Skip to main content
Songs for the Struggling Artist

Songs for the Struggling Artist

By Songs for the StrugglingArtist

I blogcast about Artist stuff. And Arts Related stuff. Also feminism.
*In each episode, I read a post from my Songs for the Struggling Artist blog and play a song at the end.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Castbox Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Whisper Acting

Songs for the Struggling ArtistMar 19, 2024

00:00
14:58
Whisper Acting

Whisper Acting

We decided to watch the second season of The Wheel of Time (A fantasy adventure show on Amazon) and by the middle of the show, we were laughing our faces off. This was not because the show is funny. It is not. It takes itself very seriously. But we were cracking ourselves up due to the near universal use of Whisper Acting. The Wheel of Time is hardly the first show to go all in on Whisper Acting but they go hard and it happened to be the show where it started to become ridiculous.

We started talking about it because the dialogue was so hard to hear or understand and yet the action sequences were loud and aggressive. We’ve read many of the articles and watched the videos about the trends in sound design that make this happen and have led to an extraordinary percentage of people using the closed captions or subtitles when watching TV. It’s partly the sound design, sure – but it’s also the acting.

So many people are whispering. Like, so many. Is this what they’re teaching in acting school these days? If so, I kindly request them to stop.

To keep reading Whisper Acting, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist.

This is Episode 390

Song: A Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)

Image of Wheel of Time lifted from the internet.

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Bsky - @erainbowd.bsky.social

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and The Defense ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can support them via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Mar 19, 202414:58
An Indie Theatre Person Visits Some Casting Sites

An Indie Theatre Person Visits Some Casting Sites

In the past few years, when I’ve made theatre or audio drama, I’ve mostly drawn on people who were already in my circle or in the circle of my circle. This is generally my preferred way of doing things, as it allows me to avoid the more businessy side of the business. (I know it’s show business but for me, it’s art.)

But this time, neither my circle nor my circles’ circles were big enough to do the job of casting my show. I had to engage with some casting websites. The last time I went to a casting website was 2018 and they’ve changed a lot in the intervening years. They’ve also changed a lot since I started my company.

To keep reading An Indie Theatre Person Visits Some Casting Sites, visit Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.


This is Episode 389

Song: The Safety Dance

Image by JerzyGorecki via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Bsky - @erainbowd.bsky.social

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and The Defense ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can support them via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Mar 12, 202416:56
Rebroadcast of Performing Arts Going Dark

Rebroadcast of Performing Arts Going Dark

This surprise re-broadcast is brought to you by COVID 19! Almost four years after COVID came into our lives, I have, for the first time, tested positive. I have literally no idea where I could have picked it up but here we are. So, in honor of my positive test and the upcoming four year anniversary of this business, I give to you this encore episode. It was 195.

If you'd like to read it instead, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

Song: Dragon Ate My Boyfriend

Image by Mauriciokell via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Bsky - @erainbowd.bsky.social

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and The Defense ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. You can support them via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Mar 05, 202426:24
Your Favorite Feminist Killjoy Goes to See Six, The Musical

Your Favorite Feminist Killjoy Goes to See Six, The Musical

You might think I’d be the target audience for Six. I am, after all, obsessed with reframing old stories so as to give women some power they otherwise might not have in their narratives.

But while Six seems to think it’s doing that, it almost feels like the opposite.

The premise is paper thin. The six wives of Henry VIII gather together to put on a show and have a contest to see who had it worse. (Spoiler alert?) That’s really all there is to the show.  Each wife sings a song about her troubles and then they spend the last five minutes trying to imagine an alternate history. That is literally all there is to the show. It’s a variety show disguised as a musical. Which, you know, fine, what do I care? Variety shows can be fun.

I resent it, though, and I suppose it’s because they’re framing it as if they are doing these historical women a favor by dressing them up in pop star girl boss outfits and giving them some bland songs with vocal calisthenics to sing. Somehow I doubt any of Henry VIII’s wives would appreciate it.

They call it a history-mix. Get it? It’s like a remix but with history.

To keep reading Your Favorite Feminist Killjoy Goes to See Six, The Musical visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 388

Song: I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am

Image be Reedturner via Wikicommons

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Bsky - @erainbowd.bsky.social

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and The Defense ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. You can support them via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Feb 27, 202417:25
Introducing The Defense

Introducing The Defense

This is a taste of my new audio drama. You can help us out by subscribing to The Defense, giving it five stars and writing a review!

If you've listened to The Dragoning, you'll hear some familiar names and some new ones!

A live recording of an audio drama podcast about a group of women grappling with their defense, a seemingly magical power that protects them from harm.  Get a glimpse behind the curtain of live podcast drama. Come see the serio-comic podcast sauce get made, four episodes at a time. TW: Women laughing. Men dying.  

We’ll be performing at Jalopy in Brooklyn at 7pm on January 21, February 11, March 10th and April 14.

Tickets available for ⁠March 10th⁠ and ⁠April 14⁠.

Don’t worry if you haven’t been to previous shows. We’ll catch you up at the top!

The first episode of the podcast is available now on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple⁠, ⁠Amazon⁠, ⁠Pocket Casts⁠, ⁠Radio Public⁠, ⁠Pandora⁠, ⁠Podchaser⁠, ⁠iHeart⁠, ⁠Deezer⁠, ⁠JioSaavn⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠ or here on our ⁠website⁠.


Performed by: Marcella Adams, Amber Jessie, Cosmic Kitty, Kristen Vaughan, Toni Watterson

Written and Directed by Emily Rainbow Davis

Sound Design - Matt Powell

Sound Engineer - Daniel Massey

Sound Assistant - Angela Santillo

Stage Management by Ella Lieberman

Produced by Melvin Yen

A new audio drama about a support group of women with a unique set of powers. Recorded live, with an audience

To help us make it, visit our⁠ Ko-fi page⁠ and donate. (We are a 501c3.)

Feb 20, 202418:38
It Is So Much Easier to Not Make Things

It Is So Much Easier to Not Make Things

It’s December. I’m back to putting on a show. I’m doing all the things you have to do to make a show happen. I’m getting a team together. I’m casting actors. I’m writing a press release. I’m crafting a marketing strategy. And at a every inflection point, I think, “Golly this is hard.” I think, “Why did I get myself into this?” And at every turn in the road, I think, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just not?” At every mile marker I feel sure I’ve made an irreversible mistake and failure is inevitable.

The fact is, it WOULD be easier to just not. It’s always easier to not do than to do. Always! (Well, almost always.) It would be nice if the arc of the universe bent toward justice but it seems more accurately to bend toward inertia. It is really quite remarkable anyone makes anything at all! I have renewed admiration for anyone who ever had an idea and then DID it. It is so much easier to have an idea and then just sit around hoping something will happen with it. That is what most people do. And the reason that is what most people do is because it is incredibly much easier.


To keep reading It Is So Much Easier to Not Make Things visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 387

Song: Easy

Image by Nadim Merrikh via Unsplash

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Bsky - @erainbowd.bsky.social

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and The Defense ⁠here⁠. You can support them via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Feb 20, 202414:12
Rebroadcast of I Am a Dragon Now. The Fear of Men Is My Food.

