Episode 039 - Jaja Smith

In today's episode, I welcome Jaja Smith! Jaja is an actor, filmmaker, photographer, and influencer. He is the host of new podcast, "Just a Thought," and has starred in the web series, "Quarter Water Juices." He shares his thoughts about becoming an actor, continuing to take acting classes to sharpen his skills, starting a podcast, being the one behind the camera instead of in front of one, and so much more. With sound advice for beginners, and lots of great stories along the way, JaJa's influence is always intended to create positive change. (Fun fact: the cover image for this week's episode is Jaja's podcast cover art!)

 

Get in touch with Jaja Smith: https://www.facebook.com/jaja.k.smith | https://www.instagram.com/jaja.smith/ | https://anchor.fm/jaja-smith 

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Episode 39 - Jaja Smith

Lindsey Dinneen: Hello, and welcome to Artfully Told, where we share true stories about meaningful encounters with art.

[00:00:07] Krista: I think artists help people have different perspectives on every aspect of life.

[00:00:14] Roman: All I can put my part out into the world.

[00:00:16] Elizabeth: It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It doesn't have to be perfect ever really. I mean, as long as you, you're enjoying doing it and you're trying your best, that can be good enough.

[00:00:24] Elna: Art is something that you can experience with your senses, and that you just experiences as so beautiful.

[00:00:33] Lindsey Dinneen: Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Artfully Told. I'm your host Lindsey, and I am so excited to have as my guest today, Jaja Smith. He is an actor, filmmaker and influencer, and the host of a brand new podcast, as well as so many other artistic endeavors. I can just tell from our brief intro conversation. So I'm so excited to have you. Thank you so much for being here today.

[00:01:01] Jaja Smith: Oh, thank you for having me, Lindsey. It's such a pleasure. I am, I'm excited. I'm excited to debunk and just talk art and all things creatives.

[00:01:09] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. Excellent. My favorite thing. Okay. So I would love if you would share just a little bit maybe about your background, kind of what got you involved in art, and then maybe a little bit about what you're up to these days.

[00:01:22] Jaja Smith: Sure. So for me, it's actually kind of funny. Yeah. I started as an athlete. I was an athlete and a musician. So music was my first intro to art. And then I just, over the course of time, you know, I did what we were supposed to do, which it was, you know, the college thing and, you know, try to get a job and stuff. And I just got to a point where I just, I dropped out and I was like, this isn't, this isn't enough. I don't feel fulfilled. And I just, as soon as I did that, a web series fell into my lap, "Quarter Water Juices." And we did two seasons. And then once that ended for me, I had the bug. I was like, how do I keep going? How do I continue acting? And so I found my acting class, Cincinnati Actor's Studio, and I have just been going now for five years strong. And, you know, it's been a, a beautiful journey, you know, finding agencies and learning learning the business behind all this and just continuing to develop myself. And I realized the more people I play , the more I learn about life, 'cause you're seeing life through the characters that you portray. So that's really cool.

[00:02:30]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And so. Oh, my goodness. I have so many questions. There's one in my mind, but first of all, so I'm really kind of curious, because the first thing I thought about when you mentioned getting to play other characters has sort of helped you understand life even better. Do you have any sort of, did it kind of help develop additional empathy? 'Cause I know that's kind of-- you would think that maybe embodying other characters might, might help you realize more and more about just humanity? I'm just curious.

[00:03:05] Jaja Smith: A hundred percent, because you know, when you play these characters, you have to walk a mile in their shoes, you know, you really have to think about, okay, how did, how did their -- what's their point of view? You know, how do they handle conflict? You know, what happened to them for, to get them to this point? And, you know, when, when I play these characters, I find it interesting when people feel the need to method act. You know, if you're playing a psychopath, but there's no need for you to go out and be a psychopath before you play this role. But I understand, right, right? Everybody has a layer, they love somebody died and that's what set them off. So, you know, you, you picture what it would be like to lose that, that person for you. And then, your whole basis is heartbreak. So, when you start to peel the onion back, you know, and all the layers, you really start to see, like, people are people. You know, there are still your, your terrible people in the world, your Hitlers, your Castros, and all those things, but they're they're still people. They just made a series of decisions that took them in a very different direction.

