Artist Recovery Podcast

Singer-songwriter, author, and traveling musician John Voelz sits down with Rich Wright for a long-form conversation that traces one of the most winding creative paths you'll hear — from a boat yard in Richmond, California to a jukebox-soundtracked childhood in a family bar, through a three-month VW bus tour across America, into the fire of a rigid fundamentalist church, and out the other side as a full-time creative living on the road in an Airstream.John opens up about growing up with a father who couldn't read but out-worked everyone, learning to build a life from raw ingenuity and provision. He shares how teachers who believed in him — choir directors, speech coaches, English teachers — carved the inroads that shaped his voice, and how a strict church experience tried to burn it all down, literally, when his albums went up in flames.This is a story about freedom — the word John tattooed on his body — and about what it costs to chase an unconventional creative life. He talks candidly about becoming a pastor to redeem the church's ugliness, building a decentralized ministry rooted in community, funding a charity wine for a struggling art school, and eventually getting fired over "a difference of vision." Then came the dream: a coffee shop, beer-and-wine bar, and live music venue that opened six days before the COVID shutdowns — and the three-year fight that followed, ending with selling the house, the business, and everything else to hit the road.Through it all, music remained the thread. John reflects on his surprising second act as a professional Santa — turning down 700 appearances in a single season — and how slipping into that suit pulled him back from cynicism and reminded him how beautiful people really are. The conversation closes on the darker side of the creative life: mental health, perseverance, the song he wrote in the Airstream the night Betty White died, and why creatives need each other to make it through.A raw, funny, deeply human episode about pivots, provision, faith, reinvention, and the unshakable pull of making things.John Voelz is the author of "Becoming an Idea Mentalist," "Quirky Leadership: Permission Granted," "Broken Record," and the "Because I Wear the Suit" series. He hosts the Gig to Live podcast for working musicians and performs Americana, country, folk, rock, and pop across a wide regional circuit.Connect with John:Website: https://johnvoelz.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-voelz-b953264/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnvoelzmedia/Youtube:  @johnvoelzmusic Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/whi...Support and Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre...Dyslexia Classes: ⁠https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes⁠#JohnVoelz #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #CreativeLife #MusicianInterview #SingerSongwriter #WorkingMusician #IndependentMusician #GiggingMusician #CreativeReinvention #CareerPivots #FaithDeconstruction #LeavingTheChurch #ProfessionalSanta #GigSalad #LiveMusicVenue #SmallBusiness #AirstreamLiving #LifeOnTheRoad #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtistBurnout #MentalHealthForArtists #FollowYourHeart #Storytelling #Americana #FolkMusic #CreativePerseverance #Freedom #MusicIndustry #VenueOwner #LongFormPodcast #ArtistMindset #CreativeStruggle #RedemptionStory #GigToLive #AuthorInterview #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Brheanna Myers is the founder of Light & Breezy Coaching, creator of the Awaken Your Potential method, and author of "Awaken Your Potential: Healing Frequencies Made Easy" and "Awakening From the Inside Out" — sits down with Rich Wright for one of the most expansive conversations Season 2 has held. Born on Nellis Air Force Base, raised across nine elementary schools, and out on her own at 15, Brheanna traces a path of pure resilience: from survival mode and street hustle to a bachelor's, a psychology degree, and a doctorate in holistic healing medicine.At the center of it all is her 2020 near-death experience — contracting fungal pneumonia during COVID, collapsing, stepping outside her body, and returning with a soul contract, exit clauses, and a mission she never saw coming. She and Rich go deep into what that experience revealed: that separation is an illusion, that we are infinitely divine creators, and that unconditional love is the frequency underneath everything.This is a raw, wide-ranging talk about spiritual awakening, energy healing, and reclaiming creativity through the body's own systems.WHAT WE GET INTO:~Growing up chaotic — a stripper mother, an absent businessman father, and the childhood that became the building blocks~"Apple Pie" — the imaginary friend who turned out to be a lifelong spiritual guide~Breaking generational cycles: "It ran through my family until it ran into me"~The near-death experience in full — leaving the body, meeting guides, the DNA activation, and the life review where every moment connected~Why Brheanna doesn't believe in free will the way most people do~Reading natal charts, Chiron the wounded healer, and the Taurus transition ahead~The spontaneous kundalini awakening of March 2023 — 30 days without sleep~Frequency healing, tuning forks, chakras, and how trapped emotion lands in the physical body~Jehovian seals, DNA manipulation, and what the elite teach their children~Why organic farming isn't what you think, and how trauma embeds in the food you eat~The art of detachment, dropping the weight that isn't yours to carry, and unconditional love vs. unconditional access~Learning to spot opportunity everywhere — and why nothing is a coincidence~How color palettes in your art mirror your chakra system!Rich and Brheanna on collecting tools instead of counting failures, the power of the pivot, and why creatives carry too muchConnect with Brheanna:Website: https://www.lightandbreezycoaching.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightandbreezy1111Youtube:  @Brheanna1111 Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/whi...Support and Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre...Dyslexia Classes: ⁠https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes⁠#neardeathexperience #NDE #spiritualawakening #energyhealing #DNAactivation #kundalini #kundaliniawakening #soulcontract #lifereview #chakrahealing #frequencyhealing #tuningforks #pastliferegression #QHHT #natalchart #astrology #chiron #woundedhealer #higherself #consciouscreator #manifestation #lawofattraction #traumahealing #innerchildhealing #generationalcycles #highlysensitiveperson #empath #intuitivehealing #remoteviewing #quantumfield #consciousness #unconditionallove #detachment #breakingcycles #survivalmode #resilience #creativementalhealth #artistmentalhealth #spiritualcoach #mindbodyspirit #awakeningjourney #meditation #holistichealing #selfworth #solarplexus #crownchakra #thirdeye #ascension #5D #spiritguides #telepathy #artistrecoverypodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Dr. Fred Moss—known as The Undoctor—joins Rich Wright for a raw, sweeping conversation that runs from the streets of 1970s Detroit to four decades inside modern psychiatry and out the other side. A board-certified psychiatrist with an MD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a biology degree from Wayne State, Dr. Moss has treated over 30,000 patients across private practice, tele-health, correctional healthcare, and nursing homes. He walked away from diagnosis-and-protocol psychiatry to pursue what actually heals human beings: real human connection.Rich and Dr. Moss share deep Metro Detroit roots, and this conversation is soaked in it—Oak Park and Southfield, the 12th Street riots, Motown, Bob Seger and Ted Nugent, Tiger Stadium, the Bad Boy Pistons, and a chance front-row night with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band before anyone knew his name. Those roots frame a much larger story about grief, identity, and the human drive to keep moving.Dr. Moss opens up about being born to "bring unity" to a family in chaos, losing his first love and a close friend at 13, dropping out of college more than once, and stumbling into the mental health field on a three-week orientation he expected to quit—46 years ago. He traces the moment Prozac reshaped how the world thinks about being human, and why he came to believe modern medicine was never designed to heal.Rich shares his own hard-earned perspective as a patient—years cycling through medications, a suicide attempt, hospitalization, and being told by one of the country's top depression centers that they couldn't help him. Two Metro Detroiters, two sides of the same broken system, finding common ground on what real healing requires.What you'll hear:– Why "there's nothing wrong with you" sits at the center of Dr. Moss's work– How a diagnosis can become a cage rather than an answer– The Moss Method: 20 time-tested, age-old ways to get grounded without a prescription– The Creative Eight—how art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, writing, and everyday creativity dissolve so-called symptoms in real time– Why misery is a choice we're trained to make, not an inevitability– Honest talk on Ibogaine, ketamine, and plant medicines—their promise and their paradox– Relationship and authentic conversation as the most powerful medicine ever discoveredDr. Moss is the author of "Creative Eight: Healing Through Creativity and Self-Expression" and "Find Your True Voice," creator of the Creative Eight and True Voice methodologies, and host and guest across 600+ podcast episodes. His memoir, "Welcome to Humanity," tells the full story of how he became who he is.This is a conversation about listening to your heart while being kind to your mind—and about the radical idea that healing was never something wrong with you to begin with.Connect with Dr. Moss:Website: https://welcometohumanity.netLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drfredmossArtist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Support and Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: ⁠https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes⁠#DrFredMoss #TheUndoctor #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #Psychiatry #MentalHealth #HealingWithoutMedication #Deprescribing #Antipsychiatry #CreativeEight #MossMethod #TrueVoice #HumanConnection #AuthenticSelf #DepressionRecovery #Anxiety #AddictionRecovery #Ibogaine #KetamineTherapy #PlantMedicine #TraumaHealing #AlternativeMentalHealth #HolisticHealing #SelfExpression #CreativityAsMedicine #Mindset #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Dr. Alisa Kriegel joins Rich Wright for a raw, wide-open conversation about desire, healing, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to reclaim pleasure at any stage of life. A psychologist with over 30 years in the field, Alisa spent the first half of her career in community mental health settings and hospitals serving clients with complex needs, while teaching and supervising graduate students in mindfulness, DBT, and trauma. She opened her private practice in 2009 and now works with young adults, adults, and couples in New York City, both in person and virtually, including those in monogamous relationships and people exploring consensual non-monogamy.Her debut memoir, "From Sexless Marriage to Sex Goddess," released in November 2025, and the story behind it anchors this episode. Alisa opens up about a marriage that carried deep friendship and intellectual closeness yet quietly lost its sexual center, the shame and silence that surround sexless relationships, and the season of upheaval that finally cracked her life wide open. She shares what almost no one talks about: how birth control, a tilted uterus, and decades of missing information shaped her experience, and why she wrote a book to break the silence when as many as 40 percent of couples describe themselves as sexless.This is also a story about creativity as medicine. Alisa traces a lifetime of art, dance, poetry, and writing, from a mother who taught in Watts to a grandmother named Blanche who found ceramics and painting in her sixties and spent the final decades of her life winning art shows. Her belief in second chapters and in it never being too late runs through everything. She and Rich explore the healing power of writing, the difference between healing in private and healing that is shared, and why creativity and sexuality are entwined threads of the same aliveness.Together they dig into being your own advocate in therapy and in life, how to find a therapist who truly fits, why it is never your job to protect your therapist's feelings, and the permission we all need to give ourselves to feel pleasure again. From walking barefoot through grass to reclaiming intimacy, this conversation is an invitation to reconnect with the parts of yourself you may have quietly shut off.Connect with Dr Alisa Kriegel:Website: https://alisakriegel.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsex_reallyLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisa-kriegel-ph-d-299a4141Youtube:  ⁨@dralisakriegel⁩  Get Her Book: https://a.co/d/0ivqMT55#ArtistRecoveryPodcast #DrAlisaKriegal #SexlessMarriage #SexGoddess #Memoir #CreativeHealing #WritingToHeal #Psychology #Relationships #Intimacy #Desire #ReclaimingPleasure #SelfDiscovery #SecondChapters #MidlifeReinvention #Divorce #DatingAfterDivorce #ConsensualNonMonogamy #OpenMarriage #FindingATherapist #SelfAdvocacy #MentalHealth #DBT #Mindfulness #Trauma #Permission #Sexuality #Creativity #SensitiveSoul #PersonalGrowth #WomensHealth #HealingJourney #AuthenticLiving #beaguest #podmatchguest @podmatch #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltdSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Russell Van Brocklen, known as The Dyslexia Professor, joins Rich Wright for a conversation that reframes dyslexia not as a deficit but as a differently wired brain with a creative advantage. Founder of Dyslexia Classes, Russell built a research program funded by the New York State Senate and owned by the SUNY Research Foundation, with documented results showing motivated high school students with dyslexia improving their writing skills seven to eight grade levels in a single academic year.Russell breaks down the science from Dr. Sally Shaywitz's Overcoming Dyslexia: the back of the dyslexic brain shows little activity, while the front runs roughly two and a half times overactive. That overactive front is the engine of creativity, and it explains why figures like Steven Spielberg and Walt Disney produced work the way they did. Russell walks Rich through the exact method he teaches, using word analysis followed by articulation, movie reviews, universal themes, and a writing tool called the warrant drawn from The Craft of Research.You will hear the real student outcomes that make this method impossible to ignore. Casey jumped eight grade levels in six months. Reid went from the 11th percentile in reading to the 64th, and from the 4th percentile in writing to the 65th, in under nine months at home, avoiding years at a $75,000-a-year school. Grayson, a ten-year-old aiming to publish in a peer-reviewed journal, is being prepared to walk into a senior professor's office a decade ahead of schedule.Russell also opens up his own story: growing up in upstate New York, being bullied until an eighth-grade growth spurt, entering law school at a first-grade reading level and learning to read in a month, arguing a professor to a standstill on day two, and later convincing the New York State Senate to fund his research. He shares how he uses AI at the highest levels to 10X his output, how he delegates through assistants and partners, and the customer service philosophy he learned from the dyslexic founder of Kinko's.This one is for creatives, parents, educators, tutors, and any neurodiverse mind that has ever felt like they were grabbing fog. If you have ever wondered why your ideas fly at light speed with no organization, this conversation hands you a map.Connect with Russell: Website: https://dyslexiaclasses.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dyslexiaclassesusArtist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Support and Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#Dyslexia #DyslexiaProfessor #RussellVanBrocklen #Neurodiversity #ADHD #ADD #DyslexicThinking #CreativeBrain #LearningDisabilities #DyslexiaAwareness #OvercomingDyslexia #SallyShaywitz #StrugglingReaders #StrugglingWriters #WritingSkills #ReadingIntervention #SpecialEducation #Homeschooling #GiftedKids #NeurodivergentCreatives #AIforLearning #BrainScience #StevenSpielberg #WaltDisney #TheCraftOfResearch #WordAnalysis #UniversalThemes #SUNY #Tutoring #EdTech #DyslexiaSupport #ReadingHelp #ParentingTips #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtistRecovery #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest @podmatchSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Rupali Kumbhani is a multidisciplinary visual artist working across oil, pastel, and watercolor painting, fine art photography, and rare indoor plant curation, each practice bound by one intention: bringing a piece of the world into everyday spaces. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Rupali brings a story shaped by cosmopolitan color, cross-cultural celebration, and a deep belief that art is not an object but an experience you feel.Rich Wright sits down with Rupali to trace a life that has never traveled in a straight line. From a childhood steeped in Diwali rangoli designs, Garba, and the festival of colors, to a father who was a textile engineer teaching her color values and RGB with pen and paper, to a mother rooted in Ayurvedic medicine and hand-stitching, Rupali's creative foundation was built long before she ever picked up a professional brush. She started painting at seven, completed her first mirror self-portrait at twelve, and began competitive debating at ten, learning early how to listen, articulate, and accept both winning and losing with grace.This conversation moves through a remarkably varied journey: a bachelor's in physics, teaching at university, a master's in computer science during the Y2K era, pioneering work in India's first mobile gaming company on titles tied to Finding Nemo and Spider-Man, and a pivot into fintech and banking security. Through every industry shift, one thread holds constant — curiosity, risk-taking, and a refusal to stay in a single lane. Rupali speaks candidly about being a lifelong seeker, the more she learns the more she realizes how much she doesn't know, and why challenge intrigues her more than a smooth sail.The second half of the conversation turns to her rare plant curation practice, born during COVID. Now caretaker to 170 plant genuses inside her home, Rupali shares her philosophy of treating plants as family, experimenting with humidity and light to document how rare tropical species can thrive in a Midwest climate, and her goal of publishing a book to make that knowledge accessible. She reflects on how the plants have built patience in her, teaching her the difference between control and surrender, and how nature's harshness and resilience reshaped the way she moves through her own life.Rupali and Rich explore art as felt experience, the humility her mother taught her (be like a tree that bends when it bears fruit), the role of luck and Mother Nature alongside skill, and why every viewer brings their own memory and meaning to a piece. Whether it's water droplets in a Costa Rican cloud forest or an acacia tree in Kenya, Rupali captures wonder and hands it to others to feel in their own way.Connect with Rupali: Website: https://www.rupaali.