Rebroadcast of I Am a Dragon Now. The Fear of Men Is My Food.

I'm recovering from recording some episodes of my new Audio Drama series, The Defense - so I'm rebroadcasting the inspiration for the previous Audio Drama series (The Dragoning).

You'll probably also hear some carryover into The Defense.

And I forgot to say during the intro that this post was provoked by the Kavanaugh hearings.

*

An excerpt: I am nice. I am so nice. My whole life I have been told I am nice. When I received criticism, it was that I was too nice. And not just once either. Over and over and over again. “You’re too nice!” they’d say.

But that’s over. It’s over. I am a dragon now. Tell me I’m too nice again.

*
It didn’t have to be this way. The arc of the universe could have bent toward justice a little sooner and I would have remained as I was. I could have stayed that person who wrote sweet plays that mostly worked out in the end – you know the kind, the ones where smart women hook up with slightly dorky temporarily clueless men and everyone’s happy. You could have had more of those plays. You could have had love songs and dream novels and light sparkling in the trees. I would have happily smiled my way through the rest of my life. I would have looked past a lot of bad behavior to have a seat at the table. But you didn’t give me a seat at the table so I brought a folding chair, as the great Shirley Chisholm advised. But now I am a dragon and every chair and the table will be burnt to the ground.

This is Re-broadcast of Episode 115

Song: Kid Fears

Image courtesy of the NYPL digital collection


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and The Defense here. You can support them via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Feb 13, 202420:23
Rebroadcast of The Glamour of Grammys - Ep 82

Rebroadcast of The Glamour of Grammys - Ep 82

I am without much voice today so I'm rebroadcasting an early episode. Believe me, none of us want to hear my "Easy like Sunday morning" today.

And because it was the Grammys yesterday and a lot of people are talking about them, I thought I'd reshare this one.

*

In the old times, the fairies roamed the green hills. They were powerful and mischievous. There were many varieties of fairy – with different specialties but the power they principally possessed was something called glamour. It was an enchantment that placed a sparkling illusion over a human’s eyes. The glamour made the ugly beautiful. It made the empty full. It turned a pile of old shoes and tin cans into a pile of gold shoes and diamond glasses. It turned a heap of ashes into a scrumptious looking cake and murky dirty water into rich red wine. Fairy gold is not real gold. It is something that has been glamoured.

Most humans are powerless to resist the glamour and some are trapped in Fairyland forever, having eaten a mouthful of ashes or followed a trail of gold right into a trap. But a few humans see through the glamour, past the shine over their eyes, to whatever lies behind it. Perhaps those humans have a little bit of fairy in them themselves, so they see the trick. I imagine myself as one of those with a little fairy in my blood, stumbling into fairyland with my friends and watching, in horror, as they all fall under the enchantment of the glamour. I imagine I’d try and stop them, like Caliban in The Tempest, trying to convince his colleagues that finery they see “is but trash.” But it’s no use. They are lost. Perhaps it’s better to be under the spell, to be convinced that the shine around you is real and beautiful and all for you.

Grammys 2018.
“Music’s Biggest Night.
Glitter and glamour on the red carpet.”
Emotional Star-Studded
Powerful Moments”

I was there. 

To read more of The Glamour of the Grammys, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is a re-broadcast of Episode 82

Song: The Glamorous Life

Image of a Grammy winer eating on the floor by me, Emily Rainbow Davis

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Feb 06, 202423:10
SEO Is So Dumb

SEO Is So Dumb

For years I’d been seeing discussions of “SEO” all over my websites. Every company seemed to want to help me improve this SEO business so I eventually looked it up to try and understand it. In case you don’t have six websites the way I do, (I am a maniac. They’re hereherehereherehere and right here) or maybe you’ve never encountered SEO before or maybe SEO stands for “Sexy Elephant Opera” for you – allow me to explain. In this case SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It is what you’re supposed to do to make yourself easy to find on the web. People who are concerned about discoverability and visibility on the internet tend to care a lot about SEO.

I am, as someone who makes many things in this digital space, very interested in making myself discoverable so I looked into it. Most of the companies that make CMS (Content Management System) templates give their users tools to optimize their searchability.

To keep reading SEO Is So Dumb visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 386

Song: The Duck Song

Image by Merakist via Unsplash


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Jan 29, 202415:38
Some Good News for Some Friends, From the Future

Some Good News for Some Friends, From the Future

On my way to go see a dance piece, I stopped off at the Drama Bookshop and noticed that they had a collection of plays written by my old friend. I figured I should buy it, since I have a goal to dedicate a shelf, nay, a bookcase, to the work of my friends. Also, I wanted to read the plays. Over the years, we’ve been less in touch so I haven’t managed to see everything or read everything.

In our twenties, we were very close. We talked on the phone many nights a week and we’d go out and wander the streets of New York, finding delicious tidbits to eat. We talked about our ambitions and our hopes. He dreamed of seeing his plays on Broadway and I wanted that dream for him too. It was a time of much angst and sometimes we’d both of us slip into hopelessness. You really have no idea what’s coming. I guess we never do.

To keep reading Some Good News for Some Friends, From the Future, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 384

Song: Wednesday

Image a page from the book I was quoted in - Feldenkrais for Actors

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Jan 23, 202414:50
Timeline Confusion on a TV Show

Timeline Confusion on a TV Show

The scene is a flashback. It’s looking like the 60s because the teen is in a silky turtleneck mini dress and the mom’s hair is up, cocktail hour style. But the song is Jim Croce’s “I Got a Name” which came out in 1973, so probably it’s supposed to be 1973 and this group is just rocking their clothes from eight years ago. I mean, that’s how humans are, sometimes. They wear their clothes from the previous decade. Not everyone is in style all the time. And hey, maybe this song isn’t telling us it’s 1973. Maybe it’s later in the 70s and they’ve just chosen this song for this party for its metaphorical value. But judging by the fashion and the music, it’s around 1973. But who are these people?

They’re normally not on this show that is set in the now times. We’ve never seen them before. It’s a flashback, so we have to work out who they are from their names. It turns out, the teen is Jean – who in the now times is played by Gillian Anderson and her younger sister, Joanna, played in the now times by Lisa McGrillis. The scene makes plain some character history but it really confuses the timeline. It has baffled me so much, I have not been able to stop thinking about it for days. Why does this bother me so much? That’s what I’m here to work out.

The TV show is Sex Education and Gillian Anderson is Jean, the mother of the central character.

To keep reading Timeline Confusion on a TV Show visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 385

Song: I Got a Name

Image from a friend's Facebook page. I'm sorry I don't know it's original source. Though if I did, I'd probably make fun of them for their historical inaccuracy.


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jan 23, 202419:58
An AI Dilemma (in Podcasting and Beyond)

An AI Dilemma (in Podcasting and Beyond)

When I heard (in an Audio Drama group), about the AI descriptions taking over podcasts on Goodpods (a podcast platform), I headed straight over to see if my audio drama (The Dragoning) had been subjected to this treatment. It was not, so I moved on with my week, not thinking much of it. Then another audio drama group began to talk about how outrageous and wrong these descriptions were and how they were pulling their shows from the platform. So I went back to check and, still, The Dragoning was unaffected. But this time, I thought to check my other podcast, the audio version of this blog, and lo and behold, there was a whole bunch of text I’d never seen before.

