The Maximum Project

Allen Justin is an artist, therapist, and teacher who lives in Goa with his cats - Death and Patronus. Living with borderline personality disorder, Allen has found refuge in art and a keen interest in science. He is currently building a body of work as he continues to navigate his condition while helping others discover their life path. Allen is vocal on social media about mental health, science, and motivation. His art is a mix of abstract styles that invite the viewer to co-create a narrative of meaning in what might be a riff on the subjective nature of reality itself. 

This conversation explores the experience of mental illness and how it can affect every aspect of life. It also talks about art, conditioning, resilience, belief, and growth.

Note (Trigger Warning): Nothing said or discussed in this episode offers advice of any kind, medical or otherwise. The conversation includes graphic descriptions of disturbing mental states and traumatic events that could trigger some people. Please listen at your discretion.

Profile: https://www.instagram.com/deathpatronus/

Abstract Art: https://www.instagram.com/predator_abstracts/

Photography: https://www.instagram.com/predator_drawingwithlight/

TMP Website: https://www.themaximumproject.com/

TMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject

TMP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject

TMP Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject

TMP Stripe: https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ

Ramya Sriram is a comic creator and writer from India currently based in Cambridge, UK. Her comic strip, The Tap, attempts to capture her bizarre, wild, and wonderful experiences as she figures out her life's purpose.  A keen traveller, Ramya has had her travel writing featured in a host of publications alongside recognition for her art. She is also a poet and content marketer. As someone who uses words and images to soothe, sell, and survive, Ramya has a keen sense of the benefits and struggles of the artistic process, and this conversation is for anyone looking for a spot of guidance to explore their own artistic ambition.

The episode is special because Ramya and I have never met. The conversation you hear is the first we’ve had, so it’s a bit of a peek into what it is like for strangers to engage and connect with no previous context. I hope it inspires you to have a few serendipitous chats of your own.

Episode Links:

Links to the HSP Tests I Mention in the Episode:

TMP Links:

Prithvi Raj is a product developer at Cadabams Group, a mental healthcare organisation based in India. I first met Prithvi after a guest lecture at Christ University, where he and his team met me after class to workshop some ideas for Indest, a student-run NGO that Prithvi founded in high school. After finishing his undergraduate degree in mass media, literature and psychology, Prithvi began focusing on mental health and now combines his interest in technology, culture, social work, and entrepreneurship. His insatiable curiosity, commitment to a cause not forced on him by circumstance, and innate ability to lead with calmness and perspective drew me to ask him on the podcast. In this conversation, we talk about the relationship between environment and individual, views on mental health, and the need to follow what tickles your heart and mind the most. Enjoy this chat with Prithvi Raj. 

Get in touch with Prithvi on email: [email protected]

The interview with Jonathan Ive that Prithvi mentions on the podcast: https://youtu.be/ef69BUlge-A 

TMP Links:

TMP Website - https://www.themaximumproject.com/

TMP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject

TMP Pateron - https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject

TMP Ko-fi - https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject

TMP Stripe - https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ

I met Micah when I was teaching a public relations course at Christ in Bengaluru. He reached out to me for a chat after class, and we’ve been in touch ever since. Now, Michah always struck me as a bright, driven, articulate young man with the existential humdrum that characterized my teens, so I took a shining to him and our conversations. When he dropped out of college, I was on the fence about the idea. But the discipline, drive, and passion he shows for what he does will see his choice vindicated. Micah is a 24-year-old musician-producer who raps, sings, composes, mixes, plays instruments, has multiple releases and is currently working on an album. Micah also mixes professionally and teaches music lessons.

Another thing I love is that he is also a writer, one attempting to rediscover his passion. For me, Micah is a curious, straightforward, and open human being with the poise to rival most, and I highly recommend listening to this entire darn thing. Enjoy this conversation with Micah Bedford.