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupalikumbhaniInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/2rupaaliArtist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Support and Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: ⁠https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes⁠#RupaliKumbhani #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #VisualArtist #ArtAsExperience #RarePlantCuration #IndoorPlants #RarePlants #FineArtPhotography #WildlifePhotography #OilPainting #Watercolor #Pastel #MumbaiArtist #IndianArtist #CreativeJourney #MultidisciplinaryArtist #PlantCare #Houseplants #PlantCollection #Patience #MotherNature #Creativity #Curiosity #LifelongLearner #Seeker #MobileGaming #Y2K #ComputerScience #Physics #Fintech #BankingSecurity #CareerPivot #Reinvention #Debating #SelfPortrait #TextileDesign #ColorTheory #Diwali #FestivalOfColors #Rangoli #CulturalCreativity #CovidHobby #CostaRica #CloudForest #Kenya #JuriedExhibition #ArtistInterview #HeartCenteredArtist #SensitiveSoul #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtCollector #PlantCommunity #RiskTaking #Challenge #SelfExpression #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Noah May turned a lifetime of being the kid nobody wanted to hear into three podcasts, a journalism degree from Auburn, and a growing platform for mental health advocacy. He joins Rich Wright to trace the full arc, from a small farm town in northeast Alabama to the mic he now sits behind every week.Growing up an only child in a loving but atypical household, Noah found early refuge in cartoons, animal books, and PC games like Chuzzle and Feeding Frenzy. But by middle school, the bullying began. Verbal abuse, being treated as invisible, and a class so troublesome teachers warned each other about it. Noah opens up about the depression that surfaced around age 13, the anxiety that struck his senior year as physical stomach illness, and the suicidal ideation he faced at his lowest points. He speaks candidly about learning to hide it all, becoming a chameleon, and finding peace at the lake with his headphones on.This conversation goes deep on generational patterns of mental health, the stigma that kept a self-diagnosing family away from therapy, and why depression may be something Noah carries for life while learning to make it smaller. Rich shares his own parallel journey with anxiety, stomach issues, and survival, offering Noah and the audience a reminder: recognizing your triggers and becoming your own advocate is the work that keeps you moving forward.The back half turns to reinvention. Noah reveals how podcasting fell into his lap after graduation, how a single email from PodMatch founder Alex catapulted Lethal Venom into rapid success, and why he named a show after the idea that truth, like venom, can be lethal to hear. He and Rich talk about the creative craft of podcasting, the challenge of running three shows at once (Lethal Venom, Music Talks, and Southern Reads), and what it feels like when one project takes all the spotlight while the others wait their turn.This is a story about resilience, courage, and the strange grace of being heard at last.Connect with Noah:Website: https://noahspodcasts.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-c-mayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lethalvenompodcastArtist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Support and Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: ⁠https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes⁠#MentalHealth #DepressionAwareness #Anxiety #SuicideAwareness #Bullying #MentalHealthWarrior #Resilience #Courage #Podcasting #PodMatch #LethalVenom #NoahMay #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #Journalism #AuburnUniversity #SelfAdvocacy #GenerationalTrauma #MentalHealthStigma #Therapy #SurvivalStory #CreativeRecovery #Storytelling #Outcast #MentalHealthAdvocacy #Healing #SuicidePrevention #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealthJourney #PodcastInterview #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com  @noahspodcasts ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Vanessa the Vivacious Younts is a podcaster, filmmaker, video journalist, musician, and founder of Vanessa the Vivacious Productions, a female-owned, Latina-led creative production company. As creator of the series and podcast Humanity 2.0 and the former managing director and contributing video journalist for Are You Happy (a platform with four million followers), she has traveled coast to coast interviewing thousands of people about happiness while overseeing a network of 3,000 contributing video journalists. Born dirt poor in San Antonio, Texas, with dirt floors and windows that would not open, Vanessa learned resilience early. She started working at 13, tended bar at a Christian rock venue selling pop and water, waitressed through high school, and eventually became a first-generation college student before life pulled her in a hundred directions. She talks openly about experiencing homelessness in Seattle, serving in a soup kitchen one week and receiving food from those same volunteers the next, and how that lived understanding of both sides of the line shaped her lifelong servant's heart.This episode goes deep on creative burnout. Vanessa shares how absorbing other people's energy as an empath made her exceptional at her work but also drained her, how her income and acknowledgment stopped matching her output, and how she spent months in her bedroom doing nothing before returning to the corporate world as a claims adjuster. She describes the tingling face, the nightmares, and the moment she realized she would be furious with herself if she died at her desk. Her advice on knowing your worth, raising your prices, and refusing to let creativity be undervalued is essential listening for every freelancer and creative.Along the way, Vanessa and Rich explore music as a lifesaver, self-taught piano and classically trained flute, singing concerts to the grass as a child, analyzing films at 13, and the freedom of never asking permission and never subscribing to a formula. They discuss reinvention at any age, why the real education happens in the life lived between classes, and the belief that you are never done until you are gone.The conversation also touches grief and the loss of Vanessa's brother and mother, the belief that our loved ones' energies never truly leave us, her Native heritage and the documentary she is making to find her family's tribe, and her survival of mental illness. She opens up about a bipolar diagnosis, a doctor who told her she would never get better, and how that fueled her to become an advocate and to write her book, Complications and Metamorphosis.Vanessa is more than an amplifier of voices. She is a warrior for humanity, for creatives, and for compassion. Her mission is simple and urgent: remind us that we are all human, all valuable, and worthy of being heard.Connect with Vanessa:Website: https://vanessathevivacious.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessathevivaciousInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessathevivaciousArtist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Shop Art Rec Merch: https://www.artrecshop.comJoin Podmatch: ⁠https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: ⁠https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes⁠#VanessaYounts #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #CreativeBurnout #EmpathBurnout #Humanity2point0 #VideoJournalist #Filmmaker #FemaleFounder #LatinaCreative #ServantsHeart #HomelessnessSurvivor #Reinvention #KnowYourWorth #FreelanceRates #CreativeValue #MentalHealth #BipolarAwareness #MentalIllnessSurvivor #SuicidePrevention #Advocacy #NativeHeritage #Grief #MusicAsTherapy #ClassicallyTrained #NeverAskPermission #CreativeResilience #Storytelling #AmplifyingVoices #Compassion #Humanity @podmatch #beaguestSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Greig Watts spent his teenage years being told a songwriter was not a real job. Decades later he is a co-founder of DWB, one of the UK's most successful independent songwriting and publishing teams, a Eurovision trailblazer with 18 entries across 11 years, and the bestselling author of "Keeping the Dream Alive."Greig walks Rich through a childhood in Surrey defined by a house that welcomed foster kids, church youth groups, and a record player that never stopped spinning. He talks candidly about being a deeply shy child who built a character just to survive being called on in class, and how one humiliating first day of secondary school became the moment he decided to always go first instead of last.The conversation moves into the years most creatives never talk about out loud. Greig describes taking a "safe" job at a bank to prepare for marriage, watching the commute to London slowly bury his songwriting dream, and the 2003 turning point when his wife told him it was time to hand in his notice and give music one real year. That leap led to a publishing deal that let him write songs while building a department around himself.From there, Greig unpacks how DWB became a top UK publisher in Japan years before K-pop and J-pop were on anyone's radar, how a festival in Cannes changed his career, and why he chased Eurovision, a stage that reaches 250 million viewers, when other UK songwriters dismissed it as too cheesy. He breaks down how Eurovision works for American listeners who have never seen it, and shares the mindset that took his songs from quiet at home to number one abroad.Greig also opens up about neurodiversity in songwriting, a topic close to his own family. He estimates half the songwriters he mentors are on the ADHD or autism spectrum, and argues neurodiverse thinkers change history because they refuse to accept "you're not good enough" as an answer. That perspective drives his mentoring work, built since 2022.The episode closes with a grounded conversation about AI tools like ChatGPT and Suno in songwriting, why authenticity matters more as AI floods the market, and the copyright gray areas every collaborative songwriter should understand.Connect with Greig:Website: https://www.dwbmusicgroup.comLinkedin:   / greigwatts  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greigwatts/...Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Get some Art Rec Merch:https://artrecshop.com/Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre...Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#GreigWatts #Eurovision #KPop #JPop #DWB #MusicPublishing #Songwriter #Songwriting #KeepingTheDreamAlive #Neurodiversity #ADHD #AutismSpectrum #MusicIndustry #UKMusic #CreativeResilience #Midem #SongwritingMentor #AISongwriting #ChatGPT #MusicCopyright #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #PodcastInterview #IndependentMusic #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest ‪@PodMatch_com‬AskSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Lindsey Kirkendall is the founder and CEO of Revolution, a business consultancy helping musicians and artists build sustainable, scalable, and profitable businesses through non-traditional revenue streams.She's also co-founder and VP of Storyteller Media in Tampa, a 15-plus-year veteran of B2B/B2C sales, national radio promotion, and entertainment production for CMT and MTV, and a hypnotherapist working toward master-level certification in Rapid Resolution Therapy and Rapid Transformational Therapy.This conversation traces Lindsey's journey from a lonely Southern Baptist childhood in Southern California through undiagnosed neurodivergence, gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, teen acting auditions, and a chaotic path through California State  Long Beach and USC's recording arts program. She opens up about autistic burnout mistaken for depression, a womb-memory recovered through subconscious regression work tied to an amniocentesis at 40, imposter syndrome after moving to Nashville's music scene, and building a 20-year marriage and creative partnership with her music-producer husband Dustin.Together, Rich and Lindsey dig into Human Design and Enneagram frameworks, the hidden cost of zero scaffolding for gifted and neurodivergent kids, the grief of being valued for appearance over intellect, the shift in identity that motherhood brings for female artists, and why rapid, evidence-based hypnotherapy modalities can outperform decades of traditional talk therapy. Lindsey also shares how Storyteller Media and its predecessor, Popgun Entertainment, were born from an ethical breaking point in the music industry, and why she believes most creatives carry some degree of neurodivergence.This episode speaks directly to sensitive creatives, neurodivergent professionals, entrepreneurs healing from childhood trauma, and artists trying to reconcile ambition with family life.Topics covered:~Growing up neurodivergent and undiagnosed in a religious household~The blank face experiment and attachment theory~Gifted kids, masking, and academic burnout~Human Design, Manifesting Generators, and Time Benders~Enneagram types 3 and 4 in creative achievers~Teen acting, gymnastics, and imposter syndrome~College burnout and the myth that college guarantees success~Womb memory recovery through subconscious hypnotherapy~PTSD, ADHD, and Rapid Resolution vs. Rapid Transformational Therapy~Nashville's music industry culture and independent artist management~Motherhood as a shift in artistic identity~Medical intuitives and energetic healing modalitiesConnect with Lindsey:Website: https://www.lindseykirkendall.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-kirkendall-58072b20Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseykirkendall/?hl=enJoin Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre...Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#LindseyKirkendall #Neurodivergence #UndiagnosedAutism #AutisticBurnout #ImposterSyndrome #HumanDesign #ManifestingGenerator #TimeBender #Enneagram #GiftedKids #Masking #Hypnotherapy #RapidResolutionTherapy #RapidTransformationalTherapy #PTSDHealing #ADHD #WombMemory #NashvilleMusic #StorytellerMedia #CreativeEntrepreneur #MotherhoodAndIdentity #WomenInCreativeIndustry #MedicalIntuitive #EnergeticSensitivity #SensitiveSoul #ChildhoodTrauma #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #CreativeRecovery #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #artistsoninstagram #artistlifeSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What does it take to interview Magic Johnson, Pope Francis, and refugees in camps across Africa with the same depth of curiosity? On the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Dr. Rod Berger, clinical psychologist, journalist, and author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment. This conversation revolves around the real roots of a storyteller's life and what it means to finally own your own story.Dr. Berger has conducted over 4,000 interviews for outlets including Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Los Angeles Magazine. He holds a BA in psychology from Michigan State University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Phillips Graduate University. He is a longtime guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University, a keynote speaker with over 350,000 social followers, and holds a television development deal with the Jim Henson Company. His subjects have included Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Sammy Hagar, United Nations officials, Pope Francis, and the Crown Princess of Sweden, plus refugee camps across Africa.Before the bylines, Rod was a serious, observant kid in Metro Detroit, raised by a German father who survived World War II and rarely spoke of it. That silence became the spark. Rod traces his curiosity to Sunday nights watching 60 Minutes, a childhood trip to Germany to meet a grandmother he could not speak to, and years spent studying adults instead of playing with peers his own age. What followed was a path through Columbia College Chicago, a psychology degree from Michigan State, clinical work on the streets of Watts and Compton, and a career built on asking questions most people are afraid to ask.THIS CONVERSATION REVOLVES AROUND:~Growing up in a strict German immigrant household in Metro Detroit and how silence shaped a lifelong curiosity.~A childhood trip to Germany at age nine and the grandmother he could not understand.~Watching 60 Minutes as a boy and the early roots of a storytelling obsession.~Competitive soccer and basketball, and how sports parented him when guidance was scarce.~Public speaking to hundreds of students as a teenager and the mentor who pushed him onto the stage.~Studying media at Columbia College Chicago before returning to Michigan State for psychology.~Clinical training at King Drew Medical Center in Watts and Compton, sitting with people in crisis.~The move from Los Angeles to Nashville and building a career around Vanderbilt University.~Writing The Narrative Edge and its central question: if you are not in control of your own story, then who is.~Why creatives need permission to be seen, not just their work.~Whether artificial intelligence is a disruptor or a tool for storytellers.~Why every story matters, including the ones that never traveled anywhere at all.WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS FOR CREATIVES:Rod's story is proof that the questions left unanswered in childhood often become the questions we spend a lifetime learning to ask. For every creative who has wondered if their story is worth telling, this conversation offers a clear answer. Your story matters, and if you do not own it, someone else will write it for you.Connect with Dr. Berger:Website: https://www.drrodberger.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodbergerpsydInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrodbergerYoutube:  ⁨@drrodberger⁩ Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#DrRodBerger #TheNarrativeEdge #AuthenticStorytelling #StorytellingPodcast #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #ClinicalPsychology #ForbesContributor #VanderbiltUniversity #KeynoteSpeaker #CreativeCoaching #FindYourVoice #PermissionToTellYourStory #PsychologyOfStorytelling #NarrativePsychology #Curiosity #Resilience #HumanConnection #MentalHealthJourney #MichiganPodcast #HeartCenteredCreatives #AuthorInterview #AIStorytelling #CreativeConfidence #PersonalGrowthPodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a sensitive soul stops hiding their gifts and starts using them to heal? This conversation goes very deep as Rich Wright sits down with Deanna Scaldaferri, a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist, Usui Holy Fire Reiki Master, and Intuitive Life Coach, and walks through her story from a childhood in suburban New York all the way to the sacred space of energy healing.Deanna is the founder of Healing Hands by Deanna, offering massage, Reiki, and transformational coaching that support the mind, body, and spirit as one connected system. As a survivor and advocate, she also facilitates narcissistic abuse recovery support groups and speaks publicly on healing, integrity, and reclaiming your power.This episode is for the creatives, the empaths, and the highly sensitive people who were told their feelings were too big, their tears too frequent, and their intuition too strange. Rich and Deanna share an uncanny number of parallel experiences, from being labeled "too sensitive" as kids to discovering that the gifts they once hid were always meant to be their superpowers.This conversation revolves around:~How childhood sensitivity gets mislabeled as shyness, and why so many of us learn to dim our light early~The connection between people pleasing, perfectionism, codependency, and narcissistic relationship patterns~Why the body keeps the score, and how repressed emotion becomes physical pain~What Reiki actually is, explained in the simplest, most beautiful way you will ever hear~How energy gets stuck in the body and what energy healing does to restore natural flow~The truth about Western and holistic medicine working in synergy rather than opposition~Why healing is a process, not a quick fix or a Band-AidHow to recognize narcissistic abuse, the love bombing phase, and the slow erosion of your spirit~The role of trust, faith, and divine timing when you follow a true soul calling~Why creatives are doing the Creator's work, and how to reconnect to the gift you were born to shareDeanna also shares her own pivotal awakening, the moment in a quiet spa that redirected her entire life from corporate finance into the healing arts, and how learning to deliver intuitive messages, even through fear, became central to her purpose.Rich opens up about a profound healing session exploring betrayal, a spiritual awakening delivered through a psychic medium, and the realization that the only thing we can truly control is how we respond.Whether you are navigating anxiety, recovering from a toxic relationship, searching for your purpose, or simply curious about energy healing for the first time, this episode offers comfort, clarity, and an invitation to shine brighter.Connect with Deanna:Website: https://www.healinghandsbydeanna.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/healinghandsbydeannaInsta: https://www.instagram.com/healinghandsbydeannaYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCw4Sv8POfGX8H6KJXnh4kJw Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre...Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#Reiki #EnergyHealing #ReikiMaster #HighlySensitivePerson #HSP #Empath #IntuitiveHealing #IntuitiveCoaching #NarcissisticAbuseRecovery #HealingJourney #SpiritualAwakening #MindBodySpirit #MassageTherapy #HolisticHealing #EnergyWork #Chakras #AnxietyRelief #TheBodyKeepsTheScore #TraumaHealing #PeoplePleasing #Codependency #DivineTiming #SoulCalling #LifePurpose #CreativeHealing #SensitiveSoul #EmotionalHealing #HolisticWellness #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #DeannaScaldaferri #HealingHandsByDeanna #VirtualReiki #LifeForceEnergy #richwrightunlimited #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when hard-earned success starts to feel empty? This deeply honest conversation of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with accomplished wedding photographer turned storyteller James Walters to explore three-plus decades behind the camera, the slow unraveling that comes with life's hard resets, and the path back to joy, creativity, and authentic self-expression.James is the author of the memoir "Accessory to Marriage: Chronicles of Outrageousness from My Life as a Wedding Photographer," host of the Joyful Rebellion podcast, and a creative mentor helping others tell their stories through photography, video, and audio. A self-described INFP innovator, dad, and educator, James blends humor, southern roots, and deep introspection into a conversation every sensitive, heart-centered creative needs to hear.From a sleepy 1970s beach town in Wilmington, North Carolina to the windowless commercial studios of High Point, James shares how a kid who rode his bike everywhere and observed the world from the corner of the room became a master of light and story. He opens up about the moment a high school guidance counselor changed his life, why he learned to advocate for himself early, and how he discovered that the camera matters far less than the human relationships in front of it.This conversation goes far beyond photography. James and Rich dig into the cost of "robot mode," the trauma response many creatives recognize when life demands we hold it all together. James shares his journey through loss, the end of a marriage, a late ADD diagnosis at 40, and the systems he built to reclaim his life. Together they explore the courage it takes, especially for men, to sit down with a therapist and let the guard down.You will hear powerful, practical wisdom for creatives at every stage:Why saying no protects your creative journey, and why "no" feels scary for different reasons early and late in your career.~How to problem-solve in impossible moments and turn a hard situation into something beautiful.~Why work that captures people increases in value over time, while commercial work fades.~How to ramp up complexity and challenge yourself so your craft keeps growing.~The Steve Miller "greatest hits" lesson that reshaped how James thinks about creativity and meeting your audience where they are.This is a conversation about personal reinvention, self-discovery, and using art to author your own life. If you have ever done all the things you were told would make you happy and still felt empty, James offers a roadmap for the joyful rebellion that follows.Connect with James:Website: https://jameswalters.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-walters-57136326Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#JamesWalters #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #richwrightartist  #JoyfulRebellion #CreativeReinvention #WeddingPhotography #photographers  #CreativeBurnout #FindingJoy #PersonalReinvention #MentalHealthForCreatives #ADDDiagnosis #TherapyForMen #SayingNo #AuthenticExpression #HeartCenteredCreatives #SensitiveSoul #StorytellingThroughPhotography #CreativeMentor #INFP #LifeHardResets #RobotMode #CreativeJourney #PhotographyCareer #ObserverMindset #SelfAdvocacy #CommercialPhotography #Memoir #AccessoryToMarriage #ReclaimingCreativity #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a homeschooled girl from suburban Florida follows the spark of creativity across continents, careers, and a complete reinvention of the fashion industry? This conversation of the Artist Recovery Podcast revolves around the life of Courtney Barriger, author, eco-fashion designer, filmmaker, and founder of the sustainable clothing label Holding Court.Courtney shares the full arc of her creative journey, from making weekend movies at her aunt and uncle's house as a kid, to being discovered at 16 for an MTV music video, to walking London Fashion Week and winning awards on the film festival circuit. Along the way she opens up about the lessons that shaped her: learning that finishing a project does not always bring the recognition you imagine, releasing the grip of ego, and discovering that you can do everything you love, just not all at the same time.This conversation goes deep into the heart of what it means to be a multi-passionate creative. Courtney and Rich explore the difference between chasing outcomes and honoring the experience of making art, the strange and humbling world of casting calls and reality television, and the moment a car accident and a long recovery led Courtney to commit fully to a life as an artist.We also dig into the work that ties it all together: sustainable fashion. Courtney explains how a reality show called America's It Girl, prizes that evaporated and all, ultimately pointed her toward a mission of healing the planet through ethical design. She breaks down the three pillars of Holding Court: information on sustainability, the sustainable clothing itself, and storytelling. That storytelling now includes Refashion Workshop, her book that is being used in design school curriculums, and The Royal Robe, an environmental fable for children that is being developed into an animated film.Courtney and Rich return to a theme close to every sensitive soul and heart-centered creative: Where do ideas come from? Courtney describes inspiration as something that falls from the sky, pieces of information clicking into place, and the artist's obligation to honor that fleeting spark before it disappears. They talk honestly about the darkness that can take root when creativity goes unexpressed, and the freedom that comes from finally putting your work out into the world.Connect with Coutney:Website: https://www.courtneybarriger.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-barriger-4764402aVimeo: https://vimeo.com/courtneybarrigerConnect with Rich:Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#CourtneyBarriger #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #EcoFashion #SustainableFashion #EthicalFashion #HoldingCourt #RefashionWorkshop #TheRoyalRobe #CreativeJourney #MultiPassionate #ArtistInterview #FashionDesigner #AmericasItGirl #CreativePath #CreativeInspiration #ArtistMindset #SustainableClothing #HeartCenteredCreative #CreativeEntrepreneur #AuthorInterview #AnimatedFilm #FollowYourCreativity #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a Ouija board becomes a doorway you never meant to open? Best-selling thriller and horror author Scott Wells joins Rich Wright on the Artist Recovery Podcast to share the true, spine-chilling experience behind his book "Marked by the Ouija," a story so haunting it includes a death threat that came true exactly two years later, to the date.But this conversation goes far deeper than the paranormal. Scott opens up about growing up Mormon in small-town Idaho, the internalized shame of hiding who he was, and the years of inner turmoil that eventually led to homelessness, living out of a white Geo Metro with everything he owned in the trunk. He shares the pivotal moments and people who pulled him back: a brother who tossed him a book, a teacher who told him he only got "two bad days a year," and an unforgettable friendship with Rosa Parks during his mission in Detroit, complete with chased-down ice cream trucks and a kindness he still carries today.Rich and Scott explore the threads that connect creativity, spirituality, and survival. They talk about the soul staying the same even as the shell changes, incarnation and the eternal nature of consciousness, and why nature is one of the most powerful tools for mental clarity, healing, and reclaiming your sense of self. Scott also reveals the chilling true story behind his upcoming novel "Phantom Ranch," a real-life encounter in the Grand Canyon with a man he later recognized at a murder trial.This is a conversation about not judging a book by its cover, about facing fear by understanding it, and about how our hardest experiences can become the very thing that helps someone else feel less alone.WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:The true story behind "Marked by the Ouija" and the threat that came true~Growing up Mormon, internalized homophobia, and the long road to self-acceptance~An extraordinary friendship with Rosa Parks in Detroit~Surviving homelessness and the book that changed everything~Incarnation, the soul, and connecting with loved ones on the other side~The chilling real events behind the upcoming novel "Phantom Ranch"~Why nature is medicine for mental clarity, anxiety, and creative burnout~How storytelling creates safe spaces for healing paranormal and personal traumaConnect with Scott:Website: https://www.scottwellsauthor.comInsta: https://www.instagram.com/explorelife_outsideYoutube:  @explorelifeoutside7138 Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#ArtistRecoveryPodcast #ScottWells #MarkedByTheOuija #OuijaBoard #ParanormalStories #TrueParanormal #RealGhostStory #PhantomRanch #RobertDurst #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #RosaParks #ComingOut #LGBTQStories #OvercomingHomelessness #MagicOfThinkingBig #MentalHealth #CreativeBurnout #HealingInNature #Grounding #NatureTherapy #Spirituality #Reincarnation #LifeAfterDeath #ThrillerAuthor #HorrorAuthor #Storytelling #SelfAcceptance #PersonalGrowth #SoulForward #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when the people who are supposed to guide you tell you that you don't belong? For author and educator Cathelina Duvert, that question became the seed of a lifetime of creative recovery, deep self-discovery, and ultimately, a debut novel born from the pain she refused to keep carrying alone.In this episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with Cathelina Duvert, a Hofstra University graduate, award-winning author, mental health advocate, and seventh and ninth grade ELA teacher from Queens, New York. Her debut novel, The Box, explores identity, depression, and resilience, and it carries the weight of everything she once kept hidden.Cathelina opens up about growing up Haitian American in a strict Queens household, being a twin who felt perpetually in the shadow of her sister's social world, and discovering early on that writing was the one place she felt truly herself. From stapling together handmade books for her father to read, to carrying a green notebook filled with forced rhymes and secret poems, her creative life was always burning underneath the surface, even when no one around her could see it. A guidance counselor told her she was wasting her money applying to Hofstra University. She got in anyway, and in her very first semester, earned straight A's for the first time in her life.This episode goes deep into the moments that shaped her: the childhood anxiety that went unnamed for years, the sexual trauma at age twelve that became the hidden root of her depression, the sister who ultimately saw her struggling and pushed her toward therapy, the Manhattan publishing world that lit her up creatively and socially, and the slow, deliberate process of transferring her pain onto the page by giving it all to her main character.Cathelina also shares the story of founding a creative writing club at her school, applying for a grant, and guiding her students through publishing their own book, Masquerade of Lies, and what it felt like to watch their faces the moment they saw their names in print.This is a conversation about the audacity to create when the world has told you not to, the healing that lives inside the writing, and what it means to finally give your story permission to exist.Topics Covered:~Growing up in a strict Haitian American household in Queens, NY~Early signs of creativity, anxiety, and introversion~Being told by educators you don't belong, and proving them wrong~Discovering a new way to study and earning straight A's at Hofstra~Childhood sexual trauma and its connection to lifelong depression~Writing as therapy, healing, and identity~Self-publishing The Box and navigating the indie literary world~Founding a student creative writing club and publishing Masquerade of Lies~The audacity creatives need to share their work with the worldConnect with Cathelina:Website: https://cathelinaduvert.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathelina-duvert-b95b97304Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathelinaduvertFB: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoxTheBookTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCmXCJwm_yFyx-bumAZh1J7g Youtube:  @CathelinaDuvert  Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre...Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#ArtistRecoveryPodcast #CreativeRecovery #CreativeBurnout #DepressionAndCreativity #WritingAsHealing #BlackAuthors #IndiePublishing #SelfPublishing #HaitianAmericanAuthor #WomenWriters #MentalHealthAndCreativity #IntrovertCreator #AnxietyAndCreativity #DebutNovel #TheBoxNovel #CreativeWritingTeacher #LiteraryFiction #CreativeWritingClub #ChildhoodTraumaAndCreativity #OvercomingSelfDoubt #CreativeConfidence #ImposterSyndrome #SensitiveCreative #WritingPoetry #FindingYourVoice #FirstGenerationCollegeStudent #Storytelling #AuthorsWhoTeach #WomenInLiterature #CreativeHealingJourney #BlackWomenWriters #InnerChildCreativity #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a 25-year CNN veteran, a former White House correspondent who interviewed both Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, a decorated thriller novelist, and a grief-through-writing advocate all walk into the same conversation? You get John DeDakis — and one of the most unexpectedly profound episodes of this entire season.John is the creator of the acclaimed Lark Chadwick mystery suspense series, a six-novel run with his latest, Enemies Domestic, taking the grand prize at the Chanticleer International Book Awards. He's also a highly sought-after writing coach, manuscript editor, and workshop leader — but none of that is the real story. The real story is how a shy, self-described "scaredy-cat" kid from La Crosse, Wisconsin became someone who has spent his life excavating the human condition — one story, one question, one grief at a time.In this episode, Rich and John go deep — not just on craft, but on what it means to be a man who listens, feels, and heals.In this conversation:~Growing up in La Crosse — a stable, love-anchored childhood and why John says he was "born on second base" ~How the Vietnam War, the draft, and a campus radio station at the University of Wisconsin set his entire trajectory ~Enlisting to avoid the draft — and landing in Germany where his very first interview was with Alfred Hitchcock ~ 25 years at CNN and what it really felt like inside The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer ~ Why journalism was the perfect fit for a man who didn't want to pick a side — and why that matters more now than ever ~ The origin of Lark Chadwick — a 20-something female protagonist written by a man, and what writing her revealed about gender, safety, and emotional intelligence ~ What men get wrong about women — in relationships, in the room, and in conversation ~ The powerful truth that "women are always playing defense" — and why every man needs to sit with that ~ Grief as a creative catalyst — from witnessing a fatal car-train collision at age nine, to his sister's suicide, to losing his son to a heroin overdose ~ Why writing is not just craft — it's catharsis, and how mining your pain produces your most authentic work ~ The memoir — Plot Twists: A Memoir on Writing and Living — coming later in 2026Connect with John:Website: https://johndedakis.