CREATIVE 4 LIFE with Gordon Meier

(music)

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This emotionally charged Episode 10 returns to the city that kinda sleeps. 

In a conundrum the likes of Special Agent Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks) can appreciate.

Episode 6 only touched on the first 9 months of Gordon’s decade in NYC.

Gordon is finally getting grounded in his East Village space & finding that walking the beat of Manhattan is as fulfilling as the new job at the mural studio, surrounded by fellow artists.  

But there’s temptation - with giant balloon dog artist Jeff Koons.

And the road beckons - towards distant planets... or at least Planet Hollywood.  

Will Gordon follow the call...

...of living on the road?

...going back home?  

...following the inner voice that lead him here in the first place?

It’s a major life decision and a huge sacrifice no matter which option. 

And it gets real this episode, as emotions rise to the surface during this interview.

These are the stories of our ambitions, our creative experiences, our creative pursuits and the dots that connect our creative lives with other people and places.  

Being Creative is not only solving problems, but asking questions.   Some of those answers are only found by acquiring the skills needed to solve these problems.   And sometimes you meet people along the way that help with your success and point you in a new direction.    

Over the past 3 decades our hosts (John Witcher & Gordon Meier) have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

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Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 

and go deeper at

https://www.greenskinmango.com/

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A Pen & A Dream

Ever have a dream and have it seemingly destroyed, leaving you heartbroken and not knowing what to do with your life? 

Ever try out for the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

Sometimes those painful life decisions can put you on your true path in life.

Co-Host John Witcher (MBA), has had many dreams & heartbreaks while overcoming mental illness.  Inspired to write, John has found increased success as an author.  

With a pen & a dream, John has detailed his journey, not only as a musician, and author, but in achieving his MBA.    In his 2018 Amazon Bestseller “My Journey to MBA”, John poetically details the challenges he faced mentally, emotionally and in everyday life to reach his goals.  

Having a creative mindset, John was able to restructure his way to educate himself.  And in relearning, found himself immersed in creative writing.     John has published books in many genres (children’s, sci-fi, non-fiction, superhero), but in every case finds a way to let his unique voice shine.   

It’s a real joy to hear in depth,  John’s inspirational journey,  as continues to create and reinvent his dreams every day.  

Creative 4 Life!

Find John’s Books Here!

https://www.amazon.com/Books-John-Witcher/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AJohn+Witcher

#podcast
#thegmangoshow 
#greenskinmango
#authorsofinstagram 
#mba 
#mentalhealthawareness 

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Genre Fluid, Education & Experience 

We’re Green Skin Mango & we’re always changing. 

“You can’t compare your Chapter 1 with someone else’s Chapter 20”.   

Don’t we know it!   This is Episode 8!  

Education and Experience are inseparable - wherever applied to formal or vocational education, or on-the-job skills.   

And during this time of Global Pandemic, how do we view education... besides on Zoom.

John & Gordon start out this episode with some reflection on their own education experiences.  

Gordon compares the hilarious point of view of an esteemed professor at his alma matter (Herron School of Art) with his own experiences. 

John revisits the struggles he encountered in acquiring an MBA after being diagnosed with his disABILITY. 

We also get to the root of what is most valuable  in a formal education...

“You had fun, didn’t ya?”

One’s disABILITY is not a life sentence and we are seeing greater public sentiment and focus on the “invisible” challenges being faced.   It’s great to hear more professional athletes are speaking out as well.   

Confessions of a Podcaster...

Keeping creative is always looking for new ways to communicate.   

It’s been surprising how fulfilling this podcast has been personally & creatively!    

And it’s worth all the effort when we see people from around the globe downloading & giving us feedback. 

Gratitude!   

Over the past 3 decades our hosts (John Witcher & Gordon Meier) have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!

Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 

and go deeper at

https://www.greenskinmango.com/

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In layers is how so many works in art & music are created.   What if we could better live our lives in this way?

Many of us grow up learning and living on a single trajectory.  We are told art looks likes “this”....music sounds like “that”.... and there is a standardised way from which “all things created” are learned... and produced.

