As children, we all start off as bold singers, dancers and storytellers.

Within each of us lives the innate desire for creative self expression.

But if you’re anything like myself, or this week’s guest, then somewhere along the line your confidence towards expressing yourself was severely diminished, if not destroyed.

Hurtful interactions amongst peers...

The wrong choice of words from a parent or mentor...

Outright neglect from those we love...

All happening during our most vulnerable years...

It’s a recipe for disaster.

The problem is that we then turn away from those parts of ourselves and start to neglect our creative passions.

This leads to a dull and unfulfilled life.

It’s no wonder that 86% of adults report being unhappy in their life.

Life is WAY to short to live feeling unfulfilled and passionless.

But there is good news... it’s NEVER too late to make that change and start living a more creative life.

One where you lay your head on the pillow each night, smiling to yourself, knowing that you took the time to do something you’ve always LOVED that day!

In this week’s episode I speak with a bright talented singer from the U.K., named Bella Di Manno, as she shares her full circle story from happy creative child through depression and anxiety - ultimately finding her way back to using her voice as a vehicle for self expression.

Join us for this amazing chat, filled with inspiration and let this interview be the episode that sparks your creative fire again!

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To learn more about Bella, or connect with her further, you can follow the links below:

Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/BellaCDiManno

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belladimannofficial

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/BellaDiManno

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reconnectingtotheartistwithin

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

How many of us shy away from telling people we meet who we REALLY are? 

Like you, I have struggled with this exact predicament.

It's much easier to respond with the "safe" answer - what we do for work - rather than sticking your neck out and risk getting scoffed at, or worse yet - ridiculed, by the person you're speaking with. 

But what if in doing so, you're selling yourself short and cutting yourself off from your greatness? 

What if in holding back your truth, you are staying stuck in exactly the SAME place you have always been. 

Do you know how POWERFUL your words (and actions) are in creating the life you are secretly desiring while daydreaming on your commute to and from work. 

In this amazing interview with Rob Hodkinson, of the UK based band, Chasing Deer, we go into detail about what it takes to go from uninspired employee to successful and fulfilled life changing artist. 

Life is too short to go on working in a job that you don't love! It's too risky to live and expire without ever expressing the art you have living inside of you.

Rob is a testament to the happiness and fulfillment that lives on the other side of expressing yourself. This is an interview you are not going to want to miss.

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To learn more about Rob, or connect with him further, you can follow the links below:

Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/chasingdeer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingdeer/

Website: https://www.chasingdeerband.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChasingDeer

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The title really says it all. You may recognise this story if you are a parent who used to spend the majority of your time creating art prior to having children. You may even stop to think about those days gone by and wish that you were still as active creatively as you used to be. This story from Andrea Cox is a wonderful reminder that no matter how many years you take away from your art - you can always return to it and pick right up where you left off.  We had a wonderful conversation and not only did we bond over creativity, we even had a childhood memory/location in common that really set the conversation off on a great foot. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it for you. Thank you for being here and thank you for listening. 

In Andrea's words:

I started making art for myself before I knew what art was. While spending summer mornings on

Keuka Lake in New York State, I’d always tell my Grandma to look at the clouds. And

one day she handed me her 35mm film camera, showed me how to load it, and I

shot a whole roll of clouds. When Grandma developed them, she said out loud “I

never saw that in the sky that day. How did you capture that?”

I do what I do because I see the way that I see. And then I show it to others, so that

they may see what was right there, but in a different way.

I currently work in both digital and film photography. My digital setup is an Olypmus

Pen-F micro 4/3rds sensor camera body with multiple Olympus and Panasonic

lenses. I also own and use a Nikon EM 35mm film camera that my mother gave me

from 1979, usually with a 50mm lens. Some of my favorite cameras to use are

Holgas, plastic toy cameras that were made popular in Asia throughout the 1980s

and 90s, and then mainstream in the USA in the 2010s. I usually shoot 120mm

medium format film through those, although in a pinch I can use 35mm in those as

well.

I relish my time in the darkroom. Digital photography has allowed me to advance

with the times. It has also afforded me easier ways to explore more difficult shooting

scenarios, like the night sky. However, film photography will always produce that

nostalgia I’m chasing. Much of my current work explores the Western Landscape

and the Night Sky, my natural environment. I choose to shoot these in ways that

evoke nostalgia and a sense of time. My color choices; bold, punchy blues and split

tones, bring the viewer to a surreal setting in their mind. I take what is there in front

of me, and alter it into a far away dreamscape.

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To learn more about Andrea, or connect with her further, you can follow the links below:

Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.jean.brough/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreacox_dreambuilder/

Website: https://ajb-photography.mykajabi.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqFhqVGypUQ4TzT1vksNeiA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbphotography/

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reconnectingtotheartistwithin

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Lindsay Blount, a wife and mother of two daughters who has been on a very recent and rewarding journey of discovery of her passion for photography. What I love about Lindsay's story is how she hadn't always led a life of creativity when coming of age as a young adult, but how unforeseen circumstances in her life, we able to shake loose and excavate some new inner awarenesses that lead to a life that is now filled with creativity. 

This is a must listen for anyone who may still be looking for that creative spark within their own life!

To connect and learn more about Lindsay you can find her at:

Website: https://www.lindzelisephotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindzelisephotography

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Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

Today's guest has the longest list of accolades of any of my guests so far. We had a wonderful conversation discussing her full circle journey from a career in music, to a much needed break from the music industry with a career in retail, all the way back to a new full time career in music. It was an exciting conversation and one that you are not going to want to miss!

Below is a taste of some of the things my guest Roberta Michele Quilico has accomplished:

Roberta has been a top Canadian vocal coach for over 10 years. Her career spans nearly three decades. She coaches everyone from children with no vocal experience to seasoned professionals.

