#13 AJ Hardingson on storytelling, elitism, + why creativity is a human right

02/01/24 • 68 min

If you're a writer, curious about the writing world, and/or love real chats about the creative life from intriguing perspectives - this one's for you!
AJ Hardingson is a multidisciplinary author, storyteller, poet, and mum of 2. This was an incredible and thought-provoking conversation, and I'm honoured Amy shared their story and thoughts with me. We chat about:
- How being a multidisciplinary writer and pursuing unconventional pathways nurtured a unique perspective
- What to do if you don't want to take conventional / traditional paths
- The history and impact of storytelling, and what makes a good story
- Elitism, bias and stereotypes in the writing world + limitations with traditional paths
- Why creativity is a human right and should be more accessible to all
- What it's like writing their first novel
- Their experience as a mixed-race writer, and current work with the mentorship scheme Write Beyond Borders
...and much more. Could've kept chatting but currently have a time limit of around an hour for these chats - nevertheless this chat is packed with plenty of gems. I hope you enjoy!
Amy's links:
Instagram: @amyhardingson
Website: https://www.aj-hardingson.com/
Amy's blog post about Forging Your Own Path – An Accessible Self-Education Guide for Writers on the Write Beyond Borders blog
Mentioned:
Write Beyond Borders website: https://writebeyondborders.co.uk/
Write Beyond Borders Instagram: @write.beyond.borders
Arts Emergency: https://www.arts-emergency.org
Masterclass (online learning platform)

Previous Episode

#12 Emma Cutting on emotive abstracts, getting a studio space + why there are no rules

Emma Cutting is an abstract artist + writer, who describes herself as a 'logical creative', and loves finding meaning and connection in everything. Absolutely loved this conversation!
We chat about:
- The meaning + energy behind her emotive textured paintings
- How things changed when she got her own studio space
- Why being multifaceted is a human experience + the way we're supposed to be- Why the idea of business needs to change
- How being in 'survival mode' can hinder confidence + creativity
- The importance of working on your mindset as much as the art
- How life gets more fun and manageable when you realise there are no rules
This was a really fun conversation and lots stuck with me, especially Emma's advice at the end. Would love to hear what you think as always!
Emma's deets:
Instagram: @AlwaysThinkingArt
Sign up to Emma's email list
Etsy shop
Thanks so much for being here :)
Alice xo
My website
Email: [email protected]

Next Episode

#14 Alex Fleming on his autism diagnosis at 37, quitting social media + odd numbers

Tune in for an honest, funny and thoughtful chat with realism artist Alex Fleming. Alex's exit from Instagram was a huge inspiration for me to leave the platform myself! It was so refreshing talking to a creative who is thriving on (as Alex says) 'The Dark Side of the Moon'.
We also discussed Alex's autism diagnosis at age 37, and how life has been slowly unfolding since. Main talking points:
- What it was like getting his autism diagnosis at 37
- Why he quit social media + how things have been since
- Tips / advice for anyone considering leaving social media
- His experience + thoughts on working with galleries
- His journey with realism + becoming an artist
- What gets him excited to create + his Home series
- His theory on odd numbers
... and so much more. Hope you enjoy :)
*This was recorded in December 2023, so a couple references may be a tad out of date!

Alex's deets:
Website: https://www.alexflemingart.com/
The Flemblog: https://www.alexflemingart.com/about/flemblog/
Alice xo
https://www.aliceladkin.com/