There was a description of my podcast, a paragraph about who should listen to it and a summary of three episodes. And unlike the descriptions of my colleagues’ podcasts, it was pretty accurate. Actually, it sounded like a PR person got ahold of my work and went to town. It sounds like a pretty nice review. If a person had written it, I would be flattered. But a person didn’t write it so it just made me confused. Does the AI who created this text really think I’m insightful? No. It doesn’t think. Period. It doesn’t even know what insightful means. It’s likely just using predictive text to write a reasonable sounding bit of copy.


To keep reading An AI Dilemma (in Podcasting and Beyond) visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 383

Song: Robots

Image via the AI on Goodpods

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis




Jan 09, 202425:43
Welcome to My Grant Info Session

Welcome to My Grant Info Session

There are about thirty artists in the classroom that is not designed for a lecture but is being used for one anyway. We are required to attend this information session in order to be eligible for our local arts funding. It is a two hour Power Point presentation about how to fill out the grant form. About an hour into it, the facilitator asked “Are we having fun?” and the silence was deafening. The facilitator is very personable and he’s working so hard to make this content less deadly than it is. But telling thirty artists how to fill in forms for grants, mostly between $1000 and $5000, is not scintillating presentation material.

I’ve been sitting in presentations like this for over twenty years now and every single one of them is like this. Or worse. They are a colossal waste of artists’ time, no matter which borough or organization is sponsoring them. Whether it’s the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council or the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Queens Council on the Arts or the Brooklyn Arts Council, they all require that artists sit pliantly in uncomfortable chairs for two hours to hear how to fill out a form. Every time it makes me furious and is a major reason for my not applying for funding as often as I should. The grants themselves are onerous but the patronizing info sessions are somehow worse.


To keep reading Welcome to My Grant Info Session, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.


This is Episode 382.

Song: Thin Line

Image by Mel Poole via Unsplash


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jan 02, 202425:33
How I Became the #4 Singer-Songwriter in Queens

How I Became the #4 Singer-Songwriter in Queens

This week I found out I had reached the #4 spot on the Singer Songwriter charts in Queens. This kind of success doesn’t come around very often in my life so I thought I’d share what I did to make it happen.

You know what I did?

Absolutely nothing.

Not one single thing.

Last week, I got a notice that, since I hadn’t logged on in so long, Reverb Nation was going to suspend my account. So I logged in. That’s all I did. I didn’t upload new songs. I didn’t change my profile pics. I didn’t upload a video. I didn’t enter a contest or message my “fans”. But a few days after I logged back in, I got the notice that I was in the top ten of singer songwriters in Queens. However this achievement happened, it had absolutely nothing to do with me or any action I took.

To read more of How I Became the #4 Singer-Songwriter in Queens visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 381

Image of my Reverb Nation Account (including my rank at #4!)

Song: Sleepover by Emily Rainbow Davis c 2007

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Dec 18, 202315:18
I May Have Listened to My Last Wrongful Conviction Podcast

I May Have Listened to My Last Wrongful Conviction Podcast

As you might have surmised, I listen to a lot of podcasts. I used to do a podcast recommendation of every episode of my own podcast. While True Crime isn’t my top genre, sometimes it can satisfy the itch for an involving, multi-layered mystery. There’s not always a solution or resolution (which I do not find satisfying) but the journey there is usually very compelling. There are a lot of great shows beyond Serial – which may have kicked off the popularity of this genre. I’ve gotten into stories about corruption (Dead EndTrump Inc), drugs (The 13th StepDocument), theft (Last SeenBelieve in Magic), and, of course, murder (Bone ValleyIn the DarkSuspect). I believe there’s a sub-genre in the murder True Crime scene – Wrongful Conviction.

And while I’m not sure I’m ready to swear off True Crime podcasts or even murder themed True Crime podcasts, I do think I’m done with the Wrongful Conviction podcasts. They just make me so angry! They are infuriatingly full of cops railroading young people into confessions or hiding evidence or obscuring facts. It is enraging. And now I can’t listen to one without shouting, “Don’t talk to the police!” – at the show. As if I could prevent the inevitable injustice that’s coming by persuading the person not to talk to the police. It’s so bad I feel like the whole genre should be called, “Don’t talk to the police.” Now, until my friend showed me this video I did not know how important it was to NOT talk to the police. I sort of thought, “Well, should I ever be in a position where the police want to talk to me, I should do my best to be helpful, to tell them what they need to know!” Nope. That is the wrong idea. Very little good can come from talking to the police. The police will tell you, if they’re trying to keep you out of trouble, not to talk to the police.


To keep reading I May Have Listened to My Last Wrongful Conviction Podcast visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 380

Image via Pixabay

Song: Don't Talk to the Police by Emily Rainbow Davis, with structural help from Scott Ethier


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Dec 12, 202314:49
Spotify Is Acting Like a Cartoon Villain

Spotify Is Acting Like a Cartoon Villain

Over a decade ago, my friend wished I could be there to sing her baby some lullabies so I recorded some and wrote one specifically for him. Then I burned those songs onto a CD and put them in the mail. I did this for a fair number of my friends with babies for a fair number of years. Then some of the parents of those babies wished they could listen to them on Spotify and so I put them up there and they became available for anyone who wanted them. Now, hardly anyone has a CD player anymore, so I send new babies a link. It’s somehow not as special but companies like Spotify made it this way.

My music has been on Spotify for something like seven years now. Of all the albums up there, the lullabies are the most popular and my friends who listen to them there like knowing that I get a little payment every time they listen. That’s not something that happens when you listen on a CD. The payment on Spotify isn’t much (between .002 and .005 cents per play). I made $43.24 last year (from all the streaming services, not just Spotify) but it’s something. And it is a meaningful something. It’s money I have earned in sharing my music with the world. I could have kept these songs for only the families I made them for but in sharing them on Spotify, I can also maybe buy a stuffed animal or a book for one of these babies, in addition to writing them a song.

Do I get a lot of streams? No. I don’t have a fanbase. I don’t have an agent. And Spotify’s discoverability algorithm is useless. Some of my songs get only six streams a year.

To keep reading Spotify Is Acting Like a Cartoon Villain visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 378

Song: Reuben's Lullaby

Image by JJ via Wiki Commons

Link for artists to protest

Link for customers to protest

Video about what's going on


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Dec 05, 202319:19
Questioning My Sense of History - Or, Some Historical Inquiry Inspired by Deutschland 83

Questioning My Sense of History - Or, Some Historical Inquiry Inspired by Deutschland 83

Sometimes you have an awareness of the historical quality of the moment you’re going through. I had a very clear sense that things would never be the same after the eleventh of September, 2001. I could feel the day being engraved in the land, in our memories, in our timelines. But a lot stuff doesn’t FEEL significant while it’s happening, especially childhood events, even if people TELL you a moment is momentous, sometimes it just all blends together in the fabric of a life.