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dedakis-4b09a34Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedakisjohnFB: https://www.facebook.com/john.dedakisJoin Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#ArtistRecoveryPodcast #CreativeRecovery #MentalHealthForCreatives #JohnDeDakis #CNN #ThrillerAuthor #WritingCoach #LarkChadwick #GriefAndWriting #WritingTherapy #MensMentalHealth #MenAndGrief #MaleEmotionalHealth #EmpathyForMen #FemalePOV #WritingFiction #CreativeHealing #GriefProcessing #BeYourOwnAdvocate #TherapyForMen #SuicideSurvivor #CreativePivot #TransferableSkills #PlotTwistsMemoiir #JournalingForHealth #SubconsciousWriting #StorytellingTherapy #CNNInsider #WolfBlitzer #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #artistrecoverypodcast #beaguest #podmatchguest #WhiteHouseCorrespondent #ReaganInterview #AlfredHitchcock #VietnamWarDraft #ArmyJournalism #EnemiesDomestic #ThrillerWriting #WritingAcrossGender  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩   #WomenAndSafety #RelationshipsAndListening #LoveIsAChoiceSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What does it look like when a creative director loses everything at the height of his career and builds something better on the other side of sobriety? In this episode, Rich Wright sits down with Grant Curtis, founder of Curtis Creative Agency and United Headwear, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about addiction, identity, and the grit it takes to start over with clarity.Grant spent nearly 16 years inside a growing apparel brand in Tacoma, Washington, working his way up from screen printer to creative director after getting his foot in the door at 19 years old, lying about knowing how to screen print on day one, and figuring it out before Monday morning. That kind of resourcefulness carried him through two decades of building other people's brands, until the day they laid him off just 7 months into his sobriety. $60,000 in debt, a mortgage to cover, and a newly clear head, Grant chose to build rather than break.Rich and Grant go deep on what it really means to recover, not just from substances, but from the version of yourself that you outgrew. They talk about cocaine addiction and the financial wreckage it leaves behind, how early sobriety and a layoff happened in the same season, why athletics became Grant's anchor instead of a coping mechanism, and how the gym, running, and cycling became the discipline that holds everything together.Grant shares the story behind United Headwear, originally called United by Sobriety, a headwear brand born out of a creative gap in the market for sober culture, and the honest reality of rebranding when your first instinct was bigger than your bandwidth. They also dig into the quiet power of the founder's story, the creative perfectionism that holds artists back, and why building in public from the ground floor is what creates real community.This episode ends with one of the most unexpected moments of the season. Grant reveals that his sobriety date is September 25th. His baby's due date is September 24th. And the number 4 has been his lucky number since his soccer days.Connect with Grant:Website: https://www.curtiscreativeagency.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantalexcurtisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/curtiscreativeagencyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtiscreativeagencyJoin Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes#SobrietyRecovery #AddictionRecoveryStory #CreativeEntrepreneur #GraphicDesignerCareer #BrandBuilder #CreativeDirectorJourney #SoberLifestyle #CocaineAddictionRecovery #ApparelIndustryCareer #HeadwearBrand #ScreenPrintingCareer #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #SobrietyAndBusiness #BuildingABrandFromScratch #AthleticDisciplineSobriety #GymAndRecovery #AAAlcoholicsAnonymous #LayoffAndEntrepreneurship #SoberCreative #UnitedHeadwear #CurtisCreativeAgency #RecoveryPodcast #PodcastForCreatives #SobrietyMilestone #FounderStory #ProductDevelopmentApparel#richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #grantcurtis Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a life spent observing, feeling, and questioning everything becomes the very foundation of a creative calling? In this episode, Rich Wright sits down with Lucinda Sage-Midgorden, a storyteller, educator, author, podcaster, and lifelong student of the human experience whose creative journey is as layered as the stories she tells. Lucinda grew up moving from town to town across the Pacific Northwest, learning early how to read a room, adapt to new environments, and find her footing in unfamiliar places. That constant navigation did not just teach her resilience. It taught her how to see people. How to observe the invisible forces shaping behavior. And eventually, how to ask the question that would change everything: not "why is this happening to me," but "what am I supposed to learn from this?"Lucinda's story is a masterclass in the long arc of the artistic life. She shares how her father, a self-taught dyslexic machinist and lay minister, used family movie nights to teach his children how to think about human nature. How journaling saved her at the moment she needed it most. How the theater community became the first place she felt truly seen. And how a decision to sell their house and circle the globe with her husband Barry became the defining act of creative courage in her life.Her spiritual thread runs quietly through all of it. From a childhood confirmation that cracked her heart wide open, to leaving a toxic church environment because she heard four words clearly in her mind, to studying Deepak Chopra, M. Scott Peck, and Gregg Braden as she built a new interior life rooted in New Thought and Reiki practice. For Lucinda, creativity and spirituality have never been separate. Her mentor said it best, and she has carried it with her ever since: theater is a spiritual endeavor.Today, Lucinda is the host of the Story Power Podcast, co-creator of the Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters YouTube channel, author of the dual-timeline novel The Space Between Time, and the founder of Sage Woman Chronicles, a blog she built to practice her craft and sharpen her voice. Connect with Lucinda:Website: https://sagewoman.life/Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecoveryDyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes-2483/about #ArtistRecovery #CreativeResilience #HealingThroughArt #HighlySensitivePerson  #SensitiveSoul  #SpiritualCreativity #CreativeEntrepreneur  #IndependentAuthor  #CreativeBurnoutRecovery #PodcastForCreatives #NewThoughtSpirituality #ReikiAndCreativity #EmpathArtist #IntuitiveCreative #FindingYourVoice #CreativeCourage  #WomenInMinistry #DualTimelineNovel #OregonTrailFiction  #StoryPower #LucindaSageMidgorden #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWrightPodcast #CreativeCalling #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd ⁠ ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ ⁠ #beaguest #podmatchguestSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a lifetime of being told "no" finally meets the one voice that says "yes, do it anyway"? In this conversation, Rich Wright sits down with author, book coach, and creativity mentor Amy L. Bernstein for a deeply honest and soulfully resonant exchange that every creative who has ever doubted their right to create needs to hear.Amy is the author of Wrangling the Doubt Monster, a widely praised guide for creatives and professionals navigating self-doubt, the critically acclaimed speculative thriller Be Real, the award-winning YA novel Fran the Second Time Around, and the forthcoming family saga Tent City. She is also a book coach, workshop facilitator, and Substack writer whose platform Doubt Monster has become a gathering place for creatives who are done hiding.In this episode, Amy tells the truth about the journey. The drama kid who moved states and lost her creative community. The college application she fought for by advocating for herself when her father said no. The publishing internship that ended before it began. The man who sat her down and told her women could not write for a publication like the Village Voice. The morning on the train platform when she stood moments away from walking out of her own life. All of it unfiltered, all of it real.Amy and Rich explore the seeds of self-doubt planted in childhood and how they live quietly inside creatives for decades. They dig into the difference between allies and adversaries in the creative journey, and why the people who love us most are often the ones who fear our risks the most. They talk about the psychic cost of making art, the long game of gradual reinvention, and why permission, not talent, is the thing that most creative people are actually missing.Amy's tagline says it all: "I write stories that let readers feel while asking them to think." Whether you are a writer, visual artist, musician, designer, or any kind of maker who has been told to be practical, this episode is the permission slip you have been waiting for.Connect with Amy:Website: https://amywrites.live/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylbernstein/FB: https://www.facebook.com/AmyLBernsteinAuthorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amylbernsteinYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCscYRJs-r3aeNLu_2Qmg_3w Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#CreativeSelfDoubt #OvercomingSelfDoubt #CreativeRecovery #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #WranglingTheDoubtMonster #AmyBernsteinAuthor #BookCoachForWriters  #SelfAdvocacyForCreatives #CreativeBurnout  #SelfDoubtAsACreative #WritingThroughSelfDoubt #PermissionToCreate #CreativeResilience #SensitiveCreatives #HealingThroughCreativity #ArtistMentalHealth #FindingYourCreativeVoice  #MentoringCreatives #CreativeLifeTruth #CreativeReinvention #CreativeJourneyPodcast #ArtistPodcast  #HowToStartCreatingAgain #CreativeConfidence #DoubtAsACreative #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when the thing they punish you for turns out to be the very thing that saves you?Kirsten Rudberg: author, screenwriter, producer, and host of the Bite-Sized Blessings podcast has lived most of her life outrunning a label she didn't yet have: artist. Born in Illinois, raised across continents of Guyana, Pakistan, and the American Midwest, Kirsten grew up navigating worlds that didn't share the same rules, the same language, or the same idea of who she was supposed to be. That early exposure to multicultural landscapes, hand-embroidered pillowcases, and the vivid chaos of Lahore's streets wired her for something. In eighth grade, school officials banned her from the library. She'd been reading 94 books a year and winning competitions. They were worried she wasn't developing socially. The girl who graduated class bookworm would graduate high school four years later as class clown and not in spite of being forced out of her sanctuary, but because of it. That's the kind of story Kirsten tells. The kind where the wound and the gift are the same thing.This episode follows her through decades of invisible creative laboring the ideas that percolated while wiping tables and busing dishes in Portland, the corporate Jumbotron moment that sent her packing her entire life into a U-Haul bound for Bellingham, Washington, the 700-question seminary personality test that finally named her an artist and gave her permission to become one. And then the pandemic arrived, the muses sat on her shoulders, and everything she'd been holding for twenty years started pouring out.Rich and Kirsten go deep on hyper-vigilance as a childhood survival tool turned creative superpower, the Catholic concept of charism: the sacred gift you're born to bring into the world, the liminal space between what science calls real and what the rest of humanity has always known, and why art, at its core, is always about becoming.Topics covered:~Growing up across continents: Guyana, Pakistan, and the American Midwest~Cultural identity, belonging, and learning to "speak the language" to survive~Being banned from the library — and why it changed everything~Creativity suppressed by trauma, survival, and the 9-to-5~The seminary personality test that finally said: you're an artist~The pandemic as a creative awakening~Charism — your sacred gift and your only real job~Hypervigilance, highly sensitive creatives, and complex PTSD~Why art dies when you take it too seriously?Connect with Kirsten:Website: https://bytesizedblessings.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-rudberg-2021361baInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/edisonsucks1#ArtistRecovery #CreativeJourney #ArtistLife #podmatchguest #MultidisciplinaryArtist #CreativeResilience #Becoming #Charism #HigblySensitivePerson #SoulForward #LongFormPodcast #IndependentArtist #CreativeRecovery #Polymath #ArtistPodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What does it look like when a creative keeps building while quietly carrying the weight of imposter syndrome, a fractured family foundation, and a soul still figuring out if it wants to stay?Paul Delaurier has spent decades answering that question through his work.A strategic designer and creative technologist born and raised in Detroit, Paul built his career from the ground up — literally starting in a basement office, pitching nail salons and pager stores in suits, cold. From those early hustle days co-founding Eclipse Productions with mutual friend Dennis Leigghio, to leading brand work with Harley Davidson, The Black Keys, and Hickory Farms, to senior product design roles at NerdWallet and GTB Detroit — Paul's creative journey is a masterclass in quiet resilience.But behind the portfolio was a story he hadn't told.In this raw and deeply human conversation, Paul and host Rich Wright — who've known each other since the Eclipse days — finally pull back the curtain. Rich shares his own suicide attempt for the first time with Paul, and what unfolds is one of the most honest exchanges the Artist Recovery Podcast has produced. Two creatives from the same orbit, carrying invisible weight the other never knew about.Paul opens up about:Growing up in Warren, MI and how his parents' divorce at age 8 quietly installed a lifelong fear of failure disguised as ambition ✦ Mad Magazine as his first portal into graphic design thinking — and why that fold-out back cover literally rewired his brain ✦ Building Eclipse Layout Services with Dennis Leigghio in a basement, wearing suits to pitch pager stores ✦ The chaos of living, working, and trying to grow up all in the same condo ✦ Navigating imposter syndrome through agency work, startup pivots, and a commute he hated ✦ How a nearly empty gym in a Detroit apartment building changed his body, his mind, and his entire relationship with himself ✦ Why it took until 2020 — and his wife's courage — to finally walk into a therapy room ✦ What he discovered when he stopped pretending everything was fineThis episode is for the creative who shows up to the work while quietly wrestling with something no one else can see.Because the design on the screen and the story behind the hands that made it — they're never the same thing.Connect with Paul:Website: https://www.pauldelaurier.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldelaurierInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulmdelaurierDribble: https://dribbble.com/pauldelaurier #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #CreativeMentalHealth #ImposterSyndrome #GraphicDesignCareer #UXDesign #DetroitCreatives #PaulDelaurier #MentalHealthForMen #HealingThroughCreativity  #CreativeEntrepreneur  #NerdWallet #HarleyDavidsonBranding #EclipseDesign #CreativeCommunity #ArtistBurnout #CouplesTherapy #VulnerabilityMen #CreativeResilience #DesignCareer #SeniorProductDesigner  #DetroitMichigan #HealingJourney #BrandStrategy #ArtistLife #CreativeWellness #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a boy raised between two worlds — a rabbi's son in an all-gentile neighborhood, a scholarship kid in the middle of Manhattan — refuses to stop learning, creating, and evolving?Michael Wendroff's story is exactly that kind of full-circle journey.In this episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, marketing consultant and debut thriller author Michael Wendroff joins Rich Wright for a conversation that spans Queens, New York City, global boardrooms, and the pages of a book that began with a mother's words whispered at birth: "How nice to see you again."From growing up quietly on the outside of things — finding his first real sense of belonging on a track field — to earning his MBA at 21, working inside a literary agency before anyone knew his name, and building a 30-year global marketing career, Michael's path was never a straight line. It was always a spiral. Always coming back around.His debut thriller What Goes Around, published by Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury and now available in hardcover, ebook, audiobook, and paperback — with foreign rights sold in Italian, Japanese, and Hungarian — explores reincarnation, unbreakable bonds, and the question of whether the soul really does keep returning to learn what it hasn't yet mastered.In this episode we explore:~Growing up ostracized, and how solitude became a superpower~The publishing world from the inside — agents, editors, and the art of the query letter~The psychology of men's hair color (yes, really — and it goes deep)~Why the pandemic became the permission slip to finally write~What it means to grieve a fictional character you had to kill off~The 50/50 reality of being a traditionally published author today: 50% writing, 50% marketing~Reincarnation, Dr. Brian Weiss, soul bonds, and the spiritual thread woven through this entire life storyWhether you're a writer, a creative entrepreneur, a maker working through your next chapter — or someone who has ever felt like an outsider who somehow ended up exactly where they were supposed to be — this conversation will stay with you. Connect with Michael Wendroff: Website: https://www.michaelwendroff.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelwendroffInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mwendroffFB: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelWendroffAuthorX: https://x.com/mwendroffJoin Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#ArtistRecoveryPodcast #MichaelWendroff #WhatGoesAround  #DebutNovelist #BloomsburyPublishing  #HowToGetPublished #BookMarketing #AuthorMarketing #CreativeEntrepreneur #MarketingConsultant #ReincarnationThriller #PandemicCreativity #HowToWriteAThriller #PublishingIndustry #NYUMBA #GlobalMarketing #AuthorInterview #WritingProcess #CharacterDevelopment #BrianWeiss #ManyLivesManyMasters #SpiritualCreativity #CreativeBusiness #BookLaunch #CreativesPodcast #HeartCenteredBusiness #richwrightunlimited #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest #beaguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a rebel artist stops fighting the system — and starts building her own?In this episode Rich Wright sits down with Julia Stege — pioneering graphic designer, branding artist, and creator of Magical Marketing — for a deeply honest conversation about creative identity, resilience, and what it truly means to build a heart-centered business.Julia's story is one that artists, creatives, and soul-driven entrepreneurs will recognize in their bones. From being rejected by her high school Art Honors Society three years in a row, to getting fired from every Manhattan design job she was brilliant enough to earn, to eventually helping thousands of out-of-the-box creatives build authentic brands online — Julia has lived the full arc of the creative recovery journey.In this episode: → Why creative children are systematically discouraged — and how it follows artists into adulthood → How her rebellious spirit became the engine of her entrepreneurial success → The shift from revolutionary activist to heart-centered brand strategist → Why authentic marketing outperforms hype-driven tactics every time → The Law of Attraction meets branding: how "like attracts like" is the most powerful marketing strategy available to soul-led entrepreneurs → Why you don't have to niche yourself into a box — and what to do instead → The concept of the "world-changing message" that unifies everything you do into one magnetic brand identity.Julia founded Graphic Girls in 1995 and built brand identities for clients including the Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Hall, Burger King, Café Gratitude, Birkenstock, and Julia Butterfly Hill. In 2006 she became a certified Strategic Attraction Coach. By 2011 she launched Magical Marketing — a brand built on the principles of authenticity, intuition, attraction, and transformation.Her message is clear: the creative economy rewards those who are willing to be real.Whether you're a healer, artist, designer, coach, or any kind of creative entrepreneur asking "how do I build a brand that actually feels like me?" Connect with Julia:https://magical-marketing.