In Episode 44 of the Creative Work Hour Podcast, we explore the power of words with special guest Gretchen from Imagine with Gretchen. She reads ABC: Let’s Celebrate You and Me by Sugar Snap Studio, sparking a discussion on self-worth, kindness, and individuality.

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Creative Work Hour podcast. Today is episode 44, can you believe it? And we're in a miniseries right now called The Power of Words. This will be part three of that miniseries and we're in for a real treat today. Alessandra, we were talking just before the show and we've got Gretchen coming on to tell us about The Power of Words and what she's doing with her work, right?

Alessandra
Yes, well, I am so thrilled and honored that Gretchen can be with us. Gretchen has been part of the Creative Work Hour crew. She has been here for more than 300 sittings. That doesn't mean 300 Creative Work Hours. No, because she'll come for three or four at a time. So do that math, and that is just who Gretchen is. 

She is a community-minded creator. And before she met the lot of us, she was already in her community for ECAM, where she cut her teeth on doing all kinds of amazing technical things that brings the heart of her work as a photographer as a librarian, as an aficionado of children's literature, and she has created some really amazing things.

For example, and this is what we're highlighting in her work. She's a polymath. She has like a whole closet full of hats. But the one that we're focused on right now, that particular hat. Gretchen's going, you talking about me, aren't you? 

That particular hat she has, she is a YouTube creator. And here's what she has created on YouTube. It's gone through different iterations and to make it cohesive and where all the things that she does fit together on that platform. Her YouTube channel is called Imagine with Gretchen. One of the things that she does on that channel is called Story and Art. That's the show that we're kind of featuring in her work. 

So Gretchen, welcome to Creative Work Hour Podcast. It is such a thrill to have you. You look amazing. So for the listeners, when we do this podcast, we are Well, we're in the studio for creative work hour, which is across six, seven, sometimes eight time zones. So we see all of each other on the screens and Gretchen and I are eight hours apart in time zones. 

So good morning, Gretchen. And what do you- Good morning. And tell us a little bit about story and art and how many shows have you done at this point in time?

Gretchen
A story in art started out as a challenge, just was supposed to be what we called a vlogmas challenge, do it through the month of December and I was gonna read Christmas stories. I'd already started to try to do some other things with it. But people loved the story so much that I just kind of kept going. And I have a rather large collection of children's literature in my own library here, really big, to the point where I have given boxes away to my own kids, and there's still several boxes in that room. 

I have always loved children's literature and then when my career as a school librarian, I became, it's an area of literature that people oftentimes disregard and they don't understand how complex it is, the depth of the illustrations, but also the lessons that can be told and what can be communicated in 32 pages only and have an impact not only on children, but on the adult who reads that book to them over and over again. 

Then I just got really absorbed with the art and a lot of adult artists come to my show and we call ourselves the Bucket Filling Brigade because it fills our bucket to hear the story and to go off on what I... So I started doing it every night and I went for 365, 67 days in a row. and then decided to give myself a break. And now I go twice a week. So I've just finished 570 shows, and I do it Sunday and Thursday.

Alessandra
There was a big to-do that you did for your 500th show. And you were crazy enough to invite the lot of us. Tell us, what was that like for you? 

Gretchen
I really, I don't kind of really remember the five. It's one of those things that you do and I have a list, I have a couple notebooks of the books and I have to go back and sometimes somebody on the show will say, oh, we've done that one, but I want to hear it again. because I don't always remember. 

It really is just a celebration of books and different things. And we're in the middle of Ramadan right now, and one of my viewers is celebrating Ramadan. So she is only listening. She's not participating in the live chat. And I learned that part of her celebration of Ramadan was to give up an action and that action was participating in chat and I didn't know the level. 

So I learned all kinds of new things in children's literature. I've learned about people in history that never make it into our own history books that are significant impact. And I've learned about artists and that's what I love to share because children's literature does that in a way that is really expressive and wonderful and it reaches all ages.

Alessandra
Well, I was at your Thursday show and it really struck me. In Creative Work Hour for 2025, we have a very particular focus word. And that focus word for a lot of us came up through exercises that we did in this podcast in January. And the word for us as a group for 2025 is called synchronous. 

Again and again and again, we find that one of us will be off in our own creative worlds and we'll figure out, oh my God, it's happened again. This person, like Shadows Pub, is working on the thing that we're already working on collectively and like I didn't put it together until, oh, right, it's synchrony again.

Same thing with Kara, who was here as our special guest at the end of January. She was working on the same thing that we were working on collectively, just with a twist. And so we're bringing Gretchen to you. Because what I saw in some of the copy that she wrote for her show on Thursday was Again, here it comes, the power of words. 