I’ve lived long enough now that folks are making historical period dramas about eras I remember. It is super weird to see production teams get this wrong. Or to watch styles be elevated from a niche corner to a dominant style. (“No, 7 Lives of Lea, we did not all wear mesh, tiny tank tops and chokers all the time in the 90s. Your research included too many promo shots from the WB.”)

But sometimes, the events are so far in the past, I question my own memory of them. I know I am often wrong about what year a pop song came out, for example, so it’s very possible I can also misremember historical events.

I started to think about this while watching Deutschland 83, which, you’ll be shocked to learn, takes place in Germany in…1983. 


To keep reading Questioning My Sense of History - Or, Some Historical Inquiry Inspired by Deutschland 83 visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 378

Song: Major Tom (Coming Home)

Image: Screenshot from Deutschland 83


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Nov 28, 202321:45
Some Actor Training You Don't Get in School

Some Actor Training You Don't Get in School

When I was in high school and dreaming of being an actor, I read a lot of the major acting texts. I read Stanislavksi. I read Stella Adler. I read Uta Hagen. I read Sanford Meisner. I was particularly enchanted with the Meisner book and tried to square it with the Meisner exercises we’d done at the Governor’s School for the Arts. They didn’t QUITE connect and I could never really apply what I learned to actual shows but I was captivated and all these texts seemed to strive for a more authentic, emotionally honest style of acting. A lot of acting training is concerned with this authenticity. A lot of acting training takes itself very seriously. I took it all pretty seriously. I took myself pretty seriously, truth be told.

And then I started working as an actor. The concerns of working actors have very little in common with acting training. For the most part, the jobbing actor becomes less concerned with whether or not you can tell someone their shirt is brown with authenticity (Yes, this was an exercise I did when I was 15.) but whether or not you can be heard and understood by the audience.

To keep reading Some Actor Training You Don't Get in School, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 377

Song: Twist and Shout

Image by Stem List via Unsplash

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Nov 21, 202315:28
I Wish Lockwood and Co Would Give George a Break

I Wish Lockwood and Co Would Give George a Break

After I finished writing my novel for kids, I realized I was not particularly well versed in what kids were reading these days and so set out to read all the contemporary middle grade fiction I could get my hands on. Top of my list: The Secret KeepersThe Incorrigible Children of Ashton PlaceThe Bromeliad Trilogy, The Girl Who Drank the Moon and Miss Ellicott’s School for the Magically Minded. There’s a lot of great stuff out there. And they tend to be real page turners compared to a lot of adult books.

One of the books I encountered on my search was The Screaming Staircase, the first book of the Lockwood and Company series. It takes place in a world where children work as ghost hunters because adults can’t see spirits. It’s somehow both Victorian and contemporary and has the charming quality of being a workplace story for kids. I know the youth love a ghost and here kids can see them and hear them and fight them every night. I liked it. In theory. But I wasn’t compelled to read more than the first one for some reason, even though the story was clearly not complete after Book One.

To keep reading I Wish Lockwood and Co Would Give George a Break, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.


This is Episode 376

Song: Ghostbusters

Image of the. book cover lifted from the author's website

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Nov 14, 202323:01
More Empress Elisabeth Rage Content (Or, Yes, I Watched Corsage)

More Empress Elisabeth Rage Content (Or, Yes, I Watched Corsage)

After reading a bit about the history of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (because of questions that came up after watching The Empress), I learned of another Empress Elisabeth (AKA Sisi) project in the pipeline. The film, Corsage, was reported to look at the darker side of the empress, dealing with her fatphobia, her tightlacing and obsession with her extremely long hair. After the overly romantic fantasy version of this woman in The Empress, I was ready for a thornier Sisi.

I thought this new film might be a more historically accurate version of events because of the inclusion of these less attractive aspects of her personality but as I watched it, I didn’t need to read more history to notice it was just as made-up as The Empress, if not more. The thing about The Empress was it was clear to me why they made up the fictions that they did. A love story between relative equals is a lot more attractive than the Emperor marrying a young teenage girl. It is a beautiful fantasy to imagine an empress wanting to help the poor so much she would give a factory urchin her shoes. I actually understand these impulses, even though they irked me.

To keep reading More Empress Elisabeth Rage Content (Or, Yes, I Watched Corsage) visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

Song: Landslide

Image of Empress Elisabeth by Franz Xaver Winterhalter via Wikicommons.

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Nov 07, 202320:38
Why Are You Wasting Your Time Directing?

Why Are You Wasting Your Time Directing?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this thing someone said to me when I was in graduate school. I’d just performed a role I’d always dreamed of playing (Imogen in Cymbeline) and at the cast party was propped up on some chairs resting the ankle I’d twisted during the show. A faculty member came up and complimented my performance (those compliments are lost to my memory) and then said, “I don’t know why you’re wasting your time directing.”

Let me give you some context for this very odd compliment. I was there in that graduate program as a directing student. I was less than one year away from an MFA in Directing. My class had only one director and it was me. This particular faculty member, while not someone I studied with, was married to my advisor – that is, my primary directing teacher. In praising my performance, she was also dismissing my entire purpose in being there.

To keep reading "Why are you wasting your time directing?" please visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 374

Song: Compliments (Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8ShAosqzI)

Image of me in Angela Santillo's Up, Up and Done, produced by The Motor Company - Photo by my mom

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Oct 31, 202318:39
Can Businesses Do the Business They Do, Please?

Can Businesses Do the Business They Do, Please?

By the time I signed up with Patreon, I’d had about thirteen years of fundraising experience. Having started a theatre company in 2001, I’d explored all kinds of ways to fund our work. In the beginning, it was just writing letters and asking for help. (Weirdly, still the most successful method.) Then, as the internet became more integrated into our lives, we watched Charity Donor Portals come and go out of business and then crowdfunding kicked in. We ran campaigns on CrowdRise and Indiegogo and probably a few others I’ve already forgotten about. These were all for my non-profit theatre, not for me personally. These were funds which only rarely benefited me in a financial way. But in those days, there was not yet a reliable way to get support for me, as an individual artist.

I could raise funds for projects but not for my ongoing support, not for my writing, for example.

Patreon came along as a way for folks who were making things on the internet to get paid for the things.

To keep reading Can Businesses Do the Business They Do, Please? visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.


This is Episode 373

Song: Mind Your Own Business

Image by David Ring via WikiCommons

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠⁠@erainbowd⁠⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Oct 24, 202321:16
Writers Aren't Magic

Writers Aren't Magic

A writer of my acquaintance recently had an op-ed published in the Washington Post about theatre and what should be done about the death spiral it seems to be in. In the piece, she proposed some ways to fix some of the problems the field has found itself in. She named the difficulties, the history and offered a solution.

In watching the response to the article roll in, I was struck by how those who were opposed to her ideas seemed to think the proposal was a plan that was about to be put into place. They seemed to think this was a thing that was about to happen. (One thing she suggested was to give funding for big arts institutions directly to artists instead.) There were cries for the loss of these institutions, for the loss of jobs, for the impossibility of artists taking responsibility for their own budgets. It seemed like they thought this writer was a wizard and was giving notice of what she was about to do with her magic wand. They seemed to attribute great powers to this writer, to imagine she could, with a series of words in a major newspaper, transform the whole of American Theatre, whether the American Theatre wanted it or not.










To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠@erainbowd⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Pinterest⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠here⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Oct 17, 202319:34
Productivity and the Arts

Productivity and the Arts

While I am a big fan of having an artistic practice, (the kind where you just do your art, whether you’re in the mood or not), I’m also a big believer in the power of staring out a window. I think a full artist’s life is a combination of the two – periods of dedicated work or practice and periods of staring out the window. I fear, in our (metaphorically speaking) productivity obsessed world, that the staring out the window piece will be (or has been) lost.

One of the reasons to go to an artist’s residency in a beautiful place is that it gives you new windows and new stuff to stare at through them. New ideas may come with new perspectives like that. I imagined, when I went to Crete, that if I did nothing else, staring at previously unseen landscapes would be of great benefit to my work.

To keep reading Productivity and the Arts visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 371

Song: Come to My Window

Photo by me, Emily Rainbow Davis

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠@erainbowd⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Pinterest⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠here⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis



Oct 10, 202315:57
Wait, A Playwright Is an Artist?!

Wait, A Playwright Is an Artist?!

The barista at one of my local coffee spots noticed I’d been gone awhile so when he asked, I told him I’d been in Crete at an artist’s residency. He’s from Cyprus so we had a good old chat about food and language and weather and then I went outside to drink my coffee and write.

Mid-write, a man walked up to me and said, “Did I overhear you say you were at an artist residency?” “Yes,” I said.

“Oh, what kind of artist are you?” he asked.

“I’m a playwright,” I said, which is, of course only part of the story but for the purpose of this artist residency I was at, it’s the simplest answer, so I told him “playwright.”


To keep reading Wait, A Playwright Is an Artist? visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 370

Song: Pagliacci

Image by Anna Kolosyuk via Unsplash

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠@erainbowd⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Pinterest⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠here⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Oct 02, 202317:34
The Mysterious Disappearance of My Local Arts Council

The Mysterious Disappearance of My Local Arts Council

Because my play is about Cretan history and the neighborhood I live in is full of Cretans (and other Greeks), I figured I should apply to my local arts council for some hyper local funding. That is, New York State or New York City funding would be too broad, I would need Queens funding. So I went to the Queens Council on the Arts’ website and all that was there was a little box for putting in a password. There was no website there or anywhere. I went to their NYC gov page and it led to several defunct social media pages. Was the Queens Council on the Arts no longer operational? I felt like I should have heard something if this were the case. Isn’t this news?


To keep reading The Mysterious Disappearance of My Local Arts Council visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 369

Song: Take the Money and Run

Image of QCA from Spectrum News


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: ⁠https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist⁠

Join my mailing list: ⁠www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/⁠

Like the blog/show on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/⁠

Support me on Patreon: ⁠www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis⁠

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: ⁠http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis⁠

or PayPal me: ⁠https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist⁠

Join my Substack: ⁠https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/⁠

Follow me on Twitter ⁠@erainbowd⁠

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Pinterest⁠

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning ⁠here⁠ (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany⁠

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Sep 25, 202316:37
Feminist Art Might Mean Something Different to Us

Feminist Art Might Mean Something Different to Us

At this evening of art, artist after artist talked about feminism as a key to understanding their work. “Ok,” I thought, “I’m in a safe crowd. There’s no reason to soft pedal the underlying feminist ideas in my work when I talk about it. I’ll just lay some things out that I usually obscure a little bit.” So, thinking I was in a feminist crowd, I talked about some feminist stuff and explained some of its feminist underpinnings.

How quickly I discovered that I had misread the room! Immediately, I got pushback about an underlying conceit in The Dragoning. (A show, by the way, that while it IS feminist in its mission, I’ve never explicitly labeled it as such.) The next thing I knew I was trying to explain that yes, men do kill women. And at absolutely terrifying rates. (How I wish I’d had numbers right then – but now I know that, globally, it’s six women every hour.) All night long, I’d been hearing feminist, feminist, feminist but as soon as an actual feminist issue came up, the room seemed very different. How did we all have such different perspectives on feminist art?

To keep reading Feminist Art Might Mean Something to Us, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 368

Song: Put Yourself First

Image by Wilhelm Gunkel via Unsplash


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Sep 19, 202313:52
Was the Residency Productive?

Was the Residency Productive?

In the past, I’ve made my own residencies – with the assistance of my friends’ generosity of space. These self-styled residencies have always been highly focused and productive dives into a project. But this time, at my first official residency (i.e. not one I made up) I found something quite different than the ones I invented.

Funnily enough, I found this group residency not nearly as productive as ones I’ve done on my own. What with so many activities and long leisurely meals and field trips and lectures and presentations, our days were so jam packed I could barely squeeze my daily writing practice in, much less dive deeper. There was so much stimulation, so many interesting people, so much to respond to, I found it difficult to drop into the kind of quiet I need to make words into something significant. You might think this trip, this residency, had been a failure if you were measuring by productivity but it occurs to me that residencies like this one may be for something else.

To keep reading Was the Residency Productive, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 367

Song: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Image by Emily Rainbow Davis



To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Sep 12, 202319:09
Emily Is Fun

Emily Is Fun

You might be surprised to learn this if you only know me through the blog (or podcast) but once upon a time, I could be counted on to create a bubble of good time around me. It’s one of the reasons it’s not a terrible idea to invite me to your party. (Remember when I asked you to invite me to your party a few years ago? Back in the before times?)  I may tend toward rage, fury and righteous indignation here on the blog but out in the world, I’m generally a reasonably nice and pleasant lady to be around. Having been isolated for so long (even before the pandemic, due to the migraines) I sort of forgot what my own personality could be like.

To read more of Emily Is Fun visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 366

Song: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Image by Emily Rainbow Davis from Mudhouse Agios Ioannis Crete

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis



Sep 04, 202314:06
The One Thing I Might Have in Common with Ron DeSantis

The One Thing I Might Have in Common with Ron DeSantis

There are so many reasons  I’m glad to be alive in JUST this moment. There are abundant stories to read or watch. I can listen to music anywhere I go. Podcasts are a thing. Migraine medicine is really taking giant leaps ahead. It is a richer world in terms of diversity and representation. So much progress has been made.

But as my 50th birthday looms ahead, I find I am also in a kind of mourning for the world I grew up in. Sometimes I feel as though I have been dropped in a strange future and expected to thrive, when the truth is, this strange world grew up slowly alongside me. I may feel like a stranger in it, but we must have grown into this together.

To read more of The One Thing I Might Have in Common with Ron DeSantis, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 365

Song: Last Year's Troubles

Image by DrStew82 via WikiCommons


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Aug 28, 202316:39
In Praise of Medicines

In Praise of Medicines

I used to be the kind of person who tried not to take any medication. If I had a headache, I’d try to avoid taking anything for it out of some sense of nobility or stoicism. Maybe I thought it made me strong to suffer? Maybe I thought it somehow made me a better person? Now that I know that some of those headaches were probably migraines, I understand that this was exactly the wrong strategy. Pretty much every migraine medication works better the sooner you take it.

