"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/cw/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/cw/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.
"We wrestle with whether we can curate our lives as we go, or only recognize the shape of it when we look back."
We are currently away from the studio for a few weeks - trading the microphones for the sounds of the bush on a summer camping trip - so we wanted to take this opportunity to re-share a conversation that remains one of our most meaningful.
In this heavy yet heartfelt episode, we step into deeper waters to reflect on the life and legacy of our dear friend, Salima. We explore the idea that every life—intentionally or not—becomes a living work of art. From grief to philosophy, from memory to meaning, we wrestle with whether we can truly curate our lives as we go, or if we can only recognize the shape of them when we look back.
This episode was originally released on 14/04/2025.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Enjoyed this episode? Please share with a friend!
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.
Celebrate a full year of Pain In The Arts as Lyndon and Brea look back on 52 weeks of creative pursuit. Revisit the moments that resonated most, including their most popular episode, "Is Life Art?" (remembering Salima), and the high-energy session with writer Dom Shorthouse. From the professional highs of touring with Gretta Ziller and playing festival stages to the precarious repairs of a vintage Jayswan camper, the duo discusses the beauty of fitting art into the chaotic reality of real life. Plus, a look at their growing Patreon community and what’s in store for 2026.
Pain In The Arts is a Creative Life Chronicles production.
Enjoyed this episode? Please share with a friend!
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 gives you permission to take the riskier creative choice? In this episode, Lyndon and Brea explore that question with Dom—a chef, author, and social entrepreneur who's lived by the principle that the bolder option is almost always the better one, whether in music, art, or life itself. They discuss why taking risks matters even when there's no audience, no stakes, nothing to lose but time—and why sometimes the most worthwhile creative act is one you do purely for yourself. From co-writing a novel with a friend to moving to Cambodia, Dom shares how embracing the uncomfortable—and trusting that it might matter, even if you never see the impact—has become the through-line of his life. A conversation about permission, creativity, and the riskier path forward.
Dom Shorthouse on Instagram @domshorthouse
Ryan Wasoba on Instagram @ryanwasoba
Listen to Ryan Wasoba's 19 Second Songs Vol 1 here: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/19-second-songs-vol-1-ep/1454192831
If you've enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend!
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 mark their 50th episode with a low-key celebration and turn their attention to the crush of Christmas - end-of-year events, family gatherings, school break-ups, gifts, obligations, all piling into the calendar. They talk about how these commitments can derail creative routines, unsettle the rhythm of the work, and crowd out the hours artists fight to protect. But they also trace the other side of it: why these occasions exist, why humans need them, and how communal moments—messy as they can be - remain vital to our wellbeing.
If you know someone who'd love this episode, feel free to share it!
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.
In this episode, Lyndon and Breallyn swap the pressure of "making it big" for the peace of finding your ‘place’. Lyndon shares his recent experience at the Troubadour Weekend at the Burke and Wills Winery, which offered a fresh perspective on what it really means to be an artist. They discuss the exhausting advice creators often hear—like needing a "gimmick" or a "hit song"—and why that competitive, individualistic mindset can be so damaging.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a review - it just might help another artist find their community!
More about Ceri Hand here https://cerihand.com
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 Brett Wood, one of Australia's finest blues guitarists and long-time collaborator with Pete Murray. Brett shares his remarkable journey from a passionate young guitarist who wrote fan letters to Tommy Emmanuel, to becoming a respected session and touring musician, and now launching his solo career as a singer-songwriter.
The conversation explores Brett's nearly two-decade partnership with Pete Murray—including his contributions to the acclaimed Blue Sky Blue album—his fourteen years with Melbourne rock band Electric Mary, and the inspiration behind his debut single "Real Piece of Work."
Brett shares candid insights about working with legendary drummer Chris Layton and the vulnerability of releasing his own material after years as a supporting musician.
An engaging, deeply musical conversation about artistry, mentorship and life in the Australian music scene.
Website: www.brettwood.com
Social Media: @brettwoodmusic (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
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.
Dulgubarra-Yidinji writer, journalist, and marketer Skye Cusack joins the podcast to share her unique and inspiring creative journey. Skye details her powerful path from being unhoused as a teenager to becoming a copywriter, buying her first house, and landing a major publishing contract for her debut novel. She opens up about discovering her authentic voice, tackling heavy themes like cultural disconnection and mental health in her work. Skye also discusses surviving multiple manuscript rewrites and shares the tale of a lone Suzuki Swift, floating down Broome's own Chinatown.
The Dangers Of Just One Person - by Skye Cusack
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 Brea explore creative routines versus spontaneity, examining how different artists work - from Jack Kerouac's three-week feverish writing sprint to Haruki Murakami's unwavering 4am schedule. Through examples including Jackson Pollock's action painting and Stephen King's 2000-words-every-day discipline, they unpack the science behind routine (reduced decision fatigue, incremental creativity) and spontaneity (the incubation effect, breakthrough moments). Lyndon shares his studio approach of capitalizing on spontaneous ideas, while Brea reveals her struggle to abandon household tasks when inspiration strikes.
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 shares his first bass gig experience in tiny Patchewollock before celebrating crucial news: the Australian government has protected copyright laws from AI data mining. Lyndon and Brea discuss the Productivity Commission's controversial proposal, what authors like Hannah Kent and Tim Winton have already had stolen, and why this matters for culture beyond economics. They explore what artists need going forward and conclude with Brea's hopeful vision for a future that values human-made content.
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 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.