The Busy Trap
MP3February 23, 2015
Season 3 begins with the talented and inspiring Nicole Belanger. We discuss the power of stories, the glorification of busy and the lack of diversity in our films, books and entertainment in general.
- Don’t be mean to your stories! Nicole basically tells us we’re all too hard on ourselves. Chris agrees, citing the stories featured on Radiolab and This American Life.
- Nicole tells us that she misses writing because lately she’s been updating her website instead of sharing. Check out the new nicole-belanger.com and add it to your reading list.
- Nicole doesn’t want a work-life balance. She believes in a work-life blend.
- Stop glorifying that you’re so busy that you don’t have time to sleep? You’re not a martyr, it’s bad for business.
- Nicole says she was born and raised in Ottawa when Chris accuses her of being a British Columbian.
- Of course, Chris & Nicole won’t say anything disparaging about B.C. Chris digs Kelowna and Nicole really enjoyed time in Victoria.
- Actor Michael Ironside shared his thoughts on B.C. on a Nerdist podcast.
- Nicole says passion is a moving target, so she’s taking Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice and following her curiosity.
- Wild is a book by Cheryl Strayed that inspires Nicole.
- The Reese Witherspoon film based on the book Wild, gets a very positive review as well.
- Nicole tells us that actress Reese Witherspoon produced Wild as well as Gone Girl in an effort to bring complex female characters to the screen.
- Chris agrees that films are full of white males and cites an old blog post, R.I.P.D.:Just How White & Sexist Is Hollywood?
- The Bechdel test will depress you when you apply it to Hollywood movies.
- Paul reminds us that films are not the only media where women are not equally portrayed. #Gamergate
- Of course, the best place to start with equality is children’s books. Check out WeNeedDiverseBooks.org.
- Chris & Nicole talk about another wild book, Into the Wild and its film.
- Nicole offers some great tips for writing, like emailing yourself notes and approaching your own story from the outside as an investigative journalist.
- Nicole makes the case for meditation and suggests the buddhify app.
Nicole would like to remind us to be kinder to ourselves. “If we talked to others how we talk to ourselves, we’d have negative friends.” Find more inspiration from Nicole at nicole-belanger.com and follow Nicole on twitter.