The Bittersweet Past: The Creative Lives of Expats

What do Goethe, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin and so many other writers and artists have in common? They all reached the apex of their creative output while living outside their countries of birth. An email from a listener, who also happens to be a member of indie band Trash Can Dream, inspired this episode from our archives. Emma Grace Stephenson is one of two Aussie expats who make up the band that is now based in New York City. Her email sparked a discussion on how travel, and specifically living abroad, can inspire art and creativity—and why we think that is. The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to help newer listeners discover some of our earlier episodes, every Friday we are now airing an episode from our vast archives ! Enjoy! PS Learn more about the famous foreign writers who lived and worked in Rome on Tiffany's audio tour Rome For Readers: A Literary Tour of the Eternal City . ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here . AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon , for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free! ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website .) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

You can listen to The Bittersweet Past: The Creative Lives of Expats online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Bittersweet Past: The Creative Lives of Expats is an episode from The Bittersweet Life by Katy Sewall/Tiffany Parks.

This episode is 35:35 long.

This episode was published on Apr 24, 2026.

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