Shock Your Potential

Teaching Dignity - Rebecca Duvall Scott

"If you can discover your purpose and stick with it, then everything else falls into place around it." Rebecca Duvall Scott 
Everyone has their unique path to discovering and unleashing their artistic gifts. Whatever the gift and regardless of the journey to discovering it, our art should be able to lead us to live our purpose, bringing us joy and fulfilment. This is according to our guest today, Rebecca Duvall Scott, who has been able to tell her family's story and live her purpose of serving the community through her writing.  
Rebecca Duvall Scot is an accomplished author and the recipient of numerous awards. Her first published work and best-selling memoir, Sensational Kids, Sensational Families: Hope for Sensory Processing Differences chronicles the research, interventions, and mindset shifts that successfully brought her family through her son's SPD diagnosis. While she values her special needs initiative, her heart has always been with Christian historical fiction. Her best-selling and #2 Amazon Hot New Release novel, When Dignity Came to Harlan, is based on her great-grandmother's childhood. Rebecca lives with her husband and their two children in Kentucky and plans to write more in both the Dignity and Sensational Kids series.  
In this episode, our guest will discuss how her Christian fiction novel came to be. She will also talk about how she has evolved in her art and experiences to become a best-selling author. 
 
Listen in! 
SOCIAL MEDIA  
https://www.twitter.com/author_rdscott   
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaduvallscott/  
 https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaduvallscott/   
https://www.facebook.com/rebecca2swans   
WEBSITE: www.RebeccaDuvallScott.com  
 
My grandmother told me a story about her mother's childhood, who is my great grandmother, and it was about how they were poor and came from Missouri to Kentucky searching for a better life. [4:00] 
They were so poor when they got into town that they ended up parceling their daughters out between other people's homes. [4:29] 
They wanted to go get a job, get a house and be able to provide for them and come back and get them and gather the family back together. [4:36] 
Unbeknownst to the children, they never came back and never really understood what happened, and so my great grandmother grew up from the time she was five years old in foster care. [4:43] 
She still overcame all of these challenges, ended up having a good life, had good people around her, got married, and had six children between two marriages. [5:10] 
My grandmother always wanted to write this story herself, but she didn't feel gifted, and so when I started showing some promise with writing from a young age, she started telling me from a young age that she wanted me to write this story. [5:32] 
When I was 16, I sat down with her, and we wrote down every scrap of information she could remember and shortly after, I got married and had my children, she had a stroke, and she was not able to speak anymore. [5:47] 
So that's where book one, "When Dignity Came to Harlan," and it changes a little bit from the original storyline, but it's the story of human experience and all facets and how she handled all of that and how she came through it.  [6:20] 
I don't think that I realized fully at the time what this whole experience would mean, but even at a young age, I knew it was important and big. [9:10] 
Now that I've grown up, I feel very blessed to have been the family's storekeeper and have this to retail, and I love the whole experience. [9:57] 
I have lived with these characters for over 20 years, so I know them well, which made the story take on a life of its own. [11:18] 
Originally, I was only going to write a book, one from my great grandmother's childhood point of view and Book Two from her first husband's point of view, but when I finished book one, I started getting all this feedback from readers that they wanted more time with this new family. [11:38] 
It suddenly became like there has to be a book sandwiched between what I had originally planned, which is coming out tomorrow. [12:24] 
Growing up the way she did and suffering the hardships that she had to endure without getting any justice in her life, my great grandmother still managed to be happy and find goodness in people and be good herself. [14:10] 
And I like to think that she would be proud of what I've done just in the aspect that her story finally gets to be told and people get to understand the truth and understand more of maybe why she was the way she was. [14:28] 
Commercial break. [14:54] 
I firmly believe that I was born an author and this book and series is what I was meant to write. [17:28] 
I started the first 70 pages of book one when I was a senior in college to my creative writing professor, and on graduation day, he shook my hand and said that he wanted to see my book get published. [17:56] 
I got to a place in myself where I couldn't write and thought if I never get to go back to it, being a wife and a mother is enough. [18:16] 
My experience with my child helped me learn so much from the publishing side that when I came back to my first love, Christian historical fiction, I did it well. [18:30] 
There was a time where I was seeing a doctor because I was suffering from some autoimmune disorder things, and he said I had to find a way to manage my stress by getting back to doing what I love. [18:50] 
When I finally was able to carve out the time to get back to writing, it was like rediscovering part of my purpose, a huge part of who I am. [19:17 
I got lost in all of the research for the sensory processing challenges. My book is an account of our experience; what worked for us trying to put all of this into one place for other families that are still struggling that have no idea where to even begin. [20:45] 
I lost myself within that process, and it was through God bringing me back to writing that I ended up rediscovering that purpose. [21:18] 
I just think, especially with it being artistic August, find your passion and follow it whether it's at home or in the community. [23:10] 
I'm a firm believer in writing and all art forms that connect people in this period where we feel so disconnected. [23:38] 
Find the artwork that resonates within you so that you can feel connected to people again. [23:48] 
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Life Choreographer - Lora Cheadle

"Art really connects us to our hearts and our bodies." Lora Cheadle 
Moving beyond an emotionally traumatic event is never easy, yet people can often navigate through to rediscover themselves and even thrive with creative solutions and patience. Our guest today, Lora Cheadle, was able to overcome the difficult experience of betrayal to living a fulfilling life. According to her, embracing art and being easy on herself played a significant role in her recovery.  
Lora Cheadle is an attorney turned Life Choreographer®, author, speaker, and burlesque dancer. She believes women deserve to be seen for who they are, not for what they do or who they are in relation to others. Her mission is to empower women who are done sacrificing themselves for others, settling for "just good enough" relationships, careers, or bodies, and being judged for everything they do, say, or wear; to get to know themselves exclusive of their labels, roles, and scripts; show themselves unapologetically for who they are; and re-choreograph the next stage of their life on their own terms – so they can live with enthusiasm, joy, and satisfaction. She is the author of FLAUNT! Drop Your Cover and Reveal Your Smart, Sexy, & Spiritual Self:  
In today's episode, Lora will talk about her journey to self-love and rediscovering her passion for dancing.  
 
