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#21: Making Meaning with Michaela McMillan

Making Meaning

Release Date: 07/20/2022

#45: Making Meaning - Mary Linwood and Me show art #45: Making Meaning - Mary Linwood and Me

Making Meaning

This short episode is a brief introduction to my research project about 18th century embroidery artist Mary Linwood. The episode includes a very short history about her, and then details of the community projects I'm running over the next few months, that you can take part in too. You can find out about them below, as well as a bit more about . Find full details about the episode, including a transcript:

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#44: Making Meaning - Productivity and care show art #44: Making Meaning - Productivity and care

Making Meaning

This podcast is again from my Cultures of Care Group and in a change to the usual, it includes the group discussion as well as my talk, which is my reflections on productivity as an artist and what that means to me now as a research-based artist more than a maker of things. I talk about making and doing what you want to do is a self-care practice and that my creativity is more than my productivity in a traditional sense.  We talk at the end about the importance of textile making as a community activity, which actually leads perfectly into the next sessions in October and November which...

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#43: Making Meaning - Nature and Care show art #43: Making Meaning - Nature and Care

Making Meaning

My Cultures of Care project wasn’t intentionally all about nature and landscape connection, yet that is what a lot of it has turned out to be. This podcast episode is my exploration of how nature, outdoors and landscape in its widest sense have influenced my work. I talk about projects on landscape history and community projects making in nature and with nature. This was part of my Cultures of Care Group session for August. The next sessions are in September, October and November and are , and I would love it if you could join me then. The sessions are free. Find out more and read the...

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#42: Making Meaning - Co-creation show art #42: Making Meaning - Co-creation

Making Meaning

In my nearly 20 years of creative work, I've developed a real passion for creating artwork with the input of others, either in group making or through contributions of stories. This podcast explores what I mean by co-creation and what benefits it brings to me and those who contribute.  Find out more and read the transcript at The gallery of co-created projects is here https://ruthsinger.com/co-creation-projects/ These talks are part of my Cultures of Care Group sessions which are free online discussion groups, once a month. The next ones are in July and August, dates and links to book...

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#41: Making Meaning - Reflective Practice show art #41: Making Meaning - Reflective Practice

Making Meaning

I find being reflective in my creative work incredibly useful and have done for many years. In this essay / podcast I share how I came to reflective writing or journalling and some of the other ways I am reflective about my work with others. This was part of my Cultures of Care Group in May 2024. Find out more:  

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#40: Making Meaning - Research as a care practice show art #40: Making Meaning - Research as a care practice

Making Meaning

This new podcast episode, the first in a series of four, is a recording of my first Cultures of Care Group talks. For these sessions I write an essay to share on an aspect of care in creative practice. In this first session, April 2024, I chose to talk about research as a creative care practice. Find out more:  

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#39: Making Meaning - Artist Support Recipes show art #39: Making Meaning - Artist Support Recipes

Making Meaning

Artist Support Recipes is a group of artists interested in artist support and development. In this podcast we reflect on our learning during a year of research and discussion about what artists need to thrive. The group members are Ruth Singer, Sharon Adams, Gillian McFarland, Collette Rayner and Liz Nilsson. Find out more  and at

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#38 - Making Meaning with Claire Morris-Wright show art #38 - Making Meaning with Claire Morris-Wright

Making Meaning

This week I'm talking to artist Claire Morris-Wright, an artist in neighbouring Northamptonshire, who I've known for a few years and always enjoy talking too. We talk about looking closely and thinking deeply, about slow processing of ideas and about sharing and connecting as a fundamental part of both our practices. Read more:  Membership and Mentoring are all here: Support the podcast with a donation or subscription  Keep in touch by joining my email list  Get a copy of Making Meaning Journal  Find more episodes at 

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#43: Making Meaning - Nature & Care show art #43: Making Meaning - Nature & Care

Making Meaning

My project wasn't intentionally all about nature and landscape connection, yet that is what a lot of it has turned out to be. This podcast episode is my exploration of how nature, outdoors and landscape in its widest sense have influenced my work. I talk about projects on landscape history and community projects making in nature and with nature. This was part of my Cultures of Care Group session for August. The next sessions are open for bookings now in September, October and November are , and I would love it if you could join me then. You can also find out more about my Maker...

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#37 - Making Meaning with Amy Twigger Holroyd show art #37 - Making Meaning with Amy Twigger Holroyd

Making Meaning

In this end of 2023 episode, I'm talking to Amy Twigger Holroyd, who is Associate Professor of Fashion and Sustainability at Nottingham School of Art & Design, and in her previous life was a knitwear designer and innovator. We go back quite a long way to my early days as a designer maker and the retail markets world that we both used to work in. What connected us in those early days was a belief in the need for textiles practices to be sustainable and for making to be recognised as a vital life skill. We could both talk about these for ever, but we tried to keep it short and focus on...

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More Episodes

Michaela McMillan's wonderful work often defies categorisation. It is craft or is it assemblage? Is it sculpture or is it textiles? It is meant to be serious or is it meant to be fun? Michaela's work is full of elements of her personality and her passions. She describes it perfectly as playfully serious. In this podcast we reflect on how much of ourselves we reveal through our making practice, what rules and boundaries we use or choose to break to make our respective takes on non-functional craft objects! We also talk about writing as part of a creative practice and about using titles and words to add to the narrative of what we make. Find out more and see images of Michaela's work at ruthsinger.com/podcast