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magicalmarketerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicalMarketerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/soultribeattraction/Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#AuthenticBranding #SoulLedEntrepreneur #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtistRecovery #MagicalMarketing #JuliaStege #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #artistrecoverypodcast #LawOfAttractionMarketing #HeartCenteredBusiness #BrandingForCreatives #PersonalBranding #YouDontHaveToNiche #RenaissanceCreative #SoulTribe #WorldChangingMessage #GraphicDesignCareer #CreativeIdentity #AuthenticMarketing #SpiritualEntrepreneurship #CreativeResilience #ArtistBurnoutRecovery #BrandingStrategy #FemaleEntrepreneur #IntuitiveBusiness #CreativeBusinessCoach #AttractionMarketing #AuthenticEntrepreneur #HealingThroughCreativity #CreativeConfidence #ArtistMindsetSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a child with a photographic memory, ignored by his parents and silenced by nuns, decides to figure out the human race — on his own? You get Jim Marshall.In this episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with one of the most quietly revolutionary thinkers alive today — author, inventor, and polymathic scholar Jim Marshall. With over 50,000 hours devoted to studying human development across psychology, theology, engineering, philosophy, law, parapsychology, and metaphysics, Jim didn't just learn about the human experience — he mapped it.Jim is the creator of Septemics — a groundbreaking periodic table of human nature consisting of 35 seven-level scales that decode patterns in human behavior for analysis, prediction, and transformation. After 40+ years as a human development engineer, treating and training hundreds of clients, and 28 years of formal education, Jim turned decades of empirical observation into a single system that anyone can use to understand themselves and the people around them.Rich and Jim explore:~ Growing up in New York City with parents who paid him no attention — and the moment at 8 years old he decided he was on his own ~ How a strict Jesuit military prep school became the first place Jim truly felt at home — because the teachers were as serious about knowledge as he was ~ The link between writing Latin poetry at 17, meditating daily for over 40 years, and engineering a system that dissolves anxiety and depression at the root  ~ How Septemics was born — the 1995 breakthrough moment when a 6-level scale revealed its hidden 7th level, and the mathematics embedded inside changed everything ~ The practical application of 35 scales for relationships, finances, creativity, addiction recovery, and mental health — without chemicals, without guesswork  Jim also shares the hard-won personal story behind his career: the son who grew up without a father's acknowledgment, the decades of scholarship and meditation that replaced emotional noise with clarity, and the quiet, unshakeable confidence of a man who has never made a house payment, never worried about the stock market, and never stayed in a conversation longer than it deserved.Connect with Jim:Website: https://septemics.comJoin Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#Septemics #JimMarshall #HumanNature #SelfAwareness #HumanDevelopment #Polymath #MeditationBenefits #AnxietyRelief   #UnderstandingPeople #EmotionalIntelligence #HumanBehavior #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #SpiritualDevelopment #PsychologyAlternative #BiofeedbackTherapy #SocraticMethod #HighAchieverMindset #CuriosityAndLearning #MentalHealthAlternatives #BehavioralPrediction #HumanPotential #LifeTransformation #SelfImprovementPodcast #ConsciousnessExpansion #MotivationalPodcast #MindsetShift #richwrightunlimited #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest #beaguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a little girl who just wanted to please everyone grows up to help transform how an entire corner of an industry works? In this deeply personal episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Jessica Rennard — President of NuSource, long‑time sustainable fashion operator, and one of the most quietly influential voices in the resale and circular fashion space.But before the brand partnerships, the 7,000 resellers, and $9 million in revenue in 14 months — there was a girl on a bike, opening a bagel shop before school at 14. Jessica’s story isn’t just about fashion or business. It’s about what happens when you stop trying to fit into spaces that weren’t built for you and start building your own.IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:~ Growing up in West Haven, CT & Valley Forge, PA with divorced parents and the grandparents who helped fill the gaps~ Being diagnosed with ADD in 7th grade — and how it ultimately became an advantage in fast‑paced, high‑chaos environments~How working at Manhattan Bagel from age 14 quietly built her customer service instincts and love for serving people~ Building a consulting agency with zero corporate background — and signing 14 clients in about a month~ Where NuSource is headed next and what sustainable fashion really needs right nowWHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS FOR CREATIVES: Jessica never had an MBA. She didn’t follow a linear path. What she had was a mind that thrives in complexity, a nose for opportunity, and the lived experience of nearly every resale shop, thrift store, and consignment rack in a 40‑mile radius. If you’ve ever felt behind, underprepared, or like you’re building the plane mid‑flight — this one’s for you.THE BIGGER MISSION:The fashion industry generates enormous volumes of clothing waste every year, much of it piling up in landfills and oceans. Jessica and her team at NuSource are working to flip the script — empowering resellers, partnering with brands, and helping move the needle toward a circular economy where clothing has a second (and sometimes third) life.Connect with Jessica:Website: https://nusource.ioLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarennardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefashiondisruptorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.nusourceFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.nusourceTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefashiondisruptor29#ResaleFashion #SustainableFashion #CircularEconomy #SecondhandClothing #ThriftStoreBusiness #WomenInBusiness #FemaleEntrepreneur #ADDEntrepreneur #ADHDAndEntrepreneurship #MysteryBoxBusiness #FashionSustainability #WorkingMomEntrepreneur #SelfConfidenceJourney #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #JessicaRennard #NuSourceFashion #ClothingLandfill #SecondhandEconomy #ResaleMarket  #ADDSuperpower  #FashionIndustryTruth #richwrightunlimited #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest #beaguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a kid who cried for three days because summer vacation started — ends up designing custom collectibles for Disney, The Tonight Show, and Nickelodeon from a basement in Nebraska? That's just the beginning of Paul Pape's story.In this deeply honest and wildly inspiring conversation, Rich Wright sits down with Paul Pape — artist, designer, TEDx speaker, and founder of Gamify Business — to explore the winding, sometimes painful, always purposeful road of a creative who refused to be anyone but himself.Paul opens up about growing up as the "black sheep" middle child in Omaha, finding escape in library books, and the sixth-grade teacher who tore apart his solar system project — and unknowingly lit a fire that never went out. From theater in high school, to a scenic design master's degree at UC San Diego, to winning the Princess Grace Award, to building a creative business methodology that translates traditional business into RPG game mechanics — this episode is a masterclass in creative resilience, self-awareness, and entrepreneurial reinvention.But it's not just a success story. Paul shares the weight of sibling trauma, emotional compartmentalization, the loneliness that quietly followed him into adulthood, and how two years of therapy cracked open things he'd buried for decades. He talks about what it means to finally feel — and why his wife of 26 years has been the most important creative collaborator of his life.And then there's the mission: helping the 97% of creatives who graduate with an arts degree and never use it, not because they lack talent, but because nobody ever taught them the business side. Paul's answer? Stop making business feel like business. Make it feel like an adventure.In this episode, we cover:~Growing up Gen X in Nebraska — creek walks, scrap wood builds & zero cell phones~The teacher who punished creativity & what Paul learned from it~Finding theater as an escape, not a fit — and what that difference means~Being the "you'll be fine" person in every room — and the cost of it~Surviving family trauma and the two-year emotional reckoning that followed~How a single Dungeons & Dragons business session sparked Gamify Business~Why creatives make the worst business decisions (and how to fix it)~"Quit selling your sh*t — sell yourself." The philosophy that changes everything~Comparison as the thief of joy — and the ruler analogy that will stay with you~Books, coaching & accessible tools for creatives at every level~Paul's closing truth: "Unlike a game, we do not have three lives. This is your shot."Whether you're a seasoned creative entrepreneur or still figuring out how to turn passion into a paycheck, this episode will challenge you, move you, and send you back to that idea you've been sitting onConnect with Paul:Website: https://paulpapedesigns.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulericpapeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpapedesignsFB: https://www.facebook.com/paulpapedesignsYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/paulpapesnougat/featuredSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a quiet, neurodivergent kid who couldn't raise her hand in class grows up to found a literary press, publish award-winning fiction, and write the novel she dreamed of since second grade? You get Laura Stanfill — and this conversation is one you don't want to miss.Laura Stanfill is the founder of Forest Avenue Press, author of Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, and one of the most quietly powerful forces in independent literary publishing. In this episode, she opens up about growing up in a New Jersey home full of player pianos and air horns, being the quiet kid who found her voice through the written word, navigating a controlling college relationship that nearly broke her spirit, and how moving to Oregon with nothing but a car and a dream helped her rebuild from the inside out.This isn't just a publishing episode. It's a conversation about resilience, creativity, neurodivergence, and what it actually takes to keep believing in your work when the world hasn't said yes yet.In this episode: — Growing up in a house full of musical oddities and how it shaped a creative mind — How a 5th grade teacher changed everything by letting classmates beg to hear more of her stories — Writing as a safe harbor for kids who feel like outsiders — The college years that dimmed her light — and why none of it was her fault — Moving cross-country right after 9/11 with no safety net and no plan — The 6-foot weed growing through concrete that became her metaphor for survival — Why the book nobody was waiting for — the one she just played with — was the one that sold — The story of Keisha Ajo Fisher: an author who stopped waiting for permission and won an Oregon Book Award — Real talk on self-publishing vs. agents vs. small presses — and how to choose YOUR path — Why honoring your creative spark matters more than chasing what's already sellingConnect with Laura:Website: https://laurastanfill.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/laura.stanfill.98Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lhstanfill#LauraStanfill #ForestAvenuePress #IndiePublishing #SmallPress #HowToGetPublished #SelfPublishing #LiteraryAgent #PowellsBooks #OregonWriters #NeurodivergentCreatives #NeurodivergentAuthor #QuietKids #IntrovertedWriter #WritingAsAChild #WomenInPublishing #MarginalizedVoices #CreativeEntrepreneurship #OvercomingRejection #AuthorInterview #DebutNovelist #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #WritingCommunity #HowToWriteANovel #CreativeProcess #KeishaAjoFisher #OregonBookAward #WritingForHealing #CreativityAndTrauma #FindYourVoice #SingingLessonsForTheStylishCanary #ImagineADoor #TinPanAlley #WomenComposers #WritingAndMentalHealth #OutsiderCreativity #BookPublishing #HowToSubmit #CreativeCourage #WritingWorkshop #LiteraryPortland #AuthorPodcast #WritingPodcast #BookTok #WritingTok #AmWriting #WritersOfInstagram #podmatchguest #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a lifelong storyteller is forced to confront his own mortality?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with musician, author, and cancer advocate Ray Hartjen — a man whose life has been shaped by movement, reinvention, and one life-altering diagnosis: multiple myeloma.Born into a military family in 1964, Ray’s childhood was marked by constant relocation — Texas, Kansas, North Dakota, Indiana, Kentucky. Each move meant new schools, new identities, new stories. Books became anchors. Libraries became sanctuaries. Storytelling became survival.From investment banking to organizational development, from marketing to corporate communications, Ray eventually realized something profound: every role he stepped into was rooted in one essential skill — telling stories that connect, heal, and move people forward.Then came the diagnosis.Multiple myeloma — a rare, incurable but treatable blood cancer — forced Ray to ask the question many creatives avoid:"If not now, when?"That question reshaped everything.He began writing more boldly. Performing music more intentionally. Creating with urgency instead of hesitation. His memoir, Me, Myself & My Multiple Myeloma, shares his candid journey through illness. His novel Flank expands his storytelling lens. His acoustic duo, The Chronic Padres, channels resilience through song. And his passion project book chronicling the Indianapolis 500 became a testament to creative endurance.In this conversation, we explore:• Growing up in a military family and how mobility shapes identity• The power of books and libraries in forming a storyteller• The moment creativity became a conscious priority• How cancer reframes time, risk, and artistic courage• Music as healing and performance as reclamation• Why storytelling is the connective tissue of business, art, and survival• The mantra “If Not Now, When” and living with urgencyThis episode is about endurance. About reinvention. About refusing to wait.It’s about what happens when life strips away illusion and leaves you with one simple truth:Your story matters — especially now.If you’re an artist navigating uncertainty…If you’ve faced illness or personal upheaval…If you’re waiting for permission to create…This conversation will meet you where you are.Connect with Ray:Website: https://rayhartjen.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayhartjenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayhartjenYoutube:  @RayHartjen#RayHartjen  @RayHartjen   #MultipleMyeloma #IncurableBloodCancer #artistrecoverypodcast  #CancerAndCreativity #IfNotNowWhen #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #creativeresilience #podmatchguest Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What if the very thing you thought was holding you back… was actually shaping your voice?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with award-winning historical fiction author Teri M Brown for a deeply human conversation about shyness, identity, reinvention, motherhood, creativity, and the courage to step forward before you feel ready.Teri’s journey didn’t begin with confidence. It began with thick glasses, middle-school insecurity, and a 13-year-old’s belief that everything would change overnight. It didn’t.But what did change over time was her ability to rewrite the narrative.Born in Athens, Greece, raised in Ohio, and later transplanted to North Carolina, Teri discovered early that creativity was an escape — a place where she could become anyone she wanted. Books became portals. Characters became mirrors. And imagination became survival.She would go on to:• Publish five award-winning nonfiction books• Ride a tandem bicycle 3,100 miles across America raising money for Toys for Tots• Launch a second creative career in historical fiction• Win more than 70 literary awards across multiple genres• Publish a memoir-inspired journaling guide and a children’s book• Mentor authors and co-host The Teri & Edith ShowBut none of it happened in a straight line.In this episode, we explore:✨ The identity shift that comes from moving states and reinventing yourself✨ How childhood shyness still shows up in adulthood✨ The creative power of reframing fear✨ Why imagination can be both an escape and a superpower✨ The difference between neurodivergence and “neurotypical” expectations✨ The unexpected path from stay-at-home mom to award-winning novelist✨ Why creative courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s action in spite of itTeri shares candidly about failing chemistry, leaving college, becoming a bank teller, marrying a photographer, raising four children, and eventually stepping into authorship later in life — not because it was planned, but because the story demanded it.Her writing style? She’s a “pantser” — no outline, no master plan — just intuition and trust.Connect with Teri: Website: https://www.terimbrown.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terimbrown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terimbrown_authorFB: https://www.facebook.com/TeriMBrownAuthor/TY: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@TeriMBrown_Author⁩ #richwrightunlimited #artistrecoverypodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ #TeriMBrown #AwardWinningAuthor #HistoricalFictionAuthor #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #OvercomingShyness #LateBloomerSuccess #CreativeReinvention #WomenAuthors #WriterJourney #CreativeCourage #PantserWriter #MotherhoodToAuthor #NeurodivergentCreativity #FearOfRejection #AuthorInterview #creativeresilience #creativeidentity #artist #independentartist #author Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a fenced-in yard becomes a blueprint for building culture?