Art 2 Heart

My new poetry collection Milkweed is available now. Find the digital copy here!https://stan.store/Morintune/p/get-milkweed-nowWe are surrounded by pressure. A constant pressure to post the right opinion, to protest the right issue, and to position ourselves on the right side of history. But in all that noise, are we actually helping, or just performing? This episode poses a challenging question: What if our outrage is serving our own egos more than the people we claim to care about?In this raw and intimate check-in, host David Morin speaks with his dear friend Sarah, who is deep into her "Year to Live" journey. Together, they explore the uncomfortable truth that our most human instincts include destruction just as much as creation. As David states, "Genocide is our birthright as much as writing a  poem." This conversation is not a call for inaction, but a radical invitation to purify the source of our engagement. To move from performative outrage to integrated compassion. It’s a look at why the most effective activism might be the quiet, internal work of healing ourselves.Follow David on Instagram: @mor.intuneWork with David 1:1 | www.voiceguide.crd.coFollow Sarah on Instagram: @vijisarah_learningtolovewellContent note: This conversation contains challenging perspectives on activism, politics, and human nature. It's designed as a contemplative space for those ready to question conventional approaches to social change.In this episode you will learn:Why our online outrage may be serving our egos more than the people we claim to help.The challenging idea that destruction is just as much a part of our humanity as creation.How confronting your own mortality can be the key to dissolving "us vs. them" thinking.The difference between performative action and the deeper work of integrated compassion.Why true change begins with radical self-honesty, not pointing fingers at others.The concept of Earth's "war consciousness" and how polarity shapes our human experience.Why true healing is the most potent and sustainable form of activism.How to find peace by learning to hold opposing truths in the same hand.Journal Reflections From This Episode:These aren't questions to answer quickly. They're invitations to sit with over the coming days. Take what resonates and leave what doesn't.What parts of yourself do you see in people you oppose politically?How has proximity or distance to death influenced your political engagement?How much of your activism do you feel is influenced by your tribe?Do you feel like there are more effective ways of encouraging compassion in our community, digitally or in person?Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: The Human Paradox00:24 Ideologies and Entitlement00:33 Forgiveness and Humanity01:37 Radical Responsibility and Change02:56 The Year to Live Journey04:05 The Noise of Activism05:00 A New Direction: Compassion and Humility05:30 The Cycle of Outrage05:52 The Power of Radical Honesty06:23 The Conversation Begins40:31 The Importance of Self-Healing41:03 Embracing Uncomfortable Truths41:19 Introducing 'Milkweed' Poetry Collection43:03 The Cycle of Human Progress46:53 Soul Contracts and Past Lives56:05 The Role of Polarity in Life01:00:42 Confronting Mortality01:04:59 The Sacredness of Pleasure01:12:11 Ancestral Connections and Plant Medicine01:14:04 Final Reflections and Contemplations

This episode was originally published in a new podcast but decided to bring it back for Art 2 Heart Season 2. What happens when the theology you were raised inside begins to soften, and the person who taught it to you is willing to soften too?Last year, I completed what was my own "Year to Live" exercise. At the top of that commitment was my relationship with my mom. She raised me and my siblings inside the Seventh-day Adventist church. Faith shaped everything—what to eat, what to fear, what to believe, what to bury.And yet here we are…sitting on the kitchen table, reading The Third Jesus by Deepak Chopra together. No microphones. No plan. Just two former Adventists, opening a book neither of us could've touched when I was a kid.In This Episode:The revelation: "I thought it was heartbreak... it was all the grief" - unpacking depression after Peace Corps serviceWhy we sometimes prefer heartbreak to grief - the devil we know versus the one we don'tUnderstanding emotions as "disguises" and what lies behind evilFinding profound love and Christ consciousness through prison workThe vital practice of learning to "Protect Your Peace"Healing divides through nourishment - a mother's realization about seeing unmet needsSeeing the "God" or innocence beneath everyone's surfaceHow focusing on the afterlife can rob us of the present momentMoving beyond duality - challenging "good vs. evil" thinkingKey Insights:Grief wears disguises - sometimes as heartbreak, anger, or busynessChrist consciousness is about seeing the divine in everyone, especially those society has rejectedMoments of peace must be protected - a spiritual practice of creating boundariesThe transition from religious dogma to spiritual understanding creates space for deeper connectionsFinding divinity not as something external, but as the essence within each personThis isn't a polished podcast. It's a prayer you overheard - a raw conversation about what opens between a mother and son when grief softens, and religion lets go.Watch on YouTubeConnect with David:Newsletter: Passages and PerspectivesInstagram: @mor.intune

What We Fear More Than Death This podcast was originally uploaded under a new podcast, but I ultimately decided to bring it back for Art 2 Heart Season 2. Most of us aren’t afraid of dying. We’re afraid of what death reflects back at us. Our regrets, our tenderness, our joy, and everything we’ve been avoiding.In this episode, I share my story and the vision for this podcast. I talk about what it means to live with one year left, and how that question has shaped the way I show up now—as a poet, death doula, and someone who helps others reunite with their humanity.What to expect in this episode:The origin story behind A Year to LiveWhat this podcast will exploreHow my own year to live changed my lifeA reframing of what we’re actually afraid ofAn open invitation to begin your own journeyThis podcast is here to help you return to what matters most.—Hosted by David MorinPoet | Death Doula | Prison [email protected] 