[00:04:16] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Have you ever played a character that you absolutely hate,  like somebody that you just, you could not-- you obviously would do well, you know, portraying this character--but that you just could not align with who they were, so to speak.

[00:04:33] Jaja Smith: Role-wise, not yet. I, I'm sure that that role, that's coming, but I did an audition for a, a deputy--or I was an officer--I was an officer and he was just very pompous. And you, he couldn't be told anything by his superiors or anything like that. And for me, I was just like, "This guy's just a, just a jerk." Ooh, if I had to meet this person, I want to like fight this person or something. Like, I'm just like, why, why are people like this? But we'll see if I get the role. So then I'll be able to say yes. Yes, Lindsey. I did.

[00:05:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Fair enough. We'll check back in. Okay. Perfect. So, obviously your career as an actor, it sounds like, you know, you've gotten to do a few different roles now--have you done mostly things for film? Have you also done any theater work or is it sort of a combination of all of that?

[00:05:32] Jaja Smith: So thus far from me, I have done predominantly film. Now, I am not turned off to theater. Like, theater is one of those things that terrifies the heck out of me because you get one take. So it is like, if you miss a note or you forget a line, then you have to figure it out from there. And I try my best to do all of the things that scare me. So when an opportunity comes up for me to be in a play, I will jump at it. Terrified, but I will jump at it.

[00:06:05] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. I love that. Yes. Somebody--I will not remember who to attribute this to--but I remember somebody once talked about how you should do something every day that scares you. It doesn't have to be big, just a little something to help you grow every day. And I kind of hung on to that. I like that idea that, you know, you can, you can be afraid and do it anyway, right?

[00:06:31] Jaja Smith: Yeah.

[00:06:31] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Okay. And so then you're taking classes regularly, I'm imagining, still, is that correct?

[00:06:39] Jaja Smith: Yes. Yes, I am.

[00:06:40] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. So it's, it's interesting to me because you're getting paid to do this, you are a professional, but so you still place a lot of importance on your own growth and learning opportunities. Do you feel that you will continue taking classes for the foreseeable future is that sort of the way that it works, I'm not as familiar with this world. So I'm really, really curious.

[00:07:01] Jaja Smith: The, the beauty of this is you will never be a master at this, you know, because there, the basics are always something that will always require you to be brushed up on, you know, keeping sharp. This is definitely one of those industries where you, you are only as good as your last film. So when you move on to your in--in the in-between time for your previous and your latter, you still have to develop yourself and continue to sharpen, sharpen that craft, that tool of yours. So, I will take classes the rest of my life indefinitely because there's always something to be learned.

[00:07:41]Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that perspective. Yeah. I agree with you. I think artists in general are probably like that in a lot of ways. It's just, it's art, right? So it's subjective and there's no, there's no one thing to achieve that's like, "Oh, I made it." And then there's nothing else to do, right? You can always grow and improve. And so, yeah, kudos to you. That's really, really cool.

[00:08:06] Jaja Smith: I, I was hoping somebody might tell Orson Welles the same thing because with "Citizen Kane," he created the perfect film for that time. So for him, he was like, "I don't know what else to do. You know, I'm 24 years old and I made the perfect film. So what happens now?" And so he just didn't do a whole lot.

[00:08:24]Lindsey Dinneen:   And maybe if he had taken some more classes, he could have. I love it.

[00:08:28] Jaja Smith: We'll never know, you know, but we, we appreciate "Citizen Kane" and for everything that he made and created it for us. So I give it back to the, to the historian himself.

[00:08:39] Lindsey Dinneen: There you go well. Okay. So you also mentioned being a filmmaker. So what kinds of things have you been working on and what did that journey look like?

[00:08:49] Jaja Smith: I really enjoy the writing process. I truly, truly do, because for me, if I can create something that you, as the reader and my audience can read and see it playing out throughout, and it's just fluid, then I know that I'm doing my job. Personally as a writer, and you know, something else that I've learned throughout this process is I can't do it by myself. Like, there are so many pieces in so many unknowns and unknown unknowns that I'm just like, I, I can't keep it all together. So it's, it's definitely humbled me a lot to realize. And it's, it's a relief at the same time because I realized I don't have to do it all by myself. You know, I have all of these, these different, you know, actors and people in the industry who look, who just wants to create something great. And so, you know, to be able to put my script on the table and say, "Hey, what do you guys think about this?" And everybody jumps on board. It's encouraging. You know, I think it's really encouraging. And I think there's a lot of people here in Cincinnati and you know, all over the, all over the world who just want to get that start. And sometimes you don't know where to go. So, you know, for me just to be able to kind of jump into things, it's just really, really exciting.