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, Rich Wright sits down with Diarra “Uncle P” Collazo — veteran entertainment consultant, DJ, entrepreneur, and founder of platforms that helped shape Detroit’s hip hop ecosystem.Born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, Diarra’s journey began not in boardrooms or studios — but in a fenced yard where imagination became survival. An only child guided by his great-grandmother, he learned early how to entertain himself, build worlds with Legos, and create community when none was handed to him.  That instinct never left.From high school radio at Avondale — where he was one of the first underclassmen to earn his own show — to earning a degree in Music & Entertainment Management at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Diarra immersed himself in the mechanics behind the music.While others chased record deals, he studied structure.While others wanted fame, he wanted infrastructure.After learning firsthand how record labels operate — and how glass ceilings are built — a pivotal piece of advice changed everything:“If you really want to make an impact in this industry, don’t fall into someone else’s circle. Create your own.”So he did.Diarra launched Local Love Radio to spotlight Michigan hip hop when major stations wouldn’t.He acquired DetroitRap.com to build digital community before social media was what it is today.He stepped into internet radio before it was mainstream.He became a connector, a culture builder, and the kind of leader people now call “Uncle P.”In this conversation, we explore:• Growing up in Pontiac during its automotive boom• Being raised by a great-grandmother and developing discipline early• How karate shaped his mindset around focus and responsibility• Why most people fail in creative industries (and what separates the 11 who graduate from the 117 who start)• The glass ceiling realities of the music business• The difference between being a taker and being useful• Why Detroit struggled to embrace local hip hop — and what that revealed• The power of creating your own platform instead of waiting for validationThis isn’t just a hip hop story.It’s a masterclass in vision, resilience, and ownership.For creatives feeling fenced in…For entrepreneurs trying to build community…For artists who want longevity, not just momentary shine…Connect with Diarra: Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/unclepWebsite: https://www.detroitrap.com#DiarraCollazo #UncleP #DetroitHipHop #MusicIndustry #CreativeDiscipline #BuildYourOwnPlatform #DetroitRap #LocalLoveRadio #HipHopEntrepreneur #MusicBusiness #IndependentArtist #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunlimited #artistrecoverypodcast #theartrec #MusicMentorship #CultureBuilder #CreativeLeadership #UndergroundHipHopAwards #EntertainmentConsultant #HipHopCommunity #InternetRadio #ArtistLongevity #MusicIndustryTruthSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a creative soul refuses to choose just one identity?In this deeply human episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Siquoyia Blue—musician, author, technologist, entrepreneur, and self-described modern-day renaissance woman—for an unfiltered conversation about resilience, intuition, and redefining success on your own terms.Siquoyia is the creator of Abstract Soul, a signature musical sound that fuses the heart of R&B, the groove of funk, the depth of soul, and the edge of rock into something emotionally raw and spiritually resonant. But her story extends far beyond music.Born in Connecticut and raised across Virginia, California, and Georgia, Siquoyia grew up feeling like an outsider—navigating loneliness, constant relocation, and an early sense that she didn’t quite fit into traditional systems of school, work, or expectation. Music became her refuge, her language, and eventually her lifeline.In this episode, Siquoyia opens up about:~ Growing up as a lone wolf and learning resilience early~ Discovering music as a form of survival—not just expression~ Attending performing arts high school and chasing creative validation~ The disillusionment of exploitative creative industries~ Battling depression while still choosing to create~ Pivoting from music alone into entrepreneurship and technology~ Entering the tech world without abandoning her artistic identity~ Learning how intuition became her internal compass~Redefining success beyond fame, money, or external approvalSiquoyia’s journey proves that creative wholeness is not only possible, it’s powerful.Rich and Siquoyia explore how listening to your inner voice can save you from burnout, exploitation, and soul-loss—and how building financial stability doesn’t mean selling out, but can actually create freedom for deeper creative work.This is an episode about:~ Trusting your intuition when systems fail you~ Building resilience without hardening your heart~ Creating art without needing permission~ Surviving long enough to define success for yourself~ Honoring creativity as a lifelong relationship, not a destinationIf you’ve ever felt too complex, too sensitive, too unconventional—or too creative for the boxes you were offered—this episode is for you.Connect with Siquoyia:Website: https://siquoyiablue.komi.ioInsta: https://www.instagram.com/blualchemistpodcastLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siquoyia#SiquoyiaBlue #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #AbstractSoul #CreativeResilience #ArtistIntuition #CreativeBurnout #WomenInMusic #CreativeIdentity #MusicIndustryTruth #ArtistJourney #SoulfulPodcast #ArtistEntrepreneur #CreativesInTech #RedefiningSuccess #CreativeHealing #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest #IndependentArtist #ArtistRecovery #ResilientCreatives  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when recovery doesn’t just save your life—but reshapes your hands, your work, and your legacy?In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Jimmy Garcia, founder of Mean Mug Pistons, a Texas-based creative venture where reclaimed engine pistons are transformed into hand-carved sculptures known as Mean Mugs. What starts as a conversation about art quickly becomes a deeper exploration of sobriety, blue-collar creativity, fatherhood, and the long road back to self-trust.Jimmy’s work is raw, industrial, and unapologetically honest—much like his story. After years of addiction, he found recovery and has now celebrated 15 years of sobriety since August 22, 2009. Instead of leaving his past behind, Jimmy integrated it into his creative process, using discarded materials and hard-earned wisdom to create pieces that speak to resilience, grit, and transformation.In this episode, Rich and Jimmy explore what it means to rebuild from the inside out—how recovery changes not just your habits, but your relationship to work, identity, and purpose. Jimmy opens up about the realities of long-term sobriety, the responsibility of fatherhood, and the discipline required to keep choosing growth even when no one is watching.They also discuss Jimmy’s journey as an e-book author and mentor, including his book Tenacity: A Blue-Collar Man’s Road to Healing, where he shares lessons learned through addiction, recovery, and reclaiming self-worth. This conversation speaks directly to artists, makers, and creatives who come from nontraditional paths—those who didn’t come up through galleries or academia, but through lived experience.With a massive and dedicated following across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, Jimmy has built a global audience by staying grounded in authenticity. His sculptures ship worldwide, but his message stays personal: healing isn’t clean, creativity isn’t linear, and recovery is an ongoing act of courage.This episode is for:• Artists navigating recovery or sobriety• Creatives from blue-collar or nontraditional backgrounds• Anyone turning pain into purpose• Makers redefining what art “gets to be”• Those learning how to build a meaningful life one honest day at a timeConnect with Jimmy:Youtube:  @meanmugpistons6014  Facebook: @meanmugpistonsInstagram: @meanmugpistonsTik Tok: @meanmugpistons#JimmyGarciaInterview, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #RecoveryAndCreativity, #LongTermSobriety, #AddictionRecoveryJourney, #BlueCollarArtist, #ReclaimedMaterialsArt, #SculpturalStorytelling, #HealingThroughArt, #CreativeResilience, #FatherhoodAndRecovery, #TurningPainIntoPurpose, #SoberArtistJourney, #IndustrialArt, #MeanMugPistons, #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #richwrightart #metalworker #mechanic #mechaniclifeSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a creative spirit grows up surrounded by competition, comparison, and expectations—yet refuses to follow the status quo? In this deeply reflective episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with accomplished author, educator, and resilience advocate Sharon Neiss Arbess for an honest conversation about creativity, perseverance, and the long road to trusting your own voice. Sharon shares her journey growing up in Montreal within a high-pressure, achievement-driven environment—where excelling academically and athletically was the norm, and creativity often lived on the margins. From feeling like she never quite “measured up,” to discovering that not fitting in became her greatest strength, Sharon reveals how early experiences with competition, rejection, and self-doubt quietly shaped her resilience as a writer.Together, Rich and Sharon explore: • Why rejection becomes easier when you grow up learning how to get back up • How creativity often develops outside traditional education systems • The courage it takes to release your first book after years of self-doubt • Why comparison is the thief of joy—especially for artists and writers • The hidden resilience behind “failed” projects and long creative timelines Sharon opens up about her books—including Me and My So-Called Friends, Get Up, and The Most Amazing Department Store—and how her storytelling centers emotional honesty, youth resilience, and navigating life’s uncomfortable moments with compassion. She also shares how her teacher’s manual Brave the Waves was developed to help middle-school students, parents, and educators build emotional awareness, resilience, and open dialogue around difficult topics. This episode is a powerful reminder that:~Creativity doesn’t follow a straight line.~Success doesn’t arrive on a perfect schedule.~And resilience is built through showing up—again and again—even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. If you’re an artist, writer, educator, or creative who has ever questioned your path, struggled with comparison, or wondered if your voice truly matters—this conversation will meet you exactly where you are. Connect with Sharon: https://sharonneissarbess.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonneissarbess Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-neiss-arbess-99315921 FB: https://www.facebook.com/SharonNeissArbessWriter   #SharonNeissArbess #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #CreativeResilience #WritingThroughRejection #AuthorMentalHealth #CreativityAndComparison #WomenAuthorsPodcast #YouthResilience #EmotionalWellbeing #CreativeVoice #PersistenceInArt #CreativeCourage #ArtistMindset #ResilienceThroughFailure #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #artist #creativeidentity #richwrightartSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this deeply human episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Steve Boehm, aka Steve Sxaks—a multi-hyphenate creator whose journey spans punk rock stages, underground hip-hop culture, military service, homelessness, education, and authorship. This is not a highlight reel conversation. It’s a grounded, honest exploration of how identity is forged through adversity, failure, and relentless self-inquiry.From growing up drawn to attention and performance, to being shaped by punk ethics and DIY culture, Steve opens up about what it means to learn everything the hard way. No shortcuts. No safety net. Just lived experience as the teacher.As a former touring punk musician turned respected audio engineer, Steve is the co-founder of Marston House Recording, one of Philadelphia’s most influential studios. He is also the creator of Marston House Ciphers, a platform dedicated to preserving authentic underground hip-hop voices. But behind those accomplishments lies a quieter truth—periods of instability, couch surfing, shelters, and rebuilding from the ground up while becoming a husband, father, and mentor.This episode dives into:• Growing up between chaos and creativity• Punk rock as philosophy, not fashion• Learning through failure—and why Steve lets his students fail on purpose• Integrity in music, education, and collaboration• Teaching young artists how to earn trust, not just credits• Navigating homelessness, grief, and responsibility• Why creativity often chooses us before we’re readySteve also reflects on his role as an educator and nonprofit leader, sharing how his own unteachable tendencies shaped the way he mentors emerging creatives today. His approach is simple but radical: experience it, own it, fix it, and never repeat it.Beyond music, Steve is also a published author. His debut novel, Invasion of the Punkcrackers Who Drink Blood, blends rebellion, horror, and coming-of-age themes—mirroring the same raw energy that defines his life and work.This conversation isn’t about success in the traditional sense. It’s about integrity, resilience, and what it takes to stay creative when life keeps testing you.Connect with Steve Sxaks:https://letsgoguy.comInsta: https://www.instagram.com/steve_sxaksYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@stevesxaks⁩ #SteveSxaksInterview, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #PunkRockPhilosophy, #UndergroundHipHopCulture, #MarstonHouseRecording, #MusicIndustryIntegrity, #CreativeResilience, #RebuildingThroughArt, #HomelessnessAndCreativity, #PunkRockMindset, #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #podmatchguest #AudioEngineerJourney, #TeachingThroughFailure, #veteran #militarylife #militarymentalhealth #MusicEducationMentorship, #DIYMusicCulture, #ArtistIdentityRecovery, #CreativeSurvivalStories, #VeteranArtist,  #IndependentMusicPodcast, #AuthenticStorytelling  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩  Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this deeply human and expansive conversation, Rich Wright sits down with Alexandra Beller—award-winning choreographer, educator, and former principal dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company—to explore what it truly means to live, create, and lead from the body when the world keeps asking you to conform.Alexandra’s story is not one of neat triumph or easy confidence. It’s a story of contradiction—of being celebrated and unseen, powerful and insecure, grounded and exposed—all at the same time. From growing up as a highly sensitive, imaginative only child in New York, to navigating elite dance institutions that didn’t know how to see her, Alexandra shares what it took to stay connected to her embodied truth when external validation failed.This episode dives into:~What it means to belong to your body before the world approves of it~How artistic feedback can create lifelong wounds—and how to survive them~The pressure placed on artists to become symbols, role models, or “exceptions”~Why confidence is often a projection—and contradiction is the real source of power~Neurodivergence, intuition, and pattern recognition as creative intelligence~Letting go of external legitimacy (institutions, titles, citations) to reclaim authorship~The difference between success that looks impressive and work that feels true~How dance, grief, joy, shame, and magic can all coexist in one bodyAlexandra speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, body politics in dance, and the quiet violence of being forced into narratives that erase complexity. She challenges the idea that healing, success, or confidence must be linear—and offers a more embodied, compassionate way of understanding creative resilience.This is a conversation for:Artists who’ve been told they “don’t fit”Highly sensitive creatives navigating systems not built for themDancers, writers, educators, and performers questioning external validationConnect with Alexandra:https://www.alexandrabellerdances.orgInsta: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabellerdancesLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-beller-0a56a57FB: https://www.facebook.com/alexandrabellerdances#AlexandraBellerInterview, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #BodyImageInDance, #ImposterSyndromeArtists, #HighlySensitiveCreatives, #NeurodivergentArtists, #EmbodiedIntelligence, #SomaticCreativity, #CreativeResilience, #ArtisticIdentity, #BreakingTheMoldInArt, #DanceIndustryPressure, #BodyPoliticsInDance, #ArtistsAndShame, #ConfidenceMyth, #CreativeAuthenticity, #EmotionalTruthInArt, #FeedbackTraumaArtists, #WomenChoreographers, #HealingThroughMovement, #ContradictionInCreativity, #IntuitiveIntelligence, #ArtistsMentalHealth, #NonconformingBodies, #CreativeBelonging, #ResilienceInTheArts, #ArtisticVulnerability, #RejectionAndCreativity, #RedefiningSuccessInArt #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when hard rock meets stillness?When power, rhythm, and spiritual inquiry collide?In this deeply intimate episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Clementine Moss—founding drummer of the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zeparella, author of From Bonham to Buddha and Back, and a multidisciplinary artist whose life bridges rock performance and spiritual practice.Clementine’s story is not about overnight success or tidy transformation. It’s about late beginnings, internal listening, and the courage to follow truth—even when it contradicts expectation.Born in Southern California and raised in a household filled with music but not musicianship, Clementine didn’t discover the drums until her late twenties. What followed wasn’t just a musical awakening, but a complete reorientation of identity. Drumming became her language—one rooted in time, structure, mathematics, and intuition—while writing and meditation remained her compass.In this conversation, Clementine reflects on:• Growing up as an achiever and seeker in parallel• How silence, reading, and writing shaped her inner world• The tension between spirituality and rock culture—and why they’re not opposites• Discovering meditation alongside music, including a life-altering 10-day silent retreat• Why creativity isn’t about being seen—but about being trueClementine’s voice is grounded, reflective, and honest—offering insight not just for musicians, but for anyone navigating reinvention, recovery, or the quiet knowing that there’s more waiting on the other side of fear.This is not a performance.It’s a remembering.Timeline:00:00 – Meeting Clementine Moss04:10 – Childhood, reading, and early sensitivity11:30 – Achievement, identity, and internal pressure19:40 – Spiritual curiosity before religion28:15 – Junior high, depression, and self-attack36:00 – Writing as survival and self-expression44:20 – New York City & creative freedom52:10 – Discovering drums later in life1:01:30 – Seeing rhythm as blocks of time1:12:00 – From silence to stage1:23:40 – Spiritual practice meets rock performance1:34:10 – Why drumming feels like home1:46:00 – Unity, presence, and what music is really forConnect with Clementine:https://www.clementinemoss.