Darkness, Surrender, and the Poet Within with Sarah McCashThis episode was originally published under a new podcast, but I ultimately decided to bring it back to Art 2 Heart for season 2. In this episode, David Morin and Sarah McCash dive deep into David's life-changing experience of a darkness retreat four years ago. What began as a casual phone call between friends turned into a moving, unfiltered conversation that helped shape the very structure of this podcast.As Sarah prepares for her own darkness retreat, she reached out to David to reflect on his experience. Together, they rehash his transformative journey of surrendering to darkness, embracing the unknown, and discovering the poet within.This is not a polished studio interview. It's a real, spontaneous phone call full of raw, honest, and unexpected magic.*A Note on the Title*A Year to Live is inspired by the book of the same name by meditation teacher and author Stephen Levine. While this podcast is an independent project, the heart of this idea—that reuniting with your mortality can radically transform the way you live—finds its roots in his work. May this serve as a living continuation of that invitation.Meet Sarah McCashSarah McCash is a Manhattan-based storyteller and death doula, obsessed with all things death, mortality, and soulful transitions. Her presence is equal parts deep feeler and curious seeker. As someone called to care for the dying, Sarah brings a refreshing enthusiasm to conversations about grief, fear, intuition, and awakening. She’s a member of David’s first A Year to Live cohort and has agreed to document parts of her journey through recorded conversations like this one.In this episode, we discuss:The Power of Surrender: Why facing the darkness and confronting our deepest fears can lead to profound personal transformation.Darkness Retreat Experience: What it's like to spend days alone in pitch-black darkness, and how it can awaken new parts of ourselves.Uncovering the Poet Within: How David realized he was a poet during the darkness retreat and the poetic journey that followed.Intuition and Spiritual Growth: The importance of listening to your intuition and how it leads us to the places and experiences we need most, even if we're not "ready" for them.The Sacredness of Darkness: How the darkness serves as an ancient teacher and a place of deep self-discovery.Resources:Join David's Cohort. If you're ready to explore your own mortality with a small group of other seekers like you, book a call with David here or send him a message on IG. https://calendly.com/morindavid9113/60min David on Instagram: @mor.intuneMore from David Morin:Listen to his previous podcast: Art 2 Heart Explore the mini-series on Spotify: Meet You There (co-created with a public media journalist)Thank you for listening! If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and review. 

Episode Summary:Join David Morin--former Peace Corps volunteer and sales professional turned death doula, poet, and prison rehabilitation facilitator--as he shares his transformative journey into guiding individuals toward clarity, purpose, and a deeper connection to life through the lens of mortality. In this episode, David introduces his upcoming program, A Year to Live, inspired by Stephen Levine’s groundbreaking work. Hear personal stories of discovery, healing, and service that illustrate the profound impact of living as if you only have one year left.What You'll Learn in This Episode:What A Year to Live is and how it can transform your perspective on life.David's personal journey from sales to poetry, prison rehabilitation, and death doula work.How contemplating your mortality can help you embrace urgency and purpose.The power of reflecting on your "final chapter" to unlock your potential.Why this work matters—not just for you but for the world around you.Highlights:David’s Journey: From corporate sales to writing over 1,000 poems, working with prisoners, and facilitating end-of-life guidance.Why Mortality as a Teacher: Learn how death can offer clarity, urgency, and healing.Insights from A Year to Live: Practical tools, meditations, and lessons drawn from David’s own experience with the program.The Value of Community: Why exploring mortality with a small, intimate group amplifies the experience.Who This Episode Is For:Ambitious professionals feeling stuck or seeking a new path.Individuals curious about exploring mortality and its connection to living fully.Anyone looking to embrace life with greater meaning, urgency, and clarity.Links and Resources Mentioned:Sign up for A Year to Live (starting February 5th): Schedule a chat with DavidConnect with David:InstagramLinkedInEmailWhatsAppA Year to Live by Stephen LevineQuotes from the Episode:“Mortality is the greatest teacher we’ll ever have, but it’s a class no one wants to take.”“By contemplating your final chapter, you unlock a deeper connection to the part of yourself that’s been lost.”“This isn’t about facing the end; it’s about embracing the urgency of now.”