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Social Media:  
Facebook Lora: https://www.facebook.com/lora.cheadle   
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/flauntflock/   
Lora Cheadle, Life Choreographer FB: https://www.facebook.com/LifeChoreographer/  
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/loracheadlelifechoreographer   
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loracheadle/   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LifeChoreo   
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lora-cheadle-lifechoreographer/   
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/LifeChoreographer/  
Website: www.nakedselfworth.com  
Book 
 FLAUNT! Drop Your Cover and Reveal Your Smart, Sexy, & Spiritual Self: https://amzn.to/3pFnJH9   
 
Twenty-three years into my marriage, I found out that my husband had been cheating on me for 15 of those years with five different women, and so needless to say, it completely gutted me. [3:18] 
This artistic piece brought me back to myself, got me out of my head and back into my heart and body, and allowed me to create and shock my own potential. [3:54] 
I help my customers and clients realize people can be victimized, but you don't have to be the victim. [4:18] 
I was a dancer growing up, and I loved dancing, and one time I found a coupon online for a pole dancing class which was terrifying, but I went by myself and fell in love with it. [7:01] 
I got busy, and the only available class was a burlesque class which I didn't even know what it meant but decided that if it worked with my schedule, I would take it. [7:28] 
I have all of these perfectionist hang-ups, but what is beautiful about burlesque is that it's all ages, all sizes, and everything. [9:23]
After my first show, a woman came to the backstage area, and she was in tears, and she said, if you can do it, I can do it. [10:37] 
The first thing to realize is that things are hard, and it's normal to feel confident one day, and it is also normal to lose your confidence the next day. [14:48] 
The second thing that I like to tell people is, it's always darkest right before dawn, and that moment when you were the most terrified that means you're right on the breakthrough. [15:07] 
What I like about burlesque is that there are limiting factors in our lives, but it shows you how to work around them and not just quit. [16:32] 
Commercial break. [18:48] 
Art connects us to our hearts into our bodies, and we live in a world that is very headspace where we think things through, plan it, and then when things don't turn out right, we try to headspace it. [20:35] 
There's so much fear, disconnection and shame in the world due to so much headspace stuff. [20:47]  
If we just lived from that artistic space of creation, flow and beauty and play in curiosity, we would connect and find collaborative solutions. [21:00] 
It's about this new creative combination and living and creating artistically, and we will solve problems and change the world. [21:19] 
With my own betrayal journey, It seemed like the world was telling me the choices are either I stay or go, yet none of these were options for me. [23:10] 
I like to talk about living in the glitter because glitter makes things fun. [23:37] 
FLAUNT is actually an acronym, and I want everybody to flaunt every single day. [26:17]
F find your fetish, which means that you do what's fun for you every day, not just on the weekend. L is for laugh out loud. [26:24]
AU is the golden centre of flaunt, and that stands for accepting unconditionally. You can't change other people. You've got to accept life and everyone unconditionally as they are. [26:35]
N is for navigate and don't stop. T is for trusting in your truth because you are the only person living inside your head, heart, and body, so nobody can tell you how you're feeling. [26:47]
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Embracing Artistic Journalism to Drive Social Change - Dayvee Sutton

"Embrace your journey, and it will take you to where you are supposed to be." Dayvee Sutton
When we reflect on our journeys to where we are, we see how different events and experiences led to our current positions. Therefore, we must embrace our journey to find meaning and fulfillment in life. This is according to our guest today, Dayvee Sutton, who believes that her present is largely explained by everything she has experienced in her previous experiences. 
Dayvee Sutton is an investigative storyteller who travels the world uncovering the unseen in the most picturesque places. From hunting for pink dolphins and black caiman in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest to riding a motorbike through the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam, and gritty reporting in the infamous La Perla neighborhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. She uses travel adventures as the gateway to draw in audiences. Her reporting range covers everything from fun holiday travel tips to breaking news stories like navigating trips in the pandemic and important issues like the climate crisis.
Dayvee's unique perspective as a black woman in this space allows her to explore how the climate crisis affects the lives of women, indigenous people, people of color, and others whose needs and welfare tend to come last around the world. Her storytelling approach is relatable and tangible for audiences from her years as a journalist and not a scientist.
Dayvee's work can be seen on NBC News and TODAY Show, CNN, Dr. Oz, and The Weather Channel. She produced and hosted two seasons of an adventure travel show for Amazon Prime Video called "Beyond the Usual'', the series "Extraordinary Experiences" for USA TODAY Network, and is a Pathfinder host for "Lonely Planet." Dayvee also is one of the producers for "Health Minute" and "Consumer Watch'' for CNN New source.
In today's episode, our guest will discuss her travel experiences and how her journey has led her to discover her art, which is entrepreneurial journalism.
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Social Media
https://twitter.com/dayveesutton  
https://facebook.com/dayveesutton  
https://twitter.com/dayveesutton  
https://www.DayveeSutton.com
So my background is as a traditional local news journalist, and most of my career was spent in sports, which I did for about 12 years. [4:01]
I then co-hosted a lifestyle and entertainment show locally, and that is where I really kind of found what I like to do. [4:13]
Everything in my background is like a full circle to making sense to right now, starting from where I was born and raised. [4:24]
I grew up in south of the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I was exposed to all kinds of cultures just being in a diverse friend group, and I was always so curious. [4:30]
Come to curving a whole journey of 15 years in news media, making a career pivot about six years ago to start my production company and go full-on in and tell travel stories. [5:28]
My background and even my college education help me take a deeper dive because what I learned as having a degree in world religions are empathy and perspective. [5:48]
One of my kind of taglines is that my job is to inspire you to go, and the audience consists of people who want to be inspired to try and go, but most of the audience are just interested in learning. [7:54]
Another underlying mission in my work is to dismantle colonialism in travel, and I know that can be triggering, but the whole industry is based on that. [8:20]
That means everything is set up to accommodate your comfort and your standards instead of allowing you to immerse yourself into how they do things. [8:50]
In my stories, whether they are the short, fun ones or on video, or if they're a longer, deeper dive one, I kind of try to unpack the impact and how to do it better. [9:11]
Being humble is a better approach than demanding that somebody tend your way just because you are who you are. [12:45]
You stand out and probably will get treated more favorably if you are humble in your approach because they aren't used to it. [13:18]
Basic manners and kindness does go a long way. [14:20]
Commercial Break. [17:15]
Travel is the best education, I think, and so whenever I touched the ground into a new place, I have my ears and eyes wide open, and I try to just soak it all up. [19:34]
I recently unearthed and digitized these VHS tapes of when my dad took us to different places, and it was a bit surreal seeing little me and doing what I do now. [20:04]
Talk about a full circle is just learning about this child me, and what I do now has just been amazing. [21:30]
I love the world and learning about how people live, and it is those human bits anywhere around the world that inspire me to encourage people to travel. [21:45]
Whatever little box we have grown up in, when we start to see that people are all the same, it breaks down all stigma, stereotypes, and bigotry that they might have grown up with. [22:38]
I was working in a traditional newsroom when I became inspired by another journalist who is a celebrity journalist, Soledad O'Brien. [23:50]
I started to investigate the idea of entrepreneurial journalists, which is different than a freelance journalist. [ 54:51]
In my company, we create ideas like programs segments, and we produce particular content for different networks and outlets, and my approach is a little deeper. [25:12]
One of the things that I do pretty regularly is I am on-air contributor to several national programs. People are curious about how to do that, so I'm coming up with an e-course to show people that any expertise is fit for TV. [25:38]
Your dream is your dream, and there are lots of obstacles along the way, but if it were easy, everyone would do it. So keep going. [29:40]
……………………………………………………………………………………
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The Joy of Jewelry - Brian VanScoy