The closer you are to hitting that standardised expectation, the better you are as a student, an artist, a musician.   
Ummm.... No.   

And how much of our lives are held up to similar timeline of expectations?  

In a longitudinal test of creative potential, a NASA study found that of 1,600 4- and 5-year-olds, 98 percent scored at "creative genius" level. Five years later, only 30 percent of the same group of children scored at the same level, and again, five years later, only 12 percent. When the same test was administered to adults, it was found that only two percent scored at this genius level.

Children live for fun, and immerse themselves in a joyful world of creative thinking and doing.   They are thinking freely, without the known standards of expectation and levels of accomplishment.   

For children, time is not gauged by minutes, hours or years... it’s by moments.   

In this episode, John & Gordon reflect on various moments: 
the exciting current of a creative economy at Omega Mart Las Vegas (Meow Wolf), 
getting outside for Spring and creating new streetwear with Green Skin Mango, 
anticipating where and when creative energy will flow, 
and enjoying creating art for yourself or with your family at a community studio - 
like Brandi Cottingham / BeArtSee Studio in Fort Worth. 

You never know when that spark of creativity will hit.
Luckily, there are so many layers to creatively enrich yourself and bring some of that imaginative genius back into your life!

These are the stories of our ambitions, our creative experiences, our creative pursuits and the dots that connect our creative lives with other people and places.  

Being Creative is not only solving problems, but asking questions.   Some of those answers are only found by acquiring the skills needed to solve these problems.   And sometimes you meet people along the way that help with your success and point you in a new direction.    

Over the past 3 decades our hosts (John Witcher & Gordon Meier) have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!

Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 

and go deeper at

https://www.greenskinmango.com/

Omega Mart / Meow Wolf
Las Vegas / Santa Fe

https://www.omegamart.com

https://meowwolf.com

#omegamartusa

#meow_wolf

Brandi Cottingham / BeArtSee
2952 Crockett Row, Fort Worth, Texas

https://brandicottingham.com

#BrandiCArt

@BrandiCottinghamArt

Oscary Art 
Hong Kong / Central / PMQ

https://oscaryart.com

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“Many times you have to live in dark places to then create a more beautiful life.”  This episode is only a small part of that story. 

25 years ago, Gordon packed up his stuff in a U-Haul & chased a blizzard from Indiana to NYC, in order to pursue his lifelong dream of being an artist.   

Today,  Gordon is often asked by parents of artistically inclined children & by art students  - “What did you do and how did you do it?”   Well, there’s as many ways as there are artists around the globe.   But, for Gordon, it took an unfailing belief, inexhaustible positivity, huge leaps of blind faith, with a lot of long hours of hard work learning new skills.   

The challenge to his ambition became real when he moved into a freezing-cold garage in Brooklyn...  

These are the stories of our ambitions, our creative experiences, our creative pursuits and the dots that connect our creative lives with other people and places.  

Being Creative is not only solving problems, but asking questions.   Some of those answers are only found by acquiring the skills needed to solve these problems.   And sometimes you meet people along the way that help with your success and point you in a new direction.    

Over the past 3 decades our hosts (John Witcher & Gordon Meier) have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!

Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 

and go deeper at

https://www.greenskinmango.com/

Send us Fan Mail

In the Summer of 1992, John (accompanied by Gordon ) went to Los Angeles to audition as lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.   Filling the shoes of guitarist extraordinaire, John Frusciante, would be a dream come true.  The realization of countless rock’n’roll fantasies and achieving superstardom while still a teenager seemed to be our co-host’s inevitable fate.   

But there’s a lot more to achieving your aspirations than just showing up.   

You have to do the hard work and preparation - physically & mentally - to match or exceed the expectation.   

Life lessons come with experience.

Although one must be prepared when opportunity strikes, one must also prepare to take huge risks and make one’s own opportunities into reality.   

Thank you all for your continued support!  

Our gratitude to each and every one of you from around the globe!

Being Creative 4 Life is no easy task.

