Happy Thoughts: A Conversation with Filmmaker Tommy Pepper

At just 18 years old, Vietnamese American filmmaker Tommy Pepper transformed a deeply personal experience into Happy Thoughts—a short film exploring grief, mental health, family, and the emotions that are often difficult to express.

Created through Spy Hop’s PitchNic program with support from members of Utah’s Vietnamese American community, Happy Thoughts premiered at Salt Lake City’s Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. The film later received the Scholarstone Award as a 2026 Zepfest round winner.

In this episode, Tommy shares the story behind the film and reflects on what it meant to turn personal pain into something that could help others feel seen. We talk about cultural expectations, emotional honesty, the filmmaking process, and why creating space for difficult conversations can be an important part of healing.

This conversation is a reminder that storytelling can do more than entertain us. It can help us understand one another, give language to feelings we have struggled to express, and remind someone that they are not alone.

Learn More & Connect

Follow Tommy Pepper on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tommypepperfilms/

Learn more about Spy Hop, the nonprofit youth media arts organization where Happy Thoughts was developed:https://spyhop.org/

Mental Health Support

Promise2Live encourages people who are struggling to reach out to someone they trust and helps communities begin lifesaving conversations:https://www.promise2live.org/

If you or someone you know needs immediate support in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Music Credit

Music: Music licensed through Soundstripe

Code: 4H6ZBXT1KHUOGE9M

At first glance, Minidoka looks like an ordinary piece of the Idaho desert.

But beneath the quiet landscape lies the story of thousands of American families who lost their homes, businesses, and freedom during World War II.

More than 13,000 Japanese Americans were sent to Minidoka during World War II, they couldn't choose where they would live. They couldn't choose the barbed wire, the guard towers, or the fear that brought them there.

But they could choose how they would respond.

In this episode of Journeys: Discoveries, we explore the remarkable resilience of the people who transformed a harsh desert into a community. Through schools, gardens, sports, art, faith, and everyday acts of courage, they refused to let injustice define who they were.

Because sometimes the greatest stories aren't about the hardships we endure. They're about the choices we make in the middle of them.

Learn more about my journey to Minidoka by visiting radiantgraceproductions.com.

Host & Producer: Rachel Koko

Podcast Series: Journeys: Discoveries, a podcast by Radiant Grace Productions

Music: Fields of Light - Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: VNDCJGLBKCHTJF1B

What happens when life changes you so deeply that you no longer recognize the person you've become?

For years, I believed healing meant finding my way back to the person I used to be. The version of me who was healthy, independent, productive, and certain about the future.

But life doesn't always move backward.

After developing Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), I found myself grieving more than my health. I was grieving my identity. Every setback felt like another reminder that the life I had planned was slipping further away.

In this episode of Journeys, I share the deeply personal journey of learning to stop measuring myself against who I used to be and begin embracing the person I am becoming.

Whether you're navigating chronic illness, loss, disappointment, a major life transition, or simply wondering who you are in this season of life, I hope this conversation reminds you that your worth has never depended on your productivity, your abilities, or how closely your life matches the plans you once made.

Sometimes healing isn't about going back.

Sometimes it's about learning to love the person God is shaping you to become.

Continue the conversation at RadiantGraceProductions.com, where you'll find expanded show notes, behind-the-scenes content, resources, photos, and a community exploring the stories that continue long after each episode ends.

Podcast Series: Journeys Becoming, a podcast by Radiant Grace Productions 

Theme Music: Wonderment - JGOEF7TRZQHVXKCJ- from Riverside royalty free library

Photography & Images: Marc Reynolds, Reynolds Photography Group

High above the San Juan River in southeastern Utah stands the Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge. To many travelers, it's simply the bridge leading into Mexican Hat. But behind its name is the story of a young Navy SEAL whose life of courage, sacrifice, and service continues to be remembered by those who pass this way.

In this first episode of Journeys: Discoveries, Rachel explores how a simple stop on a road trip became the beginning of a much deeper journey. What started as curiosity about a bridge's name unfolded into a story about remembrance, military service, and the importance of preserving the stories hidden within the places we visit.

Continue the conversation at RadiantGraceProductions.com, where you'll find expanded show notes, behind-the-scenes content, resources, photos, and a community exploring the stories that continue long after each episode ends.

Podcast Series: Journeys: Discoveries, a podcast by Radiant Grace Productions 

Theme Music: Style - IPFXSUWDW5K0FZYC- from Riverside royalty free music library

Photography & Images:

Jason R Workman Bridge; By Steven Baltakatei Sandoval - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79586587

The photograph is of the U.S. Route 163 bridge crossing the San Juan River near Mexican Hat, Utah. The bridge is also known as the Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge after being renamed in 2016. Photograph taken on 2019-03-03T00:17:09Z.

Every journey has the power to change us.

Some journeys take us across oceans. Others lead us through grief, unexpected diagnoses, or seasons we never imagined. Along the way, many of us find ourselves asking a question we never expected:

Who am I becoming?

In this opening episode of Journeys, Rachel shares her personal story of living with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and how that experience challenged everything she thought defined her. As her health changed, she wrestled with questions of identity, purpose, and worth, eventually discovering that our value is not found in productivity, accomplishments, or the roles we fill, but in our identity as beloved children of God.

This episode is more than a story about chronic illness. It is an invitation to reflect on your own journey and consider how life's unexpected turns can shape who you are becoming.

The conversation doesn't end here. Continue the journey at Radiant Grace Productions, where you'll find reflections, resources, and the stories behind each episode.

