The Human Signal — with Laura Sheeran

Laura Sheeran
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An almost-daily podcast by artist and director Laura Sheeran exploring art, AI, power, embodiment, and what it means to remain human. laurasheeran.substack.com

  1. #33 - Something's gotta give... A missed funding deadline, reaching capacity and meeting the limitations of what you can realistically achieve as one human.

    6D AGO

    #33 - Something's gotta give... A missed funding deadline, reaching capacity and meeting the limitations of what you can realistically achieve as one human.

    In this episode, I’m reflecting on missing an Arts Council funding deadline and what that stirred up. There’s been a lot happening — freelance deadlines for important clients, family health issues, my fast approaching record release — there are only so many hours in a week and at a certain point, something has to give. I talk about some of the challenges of freelance life, the unpredictability of funding, and how quickly the mind can frame a missed opportunity as a personal failure. I also touch on sleep, capacity, and the quiet pressure to keep producing even when you’re stretched thin. Mostly, this episode is about limits, acceptance, and remembering that doing your best has to be enough — even when it doesn’t look the way you hoped it would. If you enjoyed this podcast please share it with a friend or consider leaving a review, it really helps me out. You can also support me by becoming a paid member on this channel for €5 per month on Substack and Patreon. And lastly, you can follow me @laurasheeran_ie on YouTube and Instagram where I still post often. That’s all for now. Thanks for being here, and remember: Put humans first. Don’t feed the machine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    15 min
  2. #32 - An update on my efforts to de-Google and de-Meta my life

    FEB 10

    #32 - An update on my efforts to de-Google and de-Meta my life

    In this episode, I talk through where I’m at with my ongoing efforts to step away from Google and Meta, and what that process actually looks like in real life. I share what I’ve been testing, what’s been harder than expected, and why I’m taking a slow, gradual approach rather than cutting everything off at once. Right now, I’m in a research and testing phase with different programs and tools, and I wanted to give an update because I think it’s important to share this process. Anyone out there who might feel like they want to get off these platforms, or just stop giving all of their data away, can see someone else’s process and how it’s going. It’s really not easy. When you start trying to do it, you realise how deeply intertwined these systems are with everyday life. All of this is about setting myself up for a future that aligns with my values. Success, for me, is slow, steady, human-centred growth. When I worry about visibility, I remind myself that the right people will follow me to the places that feel better to be. More and more people I talk to are desperate to get off platforms designed to consume our attention. The toxicity of the online space is becoming harder to ignore. This is very much a work-in-progress update — about browsers, email, storage, messaging apps, and the deeper questions that come up when you start untangling your creative work and personal life from these platforms. If you enjoyed this podcast please share it with a friend or consider leaving a review, it really helps me out. You can also support me by becoming a paid member on this channel to unlock exclusive episodes for €5 per month on Substack and Patreon. And for now, you can still follow me @laurasheeran_ie on YouTube and Instagram where I post often. Thanks for being here, and remember: Put humans first. Don’t feed the machine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    43 min
  3. #31 - Google’s reCAPTCHA Changes and The Trend Toward User Liability Online

    FEB 7

    #31 - Google’s reCAPTCHA Changes and The Trend Toward User Liability Online

    In this episode, I’m talking through the email many of us received from Google about changes to reCAPTCHA, and why it set off alarm bells for me. I reflect on how responsibility and legal liability are increasingly being pushed onto individual users, even when we don’t have real control or understanding of how these systems work. I connect this to my wider decision to gradually remove Google and Meta from my digital life, and to similar issues I’ve seen with Spotify, music distribution, and AI tools. This is a fast, slightly ranty episode, but one that gets to the root of why the internet is starting to feel hostile, confusing, and unsafe for ordinary people who just want to exist online in a responsible way. If you enjoyed this podcast please share it with a friend or consider leaving a review, it really helps me out. You can also support me by becoming a paid member on this channel to unlock exclusive episodes for €5 per month on Substack and Patreon. And lastly, if you want to engage with the visual side of my work you can follow me @laurasheeran_ie on YouTube and Instagram where I post often. That’s all for now. Thanks for being here, and remember: Put humans first. Don’t feed the machine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    14 min
  4. #30 - Am I insane for planning this live show for Electic Picnic? Probably, yes...

