Weirdly Helpful (formerly The Best Advice Show)

Welcome to Weirdly Helpful. It's like The Best Advice show just weirder. In each episode a different contributor offers an odd experiment, a silly ritual, a curious practice that you’ll find weirdly helpful. Stuff like howling when you're despondent, eating oranges in the shower and metaphorically flushing your adversary down the toilet! What are you finding weirdly helpful during these trying times? CALL ZAK ON THE WEIRDLY HELPLINE and spill your guts @ 844-935-2378 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is an episode of a new podcast I really like called Gen X at Midlife. The show was created by TBAS contributor, Courtney Daniels. In this episode she talks to her longtime friend Tess Hawes about her experience of midlife crisis, Courtney's self-rejecting ambition, Tess' divorce and career pivot, and how to get out of depression. They touch on the book "Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life" by James Hollis, "Mind Your Body" by Nicole Sachs, and Courtney's therapist, Lisa Chen, whom she highly recommends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is based on Mason Currey's piece, John Cage on the true meaning of discipline. You should subscribe to Mason's essential newsletter, Subtle Maneuvers. And here's his piece about totally insane, unhinged, helpful strategies. Mason's book, Making Art and Making a Living is available for pre-order here. The John Cage interview excerpts come from The Internet Archive. Hear the whole thing @John Cage interviewed by Jack Hirschman in Los Angeles, 1963. Mason was last on TBAS talking about procrastinating properly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leora is a doctor and dog lover and berry lover. This advice originally aired back in August of 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susannah Goodman is an artist and potter and community organizer in Detroit. --- Leftovering with Susannah Goodman Noticing with Susannah Goodman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I originally interviewed Jonathan Goldstein, creator and host of the greatest podcast of all time, Heavyweight, back in 2017 for Transom.org. I'm playing it here to celebrate Heavyweight's grand return. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malaka Gharib is a writer, journalist, and cartoonist. She is the author of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir, winner of an Arab American Book Award and named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. By day, she works on NPR’s science desk, covering the topic of global health and development. Her comics, zines, and writing have been published in NPR, Catapult, The Seventh Wave Magazine, The Nib, The Believer, and The New Yorker.  --- Mason Currey's Daily Rituals: How Artists Work --- Brad Stulburg on not needing to feel good to get going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lilly Turmelle is a Maine-based creative and lifelong explorer. After calling many different countries home, she now lives on the Maine coast with her partner and their two-year-old son, embracing a simple life by the sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naja, Sebastian, Asia, Jessica, Lenzia and Zora were just finishing 8th grade when this episode aired in 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a conversation from the divine podcast, Rumble Strip. It features Jay Allison about the recent attack on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Recently, Congress passed a rescission bill that eliminates $9 billion in previously allocated funding, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which effectively defunds public media, which includes NPR, PBS and member stations around the country. This is a conversation about what that means and what we stand to lose. Jay Allison has been working in and around public radio since it’s beginnings a half century ago. He's been an independent public radio producer, journalist, and teacher since the 1970s. He is the founder of Transom, where I learned to make radio, and 25 years ago he founded WCAI, a public radio station in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Jay's work has won most of the major broadcasting awards, including six Peabodys. He produces The Moth Radio Hour and was the curator of This I Believe on NPR. Links Adopt a Station: Where you can donate to your local public radio station or find stations to support Transom: The place where good radio begins Information on Transom story trainings Recent New York Times interview with Bill Siemering about the fate of public radio Rumble Strip episode w Jay called Fishing with Jay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Chioke I'Anson is the visionary force behind the establishment of the VPM + ICA Community Media Center, an innovative collaboration between Virginia Public Media and the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU. He's also the founder of RESONATE Podcast Festival Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding. Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a station. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alice Bagley is a farmer, biker and time banker based in Detroit. She was last on the show. Don't miss her episode from 5 years ago on the joyus virtues of throwing seeds! Courtney Daniels is a filmamker and author based in LA. Her new podcast is called Gen X at Midlife, where she talks to people about their experience of life after 50. Subscribe wherever you listen to TBAS! She was last on the show discussing the importance of a good cry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teresa Gretsen and Naomi Kreitman are friends based in Amsterdam who love to swim. READ THIS COLD WATER SWIMMING GUIDE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daphne Silbiger is a playwright, musician, and collage artist based in Brooklyn currently teaching at The School of Making Thinking. You can see all the course offerings @ The School of Making Thinking @ https://www.theschoolofmakingthinking.com/  --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What advice from this show do you use in your life? Call Zak and let him know at 844-935-BEST. Thanks! --- CAFÉ ANNE is a weekly newsletter with a focus on New York City that takes a fresh look at the everyday, delights in the absurd and profiles unusual folks who do things their way. It is created and written by Brooklyn journalist Anne Kadet, former NYC business and trends columnist for the Wall Street Journal and NYC startups columnist for Crains’ New York Business.   --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sign up for Morrison's online class, EXTREME PRIVATE EROS: PHOTOGRAPHY & DIARISTIC WRITING at The School of Making of Thinking. MORE INFO HERE @ https://www.theschoolofmakingthinking.com/private-eros.html --- Morrison Gong is a Chinese photographer with a background in performance and experimental filmmaking. They invoke the body as a site of haunting, wounding, conjuring and mythmaking. Their work converses with photography's ability to anchor eros and losses within the realm of the physical and the metaphysical. They have been invited as a visiting critic and guest speaker at esteemed institutions such as the Center for Photography at Woodstock, SUNY New Paltz, Haverford College, and Western Washington University. Their video works have been shown at Anthology Film Archives, Microscope Gallery, Vox Populi Gallery, CROSSROADS presented by San Francisco Cinematheque, Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival, among others. Their photography has been featured on It’s Nice That, Whitehot Magazine and Lomography Magazine. Gong received their BFA from Parsons School of Design and their MA at the New School for Social Research. They are based in Brooklyn, NY. --- Howl with Laura Hawley Get Froggy with Lauren Helmbrecht --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Rosenthal hosts “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix. He also created Everybody Loves Raymond. This episode first aired in November of 2020. --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karen A. Chase is an author, speaker, and brand designer. Her first book, Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log, garnered seven independent publishing awards, and her first novel, Carrying Independence, was a nominee for the 2020 Library of Virginia Literary Awards. --- From the Advice Show archive: FLUSH YOUR PSYCHIC TRESPASSERS DOWN THE DRAIN --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malissa O'Donnell is an advisor and consultant helping clients realize their creative ambitions to the fullest. --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Putnam is a father, husband, writer and author of the new book, Talkin' Bout a Revolution: Growing Our Souls in the time of Trump. Peter's wife, Julia, is a TBAS contributor. Hear her advice here.  --- Help Zak continue making this show by becoming a Best Advice Show Patron @ https://www.patreon.com/bestadviceshow --- Fill out the TBAS listener survey to help Zak get to know you better. https://forms.gle/f1HxJ45Df4V3m2Dg9 --- Call Zak on the advice show hotline @ 844-935-BEST or email him a voice-memo at ZAK@bestADVICE.show---Share this episode on IG @BestAdviceShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices