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What's in and what's out this year? In this episode, I talk about themes for 2026 of physical health and strength, activism, creativity, and mental well-being. We'll talk about the importance of creative practice and finding peace amidst what is already a challenging year. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Personal Background 02:53 Strength 05:56 Anti-Racism Work & family research 11:48 Navigating News Consumption and Mental Health 15:26 Creative Practices and Artistic Exploration 20:24 Finding Peace

Why do I love this phrase so much, I would put it on my tombstone? How did my art wind up in the Burlington, Vermont Art Hop? Listen to Find out. Thank you to everyone at SEABA and the City of Burlington who made this Art Hop possible. You’ve filled my heart and are keeping my art practice going! Link to SEABA and the Art Hop https://www.seaba.com/arthop Want to support a burgeoning artist? Buy some of my framed art from the art hop. SEABA will ship it to you. https://www.seaba.com/shop/p/breath-composition-4-by-marlena-compton?rq=compton https://www.seaba.com/shop/p/breath-composition-12-by-marlena-compton?rq=compton https://www.seaba.com/shop/p/she-settles-the-score-by-marlena-compton?rq=compton

The tale of an artist finding her he(art) in San Francisco. TH3RE'S A VIDEO... In case you start listening and want to see what I'm talking about. https://youtu.be/OrO8YO1XrMQ. AND A PLAYLIST on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48h6T7vQ5yFPb7quiELaGF A few other links: More about the Coit Tower Frescos More about David Hockney's A Bigger Exhibition Sketchnote School

In this episode, I begin sharing a project I've been working on for the past few months. Hear my thoughts about the social decade and how my inner visual artist has been playing with it.

Today I'll be talking about my journey with my body, how that was impacted by living in San Francisco and where I am today. Big trigger warning: I'll talking about weight, body image, eating, and all of that. This episode was inspired by Jennette McCurdy -- "I'm Glad My Mom Died"

Let's rant about the VC finance machine in general and the Silicon Valley Bank in particular. 

Twitter is back in the headlines as the shiny object of Elon Musk must have in his possession. It is also one of anchors if not “the” anchor of the San Francisco tech scene in the 2010’s.  This week, I'll explain why I think Elon Musk has a 50/50 chance of being Twitter's "great savior," and why his purchase of Twitter is really about an "edit" button.

Have you ever struggled to feel like you belong? Most everyone does, but it's worth examining the moments we get, and most of us do have these moments when you feel like you've arrived. If we think back, they might be small, they might not be noticeable to anyone but you, but they do happen. And this type of moment doesn't just happen for us. When does a city arrive? When does a decade arrive?

Tech is known to have  many different types of overwork traps. This week I talk about some of them, and how I avoid them.

Hear what it’s like to fly to San Francisco for an interview at a cool tech company. Want to hear what I was listening to at the time? Here's a Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4LqPo085gOln18qG3m6M0S?si=951bdddd5a03424f

Join me for Season 3 of "Make it a Pear!" Hear about what's in store for this upcoming season and a little life update about where I am today. If you want pics, follow me on Instagram. 

Click here to buy your Wavelength Ticket or Donate a Ticket today! https://wavelengthconf.com/shop/

Click here to find out more about the Wavelength Zine Exchange & Tech Conference. Zines that are not just for kids: Your Black Friend by Ben Passmore I couldn't afford therapy so I made this zine by Lawrence Lindell Bubblesort Zines by Amy Wibowo (aka SailorHG) For more cool zines, click to check out appearworks.shop.

This is the first of a three part series that goes behind the scenes of the Wavelength Zine Exchange & Conference.  What happens when you realize the the roadmap you have no longer shows the road in front of you? Click here to find out more about the Wavelength Zine Exchange & Conference.

This week, it's all about how to get started making a zine.  If you'd like to join a free, online workshop to get started, I'm running 3 of them in the month of July.  Click here to get more info and sign up.