    FEB 6

    #30 - Am I insane for planning this live show for Electic Picnic? Probably, yes...

    In today’s episode, I talk through my plans and ideas for a big gig I have booked for later this year. I share what it feels like to let myself dream big, even knowing that not everything will become real. I reflect on past performances, what I learned from them, and how my approach to live work has evolved. This episode is me thinking out loud about scale, collaboration, logistics, including care in the equation, and what it means to put everything into one show, even when it isn’t the most lucrative option. If you enjoyed this podcast please share it with a friend or consider leaving a review, it really helps me out. You can also support me by becoming a paid member on Substack and Patreon for €5 per month, or following me @laurasheeran_ie on YouTube and Instagram. That’s all for now. Thanks for being here, and remember: Put humans first. Don’t feed the machine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    18 min
  5. #29 My unconventional album launch plan - will this work?

    FEB 5

    #29 My unconventional album launch plan - will this work?

    In this episode I talk through where things are really at with the first Persona Project release as the launch date comes into view. I’m juggling unfinished masters, PR timelines, finances, and the reality of doing almost everything myself while simultaneously working freelance across many other projects which are not related this this one. I reflect on anxiety, ambition, and the tension between big visions and practical limits, and I start to think out loud about alternative record launch ideas, when live performance isn’t the priority. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    17 min
  6. #27 - Lá Fhéile Bríde, Galway, Shifting From Theatre Back Into Film, A New Commission Visualising Opera

    FEB 1

    #27 - Lá Fhéile Bríde, Galway, Shifting From Theatre Back Into Film, A New Commission Visualising Opera

    In this episode, I talk about returning to film work after a month in the theatre, and about an opera project I’ve been invited to create a visual accompaniment for — an abstract film responding to music rather than narrative. I share how I approach translating sound into image, why instinct and intuition matter more to me than explanation, and what it’s like to be given complete freedom to follow strange, unsettling visual ideas. I also reflect on filming in Galway, my deep attachment to Galway Bay, and how its changing light, weather, and vastness continue to shape my visual language. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    17 min
  7. #26 - Album drop March 20th? Electric Picnic Headline? What's Happening With The Persona Project...

    JAN 29

    #26 - Album drop March 20th? Electric Picnic Headline? What's Happening With The Persona Project...

    In this episode of The Human Signal, I reflect on where the Persona Project has landed after a year of expansion, exhaustion, doubt, and unexpected growth. I talk through how the original four-album plan dissolved as new personas, projects, commissions, and realities emerged — and why letting go of rigid structure has actually brought the work back to life. From film and large-scale public commissions to new music, new personas, and a renewed sense of momentum, this is me tracing the threads of a non-linear, process-led practice and trusting where it’s now asking to go. Links below to some of the work mentioned in this episode: The Persona Project Video Series Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Kilkenny Arts Festival - Light Up The Castle 2025 ”________” Beacause You’re Free by Laura Sheeran This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min
  8. #25 - Access Denied (Again) LOL

    JAN 28

    #25 - Access Denied (Again) LOL

    Guys, you couldn’t make it up.. first it was my phone, then it was my bank account, then it was social media, and now, as if I couldn’t get barred from any more parts of my own life, I found myself barred from entering my very own bedroom. This was NOT the podcast I had planned to share with you today 😅 I’ll be back tomorrow with a full episode updating on some cool The Persona Project stuff, we have news so stay tuned. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasheeran.substack.com/subscribe

    7 min
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An almost-daily podcast by artist and director Laura Sheeran exploring art, AI, power, embodiment, and what it means to remain human. laurasheeran.substack.com

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