I'm like, holy cat crap! That is exactly what the name of the miniseries is right now. So Gretchen, please tell us, what is the gift that you have to share with us today?

Gretchen
Today I'm going to read a book called ABC Let's Celebrate You and Me and it's by Jessie Ford. She is an author and illustrator based out of the UK and she goes by the author name of SugarSnap Studios. But she has some wonderful books out there that the simplicity of the illustration that she uses in this instance, the simplicity of the illustration really just augments the words in the book and the words are not like, you know, not such depth literature, but they are significant. 

That balance that she managed to come together with this book is just one that I know I'm going to enjoy and I'm going to get for my grandkids. If I can go out and spend the money and buy the book for my grandkids so that they can have it in their hand, then it is something that I think is worthwhile.

Alessandra
All right, so we bring you Gretchen from Imagine with Gretchen on YouTube, and this is our own bespoke reading of ABC Let's Celebrate You and Me by Sugar Snap Studios. Gretchen, go right ahead.

Gretchen
All right, thank you everybody. And I just am switching around so that you can get the, oh, there we go. All right, so welcome everyone. It's great to be here and thank you. And I just sit back, relax and take a look at the different illustrations. She's done a wonderful job on these. 

It's just a fun book. ABC, let's celebrate you and me. These are her end papers. Let's celebrate. There's so much to celebrate about you and to celebrate about me. Follow along through the alphabet to discover some of the amazing things about us.

Gretchen

A Is For Actions: Our actions make us who we are. I choose to play with someone new, say thank you, and help someone in my family.

B Is For Bodies: Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes, but no matter what they look like, they help us get things done. All bodies need water and food, movement and sleep.

C Is For Colors: The colors of our hair, eyes, and skin tell part of the story of who we are. But we are all more similar than we are different.

D Is For Dreams: My dreams can be anything. What are your dreams? How do you want to change the world?

E Is For Eyes: Our eyes can be a variety of shapes and colors. People who don't have much vision use their other senses, like touch and sound, to observe the world.

F Is For Food: The food we eat helps make our bodies strong. People like all sorts of different foods, flavors, and spices. What food do you like to eat?

G Is For Grins: Our grins show our teeth, which can be all shapes and sizes. Some teeth have braces and some may be missing. All that matters is showing our happiness with a smile.

H Is For Hair: Hair comes in all shades and textures. It can be thick or thin, long or short, straight or curly. And some people don't have any hair.

I Is For Interests: My interests, my likes and dislikes are unique to me. I like reading and playing soccer. What do you like to do?

J Is For Joy: Our joy can be seen in our smiles, heard in our laughter, and felt in our hugs.

K Is For Kindness: An act of kindness can be big or small, offer help to someone who needs it, or say hello to someone you meet. What kind things can you do to make someone else's day a little happier?

L Is For Languages: The languages we use help us communicate. You might speak one language or many languages. Sign language uses our hands and bodies and face to communicate.

M Is For Mistakes: Our mistakes help us learn. The important thing is that we always try to do our best.

N Is For Noses: Sniff, sniff. We use our noses to smell our favorite things and even things that might not smell so nice.

O Is For Outgoing: We express our feelings in different ways, whether we are outgoing, shy, or a little of both. We all feel the same emotions.

P Is For Power: Your power is greater than you might think. Your voice and your choices can have a positive influence in the world around you. How will you use your power for good?

Q Is For Questions: Questions show that you are curious and want to understand something. We can learn about new and exciting things by asking questions, listening, and exploring.

R Is For Respect: Respect means we treat ourselves and others fairly and kindly. All people deserve respect, including kids.

S Is For Skin: Our skin is like armor that protects what's inside our bodies. Skin tones range from pale to dark, with lots of hues and shades in between. Sometimes our skin has freckles, dimples, and other markings too.

T Is For Talents: Our talents are things we do well. Sometimes our talents are clear, but sometimes it takes a little longer to discover them. Keep trying. Everyone is talented in their own way.

U Is For Unique: Everyone has their own unique personality, but we are all similar in many ways too. How are you similar to your friends and family? What makes you unique?

V Is For Voices: Our voices can be high or low, loud or soft, or have different sounds and accents. Our voices are one of the ways we express ourselves.

W Is For Worth: You have worth and value, and you are just as important as everyone else on earth. Every person deserves to be protected, cherished, and treated with dignity and respect.

X Is For Exercise: We exercise to keep our bodies healthy. Some people dance or ride bikes and others jog or play sports. There are many ways to move your body. How do you like to exercise?