"Dealing with people and seeing their eyes light up as what we've been discussing comes to life is what has hooked me on this private jewelry custom." Brian VanScoy
Like all artists, jewelers differ in their elements, which is reflected as well in their creations. Today, our guest, Brian VanScoy, gets his inspiration to create very specific and customized jewels by connecting with the emotional side of his clients. According to Brian, aligning with the clients' desires and expectations while bringing his creations to life is what makes the whole effort worthwhile.
As a third-generation jeweler, Brian VanScoy has been involved in all aspects of the diamond and jewelry trade for over 25 years. Growing up in the industry exposed him to master craftsmen and diamond cutters at a young age, some of whom he still has relationships with today. Over the past two and a half decades, Brian has learned from those old-world craftsmen and applied a new twist on an old trade. This has allowed him to serve his clients better and bring a fresh perspective to the jewelry industry.
Brian creates most of his jewelry, focusing mainly on fine bridal, using 3D CAD (computer-aided design) software. This program enables him to tailor that perfect piece of custom jewelry to his clients' specifications. After creating the initial design, Brian can e-mail his clients a rendered photo, followed but a 3D printed modal for their review before it goes into production.
Brian believes in educating his customers in all aspects of the jewelry manufacturing process, enabling them to make an informed decision on what could be one of their most significant investments. The process of designing a custom piece of jewelry should be enjoyable and stress-free. Whether a client is looking to design an intricate engagement ring or just looking to redesign a family heirloom, Brian works with them to turn their vision into a reality.
In today's episode, our guest will talk about his art and how he gets fulfillment from working directly with his customers. He will also tell us more about the endless ideas people can explore to transform their heirlooms into unique and beautiful jewelry. 
Listen in!
Social media handles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianjosephjewelry/
Website: www.brianjosephjewelry.com  
LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/brian-van-scoy-03882a6  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianjoseph929  
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BrianJosephJewelry/
My youngest memories include bumping down the streets in Belgium traveling with my dad, a diamond buyer, and his job was to sell stones to franchises across the country. [3:35]
Growing up and knowing some of those diamond cutters to this day who are oddly now retiring, what's great about that is I'm doing business now with some of their children. [3:59]
Hanging out in the back of my dad's or family's jewelry store and playing with the rings growing up and carving wax, I have been able to sort of grow up alongside or within the jewelry industry and seeing how it works in the typical brick and mortar store. [4:25]
As I got older, what was important to me was dealing with the customer one-on-one and working with their emotional side. [4:43]
Dealing with them and seeing their eyes light up as what we've been discussing come to life is what hooked me on this private jewelry custom. [5:30]
Over the last 12 to 15 years, it has grown alongside technology, which has been exciting and fun seeing my customers' responses when I present the final piece to them. [5:45]
There is one job that sticks out to me recently. I had a woman approach me, and her mom had recently passed away and left her some of her jewelry that she wanted to wear in remembrance of her mom. [6:29]
One thing that made this job special was that I took her mom's handwriting and engraved that on the underside of the diamond on the metal, and she was teary-eyed and so special and so important to her. [[7:10]
She will never be able to replace her mom but having that symbol means a lot to me, and being able to do that rather than just sell a piece of jewelry but to make something more critical is so fulfilling. [7:41]
One issue in the jewelry industry is people thinking perhaps something is not within a budget or not within their comfortable budget range. [8:48]
I implore people to do some research and see what the budget is, instead of having these pieces, whether they're heirloom, or just frankly broken pieces from years ago, just sitting in a jewelry box collecting dust. [8:57]
This woman brought me these three rings that had a bunch of different size diamonds and shapes, and it would have been tough to put together and melt into a flowing ring. [9:10]
We took all the diamonds out and created one ring that flowed super nice, it was more of a cocktail ring, and the feeling of warmth that she got when she put it on was fantastic. [9:25]
A side note to this whole jewelry industry is, please insure your jewelry. It is the first thing I tell people when they purchase something of substance. [10:26]
Commercial Break. [11:20]
Manufactured or man-made diamonds have been around since the 70s used in industrial manufacturing mainly, but the diamond's quality was not gem quality. [13:49]
But over the last five to seven years, technology has come a long way and a lab diamond, according to the FTC, now has to be called a diamond because chemically, it is identical. [14:01]
Some of the most Senor gemologists in the world, if you gave them two diamonds side by side and a microscope, couldn't tell you which one was a lab one and which one was a natural. [14:15]
The affordability is amazing as they are about 40% less than the natural diamonds, and because of the price difference, usually, you can bump up the quality a little bit. [15:07]
I had one customer they were in Iceland on their honeymoon, and they came across some volcanic stone that was about the size of a golf ball on their 15th anniversary decided that they wanted to do something with it. [16:23]
She had approached a couple of local jewelers, but they told her that they couldn't help make it into something wearable. [16:40]
I reached out to some of my cutters, and one guy was willing to take a shot on it. [16:55]
It was a blackish green rock that we could cut down into little shapes that were specifically 1.3 millimeters each diamond shape and ended up being this sort of frosty green color. [17:03]
We put them into an anniversary band, cut one piece into a gem shape, and put it in her engagement ring to fit perfectly with her anniversary band. [17:24]
That was was one that was challenging and certainly paid off though, it was a cool experience. [17:46]
I had one customer whose grandparents passed away and left a very heavy gold bracelet, and he wanted his daughters to have something from their grandfather who they had not been able to meet. [19:38]
We were able to melt it down with the grandfather's actual gold, and I designed and created little necklaces for the granddaughters; and they now have these necklaces with their gold from their grandfather, which was excellent. [19:52]
The bracelet had some diamonds in it, which we took, and we were able to use those in the necklaces as well [20:12]
You need a fair amount of gold to be able to melt down and reuse it, but it was a great experience. [20:18]
Insure your jewelry and whether it's another jeweler or me, find someone you can trust. [22:47]
……………………………………………………………………………………
Thank You to our August Sponsor!
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StoneChild - Kevin Albin

“We are a very interesting species and we live on the most beautiful planet. Having been privileged to see an awful lot of it, let's preserve it and win it back.” Kevin Albin
The voices advocating for a more sustainable planet are ever increasing and rightly so. People are becoming more aware of the consequences of climate change and their responsibility towards protecting the environment. There are numerous strands attached to this course and one of them is using the art of writing to spread the message. Our guest today, Kevin Albin is one such voice and says that people need to be more aware of the realities of the situation if they are to be empowered to act.
Kevin Albin was a police officer in the UK for 25 years during which he served on a tactical firearms team and worked as a hostage negotiator. He then retrained as an International Mountain Leader and has worked around the globe guiding on trekking trips and leading expeditions in conservation. In 2011, he won the bronze in the World Guide Awards. Being unable to travel and work overseas during the pandemic, he wrote and published an Eco-fiction novel, Stonechild, where the statues of London come to life with a message on saving the planet. He currently lives in France.
In today’s episode, our guest will discuss his book and the inspiration to write it. He will also talk about the issue of climate change and what he believes can be done to begin to address it.
Listen in!
Social media:
Website: https://kevin-albin.com 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevAlbin 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-albin-628673182/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kev_albin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stonechild.statues 
 
