noseyAF: Conversations about Art, Activism, and Social Change

Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears!Join the noseyAF Dispatch 📬 At the end of the month, your inbox gets a little happier — all the month's noseyAF episodes sent straight to you. → Subscribe to the noseyAF Dispatch Ep #112: Mutual Aid Isn't Charity with Eric Von Haynes (noseyAF Classic)This is a noseyAF classic — a conversation originally recorded in 2024 with Eric Von Haynes that was edited and reshaped to air live on Lumpen Radio (WLPN Chicago 105.5 FM). Eric is a printmaker, designer, publisher, and co-founder of Love Fridge Chicago, and he brings real clarity to what mutual aid actually means — and what it doesn't. We dig into how it differs from charity, why reciprocity is the whole point, and how his community fridge network Love Fridge Chicago puts those values into practice across the city. Plus we get into his art, why print is a political act, and why he believes the strongest groups — not individuals — survive.What We Talk AboutWhat mutual aid actually is and what it's NOT (hint: posting a Venmo link is probably just fundraising)Reciprocity as the heart of real community care, and why transparency mattersHow Love Fridge Chicago works, what it takes to maintain a fridge site, and why community buy-in is everythingThe difference between mutual aid and charity — and why Love Fridge isn't a nonprofitHorizontality, anarchist philosophy, and why Eric believes no one should be a billionairePhotographing people receiving food and why that's straight-up otheringPrintmaking as a democratic and political act — especially as a Black man in AmericaFlatlands Press and why getting ideas into physical multiples mattersThat time a yoga studio started leaving flyers at a fridge site 🙄Things We MentionedLove Fridge ChicagoFlatlands PressMutual Aid by Dean Spade (affiliate link)Artist Admin Hour (Stephanie's sponsor shoutout)Tiger Strikes Asteroid Chicago (where Eric had a exhibition)The Joan Flasch Artist Book CollectionChapters:00:00 - Introduction to Eric Von Haynes and Love Fridge02:21 - The Power of Mutual Aid20:29 - Exploring Mutual Aid and Community Support29:58 - The Importance of Community Engagement in Resource Distribution38:26 - Exploring the Differences Between Mutual Aid and Charity49:50 - Creating Diverse Spaces for Black VoicesAll about... Eric Von Haynes You're gonna love Eric he's a printmaker, designer, publisher, community builder, and co-founder of Love Fridge Chicago. He's also the president of the Chicago Printers Guild and the founder of Flatlands Press, where he creates and publishes artist books and printed matter for artists he believes should exist in the world. His work is rooted in anarchist philosophy, horizontality, and a deep belief that the strongest groups survive not the strongest individuals.Sponsor Shoutout 💖 This episode is brought to you by Artist Admin Hour. It's a weekly Zoom session (Wednesdays, 7–9 pm Central) for artists to tackle the admin stuff they've been putting off — grant apps, residency applications, budgets, invoices — with body doubling, structure, and real community. Plans start at $65–$95/month, but if that's not doable, email Stephanie because getting this done matters. Check them out here: artistadminhour.comConnect with Eric Von HaynesWebsite: flatlandspress.comLove Fridge Chicago: thelovefridge.comEric’s Instagram: @manny_suenaMore ways to connect:Email: [email protected] to the noseyAF DispatchCheck out my workFollow me on Instagram @stephaniegrahamListen to more episodesSupport & FeedbacknoseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛⭐ Rate & Review the Show — it gives the show street cred and helps new listeners find the show📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear thisEpisode Credits Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham (teaching myself audio editing!) Lyrics: Queen Lex Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

This episode is a quick update about what’s coming next for noseyAF.In August, I’m launching a new series called 31 Days of Black Business — 31 conversations with Black business owners throughout Black Business Month. The idea came after hearing about the month from Denzell Turner of the Black Fridays podcast and getting inspired to try an everyday podcast challenge.Throughout August, I’ll be talking with Black business owners about how their businesses got started, what they do, and how we can support them.If you’re a Black business owner (or know one), applications to be part of the series are open through April 30.In the meantime, the feed may look a little different while I work on recording and producing the series. Expect a few solo episodes and occasional feed drops while I get everything ready.Thanks for listening, and I can’t wait to share this series with you.Apply for 31 Days of Black Business HereCheck out Denzell Turners Podcast "Black Fridays'Chapters:00:13 - Season Seven Reflection00:30 - 31 Days of Black Business: A New Series01:07 - Launching a New Initiative for Black Business Month02:33 - Transitioning to New Content02:53 - Reflections and Feedback03:07 - Farewell and Future ConversationsMore ways to connect:Email: [email protected] to the noseyAF DispatchCheck out my workFollow me on Instagram @stephaniegrahamListen to more episodes

