On the Irregular with Java Bere Java Bere

In this episode I talk with writer, poet and playwright, Cordelia O’Neill.We discuss Cordelia’s play ‘Anything is Possible if You Think About it Hard Enough’ about a young couple whose baby is born still. We discuss creativity as a tool for developing empathy and how experiencing loss can bring you closer to joy, love and hope.And we talk about the twist of fate where Cordelia’s life imitated her art.This episode includes swearing and an in depth and detailed conversation about our personal e...

In this episode I talk with Yorkshire artist, Jess Kidd.We discuss Jess’ childhood as an acutely shy child who often lived in her own imaginary world, the comfort she found in creativity as a form of expressing herself, the challenges she experienced at art school and then being diagnosed with health issues that impacted her life dramatically.We also talk about cognitive behavioural therapy and the place it has in her creative process, her multi disciplinary practice and the solace she finds ...

In this episode I talk to photographer Jo Ritchie and writer Laura Mcdonagh.We talk about their work on Projecting Grief, a collection of stories and portraits from individuals who have found comfort, distraction or hope in a creative pursuit after losing someone they love.We also talk about how they came together creatively, their own experiences of grief and how it has changed them in defining ways, the power in sharing your own story of grief and the things we gain through loss.Welcome to ...

In this episode I talk with writer and disabled content creator, Helen Lear.Helen and I met at drama school in Manchester, sixteen years ago. Since then, a lot has happened.In her twenties, Helen dropped her life in the Uk to travel through Australia and New Zealand, envisioning a life of further international travel ahead of her.During this time she began to experience serious health issues that were impacting her day to day life, which led her to the difficult decision of moving back to the...

In this episode I talk with autoethnographic artist Hannah Turlington.We talk about growing up as a people pleaser,training as a teacher despite wanting to study textiles,eventually becoming a textile designer and realising it was no longer what she wanted,grieving the person that she thought she would one day be,Coming to terms with not being able to bear children and her experience of the adoption process.We also talk about her work with a creative mentor and later, Hannah was kind enough t...

In this episode I am talking to calligrapher, bookbinder and writer Gaelle Jolly.Gaelle and I have followed each other on Instagram for many years, and it was a joy to finally meet over zoom.In this chat we talk about our shared love of writing letters, Gaelle’s passion for getting lost in imaginary worlds, we talk about losing her husband and how instagram helped her process her griefWe discuss the dangers of placing all our self worth into our creative process, and how fruit is only excitin...