As a writer, you want to stimulate people’s emotions and if someone can’t sleep or put your book down, that is something that we look for. [3:21]
‘Stonechild’ is a mixed bag because it is what we call a bit of eco-fiction, something to do with our social society, the government, the pulling down of statues, slavery, and racism. [3:38]
It is also ‘ripping yarn’ as it has been described. It has got a bit of humor in it and certainly, it has got a pace. [4:30]
We have all looked, prayed to, talked to, or touched a statue, and have at some point imagined if maybe a statue could live, what would it say? [5:52]
I was working in London one day and I just pictured the royal tank regiment memorial statue in London coming to life and talking to me [6:06]
A thought struck me and I wondered why they would come to life, and I concluded that it is because we are in a crisis that is much more serious than the pandemic we're living through which is climate change. [6:36]
So they could come to life saying that we have to take note and take action rapidly and that was the motivation for my book. [7:07]
I warmed to Molly as a character and any author will tell that you'll know yourself as the character grows on you. [9:24]
I liked Molly a lot in that she wasn't black or white but she did see the gray in between, and she did question those things and was prepared to listen to other people in their points of view. [9:39]
She has some prejudice against statues and why we build them which fuels her to doubt them and question what appears to be their message. [9:55]
I wanted the reader to question whether or not statues are bad, whether they can attack people, and for what reason because part of reading the book is for you to form your own opinions [10:17]
Statues is a huge topic at the current moment and it deserves to be talked about but in fact, what deserves to be talked about is the crisis of climate change because those are the things that are going to make a difference for everyone. [12:23]
Commercial Break [13:17]
The science world is struggling to convince the people that they have the power and that they're the ones that can change things. [16:15]
If I was trying to identify the biggest problem that we have at the moment, and the one that we really should tackle, that is our use of fossil fuels. [16:50]
We can tackle it as individuals, certainly but it needs to be a systemic change where we need to completely change the way we live our lives and the use of fossil fuels. [17:11]
The fossil fuel industry is vast and they are very protective understandably because they employed many people and have vast amounts of money tied up into the industry that they don't want to give up. [17:24]
We need a way to bring the industry on board and not see it as ‘them’ versus ‘us’. [18:21]
A very common thought process is that of ‘they're not doing it so why should we?’ But in fact, it should be the reverse and say ‘we should do it because they won't have any choice but to follow [20:38]
There is a momentum whereby some scientists now are beginning to learn to talk not only to scientists or to governments but also to the people in social media which is very good. [21:27]
Fossil fuels, climate change, and global warming are all intrinsically linked and we have to find ways to stop it rapidly and we can. [21:55]
The plastic industry was the one that created recycling and it was never going to be viable so there is some deceit there. [24:36]
We can't go from not being aware of what's going on to we are doing it perfectly, there has to be a transition between the two. [25:28]
We need to make those individual choices but at the same time, we need to be pressurizing governments, countries, and organizations to be greener. [26:47]
What people don't seem to be talking about is that we have a crisis here and in any crisis, a huge amount of money is made just simply from innovation and the new inventions that come out of it. [27:04]
Here is a golden opportunity for economies to capitalize on the innovation of being green. [27:21]
There is a huge number of projects going ahead and they are not perhaps widely publicized, but there are a lot of people doing a lot of good. [29:29]
We are the most intelligent species in the entire universe and have done a lot of creative things and so we can solve this issue, we just have to have a mind to unite and work together. [29:40]
The greatest thing that we could all do is just be informed be and there are some very good books and sites. [32:26]
We tend to look for greater power than ourselves and that's only natural. [35:42]
This is where we stand at the moment and we are still evolving and that should give us the enthusiasm to choose to evolve in the right direction. [36:07]
We do have time and we do have the capacity and the capability of changing things. [36:39]
We are a very interesting species and we live on the most beautiful planet and having been privileged to see an awful lot of it, let's preserve it and win it back. [38:11]
We know that when we do those things, when we're part of nature and looking after the environment and after each other, we feel good about ourselves. [38:31]
.……………………………………………………………………………………
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Finding the Silver Lining - Mary Potter Kenyon