Ep 110: What We Owe Each Other: Season 7 Reflections (22 Conversations Later)SummarySeason 7 of noseyAF is officially wrapped — and what a season it’s been. In this reflection episode, host Stephanie Graham looks back on 22 conversations with artists, activists, filmmakers, educators, and community builders and the themes that kept showing up again and again.From redefining success and practicing care as infrastructure, to documenting the people and stories that matter, this season became something bigger than expected. In this episode, Stephanie reflects on the biggest lessons from Season 7, shares how these conversations sustained her through a difficult year, and explores why the season ultimately became a meditation on what we owe each other — in art, community, and creative life.What We Talk AboutThe five big themes that emerged across 22 conversations this seasonRedefining success and building creative lives on your own termsWhy care is structural — not softArchives, storytelling, and who gets rememberedEnvironmental grief, creativity, and community workThe messy middle of making art and showing up anywayWhat hosting Season 7 taught me during a challenging yearChapters: • 00:11 - Closing Season Seven • 01:24 - Reflecting on a Challenging Year • 10:50 - Exploring the Themes of the Season • 15:27 - The Importance of Care in Community • 24:52 - Theme Exploration: What We Owe Each Other • 26:59 - Reflecting on the JourneyThings We MentionedLumpen Radio — 105.5 FM ChicagoThe Change Collective FellowshipAvalon Park Film House (the micro cinema project I'm dreaming up)Black Business Month (coming up in Season 9 👀)More ways to connect:Email: [email protected] to the noseyAF DispatchCheck out my workFollow me on Instagram @stephaniegrahamListen to more episodesSupport & FeedbacknoseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛⭐ Rate & Review the Show to give the show street cred and helps new listeners find the show.📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear thisEpisode CreditsProduced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham (teaching myself audio editing!)Lyrics: Queen LexInstrumental: Freddie Bam FamCover Art: Emma McGoldrickSegment Music By: Matrika “**On Vacation:”**Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/on-vacation License code: QGILSAQGSFMCX3KU

Ep #109 : Neighbors, Strangers, and the Stories Between Us with Ann RosenSummary:It's our season finale, y'all! 🎉 We made it to the end of Season 7 of noseyAF — AND we crossed 100 episodes! I still can't believe it. None of this happens without you, so thank you for being nosey right along with me all season long. I am so grateful. In this episode, I sit down with Ann Rosen, a Brooklyn-based portrait photographer and activist whose decades-long practice sits at the intersection of art, social justice, and human dignity. We talk about her evolution from abstract portraiture to her current project On Being Seen — an ongoing photography and writing workshop series with women in New York City shelters and transitional housing programs. Anne opens up about her own personal struggles, including surviving addiction and emotional trauma, and how those experiences shaped her deep empathy for the women she photographs. If you've ever wondered how art can truly serve a community — and what it means to really see someone — this one's for you.Topics discussed:Ann's artistic journey from abstract photography to intimate portrait work, including her In the Presence of Family series documenting diverse NYC families at street fairsThe On Being Seen project — photographing and collecting the stories of women in NYC shelters, and how the diptych format combines portraits with the subjects' own handwritingAnn's personal history with addiction and trauma, and how it informs her empathy-driven approach to social justice photographyThe ethics and logistics of photographing vulnerable populations — model releases, privacy, and consentWhat photography can do that other forms of activism can't, and advice for photographers wanting to do community-centered workChapters:• 00:24 - End of an Era: Season Finale• 01:26 - The Journey of Ann Rosen: From Painting to Photography• 15:40 - Empathy Through Photography: A New Perspective• 28:33 - Understanding Homelessness and Resilience• 37:51 - The Journey of Recovery and Art• 45:50 - The Importance of Community and Neighborly RelationsAll About Ann: Ann Rosen (b. Brooklyn) is a New Jersey-based artist known for her social justice projects using portrait photography as a tool for empowerment and empathy. In Rosen’s current project, Being Seen, she teaches art and photography workshops with women from marginalized communities such as shelters, formerly homeless Veterans, recovering addicts, formerly incarcerated.Rosen graduated from SUNY at Buffalo (BFA) and the Visual Studies Workshop (MFA), studying with Nathan Lyons, Joan Lyons and John Wood. Her influences are stark B&W and color portraits by Irving Penn, Paul Strand, and Catherine Opie.Resources mentioned in this episode:Housing Plus — organization supporting women experiencing homelessness and those transitioning out of incarcerationFive Myles Gallery, BrooklynCEPA Gallery, Buffalo, NY — upcoming solo show in NovemberBrooklyn Arts Council — grant funding source for Ann's workVisual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY — Ann's graduate schoolNoteworthy quotes from this episode:"I think that everybody has the right to be seen and everyone has the right to be respected.""Photography is a universal language. You don't need to know English or any other language.""I realized I was giving to others what I had experienced the joy of gaining after a traumatic lifestyle.""Nobody wants to be sitting on the street. But the gestalt of seeing a person who is homeless — they're going to harm me? No, they're not going to harm me."Connect with AnnInstagram: @annrosenphotographyWebsite: annrosen.comConnect with StephanieInstagram: @stephaniegrahamEmail: [email protected] out my art and projectsEnjoy my work? Join my studio newsletterMore Episodes at noseyaf.comPlease leave me feedback or send me a message:Support the ShowRate and Review the show:Share noseyAF with your friends:Buy a pinBuy a printJoin the noseyAF DispatchEpisode Credits:Produced and Hosted by Me, Stephanie (teaching myself audio editing!)Edited by: Risha BrownLyrics: Queen LexInstrumental: Freddie Bam FamCover Art: Emma McGoldrick

