Ghosts, Graft & Getting Paid: Inside the Podcast Tackling Wales’ Creative Realities

In a creative landscape where comparison culture, unpaid labour, and artistic burnout feel as common as gallery openings, Pain in the Arts has quickly become essential listening. Hosted by broadcaster Chris J Birch and artist‑writer Jak Rhys Birch, the podcast blends sharp industry insight with the kind of humour you only get from people who’ve lived the chaos of the arts sector up close.

Their latest episode, Ghosts, Graft & Getting Paid, is a perfect example of why the show resonates so strongly with Wales’ creative community.

Fresh from a performance of 2:22 A Ghost Story, the pair dive into the strange joy of live horror theatre — the jump scares, the tension, and the unspoken camaraderie of an audience collectively pretending not to be terrified. From there, the conversation spirals (in the best way) into escape rooms, fur coats, and the questionable life choices that lead two grown men to peel masking tape off a prop doll in search of clues.

But beneath the laughter sits something more substantial: a candid look at the pressures facing creatives today.

The episode’s first listener question tackles a familiar demon — how to stop comparing your work to everyone else online. Drawing from their own experiences, Chris and Jak explore the trap of measuring your art against perfectly curated feeds, and the importance of finding your own artistic lane. Their advice is refreshingly grounded: explore different styles, understand where your work sits, and remember that every artist — even the confident ones — wrestles with self‑doubt.

Then comes the big one: how to say no to unpaid opportunities without burning bridges. It’s a topic that hits a nerve across the sector. The hosts don’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth — that creatives are often expected to work for “exposure”, even when exposure doesn’t pay the bills. They unpack the power imbalance, the emotional labour, and the quiet rebellion required to protect your worth in an industry that too often undervalues it.

What makes the episode stand out is its balance. It’s not a rant, nor is it a lecture. Instead, it’s a conversation between two people who understand the realities of the Welsh arts scene — the good, the bad, and the absurd. Their chemistry keeps things light, but their insight gives the episode real weight.

Pain in the Arts continues to carve out a space for honest, accessible discussion about what it really means to build a creative life in Wales. If you’re an artist, freelancer, performer, or simply someone who loves the arts, Ghosts, Graft & Getting Paid is a reminder that you’re not navigating this world alone — and that sometimes the scariest thing isn’t a ghost on stage, but an email asking you to work for free.