“We become healthier and happier when we bring in creativity in some way into our life, work, and home.” Mary Potter Kenyon
Everybody is born with talents and the ability to creatively explore these talents. When discovered and acknowledged, the ability to create something can be a source of joy and fulfillment. Our guest today, Mary Potter Canyon, helps people to discover and embrace their creative talents and believes that one of the greatest benefits of creativity is its power to heal.
Mary Potter is a Program Coordinator at Shalom Spirituality Center, Dubuque, Iowa. She is also an author of seven books, including Refined By Fire: A Journey of Grief and Grace, Expressive Writing for Healing, and Called to Be Creative which was released on August 18, 2020. She is a speaker and workshop presenter on the topics of writing, grief, and utilizing your creativity in your everyday life and a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association AWSA
In today’s episode, our guest will be discussing the positive creativity that came out of the pandemic and how people of all ages can work creativity into their lives for a happier and healthier existence.
Listen in!
Social media handles
 http://marypotterkenyon.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marypotterkenyon1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marypotterkenyon/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-potter-kenyon-194b3222/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpotterkenyon
I am a program coordinator at a spirituality center where I coordinate and facilitate programs on spirituality and its relation to ourselves and our creativity. [3:28]
I've been a writer for over 30 years, and that has been a constant in my life. [3:48]
I was a stay-at-home mom until 2012 when my husband passed away and I did a lot of freelance writing and running various home businesses. [3:55]
It was quite a change and I still can't believe that in the nine years since I have become what I would never have imagined becoming which is a public speaker. [4:09]
I could barely string two sentences together to talk to the butcher or the mailman as a stay-at-home mom. [4:21]
Part of my creativity as a result of this loss that I experienced is writing about loss and expressive writing for healing. [4:29]
The workshops I do are also related to grief, creativity, and the connection between how creativity can be healing for us. [4:39]
I do have to mention that I have eight children because that always boggles everybody's mind. [4:51]
I think if anything to pandemic has shown us the importance of creativity and all its forms. [6:35]
People were turning to gardening, baking, sitting on the sidewalk, and coloring messages to encourage people that were walking past their houses. [6:45]
We all instinctively turn to something that happens to have a science behind it, that proves we are healthier happier when we are working creativity in some way into our life, work, and home. [6:57]
There are healing benefits for anxiety and worry and whatever we're going through in creating and not only that, science proves we were designed to create. [7:17]
It boggles my mind when I think that all this science has shown us that what we instinctively turned to during the pandemic is something that we've needed in our life anyway. [7:30]
I instinctively turned to journaling after my husband passed away and I found healing benefits in that. [8:01]
In three months I wondered how people grieve without journaling and I researched for my book on creativity and expressive writing for healing. [8:09]
I discovered there was research and science behind this and it was not just something that I think [8:25]
It is my hope that we have learned something from it because what a waste it would be if we didn't learn something from this time. [10:06]
I know some people were busier than ever such as the frontline workers and they had to find creative ways to deal with patients.[10:12]
I had to figure out what working from home entailed which was a learning curve for a lot of us. [10:40]
I am bound and determined to have learned something from this and to apply and to keep it as part of my life. [10:58]
My daughter was 16 when I was sent to work from home and she didn't want to talk about it and I felt the loneliest I've ever felt in my life because I was in a house with the only one of my eight children who would never hug. [12:12]
Once I started asking her if she would take hikes with me, that is where she started talking in nature and that is something we all need to learn that there's a lot of healing in nature. [12:41]
Now she's 17 and we sit down and talk every day after work, and she sometimes will make me a cup of tea before I get home from work. [13:00]
Another thing that came out of the pandemic at this time is Zoom. There were a lot of us who didn't use zoom before but now my workplace can reach people who could never have set foot in our building. [14:20]
So we needed that human connection, and we got it through a screen and so we are going to continue to do Zoom programs. [14:38]
I think we also learned we do need human interaction. [16:18]
Creativity is nothing new, it is something that we did as children but it felt like something new during the pandemic. [[16:46]
It is good news for all of those people out there who are daydreamers because science also proves that daydreamers are some of the most creative people. [17:28]
It is healthy for us to daydream and that's what happens when you take walks too. There is a lot of creativity that goes on in solitude, and mindfulness. [17:48]
Commercial break. [19:28]
It stemmed from having a very creative mother. My family was very poor and yet somehow my mother beautified our home with the things that she was making. [20:58]
At the age of 41 years old, she decided to carve a piece of wood and so she picked up a kitchen knife and a piece of wood and made a very crude carving. [21:25]
She honed that talent and that gift to create a home business out of wood carvings and paintings and beautiful things that she ended up selling our soul besides beautifying her home. [21:36]
When she passed away I found unpublished manuscripts underneath her bed and her words written to her children was that her greatest desire is that they would utilize their talents which hit home for me. [21:51]
So I've been writing from home for 25 years at that point but I thought I would maybe take that talent seriously after her death. [22:05]
I sat down and wrote an outline because I thought we all have something that is in us that is creative. [22:17]
I had started doing some public speaking at that time to young moms and I remember asking them if they would put money into their children's talents and they said of course they would. I then asked them about themselves but they said that they did not have time for themselves. [22:25]
I did the same kind of speech to older women in their 70s and 80s and asked them about their children's talents which they said they would always encourage them but when I asked about them, the answers were heartbreaking and I knew that wasn't true. [22:40]
So, we see it in our own children and in other people but we don't necessarily see it in ourselves and that is where the idea for the book was born. [23:19]
In 2010 I wrote out an outline of what the book would look like that would encourage everybody to discover their purpose and their passions. [23:26]
After my husband passed away I got a job as a librarian for a while and also started working as a newspaper reporter for a while I started to hear and see more and more people who did not fit any time into their passions, it was all work. [23:40]
That is when I started delving a little bit into the science and the research behind creativity. [24:02]
I started interviewing some creative people who were working creativity into their life and between their jobs or in their job. [24:20]
It was a long time coming and it came out during the pandemic, which was 10 years after my mother had died. [24:30]
It has helped so many different people who were reaching out to me saying they looked back into their childhood and remembered making something creative and that they should try again. [24:40]
So it is a book to encourage and inspire people to work creativity back into their lives. [25:05]
Sadly, sometimes all it is, is one person telling us we cannot do something which follows years and years and years of still believing that one person's words so that they don't even try anymore. [26:42]
I have met people who something in them led them to write and they kept writing but they never dared show anybody or they never dared submit anything. [27:20]
When I discover them through a class and I convinced them that what they have done is beautiful they share it and they come alive. [27: 31]
There is a benefit to creating time to create and it is worth the effort. [28:10
There is something to be said for creating just for the fun of creating and for trying new things and allowing ourselves to fail. [29:15]
We carry these lies within us and every once in a while we have to take time to figure out what the truth is. [31:18]
I just want your listeners to believe in themselves and believe there is something in them. [33:24]
I want them to start by looking back to their childhood and remember what it was that they were drawn to naturally because that's where our secret desires lie before life took that out of us. [33:28]
Whatever it is that makes them feel alive, whatever it is that makes them come alive, work that into their everyday life because there are ways to work it into our lives, at home, at work, in whatever we are doing and we will be healthier and happier for doing that. [33:49]
……………………………………………………………………………………
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Art Transcends Words - Jen Kiaba

“When you see people put their heart into something, you want them to be validated for it because it is part of their soul” Jen Kiaba
The healing power of art has long been explored in different settings in an effort to influence, acknowledge and manage a wide range of human behaviors and functions. Our guest today, Jen Kiaba, has been working with people to help them heal by encouraging them to express their stories through art where she leads by example.
Jen Kiaba is an artist and educator who grew up in the infamous Unification Church, a religious group referred to by popular media as “the Moonies” and a primary example of a cult. After escaping a forced arranged marriage, she fought her way out in her early twenties. After leaving the cult she went on to earn her BA in Art History at Bard College.
As an artist, she uses photography to explore the failure of faith and the resulting loss of identity that occurs. Her work has been exhibited internationally, was a third-place winner of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, a top 200 finalist in Critical Mass, and an Honorable Mention in the 13th Pollux Award. Since 2014 she has worked as an educator and mentor with a local non-profit that seeks to empower youth to develop their artistic voice to shape their futures. She also writes and speaks about art, healing, and their intersection.
In today’s episode, we will be discussing more on how art can be embraced to fast-track the healing process in children. We will also talk about why it is important to recognize and validate people’s efforts when expressing their art.
Listen in!
Social media:
 https://instagram.com/Jenkiaba
 https://facebook.com/Jenkiaba
 https://twitter.com/Jenkiaba
 https://www.youtube.com/c/JenKiaba
 
I love that you started by saying that despite the fact that I have this unique experience, so many people connect with and I think that is such a poignant truth. [3:14]
In the nonprofits that I've worked with, a lot of the teenagers that we come into contact with are highly at-risk youth so I tend to lead in the classes with my stories. [4:51]
I share my story and my art with them, again, not in any way to burden them but just to say, this is a safe space I am trusting you with. [5:19]
Many of us can understand the universals in art much better than we can understand the language of a story sometimes. [5:37]
If we don't have the exact same experience, it's very easy to dismiss it as other but when these kids see the work, I can often see a light bulb go off. [5:45]
In the environment that they may be in, it is difficult for the kids to know what is ok to express because generally, we tend to want to show people the good side and find it hard to share the dark side. [5:57]
When I share the work that I've created in my healing process, I'm always amazed at how honest and raw, and vulnerable the art that these kids share. [6:16]
And so I tend to use the same techniques when I mentor and a lot of people come to me because of my work and my story. [6:27]
People are amazed that those themes are so present in their visuals, and then you know, from an artistic perspective, we start to put together bodies of work and things. [7:01]
I learned that art is a language in and of itself. It transcends the spoken word, it transcends the left side of the brain and the logical thinking. It is such a powerful tool for communication for people to feel seen and to feel heard. [7:19]
In my business, I seek out partnerships with nonprofits to teach and nonprofits to license to where I know that my work can be a tool to help further somebody else's business or somebody else's mission. [7:38]
There are so many different ways that I try to plug in now that I've learned that there are so many connections for us and that our stories are so interwoven even if they seem different. [8:15]
Anytime I hear of an organization where they have this mission that resonates, maybe even with just a small part of my story, I find ways to connect with them so that I can help further their mission from a visual standpoint. [8:28]
I've only recently started to learn that one of the reasons art therapy is so powerful is because it helps to connect more fluidly to the right side of the brain. [11:14]
In my classes and my mentorships, I'm usually very forthright in giving permission slips to kids to create whatever they need to. [11:58]
I do think that there are things that we need to process with the support of somebody who is trained. [12:19]
In an art class, I do find that it has been freeing and the work that I've seen the kids create, and the relationships that I've established because of art and I know that it makes a difference. [12:26]
In educational spaces, we have to realize, especially creativity, we are being so vulnerable and I am usually so fiercely protective. [15:38]
When you see people put their heart into something, you want them to be validated for it because it is part of somebody's soul. [16:45]
Commercial Break [17:10]
I believe that when kids create in some of their darkest spaces, it helps them give more words or definitions or give them more power over some of their experiences. [19:08]
When I exited the Unification Church and was processing and healing, I didn't have language for my experience. I didn't know how to talk about it because I didn't know what I experienced was abuse. [19:21]
When I first started going to therapy, one of the best ways for me to communicate was via my art, and even talking to other survivors of you know, domestic abuse and abusive families and things like that. [19:37]
To me what has been so amazing is that when I've shared my art, I hear other people's stories in return and that has been the primary way for me to develop the language around my experience. [19:52]
I've since started to research cults and coercive control and narcissistic abuse and can now have a more academic framework for it. [20:06]
The first time I ever shared my work I was at a very small workshop where I showed my prints to the woman across the table from me, she looked at my pictures, and she said, these reminded her of her abusive background and she told me her story. [20:27]
It made me realize that this was an incredible way for us to develop connections and you find shared experiences and that allow you to feel not so alone. [20:51]
You are more artistic than you give yourself credit for, and art is an incredible healing and communication tool. [24:27]
……………………………………………………………………………………
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Keep Music Alive - Vincent James

“I have really come to believe all the different arts is really what makes us human otherwise, we would just be a computer or machine.” Vincent James
Most people often discover their purpose as they journey through the process of creative self-expression, which then brings them joy and a sense of self-fulfillment. Our guest today, Vincent James, got to experience this transformative moment thirty years into creating and exploring the art of music and has since never looked back.
Vincent James has been circulating in the musical world for over 3 decades. He first began as a songwriter penning “Rock & Roll and Wrestling Connection” in the mid-80s that was made into a music video by PRISM Television starring Cyndi Lauper, Hulk Hogan, and Rowdy Roddy Piper. James later began managing local bands helping to book and promote hundreds of live shows.
Eventually, James elected to go the artist route and released several recordings including two national singles. Highlights included the humorous “Y2K” song that landed a local FOX news spot, a Billboard review, and an appearance on the nationally syndicated Jenny Jones Show. A few years later, James's single “One More Night” aired on over 80 radio stations nationwide, landed a spot on the Friday Morning Quarterback radio chart, and launched his transition to Mr. Love Songs. Over the next decade, James wrote dozens of custom love songs for weddings, anniversaries, and other special occasions through his LoveSongs.com website.
Change came knocking in 2014 when James realized he wasn’t serving his true purpose. After listening to a teleseminar entitled “How Everyone Has a Book Inside Them”, James decided to publish a book along featuring inspirational music stories about how music changed people’s lives. Co-authored with his wife Joann, “88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life”: https://amzn.to/359FN2B  was first published in June 2015 and features stories and anecdotes from both regular and famous musicians. Story contributors include Rick Wakeman (YES), Vanessa Carlton, Simon Kirke (Bad Company/FREE), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Bill Champlin (Chicago), Rob Hyman & Eric Bazilian (The Hooters) along with hit songwriters Seidah Garrett (Michael Jackson), Billy Steinberg (Madonna) and Bobby Hart (The Monkees). The sequel to “88+ Ways Music” was published on New Years' Eve 2020 and is entitled “88 MORE Ways Music Can Change Your Life”: https://amzn.to/3goDePs . 80% of all “88 Ways Music” proceed from both books are donated to music education and service non-profits.
While publishing and promoting “88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life”, James began to discover his true passion for music education. Along with his wife, they formed the Keep Music Alive organization and launched the 1st Annual Teach Music Week in March 2015 and the first Annual Kids Music Day in October 2016. Keep Music Alive officially became a non-profit in October 2017 and now partners with over 1,000 music schools, music stores, and other organizations to offer free lessons to new students and special events that benefit and celebrate kids playing music. These events range from student performances, instrument petting zoos, drum & ukulele circles, instrument donation drives, and more.
Over a dozen celebrities have signed on as Kids Music Day Ambassadors lending their name and image for the cause including Julie Andrews, Jack Black, Sarah McLachlan, Kenny Loggins, Michael Feinstein, Vanessa Williams, Pat Benatar, and more. Television and Broadway star Matthew Morrison signed on as the Official Spokesperson for the milestone 5th Annual Kids Music Day in October 2020, leading to Kids Music Day being featured on Entertainment Tonight, People TV, and Good Day New York.
In today’s episode, we will be discussing Vincent James’s experiences as he explored his art in music and how he found his purpose and passion for advocating for children’s music and storytelling.
Listen in!
Social media handles
www.Facebook.com/KeepMusicAliveMission
 www.Instagram.com/KeepMusicAliveOrg
 www.Twitter.com/4KeepMusicAlive
www.Facebook.com/88WaysMusic
It is really funny, Michael, how this all started. I bounced around through several different areas, which I enjoy and I was pretty good at them. [5:46]
But along the way, through those 30 years, I never really felt like I was truly doing my full purpose, what I was meant to do. [5:58]
One day, I was drawn to listen to a teleseminar training about how everyone has a book inside them they need to write. [6:05]
I never thought I would write a book because by day, I'm an engineer, and by night, and weekends, I do all this music stuff. [6:12]
Because I'm going back and forth. I'm not really an expert on any, like a jack of all trades, right? Who's gonna buy a book, I'm not an expert. [6:20]
While I'm on this call, it was like a bolt of lightning hit me what about a book of inspirational stories of how music impacted people's lives, I wouldn't have to write anything. [6:27]
I would just gather stories, edit them, and then we would publish them and inspire others to play music and to share the gift of music because I know how important it is to me. [6:36]
And then along the way, as we started doing research, this whole thing kind of morphed eventually into the ‘Keep Music Alive’ nonprofit years later. [6:46]
So as we dug into all the research and peeled the layers back on the onion it became just amazing to me. [6:58]
My primary focus is advocating for music and music education because that's just really where my heart is. [7:36]
When playing music you're building up not only your musical skills, but your social skills as you're connecting with your tribe. [9:35]
When you're playing an instrument you are firing back and forth between the left logical and the right creative sides, much more than almost anything we do as humans. [9:50]
The corpus callosum part of the brain gets bigger for the kids that have had musical education during their developmental years and this is how we get thinkers outside the box. [10:03]
Add on the motor skills that you have to do for your finger position. [10:11]
The brain is an amazing thing and we're only scratching the surface in our lifetime of what the brain is capable of. [11:56]
If people intentionally explore different types of music along the way, they don't just become locked in but they have to learn new things to expand the brain. [13:56]
We ran into a fellow who is 15 years old and from the west coast and he could play 107 unique instruments on a good level. [14:52
They credited his skills to when his mother was pregnant where they used to take the speaker and put it up to his mom's belly. [15:08]
Commercial break. [16:18]
March of 2016, I came up with the idea of having a week every year where musicians offer free lessons to somebody and I put up a couple of social media posts. [18:00]
I started reaching out to schools and so that second year, we had 23 music schools and eight states that said ye. [18:19]
We built our homegrown database and now have like 5000 and we started reaching schools and stores t to encourage them to participate and then we just grew it organically year after year. [18:45]
After the second or third teach music week, we ran into a girl who was doing something called kids yoga day and I wondered if there was a kids music day. [18:58]
We looked it up and there was no such thing and we decided to start doing it where the music schools and stores offer some sort of event or promotion that either benefits or celebrates kids playing music. [19:20]
The idea is to raise a loud enough voice so we can get the media everywhere talking about it and get more kids involved in music in the arts. [19:33]
We work with another national organization called hungry for music where we do local instrument donation and we donate some to a local non-profit school and repurpose others that are completely broken so that it's not going into the landfill. [21:16]
Before we started all this, I didn't pay much attention, I was on my own just doing my own thing. [22:11]
But then as I started to focus on what we're doing and the advocacy I started thinking about it. [22:18]
I have come to believe all the different arts is really what makes us human otherwise, we would just be a computer or machine. [22:25]
What would be the difference if we didn't have our culture and all the different varied beautiful cultures around the world? [22:35]
I think that's really why we need music and art, to express ourselves for therapeutic reasons. [22:43]
We are always looking for new stories for the music book series and we donate 80% of the proceeds. [23:48]
For ‘Keep Music Alive,’ we are continuing to build it up year by year and we will also do our musical instrument petting zoo events around the Philadelphia area, schools and libraries. [24:01]
We also do special ones for children that are on the spectrum where it is just solely dedicated to them, and they come in with their families. [24:19]
I would just encourage people that whatever passion or business case, you just need to be persistent and consistent with it. [27:58]
I believe one of the reasons we have had so much success with what we're doing now is because we've been consistently doing it for seven years now building it out. 28:09]
One of the things that I always like to share with people is that silence never means no. [28:22]
……………………………………………………………………………………
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Self Love Proclamation - Kendra Muecke

