//podcastplus.net/feed/the-sellout-diaries-podcast~103ce8cd What does it mean to be an artist? What does it mean to make stuff and not starve for the sake of it? That's the topic of discussion on The Sellout Diaries, the show where we explore the careers of artists and creative thinkers to find out what it takes to go from being a creative nobody to a creative somebody. Join Brock, Amber, Natty, and RP—a team of creative writers turned pros—each week as we make easy jokes about famous artists and help you learn how to follow in the footsteps of the greats and make a living doing what you love. Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:40:48 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/2138690-episode-16-margaret-atwood.mp3 For some artists, it's not just a craft—it's a calling. That's what Margaret Atwood says about her own career, which she chose at age 16 while living in the Canadian wild. Since then, Atwood has written and published everything from poetry to novels to operas with a volume of work that dwarfs even some of the most prolific writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. All along, Atwood has viewed writing as something she could never just "quit," and has shared empowering perspectives on the very nature of humans as storytellers. Join Ryan, Natty, and Amber for a close look at the author and the significant impact works like The Handmaid's Tale have had on the global cultural landscape. Learn how Atwood made a career out of writing, any kind of writing, and pick up some tips for your own creative career. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Thu, 21 Nov 2019 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/2138690-episode-16-margaret-atwood.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/2138690-episode-16-margaret-atwood.mp3?blob_id=6679553 For some artists, it's not just a craft—it's a calling. That's what Margaret Atwood says about her own career, which she chose at age 16 while living in the Canadian wild. Since then, Atwood has written and published everything from poetry to novels to operas with a volume of work that dwarfs even some of the most prolific writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. All along, Atwood has viewed writing as something she could never just "quit," and has shared empowering perspectives on the very nature of humans as storytellers. Join Ryan, Natty, and Amber for a close look at the author and the significant impact works like The Handmaid's Tale have had on the global cultural landscape. Learn how Atwood made a career out of writing, any kind of writing, and pick up some tips for your own creative career. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Thu, 21 Nov 2019 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/2138690-episode-16-margaret-atwood.mp3?blob_id=6679553 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/2042259-episode-15-eartha-kitt-feat-greg-rose-of-future-friends.mp3?blob_id=6314199 When someone already has a voice of their own, you can't give them a voice—only a microphone. And though it took some time for Eartha Kitt to find the voice she had inside, once she let it out the world paid attention. In the face of political pressure and adversity, Eartha Kitt made a career out of entertaining the world even when the powers that be would have preferred she stayed quiet. On this week's episode of The Sellout Diaries, we explore the career of an artist bigger than any one medium with a legacy that continues to live on. Join Ryan, Natty, Amber, and special guest Greg Rose of Future Friends in Indianapolis as we trace the career of dancer/singer/actor Eartha Kitt back to her troubled beginnings to see how she made her living with art. Learn how Eartha got her start and how she used her voice to speak truth to power, no matter the cost. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Mon, 11 Nov 2019 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/2042259-episode-15-eartha-kitt-feat-greg-rose-of-future-friends.mp3?blob_id=6314199 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1546384-episode-14-cervantes.mp3?blob_id=4283314 Sometimes an artist's life can be just as large as the stories they tell. That certainly was true for Miguel de Cervantes, who was no stranger to a military campaign abroad or a jailbreak of his own. When he set out to write a story much longer than any before it, he pulled on his own experiences and set the standard for an entirely new art form: The novel. On this week's episode of The Sellout Diaries, we explore the life and times of an artist so influential, he contributed a timeless character—Don Quixote himself—to the English world's literary canon forever without even speaking our language. Join Brock, Natty, Amber, and RP as we go deep back in time to consider the tenacity of an artist with no comfort, no means, and no shortage of will. Learn how Cervantes created the world's first novel and, at a time when printing presses were still brand new, managed to see his work translated and shared across the globe. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Tue, 13 Aug 2019 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1546384-episode-14-cervantes.mp3?blob_id=4283314 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1480867-episode-13-norman-rockwell-feat-andy-hollandbeck-from-the-saturday-evening-post.mp3?blob_id=4019059 When someone says the words "Americana" and "painting" in the same sentence, most minds probably turn to Norman Rockwell. His unique illustration style blended the soul of a storyteller with the eye of a Renaissance master to create memorable images that served as snapshots of the American way of life throughout the first half of the 20th Century. And while his talent was clear from the start, his dedication to his dream of becoming a professional illustrator gave Rockwell the structure he needed to succeed. Join Brock, Natty, Amber, and RP—along with special guest Andy Hollandbeck, Managing Editor of The Saturday Evening Post—as we explore the career of one of the most commercially successful illustrators of all time. We're seriously honored to have THE MAN from THE POST here to talk about the life and times of Norman Rockwell, and we only mentioned blood a handful of times in this episode. We swear. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1480867-episode-13-norman-rockwell-feat-andy-hollandbeck-from-the-saturday-evening-post.mp3?blob_id=4019059 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1394689-episode-12-whitney-houston.mp3?blob_id=3668308 To all her friends and family, she had always been Nippy—a warm and happy girl with a voice and the pedigree to back it up. But to the world, she was Whitney Houston—the undeniable Queen of Pop, a star whose reach was global and whose influence has changed the pop music game forever. In this episode of The Sellout Diaries, we follow the career of a model, singer, and actor whose career was inevitable as it was tumultuous. Join Brock, Amber, Natty, and RP as we explore the dichotomy captured in the person of Whitney Houston, whose family of singers and savvy businessmen set her up for a rollercoaster ride of number one hits and hundred-million-dollar deals. Together, we'll learn that image plays as big a role as talent in some creative careers—and face the real experience of an artist torn between who she is and who some told her she should be. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1394689-episode-12-whitney-houston.mp3?blob_id=3668308 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1389859-episode-11-iggy-pop.mp3?blob_id=3647887 When Iggy Pop decided he would become a full-time musician, his father gave his blessing—but only if young Iggy could overpower him to break through the door of their trailer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Perhaps seeing a glint of Iggy's trademark madness in his son's eye, old dad quickly jumped out of the way when Iggy made his charge. In this episode of The Sellout Diaries, we explore the career of a man who never stopped charging, through the music scene of Chicago, through the poor advice of money-hungry record executives, and through literal mountains of drugs on the way to punk music fatherhood. Join Brock, Natty, Amber, and RP as we take a close look at the life and times of a consummate rock star. Along the way, we'll learn a thing or two about what it takes to be a creative who sticks to a vision, and how a strong vision can one day pay the bills. This one's wild, y'all. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Tue, 16 Jul 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1389859-episode-11-iggy-pop.mp3?blob_id=3647887 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1389187-movie-commentary-monkey-business-1952.mp3?blob_id=3645148 In our Season 1 episode on Marilyn Monroe, we uncovered a simply  amazing movie from early in Marilyn's career: Monkey Business. This 1952 romp starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Marilyn herself as a secretary that's too sexy for her own good, in the wise words of our own Natty, "Sucks shit." We were so enthralled by the premise—a chimp somehow perfects the chemical recipe for a potion of youth and puts it in the office water cooler—that we had to watch the whole thing. Now, for our intrepid Sellout followers, we've documented the entire experience in the form of a full movie commentary. It's pretty simple: Find a copy of the movie ( like this one on YouTube ), start the commentary, then hit play when Ryan Brock says go. Then, sit back in horror as we take in the absolute horror of this classic Hollywood "comedy." Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Tue, 09 Jul 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1389187-movie-commentary-monkey-business-1952.mp3?blob_id=3645148 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1158947-episode-10-wpa-federal-writer-s-project.mp3?blob_id=2718692 When the entire country was economically devastated, FDR’s Works Progress Administration put millions of Americans to work building bridges, repairing roads—and writing travel guides. The Federal Writer’s Project was an important, essential, and absolutely absurd undertaking, in which 6,600 writers, editors, and researchers were put to work on the government’s dime. Over just a few years, this organization captured the soul of the nation through dozens of travel guides, oral histories, and slave narratives.  Join Brock, Amber, Natty, and RP on our milestone 10th episode, where we explore this federal program that employed the best writers of a generation, from Studs Terkel to Ralph Ellison to Zora Neale Hurston. Each artist had their own opinion of the work—some truly felt they were selling out—but each gained invaluable insight into their own craft along the way. More than any episode before, we dive headfirst into the concept of “selling out” and how critical it is for creatives... Tue, 21 May 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1158947-episode-10-wpa-federal-writer-s-project.mp3?blob_id=2718692 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1141721-episode-9-fleetwood-mac.mp3?blob_id=2652944 On New Year's Eve 1974, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine McVie as the final two members of Fleetwood Mac—or at least the lineup that produced the seminal album  Rumours  that we celebrate today. Along the way, the lines between art and life blurred as relationships strained and turmoil led to profound artistic and commercial success. In a very special episode of The Sellout Diaries, we explore the careers not just of one individual artist, but of the five key players in Fleetwood Mac, who overcame personal struggles to come back together and work again and again. Join Brock, Amber, Natty, and RP as we talk through the life and times of the Mac while squeezing every professional lesson we can from their story. What does it mean to be a professional artist—even when it's not any fun? How can we learn to respect our collaborators to make something worth all the work? Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theselloutdiaries) Tue, 14 May 2019 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/260302/1141721-episode-9-fleetwood-mac.mp3?blob_id=2652944