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/clementinemossmusicFB: https://www.facebook.com/ClementineMossMusicYT: https://www.youtube.com/@UCZdYUfNZ7MifaGf0mPa22aw #Clementine Moss #Zeparelladrummer #femaledrummer #podcast  #artistrecoverypodcast #artistrecovery  #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #podmatchguest  #musicandspirituality #latebloomer  #artist, #womeninrock  #drummingandmeditation #creativeidentity , #spiritualawakening #artist, #recoveryandcreativity #rockmusic #healing  @PodMatch_com   mindfulness and music, artistic reinventionSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this deeply human and unfiltered conversation, Rich Wright sits down with bestselling author, muralist, and creative entrepreneur Alli Koch for one of the most honest Artist Recovery Podcast episodes to date.Known for her iconic black-and-white florals, large-scale murals, and over 18 bestselling art books, Alli’s external success tells only part of the story. What unfolds here is a raw exploration of perfectionism, people-pleasing, faith, identity, and the quiet pressure creatives carry long before the world sees the work.Alli opens up about growing up in the church, navigating judgment and conformity, and how those early environments shaped her deep desire to be “good,” “liked,” and “accepted.” She reflects on being a teacher’s pet, an adapter, and an old soul—roles that earned praise early on but later fueled burnout, self-doubt, and creative paralysis.Together, Rich and Alli unpack:• How people-pleasing becomes both a survival skill and a creative prison• The hidden cost of perfectionism in art and business• Dyslexia, self-trust, and learning to ask for help without shame• Why “art as a hobby” nearly stopped her from building a career• The leap from weddings and calligraphy to large-scale murals• Building a business that allowed her to retire her husband from corporate life• The tension between commercial success and the longing to create “just for yourself”• Redefining success, freedom, and autonomy on your own termsChapter Markers: 00:00 – The pressure of being “good” early06:40 – Teacher’s pet, perfectionism, and approval15:40 – Church, judgment, and learning to suppress self26:30 – Dyslexia, asking for help, and hidden shame45:30 – People-pleasing as survival51:30 – Commercial art vs. creative freedom1:05:00 – Art as a “real” career1:13:00 – The first mural that changed everything1:18:00 – Redefining success and autonomyThis episode isn’t about overnight wins or viral moments. It’s about the slow internal shifts that allow artists to reclaim their voice, their boundaries, and their creative agency—without burning everything down.If you’ve ever:– Felt trapped by expectations– Struggled to separate your worth from your output– Been praised for being “easy” or “reliable” at the cost of yourself– Wondered if it’s too late to pivot creativelyThis conversation will land exactly where it needs to.Connect with Alli:https://allikdesign.comInsta: https://www.instagram.com/allikdesignYoutube: @allikdesign5090Alli's Latest Book: https://a.co/d/1KPrrKQ#peoplepleasingcreatives #perfectionisminart #artistrecoverypodcast #creativeburnout #faithandcreativity #dyslexiaandcreativity #creativeentrepreneur #muralartist #artcareer #creativeidentity #artistselfworth #sustainableart #creativeboundaries #allikdesign #allibooks #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Some artists are born knowing exactly who they are — and then spend a lifetime being told not to trust it. In this deeply honest and soul-forward episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with bestselling mystery author and writing coach Liz Mugavero (also known as Cate Conte) for a conversation that moves far beyond publishing credits and into the raw terrain of identity, faith, trauma, and creative survival.  Liz is the author of multiple successful mystery series published by Kensington Books and St. Martin’s Press, including the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, Cat Café Mysteries, and Full Moon Mysteries. But behind the accolades is a story shaped by silence, religious control, codependency, emotional abuse, and the quiet resilience it takes to keep creating anyway. Raised in a strict Catholic environment that never quite aligned with her intuitive truth, Liz knew early on that something didn’t add up.  Storytelling — inspired in part by her grandfather, a former detective — became both a calling and a way out.In this episode, Liz opens up about:~Growing up deeply creative in an environment that discouraged questioning~The subtle, often invisible realities of emotional and psychological abuse~How codependency can quietly derail creativity~Losing — and then reclaiming — her artistic voice~Writing her first novel as a graduate thesis while navigating a collapsing marriage~Why real-life experiences (funeral homes, animal shelters, journalism) fuel authentic fiction~The courage it takes to trust your voice when no one else doesTogether, Rich and Liz explore the intersection of creativity and survival, unpacking how artists often learn to self-abandon before they learn to self-express.This conversation is for writers, artists, and creatives who:~Grew up feeling misunderstood or spiritually disconnected~Have been told to “be realistic” about their dreams~Have lost momentum due to relationships, fear, or control~Are rebuilding trust in their own intuition~Believe creativity isn’t just a career — it’s a lifelineLiz’s story is a reminder that recovery isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you were before the world told you to be smaller.Connect with Liz:https://cateconte.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizmugaveroFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.liz.mugaveroSubstack: https://lizmugavero.substack.com#creativeRecovery, #writingThroughTrauma, #emotionalAbuseSurvivor, #codependencyHealing, #artistIdentity, #spiritualCreativity, #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #recoveringCatholic, #womenWriters, #mysteryAuthor, #creativityAndHealing, #reclaimYourVoice, #artistResilience, #writingAsHealing, #creativeIntuition, #traumaInformed, #artistrecoverypodcast , #TheArtistsWay, #storytelling #podmatchguest ⁠ ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ ⁠Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Some stories don’t start with a spotlight.  They start with being forgotten.In this deeply honest episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with musician, author, National Guard service member, and mental health advocate Tony Kessel for a raw conversation about identity, abandonment, creativity, and healing.Tony’s story begins in rural North Dakota — adopted late, moved through foster care, raised in small towns where everyone knew your name but few truly knew you. As a child, Tony learned early what it feels like to be overlooked… and how performance, music, and creativity became a lifeline for being seen.This episode explores:~Growing up adopted and navigating foster care at a young age~The emotional weight of feeling rejected — even when love is present~How music became both refuge and voice~The connection between creativity, trauma, and emotional survival~Discipline, structure, and service through the National Guard~Why healing isn’t linear — and why art often tells the truth before we canTony is the author of It’s All in the Lyrics: How Music Helped Me Heal and Find My Voice, a memoir that blends lived experience with the power of music as emotional language. He’s also a multidisciplinary creative working in music production, design, photography, and advocacy — using his story to help others feel less alone in theirs.This conversation isn’t about “overcoming” trauma in a clean, inspirational arc.It’s about living with it, listening to it, and letting creativity translate what words can’t.If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong — in your family, your town, your body, or your own mind — this episode is for you. CONNECT WITH TONY:https://dualistmedia.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dualistmediaFB: https://www.facebook.com/dualistmediaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dualist.mediaX: https://x.com/DualistMedia#adoptiontrauma, #fostercareexperience, #childhoodabandonment, #healingthroughmusic, #musicastherapy, #creativityandtrauma, #artistrecovery, #emotionalhealingjourney, #findingyourvoice, #identitywounds, #feelingunwanted, #belongingandidentity, #innerchildhealing, #emotionalresilience, #traumarecoverystory, #mentalhealthawareness, #menandvulnerability, #emotionalhonesty, #breakingtraumacycles, #creativesurvival, #artashealing, #songwritingastherapy, #musicandmentalhealth, #recoverythroughcreativity, #personaltransformationstory, #disciplineandhealing, #nationalguardservice, #militarymentalhealth, #structuresaveslives, #healingisntlinear, #rawpodcastconversation, #reallifehealingstories, #creativeidentity, #purposethroughpain, #resiliencethroughart, #storytellingforhealing, #traumainformedconversation #podmatchguest #podmatch  @PodMatch_com   #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimitedSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this deeply human and beautifully unfolding conversation, the Artist Recovery Podcast welcomes Aimee Carlson — artist, seeker, former educator, long-distance runner, yoga teacher, and founder of the SheForce movement — for a journey into sensitivity, selfhood, reinvention, and the quiet courage it takes to rise again in midlife. Aimee’s story is not a linear ascent. It’s a mosaic — shaped by childhood observation, creative sparks, spiritual searching, emotional endurance, and the kind of lived experience that becomes medicine for others. This episode is a reflection for every creative who has ever wondered: “Is it too late for me?”  Aimee’s answer is a resounding: "It is never too late to become who you were always meant to be."Viral Moments & Deep Emotional Beats in This Episode✨ The Sensitive Child Who Became an Observer Aimee reveals how moving constantly, navigating divorced parents, and being teased for her curly hair shaped her inner world — and taught her the power of watching, absorbing, and understanding the emotional textures of life.✨ The Grandmother Who Lived in Color From handmade purple outfits to daily hats, Aimee’s artistic grandmother became her first permission slip to live boldly, creatively, unapologetically.✨ The 5th-Grade Teacher Who Ignited Her Creative Fire A spontaneous classroom “lion’s den” exercise leads Aimee to write and direct her first play — a moment she still carries as creative origin.✨ Running as Emotional Alchemy For nearly two decades, long-distance running wasn’t about fitness. It was how she processed emotion, sought meaning, and found internal spaciousness when life offered none.✨ The Yoga Studio as Sacred Space Aimee explains how yoga became her “movement church” — where breath, body, and spirit finally aligned into something that felt like home.✨ Teaching on a Native Reservation She shares the profound impact of community, humor, hardship, and resilience she witnessed among her students — and how it reshaped her understanding of humanity and belonging.✨ The Midlife Awakening: Enter SheForce Aimee reframes midlife not as decline but as second adulthood — a threshold where creativity, leadership, energy, and identity can be rewritten with intention and soul.What You’ll Take Away• How sensitivity is not a weakness — but a creative superpower • Why reinvention is not reserved for the young • How breath, movement, and art become pathways back to self • Why midlife is the most spiritually charged moment of becoming • How community and safe spaces help us take creative risks • Why exploring who you are now is the greatest act of leadershipConnect with Aimee:https://www.sheforcecoach.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-carlson-b5152b65Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Dive into one of the most powerful Artist Recovery Podcast episodes yet — a raw, inspiring, and deeply human conversation with Jacki Ramsey, the designer, photographer, entrepreneur, producer, and founder of Wood Sprite Organic Body. Her story is proof that creativity can save a life — and sometimes build an entire industry.In this episode, Jacki opens up about:✨ Growing up surrounded by art after her mother brought her into college drawing classes — even becoming the toddler “model” for 60-second gesture sketches.✨ Escaping an abusive home environment and finding refuge in nature, animals, and creativity.✨ The emotional impact of losing her brother — a defining moment that transformed her focus, discipline, and purpose.✨ Discovering photography, filmmaking, and storytelling as lifelines and forms of expression.Viral Moment Alert:Jacki shares the wild, unbelievable story of meeting Patrick Swayze at horse shows right before Dirty Dancing hit — and how her classmates called her a liar until she brought in the autograph.The Documentary That Changed Everythingwith sheer determination (and zero budget), Jacki chased the story of the Yellowstone bison crisis — cold-calling government officials, interviewing Native American activists, and filming across Montana with donated gear and “short ends” of film stock. Even when the project was later plagiarized and aired on PBS without her involvement, Jacki learned the powerful truth that her work was good enough.The Birth of Wood Sprite Organic BodyAfter quitting smoking, Jacki redirected her restless hands into crafting pure, natural soap — long before “clean beauty” existed. Handmade in tiny batches with essential oils and organic herbs, her soaps went viral in real life through word-of-mouth. Soon, Jacki’s hobby became a thriving business built on sustainability, integrity, and intention — a brand she still hand-crafts today.Connect with Jacki:https://www.woodspriteorganicbody.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/WoodSpriteOrganicBodyInsta: https://www.instagram.com/woodsprite#JackiRamsey, #WoodSpriteOrganicBody, #CleanBeauty, #OrganicSkincare, #NaturalSkincare, #WomenEntrepreneurs, #TraumaToTriumph, #CreativeHealing, #ChildhoodTraumaRecovery, #ArtistRecovery, #OriginStory, #PatrickSwayzeStory, #MeetingPatrickSwayze, #YellowstoneBisonDocumentary, #DocumentaryFilmmaking, #FilmmakerJourney, #CreativeResilience, #OvercomingAdversity, #EmpathCreatives, #NatureHealing, #PhotographyJourney, #HandmadeSoapBusiness, #SmallBusinessFounder, #SustainableBeauty, #HolisticWellness, #PurposeDrivenBusiness, #InspiringWomen, #CreativeEntrepreneurship, #ResilienceStory, #EmotionalStorytelling, #TurningPainIntoPurpose, #ViralPodcastMoments, #InspirationalPodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimitedSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, we sit down with watercolor artist, designer, speaker, and disability advocate Katherine Klimitas, whose life and art defy every expectation. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), Katherine had broken over 500 bones by the age of 10 — yet she transformed those challenges into a thriving creative career.From selling her first pet portrait at just ten years old to becoming a professional watercolor illustrator who paints lying on her side, Katherine’s story is one of radical resilience, relentless curiosity, and uncompromising artistry.About Katherine Klimitas.Katherine is a New Orleans–based watercolor artist, graphic designer, author, and keynote speaker known for her breathtaking animal portraits and her advocacy for accessibility and inclusion. Painting while lying down due to her condition, she’s developed a unique and masterful process rooted in precision, patience, and extraordinary determination. Her message: limitations don’t define you — your choices do.🔥 Viral Moments & Key HighlightsThe unbelievable moment she reveals breaking 500 bones by age 10 — and how she kept creating art.• How a cheap watercolor set at age 5 changed the entire trajectory of her life.• Why she refused to let her disability define her creativity, identity, or future.• The shocking accessibility barriers artists with disabilities still face — including being removed from a ticketed concert floor seat despite ADA protections.• Katherine’s business truth: why “design pays the bills, but art feeds the soul.”• The genius new kids’ product she’s launching: Paint Like Katherine watercolor kits.• How she overcomes burnout by “throwing spaghetti at the wall” until something sticks.• Her upcoming wildlife collaboration with a Louisiana photographer — announced here before anywhere else. Perfect for Viewers Who Love• Inspirational artist stories• Disability advocacy and inclusion• Creative entrepreneurship• Watercolor & animal art• Conversations about resilience and mindset• Behind-the-scenes artist lifeConnect with Katherine: https://kakartnola.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kakartnolaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherineklimitasFB: https://www.facebook.com/kakartnola#osteogenesisimperfecta, #brittlebones, #disabilityadvocate, #resiliencestory, #watercolorartist, #creativeresilience, #overcomingadversity, #livingwithdisability, #breaking500bones, #inspirationaljourney, #disabilityrepresentation, #adaptivecreativity, #accessibilityissues, #creativeentrepreneurship, #petportraitartist, #neworleansartist, #paintingwhilelyingdown, #chronicillnessstrength, #inclusivedesign, #disabilityempowerment, #motivationalstory, #artanddisability, #creativemindset, #artisticperseverance, #paintersstory, #viralinspiration, #disabilitystruggles, #accessibilityawareness, #creativebreakthrough, #artistsuccessstory, #resiliencemindset #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #podmatchguestSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this episode of The Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with David “Letterfly” Knoderer — a circus-bred creative whose life spans drumming under the big top, elite horsemanship, old-school hand-painted artistry, motorcycle culture, addiction recovery, and the rediscovery of purpose through creativity and service.Letterfly opens up about growing up shy in Springfield, Ohio, shaped by a childhood where his autistic brother was bullied. Creativity became his refuge, leading him into music, drawing, and eventually the circus — the place where he finally felt he belonged.Highlights:• A childhood shaped by art and identityRaised by an opera-singing mother and a draftsman father, young Dave found comfort in sketchbooks, instruments, and the circus as an escape from social pressure.• The wild moment he joined the circus at 16He wrote letters to every circus in the country and landed his first gig drumming under a traveling big top in the Appalachian Mountains. His father initially resisted — until he realized Dave was truly built for the road.• How horses taught him emotional intelligenceTraining Liberty horses and performing with dancing horses taught Letterfly relational skills he never learned as a kid. Horses became his bridge to understanding trust, partnership, and connection.• Recovery, reinvention, and creative rebirthThrough AA meetings, mentorship, and emotional healing, he rebuilt his life. His artistry exploded — first as one of the most recognized RV muralists in America, then as a sought-after pinstriper in the Harley-Davidson world.