“When we are able to express ourselves, we can let go of different things that we've been through.” Kendra Muecke.
There is no limit to what possibilities are available when it comes to art, and this is especially true in times of change and uncertainty. The entertainment industry which was especially hit by the effects of the pandemic proved this after they were forced to explore new possibilities to showcase the creations and connect with their audience. Our guest today, Kendra Muecke, was able to explore such possibilities and got to live an exceptional experience during this period. She affirms the importance of embracing and being confident in your art even in the most difficult of times.
Kendra Muecke is a singer/songwriter, writer, actress, and published author from Houston, TX-based now in Los Angeles, CA. She performs under the stage name “Kendra & the Bunnies”, as a psychedelic folk-rock Americana and spoken word artist. “Kendra & the Bunnies” performs both as a full band and as a solo acoustic act. Her style heavily utilizes the element of storytelling through song, painting a creative experience for the listener. She has released four albums, charted globally at #8 on the digital radio charts (between Dua Lipa at #7 & Miley Cyrus at #9), published two books, writes for several online music magazines, is SAG-Aftra Eligible, and tours nationally.
In 2021, Kendra was nominated for 3 Josie Awards including Best Artist of the Year (Multi-Genre), Best Song of the Year (Self Love Proclamation), and Best Music Video of the Year (Self Love). She was also nominated for a 2021 International Singer-Songwriter Association Award. You can read more about Kendra’s music and writing in over 100 publications such as JamBase, Relix Magazine, Live for Live Music, Denver Westword, Houston City Book, Grateful Web, Getty Images, Shakedown News, The Hollywood Digest, Indie Pulse Music, and more. She graduated from Pepperdine University with a BFA in Theatre Arts and has, additionally, studied music business/recording at the Musicians Institute and songwriting at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music.
In today’s episode, Kendra will be talking to us about how and what she perceives art to be and also how she has evolved in her art and managed to keep up with changes and the uncertainties in the current environment.
Listen in!
Social Media Links:
https://www.kendraandthebunnies.com
 https://www.instagram.com/kenbunny/
 https://twitter.com/kenbunny
 https://www.facebook.com/kendraandthebunnies
 https://www.tiktok.com/@kendraandthebunnies?lang=en
I think I was four years old when mum took me to the local downtown theater and had me audition. [2:46]
I started doing professional vocal lessons, professional dancing, and acting lessons which became my everything. [3:13]
I would go down to the theater several times a week and acted and learned all the songs and made friends. [3:20]
Later on, I got into sports too but pretty much my entire life has been about acting, theater, and the arts. [3:32]
Later on, in high school, I got into rock and roll music and philosophical questioning and spirituality, guitar and poetry too which has played a big part in my career. [3:41]
I feel like art is the extension of my expression. [4:22]
I would go through these experiences and make them part of my memory and that is where the song comes in. [5:10]
2020 was a total surprise. I had some tours booked but had to shift my mindset and postpone all the events. [7:23]
I however decided to go ahead and switch to all online since I was already very active on social media and I had live-streamed a little bit. [8:15]
I live-streamed over 150 shows last year and partnered with venues across the country and did a virtual live stream tour concert with people all over the country. [8:30]
For people that were really creative about doing this, you might you probably reached audiences you wouldn't have. [8:55]
I started to be known as ‘the live stream person’ and so I got a lot of opportunities from people just by word of mouth because I was consistently showing up. [9:02]
I am now doing a little bit of professional live streaming where I've been signed on by an agency to help grow another platform. [9:13]
It gave us a reason to put a pause button on things and think and so a lot of my songs and moments came in particular from being at home experiencing this year. [9:52]
I will talk about the song ‘Self-love Proclamation’ since you talked about it earlier which I was recently nominated for three Josie awards. [11:00]
‘Self-love proclamation’ is co-written with a lot of people in Nashville and is all about just ripping off the band-aid and saying this is who I am and I'm going to love myself for who I am and that journey to finding ourselves is evident in the song. [11:15]
Commercial Break. [11:40]
Song teaser [12:50]
There are so many different things that come to mind, the first thing would be the healing element to art. [15:01]
When we can express ourselves, we can let go of different things that we've been through. [15:08]
I work sometimes with this nonprofit based in Los Angeles, called artists for trauma and is where people who have PTSD, physical, mental, veterans, emotional, spiritual healing, come together to do art and I think that encapsulates what art can do for us. [15:14]
It's done that for me personally, just like dealing with, you know, different racing thoughts, or whatever goes on in my life, I'm able to channel that into the guitar or into a poem or lyrics, and let it go. [15:35]
The next thing would be the cohesion of community thought that can be showcased through an event. [16:09]
It is also a really good way to start conversations in a way that is accommodating to different perspectives. [17:16]
Sometimes I think about how there's there is art written about the previous history, but then I realize that we are creating history every day. [18:31]
I'm really excited to see people start to go back to concert venues and have those shared experiences because we've craved being together in those shared experiences. [18:58]
It still may take a while but I think we're going to appreciate it even more now. [19:10]
I watched a lot of live streams with different artists and put on a lot of different live streams with different artists. [20:02]
The one thing that I've been going back to over and over right now is, only you know. [22:08]
We can take advice and we can listen to other people and we can listen for clues from the universe but at the end of the day, it's about our own perspective and how we filter in. [22:14]
This means this only we know our true north and our true path. [22:40]
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Clarity Through Practical Spirituality - Tiffany Nguyen

