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b'For many, art is a language all its own. This has never been more true for Daren Todd, a Portland-based musician turned painter who discovered painting during quarantine when he lost his bartending job. On this episode of The Sidewalk Talk podcast, Traci sits down with Daren to hear his story of gaining a following for his painting through Reddit, starting Art Larger Than Me, and his thoughts on how art can serve as both love language and accountability for the battles our country is fighting within itself.\\xa0\\nDaren is a transgender Black man who always saw art, specifically music, as a way to express himself. But when the pandemic hit, painting became a way to express himself and connect with others in a whole new way. Together, Traci and Daren talk about how art has impacted Daren, his feelings about the Capitol Insurrection, and how art can help us create emblems of accountability that help us as a collective address our different shades of shame and racism to create a more inclusive and equal society. Daren is a dynamic advocate for the power of art and loving those around us while still holding them accountable. Don\\u2019t miss this important episode!\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nEpisode Milestones\\n[00:07] Intro\\xa0\\n[03:08] Meet Daren\\xa0\\n[11:52] The heart behind Art Larger than Me\\xa0\\n[14:48] How Daren hopes his art serves the marginalized communities he\\u2019s apart of\\xa0\\n[16:40] Art as language\\xa0\\n[19:32] Art\\u2019s impact on Daren\\xa0\\n[22:37] Daren\\u2019s rebellious spirit as an artist\\xa0\\n[26:03] Traci and Daren\\u2019s shared Santa Barbara history\\xa0\\n[27:27] The impact of the Capitol Insurrection on Daren\\xa0\\n[32:21] Emblems of accountability\\xa0\\n[37:13] Shame in our societal consciousness\\xa0\\xa0\\n[43:41] Daren\\u2019s word for you\\n[45:33] Outro\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nResources Mentioned\\nArt Larger than Me\\xa0\\nThe Downstairs Gallery \\xa0\\nThe Neighborhood Arts Collective \\xa0\\nIt\\u2019s Future Time\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nStandout Quotes from the Episode\\n\\u201cI\\u2019m almost glad I didn\\u2019t go to art school because I see so many people that have gone that are just so jaded and broken down and beaten down by that system.\\u201d\\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cI try to use that gift that I\\u2019ve been given to reach out to people that maybe haven\\u2019t been reached or aren\\u2019t being reached, and to speak for people who haven\\u2019t found a way to speak or have been silenced.\\u201d\\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cI believe that art is a language that transcends dialects and can say a lot, and it\\u2019s open to interpretation by every person because no two people see the same.\\u201d \\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cI believe that it\\u2019s not so much about the outcome as it is about the daily practice, and when you focus on the practice, the outcome comes secondary.\\u201d \\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cHow much more time are we going to have to wait for a simple right to life, to freedom, to justice, to the pursuit of our happiness? And we\\u2019re not asking to be held above, we\\u2019re literally just asking to be equal.\\u201d\\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cYou\\u2019re not going to get anywhere by avoiding things that make you uncomfortable.\\u201d \\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cI never want to shame someone for where they were. I just want to help them get to a better place.\\u201d \\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\u201cThe most grounded I feel on this earth is when I\\u2019m reaching out to help someone else. And I think if each one of us just shared a little bit of what we had, there\\u2019d be more than enough to go around.\\u201d \\u2014Daren Todd\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nConnect:\\nFind | Sidewalk Talk Podcast\\nAt sidewalk-talk.org\\nOn Instagram: @sidewalktalkorg\\nOn Twitter: @sidewalktalkorg\\n\\xa0\\nFind | Traci Ruble\\nAt Traciruble.com\\nOn Instagram: @TraciRubleMFT\\nOn Twitter: @TraciRubleMFT\\nOn Facebook: @TraciRubleMFT'