and also offers online art and craft courses to encourage others to try something new.

Tonia is a passionate Truth seeker and loves using making as a means for connecting with and inspiring others. Prior to having her own business to support creatives, she enjoyed her adventure as a North Light craft- and art-book editor for over a decade. Both then and now, she never grows tired of learning from the talented artists with whom she adores working.

You can read more about Tonia Jenny HERE.

You can take an online course with Tonia HERE.

You can connect with Tonia on Instagram and Facebook.

Creatively Made Business with Jeanne Oliver

Your business should be a bridge to the life you dream of, not a barrier. To learn more click HERE.

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Facebook.

003: When You Get Creatively Stuck with Kate Thompson Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Episode Notes

Episode 3 | When you get creatively stuck, with Kate Thompson

On this episode, Jeanne talks with her friend and peer, Kate Thompson. Kate is a prolific artist, working in mixed media including fiber and fabric, and loves to think deeply about the creative process.

1:02 A little bit about Kate Thompson’s journey into art.

4:41 “I started painting on a regular basis, every single day I was painting, and at first I was not good at it.”

7:12 “Teaching art, the world opened up to me, the thing is, I had to show up first. If you’re struggling right now in how you want to grow in your creativity, it takes showing up.”

10:26 “I was in a season of not wanting to paint, but going to Morocco, I completely found a whole new Muse…I became alive again.”

14:01 “When we get stuck, so much of it is what we tell ourselves.”

15:10 “When I’m stuck, I show up in my studio no matter what, because I have to keep that consistency.”

18:08 “When I’m stuck, I’m not going into my studio thinking ‘Okay, I’m going to create a masterpiece, I just go in and start making little elements…”

20:45 “I don’t want to be invisible, and part of not being invisible is to create who I am with my clothing.”

25:26 How Kate Thompson got started in galleries.

27:22 “You have to really think about your pieces and why you create, because people who buy art want to know who the artist is.”

32:02 “I didn’t try to sell myself, because I’m not a salesperson, it had to be genuine.”

34:34 “As I get older, I would like to be surrounded by my family, working as an artist, and I want to learn more about my family history.”

Kate Thompson is a fiber artist working with fabric and fiber to create abstract 3-dimensional forms. She started painting full time in 2009 focusing on portrait/figure work painting in acrylics, watercolors and mixed media. Fractured Angels is the continuous thread throughout her work. Kate's art parallels her spiritual journey and she identifies with the flawed, cracked and fractured human yearning for peace and fulfillment. The older she gets the stronger she is pulled to explore and express this theme in her work.

You can read more about Kate HERE.

You can also find Kate Thompson on Facebook.

You can read more or register for Kate's brand new course, Flower Parade, HERE.

Creatively Made Business with Jeanne Oliver

Your business should be a bridge to the life you dream of, not a barrier. To learn more click HERE.

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Facebook.

002: The Power of Consistency with Weldon Long Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

Episode 2 | The Power of Consistency with Weldon Long

On this episode, Jeanne interviews her friend and mentor Weldon Long. Weldon Long is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling author of The Power of Consistency.

1:24 Weldon’s story of overcoming cycles in his life to become who he is now.

2:55 “I just made a simple decision, about four hours after my father died, that I’m going to change my life.”

3:41 “It all came down to changing my mindset. It’s the single most important thing.”

5:34 “The number one challenge for people in sales and business is a lack of focus."

9:54 “You have to have a burning desire to achieve your dreams.”

11:19 “The key is, we have to give emotional commitment to the things we want in our life."

16:03 “What is so key here about getting focused is it doesn’t just change your life, it changes other people’s lives.”

17:58 “It’s the small, seemingly inconsequential decisions we make that determine our destiny.”

18:24 “The bottom line is, even if you are on the right track in life, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

23:38 “When you change your thoughts...you change your results.

26:42 “You have to be aware of limiting beliefs to make sure your core beliefs are consistent with what you want today.”

28:53 “if there is something in your life that you really want...but you just can’t seem to do it, there’s a good chance there’s a limiting belief in here.”

33:45 “We have to learn to give value, value, value, value first, and then ask for some business.”

Weldon Long is a successful entrepreneur, sales expert and author of the NY Times Bestseller, The Power of Consistency - Prosperity Mindset Training for Sales and Business Professionals. In 2009, his business was selected by Inc Magazine as one of America’s fastest growing privately held companies.

Today Weldon Long is one of the nation's most powerful speakers and a driven motivator who teaches the Sales and Prosperity Mindset philosophies that catapulted him from desperation and poverty to a life of wealth and prosperity.

You can read more about Weldon HERE.

Creatively Made Business with Jeanne Oliver

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.

You can connect with Jeanne onInstagram and Facebook.

001: Let's Hear it for the Underdogs! Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

Episode 1 | Let's Hear it For The Underdogs

Jeanne tells the story of how she came back to herself as a creative, how she learned to honor and value her own gifts, and how those gifts have shaped her world for good.

1:20 The story begins

2:56 “I often felt like my currency wasn’t the most valued and then in turn, I didn’t see my worth.”

4:03 “I shared my portfolio of sketches with my guidance counselor, and a few adults in my life... and was discouraged about going to art school.”

4:45 “In the next years [through and after college], I struggled with deep regret and

unforgiveness over myself...”

5:51 “I slowly started digging deeper into my creativity...”

6:30 Promo for Creatively Made Business

7:10 “When I realized I was worth creating for, it felt like the world was saying “we have been waiting for you...”

9:29 “With age comes a sweeter knowing of who we are, and I know I will become wiser about myself as the years go on.”

9:53 Advice for those over whom negative things have been spoken

10:44 How do you know what my gifts are?

11:37 A catalogue of lessons learned through a life of creativity

Jeanne Oliver grew up in rural Illinois and now resides in Castle Rock, CO. She is inspired by our personal stories, travel, and nature.

Jeanne uses art to tell her current stories and also those of growing up among gravel roads, cornfields and early life surrounded by open spaces. Through mark making, layers and mixed media, she hopes to convey that we all have a story to tell.

Jeanne is married to her dream maker, Kelly, and the mother of three funny and creative children. She homeschools her children even though she has tried to get out of it a few times. You can often find her hiking, creating in her studio and finding an excuse to have another cup of coffee. She speaks and teaches all around the country and sometimes she even gets to cross the pond. She was told that she needed to find that one thing but she doesn’t like listening to directions so she embraces many loves and that has given her a sweet mash-up of family, art, and travel. Connecting with women and sharing that each of us has been creatively made is one of her passions.

You can learn more about Jeanne through her blog posts, taking an online course with her, taking an in person class with her in the US and abroad thru The Living Studio.

You can connect with Jeanne onInstagram and Facebook.

Creatively Made Business with Jeanne Oliver

Ten Tips To Take Back The Peace

A free ebook if you are looking for some rest in your day-to-day like I was.

Get your free resource Ten Tips HERE.

Become the artist you dream to be. Creativity is Calling at jeanneoliver.com.