• The rise of “Letterfly” as a creative iconFrom circus showmanship to gold leaf, hand lettering, and large-scale murals, Letterfly adapted as industries evolved, becoming the resident artist at one of the biggest RV dealerships in the country.• Writing, storytelling, and living a life of serviceJournaling during recovery sparked his writing career — now five published books strong, including Hit the Road and Thrive. 🔗 Connect With DavidWebsite: https://letterfly.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-letterfly-knoderer-bab1a17Instagram: @letterflyartYouTube: @letterflyartBe a guest through @PodMatch_com#circuslife #circusdrummer #Libertyhorsetraining #horsemanship #motorcyclepinstriping #handlettering #goldleafartist #oldschoolcraftsmanship #RVmuralartist #motorhomemurals #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #circuschildhood #creativityandtrauma #overcomingbullying #Aspergersimpact #artisticresilience #addictionrecovery #hittingrockbottom #creativereinvention #artisttransformation #servicemindset #creativejourney #storytellingartist #HitTheRoadAndThrive #carnivalculture  #HarleyDavidsonculture #livepainting #creativediscipline #emotionalintelligencefromanimals #relationshipwithhorses #recoverybreakthroughs #selfdiscovery #artistevolution #makingalivingasanartist #purposedrivencreativity #reinventionstory #inspirationalinterview #creativemindset #mentorshipandgrowthSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What does it REALLY take to rebuild your identity, reclaim your voice, and reinvent your entire life — again and again? In this powerful episode of The Artist Recovery Podcast, creative storytelling expert and heart-math coach Anna Rosa Parker shares her deeply human, wildly inspiring journey from a minimalist childhood in Iceland to becoming a soul-led leader, mentor, brand strategist, performer, and creative visionary. Anna Rosa’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and radical self-trust. Growing up in Reykjavik in an austere, often bleak environment with limited access to TV or creative resources, she learned early on how to build her own world — literally. She made her own books, imagined her future, transformed her home into sets and scenes, and became the director of her own creativity long before she knew what that meant. Today, she helps artists, creatives, and leaders do the same through her EVOKE framework — blending intuition, neuroscience, storytelling, and heart-centered coaching. The inner work behind overcoming shame, emotional patterns, and creative blockage - Every chapter of her journey reveals a profound truth:Creativity isn’t a talent — it’s a way of surviving, healing, and becoming. Anna Rosa’s Creative Evolution: From performing in Icelandic theaters to competing in world aerobics competitions, to teaching, coaching, acting, auditioning, directing, producing, and ultimately founding her own creative guidance practice — Anna Rosa embodies the art of reinvention. Her transition from acting to brand strategy emerged from a desire for stability while still honoring the creative spark. Through her work with global brands like Baccarat Hotel, One Hotels, Soli Organics, Venus Williams, and more, she learned how storytelling unlocks identity, purpose, and personal power. Your story is your superpower — once you learn how to tell it! Why This Conversation Matters If you’re an artist, creator, or anyone who has ever felt misunderstood, unseen, or uncertain of your path — this episode is for you!Connect With Anna Rosa:  https://www.annarosaparker.com Evoke Story: https://www.evokeyourstory.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-rosa-parker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evokeyourstory#IcelandChildhood, #CreativeRecovery, #ReinventionStory, #RejectionResilience, #CreativeStorytelling, #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest #SoulLedLeadership, #IntuitiveCreativity, #EvokeFramework, #ActingRejection, #ChildhoodCreativity, #IcelandCulture, #DarknessAndLightIceland, #SoloShowNewYork, #CreativeConfidence, #EmotionalHealing, #MotherDaughterRecovery, #AddictionRecoveryStory, #CreativeInspiration, #StorytellingCoach, #VisionaryMentor, #CreatingYourOwnWorld, #IntuitiveGuidance, #OvercomingAdversity, #IdentityAndCreativity, #ArtistEmpowerment, #CreativeAwakening, #InnerHealingJourney, #CuriosityMindset, #FollowingIntuition, #SelfReinvention, #CreativeResilience, #TraumaHealing, #SpiritualGrowth, #EmotionalResilience, #PersonalGrowthJourneySupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

Step inside one of the most powerful and vulnerable conversations ever featured on the Artist Recovery Podcast. In this episode, host Rich Wright sits down with Jack Maher — Emmy Award–winning journalist, author, historian, and fifth-generation Colorado native — for a deeply personal exploration of grief, faith, resilience, creativity, family legacy, and the healing power of storytelling.Jack pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary lineage that shaped him — from his Hollywood roots to the untold story of his grandfather, pioneering curator Eric Douglas, whose work elevated Native American art across major institutions. Jack reveals how uncovering that hidden family history inspired him to write Poppy, a historical novel selected by the Colorado State Library for its Colorado Book Club collection.But the heart of this interview lies in "You Were Chosen, Just Like Mary" — a book born from profound love, loss, and faith. Jack opens up about surviving childhood trauma, navigating mental health challenges, the complexities of family dynamics, and the devastating loss of his younger brother, Chris — a gifted artist whose life was cut tragically short. Jack explains why suffering can sometimes be a gift to creatives, how faith can serve as a compass through life’s darkest chapters. He shares how writing became his lifeline — a way to channel grief, honor loved ones, and bring light into the world through art.Key Moments in This Interview:~Jack’s surreal childhood between Colorado and Hollywood~The rediscovered family legacy that sparked the writing of Poppy~What journalism taught him about truth, bias, and democracy~The heartbreaking story of his brother Chris — and how grief shaped Jack’s artistic path~How trauma resurfaces and how creatives cope through their craft~Faith, healing, and the thin veil between this life and the next~Jack’s most heartfelt message for artists struggling with mental healthIf you’re an artist, storyteller, or someone navigating grief or healing, this conversation will stay with you long after the final minute.Connect with Jack:https://www.sandgoatmanorpublishing.com/Get his books on Amazon:Poppy - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVNVM4XN?tag=&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1You were Chosen - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH59SW4K?tag=&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1#JackMaher, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #CreativeHealing, #GriefAndCreativity, #TraumaRecovery, #MentalHealthForCreatives, #EmmyAwardJournalist, #StorytellingPower, #FaithAndResilience, #OvercomingLoss, #NativeAmericanArtHistory, #ColoradoAuthor, #HealingJourney, #CopingThroughCreativity, #EmotionalStorytelling, #TurningPainIntoArt, #CreativeResilience, #FamilyLegacy, #SurvivingTrauma, #ChannelingGrief, #ArtisticPurpose, #VulnerabilityInArt, #CreativeInspiration, #ResilienceThroughStorytelling, #HealingThroughWriting #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this episode of The Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with author, musician, creative visionary, and nonprofit director Mark Firehammer—a lifelong creator whose journey spans songwriting, AI-enhanced music, live-stream innovation, and a profound mission to reconnect humanity through art. From his early days as an introverted kid searching for meaning to becoming the mind behind The Echo and the Voice—an epic tale exploring creative identity and transformation【11:24-31】—Mark shares the deeply human experiences that shaped his creative evolution. If you've ever felt the pull toward something bigger, something more authentic, or something that reconnects you with your inner creative voice, this conversation will hit home. What You’ll Discover in This Episode ~The moment Mark realized his creative path was bigger than a career—it's a calling. ~Why introverts often make the most powerful artists, and how Mark overcame the discomfort of stepping into the spotlight【11:58-60】. ~How a small pizza shop in a college town became a live-streaming creative hub in 2007—years before streaming went mainstream【1:29:36-53】. ~The birth of the Creative Humanity Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to awakening creativity across the globe, and why its mission matters now more than ever【11:35-38】【2:04:43-48】. ~Why Mark believes creativity can reshape mental health, community, and even the human environment【2:06:61-67】. ~A viral-worthy moment where Mark reveals the secret to protecting your creative work in the age of AI—and why releasing your creations publicly is often the most powerful form of copyright【4:83-85】. Connect and Support Mark: https://markfirehammer.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfirehammer Creative Humanity Alliance: https://creativehumanityalliance.org  Get Noticed and Be a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ : https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery #MarkFirehammer, #creativeidentity, #artisticawakening, #introvertedcreator, #creativetransformation, #AIinmusic, #creativehumanity, #CreativeHumanityAlliance, #awakenedcreativity, #emotionalstorytelling, #creativepurpose, #innervoice, #authenticcreativity, #humanconnection, #creativefreedom, #personalevolution, #songwriterjourney, #musicianstory, #creativityandAI, #creativeecosystem, #artisticresilience, #creativemindset, #purposedrivencreativity, #creativeexpression, #transformativestory, #creativeleadership, #artisticempowerment, #creativehealing, #creativemission, #creatorjourney, #creativityawakening, #livestreampioneer, #earlyadoptercreator, #creativityandtechnology, #awakencuriosity, #podmatchguest ⁠ @PodMatch_com ⁠ #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltdSupport the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

At just 17 years old, Shanti Hershenson has written and published over 30 books — before even graduating high school. In this inspiring and deeply honest conversation with Rich Wright, Shanti opens up about her creative journey, her daily writing habit, and how she turned isolation during the pandemic into a powerful force of imagination.In This Episode:~ Discovering writing at age 4, falling in love with storytelling before she could even spell her name.~ The role of her magician mom and software engineer dad in shaping her creativity.~ How fencing, Star Wars, and fantasy worlds influenced her writing style and imagination.~ The creation of her first 240,000-word novel, “Biome Lock”, and how she taught herself self-publishing at 12.~ The viral explosion of “Never Dying” on TikTok that changed her career overnight.~How Shanti uses Patreon to share her latest work, Good Kids, Bad Choices — a 1,000+ page contemporary novel written and edited entirely before college.Why This Interview Matters:Shanti’s story is a blueprint for the next generation of creators.She’s proof that age doesn’t define ability — discipline and imagination do. From her first sci-fi saga to her poetry novel You Won’t Know Her Name (inspired by her real experiences with bullying), Shanti blends authenticity with artistry in a way that connects deeply with readers and creators of all ages.About Shanti Hershenson:~ Author of 30+ published books across sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary genres~ Advocate for anti-bullying and environmental awareness~ Viral BookTok creator with millions of views on #NeverDying~ Founder of her own creative community through Patreon~ Shanti’s latest works include Good Kids, Bad Choices and Pontus and Electra to the Depths of the Sea — poetic, thought-provoking novels that merge activism with imagination.Connect with Shanti Hershenson:Website: shantihershenson.comTikTok: @shantihershensonPatreon: patreon.com/shantihershenson Instagram: @shantihershensonTwitter: @shantihwritesBe a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ :https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#ShantiHershenson, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #ViralAuthor, #TikTokAuthor, #BookTok, #NeverDying,  #1000WordsADay, #CreativeDiscipline, #WritingMotivation, #SelfPublishing, #IndieAuthor, #WritingJourney, #BullyingToBooks, #OvercomingBullying, #CreativeRecovery, #WritingInspiration, #PandemicCreativity, #CreativeTeenager,  #Storytelling, #AuthorMindset, #GenZSuccess, #ViralSuccess, #TikTokWritingTips, #MotivationForWriters, #WritingEveryDay, #FemaleAuthor, #FantasyWriter, #SciFiAuthor, #SelfPublishedAuthor, #CreativeProcess, #AuthorLife, #WritingProductivity, #ViralStorytelling,  #PassionToPurpose, #AuthorJourney, #CreativeResilience, #TurningPainIntoArt, #YoungNovelist, #AspiringAuthor, #ViralWritingMoment, #StudentAuthor, #CreativeDisciplineTips,  #GenZAuthor, #TeenNovelist,  #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

What happens when a U.S. Army Ranger turned storyteller digs deep into his ancestral roots — uncovering forgotten French-Canadian and Algonquin legends that spark an extraordinary creative rebirth?In this powerful episode of The Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Joseph Bolton — a West Point graduate, Afghanistan combat veteran, and author of “Old Grandmother’s Tree” — to explore how trauma, identity, and imagination can transform into art that heals both the creator and the culture it came from.Watch this if you love: Storytelling that blends mythology, family history & indigenous wisdomMilitary-to-artist transformation stories• Deep conversations about resilience, empathy, and creativity after serviceAncestry, spirituality, and rediscovering your cultural roots🪶 What’s Inside This Episode04:00 – The Roots of Imagination: Growing up in Rhode Island’s French-Canadian Catholic culture, surrounded by ritual and folklore 10:00 – The Discovery: DNA tests reveal long-lost Native American ancestry, including the remarkable story of Mithyogoku, the courageous Algonquin ancestor who survived loss and became the “Old Grandmother” of thousands20:00 – Turning Pain Into Art: How Joseph transformed historical research and personal grief into magical folk tales that honor resilience35:00 – The Creative Spark: Writing through grief after losing his brother to ALS — and rediscovering storytelling as a lifeline50:00 – Life Lessons From the Military: How discipline, detail, and determination learned in Ranger School shaped his artistry1:10:00 – The Ghost Story That Almost Got Him Shot: The hilarious and shocking near-death moment in Afghanistan that became a viral favorite 1:15:00 – The Power of Ancestral Art: How reconnecting with heritage through writing can heal generationsConnect with Joseph:https://oldgrandmotherstree.com/Get Noticed and Be a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ :https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#JosephBolton, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #OldGrandmothersTree, #CreativeHealing, #VeteranToArtist, #Storytelling, #Ancestry, #NativeAmericanHeritage, #FrenchCanadianRoots, #ArtisticTransformation, #Resilience, #Imagination, #MilitaryToCreativity, #PostMilitaryHealing, #EmotionalStorytelling, #Folklore, #AncestralHealing, #Identity, #Purpose, #TraumaRecovery, #Empathy, #INFJPersonality, #CreativeRebirth, #Spirituality, #CreativeProcess, #ArtistJourney, #CulturalStorytelling, #ArtAsTherapy, #AncestralWisdom, #HealingThroughArt, #CreativeResilience, #VeteranStories, #TransformationThroughCreativity, #CreativeAwakening, #IndigenousAncestry, , #StorytellingThroughTrauma, #OvercomingLoss, #AncestralConnection, #SpiritualJourney, #CreativeDiscipline, #AuthenticityInArt, #EmpathyAndCreativity, #CreativeCourage #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com  #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin

In this episode, we sit down with the incredible Lora Arbrador — a trailblazing artist, nurse, author, and co-founder of the Society of Tempera Painters — for a raw, emotionally rich journey through a life shaped by creativity, compassion, and resilience.WATCH TILL THE END for unforgettable moments about LSD trips in the '60s, surviving the AIDS epidemic as a nurse, and how a humble watercolor class in a basement launched a fine art career recognized by Cornell, Publishers Weekly, and art collectors worldwide.Timestamps (for easy navigation):00:00 – Intro to Lora Arbrador02:50 – Lora’s Bronx childhood & feeling “not talented”07:00 – Immigrant roots, poetry, and “poisonality” photography14:00 – Discovering art late through a basement class26:00 – LSD, Berkeley, counterculture & dropout days36:00 – Falling in love with egg tempera (life-changing moment)46:00 – Becoming a nurse & nursing during the AIDS crisis1:10:00 – “Ways of Dying” art series & creative healing1:18:00 – Art and love: Europe, communes, and heartbreak1:27:00 – The struggle of balancing art and survivalKey Highlights:~"Not a Prodigy": Lora opens up about being dismissed as “untalented” — and how she proved everyone wrong.~Egg Tempera Epiphany: Hear how a mandatory college assignment led to a lifelong devotion to a nearly forgotten painting medium.~Love & LSD in the '60s: Wild stories from Berkeley’s heyday — communal vans, Janis Joplin at the Fillmore, and spiritual midwifery communes in Tennessee.~Healing Through Art: Her award-winning series Ways of Dying was born out of heartbreak, grief, and frontline work during the AIDS epidemic.~Double Identity: How she channeled her medical career into powerful artwork that won her recognition and gave voice to marginalized stories.~Book Feature: Don’t miss talk of her acclaimed book Art and Love, chosen as Editor’s Pick by BookLife Reviews.You’ll love this episode if you’re into:~Healing through creativity~Unconventional artist journeys~60s counterculture and communes~Art history, egg tempera techniqueConnect with Lora Arbrador:https://www.arbrador.comInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/arbradorFB: https://www.facebook.com/lora.arbradorLora's New Book: https://a.co/d/fMXnh6qGet Noticed and Be a Guest through ‪@PodMatch_com‬ :https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery#LoraArbrador, #ArtistRecovery, #EggTempera, #AIDSEpidemic, #NurseArtist, #ArtAndMedicine, #CommuneLiving, #60sCounterculture, #ArtistJourney, #CreativeHealing, #ArtTherapy, #ArtAsSurvival, #JanisJoplin, #DropoutToArtist, #LoveAndArt, #BerkeleyHippieEra, #ArtistResilience, #MentalHealth, #WomenInArt, #LateBloomer, #ArtSchoolRejection, #WaysOfDying, #EmotionalArt, #SpiritualMidwifery, #BookLifeEditorsPick, #ArtistPodcast, #HealingThroughArt, #NYtoCA, #FreeClinics, #NursingAndCreativity, #ForgottenArtForms #podmatch #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com ​Support the showAlways remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich WrightFollow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.comJoin the Community: https://www,artrecroom.comListen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.comConnect:InstagramFacebookXTikTokLinkedin