She has been a major label recording artist, a published songwriter, has performed as a solo artist on every major stage in Canada, has coached celebrity clients, is a highly regarded Canadian vocal producer and has executive produced a staggering number of client covers and original music videos as well as live events

Roberta’s voice can be heard on 12 million albums sold worldwide on prominent international recordings such as (A New Day Has Come/Celine Dion- as featured vocalist), (Sucks To Be You/Prozaak featured vocals).

She has written songs for major Francophone artists; Mireille Mathieu, one of the worlds highest selling female recording artists of all time. She also wrote a song for Marie Mai’s breakout album.

In 2010 Roberta Michele Quilico officially launched The Bird Loft School Of Voice, a vocal boutique renowned for it’s expertise in recording, songwriting and elite level singing for artists of all ages and levels, from recreational to the commercial music charts. In 2019, Roberta’s achievements as an artist, writer and coach were recognized by her city by honoring her with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

She is a highly credentialed contemporary vocal coach with over 27 years professional experience- one of only a few coaches in Canada who has achieved a major label record and publishing deal (Sony/Columbia), has been featured on millions of albums sold and written for top selling international artists.

Before turning her client focus to individual song-single strategies, Roberta executive produced “Birdsong”, an album featuring fourteen original songs co-written by thirteen of her clients. Several of which received placements in multiple categories of the prestigious International Songwriting Competition in 2014 and 2015 beating out thousands of writers, including major published writers from around the world.

Many of her songwriting clients with have achieved top placements in international songwriting competitions such as The ISC. (top 1% of nearly 20,000 submissions over multiple years)

To learn more about Roberta or to connect with her online you can email or find her at the links below:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberta_michele_vocal_coach/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebirdloftschoolofvoice/

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Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with R&B Soul artist Fifi Writes. During this interview we dive deep into her experience as a young artist in the music industry who stepped away after becoming jaded with the way the business conducted itself; only to then progress through a complete transformation from her conventional career path back to her first love - MUSIC!

Fior "FiFi Writes" Baptiste wrote her first song at 7 years old, and her pen hasn't dulled since. Early in her career, she moved to New York and lived in Covenant House (a youth homeless shelter) where she pursued music and landed the opportunity to pen songs for a then teenage Jazmine Sullivan. Later in her career, she wrote for an artist by the name of Jzanell on her album "Private Thoughts". FiFi stepped away from music to work as a booking agent, but her calling to create music took over; she has completed her long-awaited first project... "Cheap Liquor".

To learn more about Fifi Writes or to connect with her online you can visit the following links:

Website: https://fifiwrites.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oohfifiwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OohFiFiWrites

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/48H3e4y9HG4AivvOGhNHn1?si=FczTFkurSPK3U9J5tpMJUQ

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It was an extreme blast to interview the guest on this week's podcast. Cliff had so many wonderful insights to share on his journey from a lifetime of working rote mundane jobs in a desolate upstate NY town, to moving to Texas to follow his passion for music, and then onto Savannah, Georgia to land a position at War Drum Mixing Studio. We even discovered that we have a mutual connection in the music field and share many laughs along the way. 

This interview is filled with insights from his journey about what it takes to recognize a bad situation when you are in one, and the strength and assistance at times that is needed to dig your way out of it. 

If you would like to learn more about Cliff or work with him on your next record you can find out more info here:

Website: https://www.wardrummixing.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afe.cliff

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amped_cliff

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reconnectingtotheartistwithin

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

In this interview I had the honor and joy of speaking with MK Williams, a full time Author and Independent Publishing Consultant from Florida. MK worked in corporate marketing for years, until making the shift into writing and consulting full time. Since then she has published 7 books, co-authored an 8th, and is currently working on her next book. After discovering the joy of assisting authors in self publishing, she founded the organization "Author Your Ambition" which helps new authors navigate the world of releasing their first book.

This interview is jam packed with insights from her journey out of her corporate job and tales of what it takes to grab ahold of your vision for your life and make it happen.

If you would like to learn more about MK and her books, organization, and even her financial literacy expertise, you can find her at: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1mkwilliams

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1mkwilliams

Website: http://www.1mkwilliams.com

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reconnectingtotheartistwithin

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

In this interview I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Hanna Nuss, a writer, speaker and serial podcaster from Iowa. After years of daily solo-casting - publicly grinding through and escaping her limiting middle-class mindset - she left her job as a Healthcare Strategist to dive head first into her newly discovered passions full time. This is Hanna's story of reconnecting with the depths of her being and rediscovering what it means to truly live life on her own terms. This interview is a treasure trove of inspirational stories and insights for anyone looking to begin the process of letting go of their old self to start life fresh today. 

If you would like to learn more about Hanna and continue to follow her inspiring journey of self-discovery (which I HIGHLY recommend you do), you can find her at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathofadreampodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathofadream/

Website: http://www.nussinc.com 

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reconnectingtotheartistwithin

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc

In this interview I had the pleasure of speaking with Lizzie Croucher from Essex, UK. Lizzie worked a number of jobs in the creative arts fields, yet found that the demanding hours and pressures of managing the needs of art organizations left little time or energy for her own creative pursuits. This is Lizzie's story of reaching her breaking point and making the shift to becoming a full time pottery artist. We touched on a lot of the mindsets that she utilizes in order to be a successful self-employed artist as well as some sage advice from her mother that every artist can apply to their own life. 

If you would like to learn more about Lizzie or pick up some of her amazing pottery you can find her at the following locations:

Website & Shop: http://www.croucherli.co.uk/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/croucher.li

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/croucherli

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reconnectingtotheartistwithin

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeatdoc