Fill To Capacity (Where Heart, Grit and Irreverent Humor Collide)
Podcast for people too stubborn to quit and too creative not to make a difference!Join visual artist Pat Benincasa in conversation with a riveting roster of guests to uncover extraordinary stories of everyday people. Listen as they share their quirky wisdom, unlikely adventures, and poignant life lessons! Fasten your emotional seatbelt for this journey of heart, humor and grit!
Fill To Capacity (Where Heart, Grit and Irreverent Humor Collide)
Art + Grace Beyond the Reach of a Shattered Life: A Circle with Nancy Carlson
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In this episode Nancy Carlson talks about her work as author and illustrator and her journey through her husband’s devastating illness. This is a story of catastrophic loss and resilience.
Nancy Carlson is an accomplished children’s book author and illustrator of 67 books with more than 4 million books in print.
She married Barry McCool and they had 3 kids. Early in her career, when her books started to take off, Barry handled the book business as well as home finances. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. By the time Barry was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), which impaired his judgement, and behavior, Nancy discovered that he had mismanaged all their finances. They lost everything they owned. They had no health insurance. Barry was in a nursing home until he passed in 2017.
Nancy Carlson selected accomplishments:
- Books in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program
- Published work includes several Reading Rainbow Selections
- The Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading
- Association Children’s Book Council
- The Minnesota Children’s Museum Great Friends to Kids Award
- Featured on PBS Minnesota Original
LINKS:
- Nancy Carlson Studios
- Nancy Carlson Worksheets + Teaching Resources
- Nancy Blog: "Putting One Foot in Front of the Other"
- After Loss, Finding Peace in Art and NatureChildren's book author Nancy Carlson designs 2006 State Fair poster
- Nancy Carlson's MN Memory
- Amid loss, Minn. author Nancy Carlson still makes children's books
- Edina Magazine: Nancy Carlson
- In words and pictures, Nancy Carlson explains her process in Litchfield
- Portrait of Nancy Carlson, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare (St. Paul, MN)
- Read and Share It’s Okay to Ask!Nancy Carlson Posters It’s Okay To Ask
- American Swedish Institute (Minneapolis, MN)
- Nancy Carlson: ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- ENCYCLOPEDIA.COM: Carlson, Nancy (Lee) 1953
Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift! Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com
This brass alloy medal can be worn on a necklace, a keychain, dogtags, on a bag, or in your car.
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Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.
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PODCAST QUOTES:
CARLSON: “So it was really prior to the diagnosis, which was the most dramatic and the most frustrating time of my life.”
CARLSON: “...when I drew pictures of Barry, it made me understand what I was feeling.”
CARLSON: “Thank God for Dolly Parton because she, she does... use one of my books. It's called 'Lookout Kindergarten Here I Come.' And that book, the royalties I get from Dolly Parton have saved me."
