Unbroken Chain Podcast

Ryann Holmes is one of the founders of bklyn boihood, a black and brown queer and trans community committed to cultivating and supporting one another's stories, dreams, and creative work. Ryann is devoted to living a fully authentic life, one free from the expectations and prescriptions of mainstream culture, and in its place they have built a radically safe, inclusive, and healing community. With wisdom gained from over a decade of this work and a lifetime of self-making, Ryann shares their perspective on the use and limitations of labels, combating the erasure of black queerness, the importance of non-white spaces, the toxic energy pervasive in non-profit funding, and canceling the term "ladies." Find Ryann at www.bklynboihood.com and more podcasts at www.maurajames.com. ["Organic Elevators" / "Naps Jam" - Nappy Nina https://soundcloud.com/nappy_nina]

Emily “Birdie” Busch is a Philadelphia-based multidisciplinary artist whose creative spirit flows out of her in music, visual art, photography, and a non-linear life devoted to art-making in all forms. From her five full length albums, to the Core Memory Cards she invented to teach emotionally grounded songwriting, to her upcoming show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art featuring her original songs and paintings inspired by Goddess Archetypes and women painters from the museum’s collection, Birdie’s spirit of abundant creativity is undeniable. In this conversation she shares musings from her current projects and talks about what it really means to be an artist: the sacrifices and compromises, the necessity of a deep support network, and the release of immersing herself in her work. She shares many of the artists that inspire her such as John Prine, Joni Mitchell, Outkast, Alma Thomas, and Shaker women of the 1800s. Her complete discography is available at birdiebuschmusic.bandcamp.com and all things art at emilybirdiebusch.com. More podcasts and art at maurajames.com. [“Dreamers” / “If You Swim Far Enough” / “Lady Be True” - Birdie Busch]

Trendy is an artist and, as he reminds us of all creation, a divine spiritual being made of light and love. This conversation is an offering in the tradition of open source spirituality. Trendy makes visible the matrices that we live under without knowing it and explores liberating messages that can help us deprogram our conditioning, remind us of our infinite possibility, and "beat the game" as a collective. He shares his current practices, which are derived from a feast of traditions including Buddhist, Hindu, and Toltec wisdom: accessing dream realms, fasting, using fear as a tool, honoring the wisdom of the ancestors, and healing his DNA. Come dance in the sacred energy exchange. Find Trendy on instagram @artoftrendy and more podcasts at maurajames.com. ["Bag Lady" - Erykah Badu]

Yin Q. is a BDSM educator, sex work activist, former professional dominatrix, and writer and creator of the series "Mercy Mistress." In this generous conversation, she makes a deeply personal reflection on the transcendent element of BDSM practices and how these rituals can help transform the shame and fear accumulated by trauma into agency and self-compassion. She talks about what consent, transparency, and feminism really mean in the context of sex work and makes, among many things, an enthusiastic call for embracing male nipple play. Throughout, she emanates a strong belief that when we decriminalize and uplift the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, we assure the safety of all. Watch "Mercy Mistress" at www.youtube.com/mercymistress, and find her writing, advocacy, and professional offerings from rope bondage to couples kink guidance at www.yinq.net and @yinq13 on instagram. More podcasts at www.maurajames.com. ["House of Metal" - Chelsea Wolfe]

Daniela Groza is a documentary photographer and creator of the movement Be Kind For Real. When she's not taking pictures, she's often driving Uber in New York City. Her most recent project captures the lives of queer women in her home country of Romania who are often invisible to the world and to each other. In this vulnerable conversation, she goes deep about her journey to selfhood, from analyzing her childhood and ancestral trauma to learning how to recognize healthy relationships. We talk about her rejection of gurus and self-help books, the judging mind, Jung, being broke in New York City, and what she's learned about humanity from her thousands of riders over the last three years. Find her online at www.DanielaGroza.com or www.BeKindForReal.org and on instagram @bekindforreal. More art and podcasts at www.maurajames.com ["Blue & Sentimental" - Ike Quebec]

Yis "Noségo" Goodwin is a painter and muralist who combines fine art technique with a heart-stoppingly intricate surrealist style. As deeply humble as he is talented, Noségo celebrates the act of creation as the divine right of inspiration. Here in one of his first public conversations, he reflects on his growth as an artist and human, exploring how we write our own stories of selfhood by working at the edge of our understanding. We kick around ideas about reincarnation, the purpose of life, and the oneness of all living things. Noségo's murals can be seen on walls all around the world and his show "Died a Few Times to Live This Once" is up at Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia through February 9, 2019. More art at www.nosego.com and on instagram @nosego and more podcasts at www.maurajames.com. ["Roll (Burbank Funk)" - The Internet]

Tina "Kat" Courtney is an AfterLife coach who has sat in over 1000 plant medicine ceremonies and spent 11 years apprenticing with maestros in the Amazon and United States. She credits ayahuasca with saving her life and has devoted herself to helping others prepare for psychedelic experiences and integrate the sometimes intense, challenging Dark Nights of the Soul back into their lives afterward. In this beautiful offering full of practical wisdom, Kat shares her own journey into healing and talks about "bad trips," making friends with fear, going "unsane," purging, Shipibo cosmology, and what it means for westerners to participate in indigenous traditions, among much more. Find Kat's wealth of resources online at www.afterlife.coach and more podcasts at maurajames.com. ["Sæglópur" - Sigur Ros]

Eliza Hardy Jones is a musician, textile artist, and self-proclaimed "aggressive feminist." From her current project transcribing women's folk songs into sing-able quilts, to the making of her 2016 solo album, "Because Become," she shares stories about synesthesia, textile as currency, running for mental problem solving, and synchronicity in the Russian Arctic. Throughout, Eliza celebrates the untold story of women as the progenitors of culture, and makes a deeply personal argument for the thorough investigation into who controls the official narratives of our national, social, and personal identities. You may have caught Eliza in the past touring with Grace Potter, Iron & Wine, or mewithoutYou, but you can always find her music and quilts online at www.elizahardyjones.com. More podcasts at www.maurajames.com. ["Who Am I" / "Criminal" / "Because Become" - Eliza Hardy Jones]

Sarah Tricker is a filmmaker and cinematography professor at RISD. In this very intimate conversation, she shares her path to sexual awakening from growing up queer in a small town to embracing polyamory. She talks about confronting some of her deepest fears around being alone, owning jealousy, and communicating honestly about her wants and needs. This path of self-discovery has led her into alcohol recovery, transformed her social anxiety, and helped her recover from recurrent panic attacks. We talk about heartbreak, gender dysphoria, addictive personality, sex parties, and so much more. Find Sarah online at www.sarahtricker.com and more podcasts at www.maurajames.com ["Song for Zula" - Phosphorescent]

Dr. Lisa Apramian is a shamanic educator and guide, licensed psychologist, and coach of spiral awakening pathways. She is also the writer, director, and producer of the 1995 documentary Not Bad for a Girl about female artists of the 90s grunge and Riot Grrrl scenes. In this conversation, she shares her wisdom as a teacher and healer, discussing touch as meditation, tantra as a form of consciousness, and forgiveness alchemy as the key to liberation from the tyranny of our egos. Find Dr. Lisa online at www.spiralawakening.com and more podcasts at www.maurajames.com ["Dreams (Acoustic)" - The Cranberries]