Painting Your Path

What if wellbeing wasn’t only about what we consume—but also about what we practice?

In this solo episode of Painting Your Path™, I explore the growing movement of Social Prescribing and why activities like movement, creativity, and community are becoming recognized as powerful tools for supporting mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

Drawing from my own experiences navigating grief, spasmodic dysphonia, and recovery after the Eaton Fire, I share why healing often requires more than thinking our way through life’s challenges.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What Social Prescribing is and why it’s gaining attention worldwide
• The science-backed benefits of movement for stress, anxiety, and emotional wellbeing
• How creativity can support healing, self-expression, and recovery
• Why community plays a vital role in resilience and rebuilding after difficult experiences
• A simple reflection question to help identify the care you may be missing right now

Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply ready to reconnect with yourself, this episode offers a gentle reminder that healing can be found in small practices that bring us back to life.

Reflection Question

Instead of asking:

“What’s wrong with me?”

Try asking:

“What matters to me?” 

Connect with Clarissa:

• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 13th Regional Restoration Expo at The Blinn House in Pasadena. 160 N. Oakland Ave, Pasadena, CA. 10am to 5pm. I’ll be showcasing my art and other products. Free.
• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 17th Movement + Meditative Art at The Eaton Fire Collaborative, 540 W Woodbury Road. 3 to 4:30pm. It’s free but reservations are required.  
• Interested in coaching or exploring what’s next for your own journey of becoming? Connect with me here
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art

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We’re halfway through the year.

Maybe you’re exactly where you hoped you’d be.

Or maybe life happened.

In this solo episode, Clarissa shares a candid reflection on feeling a bit disconnected from parts of her work, the pull of family and community responsibilities, and what she’s learning about finding her way back without judgment or hustle.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, distracted, or like you’ve drifted from the intentions you set earlier this year, this episode offers a gentle invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why drifting isn’t the same as failing
• The difference between judgment and curiosity
• Questions to ask yourself during a mid-year reset
• How to reconnect with forgotten intentions and creative dreams

Reflection Questions: Make time to answer the questions I bring up in the episode

Connect with Clarissa:

• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001. 11am to 5pm. Free.
• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 13th Regional Restoration Expo at The Blinn House in Pasadena. 160 N. Oakland Ave, Pasadena, CA. 10am to 5pm. I’ll be showcasing my art and other products. Free.
• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 17th Movement + Meditative Art at The Eaton Fire Collaborative, 540 W Woodbury Road. 3 to 4:30pm. It’s free but reservations are required.  
• Interested in coaching or exploring what’s next for your own journey of becoming? Connect with me here
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art

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We’re almost halfway through the year.

So…how’s it going? For real. Good? Great? Not quite where you want to be yet?

In this solo episode, I’m reflecting on the space between what we imagined for ourselves at the beginning of the year, and what life is actually teaching us now.

This conversation is about purpose, creativity, resiliency, redirection, and learning how to listen without abandoning yourself.

I also share:

• why I’ve been rethinking what “success” actually means
• what’s been feeling most aligned lately
• the surprising impact of leading a resiliency workshop for the SD community

If you’ve been feeling discouraged, uncertain, creatively stuck, or quietly reassessing your direction…this episode is for you.

Reflection question: What feels alive in your life right now, and what are you trying too hard to force?

Thank you for being here and for continuing to walk this path with me.

Connect with Clarissa:

• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard

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What happens when you keep postponing yourself?

In this solo episode, I’m talking about perfectionism, fear, overthinking, waiting for the “right time,” and the quiet ways people abandon what matters most to them.

This conversation is for anyone who knows there’s something inside of them asking to be expressed… creatively or otherwise.

Because maybe the issue isn’t that you don’t know what you want.

Maybe you’ve just gotten really good at talking yourself out of it.

Doors to The Art of Becoming are currently open.

Learn more here

https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/artofbecoming

Connect with Clarissa:

• In-person event Altadena, CA: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard

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In this episode of Painting Your Path, I reflect on a question many of us quietly carry — When did I stop knowing what I want? 

While I was in Texas, I found myself sitting with this more deeply, thinking about how women are often taught to be polite, accommodating, and small, and how that conditioning can pull us away from our own desires, creative voice, and sense of self. I share my own journey of choosing art without outside permission, and how that same inner knowing has guided me through community work after the Eaton fire, as well as my personal healing journey with spasmodic dysphonia.

This episode is an invitation to pause and listen to what keeps nudging you forward, even if it doesn’t make sense yet. Choosing yourself does not have to be loud or dramatic — sometimes it starts with one small step, one honest decision, or one imperfect beginning. 

If you’ve been feeling disconnected, unsure, or stuck, I hope this conversation reminds you that your voice still matters and your next step is already waiting for you.

🎨 Free Live Class: Activate Your Creative Voice
 If you’re ready to move from thinking about it… to actually beginning:

📅 May 11
 🎥 Live on Zoom (replay available)
 🔗 Register here

https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/activate-your-voice-free-masterclass-clarissa

Connect with Clarissa:

• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• SAVE THE DATE: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art

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If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll start soon”… this episode is for you.