Over the past 3 decades our hosts have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!
Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 
and go deeper at
https://www.greenskinmango.com/

Send us Fan Mail

While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our creativity or our glorious uniqueness.  

-Gilda Radner

Is laughter really the best medicine?  

John & Gordon chat about some of their favourite comedians and the tremendous struggles they faced.   Lucille Ball had her work cut out for her.  Mary Tyler Moore blazed a new trail from one generation to the next.   We dive deep into the brief-but-brilliant life of Gilda Radner.  And we get real as we give respect to Margaret Cho.  These incredible women who make us laugh are also those who shed tremendous light on the serious pressures put upon them, mentally and physically, as they have struggled to maintain peak creativity, obtain their own definitions of success, and find themselves.     

Thank you all for your continued support!  

Our gratitude to each and every one of you from around the globe!

Being Creative 4 Life is no easy task.

Over the past 3 decades our hosts have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!

Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 

and go deeper at

https://www.greenskinmango.com/

#gilda
#lovegilda
#margretcho
#gildasclubnyc
#neda
#snl
#torontoimprov
#secondcity
#ilovelucy
#marytylermoore

Gilda’s Club NYC
https://gildasclubnyc.org

NEDA Feeding Hope
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Type 1 Diabetes
https://www.jdrf.org

Howl & Roar Records
https://howlandroarrecords.com

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We had a Regime Change! 

If you are a big music fan of the late 80s & early 90s, you do not want to miss this! 

Join John Witcher & Gordon Meier of Green Skin Mango as they revisit how they met at a Motley Crue concert, how they started collaborating together,  & the Creative Challenges that they faced and overcame.  

With Our Very Special Guest, Cullen Peters, we take a close  look at a pivotal time in our Creative Culture,, when Heavy Metal was replaced by Alternative, the White House & Parliament got funky with Clinton, and the youth Rocked the Vote!   

And we finally will reveal the #1 song on Cullen & Gordon’s Top 30 Kiss Songs (1974-1979)!
You can only hear it HERE on the g’mango show!

Being Creative 4 Life is no easy task.

Over the past 3 decades our hosts have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head & do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!

Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango
and go deeper at
https://www.greenskinmango.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Being Creative 4 Life is no easy task.

Over the past 3 decades our hosts have lived a life of creating and collaborating all over the world in art, music, design, comedy and literature.  

The quirky creators and collaborators from the band & brand Green Skin Mango share with us their, dreams, schemes, visions and reflections from their life of making their own unique mark in life.     

And though the struggles are real, the rewards for doing & sharing is always its own reward and an opening to another opportunity to create. 

Teaching, Collaborating, Inspiring, Caring & Giving Gratitude

In Episode 2: “Our Origin Story / The Steps” we travel back to 1991 and join John Witcher & Gordon Meier as they reflect upon the value of teaching and collaborative knowledge.   This is why you make a band!    

“Why Green Skin Mango?”
A Snapple flavor? 
...well, we try to explain!  

We take a “mental note” to reflect upon “The Invisible Disability”.   What you see isn’t always what is being experienced - especially now,  things can feel compounded.   John sees this on a daily basis in his work and assures us that, luckily, you don’t have to go through this alone. He encourages and urges anyone who feels they need help to reach out.  

Here are a few places he recommends:

National Alliance on Mental Illness:

https://www.nami.org/Home

https://www.namiindiana.org/

Key Consumer Organization 

https://www.keyconsumer.org/

SARDAA

Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America.

https://sardaa.org/

What could be so intimidating about recording a demo?   

We give our gratitude to Charles, the genius home-studio engineer who showed us how to be our best,  whose knowledge & wisdom continues to help us grow and to listen & believe in our own unique voices....so CRANK IT UP!  

And we finally learn the origin of a g’mango!  

Most importantly, we want to support and inspire everyone with any creative aspirations to listen to that voice in their head do it!   

Go Be Creative!

Subscribe!

Rate & Review!

Say “Hey Yo!” @greenskinmango 

and go deeper at

https://www.greenskinmango.com/

Send us Fan Mail