Ep # 108: Your Calm Calendar: Rest, Burnout Recovery, and Resisting Hustle Culture with Nicole HavelkaWelcome back to another episode of noseyAF on Lumpen Radio!! We have Nicole Havelka joing us, a burnout recovery coach, mindfulness teacher, former pastor, and host of the podcast Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals — to talk about what it actually takes to stop running on empty. Nicole gets into how she went from a self-described "recovering grind culture addict" to building a whole business around helping high-achievers and everyday radicals reclaim their time and energy. She introduces her Calm Calendar Club, a program built around planning your life in a way that actually honors your energy — not just squeezes more out of it. If you've ever felt like you're dropping the ball, this conversation will remind you: you're not dropping balls, you're just carrying too many.What We Talk AboutOkay, so pull up a chair — this one goes places.How Nicole went from overachiever to burnout recovery coach (and what growing up in Omaha, Nebraska had to do with it)Why hustle culture is literally designed for you to fail — and why that's not your faultBurnout in ministry and why being "on call 24/7" is just not humanWhat COVID quietly taught us about the power of saying noThe seven types of rest from Sacred Rest by Sandra Dalton-Smith — sleep is just ONE of themHow planning your calendar with your values first changes everythingWhy ADHD and neurodivergent folks need planning systems that actually work for their brainsThe Calm Calendar Club: what it is, how it works, and who it's forWhy "you're not failing the system — you're just trying to do too much"The radical act of rest as resistance, especially for Black women (shoutout to Tricia Hersey's Rest Is Resistance)Doing your part in activism and community work — without burning yourself all the way downThings We MentionedCalm Calendar Club — Nicole's program for planning your life around your energy and values → defythetrend.com/calm-calendarJust Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals — Nicole's podcastRest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey (affiliate link)Sacred Rest by Sandra Dalton-Smith (the seven types of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, social, emotional, and spiritual) (affiliate link)Artist Admin Hour — Stephanie's weekly co-working session for artists tackling the admin work that makes the work work → artistadminhour.comChapters: • 00:33 - Introduction to noseyAF Conversations • 04:36 - The Pressure of Hustle Culture • 13:21 - The Challenge of Self-Care in Ministry • 16:54 - Navigating Burnout and Community Engagement • 23:50 - The Culture of Exhaustion • 29:50 - The Importance of Rest and Reflection • 37:30 - Addressing Time Management Challenges • 44:55 - Planning for Success: Reflecting on Your Values • 47:03 - Exploring Priorities and Planning Strategies • 54:45 - Exploring the Importance of Rest • 01:01:21 - Finding Balance: The Importance of Rest and HobbiesAll About... Nicole HavelkaYou're gonna love Nicole — she's a burnout recovery coach and certified mindfulness teacher who spent years in ministry before turning her hard-won lessons into a whole business helping people resist hustle culture and build sustainable lives. Her whole thing is that rest isn't lazy — it's the foundation for everything.More about Nicole: Nicole Havelka is a burnout recovery coach, mindfulness teacher, clergy person, and recovering grind-culture addict who helps people and organizations resist hustle and reclaim rest. A clergy person turned entrepreneur, she brings bold honesty and a healthy dose of play to help changemakers prevent burnout and build sustainable lives and workplaces. Nicole hosts the podcast Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals and leads a community of Rest Rebels on Substack. → defythetrend.com | defythetrend.substack.comSponsor Shoutout 💖This episode is brought to you by Artist Admin Hour The admin work that makes the work work. Every Wednesday, 7–9pm Central, artists show up on Zoom to tackle residency apps, grant applications, budgets, invoices — whatever you've been avoiding. Body doubling, no shame, real community. 25–45/month, but email Stephanie if that's not doable. → artistadminhour.comConnect with Nicole HavelkaWebsite: defythetrend.comCalm Calendar Club: defythetrend.com/calm-calendarPodcast: Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday RadicalsSubstack: https://defythetrend.substack.com/More ways to connect:Email: [email protected] out my workFollow me on Instagram @stephaniegrahamListen to more episodesSupport & FeedbackShare noseyAF with friendsRate & Review the ShowBuy Pins & Prints | Shop ArtEpisode CreditsProduced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie (teaching myself audio editing!)Lyrics: Queen LexInstrumental: Freddie Bam Fam