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Always Looking Up
Always Looking Up episodes
- Mariadeliz Santiago On Our College Years
In this week’s episode I welcomed back Mariadeliz Santiago. Maria is a NYC-based disabled content creator, speaker, and advocate who uses her platform to champion authentic representation and accessibility in media. As a Latina with an upper limb difference and chronic conditions like Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and new daily persistent headache (NDPH), she creates impactful content that bridges beauty, lifestyle and disability awareness. With a growing and engaged audience, Maria partners with inclusive brands to tell meaningful stories, and regularly speaks on the importance of disability visibility, intersectionality and inclusive marketing.
We sat down to reflect on our college experiences as two disabled women: what it was really like, what we wish we knew, and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Maria: Instagram: @limbitlessmaria_ TikTok: @limbitlessmaria Substack: https://substack.com/@livinlimbitlessly
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 19 min - Karina Camile Parker On Opera, The Art And The Access
In this week’s episode I sat down with Karina Camile Parker. Karina is a Brooklyn-based director, performer, and teaching artist. Karina is the co-founder of Killer Queen Opera, an innovative fem-led opera company, and The Music Co-Lab, a voice studio for singers of all ages and musical backgrounds.
We discuss accessibility in and at the opera, what the world would look like if disabled people designed it, opera roles that would be enhanced if they were portrayed by disabled performers and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Karina: Instagram: @karinacamille Website: https://www.karinacamileparker.com
Follow Killer Queen Opera: Instagram: @killerqueenopera Website: https://www.killerqueenopera.com
Attend The Killer Queen Operatic World's Fair: events.humanitix.com/opera-world-fair
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 22 min - Hope Walz On Community Aimed Advocacy And Allies As Amplifiers
In this week’s episode I am honored and proud to have sat down with Hope Walz. Hope is a 25-year-old Montana-based lifestyle creator who shares her day-to-day life, showcasing an active, outdoors-driven routine rooted in fitness, wellness, adventure, and everyday moments. She is known for her grounded, relatable perspective and is positioning herself as an emerging voice among Gen Z.
We discuss being a woman in the political space, the many ways in which we can show up both online and offline, finding your inner power and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Hope: Instagram: @hopewalz TikTok: @hopewalz
Support Hope's Fundraiser for March For Our Lives: https://donations.nyrr.org/donations/new?fundraiser=33feb9c4da4d14b9fe4e
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Get Ready To Vote - Voter Resource Center: https://midterms.voteamerica.org/vote/
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
54 min - Aditi Mahajan On Art, Medicine, And The Act Of Getting Dressed
In this week’s episode I sat down with Aditi Mahajan. Aditi is a physician and lifelong lover of fashion and the arts who is completing her training in New York City. Her work explores the intersection of rehabilitation, disability, and design, and what happens when we start thinking about medicine as something that should support not just how we function, but how we live and express ourselves.
We discuss the intersection between art and medicine, understanding disability within healthcare, how fashion makes it easier to exist in your body and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Aditi: Instagram: @aditi.mahajan TikTok: @aditimahajan5693
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
56 min - Bryanna Copeland On Disability, Accessibility, And Motherhood
In this week’s episode I sat down with Bryanna Copeland. Bryanna is a disability advocate, social worker, and single mom who shares her experiences navigating motherhood and everyday life as a bilateral above knee amputee and wheelchair user. She uses her voice and platform to challenge assumptions about disability and advocate for greater accessibility and inclusion. We discuss how we learn about disability, social media as a tool for advocacy, finding your village and community and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Bryanna: Instagram: @bryannacopes TikTok: @bryannacopes
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
53 min - Chef Lay Alston On Dinner Conversations Around An Accessible Table
In this week’s episode I sat down with Chef Lay Alston. Lay is a chef, culinary producer and advocate for accessibility in the hospitality industry and beyond. Her work sits at the intersection of food, storytelling, and possibility while inspiring others to build their dream lives out loud. We discuss understanding the history and culture of food, navigating inaccessibility in the kitchen, the conversations she has at her dinner table and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Chef Lay: Instagram: @laylomein TikTok: layloslens Website: https://www.soulandwheel.com
Follow Yaya's Crib: Instagram: @yayascrib
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 2 min - Sarah Hartshorne And Pamela Schuller On The Tall And Short Of Reality TV
In this week’s episode (The 250th!) I sat down with Sarah Hartshorne and Pamela Rae Schuller. Sarah is a writer and comedian best known for none of those things: she was the plus size contestant on Cycle 9 of America’s Next Top Model. In addition to writing her first book, You Wanna Be On Top?, she has also written for the Guardian, Vogue, Gawker, Teen Vogue and more. She has also performed standup all over the country and at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Pamela is a professional stand-up comedian, storyteller, and internationally recognized disability advocate who transforms neurological chaos into powerful messages of inclusion and authenticity. Featured on Netflix, NBC, and in The New York Times, she blends humor, research, and lived experience to change how we think about disability and mental health.
We discuss existing in bodies that are often represented, but do not tell the full story, representation vs. entertainment through the lens of reality television and so much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Sarah: Instagram: @sarahbhartshorne TikTok: @sarahbhartshorne Website: https://www.sarahbhartshorne.com
Buy "You Wanna Be On Top?"
Follow Pamela: Instagram: @pamelacomedy TikTok: @pamelacomedy Website: https://pamelacomedy.com
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall:
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Immigrant Communities:
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 8 min - Cassidy Huff On Simply Existing As A Little Person In An Average-Height World
In this week’s episode I sat down with Cassidy Huff. Cassidy is a content creator, best-selling author, director, actress, and disability advocate passionate about creating and amplifying diverse voices in media. We discuss dwarfism history and understanding the culture, navigating the healthcare system and trying to meet guidelines that were not created with the bodies of people with dwarfism in mind, and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Cassidy: Instagram: @cass_huff TikTok: @casshuff YouTube: @CassidyHuff Website: https://cassidyhuff.com
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 19 min - Steffi Gonzalez On The Beauty Of Accessibility And The Accessibility Of Beauty
In this week’s episode I sat down with Steffi Gonzalez. Steffi is a beauty, travel, lifestyle creator and model redefining disability representation. The first disabled Latina creator to join Sephora Squad, she has partnered with brands including Sephora, Rare Beauty, Disney, Aerie, and Amazon. Through her acclaimed series, My Normal Is Not Your Normal, she challenges perceptions and creates visibility for the everyday experiences of disability.
We discuss re-defining access to accessibility, the power and responsibility of representation on social media, how there is no one definition of beauty and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Steffi: Instagram: @therealsteffig TikTok: therealsteffig
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 13 min - Sugandha Gupta On Accessible Design And Embodied Justice
In this week’s episode I sat down with Sugandha Gupta. Sugandha is the Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and Materiality at Parsons School of Design. She creates multi-sensory textiles and garments that reflect her identity with Albinism. Her research intersects disability, environmental and embodied justice.
We discuss our fashion origin stories, the relationship between culture and disability identity, how design is shaped by the body and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Sugandha: Instagram: @sugandha.in.here Website: https://www.sugandhagupta.com
Follow Sensory Textiles: Instagram: @sensory_textiles Website: https://www.sugandhagupta.com/gallery
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]
Read With Me:
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
1 hr 21 min
About Always Looking Up
From the publisher's feed
A podcast dedicated to telling honest and real stories about living in a world that was not necessarily designed for us.