[00:10:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Do you have any current projects in the works either for your filmmaking or for acting currently?

[00:10:19] Jaja Smith: No. I did just brush the dust off of a project that I had written a little while ago and I have a feeling it may be coming to fruition here soon.

[00:10:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Ooh, how exciting. Okay. Well, we'll have to keep in touch in and find out what that all looked like. I'm excited. Excellent. Okay. And so then I know all of this is only a small little snippet of all the different things that you do. You recently started a podcast, is my understanding. You want to share a little bit about that and that journey?

[00:10:52] Jaja Smith: Yes. So "Just a Thought" is one of the things that terrified me because, you know, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to have a solid content or talk too much or not talk enough. But for me, "Just a Thought" has been--it's, it's a vehicle for people to take, you know, situations and, you know, we, we are one mind. So to be able to give a secondary perspective on, you know, different situations that we all go through and to be able to-- I'm geeky in the sense of, I love philosophy, you know, Seneca, Emerson , Socrates, the whole thing. And to be able to take the thoughts and the practices of these philosophers and make them applicable to today and the situations that, you know, we may come to come with, come into contact with. So, I just really want to spread positivity and help people wherever I can. And so I saw that the the podcast may be the best way to do it. And, you know, with each thought that I have, for every episode, I realized that I'm truly just talking to myself. If anything, it's just like a reaffirmation journal entry. And that ends up being this really nice thing that I can have and carry with me and, you know, help other people along the way.

[00:12:12] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that. So is it something that it's, it is just your thoughts, or do you have guests? Is it kind of interview based or is it mostly just, you know, taking your, your own learning and ideas and kind of putting them into positive, you know, affirmations for, for yourself and others?

[00:12:31] Jaja Smith: It's funny you should ask that because I just posted last week my first episode, but it's a baby. Yeah, we are, we are the baby steps. So for me, my first episode was on my own, but I know that, you know, come time--because everybody has a story-- I want to open up the door for people to be able to share that story. It was, it was really interesting and I was so grateful for this. I posted my first episode and then I had someone stop me at the gym and was like, "Hey, I listened to this." And how relatable it was to something that they just went through. And I was like, "Okay. I, I have to have you talk about this and we have to pick this up apart." and I was like, "This is, this is amazing!" So I was like, this wouldn't have happened if I didn't do this. And so it was just a really, really special moment. And so I will definitely be having people on to be able to tell their story, because again, I am one conscious mind and I don't think we are supposed to work on a linear plane. So I would definitely love to, you know, bring some people on and have a couple episodes where I just talk about what, you know, it was weighing on my heart that day.

[00:13:44] Lindsey Dinneen: That's perfect. I love that. I think magic happens with collaboration and I think it's exciting that you can do some of both. And I think that's the perfect platform for that. And, oh, what a great story too about, you know, that immediate feedback from somebody who goes, "Hey, Thank you. I, I've been there too. And that was such a helpful perspective." I mean, gosh, talk about encouragement right out the gate. I love it. That's fantastic. Good. I'm so glad.

[00:14:12] Jaja Smith: My coffee that morning tasted so sweet.

[00:14:14]Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love it. Yes. Excellent. Well, okay. So I know you kind of refer to yourself as an influencer and podcasting is obviously a fantastic way to do that, but you have other avenues for art as well if I'm not mistaken. Do you want to share about some of the other things that you're involved with as well?

[00:14:32] Jaja Smith: Yes. So I've recently, in the last couple of months, have dabbled in the art of photography. And I never realized because I've been in front of the camera so much, you know, as an actor and as a model that I'd never realized, you know, just how much it does for the, the eye of a photographer and the heart of the model. Because I, I think oftentimes like modeling gets lost in translation of, "Oh, you're just pick a pose and you and the photographer shoots it." But it's like, no, this is a story being told here. Like, I, you are, you are choosing an emotion. Like if I ever modeled for anyone I ask, "What is one emotion that you want us to sell? What is the story that we're telling here?" And now it just becomes this, this beautiful, like, play back and forth between the photographer and the model that the people who see the final product get to get to kind of live through. You know, people admire the photo.

[00:15:38] But, you know, I realized when I, you know, show my friends who are creatives, they're like, oh, you're, there's confidence here, but you're dealing with something in this photo and it's just, it's just this really cool thing. So to know that, you know, I was able to capture--'cause I'm not always playing myself when I'm playing a model--but to be able to say that they, they saw what, what my self and the photographer, or myself in the model were going for, that lets me know that I did my job. And then as a photographer to see the confidence boost in the model, you know, because I I've shot a lot of people who'd never really saw themselves as models before. And so to be able to shoot them and kind of bring that to life and just see this, this vigor in them, I'm just like, ah, this is a high, this is why it's harder for us to do this. So for me, that's probably been the most special part about that particular art.

[00:16:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And that's such a great perspective. I'm so glad that you shared that with us, 'cause I think, like you said, there are misconceptions about maybe modeling or, or even acting and things like that, where we just, those of us who aren't part of it don't necessarily understand everything that goes into it and what it takes. And it, like you said, it's not just standing there and making a pose, it's telling a story and it's, and it's work. I mean, you know, there's no-- Right. I mean, so, that's so interesting. I'm actually, it kind of begs a question of, what are some of the misconceptions that you have had to maybe help overcome or help educate when it comes to some of the art forms that you're involved with, maybe specifically modeling and acting, even filmmaking? I'm sure, you know, there are some misconceptions that you kind of are able to help people understand, "Oh, it's actually this."

[00:17:40] Jaja Smith: Oh, yes. So for acting, especially because that is my meat and potatoes, my bread and butter. So I love unpacking these things with acting. It requires a certain level of vulnerability. You can't just jump in front of a camera and then play yourself because you're lying to yourself. When I do a scene with my scene partner, it requires a certain level of trust not just in the person that you're doing the scene with, but with yourself. You have to let go of a lot of inhibitions and say, "Okay, I'm fully here. I'm fully present, not just in front of this class, but as this person that I have chosen to play. I have a job to do first and foremost."  I have a responsibility to this person that I'm playing to do them justice. I look at acting sometimes as I am the PR, I am the lawyer of the character that I am portraying. And so I have a due diligence to make sure that their story gets told and that they get what it is that they need. So, and I never want to cheat that because I think that that's something really special.

[00:18:53] Another misconception is that it's, it's easy. You know, I feel the longer I'm in this industry, there is such a business to this. You know, it's not just, I'm this pretty person, and I'm going to show up and they're going to pick me now. A lot of the job is, do you look the part? But that only gets you the job, but when you get there, you can easily lose the job because you didn't give the director what they wanted. So that's another reason why continuing to sharpen your tool, your acting ability, is so important because you have to keep the job just like any of them. The business aspect of this industry is, is something that I am progressively learning. I'm learning to ask a lot of questions almost to the annoying fault, but I just want to understand it so that way I can be the best person I can be on a set, for the director or with my partners, the rest of the cast and crew. I just want to make sure that I'm doing due diligence where I can.

[00:19:59] So I think, it's very easy for people to get caught up in just watching a movie and saying, "Oh, I can do that." I promise it's so much deeper than that. You know, 'cause I'm sure we've all thought it at one point or another. You know, I remember being a kid and watching "Space Jam," and you know, you've watched it a hundred times. So now you like start moving with the movie and you start quoting it. And you know, I, it's funny 'cause we've always, we've all, all been actors at a time in our life, from birth or a baby. You know, my, my coach, he made a point, he was like, "When you wanted to eat, you cried. You didn't have to cry, but you just cried. And then, because you knew you would get what you wanted." And so, throughout life, we do what we believe is necessary to get that thing. Or, you know what, we as actors call a bridge. It's like, "I want this. So to do this, I will do this to get my scene partner on my mom to give me that juice." You know what I mean? Like, when you break it down like that, you're like, "Oh, I guess I really have been doing this for longer than five years, but I've just been doing it, you know, with the intent of acting for five years." So those are just some of the things that off the top of my head, I would say are common misconceptions.

[00:21:22] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks for, yeah, shedding some light into that. And I, I love that. I think that a lot of times, you know, art is perceived to be very glamorous. If you're an artist on any level, it's very glamorous and, you know, there are those moments where it feels, it feels lovely and very, very glamorous, but then there's all the hard work behind it. And I think it's important to talk about that too, because time is not equally spent. The glamor happens, what 5%?

[00:21:52] Jaja Smith: Right. And that's at a certain level. Like that's not a thing right now. It's a lot of hurry up and wait like, "Oh, we need you here at seven o'clock. Now you're going to sit here for six hours before we actually need you." It's not this beautiful, it's not this glamorous thing that we see on TV by any means. Like this is such false advertising.

[00:22:09] Lindsey Dinneen: Yup, yup. Yup, exactly. But it's good. And, when you're willing to put in the work, there are those opportunities for such incredible reward, but, but it is hard work. So thank you for sharing that. So I'm curious, are there any particular moments that you've had that really stand out to you as sort of basically moments to remember, where you may be encountered art or you were a part of art and you just had this like encounter that was something to tuck away and think about later?

[00:22:43] Jaja Smith: So my first big city audition was in New York City. And you know, this was probably my first, first year. Yes, it was my first year in acting, like going to pursue this as an endeavor and it, it was such a special moment because I learned so much. I learned that my confidence will tell the casting director everything that they need to know, and without it, you know, if they, if I don't believe in me, then neither can they.  I would say there was a feature length film that I was a part of and I had a monologue, and it was just one of those things to where I... I've always learned, I've always been taught by my coach to never break, you know, let the director tell you to cut. And, you know, I'm doing this monologue and I know that I'm missing a line, that my face gave me away that I forgot, but I kept going. And then at the end, the person that I was delivering this monologue to that when the director said, cut said, "Hey, man, that was great." So it was just one of those beautiful moments to where it's, if you trust the character, the words don't matter so much. Like people will forget what you said and remember how you made them feel.

[00:24:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Right.

[00:24:07] Jaja Smith: So now that was a really special one. So those are, those are the two.

[00:24:12] Lindsey Dinneen: Those are great. Thank you. Oh my goodness. Yes. So I have a couple questions that I like to ask my guests if you're okay with that, all subjective.

[00:24:21] Jaja Smith: Yeah, yeah.

[00:24:23] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay, perfect. So the first one is , how do you personally define art or what is art to you?

[00:24:30] Jaja Smith: Art is expression. Art is a hundred percent expression. You know, whether you are a painter or you are a, a sketch artist or a actor, or whatever your canvas is, it's this release of energy. Some people don't know how to articulate themselves. So for them to be able to have this outlet, it's this beautiful thing. And then when it comes out, sometimes it's angry. Sometimes it's heartbroken. I remember very vividly my dad passed away on the night of an acting class, but I had to go because I didn't know how to handle my emotions outside of that. And you know, my, my acting class is my family, but I just needed that, that outlet, you know, it was just one of those things. It's like air almost. I think for a lot of other artists out there, I think art is their microphone to tell the world how they really feel, and in the way that best articulates it for them.

[00:25:33]Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. I love it. Okay. And then what do you think is the most important role of an artist?

[00:25:41] Jaja Smith: To be honest, because we as people have dealt with enough bologna sandwich that, you know, it doesn't do anything for anyone, if you're just doing something for the sake of the adoration or the sake of a finished product. But if you're true and you're intentional and you're authentic, I mean, that is the product that people can truly get on board with. You know, I think that that is to not just to people, but also to the work itself, and then to the artists, because there have been a few times I may have flubbed or played it safer. And then, you know, I stepped back and the scene is over and, you know, I was just like, "What are you doing?" Like you, you know that you cheated yourself and you're like, "Why did I do that?" So the biggest thing to me is just be honest, be authentic with your work and everything that you do. You know, I don't see any need to talk about things that you don't understand. You know, like if, if you're a music artist, that's like, you know, tell your story. You know, you have a story. And it's beautiful. I mean, it's yours and it deserves to be told.

[00:26:46] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. And then my final question--and I'll define my terms a little bit--is do you think that art should be inclusive or exclusive? So inclusive referring to an artist who puts something out into the world and provides some context behind that? Whether it's show notes or a title or the inspiration behind it, versus exclusive referring to an artist who puts his or her work out there, but doesn't provide context, and essentially leaves it completely up to the viewer to interpret it the way they will.