In this episode of the Art2Heart podcast, I return after a year-long hiatus to share updates, reflections on the first season, and exciting new plans. I discuss overcoming initial insecurities about taking center stage and learning the importance of consistent, meaningful content. I provide insights into my transformative experiences volunteering with incarcerated individuals, which led to a fulfilling job with Defy Ventures. Additionally, I reveal my journey in becoming a death doula and the profound lessons learned about life, mortality, and self-discovery. The episode concludes with an announcement of a new offering—a year-long program inspired by Stephen Levine's book 'A Year to Live,' encouraging participants to live intentionally by embracing their mortality.00:00 Welcome Back to Art 2 Heart01:17 Reflecting on Season One04:08 Life Update and New Beginnings05:30 Volunteering and Finding Purpose13:17 Becoming a Death Doula17:05 A Year to Live: Embracing Mortality23:16 Announcing a New Offering25:20 Closing Thoughts and Future PlansSubscribe to my newsletter here for new episodes and A Year to Live updates.Follow Art 2 Heart on Instagram.Add my personal account Instagram.Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark

In this deeply moving episode, we hear from Chris Siders, an LA-based poet, music producer, and activist. Chris shares his experience about dealing with loss, grief, struggles with his health, and how these experiences have been the fuel to produce multiple albums in such a short amount of time. From his near-death experience and battles with mental health to losing so many close family members, including his father, Chris walks us through his grief-stricken, heart-opening journey that ultimately led him to discover the true nature of abundance in life. Through the content of his work, award-winning Los Angeles-based Poet, Music Producer, and Activist, Christopher Siders, encourages his audience members to think critically about social norms and how we subconsciously affect one another through our everyday behaviors. Within his own experiences as an activist, he is able to share his successes and failures and guide future activists at any institution, to make positive decisions for the community to flourish and teach students to become a better ally for movements or areas of interest. Siders professionally performed alongside poets such as Rudy Francisco, Shihan The Poet, Ebony Stewart, and has graced stages such as Dominican University, Seaside High School, Beyond Baroque, and many more. Connect with ChrisWebsite: https://www.chrissiders.com/Instagram: @thechrissiders____________________________________Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcast____________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Have you ever felt like you were an only in the room? Like no matter how many people you’re surrounded by, you feel like you can’t quite relate to anyone? It’s hard to put a specific word to what this feels like. Our guest today, Anika Aftab, has searched far and wide in many languages and cultures for the perfect word. She ultimately describes it as feeling like the only in the room. In fact, she feels soo deeply about this that she’s writing a book on it, called, you guessed it, The Only in the Room.On the day this was recorded earlier this year, Anika interviewed me for her book and podcast, and we had so much fun that we decided to keep the conversation going and recorded this interview for my podcast on the same day. As life would have it, we’re releasing the episodes on the same day! So if you like this episode, make sure you check out her podcast called The Only in the Room to check out her episode interviewing me.Anika is one of the realest people I know. She doesn’t pull her punches, she gets to the heart of what she’s trying to say right away, and she doesn’t mind being vulnerable about the lessons she’s learned along the way. She has a very excited and grounded perspective of the universe that is childlike yet mature, with wonder yet with clarity, with awe yet with OBVIously….at Anika’s core is a hyper awarness about the duality of what it means to be a human.In this episode, she shares a powerful excerpt from her book about lonliness vs being alone that I know you’ll love. We talk about the moment she realized she was muting her own story, we talk about substance use and abuse and addictions.We talk about the mental wrestling around synchronicities and signs from the universe.We talk about angel numbers and all could mean, and we also talk about how they can could mean aboslutely nothing too.Thanks so much for joining us today, and let’s dive in.Listen to my interview with AnikaListen on SpotifyConnect with AnikaInstagram: @theonlyintheroom Instagram: @anikersssLinkedIn:Anika Aftab____________________________________Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.life____________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Rachel Livinal is a recent graduate at Cal State Long Beach with a BA in Journalism. She just started her position as a higher education radio reporter for KVPR (Valley Public Radio) at the end of this month.Rachel has also been a poet since she was 16, and she is 21 now. It started with sonnets, but quickly developed into this odd freeverse that consists of near rhymes and very loose patterns of rhyme. She grew up in a writing family and was deeply influenced by her grandpa, who still writes poetry today. She uses poetry to free her mind of anxiety and it also is how she works out the problems she can't understand in her head.This interview was recorded in September 2022, when Rachel was starting her senior year at CSU Long Beach where she was studying and working to become an audio journalist. She had just wrapped up a one month series based on the Long Beach elderly community’s experience during COVID, called When Physical Canes Become Mental Chains. In this episode, you’ll hear Rachel mention that it would be a dream of hers to work for NPR one day. Since then, she absolutely did do a project for them!We talk about the impact that poetry and therapy have had had on Rachel’s reflection, healing, and personal transformation.We talk about Rachel’s experience living with her grandparents as her grandma was developing AlzeihmersWe talk about her muse of monarch butterflies and how they’re linked to a teacher that passed away when she was young, and the unbelievable things that happened when she released Monarchs outside her classroom as a tribute.Rachel shares two poems in this episode, one is about her relationship to monarch butterflies and assimilating to living in Long Beach, and the other is a gut wrenching poem about the struggles of being a young renter desperate to keeping a home while being at the mercy of a landlord._____________________________________Watch my interview with Rachelhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/ChGKeEJFkNx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Rachel’s project with NPR Next Gen Radiohttps://usc2023.nextgenradio.org/california-homelessness-veterans-mental-illness-ptsd-volunteering-long-beach/Connect with RachelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.livinal/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.livinalLinkedIn: Rachel Livinal_____________________________________Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifePodcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook_____________________________________Track: Noise — gbry.svg [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch:    • Noise — gbry.svg ...  Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/noise-gbrysvg