Podcast & Series: Journeys: Becoming, a podcast by Radiant Grace Productions 

Theme Music: Style, Riverside Attribution IPFXSUWDW5K0FZYC

Photography & Images: Marc Reynold, Reynolds Photography Group

If you met yourself today for the very first time, would you be kind to that person?

There was a time when Rachel knew exactly who she was. She knew what she could do, what her future looked like, and what she expected from herself. But when illness and unexpected life changes altered the course of her life, she found herself grieving a version of herself she could no longer return to.

In this episode of Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful, Rachel explores the difficult process of learning to love yourself after life changes the way you see yourself.

Through her personal journey with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), she shares the grief of identity loss, the struggle of comparing herself to who she used to be, and the realization that healing is not always about becoming the person you were before.

Sometimes healing begins when we learn to extend grace to the person standing in front of us today.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like they no longer recognize themselves and wondered how to move forward when life doesn't go according to plan.

Grieving the version of yourself you used to be

Living with the uncertainty of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

The emotional impact of chronic illness and life changes

Why we often measure ourselves by outdated expectations

Learning self-compassion during difficult seasons

Identity beyond abilities, accomplishments, and independence

Extending grace to the person you are today

Maybe learning to love yourself again isn't learning to love the person you used to be.

Maybe it's learning to extend grace to the person standing in front of you today.

If you met yourself today for the very first time, would you be kind to that person?

Join the Free Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful Community

Connect with others, continue the conversation, and be part of a community focused on identity, worth, healing, and becoming.

Support Radiant Grace Productions

Become a member to help support the podcast and gain access to guest Q&As, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive episodes, and other member benefits.

Learn more at RadiantGraceProductions.com.

You do not have to earn your worth back.

You do not have to become who you were before in order to be valuable today.

Your story is still unfolding.

And even if you don't fully recognize yourself right now, that doesn't mean you've lost yourself.

You may simply be meeting a new version of who you're becoming.

Remember there is no one else in this world who can be your kind of beautiful.

Choose to Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.

What happens when life changes the way you see yourself?

For many of us, identity becomes intertwined with the roles we fill, the expectations we carry, the achievements we pursue, and the things we are able to do. But what happens when those things begin to change? In this premiere episode of Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful, Rachel shares the personal journey that led to the creation of the podcast and the question that continues to shape her life:

Who am I becoming?

After a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) dramatically changed the course of her life, Rachel found herself confronting questions about identity, worth, purpose, and what remains when the labels we build our lives around no longer fit.

Through her story, she explores the difference between who we are and what we do, why our worth is deeper than our circumstances, and how healing sometimes begins when we stop trying to become who we used to be and start discovering who we are becoming.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered:

Who am I when life doesn't go according to plan?

What happens when the roles I've relied on begin to change?

Where does my worth come from?

Who am I becoming?

Rachel's personal journey with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

How life changes can challenge our sense of identity

The difference between who we are and what we do

Why worth is not earned

The story behind Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful

The question that will shape future episodes: Who am I becoming?

Your worth is not determined by your productivity, appearance, abilities, achievements, or circumstances.

It never was.

You are valuable because of who you are, not because of what you do.

Who are you becoming?

Not who you were before.

Not who others expect you to be.

But who is God helping you to become through all of it?

Join the Free Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful Community

Connect with others, continue the conversation, and be part of a community focused on identity, worth, healing, and becoming.

Support Radiant Grace Productions

Become a member to help support the podcast and gain access to guest Q&As, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive episodes, and other member benefits.

Learn more at RadiantGraceProductions.com

Your story matters.

Not just the healed chapters.

Not just the victories.

The becoming matters too.

There is no one else in this world who can be your kind of beautiful.

Choose to Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.

What happens when you find yourself in darkness? Again?

There are moments in life when darkness feels like something we’ve already faced… something we thought we had already made it through.

This episode has been ready for weeks.

After experiencing another FND episode that began on Easter Sunday, I found myself walking through something familiar. Not as overwhelming as before, but still real. Still present. Still darkness. 

This episode is a reflection on what it means to find yourself in darkness—not just once, but over and over again. Whether that darkness comes through illness, grief, exhaustion, depression, or spiritual questioning, it does not mean you’ve failed.

We look to the Savior—who wept, who felt sorrow, who asked for relief—and yet remained.

If you find yourself in a place that feels heavy, familiar, or discouraging—you are not alone.

And you are not without light.

In this episode of the Radiant Grace Podcast, Rachel explores the sacred truth that our worth is not tied to independence, productivity, or capacity. In a world that often measures value by what we can accomplish, it is easy to quietly begin believing that our worth rises and falls with our abilities.

Drawing from personal experience, including navigating chronic illness and vulnerability, Rachel gently challenges that belief. Through the lens of the gospel of Jesus Christ, she reminds listeners that divine worth is declared by identity, not by performance. Needing help does not diminish dignity. Dependence is not disgrace. Receiving support can become an act of courage and an invitation for others to live their discipleship.

This episode offers reassurance to anyone who feels limited, slower than they once were, or unsure of their value in seasons of weakness. Your worth has never been in question with God. It is eternal, unshaken, and rooted in who you are as a child of Heavenly Parents.

You are not valuable because of what you do.

In this episode of the Radiant Grace Podcast, Rachel shares her personal journey of living with functional neurological disorder (FND) and the emotional struggles that accompany it. She discusses the importance of removing the metaphorical masks we wear to hide our true selves and the healing power of vulnerability and community support. Through her experiences, Rachel emphasizes the significance of faith, courage, and connection in overcoming shame and fear, ultimately encouraging listeners to embrace their brokenness and let God's light shine through their lives.