[00:27:21] Jaja Smith: That's such a good question because I, I can appreciate both. And Jordan Peele is, is such a believer of the exclusive, you know, he just kind of puts a film out and he says, "You know, what's it mean to you? Like, what do you see?" And when it's exclusive it creates such a beautiful dialogue for people because, if you don't know, then you're just sharing perspectives with everybody who's seen this piece of work. But if it's inclusive--you know, I'm definitely going to side with exclusive--but if it's inclusive and you can allow people to see the project through your eyes or the piece of art through your eyes and how you intended it... But I really think, art should be left up for interpretation because when you go to a movie, you're not looking to see how the director wants you to see it.  You're picking the film apart scene by scene and trying to understand, "Okay, I want to know what the main character was like before the movie started. And like, why are they like this?"  I think we live in a society where we do enough being told what to think and letting that be it. But for me, I think art is truly meant to be exclusive in the sense of, you know, think for yourself and tell me what you see. And nine times out of 10, they're going to tell you that you're right, because it is your thought and it is what my art says to you.

[00:28:58] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I liked that because that's a pretty unique perspective in the way that you communicated that of, of being able to think for yourself and interpret it the way that is meaningful to you. And I think there's a lot of value there. So that's, that's definitely cool. Thank you for sharing that. Well, thank you so much for being here today and sharing your stories and all the exciting things you have going on, and just, you're very inspiring. I'm so excited to continue to kind of watch your journey. And I would love if anyone who is listening to this episode would like to get in contact with you or follow your path, is there a way for them to do that?

[00:29:42] Jaja Smith: Yes. So I am on Instagram. My Instagram is Jaja.Smith. Very simple, very plain. My podcast is "Just a Thought." And I am also on Facebook as Jaja Smith. You know, I post a lot of when my projects are coming out, I will make sure to dish all of those things out there. And, you know, I'm, I'm pretty approachable. You know, if you reach out to me, you have a thought or something, then I'm very quick and very open to just sharing a dialogue because  life is short, you know, you never know who you're gonna meet in life.

[00:30:19] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. Well, and so what would be your one biggest piece of advice for someone who would be interested in being an actor?

[00:30:32] Jaja Smith: Find a great class. And I mean, you just have to start. I think a lot of times, a lot of actors, especially here, locally that I know for sure, we stand idle whether it be fear, or we just don't think we'll be good at it. I think it's very important to just move, and it does the body good. Find a good class and absorb as much as you can, and understand that the world is your playground.  I can't tell you how many times that I've gone about my day and then just met somebody that I didn't know, and I just played a completely different person just to see, is this authentic? Does it work? And then, of course I leave the person and I say, "Hey, by the way...."-- and then I go back to being who I am, and I'm a local actor-- "did that, did I sell that to you?" And they're like, "Dude, that was amazing!" It's just, it's fun, not just for myself. And it keeps the, the craft of acting very, very light and fun and enjoyable. But it does the same thing for the, for the people around me. So just continually be a student of the game. That's, that's probably the biggest thing that I would say, and just find a class and do it, because you might be the next Robert Downey Jr. or Cate Blanchett or something, and you just don't give yourself that opportunity.

[00:32:00] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Great advice, thank you so much. Thank you so much again for being here and sharing your stories and all of your adventures. I just so appreciate it. And thank you also to everyone who has listened to this episode. And if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I would love if you would share it with a friend or two, and we will catch you next time.

[00:32:27] If you have a story to share with us, we would love that so much. And I hope your day has been Artfully Told.

[00:32:36]Hey, Artfully Told listeners! I'm excited to share with you about Audible. As a podcast listener yourself, you already know how great it is to listen to something while you're driving or doing dishes or whatever it is. Audible has thousands of titles of audiobooks, as well as podcasts and other cool things, and they're offering a free audiobook to Artfully Told listeners when you sign up for a free trial membership. You'll have 30 days to decide if Audible is right for you, and you can cancel at any time without being charged and still keep your free audiobook. Sign up for your free trial and audiobook at www.audibletrial.com/artfullytold. Again, that's www.audibletrial.com/artfullytold. Thanks, Artfully Told listeners!