Welcome to the Art 2 Heart podcast. My name is David Morin. I'm a former corporate sales guy turned poet. And this is where we explore how finding your voice can help your path and your purpose find you. Whether you're currently in a career transition or can't wait to be in one, we learn how leaning into creative expression can be the missing key to transforming your life and the life around you.  This week we talked to Holly Pelletier from Massachusetts. She’s a storyteller, she’s a painter, she’s a poet, she’s an educator, she’s a mother,  she’s a graphic designer who created the logo and artwork for this podcast, but that is certainly not all. Holly is a badass. She’s a rare human who is a living ambassador of the earth. It could be argued that her greatest art is her devotion to Life with a capital life itself. I want to thank Holly for bringing her whole self to this conversation where we talk about: Holly’s  intuitive approach to visual art and how it differs from writing. Our high sensitivity and empathic naturesthe complexities of multicultural backgrounds the impact of colonialism on the struggle to find a sense of identity Holly’s passed down fragments of culture and how she finds comfort in diverse communities. Holly shares a poem that beautifully explores the journey of finding her roots and identity through nature. Connect with HollyInstagram: @themoonstorybook________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.life________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Instagram: @themoonstorybook

Have you ever read a book that changed your life? A book that ties together all of the threads that you’ve been chasing, and suddenly your life feels like there’s some hope?What if you had a chance to meet the author of that book? And what if that author hosted a meeting so that like minded people can get together and begin to create community? And what if that event was freaking awesome!! That’s how me and today’s guest, Adam Avenus, met. We both read a book called The Third Door by Alex Banayan that completely changed our lives by helping us redefine what was possible in life. Adam and I met at last year’s event in July 2022.Adam has lived in downtown Toronto for about 9 years and has a background in real estate. He’s started his business in the personal development space and getting ready to launch an app this summer and he has finised writing his first book. He is a published poet and former Poetry Slam Competitor, and is coming up on his first year of sobriety. He is a daily meditator of 45+ minutes, and is a proud member of the 5AM Club.Like everyone else at the Third Door event we met, we didn’t pull any punches with the questions asked each other. Gone were the measuring stick trivial questions about how people made their money, instead asking about what filled them with life every day.We keep that going in this episode. We talk about the idea of a resurrection of self and how empty Adam’s life felt when he was only focused on chasing money. We talk about the life-changing power of finding a mentor and the power of asking questions instead of talking about yourself. Then we dive deepr into Adam’s sobriety and how learning to sit with his feelings instead of feeding his addictions helped him pursue his life purpose. We talk about our experiences with other addictions like food and weed and porn, and the power, or demise, that can come with the way we speak to ourselves. The name of his upcoming app is Live Aligned, and after hearing from Adam, you’ll see why he’s the perfect person to share it with the world.Other topics we discuss include:embracing our softer side as men in a society that discourages us from doing sothe lack of support you might get when becoming soberpositive habits that Adam implemented to support his sobrietyhow we put the wrong goals in front of our real desiresAdam’s experience stepping away from writing for many years beforehow to manage tackling mulitple passionsConnect with AdamPersonal instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamavenus/Business instagram (Not yet launched): https://www.instagram.com/livealignedltd/Pre-launch website for my business: https://livealigned.app/________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.life________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Has there ever been a time in your life where you got so tired of ruminating on the same thing? Maybe there was a nagging idea or thought in the back of your mind that just never quite allowed you to experience more gratidude instead of criticism. To feel more acknowledgement towards yourself instead of blame, or more love instead of distrust. Have you ever gotten so real with yourself that one day you asked yourself such an an honest, mind-opening, thought-provoking, reality-bending, life-changing question? Now, that sounds extreme but trust me, that is the power of asking the right questions! But it takes a LOT of sitting with yourself in really diffucult times to formulate such a question.That’s exactly what happened with, Amber Jeanseau, who one day reached a boiling point of repeating the same story in her head that she asked herself such a simple question from such a loving place, and her life would never be the same for it.Amber is a singer-songrwriter originally from East Tennesee. She was born into a life of rhythm and rhyme with a love and apprecaition for poetry and music. After growing up mostly writing poetry, it wasn’t until she got older that she ever considered combining music and poetry to make songs. Despite pursuing a career in business and marketing, music remained her "safe place" for expression. It wasn't until a move to California and a certification in recording engineering that she found herself back in the studio, feeling the most alive she had ever felt. Now, after years of hiding her music out of fear and imposter syndrome, Amber is finally recording her first album and has released two singles! "Drove Past Your House" was released in October 2022 and “All At Once Again” was released in Feb 2023. You can find her music on Spotify and all major streaming platforms under Amber Jeanseau.In this episode, Amber and I do a deep dive into the hard questions we’ve had to ask ourselves and how as writers, we’ve been writing our own lessons without even realizing it. From learning to relinquish control and surrender to the current of life, to finding more compassion, love, and understanding for our parents and how they did their best to raise us with the tools they were given. Other topics we discuss include:how Amber had a poem published on the local news station at age 6!how she was born into a family of artistshow she learned at a young age how to make people like youhow being a writer can turn you into a perfectionisthow the pandemic brought out the empath in herhow her job and people pleasing became an escape from her own self carewhat a soul contract isfiguring out your needs in adulthood outside of the needs to address your inner childhow poetry and expression has helped us improve the relationships with our parentshow powerful it can be to focus on gratitude instead of what we lacked when it comes to our childhoodAmber’s process in the recording studioConnect with AmberIG : @amberjeanseaumusic Linktree and Singles: Amber Jeanseau ________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodIG: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.life_______________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark@themoonstorybook

