Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram

In this episode of Wrecked by Art, I share how chef Tristen Epps’ win on Top Chef Canada became a powerful metaphor for the creative process. We talk about what it means to create from authenticity, how to keep going when you don’t know what you’re making yet, and why knowing yourself is the foundation of creative expression. Whether you’re blocked, burnt out, or just craving more depth in your art, this episode is for you. What I Talk About in This Episode: Why I love competition shows where people create with passion (Top Chef, Bake Off, Pottery Throw Down, etc.) * A Top Chef moment that cracked me open * What Tristan’s win taught me about trusting the creative process * Why the best work often starts without a clear idea * The myth of inspiration vs. the truth of presence * Art as lineage, memory, and cultural storytelling * How authenticity requires deep self-knowledge and healing * The difference between broad and deep impact in creative work * Why your truth—not your polish—is what makes your art matter * A gentle invitation to “go to the grocery store” and meet your art where it lives Links & Resources: Join the Becoming Art waitlist: cindyingram.com/becoming [http://cindyingram.com/becoming] Book a 1:1 curiosity call: cindyingram.com/coaching [https://cindyingram.com/creativity-coaching/] Follow me on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyingram_artandself] and Threads [https://www.threads.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Mentioned in This Episode: Top Chef Canada Season 22 (featuring winner Tristen Epps) Great Pottery Throw Down, Bake Off, Blown Away My book: Art Is About Being Whole: A Memoir [https://cindyingram.com/book] Get full access to Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe [https://cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of trauma, religious abuse, sexual assault, sex trafficking, suicide, and domestic violence. Please take care while listening. In this powerful conversation, Cindy sits down with Charli—clarity coach, meditation teacher, and recovering perfectionist—to talk about the book that quite literally fell into their life at just the right moment: Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love [https://amzn.to/3JCUkvt] (affiliate link) [https://amzn.to/3JCUkvt]. Charli shares how: * A childhood of homelessness, trauma, and religious pain shaped their early years. * A Barnes & Noble accident (and one very insistent book) shifted their spiritual path. * Reading Eat, Pray, Love (affiliate link) [https://amzn.to/3JCUkvt] gave them permission to define spirituality and agency for themselves. * Meeting Liz Gilbert years later led to a life-altering moment of truth-telling with their family. * Creativity and art remain vital tools for processing emotions, healing, and staying grounded. This episode touches on resilience, survival, and the way art meets us at exactly the right time—even when we resist it. --- If you have a story of being Wrecked by Art and want to share it on the podcast, email me: cindy@artandself.com. Charli’s Kofi store [https://ko-fi.com/charli_timehacker/shop] Follow Charli on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@charli_timehacker] + Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/charli_timehacker/]: @charli_timehacker Eat, Pray, Love [https://amzn.to/3JCUkvt] by Elizabeth Gilbert [https://amzn.to/3JCUkvt] (affiliate link) Get my weekly emails on art + creativity: cindyingram.com/hello [https://cindyingram.com/hello] Find me on Threads: @cindyingram_artandself [https://www.threads.com/@cindyingram_artandself] TikTok: @cindyingram_artandself [https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Get full access to Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe [https://cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

In this deeply personal episode, Cindy shares the story of a solo trip to Houston during the early days of her burnout. There, two pieces of art—Niki de Saint Phalle’s joyful Nana sculptures and a 13th-century painting of the Virgin Mary—revealed the emotional contrast between who she was and who she longed to be. This is a story about the weight of exhaustion, the mirror of grief, and the slow, sacred path back to joy. Mentioned in the episode: Niki de Saint Phalle – [https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/niki-de-saint-phalle-nana-statues/]The Nanas [https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/niki-de-saint-phalle-nana-statues/] Niki de Saint Phalle: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxkJ2TFsiaI]Rebel with a Cause [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxkJ2TFsiaI] Mother of God [https://www.menil.org/collection/objects/3129-mother-of-god] (Byzantine, c. 13th century) at the Menil Collection [https://www.menil.org/collection/objects/3129-mother-of-god] Rothko Chapel [https://www.rothkochapel.org/] Memoir excerpt from Art Is About Being Whole [https://cindyingram.com/book] Past episode: The Shark and the Book: Burnout, Subconscious Magic, and the Creative Process [https://cindyingram.substack.com/p/3-jaws-and-burnout] Past episode: Revealing the Door Into Our Hearts: Delighting in the Duality of Creative Existence with Yola Mehmeti [https://cindyingram.substack.com/p/revealing-the-door-into-our-hearts-026] Upcoming Events: 🎨 Ugly Zine Night – August 28 [https://cindyingram.com/zine] Follow Cindy: TikTok @cindyingram_artandself [https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Threads @cindyingram_artandself [https://www.threads.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Instagram @cindyingram_artandself [https://www.instagram.com/cindyingram_artandself] Get full access to Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe [https://cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Sometimes a painting doesn’t just hang on a wall—it waits for you. In this episode of Wrecked by Art, I share the story of encountering Frida Kahlo’s [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Love_Embrace_of_the_Universe,_the_Earth_%28Mexico%29,_Myself,_Diego,_and_Se%C3%B1or_Xolotl]The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Love_Embrace_of_the_Universe,_the_Earth_%28Mexico%29,_Myself,_Diego,_and_Se%C3%B1or_Xolotl] during an August Art Church session—a time when I felt unrooted and unsteady in my own life. Three days later, I found myself on a river trip where a grounding meditation echoed the painting’s imagery in uncanny, sacred synchronicity. One year later, I’ve returned to both the painting and the river with a deepened connection to Spirit, a steadier sense of grounding, and a clearer understanding of how art’s messages can evolve over time. In this episode, I talk about: The magic of when art enters our lives Frida Kahlo’s layered imagery of embrace and roots How ungroundedness showed up in both the painting and my life The synchronicity that tied the painting and river together Returning one year later with a new sense of connection Follow me: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Threads [https://www.threads.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Join my email list [https://cindyingram.com/hello] Get full access to Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe [https://cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

In this episode of Wrecked by Art, I tell the story of how a single sentence in a novel led me to sharks, burnout, and the most exhilarating chapter I wrote in my memoir, Art Is About Being Whole [https://cindyingram.com/book]. This story is about creative trust, synchronicity, and the magic that only shows up when you're deep in the work. You'll hear about: A quote from Remarkably Bright Creatures that cracked me open The Jaws poster painting and why it became the perfect metaphor for my burnout How your subconscious is always gathering the pieces you need The deep connection between creative process and life itself And why you don’t get clarity by forcing it—you get it by staying present in the fog Mentioned in this episode: (the book links below are affiliate links) Remarkably Bright Creatures [https://amzn.to/3HcMxna] by Shelby Van Pelt The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet [https://amzn.to/4ogrK2A] by Becky Chambers (more on that in a future episode) The Jaws movie poster (art by Roger Kastel) Big Magic [https://amzn.to/41okhVp] by Elizabeth Gilbert You Could Make This Place Beautiful [https://amzn.to/417EjUj] https://amzn.to/417EjUjby Maggie Smith ✨ If you’re working on your own big creative project and want support—coaching, collaboration, or creative midwifery—reach out. I help people through the messy middle. A new program is coming in September. 📧 Email me: cindy@artandself.com [cindy@artandself.com]🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast on Substack or your favorite podcast app🎨 Follow me on Threads - https://www.threads.com/@cindyingram_artandself [https://www.threads.com/@cindyingram_artandself]TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyingram_artandself [https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyingram_artandself] Get full access to Wrecked by Art with Cindy Ingram at cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe [https://cindyingram.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]