“Most of us are just not caring to ourselves. It is so much easier for us to have compassion for others and forget ourselves in the process.” Tifanny Nguyen
In an effort to find fulfillment and meaning, many people end up subscribing to other people’s ideas and definitions of what happiness is. True fulfillment, however, stems from within through knowing self and accepting the person that we are in totality. By focusing on self-awareness, people become more compassionate of themselves and motivated to pursue more fulfilling lives. This is according to our guest today, Tifanny Nguyen, who found out that the focus on personal transformation often precedes the spiritual journey.
Tiffany Nguyen is a spiritual life coach who helps busy professionals and sensitive, high-achievers reconnect with their truths and live authentically. She combines practicality and spiritual wisdom to guide people towards clarity and confidence in who they are, leading them to inner peace and happiness. With her analytical brain and her intuitive Tarot reading skill, Tiffany brings a unique approach to one’s self-transformation journey.
Tiffany immigrated to the U.S when she was 16 and quickly learned the harsh reality of being alone in a foreign country. She faced her greatest fear: loneliness. As the years went by, she grew tired of chasing the next thing and feeling lost and decided to look within. Tiffany created the Happiness Blueprint to illustrate how people can build a fulfilling life for themselves. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and is a student of Tibetan Meditation Master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Her articles have appeared on Elephant Journal, Thrive Global, Purpose Fairy, and McGill Media. She has also been featured on the spiritual podcast, Unfuck Your Mind.
In today’s episode, our guest will be discussing her journey and experiences and how they led her to what she is currently doing with her clients. She will also dive deeper into the Tarot reading practice and what it has to offer.
 
Listen in!
Social media handles
https://spunkyspiritualist.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/SpunkySpiritualist/ 
My story started when I immigrated, but it was more like a night of the soul experience where I was depressed and suffered through a lot, and years later when life got better, I did not deal with the mess but just suppressed it and kept going. [3:55]
It took me all the way into while I was in pharmacy school and at the time it seemed like nothing was wrong in my life but in reality, I was miserable and then my friend commented that she wished she had a relationship like mine. [4:39]
I responded that it was not that great but immediately right after my coping mechanisms jumped right in and I started giving excuses. [5:18]
It was a beautiful moment because it seems like my best friend knew me better than I did myself. [5:34]
I became very open and vulnerable and shared with her about my past where I got into a lot of relationships I shouldn't be in and I hated myself a lot. [5:50]
I always thought I had to earn happiness by doing a lot of things and just play every role perfectly which was just tiring. [6:12]
So that was a saving grace, she also opened up and become vulnerable and share with me her past and it turned out that we were very similar. [6:46]
What stuck with me is not about our past, but about how we were adamant that each other deserve the best happiness. [6:55]
It took me a few months later while driving along and I have this simple epiphany that if I swap places with my best friend, I will never, ever even think to consider her any less. [7:09]
I realized that I was hard on myself and forgave myself and that self-forgiveness was what kick-started my spiritual journey. [7:27]
Immediately after I forgave myself, it was like an overnight effect that I felt that the burden was off and that I didn’t have to pretend anymore. [7:39]
I realized what I was feeling was valid so I took stock of my life on what's working and what was not. [7:50]
A year later after I started my journey, I became ready then I met my teacher on Facebook and learned meditation. [8:26]
With the work I do as a retail pharmacist, at one point my life was chaotic but with the foundation and the practice I had, there was always a sense of calm and being grounded that almost felt palpable. [9:15]
I wished everybody would feel that but it is not always available for everyone and so it is from that wish that I started the business. [10:07]
In my work now I help with busy professionals and high achievers where we walk the pattern through relationships, tracing back with their thought patterns beliefs, and perceptions, and how they view life and themselves. [10:24]
What worked at the moment that I and my friend had was the kind of relationship we had where we were both understanding of each other and there was great trust. [12:43]
We don't always have this kind of trust and understanding with family members or intimate relationships due to expectations but with friends it is different. [12:58]
I think that trust, security, and understanding helps open up the conversation and sharing to be vulnerable where without it we just can't get to get down to the bottom to the truth. [13:56]
Most of us are just not caring about ourselves. It is so much easier for us to have compassion for others and forget ourselves in the process. [15:15]
Part of the healing process is to learn to know ourselves, take it with grace and give us a lot of love and compassion. [15:34]
Commercial break [16:20]
I was lucky to grow up in Asia, Vietnam which is a very spiritual country and even if we have no religion, 100% of Vietnamese have ancestorship. [18:20]
I was always begging my mum to go see a psychic which she did much later when I was eighteen and after that, I just got sucked into it. [18:48]
After a while, I started getting a lot of psychic reading and became like a dependency which was very unhealthy. [19:07]
When I got to the US that trait of mine continued and later on I got exposed to the Tarot which was different from how it was done in Vietnam. [19:38]
I got this urge and curiosity to go explore and I realized that I could do it which was quite surprising to me because I never thought I could do it. [20:30]
So my brand is very analytical and nowhere intuitive at all. [21:10]
Tarot is interesting to me because it has a system or guideline on which I can rely and not be completely lost and overwhelmed. [21:29]
The beautiful thing about the Tarot is there is a lot of archetypes and is applicable in so many aspects of our life. [23:18]
Later on, when I started my spiritual journey and awakening and started working with people I started noticing people also developing the same dependency tendency that I had before and therefore I stopped offering Tarot reading professionally. [23:44]
It is also beautiful to just offer people an opportunity to explore their possibilities. [24:52]
I think Tarot is a very good, personal tool to use for reflection and a great exploration tool to learn about oneself. [27:01]
Another way that I have seen people use the Tarot a lot is when writers encounter writer’s blocks. [27:37]
A lot of artists also use the Tarot since it has so many themes and there is a lot of things that they can explore. [28:00]
I would say any long-lasting fulfilling relationship that you ever wish in your life is so where you have to start at the solid foundation of the relationship with yourself. So invest in yourself and explore yourself. [30:42]
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Thank You to our August Sponsor!
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Learn More: https://www.colorstreet.com/bhroberts/party/2095611