43. Practice or Performance? Artistic Expression, Slow Living, and the Role of Social Media with Marlee Grace

On today’s episode of The Good Dirt, Mary and Emma talk with dancer, writer and quiltmaker Marlee Grace to consider the question, what are we practicing and showing up for in our day to day lives? Throughout the episode, Mary, Emma, and Marlee dig into the concept of “personal practice” as they reimagine art forms as a practice rather than a performance. Marlee shares why she stepped away from social media, questions the role it plays in our lives, and addresses the platform’s inherently performative nature. She also shares where she finds encouragement and inspiration, and reminds us to take our work seriously (but not ourselves). 

Marlee’s work focuses on the self, rituals of devotion, creativity, and art-making. Her practice is rooted in improvisation as a compositional form expressed through dance, writing, quilting, teaching, and hosting artists. Her dance project Personal Practice has been featured in the New York Times, Dance Magazine, Vanity Fair, and The Huffington Post. Marlee is the author of Getting to Center: Pathways to Finding Yourself. 

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PLAINE PRODUCTS. USE CODE LADYFARMER FOR 20% OFF!

1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about natural dyeing and quilting! 

6:40 - Dancer, Writer, and Quiltmaker Marlee Grace 

Let’s get into the episode:

8:30 - Marlee Grace introduces herself 

15:50 - Personal practice 

24:20 - Escaping the chaotic and addictive loop of social media

37:00 - Improvisational quilting 

39:30 - What inspires and encourages you?

45:30 - Slow living and its challenges 

53:00 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you? 

Things Mentioned:

• Natural Dye and Slow Fashion Pop Up 
• Line + Tow
• Marleegrace.space
• Getting to Center: Pathways to Finding Yourself Within the Great Unknown
• New York Times feature
• Vanity Fair feature
• Huffingtonpost feature
• Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now 
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler 
• The Freedom Quilting Bee 
• Acres of Ancestry Initiative
• Natural Dyeing Intensive
• Plaine Products: Use code LADYFARMER for 20% off!