This tough guy approach of resisting medication is very common in this country. I think of former Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (remember him? Oof) who recommended aspirin and toughing it out for any kind of pain. It’s odd, because on one hand, sure, we are an overmedicated nation. The story is that we take pills for everything and use medication for things we shouldn’t. There is an opioid crisis, after all. But simultaneously, as a nation, we have a strong skepticism about medicine. We’ll take unregulated supplements, unrestricted herbal remedies and expensive “natural” medicines. Like many American things, we’re on a wild pendulum of being both overmedicated and undermedicated simultaneously.

To read more of In Praise of Medicines visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 364

Song: The Remedy (I Won't Worry)

Image by Dan Smeadly via Unsplash

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Aug 21, 202316:03
Internet Memories and Fandoms

Internet Memories and Fandoms

At some point in my youth, my school brought in these Kid News Shows that we would watch at the start of the day. Logistically, I don’t know how this was possible as we were still in the AV cart era and there surely weren’t enough TVs for all the classrooms. Maybe it was a weekly experience? I don’t know. But I remember these kid reporters. They always seemed a little absurd to me, like, they were playing reporter and taking it all a little too seriously. It felt a little like dressing up a pet in a costume and then making it read the news. It was kind of cute and also a little off.

I was listening to a podcast recently that brought those Kids News Networks to mind. It’s a podcast about internet culture and is very much not made for me. I listen to it because, sometimes, it can explain internet mysteries I am just too out of the loop to understand. Mr. Beast, West Elm Caleb, BYU Virgins, etc – these are all things I have (sort of) learned about. I like knowing things. I’ve listened to this podcast for a couple of years and this is the first time the Kids News Network came to mind. I think it’s because they have settled on some standard questions for their guests and those questions make it clear that they are not speaking to me or anyone in my generation or older. It’s kids talking to kids, I guess? (Except, of course, they are not kids. They are full grown adults with their own apartments and this podcast is their job.)

To read more of Internet Memories and Fandoms visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 363

Song: Fish N Chip Paper

Image by Lorenz Frolich via Old Book Illustrations


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Aug 15, 202319:53
Some Passport Drama (A Piece in Three Locations)

Some Passport Drama (A Piece in Three Locations)

I’m sitting outside the Tip O’ Neil Federal Building in Boston. I’ve got another hour before I can get in line to pick up my passport, which is the reason I’ve come here. Not just to this building but to Boston. I feel very sure that there is someone from Boston sitting outside the New York passport office at this exact moment. They can’t believe they had to travel all the way to New York to renew their passport while I’m still shocked I had to travel all the way to Boston.

American government systems can get a little bit silly sometimes and the passport system is especially silly right now. I’m sure there’s some dumb software issue that explains why a person from Boston is compelled to get their passport in New York and I’m compelled to get mine in Boston. It is clearly more efficient (or at least habitual) for the passport office to do it this way – even if it is very silly.

To keep reading Some Passport Drama (A Piece in Three Locations) visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 362

Song: Road to Nowhere

Image by Amanda Bartel via Unsplash


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Aug 08, 202321:36
Joining the Under the Radar Mourners

Joining the Under the Radar Mourners

My friend and I enjoy coming up with more accurate names for performing arts festivals here in NYC. You like the Next Wave Festival at BAM? Me too! We call it the Previous Wave, though, because almost everything in it hit its stride 30 to 40 years ago. Which is not to say it’s not good! Pina Bausch’s company still performs her work with integrity and style. But Pina Bausch died 14 years ago and the last time she was a new up and coming artist was around about 40 or 50 years ago.  

Now everyone’s talking about the Under the Radar Festival recently, due to its being canceled, either permanently or temporarily. My friend and I used to call it the Directly in Line with the Radar Festival due to its shows mostly being works and companies already receiving a fair amount of attention, often European. That is, directly in line with the radar if you happen to have a radar that detects weirdo performing arts. Most of NYC’s Indie Arts scene could be standing directly in front of the Public Theater (home of Under the Radar or UTR) waving our arms and shouting, “Hey Radar! Run that radar this way, would you?”  But somehow almost everyone I know was under Under the Radar’s radar.

To keep reading Joining the Under the Radar Mourners, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 361

Song: Under the Radar

Image: Portrait of me by Christopher Cartmill

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis



Aug 01, 202318:35
The Answer Is Magnets

The Answer Is Magnets

Before bed, I was reading the third book in V. E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy. I had a hard time putting it down as our two heroes were in a very tight spot, battling a killer magician creature that could dissipate itself. How were they going to get out of this mess? And, maybe more to the point, how was the writer going to get them out?

It took me a while to get to sleep as I was turning over the problem but eventually I began to dream and I woke myself up multiple times in the night, trying to will myself to remember the following sentence: The Answer Is Magnets. I’d discovered that particles of this magician creature could be drawn out of things like bowls of soup, with magnets. This creature was metallic in some way, I guess. I loved the elegance of a simple scientific kind of “magic” being the solution to this giant thorny problem.

To read more of The Answer Is Magnets, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 360

Song: Magnet

Image by Andreas_Schur via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me pay off my tickets to and from Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jul 25, 202315:43
Rebroadcast of Still Waiting to Be Discovered

Rebroadcast of Still Waiting to Be Discovered

As a child, I wanted to be an actor but I lived in a small city wherein my opportunities were mostly school plays and community theatre. This did not stop me hoping that some director or producer would stumble upon me and whisk me away to Broadway or the movies. I imagined someone like the Hollywood guy in Cold Comfort Farm seeing me somewhere and a light would shine on me the way it does on Rufus Sewell and he’d know I was gonna be a star!

The fact that I was a shy, quiet, unremarkable looking kid didn’t stop me believing such a thing were possible. I did talent shows and musicals and revues and every play that would let me in. And the people who came would tell me to mention them in my Oscar or Tony speech. Everyone seemed to hold the same dream of my future discovery. Someone, somewhere would recognize my talent and catapult me to the stars.




To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jul 17, 202317:38
Rebroadcast of Art, Entertainment and Spongebob Squarepants

Rebroadcast of Art, Entertainment and Spongebob Squarepants

This is a rebroadcast of my second most popular blogcast. From the blog;

My friend told me about some friends of hers who came to see her dance performance and were clearly pretty baffled by it. She didn’t take this personally because she understood that these friends of hers had no experience of contemporary dance or art in general.

What was ironic about these folks with no art experience was that they were convinced they were dedicated arts supporters. They went to tons of Broadway shows after all; They thought themselves very artistically literate. My friend tried to explain to them that Broadway wasn’t so much art as entertainment but they had no idea what she was talking about.

I think most Americans would have no idea what she was talking about. We conflate art and entertainment so dramatically that it is sometimes very hard to distinguish between the two. I have spent my entire life in the arts and am only now starting to work out the distinction. Art can be entertaining and entertainment can be artful but art and entertainment are not the same thing.

This was Episode 84

Song: Book of Poems - Old 97s

Next week - a rebroadcast of a less popular blogcast

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jul 10, 202322:45
You Just Don't Get It, Do You?

You Just Don't Get It, Do You?

