Balancing Acts

In the final episode of the series I talk with actor and improviser Andrew Gentilli (@andrewgentilli).

This conversation was recorded late at night after a few glasses of wine. Andrew recently starred in my BBC Radio 4 sitcom Wisebowm as Dennis the barber and Paul the journalist. In addition to being one of the most talented comedic actors and improvisers I know, Andrew is an amazing impersonator and shines a light on his process on how to create the perfect Pacino. And no it's not a coffee. Andrew is spiritually inclined and we discuss how remaining present as helped him overcome bouts of anxiety and depression. This was a special conversation, with moments of deep chat mixed with lots of silliness. If you're an improviser, interested in spirituality and on how to find strategies to deal with anxiety etc then this is the episode for you.

I will be back with more illuminating conversations in the New Year. We will be kicking off with series two on January 22nd. Thank you to every one that has listened and supported 'Balancing Acts', it's been a lot of fun and I hope you you guys have got something out of it. Happy holidays and have a great New Year!

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening.

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #andrewgentilli #improv

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

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In this episode I talk with ordained Buddhist and award winning poet Maitreyabandhu (https://www.lbc.org.uk/).

Maitreyabandhu lives in an all male Buddhist community above the London Buddhist Centre. We first met in 2016 when I moved into the community for six months. In this conversation Maitreyabandhu shares his journey from being raised in a traditional working class Northern family to becoming a 'full-time ordained Buddhist'. He discusses how his meditation practice has an effect on his poetry and vice versa. We discuss what it really means to be a Buddhist and what it's like to live in an all male community. Maitreyabandhu explains how putting a false version of yourself on social media can have an adverse effect on your mental health. This is an enlightening episode (no pun intended) for anyone who has an interest in Buddhism, spirituality and mindfulness as well as for those who are seeking new ways to enhance and improve their creative output.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #maitreybandhu #poetry #buddhism

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk with US actress and comedian Maria Shehata (@mariashehata).

Maria talks about the differences between the LA and London stand up scenes, across both stand up and improv and the pros and cons of both. Maria explains that comedy is now her teenager and as it's starting to take care of its self, she's ready to take on new hobbies such as learning the piano. We talk about how Maria adopts a growth mindset when taking on a new challenge. She discusses the challenges of being in a new relationship and how it affects her daily routine and explains how binge watching gets her through life's struggles. There's loads of nuggets here...including her love for the Panda Planner, which I've since become an avid fan of.

Whether you're a comedian, performer or are a fan of comedy, this episode is a good one.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #mariashehata

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk with the very funny actor and writer Selom Awadzi (@selomlom).

Selom played Ryan in my short film 'Swiped' and we discuss the impact that being in the film has had on him. Selom talks about the death of his Dad and how that motivated him to succeed as an actor. We talk about Seloms battles with depression and the strategies he puts in place to move beyond it and shift his mindset. Selom also shines a light on his process for learning lines and how he calms himself before auditions. This is a great episode for actors, aspiring actors and all round creatives that struggle with depression and their all round mental health.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #selomawadzi

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk to actress, comedian, children's author and host of Magic Mike Live, Samantha Baines (@samanthabaines).

Samantha is a go getter, she makes things happen and it was inspiring to hear how she goes with the flow and things just seem to happen. There was no grand plan to be a comedian, Samantha just decided want to do it so she did. We talk about the positive effect stand up comedy has had on Samantha's acting career and how it's helped her find herself. Samantha is also the host of Channing Tatum's Magic Mike Live and discusses how even if she's feeling anxious, the show always leaves her feeling uplifted. We talk about social media and how she tries to remain transparent and her true authentic self. Samantha also opens up about how the death of her Dad affected her personally and the impact it had on her comedy. She's someone that's suffered from anxiety and talks about how that manifests itself and what coping strategies she puts in place to counteract the affect it has on her mental health. We also discuss her latest project, writing children's book 'Harriet Versus The Galaxy'. This is a great conversation for all the multi-hyphenate's out there, Samantha is proof that as a creative you can If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #sambaines

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I got to sit down with Josh Wilson (@joshbvwilson), founder and MD of TV production company Wilson Worldwide. Josh is a super inspiring guy and talks about the importance of developing a positive mindset, how not to self sabotage your own efforts and why we all need to find out what our skill sets are and how to monetise them. He emphasises the value he places on having down time to recharge, we talk about why he does intermittent fasting and the impact it has on him. He also talks about his role as an Executive Producer and how he came to be the owner of a TV production company having had no previous experience in the industry. We even talk about AI and what the future holds for us mere mortals. There's lots of takeaways from this conversation and if you have any aspirations to work in the TV industry then there's plenty of nuggets for you.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #joshwilson #forbes30under30

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation I talk with poet and comedian Sarah Callaghan (@scallaghan1). Sarah is a super inspiring person, she talks about how she shifted her mindset to become a more positive person, how important it is to go out and enjoy your life and try new experiences rather than sitting in front of a laptop forcing the inspiration to hit. She talks about how attending meditation and sound healing classes helped her overcome depression and heartbreak, which ultimately led her to performing poetry for the first time. We discuss her love for poetry and why it offers a different creative outlet to performing stand up comedy. Sarah also breakdowns her writing process and explains how having a more relaxed approach to her art and life in general has been a game changer, she goes on to explain why collaboration is key, there's loads here! Whether you're a comedian, poet or not, this is an inspiring conversation about Sarah's journey to push herself as an artist.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #sarahcallaghan #poet

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with Travis Jay (@travisjayent) an actor, comedian and writer. Travis talks about the importance of having family around you, why you need to develop tough skin in the entertainment industry, the challenges of being a single Dad and shines a light on his writing process. He also discusses about how important it is to protect your mental health, the ups and downs of acting auditions, why saying no to opportunities can a positive thing and how opening up to your friends can be like therapy.

This is a great conversation for any fans of comedy or aspiring comedians, actors and creatives that are developing their careers.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy Listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #travisjay

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with Swedish comedian and producer Camilla Fågelborg (@fagelborg). Camilla and I met in LA on an improv course at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Half of this conversation was recorded outside in sunny LA under a lemon tree and then we moved indoors due to cries of a baby. Cries, it was more like laughter, the baby was clearly enjoying our conversation which was great and everything, I just wished it would have shut up for a minute. All jokes aside, this was a fun conversation. Camilla talked about strategies she puts in place when she gets anxious or stressed, such as binging on reality TV, her love for ASMR, how she has to go off the radar when she gets into creative mode and loads more!

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening :)

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #camillafägelborg

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the very first episode of 'Balancing Act's'. In this conversation I sit down with comedian, host and 'edutainer', Reuben Christian (@reubenchristian1).

We talk about the struggles creatives face to figure what their 'thing' is, why it's hard being a polymath rather than a specialist and how therapy helped Reuben alter his approach to his creative career. Reuben also talks about his morning routine and why it's so important to him, the pressures and distractions of social media and how to remain authentic. We talk about the difficulties in balancing a creative career with a relationship and Reubens experiments with polyamory, the pro's and con's of having an open relationship and lots more.

There's loads of nuggets of gold here and lots of takeaways for creatives and aspiring creatives alike.

If you like this episode please do rate and review the podcast on Apple.

Happy listening!

Steve - @offkeysteve

#apple #spotify #comedy #podcast #balancingacts #stevewhiteley #reubenchristian

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/balancing-acts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.