Zuleiva Maldonado readily smiles and laughs in this episode and in fact every day despite a lived experience ranking as one of the most difficult and challenging I have heard. A Mexican, an American, a mom, a daughter, an adovcate, Zuleiva channels compassion in her life and work. Listen in for how, in her practice of the Art of the Calavera Catrina, Zuleiva rises again and lives and succeeds and thrives past her trauma. “It’s like telling a bad dream – I live with it. I can live with it. It doesn’t stop me [from moving] forward, but it moves me forward with the intention [of healing] others.”      

Fresh on the heels of Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, we hear from writer Luis Jaramillo who wrote “The Witches of El Paso.” Lovingly and creatively told, his book includes time travelling ladybugs, stories of El Paso past, present and glimpses into its future, examinations of workers rights and realities, a loving embrace of feminism and did I mention the time travelling ladybugs? “When I was writing about El Paso in the book…I think there’s an idea of what the Borderlands is like…and so one of the main goals was to tell a complicated story.” Goal met, Luis!

Documentary filmmaker Julie Lunde Lillesaeter describes herself as someone who tells “stories that have some sort of meaningful impact”. When I asked her about trauma, she gave a nuanced, smart response. “After working on so many different projects, maybe in particular ‘An Army of Women’, where I worked with people who had trauma that was very deep and very dramatically impacted their life, I’ve always felt careful about using the word ‘trauma’ to describe anything in my own life.”

Consider accessing Julie’s documentary film ‘An Army of Women’ here: https://watch.eventive.org/togetherfilmsus/play/67f3e95cab4969913a48207b?m=1    

It’s a wrap for Season 3. After 27 episodes, Aaron checks in with Avery to see if he’s still into sharing his sage wisdom. And they touch on the great “Is sport an art” Debate, make funny faces and make a big decision about the future of the cast.  

Scott Carter’s career spans 5 decades and includes acting, stand-up comedy, writing for top tier television productions, writing plays, performing Ted Talks, podcasting and as I highlighted to him, being a deep thinker. Frankly I can’t believe he agreed to do our little podcast. Consider Scott’s contemplation and comments comparing his experience in interviewing guests with our previous guest, Mercedes Medici, a professional Italian tour guide: “Being a guide is a very interesting thing to do. You’re a concierge to someone else’s experience and [for] a lol of them, you will determine whether or not they enjoyed their experience by your performance.” Seems like a life lesson, actually. Listen to Scott’s podcast YE GODS on Apple Podcast and Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks!

Here’s Jason’s explanation for why therapy is art: “I’m glad you talked about it as the art of therapy, bc I really think that’s an important piece. There’s an element of expertise – you have to have this knowledge in psychology but really I think what makes therapy work is the art of it. Like being able to connect with people and just have genuine curiousity for who they are…But really to me the real magic happens in the middle where the emotional experience of the artist and the person perceiving and experiencing the art kind of connect. To me the art of therapy is creating that space…It’s to create a space in which they can heal themselves.”  

Lisa Elliott’s super power is helping you take take the power back from films you love, but that don’t love you back. “By teaching…the art of…appreciating film…people [learn] how film has shaped them and how culture has shaped them, and then that gives the power back to them. It helps them heal from the traumas of loving something that doesn’t represent you or doesn’t show what you feel your lived experience is as a woman or as a lesbain or someone who’s gay or somebody who lives on the border or somebody who is Hispanic. Like all of these things that could be part of your identity that film doesn’t represent [well] and you can take that back.     

Professional tour guide Mercedes Medici calls herself “a giver of words...I’m always impressed about the power or words – the tremendous, magical creative, healing power of words.” Sit back, picture the Coliseum in Rome in the distance, and listen to Mercedes Medici’s silky voice, beautiful accent and poetic phrasing explain how she uses the art of guiding to heal herself and others.

“First off…I am not comfortable at all being interviewed. Working in radio, I definitely feel more comfortable and confident as the interviewer than the interviewee. Revealing myself and putting myself out there in the world is very scary to me.” Kudos to Teddy for going “there” with me in talking about trauma and change and growth. And also hamming it up. As usual.    

Nevena Christi’s career path goes from from the Met Gala to Hollywood and beyond. But basically she’s “the same kid from when I was little. I just want to make stuff and draw and get messy and basically anything – furniture, art, boots, anything – that’s me...at home we restore vintage travel trailers – we love everything old. On weekends I’m restoring the [Rocketbuster] building which was built in 1900. Before the movie people came downtown to film, I spent 8 weekends varnishing the floors. That is my play time.”