I found myself saying those exact words again recently. Not in a big, dramatic way—but in the quiet, everyday kind of way that keeps things just far enough out of reach.

In this solo episode, I share an unexpected moment from a simple scribble art exercise that made me realize what was really underneath my resistance to starting.

This isn’t about needing more clarity or more time.

It’s about what happens when we only allow ourselves to begin if we can do it well.

Inside this episode:

• The subtle way “I’ll start soon” keeps ideas stuck for years
• What a scribble art practice revealed about control, perfectionism, and starting
• Why most people don’t have a clarity problem—they have a starting problem
• A simple shift that helps you begin without overthinking every step

If there’s something you’ve been sitting on—a creative project, a new chapter, a next step—you’ll hear yourself in this one.

🎨 Free Live Class: Activate Your Creative Voice
 If you’re ready to move from thinking about it… to actually beginning:

📅 May 11
 🎥 Live on Zoom (replay available)
 🔗 Register here or click this: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/activate-your-voice-free-masterclass-clarissa

Connect with Clarissa:

• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• SAVE THE DATE: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art

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In this episode, I sit down with Alexander AD: artist, designer, photographer, chef, and filmmaker whose work in Altadena has quietly shaped how the community remembers and reimagines life after the fires.

We explore:

• Alexander’s journey from corporate VP to full-time creative
• How growing up with strict expectations led him back to art
• The role of resilience, curiosity, and intention in his work
• His deep connection to Altadena and the Eaton fire recovery
• The story behind his proposed mural installation “You Are Here” 
• Why, for Alexander, the answer to “When is the meaning of life?” is simpler (and more radical) than you might think

Listen if: you’re an artist (or aspiring one) who’s craving permission to claim your creativity, or you want to hear how one person is helping a fire-impacted community rise from the ashes through art.

Connect with Alexander: 

• Website: www.alexander.co

Connect with Clarissa:

• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• May 11th FREE Activate Your Creative Voice Masterclass: Email ACTIVATE to [email protected] and I’ll get you registered!
• SAVE THE DATE: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art

Support the show

In this episode, I’m doing something a little uncomfortable… I’m speaking anyway. Lately, my spasmodic dysphonia has been giving me trouble and I also can’t let it get me down…

If you’ve ever felt like you needed to “fix” something about yourself before you could fully show up: your voice, your confidence, your clarity, this conversation is for you.

Today also happens to be World Voice Day, and I’m sharing more about my personal journey with spasmodic dysphonia… including a recent step I’ve taken that honestly feels both exciting and scary.

But this episode isn’t just about my voice.

It’s about:

• What happens when your identity shifts in ways you didn’t choose
• The connection between healing, creativity, and self-expression
• And what it actually looks like to reclaim your voice on your terms

I also share a story from a recent client inside The Art of Becoming, and what it took for her to finally prioritize herself.

Because whether it’s your literal voice… or your inner voice, life doesn’t come back by waiting.

Tune in here

Connect with Clarissa:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• May 11th FREE Activate Your Creative Voice Masterclass: Email ACTIVATE to [email protected] and I’ll get you registered!
• SAVE THE DATE: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001

Support the show

In this episode of Painting Your Path™ I sit down with Courage: actor, activist, and community organizer to explore what it means to find home, rebuild after devastation, and keep showing up for your community.

Courage shares how an unexpected Facebook ad, a cross-town bus ride, and a deep sense of grief led them from downtown LA to Altadena, where they discovered the kind of small-town community they didn’t know they were missing. They open up about living through the Eaton Fire, why their home’s survival felt like a miracle, and how that moment propelled them into intense community organizing in the fire’s aftermath.

You’ll hear about the heart behind projects like the Altadena Community Recovery Calendar, support networks for fire survivors, and why Courage chose “resistance” as their word of the year.

Tune in here (via YouTube)

Connect with Courage: 

• Courage’s Altadena Central Info Hub: couragetheactor.com/altadena
• Altadena Community Recovery Calendar: altadenacalendar.org

Connect with Clarissa:

• April 11th Women’s Retreat in Pasadena, CA. Email the word “BLOOM” to [email protected] for more details or to sign up.
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard
• SAVE THE DATE: June 6th ALTA Arts Fair at The Fraternal Order of Eagles #719, 455 E Woodbury Rd, Altadena, CA 91001

Support the show

This episode is a real-time check-in.

Not the polished version. The honest one.

As we close out the first quarter of the year and step into spring, it’s a natural moment to pause and ask:

Am I actually doing the things that matter to me?

In this solo episode, I’m reflecting on:

• what I followed through on—and what I didn’t
• how easy it is to disconnect from the things that bring us back to ourselves
• the tension between waiting until we feel “ready” and actually starting

I also share a powerful insight from The Artist’s Way that shifted how I’m thinking about support, creativity, and trying to figure everything out on my own.

If you’ve been sitting on an idea, questioning your next step, or feeling slightly out of sync with yourself… this episode will meet you there.

Listen now and take a moment to reset before the next quarter begins.

Connect with Clarissa:

• April 11th Women’s Retreat in Pasadena, CA. Email the word “BLOOM” to [email protected] for more details or to sign up.
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art
• Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard

Support the show