This week, I'm joined by actor-carpenter-podcaster David Marlowe (@dwmarlowe) of the Shudder Show to discuss his experiences and struggles with ADHD. Starting with an ADHD diagnosis in second grade, David chronicles a lifelong tale of stigmas and over-explaining that has necessitated a bushel of metaphors at his disposal. David relates a difficult college experience after he went off meds, how his walls are up when it comes to conversations revolving around mental health in a blue collar workplace and how South Park did ADHD a disservice. While "pills don't make skills," we also bemoan the heartbreaking travails with health insurance and the difficulties in getting Adderall. 

References

"Self-care is the opening towards a spiritual practice and the key to healing."

This week I'm joined by picture book writer-illustrator and oracle Priyanka Vashee (@gulabimagic) to talk about her spiritual journey, my spirit guides, the difficulty and power of shifting mindsets and our paths to finding picture books, and subsequently, each other.

We talk about Captain Bartlett, the leader of Andy's spirit council, and the joyful afterlife. We change roles, as the ever-caring, empathetic and understanding Priyanka plays host to a dose of Andy therapy. We also discuss Priyanka's "breathless" experience with COVID, her career change, the shame and embarrassment associated with difficult things and "psychic stuff." Is a technical glitch really spiritual intervention? How did Priyanka's journey start with a terrible palm reading? Why is it so hard to believe in yourself when that is so clearly the thing we need most?

We attempt to explore these questions and more.

Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. 

Shop at Priyanka's Etsy shop! 

Book a session with Priyanka or visit her website.

Listen to Priyanka's Messages From Spirit playlist.

“I just started to hear this voice in my head that was like, ‘You can do this. You are capable.’ It was the first time that I can remember hearing a voice like that in my head.”

This week I’m joined by comedian and filmmaker Monica Andrade (@vape__sommelier) to discuss their journey to sobriety. Oftentimes the decision to get sober is where the discussion ends, but as Monica tells us, it’s the start of a new story, and it’s a difficult path.

At the time of this conversation, Monica is less than a month sober – this is raw and immediate and Monica’s strength imbues every word they speak. Monica relates their trial and error experiences with getting clean and what they’ve learned about themselves along the way.

We talk about powerlessness and the overwhelm. We talk about how substances were a way to control emotions and feelings and the need to be present, to find joy in the boring, small moments home alone.

We discuss decision fatigue and how the decision to be sober isn’t just one decision, but an infinite number, and how long it takes for the urges to lessen. We end on the story of a fateful whitewater rafting trip that awakened a powerful voice within them.

Please rate, subscribe and tell your friends. Listen to Monica’s Mixtape!

If you’re out there, scared and struggling with your sobriety, please know you’re not alone and you matter. Call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

This week, I finally talk about what's going on in my life -- and it all starts with a rock in my shoe. 

I've been in physical therapy for the past couple months and that has coincided with a depression that has made it hard to do everything, including this podcast. The journey begins in childhood and is ongoing, but here's the story for now.

If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join my biweekly newsletter Wanderings.

In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us.

"Am I growing? Am I evolving, reaching my full potential? Am I aware of my full capacity? Do I have hidden talents that I don’t even know I’m good at? Are there things that are there to be uncovered, are there treasures that are waiting to be discovered inside of me that I haven’t found yet?"

This week, Andy has a flower essence consultation with Katie Hess, the founder of LOTUSWEI's flower elixirs who simply wants us all to see the magic again. This is the first episode where someone found me, reached out to me with a product and we address the skepticism inherent in that situation, particularly something that can be seen as so "woo." 

How do we maximize the things that make us uniquely us?

We discuss the magic and wonder of the natural world and how it has stopped becoming an essential part of our day to day life, how everything on Earth is here for us. Katie helps us harken back to our childhood when it was easy to know and remember this magic.

Andy reveals some of the dirt of the past couple months and what he's been working through. He wonders if pharmaceuticals are right for him, he feels clunky and combative when setting boundaries, he still struggles to say no (“If you’re not fuck yeah, don’t do it”) and highlights the times when anxiety is the hardest to withstand. 

We also explore the arrogance and comedy in wanting to "save the world." We wonder after the very nature of self-care (particularly in men) and reframe it as: how do we best grow? We reframe "how can I help people?" to "how can I help myself?" 

Katie asks Andy the ultimate question: “If you’re a total, absolute failure, what does that mean about you?” Listen for Andy's answer.

References:

“It wasn’t until he stopped believing in me that I stopped believing in him.” This week, I’m joined by fellow artist and courageous new friend, Marissa Wasseluk (@realmarissapaige) to talk about the end of her 10-year marriage and where she's at in her journey to put herself first. Marissa tells the story of the end, highlighting red flags along the way. In the midst of a pandemic and all the other insanity of the world, Marissa realized that they weren't in it together. We talk about self-trust or lack thereof, boundaries or lack thereof, shaking anger, resentment, unfair expectations and the importance of friends to act as reflections. How outdated are marriage vows, and how is the societal pressure and expectations around marriage toxic? Here's a hint: it encourages thoughts like, "I have to save my husband’s life or I’m a shitty wife." 

If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! Join the Wanderers' Union Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings by following the links.

In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us.

"Do less, but better." This week, Andy returns with a Naked Manologue, except this time it's unscripted, an improvised life update that includes where his podcast headspace is at and where he's been and what he's working on, and why he constantly feels like "The Weary Traveler." This episode chronicles overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, a medication change, a recent trip to Mexico that included getting COVID-19. What was the fallout? The answer involves essentialism and calls to mind a life-changing massage in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

References

This week, I’m joined by Better Boys, Better Men author Andrew Reiner to talk about a new masculinity and the lack of male role models. We start our conversation with a PIES check-in, sharing our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual states.

Andrew and I connect over never having a mentor in our career and shared grief over a dear friend. We try to distance ourselves from that inner voice of shame (“You’re not doing it right”) and practice meeting ourselves where we are: Andrew’s coming out of a period of depression and brain fog, while I’m overwhelmed and exhausted.

We discuss three of Andrew’s heroes, Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen and Mister Rogers, and why he looks up to them. We explore why asking for help, asking for a mentor, is really hard, and delve into our conflicted relationship with crying by swapping breakdown stories, and examine the backlash men face from their partners when being vulnerable.

In addition, Andrew and I explore the need for an end to our cynical, cancel culture that is a self-fulfilling prophecy for isolation and alienation and wonder after a path forward.

If you’d like to purchase Andrew’s book Better Boys, Better Men, go here.

If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! Join the Wanderers' Union Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings by following the links.

In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us.

"Don’t be afraid to look shame in the face and tell it to fuck off." 

This week, we get magical as spiritual guide and tarot reader CIRCE gives me a reading. Three readings, in fact, using The Fountain Tarot Deck (created by Jonathan Saiz, written by Jason Gruhl and designed by Andi Todaro).

We do a Past, Present and Future reading surrounding finances. We do a What I Want vs. What I Need reading and finish on a Mind-Body-Spirit reading. 

Circe identifies my need to be more grounded. She sees that so much of my energy is focused outward, and that I mustn't forget to focus inward, that I must explore the things I don't want to look at. Circe spots how imbalanced I am. Not only when it comes to my mind, body and spirit -- I'm a MIND-dominated person, for sure, but I’m also imbalanced when it comes to masculine-feminine energy. She reminds me to replenish, that my focus must be keener for the challenges to come. Circe knows I'm stuck in the past and that the only one who needs to forgive me is myself. Circe is full of wisdom: "what people think of you is none of your business." As she says: "Trust yourself, dammit!" 

And what's for sure is that after spending an hour with Circe, I find that a lot easier to do. I hope you feel the same way.If you'd like to meet Circe (@mindingmylyons) and answer the call from the universe, visit SeekingAllSeekers.com.

“I was the only one who wasn’t particularly upset.” This week, I'm uncovering an old interview with my grandma, Nancy B. Greene. It may very well be the origin story, the seed for what would become The Naked Man Podcast. But really, this is Grandma holding court, in her element as an orator, telling her story, which is filled with drama and trauma that she reveals in a matter-of-fact way that only she can.

Grandma talks about being an orphan, being adopted, about her birth mom trying to kidnap her and her private investigator bodyguard Mr. Rakestraw. We talk about Poor Dave Leary, going to University of the Pacific, sorority life, meeting my grandfather, having children, divorcing my grandfather and a long and illustrious career in the juvenile and adult probation departments in the Bay Area. This episode runs the gamut and goes where you don't expect it, so be careful, as this takes on a bit of a true crime tint -- how does Grandma's story connect with Charles Manson? What cases still haunt her? We end on useful advice: don't help friends who have murdered their wives.

If you'd like to join and participate in The Naked Man community and my umbrella of projects, join the Patreon! If you can't afford anything right now but want to join our Discord or receive the biweekly newsletter Wanderings, reach out to me.

In the meantime, please rate and subscribe! If you have a monologue that you'd like to perform (regardless of gender/sex), don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. If you want to join our community, follow us on Instagram @nakedmanpod. Better yet, give us a call at 747-231-7120 and share your thoughts and feelings with us.