Micah's linkage:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/micah.bedford

Links:

TMP Website - https://www.themaximumproject.com/

TMP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject

TMP Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject

TMP Ko-fi - https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject

TMP Stripe - https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ

Caoimhe and I met through, you guessed it, The Portfolio Collective. I left a comment on one of her queries on the community board, and we’ve been in touch since. When we first spoke, Caoimhe’s combination of quiet grit and commitment stood out to me. Her story, and storied career, is an excellent example for people looking to see the benefits of sticking with something. 

Caoimhe is a driven and curious innovator. She loves finding new ways to integrate creativity and responsible design choices to create brand-right products and aesthetics. Seventeen years in the shoe industry have given her extensive experience designing best-selling footwear for the British high-street and global brands. After a pandemic pivot and a pirouette, Caoimhe is now excited to take on the challenge of creating responsibly sourced automotive accessories. When she’s not designing, she volunteers as a mentor and supports young designers as they transition from education into employment. Caoimhe is also an avid skier when travel allows, loves yoga, enjoys getting back to Ireland with family and friends and seeking the sunnier side of life. 

Through this conversation, we explore the themes of consistency in the face of a challenge, commitment to your craft, and recovering from pain. We also touch upon the alternative healing modalities, the importance of rest, and a host of other themes that I found highly relatable and think you will too. 

Get in touch with Caoimhe on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/caokel15) or via email at [email protected].

To check out the other content on The Maximum Project, head over to our Instagram page for some daily loving or subscribe to The Maximum Newsletter, a weekly brain blaster to get us on a path towards rational optimism. Sign up here. For digital applause, head over to my support page. If you'd like to speak with me, use the contact form on the website or email [email protected].

Stay inspired. I'll see you soon.

These are a few of Caoimhe's favourite things:

Book - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 

Poem - A Word is Dead by Emily Dickinson

Movie - The Goonies

Links:

TMP Website - https://www.themaximumproject.com/

TMP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject

TMP Pateron - https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject

TMP Ko-fi - https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject

TMP Stripe - https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ

Heather Sharp is the founder of Forces Wives Challenge, a community of military wives who discover their unlimited potential through challenges worldwide. Heather and I met through The Portfolio Collective, a community looking to help independent professionals build rewarding and lucrative careers. We have been in touch since we first spoke in an online breakout session. I am amazed by Heather's relentless commitment to her cause and community, as I think you will be too. 

Having served a decade in the British Army, starting in 2004, Heather left the regular forces in 2014 to take care of her young children. With both Heather and her partner spending virtually their entire careers in the army, the transition to civilian life was odd. Heather always loved the adventure that came with being in the military - the travel, the challenge of pushing physical boundaries, and most of all, the kinship, and she wasn't sure she could even make any regular friends. However, what Heather found was anything but regular. Leaving the regular forces also gave Heather the experience of interacting with a group of people she'd never considered before - army wives.

Now one herself, Heather found herself drawn to and inspired by the women who sacrifice so much to the armed forces, silently holding the fort while their partners serve in unknown and often dangerous locations. In 2017, having mulled over ways to give back to this community of people that she had grown to love and admire, Heather had an idea and founded Forces Wives Challenge. In 2019, this group of military wives trekked to the summit of Ojos del Salado in Chile, which at 6893m, is the world's highest volcano. The expedition raised money for The Royal British Legion, a charity that provides financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.

FWC's motto - "Together, We Can Achieve Anything" - encapsulates Heather's worldview, built on community, grit, ambition, empathy, and achievement. This episode is Heather's story and her vision for getting Maximum.

To know more about the Forces Wives Challenge, head over to the website: www.forceswiveschallenge.org. You can also get in touch on Facebook or Instagram. For collaboration opportunities, funding, and sponsorships, email [email protected].

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out the other content on The Maximum Project. Our Instagram page has some daily loving, while The Maximum Newsletter is a weekly jolt to the cranium to get us on a path towards rational optimism. Sign up here. For digital applause, head over to my support page. And, yes, give me a shout if you fancy it. It could be about anything—your ideas, feedback, comments, or you rapping the alphabet backwards while you tickle a llama. Thank you for letting me nestle in your ear canal, you jumpy jaguar. 