Accomplishment and emptiness. Gratitude and sadness. Love and grief. Filipino and White.Two things can be true at the same time.Today’s guest is an insanely talented poet and educator who is an expert at holding two things in tension together.Christian Hanz Lozada (he/him/they) is the son of an immigrant Filipino and a descendant of the Confederacy, so he knows the shape of hope and exclusion. He co-authored the poetry book Leave With More Than You Came With from Arroyo Seco Press and the history book Hawaiian in Los Angeles. His poems have appeared in Hawaii Pacific Review (Pushcart Nominee), Mud Season, Sin Cesar (formerly Dryland), among others. Christian has featured for the Autry Museum, the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, and Beyond Baroque. He lives in San Pedro, CA and uses his MFA to teach his neighbors and their kids at Los Angeles Harbor College. Christian also has a third book being published later this year, a collection of poetry called He’s a Color Until He’s Not.In this episode, we talk about reconciling with two conflicting ideas, like how America can be shitty and awesome at the same time. We talk about the sense of grief that’s immediately followed after an accomplishment, how Charles Bukowski has been an integral part of his life in San Pedro, how immigration and capitalism are so closely tied to one another, and how becoming an educator became a natural fit for his passion and love of writing. We also explore how folding origami frogs became his grief embodied for his sister, and how his love for his students often means never seeing them again.Unfortunatley, this interview was cut short by technical difficulties with the service I was using, and will now never use again. I lost the last 30 minutes of our interview, so the dialogue ends rather abruptly. I was looking for a way to edit it down and clean it up, but Christian brings so much rawness and vulnerability that I didn’t want to lose more than what was already lost.Connect with ChristianInstagram : @poetloz Website: https://www.readontillmorning.org/________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Have you ever been afraid of going out and traveling around the world? Does leaving the comfort, safety, and the familiarity of home cause you anxiety to travel? Do you believe widespread media when it tells you that traveling anywhere outside of North America is automatically dangerous? Tanin Kayvan is someone who used to have major anxiety about her safety abroad, but ultimately had an insatiable thirst to explore the hidden, forgotten, and sometimes, neglected parts of the world. I met Tanin during COVID in Alex Banayan’s zoom mentor sessions. He is the author of The Third Door, which is a life-changing book that helped me redefine what was possible for my life. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada and studied anthropology at the University of Victoria. A formal college education wasn’t enough for her, so she took her learning into her own hands and traveled the world as a photojournalist to places like Peru, Mongolia, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Turkey, and counting where she could experience and capture moments of what other cultures in the world are like. Her efforts helped her get published by UNESCO and her work was exhibited at their headquarters in Paris. She has also recently had her work published on CNN, and is now focusing her efforts on creating TikTok videos to bring a pocket of the beauty and magic of our world to your screen. In this episode, we talk about specific tools she used to reconcile with her anxiety so that she can live this life and explore it to the fullest. We also explore her incredible talent of photography and content creating, as she gives her audience windows into what life is like in other countries and cultures to help bring more appreciation to other ways of living. We also talk about the many ways that photography and poetry interlap and how the creative processes are so similar. We explore the link between creativity and spirituality, and how these experiences might be influenced by the presence, or absence, of religion. Tanin also shares advice she received from Mike Posner about what it means to be an artist, and expectations that artists need to release in order to embrace their unique talent and passion. We also share how some of the most unique experiences we’ve had on our travels hold a much bigger fingerprint in our lives than we expected. Connect with TaninInstagram : @taninkayvan TikTok: @taninkayvan Facebook: @taninkayvan Website: https://taninkayvan.com/________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Imagine you’re a 12 year old living your best life. You’re in cheerleading, you’re super social and you love making friends, but suddenly something feels off. You begin feeling weaker and you literally lose the ability to smile. You can’t open your eyes. You have trouble chewing, swallowing, and out of nowhere, you helplessly fall to the floor when you’re walking. You know for a fact that something is wrong with you, so your mom takes you to see a doctor, but all they say is that you’re acting out for attention. Your parents are hispanic and from a rural community, so of course, they completely trust the doctor and don’t believe that something is going seriously wrong with you.Meet Elisa Ramos, who’s now 29 years old and lives with a form of muscular dystrophy called Myasthenia Gravis, or MG, which is a chronic autoimmune, neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles that worsens after periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. In addition, her MG invited two other autoimmune disorders to her life, lupus and sjorgen’s that she now lives with as well. To put it simply, Elisa describes it as her body actively trying to kill her.In this episode, Elisa talks about her journey of being diagnosed with MG at a young age and how finding her voice through writing and painting has helped her to not only empower herself, but to advocate for others. We also talk about how spoken word poetry has helped her heal after being sexually asaulted, and get a behind the scenes look at the daily struggles of living with a disability in Corporate America.Sadly, the service I used to record this episode had a technical error, and the last ten minutes of the interview from Elisa’s end was unforgivably lost. I apologize that it ends rather abruptly, but we talked about too many things that too many people need to hear. .Follow ElisaHer Digital Business CardInstagram : @emramos7________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Today’s guest is a freaking rockstar. Eliszabeth Van was born in Vietnam and moved to America at the age of 3, where she would grow up to survive an abusive childhood, be unhoused twice, and witness her father be incarcerated. During middle school, she walked in the Texas summer heat going door-to-door with her mom, filling out job applications because her mom did not know English. Fast forward to high school, she joined a robotics club, found her passion, and got a community in return.After going back to Vietnam to visit her hometown, she was inspired to sponsor and organize a STEM workshop for youth, completing cold calls and securing sponsors to make her dream a reality, all as a high school student. But she was just getting started.The summer after graduating high school, Eliszabeth interned for NASA and worked on a rover that has been to the moon. As a Freshman in college, she applied for a job at Boston Dynamics, the world’s leading pioneer in robotics technology. Oh, and the job listing was for graduating college seniors, AND SHE GOT IT.And through this entire journey, she’s found love, forgiveness, grace, and an unwavering ambition to use her gifts for the good of mankind, and I don’t say that lightly, as you’ll see in the episode. At the time of this recording in Septemer 2022, she was only 19 and is a self proclaimed “time billionaire.”I met Eliszabeth in 2021 in the online mentor sessions hosted by Alex Banayan, the author of an incredible book called The Third Door. During these zoom calls one day, I saw a chat about someone needing help with their college admission essays. I had just discovered my passion for writing, so I offered my help and got to know Eliszabeth and her unbelievable story over the next several months as I helped her with her essays. In this episode, we learn about her journey, and touch on other subjects like:Why making space exploration should remain a priority when there is so much help still needed on EarthWhy young people should focus on becoming great at one thing instead of doing 20 things at once to look good on college admission essaysand how engineering is a form of art Support Liz and Kat on their start-up!Liz and Kat are also currently working on their new start-up for robotics and AI technologies. Their mission is to lead the innovation of the next age of technological revolution in household maintenance (chores and such). They could use your help with their survey: https://forms.gle/cEPyUaGkYkjsy9Qf7Follow EliszabethInstagram : @eliszabethvan________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune______________________________________Artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark

Peace Corps. SCUBA Diving. Long distance relationship during COVID.What do these three things have in common?They’re all really damn hard.But doing hard things is nothing new to today’s guest, Kayla Noble, who has always had a natural inclination go outside of her comfort zone. It hasn’t always been easy, but damn it if it hasn’t been rewarding and an adventure of a lifetime.From taking a leap of faith and moving across the world, to following her passion of Scuba diving in one of the most remote corners of the globe, Kayla has no shortage of lessons and lifetimes of desire to go after what she wants.Kayla Noble is a Dive Master and Dive Instructor in Timor-Leste, one of the smallest countries in South East Asia, and home to the richest marine biodiversity on the planet. She’s a lover of the ocean, a passport stamp collector, and has frequent flyer miles for the roads less travled. She grew up in Oklahoma, Texas, and then moved to North Carolina. She is a future resident of wherever the ocean and diving will lead her next.Kayla and I met in the Peace Corps in Timor-Leste in 2015, and has been one of the few people I have kept in touch with regularly since returning back to the states in 2018. Her conviction and determination to follow her dreams has been inspiring since day one, and it’s very possible I wouldn’t be here on this podast had Kayla and I not given each other the space to have these conversations about what it truly means to be alive and have what little time we get on this planet.Topics we cover in this episode include:how being a Peace Corps volunteer helped her decide to turn her passion of SCUBA diving into a careerhow different languages can influence the way you think about yourselfhow to reconcile a new identity with old placeshow can the lessons from one experience be used as momentum to carry you through a new, more difficult experience?grieving previous versions of ourselveswhat it feels like in the day-to-day of pursuing the unknowna unique take on empathywhat a soul contract is and how it helped change my perspective to get over a messy end of a relationshipEast Timor doesn’t have the most reliable internet service, so the audio quality is a little compromised.Follow KaylaInstagram : @marie_of_the_sea________________________________________  Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!________________________________________Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

