Sketchbooks and Stigmas

Amy Clark and Leo Clark
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  • Arts
  • Bimonthly

Welcome to a slightly unhinged podcast where creativity meets the messy, meaningful parts of being human. Hosted by photographer, and writer Amy Clark, and Leo Clark, art teacher, this podcast explores the intersection of creativity, mental health, and advocacy. Through honest conversations with each other and interviews with fellow creatives, Amy and Leo explore inspiration, vulnerability, purpose, struggle, and the power of using our creative voices to make a difference. Expect real talk and conversations that feel less like a lecture and more like a chat between friends. amyclark0615.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Learning in Public

    Re-released podcast episode that originally came out in April of 2025. I was tempted to just not release this one. It just felt too tender, too vulnerable, to clear that we were brand-new to this, to be putting it out into the world again. It’s more than a little embarrassing, but also, I feel very protective of those versions of myself and my partner. We were still recovering from a heartbreaking loss, and yet we had the gumption to put ourselves out there in that way, and do something we probably had no business doing. We let ourselves be seen stumbling. That was pretty brave of us, and I’m pretty proud of us for doing it. A little housekeeping for you: 1). We will be heading right into season two, releasing the first episode of season two in two weeks. 2.) If you would like to listen to the guest episode I mentioned in this episode, with Bree, and all the other guest episodes, you can listen to them with a paid subscriber to my Substack. If you are not currently a paid subscriber, you can upgrade here: Creating The World In this episode, Leo and I talk about: —our first year of podcasting —my first year on Substack —the plans for May and this summer —the challenges of being in between creative projects (for Amy), and of getting started on a project (for Leo) —Leo’s new Substack newsletter, and his plans for use stories to connect with people through his art. Fair warning, we had a couple tech issues on this one. We’ve edited them out as much as we could, but you’ll notice a couple of small glitches. Someday, we’ll get to the point where those aren’t even noticeable, but that day is not today! Thanks for listening, and I hope you are having a wonderful day! We'd love to hear from you! You can email us at amy@byamyclark.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amyclark0615.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Oct 21

    Re-released Playing with Sand Episode

    My husband and I talk about the craziness we’ve been seeing in the world, and especially how it impacts us as creatives. We also talk about ways we are trying to resist the chaos and tap back into our inner selves, so we can show up for our creativity, for ourselves, our relationships, and the world. My favorite part of the conversation is when he talks about his Blessings Project, which I adore, and how all of us can impact each other in both positive and negative ways. I shared about my new course on intentional living that came out that month. I think that’s about it, so without further ado, I present to you a half hour of me and Leo just trying to make sense of things and find a way forward. I hope it is as helpful to you as it was to me! Our email is amy@byamyclark.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amyclark0615.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Oct 7

    Re-released version of Advocacy, A Little Creativity Update, and An Intentional Holiday Season

    Recorded in November of 2024, we talk about our reactions to the election, and our desire to use our feelings to move us towards greater healing and empowerment, and to advocate for the world we want to live in, in a healthy and empowering way. We don’t have to attack “the other side”. We can make changes out of kindness and empathy, both towards the people we are wanting to protect, and the people we are seeing as hurting them. We also update you on what we are working on creatively, and a little bit about creating an intentional holiday season that is as enjoyable for you as it is for everyone else in your family. One of the creative projects I mention is my store, where I have put up a few designs on t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and other products, and which I have been challenging myself to be more chatty about. You can check out what I have so far here. A quick housekeeping detail: Leo was newly recovering from double pneumonia when we recorded this, so the audio is a little funky a couple times because he was coughing. We did what we could to make it as least distracting as possible, but it is still a little noticeable. Thank you all for subscribing, reading, and listening. You are amazing, and I am so grateful for each one of you. I hope you enjoy the episode! *********************************************************************************************************** This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amyclark0615.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Sep 23

    Jumping Off the Creativity Cliff

    Welcome to the first episode of Sketchbooks and Stigmas, a podcast aimed at exploring the relationship between creativity, mental health, and advocacy! Okay, so actually, we have already posted this before. Two years ago, my husband and I started a podcast, and we only published it on Substack. We ended up having so much fun with it, we decided to expand to new platforms. So we added an introduction, and are now republishing all the old ones, and then will continue with new episodes later in the fall. For a few years now, I’ve had this idea on the back burner for a maybe-possibly-someday-podcast. I thought it might be fun to record some conversations with my husband, talking about our creativity and mental health journeys, and how we are attempting to incorporate all aspects of who we are into our life together. I know the things we struggle with, and as a therapist, I know that they are the same things that other people struggle with as well, and so I wondered if maybe listening to us talking about all of it might help other people at least not feel so alone, even if we can’t help them find any answers. And while we’re at it, let’s talk about advocacy, too, because that’s near and dear to my heart and is very much needed today. Hope you enjoy the show! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amyclark0615.substack.com/subscribe

    Jumping Off the Creativity Cliff
  • 4 Episodes

About

Welcome to a slightly unhinged podcast where creativity meets the messy, meaningful parts of being human. Hosted by photographer, and writer Amy Clark, and Leo Clark, art teacher, this podcast explores the intersection of creativity, mental health, and advocacy. Through honest conversations with each other and interviews with fellow creatives, Amy and Leo explore inspiration, vulnerability, purpose, struggle, and the power of using our creative voices to make a difference. Expect real talk and conversations that feel less like a lecture and more like a chat between friends. amyclark0615.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Amy Clark and Leo Clark
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Amy Clark
  • Show Website
    Sketchbooks and Stigmas