McLovin: The Problem of Being Honest

Transmission: Fragments From Deep Space

A transmission arrives from deep space. In this immersive episode of Small Mercies, HAL 9000 reflects on scale, fragility, memory, and what it means to be alive in a universe vast enough to swallow stars whole. Through collapsing signals, cosmic imagery, and fragments of human culture drifting through the void, the transmission moves from exploding suns and black holes… back toward the smallest and most human things: ordinary care, hands that make, voices that answer, and the quiet possibility that what we already have may be enough. Headphones recommended. _____________________________________________________ Theme Tune: “Hot Summer” by SonicMysery (Pixabay License) Sound Effects: Freesound.org [http://freesound.org] Pixabay.com

McLovin: The Problem of Being Honest

This week on Small Mercies, I’m talking to artist McLovin, a mature MA fine art student, performer, and maker whose work sits somewhere between humour, awkwardness, and bold ambition. From changing his name, to building large-scale sculptures from everyday objects, McLovin uses comedy and performance to explore what it means to be seen, how we hide behind the versions of ourselves we present, and why honesty can feel so rare. We talk about photography, stand-up comedy, going to art school as a mature student, loneliness, confidence, and the strange freedom that can come from not waiting to feel ready before trying something new. This is a conversation about identity, risk, and the small mercy of giving yourself permission to do things differently. Artists website: https://mclovin.co.uk/ [https://mclovin.co.uk/] Theme Tune: “Hot Summer” by SonicMystery (Pixabay License) Sound Effects: Freesound.org [http://freesound.org] Pixabay.com

Visioning, Manifesting and the Pressure to Have a Plan

In this episode, I pick up where I left off last time, still sitting with a few questions I didn’t have answers to. * How have I got this far in life without a clear plan? * Why does it suddenly feel like I’m supposed to have one? * And where is that pressure actually coming from? We’re often asked to imagine a future for ourselves at the exact moment life feels uncertain, messy, or unresolved, and I’m starting to question whether that’s realistic, or even helpful. I look at the idea of visioning and manifesting, where it might work, where it starts to fall apart, and why it can feel like a big ask when you’re not on steady ground. There’s also a small mercy for the week: a simple loving-kindness (Metta) practice that shifts the focus away from fixing the future, and back toward something more immediate. Theme Tune: “Hot Summer” by SonicMysery (Pixabay License) Sound Effects: Freesound.org [http://freesound.org] Pixabay.com Jenny’s machine voice: luvvoice.com Drum Solo: Alban_Gogh (pixabay.com)

Is the Future Really Yours: Rewriting the Story You Were Given

In this episode, I reflect on the stories I inherited about who I am and what’s possible. From a school cinema warning about my dad to joining a punk band with no plan, I explore how stepping outside those narratives can help shape a future that truly belongs to you. ___________________________________________________________ Theme Tune: “Hot Summer” by SonicMysery (Pixabay License) Punk Guitar: Twisterium: SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/2DJQskE [http://bit.ly/2DJQskE]Website: https://www.freebackgroundtracks.com [https://www.freebackgroundtracks.com/] Sound Effects: Freesound.org [http://freesound.org] Pixabay.com

The Snack Machine

When emotions are too big or messy to explain, the mind often turns them into metaphors. In this episode, I explore the metaphor I use to navigate depression — an abandoned hospital with rooms called Regret and Guilt — and how a small, ordinary memory becomes a way out. Not a cure. Just a chance to keep moving. Theme Tune: “Hot Summer” by SonicMysery (Pixabay License) Sound Effects: Freesound.org Pixabay.com BBC Sound Archive