You know that feeling when you have a job that you’re great at?One where you’ve been training and failing and investing years of time and energy and lessons into building a career for the rest of your life?But then one day you realize that this job and life you’ve earned doesn’t actually fulfill you like you thought it would.But you’ve worked so hard for so long to get there, so you stay hoping things will change.And then life starts to lose its color.The job loses its meaning, and overwhelm sets in as you realize, oh shit, I don’t know what to do. I might be lost.How do you get back your color when you’re stuck in the grey?If you’ve been listening, you know that my favorite answer to that, is through art.Through finding your voice, expressing it, and embracing every step and misstep of your journey.Today we’re speaking to a dear friend of mine, Julianne Kanzaki, about the practical, and very applicable steps she took when she reazlied her life was losing its color.We talk about exactly what she did to to get more in touch with herself and her inner voice so that she could design a life and career using all of the parts that make up her essence.Other topics we cover in this episode include:Original poems by Julianne that helped her to navigate the uncertainty of the next step in her life and career.The 100 Day Project and how leaning into her creativity and how that improved her relationship with her intuitionhow TV and smart phones are preventing beautiful art from being createdan introvert’s creative process and the life-changing power of having Morning Pages in her morning ritualHow Julianne defines intuition and how she listens to itwhat kind of diet fuels creativity the best?what food obstacles do her patients have a hard time overcoming?and much more!________________________________________________________Julianne Kanzaki is an artist, registered dietitian, and health coach. She finds inspiration in early mornings, spending time in the Redwoods, walking barefoot on the grass, and deep conversation. She is a lover of words, new trails, laughing, eating watermelon, and finding the extraordinary in the mundane. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she enjoys the perfect mixture of sunshine and fog. She is currently writing and illustrating her first book, Food For Thought: Simple Ways to Nourish Your Body and Soul. Learn more at www.juliannekanzaki.com or @juliannekanzaki________________________________________Follow JulianneInstagram : @juliannekanzakiWebsite: www.juliannekanzaki.com________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!________________________________________Follow the PodInstagram: @art2heart.podcastWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Have you ever heard of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)? There are many of us out there, but often we don’t know the term exists, or how to conceptualize our day-to-day experiences. HSP’s are often deemed as “too sensitive.”While it is true that we are more sensitive than most, that is because our brains process life differently. We notice more than most people do, so life moves us and influences us more than most can comprehend.In this episode I share a short poem about my experience being an HSP, and share some info from Elaine Aron, who has pioneered research on Highly Sensitive People since 1991.Not sure if you’re a HSP? Here is a self-test from from Elaine Aron’s website: hsperson.comAre you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows?Do you need to withdraw during busy days, into bed or a darkened room or some other place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation?Do you make it a high priority to arrange your life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations?Do you notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art?Do you have a rich and complex inner life?When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Instagram: @art2heart.lifeWebsite: art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Imagine you find the perfect partner.You fall in love, build a life together, get married and then make plans to start a family. Sounds pretty ideal, right?Except for the part where covid shuts down the world 48 hours after your wedding.Oh and the part where life decides to wreck havoc on your hormones, causing you to have 2 miscarriages in the same year, forcing you to fight a battle you never asked for.How do you fight to win when all feels lost?Meet Paige Pelonis, a mother of three angel babies, a natural born storyteller, a wife, and a Long Beach native with a heart as big as her city.She is also the Founder and Executive Director of City HeART, where Paige pioneers a story telling initiave to raise awareness and serve the veterans, seniors, and unhoused families in the city of Long Beach.In today’s episode we talk about how leaning on storytelling and expression, both personally and profesionally, is getting Paige through one of the most difficult chapters in her life.We also talk about how our relationships to things like food, alochol, and humor influence our voice so that the truths we need to express can help others feel less alone and find a space for healing in our vulnerability.Other topics include:how writing a poem about being a Grown Ass Woman helped Paige feel more comfortable and loved in her own skinthe daily struggles that come from living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)what we inherit from our families and how it impacts our livesPaige really brings it today, and I can’t wait for you to get to know her.Follow PaigeInstagram : @paigepelonisWebsite: https://motheatensweater.com/Follow City HeARTInstagram: @cityheartloveFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityHeARTlove/Twitter: @cityheARTloveWebsite: https://ourcityheart.org/________________________________________Enjoy the podcast?Please subscribe and leave a review here!Leave us a voicemail on our website! art2heart.lifeInstagram: @art2heart.lifeDavid’s Instagram: @mor.intune________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier ClarkInstagram: @themoonstorybook

Have you ever had a relationship where part of the time, everything was perfect and it was everything you ever wanted? But then there are other times when that same person completely disregards you, pretends you don’t have a connection, speaks as if you’re not in the room, and actively tries to remove any trace of you from their life? This wouldn’t be the ideal relationship, so why do we allow ourselves to be treated this way? It turns out, there could be many reasons. Today, we’re talking to Lolo Wink, a powerful poet who will share a vulnerable piece about her experience in a relationship like this. We also explore how this lack of self worth can stem from generational trauma and how practicing the small death’s in life can help you find not only your voice, but your worth as well. Born in San Jose, California Lauren was inspired by music and the creative arts from a young age. She found joy in performance; developing a background in theater, public speaking and vocal performance. She was an avid reader from a young age. As a young person, Lauren found it difficult to forge her own identity and struggled to find her voice for many years. Although many things shaped and influenced Lauren, her life changed forever when she discovered Hip hop, drawn to writing from a love of words, wit, rhythm and beats. Honey & Gravel is Lolo’s first life product.Lolo’s Instagram: @lolo_winkBuy Lolo’s book Honey & Gravel here!________________________________________Enjoy the podcast? Please subscribe and leave a review here!Instagram: @art2heart.lifeWebsite: art2heart.life_________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark Instagram: @themoonstorybook