While watching the new Perry Mason show, I heard one character say to another, “You just don’t get it, do you?” and I wanted to ring a bell. Ding, ding, ding! Every screenwriter’s favorite line!

There was a bit of a stir around a movie clip video supercut a while back which featured one character after another saying, “You just don’t get it, do you?” As you watch, you can start to feel crazy as one person after another says, in almost exactly the same tone (because there’s really only one line reading for this text), “You just don’t get it, do you?” with occasional text variations.

To keep reading You Just Don't Get It, Do You? visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 359

Song: See Thru

Image of keyboard by bogitw via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Jul 03, 202314:31
Bring Those Knees In, Boys!

Bring Those Knees In, Boys!

TRIGGER WARNING: This piece will devolve into (imaginary) violence and (imaginary) men will be the victims. Also, some strong language.

*

A few times in the last few months, I’ve gone to the theatre and found I was seated next to a young man. How young, I’m not sure – maybe 20s or 30s? But every time, I find myself contending with their young man knees pressing into mine. It drives me absolutely bananas but I refuse to be knee pressed out of the space to which I am entitled. I’ve sometimes just stuck my coat over my knee and let the young buck press into that. I’ve tried to suddenly pull away. I’ve tried some quick shifting. Those boys don’t even seem to notice. The one next to me at Into the Woods was audibly crying during the Father/Son song “No More” but that didn’t stop him from manspreading into my space. “Hooray,” I thought, “This generation has learned how to cry and experience emotions!” but “Boo! They have actually gotten worse at manspreading than previous generations.”

To keep reading Bring Those Knees In, Boys visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 358

Song: Knees In! sung to the tune of The Bonny Ship the Diamond - new lyrics by Emily Rainbow Davis

Image by Charles Dana Gibson via Old Book Illustrations

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jun 26, 202316:42
Rebroadcast of Ideas, Glitter and Places to Put Them

Rebroadcast of Ideas, Glitter and Places to Put Them

I'm out of the country so I'm posting one of my least played blogcasts. This is the tenth episode! From all the way back in 2016. It features an original song that I gave NO context for whatsoever. I feel I must have explained it later?

Here's the intro of the piece, though:

Over the years I’ve been a part of various schemes that are meant to help artists. Most of the schemes in NYC are schemes to improve our business skills, to make us bigger and more solid institutions. These make me nuts for reasons I have discussed many times before but recently, I’ve been involved in schemes that are meant to help give me ideas and inspirations. These make me nuts in a very different way.

I have so many ideas, folks. I have ideas for breakfast, ideas for lunch, ideas for afternoon tea, dinner and midnight snack. I am rolling in ideas. And I am grateful for that abundance of ideas. I feel I can never have too many – so I am always happy to be a part of something meant to increase my inspiration. But ideas are never my problem.

It’s like ideas are glitter. Glitter is wonderful. It makes everything it touches sparkle. Every time someone gives me more glitter, I’m going to be happy to receive it.

To keep reading Ideas, Glitter and Places to Put Them, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 10

Song: Se Potessi Parlare - an original song by Emily Rainbow Davis

Image via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis



Jun 19, 202312:51
Replay -Screaming Songs for Men

Replay -Screaming Songs for Men

I had to travel to Boston to get my passport renewed last week for this trip to Canada I'm on right now so I couldn't record the podcast in advance as I'd planned so I'm posting a replay/rebroadcast of my most popular blogcast. Next week I'll re-post one of my least popular - just for balance. I'll be back on the regular schedule when I get back to NYC.

For the episode:

For the podcast version of the blog, I try and find a song to pair it with – a song that speaks to the content of the piece. For my piece about screaming, I searched for songs on the subject. There are a fair amount of songs with the word “scream” or “yell” in the title but almost all of them, I found, were by white guys.

I found this phenomenon curious. Why are there so many scream songs by white men? What do white guys have to scream about?
EVERYONE LISTENS TO ME WHEN I TALK!
PEOPLE CLEAR A PATH FOR ME WHEN I WALK DOWN THE STREET!
WHEN WOMEN MAKE 70 CENTS, I MAKE A DOLLAR!
I AM AT THE CENTER OF MOST STORIES!

To read more of Screaming Songs for Men visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 180

Song: Try Screaming by Emily Rainbow Davis

Image by Wolfgang Eckert via Pixabay


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Jun 12, 202318:37
A Nugget of an Idea
Jun 05, 202314:31
Some Secrets of a Migraine Life

Some Secrets of a Migraine Life

When I was at the height of my Teaching Artist powers, I kept an extraordinarily erratic schedule. One morning I’d have to be in Jamaica by 8 am, the next day, I didn’t have a meeting in Manhattan until 4. The following day I’d be in the Bronx from 10 and some days, I’d have gigs in all three boroughs. Some days I’d have no gigs.

I woke up at a different time every day, ate at a different time every day and was rarely in the same place two days in a row. I loved that no two days were exactly alike.

The fact that I once lived and thrived like this is hard for me to reconcile with my current reality. One of the first things I learned about living with migraine is that routine would be my friend. The more predictable I could make my life, the fewer migraines might hit me. I began to try and find the best rhythm and schedule for my body – and while same-ifying my life didn’t stop the migraines entirely, it did make a big difference. I don’t like it. I liked the feeling of never being in the same day twice back when I used to do that. But it is very clear that any disruption of my routine is a trigger for migraine.

To keep reading Some Secrets of a Migraine Life visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 356

Song: The Gambler

Image of the brain via Wikicommons

Explanation of Spoon Theory

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


May 29, 202321:05
Part Two of Lessons in Adaptation (from the Disappointing TV Version of The Power)

Part Two of Lessons in Adaptation (from the Disappointing TV Version of The Power)

This Part Two of a Two Part Series on my viewing of The Power. You can read Part One here. Here’s Part Two:


Since I started writing this, I’ve watched more episodes – which hasn’t really improved my opinion of the show, though I am grateful that it has shifted out of exposition and into stuff happening. But as stuff happens, characters keep saying, “This is going to change the world.” And while I understand that people really do say that in the midst of crisis, as I’m sure we all heard a lot of it in 2020 – it is actually really irritating to hear in a show. Don’t tell me this thing is going to change the world; Just show me the world changing or changed, as the book did. Maybe it’s having lived through these last years but hearing that the world is going to be changed by a thing that some writers made up just rings sort of hollow somehow. “Hey everyone – in this universe we just made up, everyone is growing a tentacle out of their chest! It’s going to change the world!” I hope so! That’s why I’m watching this show, to see what a world where people grow tentacles would look like. I don’t need to know why they grew them. I don’t need to watch them figure out how it happened. Just show me tentacle world, okay? That is the joy of speculative fiction.


To keep reading Part Two of Lessons in Adaptation (from the Disappointing TV Version of The Power) visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.