Stay inspired. I'll see you soon.

Links:

Sahana Dasharathi is the founder of Dash of Nourishment. A practising nutritionist, Sahana specialises in sports nutrition, weight management, gut health, lifestyle management, auto-immune disorders, and hormone imbalances and disorders. She has worked with corporates like Northern Trust and FirstSource while working with Right Living, a nutritional counselling and education firm in Bengaluru. She then worked with another company, Nutrifymydiet, which focused on sports nutrition, helping clients address lifestyle disorders and weight management. In her time with Nutrifymydiet, she also worked with the Indian hockey team. In 2019 September, Sahana decided to start her private practice and take the solo plunge, so that’s how Dash of Nourishment began. 

Sahana has a practical, no-bullshit approach to nutrition. Her Instagram content is fun and eccentric without any compromise on hard fact. What I like the most about her, just as I do with Dinesh (listen to the previous episode if you haven't already), is that she cares about what she does. 

In this episode, Sahana talks about what it means to eat well, the common misconceptions about nutrition, and her pet peeves. She also gives us insight into her broader vision and dreams for the nutrition industry.

Get in touch with Sahana on:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dashofnourishment/?hl=en

Her website - https://www.dashofnourishment.com/ 

She offers a range of custom consultations so, if you have any questions about your nutrition, book a call. Know what you want out of the conversation or prepare to be told what you need. 

If you like this conversation, check out the other content on The Maximum Project. Our Instagram page has some daily loving while the weekly newsletter is a round-up of the things that make my world go round. Send me your comments, feedback, ideas, and recordings of visceral screams into a plush pillow. Just send me something. Do it! Until next time, my pernickety peer, stay inspired, stay maximum.

Dinesh Borwankar is the founder and head coach at Movement Strength Performance (MSP), a functional strength and conditioning centre in Bengaluru, India. He is an ACE Personal Trainer, that's the American College of Exercise. Dinesh was also an elite cricketer in what is now a previous life, playing for Karnataka through age-group cricket before moving away from the sport in 2018 to focus on his fitness career. I started as a client with Dinesh last September, and he has me feeling stronger and more mobile than I ever have since I could lay claim to being an adult (at least by age). 

Dinesh's functional fitness philosophy focuses on helping athletes perform their best with first principles thinking backed by the latest research in sports and movement science. He also works with general and special populations, focusing on lower back issues, rehabilitation, and conditioning. An avid reader, Dinesh's interests include self-help, strength and conditioning, psychology, and sport. Notoriously reticent and vocally opinionated in equal measure, I think his voice needs to be heard, and I'm delighted to have him as my first ever guest on this show.

In this episode, Dinesh talks about his early memories, journey into and out of cricket, the beginning of his fitness career, his health philosophy, and his vision for the maximum life. Intimate, raw, and authentic, this conversation was an absolute pleasure, and I hope an accurate reflection of the many conversations he and I have.

Get in touch with Dinesh on Instagram (@dineshborwankar). Movement Strength Performance is in Koramangala. Unfortunately, the studio is shut just now because of the lockdown, but there's good news too. Dinesh offers online programs and live training via Zoom, so be sure to get in touch if you're looking for a coach that genuinely cares about you and the science to get you feeling your best.

The Maximum Project website is now live. Check out www.themaximumproject.com and be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so I can send you a weekly round-up of the things that make my world my world. Send me your comments, feedback, and ideas any way you like, so what you hear moves closer to what you like. 

Are you creative? What was the first response that came to your mind? I have had a lot of conversations with people who don't believe that they are creative. I was one of those people myself until I realized I couldn't avoid being creative any more than I could avoid being human. It comes with the box.* I thought I'd create a piece with the most common arguments for not being creative or to at least postpone the expression of said ability. Have a listen. And then read that question again. 

Neil Gaiman's 'Make Good Art': https://fs.blog/2012/05/make-good-art/

The Emerson essay: https://emersoncentral.com/ebook/Self-Reliance.pdf

About Ben Okri: https://benokri.co.uk/ | His quote about the power of stories: "Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world."