Have you ever had too many expectations for a trip or an event? Were those expectations realistic? Did you realize it in the moment that you set yourself up for failure? In today's episode, I talk about a recent traveling experience that I expected to give me all of the clarity I'd ever need, only to fall flat and have a breakdown instead. Enjoy the podcast? Please subscribe and leave a review here!Instagram: art2heart.lifeWebsite: art2heart.life_________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark Instagram: @themoonstorybook

Grieving is something we’re all familiar with, whether it’s a premature death or losing someone we love from natural causes. But how does the grieving process change when the death could have been avoidable, or comes at the hands of those who have sworn to protect? In this episode of Art 2 Heart, Ghada Morad shares her story of how life and grief were flipped upside down after her brother was killed by a Long Beach police officer. She talks about how writing letters to him has been a way to measure her growth through the process, and what it’s like to lose your only sibling and being left with unstable parenting. Other topics discussed include:a poem about how things like art and suffering are appropriated how talent can’t overcome inauthenticity connecting with your ancestorshow she relates to the 5 Stages of Griefa second poem about grief post policehow her writing changed after the death of her brotherLos Angeles based Palestinian Muslim poet, Ghada Morad, has been writing poetry since 2015 after losing her brother, Feras Morad, to an act of police brutality. Ghada writes poetry surrounding her Arab background and her experiences with the broken system in the US. Often the issues that she faced tie back to the oppressive systems in her roots. She finds ways to reference her grief in her writing.Her goal is to create art that allows the reader to plunge into the experiences of those who have lost family to the system - to incline others to fight against the system and spur change. Ghada’s Instagram: @slothlifeee_________________________________________Enjoy the podcast? Please subscribe and leave a review here!Instagram: art2heart.lifeWebsite: art2heart.life_________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark Instagram: @themoonstorybook

Are there parts of yourself that you dislike so much that it prevents you from having a positive relationship with yourself? Is self-care something that you have distanced yourself from because you thought it wasn’t for you? In this episode of Art 2 Heart, Nobody Flowers shares a poem called Nappy, which highlights his animosity towards his hair, and how his hair ultimately became a gateway to intimacy and learning just how life changing a simple act of self-care can be. He also reveals what his experience was like being a poet in the military, and how his effort to set boundaries indirectly reunited him with his voice, and the influence that has had on his art today. Other topics include:what men can learn from women on self carehow a strong imagination as a child became his foundation as an artisthow minority groups have a lot more in common than we thinkthe similarities between Corporate America and the Black experiencethe power of storytelling and how that helps you connect to yourself and othersNobody Flowers is a self-published poet living in Long Beach, CA. He moved here from the East Coast with his cousin and a friend, and has made a home for himself with his passion for art and serving the community. He spends most of his free time crafting his talents as an artist and a writer. Nobody’s Instagram: @nobodyflowers________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark Instagram: @themoonstorybook________________________________________Enjoy the podcast? Please subscribe and review here! Instagram: art2heart.lifeWebsite: art2heart.life

When most people think about the word trauma, it is usually heavy. Trauma is often viewed as the clouds that follow us and the storms that we assume must become a part of our life forever. In this debut episode of Art 2 Heart, Soul on Fire shares a powerful poem, Something Borrowed, that fundamentally changed the way I view trauma and the relationship that can be had with it. He sheds light on how going to therapy as both a Catholic and a Latino has influenced his relationship with himself as well as with his poetry. Other topics discussed include:how the way you communicate with others can be influenced by traumahow helpful poetry can be as a tool when unpacking traumatic moments of your life his writing background in fiction and how that writing process compares to poetry the 3 different types of poetry he learned about from one of his favorite poetsthe fluid relationship between an artist, their art, and the person who receives the arthow Morning Pages helps him unlock his creativityMauricio Moreno is a first generation Colombian-American artist and writer, originally from Elizabeth, New Jersey. He moved to California to fulfill his life mission of being a writer and sharing his and others’ stories to bring readers closer together and heal the world.His works have been published in Conchas Y Café, Intercultural Press, Resurrection Press, No Tender Fences, Rigorous and he has been featured at several open mic’s throughout Los Angeles. He is currently working on his first novel.When he’s not writing, he can be found in Long Beach donning Hogwarts robes and steampunk goggles, tending to his growing collection of fur babies with his Revolutionary Ravenclaw wife.Soul’s Instagram: @soul_onf_ireSoul’s blog: https://almainsaciable.com__________________________________________________Podcast artwork by Holly Pelletier Clark Instagram: @themoonstorybook__________________________________________________Enjoy the podcast? Please subscribe and review here!Instagram: @art2heart.lifeWebsite: art2heart.life

Teaser episode for the Art 2 Heart Podcast. Questions or comments? -> art2heart.life