A Love Affair with the Unknown with Gill Deacon

TIM CROUCH There are no guarantees, onstage or off

British actor, director and playwright Tim Crouch has created some of the most unusual and influential stage productions in history. Described as a “theatrical wonder”, the experimental artist believes that the reason audiences attend the theatre is to feel alive, and his plays—which have been performed internationally for decades—take bold creative risks to achieve that. A-list Hollywood actors line up to play a role they’ve never seen in his show An Oak Tree, which captured Gill’s attention earlier this year on a Toronto stage. In all his work, Tim Crouch leans heavily into uncertainty, finding enormous creative opportunity in not-knowing. His brave and playful attitude to his craft is an inspiring reminder for all of us to be awake to the world right in front of us, and all the treasure it holds. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://aloveaffairwiththeunknown.substack.com/] for more A Love Affair with the Unknown ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

MARIE HENEIN Not knowing what’s next can be a superpower

One of the most prominent litigators in Canada, Marie Henein has a reputation for fearlessness. She credits that courage, and indeed her rise as a powerful criminal defense attorney, in part to her attitude toward what she doesn’t know. A newcomer to Canada as a child, she often felt like an outsider—a formative experience that Marie Henein considers her strength. She makes the case that not having all the answers actually sharpens our powers of observation and widens our perspective. The confidence and unwavering determination with which she stares down uncertainty is sure to leave you inspired and emboldened. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://aloveaffairwiththeunknown.substack.com/] for more A Love Affair with the Unknown ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

SUSAN AGLUKARK The joy of curiosity as a tool for healing

Acclaimed Inuk musician Susan Aglukark has had an extraordinary career, but the personal story behind her Juno Award-winning songs and international accolades hits even harder. Her latest book, Kihiani: A Healing Journey, tracks the multi-generational impacts of colonization and one woman’s brave and creative path to glorious confidence and strength. Susan believes that reconciliation and Indigenous healing happens by sharing stories like hers—laying bare the trauma in order to move through it. This conversation is a celebration of creativity, of curiosity, of triumph over fear. And a reminder that, as Susan tells Gill, “we don’t know what we don’t know”. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://aloveaffairwiththeunknown.substack.com/] for more A Love Affair with the Unknown ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

GABRIELLE DROLET Facing disability with hope and humour

Becoming a New Yorker and Globe and Mail cartoonist in your early 20s is incredible. Getting diagnosed with chronic pain in your early 20s is pretty devastating—and limits your ability to do the very things that give you a sense of identity. Gabrielle Drolet shares the wild and painful ride of managing a debilitating illness in her warm and remarkably funny memoir Look Ma, No Hands, a book she could only write with the help of adaptive voice-to-text technology. In this delightful conversation, she tells Gill how she has grown through this challenging time; how creativity helps with making sense of uncertainty; and how facing adversity deepens our compassion. Gabrielle’s story is a bracing reminder that we always get to choose how we handle the hard things that beset us. Subscribe to our newsletter [https://aloveaffairwiththeunknown.substack.com/] for more A Love Affair with the Unknown ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

NEIL PASRICHA How to reclaim connection and meaning amidst the uncertainty

Having first gained acclaim for finding the awesome in the everyday, Neil Pasricha has grown to become a wildly successful expert on happiness. His many books have sold millions of copies and spent over 200 weeks on the bestsellers lists—mostly because of his evidence-based advice on how we can better handle the strain and uncertainty of our busy lives. Neil Pasricha is so good at reminding us that we always get to choose how we respond to life’s unknowns and challenges, and if we take the time to look for it, we can find lots to be grateful for. You’ll want to take notes in this wide-ranging conversation, as Neil shares with Gill his thoughts on how our devices are sabotaging our ability to handle uncertainty, and how we can re-invigorate our relationships to bring more meaning, joy and confidence into every day.  Subscribe to our newsletter [https://aloveaffairwiththeunknown.substack.com/] for more A Love Affair with the Unknown ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.