Content Warning: This episode has discussions about mental health issues, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, & suicidal ideation.
Dan invites artist Dr. Ally Zlatar to talk about the imperative role artists & art play in the world to communicate empathy, create community, & as a tool for empowerment. This is such a deep episode with a lot of vulnerability. Ally discusses her Starving Artist Initiative and how it supports “innovative and unique approach[es] that uses art and creativity to promote representation and intersectionality in civic reform” (Starving Artist). Lastly, there’s open discussions on body image, eating disorders, & the many forgotten communities battling eating disorders.
Ally Zlatar is the founder of The Starving Artist. It is an artist initiative that helps broaden perspectives on Eating Disorders and Mental Illness through the artistic voice. She also founded The Starving Artist Scholarship Fund which helps people access inpatient treatment for eating disorders. Her “This Body of Mine” campaign explores the migrant experiences through creative voices and has helped support individuals and artists from refugee-seeking backgrounds globally. Ally Zlatar has received the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian work; winner of The Princess Diana Legacy Award 2021, Y20 Award Finalist for Diversity and Inclusion (Youth 20 by G20 Summit) and also special recognition from The British Citizen Award 2022.
She holds a BFA in Visual Art & Art History from Queen’s University & an MLitt Curatorial Practice and Contemporary Art from the Glasgow School of Art. Her Doctorate of Creative Arts is with the University of Southern Queensland focusing on embodied experiences of eating disorders in contemporary art. Zlatar is a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow (Anderson College, GIC), KICL London, and the University of Essex (UEIC). Check out her website, Instagram, The Starving Artist Initiative, & The Monsters Are Alive
People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode
- The Starving Artist
- Princess Diana Legacy Award
- Silverchair
- “Silverchair Frontman Reveals Battle with Anorexia”
- Nancy Stohlman
- 54. Going Short w/ Nancy Stohlman
- 19: Embracing a Messy Identity with Meghan P. Nolan
- 72: Life After the Ph.D. with Dr. Steven Mentz, Dr. Meghan P. Nolan, Dr. Melissa Rampelli, & Dr. Daniel Dissinger
- 84: Embodying Your Digital Self w/ Dr. Regina Duthely
- 63: Expanding the Victorian Conversation with Dr. Melissa Rampelli
- 79: Being in Isolation with Tara Bradway
- 3: Writing during a Pandemic with Danielle Lee
- 13: Using Our Voice and Our Hearts with Stephanie Renée Payne, Danielle Lee, and O Tomas Bell
- 90: Reacting to Roe v Wade Overturn w/ Stephanie Renée Payne, Danielle Lee, Leah Rubinsky, & Julia Reade
- Diego Rivera
- Detroit Institute of Art
“I always thought, as an academic, your job was to go through your Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D, do post-doctorate research, and create academic texts. But I realized that so much of what I do is practice based, generating research through actually doing.”
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-Ally Zlatar
“I think that it’s no longer just about color theory and being able to draw nude models. Instead, how can you use your art to engage in society, whether it be political discourse, social discourse, even in terms of art therapy […] that has really helped me just explore beyond the […] traditional rubric of what artists should be.”
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-Ally Zlatar
“I think people should realize that, yes, you should love what you do, but also you need to love yourself in that process.”
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-Ally Zlatar
“I’m going to share a little bit about what’s being experienced, and then also what’s from outsider perspectives. So there’s very, very big gaps and everywhere in between. Focusing on age and eating disorders, even pregnancy and eating disorders, different intersectionalities of disability. So, how can someone with bipolar [be impacted by] eating disorders and then, of course, somebody in a wheelchair be affected by eating disorders, and of course gender and ethnicity, because we have very little queer and male voices in these conversations around eating disorders, especially within communities [of color] […] Everybody has a struggle with food because there’s no ‘normal’ way to eat food. So how can we all be able to have a healthier and better relationship with it?”
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-Ally Zlatar
“I don’t think there’s a large appreciation both for the artist’s time, the effort, [and] the materials. There’s a lack of funding, lack of societal support and saying, yes, we need to pay artists. Yes, we need to have inclusive spaces for artists to practice”
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-Ally Zlatar
Episode 102 Transcript
The transcript for this episode is not corrected
This episode was recorded on July, 2022. The theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher, join the newsletter for a bunch of extras (a Note From Dan, episode-specific writing prompts, and book recommendations, & follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod & Instagram @WritingRemixPod.
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