Y Is For You And Me: You and me. We have different talents, ideas, and things to say, and so much more. When we work together, we can do great things.

Z Is For Zest: Our zest for friendship and learning is what makes life fun and interesting. So let's celebrate you and me.

There are so many things to celebrate about you and me from A to Z. Can you think of anything else? From our bodies and emotions to our talents and dreams, each one of us is unique and special. So let's celebrate. Yay!

Alessandra
So if you're on the Smell-O-Vision of our podcast, where you only hear us and you don't see us, we've got little party hats and things going all through the... 

That was so much fun, Gretchen. And I'm just going to hand it back over to Greg this week. You know, there's kind of a rhythm to how these podcasts have decided how they want to be born and how they wanted to grow up and what shape that they have wanted to take. And so moving from your reading of that, I'm handing us all back over to Greg where he does his thing. Greg?

Greg
Thank you, Alessandra. Well, that was absolutely wonderful. What a treat. In the room right now, we've got myself, Alessandra and Gretchen. We have Bobby B, Devin, and Shadows Pub. And I would just like to ask, what word or words resonated the most with you? 

Alessandra, you're not excluded from this, because I'm going to have to have a stab as well. But what word or words resonated the most with you?

Alessandra
For me, it was the word mistake. And the word mistake, it just really affected my heart. And instead of my heart, because as a recovering perfectionist, when I find flaw in myself, my heart tends to go cold and I get judgmental. And it's not the prettiest feeling or the prettiest look. But when I heard Gretchen's voice say, M is for mistakes, And she read these words, our mistakes help us learn. My heart wasn't cold, my heart was warm. And I'm like, oh, but I love to learn. So maybe that's been a disconnect for me, that mistakes aren't the enemy, mistakes aren't a threat, mistakes help me learn.

Greg
Thank you. Shadows, how about you? What word or words resonated the most with you?

Shadows Pub
Well, it'd have to be interests, since that's what drives everything I do. Good luck getting me doing something I have no interest in.

Greg
I can see that. Bobby B., how about yourself?

Bobby. B
Oddly enough, or not. Mistakes also is a word that I honed into, tied into the concept I lived under for much of my life, which is to fake it till you make it. And the only way that doesn't eat you up is by acknowledging the mistakes that you learn from, and that elevates you. beyond that doubt. I also want to say that overall, as she was beautifully reading this book, the word that was not in it, but came to me was symbiosis. And that is what's at the core also of this group. 

Greg
Thank you, Bobby. Devin? What words resonated the most with you?

Devin
Oh, thanks, Greg. For me, it was definitely dreams, which I equate to hope. And I think that is just the most amazing gift of our advanced human brains is that we can dream and we can hope and that can pull us out of the most dire circumstances. So that was definitely my favorite word of the lot.

Greg
I would have to say that there were three words that stuck out with me and it was A for actions. pay for kindness and are for respect because to me those words all play with one another we can show kindness by our actions and it's very respectful to be kind and you'll have to excuse the way I'm speaking today I recently I just had a dental surgery so if I sound a little bit like I've got my mouth full of crumpled up paper, that's probably not far from the truth.

Greg
So I apologize just for that. But yeah, what a treat. Alessandra, this was absolutely great. Absolutely great.

Alessandra
You know, I think in creative work, when you think that you've got nothing and you don't know where to go, if you can give yourself the permission just to be okay with that, that's where the good stuff really happens. Now, Gretchen, what was happening for you as you were reading that book?

Gretchen
I read it, obviously. a couple of times, read it on my show, practiced it beforehand. It was an easy one to do that with, but the word that really is the hardest page to get through for me that kind of brings it up is worth. the word worth. Your worth and that you are all worthy and worth and value just as important as everyone else on earth. And that is just one that really does. I, in my career as a teacher, that was one of the ones that to try to lift kids up to understand that they were worth as much as anybody else and that their voice was equally as important as the adult in the room and that learning that my voice was just equally as important as anybody else's in the room and other people's and learning to being aware of that and being respectful of that.

Gretchen
And so worth is the one that gets me.

Greg
if that's not absolutely wonderful addition to the power of words i don't know what what is alessandra is it time

Alessandra
It's time, baby, it's time.

Greg
Time, you've wasted a perfectly few good minutes listening to the creative work hour when you could have been doing something else. We'll have some links in the show notes for you to find Gretchen and actually watch this recording as well. Absolutely treat. But what about you? 

Let us know what word or words resonated the most with you. And what do you think of this whole mini series on the power of words? We would love to hear your thoughts. In the meantime, come back again next week, because we'll be here. Have a great day.