Hello and welcome back to Beginner's Mind! Glad to see you :)

This week we spoke with teacher and friend Nik Walker. Nik is an actor, writer, theme park nerd and proud Boston native, who’s been earning a living in entertainment for two decades and counting. He’s been seen on Broadway as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Otis Williams in Ain’t Too Proud, and as Sir Galahad in the revival of Spamalot; on screen in Blue Bloods, Law and Order SVU, and in the upcoming AppleTV+ film The Instigators, alongside hometown hero Matt Damon. Cleaners, the animated series that he co-created, is in development at Warner Bros. Animation, and his musical, Whiskeyland, is being developed with generous support from Hunter Arnold and Tina Cocumelli at TBD Theatricals. He is the co-host of the arts/activism show The Chaos Twins, and his movie podcast, Little Justice, is streaming wherever podcasts are imbibed. In the free time between all of this, Nik can be found either writing at a coffee shop, teaching NYU students, or annoying his loving and talented wife, Sarah Joyce.

During our conversation I found myself totally inspired by Nik's advice on avoiding burnout, remembering your worth, and the Casino of it all 🎰

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas feel free to reach out by email or via Instagram at @BeginnersMindProductions - we want to hear from you! And, of course, if you haven't done so today: get out there and create something. ✨

This week is another double episode, so stay tuned for Episode 7!

Nik's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkywalks/?hl=en

Our Instagram: @BeginnersMindProductions

Welcome back! This week it’s just you and me, and I’d love to share a meditation with you that I like to use to move any stuck creative energy.

New York City native Catherine Berdie Whitman is a versatile artist skilled in composing, singing, songwriting, acting, and writing. They received training from institutions such as the Atlantic Theater Company, LaGuardia High School, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and Stella Adler. Catherine’s musical journey began with singing lessons at age 7 and will soon culminate in a Music Composition degree from Sarah Lawrence College in May 2024. Their musical influences range from Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Ella Fitzgerald to contemporary artists like Johnny Greenwood, Laura Marling, and Madison Cunningham.

Catherine’s music is available under “Catherine Berdie” on major streaming platforms. Demos of their more recent work is available on SoundCloud, titled “Catherine Berdie (Demos).”

Catherine’s LinkTree:

https://linktr.ee/catherine.berdie?ut...

Today we welcome KJ Song, a boundary-pushing music minister, song writer and holistic kink practitioner. KJ is a beacon of inclusivity and radical permission, directing the queer choir Sing Praise and guiding individuals as a Vocal Mentor to write and sing from their guts for over a decade. Beyond the melodies, KJ creates deep ceremonial spaces welcoming the spirit of Eros for their clients, fostering personal growth and exploration. Join us as we journey with KJ through the healing power of music and holistic kink!

KJ's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queerpraise/?hl=en

KJ's Website: https://kjsong.com/

This week we heard from Mercer Shavelson about perspectives and possibilities that open up when we shed self-judgement! ✨

"Mercer Shavelson is a Keyboardist/Composer based in Queens, NY. Since graduating from The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music in 2022 he has been gigging with various artists and venues throughout NYC, as well as performing Artist Residencies outside of the city. The son of a Jazz Singer, Mercer attributes much of his musical inspiration to jazz icons such as Bill Evans and John Coltrane and a wide array of different musical traditions and artists, ranging from the Armenian Folk-Infused music of Tigran Hamasyan, to Hip-hop/Jazz innovators such as groups such as Robert Glasper. In addition to having brought his own groups to venues such as Smalls, Williamsburg Music Center and Shapeshifter Lab, he has performed internationally at Bern Jazz Festival, The Bimhuis in Amsterdam, and Domicile Tokyo. Outside of music, he has recently been delving into both intrapersonal and interpersonal forms of self-development, exploring interests ranging from Mindfulness and Somatic-Emotional Healing to relational practices such as Circling & Nonviolent Communication."

In this episode we meditated on positive sensation, spoke about the perspectives and possibilities that open up as we shed self-judgement and Mercer gives us an amazing tip on how to make goal-setting sexy. ✨

We also dove deeper into the conversation of "inspiration vs. execution" that has been discussed in previous episodes, and Mercer serenaded us with his piano playing!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas feel free to reach out by email or via Instagram at @BeginnersMindProductions - we want to hear from you :)

I hope that you find this interview as inspiring as I did, and if you haven't done so today: get out there and create something! ✨

Mercer's Music: https://linktr.ee/mercershavelson?fbclid=PAAaZ0OIX3Au1pyVWiqT10VQHDpY5Wyxn9SM2eyER-xWHBBQ2kZUmTQ4yM_D0_aem_AdXBZ1Lqm2oXtmF7DQPgrd3eEiBP12qMxTW0HVNMWOBBpMBnmxeB31y0LQul_5mlP8o

My email: [email protected]

The next episode includes a special surprise for all of you intentional creators out there, and will hopefully bring some much needed R&R to that creative mind of yours! ✨✨✨

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Ava Delaney. Ava is an NYC-based singer, songwriter, actress, painter, poet, healer, student of life, and warrior of earth. She is also someone whom I consider to be a friend and a sister, who has changed my life through music many times.

In this episode we discussed songwriting as a spiritual practice, dance as a creative tool, and how our art heals others in totally unexpected ways - so why not share what we create? ✨

I hope that you find this interview as inspiring as I did, and if you haven't done so today: get out there and create something! ✨

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas feel free to reach out by email or via Instagram at @BeginnersMindProductions - we want to hear from you! ✨

Ava's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0klB0V6Alyg5qT0wrl0Hf2?si=Lm-Ah8i6SuqGqsrrWe9qNQ

Ava's website: avadelaney.com

Ava's IG: @avadelaney

Ava's TikTok: @avadelaney24

Ava's YouTube: @avadelaney3295 

My email: [email protected]

Later this week I'll be posting my interview with keyboardist-composer Mercer Shavelson, so stay tuned to hear his thoughts on moving past mental blocks, ways to stay motivated, and the instantaneous creative flow that we experience through live musical improvisation :)

Welcome to the Beginner's Mind Podcast! I'm so glad to have you here.

In this video I'll be chatting about creativity, mindfulness, and how spiritual practices can help solve creative problems.

Over the course of the show I'll be interviewing artists and creators who work in different fields and who each have their own mindfulness practices that help them in their lives and creative processes. I hope that you find them as inspiring as I do!

Feel free to reach out to say hi, or with any ideas, questions, comments, or practices that have helped you in your own creative process! Where do you feel stuck? What aspect of the creative process do you really have figured out? I'd love to hear from you!

And, if there is someone you think should come on the show reach out and let me know!

Email: [email protected]

IG: @BeginnersMindProductions

See you soon for Episode Two!