Kim Vidrine loves her group of friends and she loves cakes. So six years or so ago, she created Cake Club as a way to celebrate both.
joy
This Is My Thing: Community Singing!
During Covid lockdown, Sarah Bentley discovered the world of community singing. For the last few years, she’s found connection and a creative outlet through leading singing circles.
This Is My Thing: Lightsaber Choreography!
As members of the nonprofit Saber Guild, Addie and Ben Ruth share a love of lightsabers, Jedi robes, and lightsaber choreography.
This Is My Thing: Pole Dancing!
Seven years ago, Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz fell in love with pole dancing as a form of exercise and self-expression. Now she’s at the pole studio four days a week.
This Is My Thing: Barbershop Quartet!
Chuck Loesch fell in love with barbershop music as a teenager, then, after a twenty-five year break, rediscovered it as an adult.
This Is My Thing: Glass Blowing!
Jean Nelson fell in love with the idea of glass blowing at age 10, but it was almost 40 years before she finally got to pursue the art form. Now it’s her passion.
This Is My Thing: Bike Polo!
David Morley started playing bike polo sometime around 2010, when the sport and he were both very young. Now they’re both a few years older, but David’s love for the sport remains.
This Is My Thing: Nail Art!
Kim Reist found a creative spark when she started experimenting with the world of fingernail art during the Covid lockdown.
This Is My Thing: Metal Detecting!
Mitch London started metal detecting as a way to look for rare coins; now he also uses his skills to help strangers find lost and meaningful objects.
This Is My Thing: Triathlon!
Tiffany and Caitlin Saunders (known collectively as Team Saunders) met through triathlon, and fell in love with the sport and each other.
This Is My Thing: LEGO!
Ben Rollman has loved LEGO since he was a kid. After a brief ‘Dark Age’ away from the hobby, he started back up as an adult and is now a bigger LEGO fan than ever.
This Is My Thing: Aggressive Roller Skating!
Rae Loos loves roller skating, but not the kind you do at the roller rink. She’s into what some people call ‘aggressive roller skating,’ which is more commonly done at the skate park.
This Is My Thing: Lumber Milling!
JD Murphy has always loved tools and learning. A few years ago (with some help from YouTube), he taught himself about lumber milling, and now he spends his free time milling wood right in his driveway in Cedar Park, Texas. The hobby brings him joy and has helped him discover his creative side.
This Is My Thing: Sword Fighting!
Anna Beard fell in love with swords when she saw ‘Return of the Jedi’ as a child. But it was only a few years ago that she finally learned the sport of sword fighting. Now she finds her joy in swords, sword fighting, and teaching others how to sword fight.
This Is My Thing: Ukulele!
A few years ago, six longtime friends — all retired — decided to form a ukulele band together. It wasn’t really planned, but after one of them decided to take up the instrument as a hobby, five more followed suit. Now they all meet up every week to catch up, chat, and play the ukulele together as the ‘Austin Ukuladies.’
Effective Subversion
There is more to making change happen than meets the eye. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the art and psychology of effective subversion.
Still Joy
The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent winter storm in Texas have compounded the anxiety and helplessness many feel. Still, there are always moments of joy — no matter how small. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
The Psychology of Happiness
Many people chase after goals that seem to them important and promising—getting into the right college, getting the dream job, moving to a big house. But what do you really need to be happy? To have a sense of fulfillment and joy? And why is it important?
Listen back to KUT’s Views and Brews recorded live at The Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas as Rebecca McInroy, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, of Two Guys on Your Head, ask: What characterizes well-being?
Why Talk About Happiness?
Listen back to Two Guys on Your Head recorded live at The Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas for a Views and Brews, as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy talks with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke about the psychology of happiness.
Many people chase after goals that seem to them important and promising—getting into the right college, getting the dream job, moving to a big house. But what do you really need to be happy? To have a sense of fulfillment and joy? And why is it important?
Joy vs. Happiness
We might think the idea of happiness and joy are interchangeable, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss on this episode Two Guys on Your Head they are very different.