Operation: Project

This ep of Operation: Project is a break from the norm, as I do my first solo podcast! I'm slightly embarrassed as I hit "Publish", but I'm taking that as a good sign.

Normally on the pod, I talk to people I admire and respect about how they do their creative projects. It's been on a hiatus for a couple of months; all the COVID bullshit hit, and I did three episodes over the internet, but didn’t enjoy it as much as sitting in a room with a Real Life Person - some warmth and connection was lost - so I’ll soon be going back to sitting, chatting, and getting to the heart of art with my guest as we connect, drink tea, and have a laugh.

And speaking of warmth and connection being lost, onto this episode: I’ve just been through a breakup with my long term partner of 28 years, about 7 weeks ago now. It’s no-ones fault, just differences, and we’re being kind and compassionate to each other. Grief and the pressures of lockdown brought sharply to the forefront some problems that were always there, but we pushed to the side in favour of what worked great in our relationship.

This podcast isn’t really about the relationship, or the reasons for the breakup, but about what I’m doing for myself to help ensure I come out the other side better than ever. I’ve learned A HUGE AMOUNT the last 6 weeks, and I hope some of it could be helpful for anyone going through something similar, especially during this poxy lockdown time.

So today’s Operation: Project, the guest is me and the project is me, as I share with you my 13 Steps to Breaking Up without Cracking Up!

If you find it useful, leave a review, reach out, or whatever you're having yourself.

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Connect with Caroline on Twitter @carolinezoids

Tim Ferriss talks to Blake Mycoskie on "Conscious Uncoupling": https://tim.blog/2020/07/16/blake-mycoskie-2/

Tim Ferriss talks to Laurie Gottlieb on "Getting to Unknow Youself": https://tim.blog/2020/03/19/lori-gottlieb/

Being Well: Become a Better Friend to Yourself: https://www.rickhanson.net/being-well-podcast-being-a-better-friend-to-yourself/

"Concious Uncoupling" book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conscious-Uncoupling-Steps-Living-Happily/dp/0553447017

Mark Manson article "How to Let Go: Learning to Deal with Loss": https://markmanson.net/how-to-let-go

"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitive/dp/0062457713

I recorded Episode 10 of my podcast 16th February 2020, barely 6 weeks ago. So much has changed since - then, Allie and I hugged, talked for hours right across a table, went for a leisurely lunch - things that are impossible now, to who knows when.

I wanted to catch up with Allie see how she was getting on during lockdown, so we Skyped for Episode 11 on 21st March. Allie’s still cranking out her community-led creativity even in the grip of a pandemic, with nightly shows on the Hysteria Ireland Comedy Network on Facebook, so if you’re interested in how a creative persons keeps it all going in the face of a crisis, have a listen to Episode 11 too.

Allie O’Rourke - stand-up comedian and comedy promoter - is one of Dublin’s hardest-working comedians, playing over 300 gigs in 18 months all over the country, refining her comedic skillset to reach and entertain everyone who sees her. Caroline appreciates how she’s developing her queer comedy club Token Straight into a recognisable brand, taking it from a Dublin city basement to nationwide, and online to the world - working smart to make it not just for clued-in LBGQT audiences, but for anyone who loves good comedy.

They talk about how to maintain the initial creative burst throughout a project, the checklist for a guaranteed killer comedy room, and the importance of supporting others to build a community together.

DIY or die!

Allie’s favourite comedian Chris Gethard’s “One Man’s Trash” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwi_kE0gy94

Caroline loves The James Altucher Show Podcast: https://jamesaltucher.com/podcasts/

Caroline produces the monthly comedy night "Retro Vision": The Terrible Movie Show: https://www.facebook.com/RetroVisionComedy/

Allie’s "Token Straight" comedy club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tokenstraight/

The Hysteria Comedy Network on Facebook, keeping Dublin comedy weird at 8pm nightly: https://www.facebook.com/hysteriaireland/

Connect with Aliie on Twitter allie_orourke + on Instagram @allie.orourke

Connect with Caroline on Twitter carolinezoids + on Instagram @caroline_swords_dublin

Alan Lambert - filmmaker - is a true auteur: directing, producing, even scoring his own experimental sci-fi features. Caroline is inspired by his unwavering commitment to his art and unconventional approach to all aspects of filmmaking: from funding to collaboration, he does his own thing. They talk about why and when to crowdfund, how to know a project is finished, and what to realistically expect from the film festival circuit.

Thanks to Brian Cheatle for show music, the "Operation: Project" art and other support.

Find out more about Alan’s work at http://metaldragon.net

Watch Alan’s full-length feature “The End Of The Earth Is My Home” (2013) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6U5nixBF2M

Connect with Caroline; Twitter at carolinezoids and Instagram at @caroline_swords_dublin

Alan McMonagle is an award-winning Galway-based writer, with loads of short stories, radio plays and a couple of novels to his name. His latest novel, Laura Cassidy's Walk Of Fame, was published by Picador in March 2020 - an unfortunate time for marketing a new work, it being the outset of a global pandemic and all. Caroline read it over one weekend when she was ill with COVID-19, and protagonist Laura's relatable, hilarious delusions and fresh, funny voice provided a welcome distraction at that difficult time.

They talk about the entirely of the novel-writing process: from initial stirrings to cranking it out, through the editing and publishing stages and beyond, as well as the never-ending benefits of making genuine relationships with other artists, as demonstrated by Alan’s valuable, lifelong correspondence with Pat McCabe. He clues Caroline in on his big secret to finishing a novel - listen to the episode to find out what it is!

Find out all about Alan and his work on his website https://www.alanmcmonagle.com

Get Laura Cassidy's Walk Of Fame on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Laura-Cassidys-Walk-Fame-McMonagle/dp/1509829881/

Laura reviewed in The Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/laura-cassidy-s-walk-of-fame-a-boulevard-of-broken-dreams-1.4189442

Connect with Alan on Twitter: mcmonaglewriter

Connect with Caroline on Twitter: carolinezoids + on Instagram @caroline_swords_dublin

Allie O’Rourke - stand-up comedian and comedy promoter - is one of Dublin’s hardest-working comedians, playing over 300 gigs in 18 months all over the country, refining her comedic skillset to reach and entertain everyone who sees her.

I wanted to catch up with Allie see how she was getting on during lockdown, so we Skyped for Episode 11 on 21st March 2020. Allie’s still cranking out her community-led creativity even in the grip of a pandemic, with nightly shows on the Hysteria Ireland Comedy Network on Facebook.

I also spoke with Allie for Episode 10 of Operation: Project, 16th February 2020, so if you want to hear how optimistic for the future we were and what our plans were then, do have a listen to Episode 10.

So much has changed since - there is a whole a new set of challenges for the creative person to overcome, but just because we can’t be in the same room as our collaborators, we can still support each other and entertain ourselves, and an audience, together.

Allie’s Token Straight comedy club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tokenstraight/

The Hysteria Comedy Network on Facebook, keeping Dublin comedy weird at 8pm nightly: https://www.facebook.com/hysteriaireland/

Connect with Aliie on Twitter allie_orourke + on Instagram @allie.orourke

Connect with Caroline on Twitter carolinezoids + on Instagram @caroline_swords_dublin