To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

May 22, 202321:54
Lessons in Adaptation (from the Disappointing TV Version of The Power)

Lessons in Adaptation (from the Disappointing TV Version of The Power)

For years now, I have been hotly anticipating the TV version of the novel, The Power. I would occasionally search for it on IMDB or Google, just to see when we might get a televised version of this book that kept me going in some difficult years. I was advised to read The Power by a friend around about the time dragons came into my life and I feel a kinship with Naomi Alderman and the world she created in her book. In case you haven’t read it, it’s the story of a power that teen girls develop which allows them to generate electricity from their hands. It changes the world and how it changes the world is illuminating. ⚡️ I bought a lot of copies of this book for many of the women in my life. It’s been an important book in recent years and I hoped the TV series would only further electrify me. ⚡️

I’ve only seen two episodes so far and so far it has not electrified me 🚫⚡️ and I’m writing this now to try and understand why and also give myself some notes, in case I ever get the chance to write a TV series.

To keep reading Lessons in Adaptation (from the Disappointing TV Version of The Power) visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 354

Song: She's Electric

Image by 506967 SFX by kirbydx and UniversField via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


May 16, 202323:36
It Feels Like Cheating

It Feels Like Cheating

My friend suggested we both apply to this artist residency in Greece. When I looked at it, I noticed there was a fee to attend and I almost didn’t apply – but then I thought about how much I’d love to be on Crete with my friend so I went ahead and submitted for it, hoping to maybe get one of the few fellowships they offer.

About a month or so later, I got an email saying I was accepted to the residency and then another saying I had not received the Fellowship. And the worst part, my friend had not received an acceptance email. I was wondering if maybe I shouldn’t go, even though these acceptances are rare. (Those of you who read this blog regularly probably have a sense of how rare.) Then I looked more closely at the details of the residency and discovered that it included a visit to an archeological site, excavated by a woman I’d done a ton of research about. I also discovered that we’d have an evening of learning Cretan circle dances – something I’d been looking for an opportunity to explore for a few years now. Suddenly, it felt like I really HAD to go. For my art, for one thing. These two things relate directly to the play I proposed working on there. I had no idea when I applied – and neither did they. It’s the kind of synchronicity that makes art feel magical sometimes.

To read more of It Feels Like Cheating, visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 353

Song: Your Cheating Heart

Image lifted from the Mudhouse Residency website

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Join my Substack: https://emilyrainbowdavis.substack.com/

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

May 08, 202321:15
Travel through International TV

Travel through International TV

For a while, I thought my interest in International Television was coming from a desire to escape, to be so far from my own world that I couldn’t even understand the language or the norms. That may still be a factor, but lately I’ve found that watching these things has revealed things about my own culture, the patterns that were underneath that were previously invisible to me because they were just the air I breathe.

Of course a TV program is not the culture itself. A TV show tends to reveal things about a culture that it wants to be seen doing that aligns with its values or pushes them in illuminating ways. American TV is not American culture but it is how we like to imagine ourselves – and there a lot of things we DON’T do in our TV that reveal as much as we do.

To keep reading Travel through International TV visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 352

Song: Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound

Image of Sheep at a Bus Stop by misterfarmer via Pixabay

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


May 01, 202317:25
Theatre Doesn't Have to Be Toxic

Theatre Doesn't Have to Be Toxic

Once upon a time in New York City, my friends and I started a theatre company. We’d have readings and rehearsals at our apartments. We made molds for masks in my kitchen. We had snacks and drinks and a generally lovely time. We wrote our first fundraising letter at Yaffa Café in the East Village and rubbed one of their buddha statues’ bellies for luck. The bumps in the road were quickly smoothed and we threw some fun post show parties. We also made some pretty kick-ass magical shows, if I do say so myself.

It went like this for a few years but then issues of sustainability started to become more serious. There were the questions of how we could sustain the work as the city got more expensive – and the questions of sustainability in our personal lives, in the things we did for money, or our relationships got very loud. I could see that my career as a teaching artist was not going to be sustainable either so I decided I needed to go to grad school so I could bring myself and my company to the next level.

To keep reading Theatre Doesn't Have to Be Toxic visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 351

Song - The Great God Money song by Dmitri Kalmar and Emily Rainbow Davis from The Great God Money created by Messenger Theatre Company

Image of a post show dinner with Messenger Theatre Company folks around 2003

To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis

Apr 24, 202318:47
How to Be a Spotify Top Artist

How to Be a Spotify Top Artist

At the end of the year, Spotify sends everyone (with an account) a summary of their year on the app/website. They’ll tell you your Top Song and your Top Artist – that is, the stuff you listened to the most. Sometimes it’ll assign you a personality based on this information. One year they told me I was Adventurous because I “listen to non-mainstream artists 100% more than the average Spotify listener”.  Aside from the suspect percentage, I liked this personality assignment. I like to be seen as adventurous. (Handily, this year, Spotify told me that the personality of my podcast listeners was The Adventurer, so I guess we all have something in common.)

But I’ve realized that this yearly accounting of my listening habits is only an effect of the algorithm that runs the thing. It’s given me some insight into how a lot of algorithms work and, given how dominated our lives have become by algorithms, how our cultural moment tends to work. I’ll explain.

To read more of How to be a Spotify Top Artist visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 350

Song: Games without Frontiers

Image from my podcast's Wrapped from Spotify this year


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Apr 18, 202324:60
Targeting the Regulars

Targeting the Regulars

Last year, I wrote about my experience of giving blood for the first time. I read it again in the process of preparing the 2022 zine – and it made me think about what has happened since. You may remember how genuinely terrible the blood donation folks were at welcoming me, a newcomer. It was clear they were set up for regulars. As soon as I donated, the one time, it was clear that I was now a regular in the system’s eyes. Whereas, before I donated I never heard anything about blood donation, now that I was a regular, I hear from the blood center several times a month. I get more messages and phone calls from the blood people than I get from my family and friends. It’s wild. Having donated one single time, I, along with anyone else who’s donated, am expected to solve the citywide blood shortage. I suppose they figure they got blood out of you once, they’re going to get it to happen again. And I will say, I would like to donate again. I really do want to help. It will happen eventually. But the more they harass me, the more guilt trips they employ, the less likely I become to respond. This may work with some people but for me, the surest way to get me to drag my feet in calling someone back is to call multiple times or say something like, “I need you to call me back right away.” I mean – I’ll probably call you back eventually but it’s going to be a long long while. The blood folks have triggered my foot dragging self and none of us are pleased about it.

To read more of Targeting the Regulars visit the Songs for the Struggling Artist blog.

This is Episode 349

Song: Blood Makes Noise

Image by Yunus Tug via UnSplash


To support this podcast:

Give it 5 stars in Apple Podcasts. Write a nice review!

Rate it wherever you listen or via: https://ratethispodcast.com/strugglingartist

Join my mailing list: www.emilyrainbowdavis.com/

Like the blog/show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongsfortheStrugglingArtist/

Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/emilyrdavis

Or help me get to Crete on Kofi: http://ko-fi.com/emilyrainbowdavis

or PayPal me: https://www.paypal.me/strugglingartist

Follow me on Twitter @erainbowd

Me on Mastodon - @erainbowd@podvibes.co

Me on Hive - @erainbowd

Instagram and Pinterest

Tell a friend!

Listen to The Dragoning here (it's my audio drama) and support via Ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/messengertheatrecompany

As ever, I am yours,

Emily Rainbow Davis


Apr 11, 202316:28