One might think that by my fifth year of doing this podcast, I'd remember to introduce the guest at the beginning of the episode! Sadly, I did not in this case.

So, this is my conversation with Liv Wickedly, a multidimensional artist and creative who loves jumping in to try new things, a woman after my own heart.

We talk about art as intentional self-expression, through whatever medium feels right, which has personal value regardless of how it may be 'liked.' Reaction and feedback from others, however it may align with your own feelings and intentions, are always better than ambivalence.

And we talk about vulnerability as raw or tender moments of being seen, or even seeing oneself, when we aren't feeling so certain or clear about what we're sharing of ourselves.

To learn more about Liv and her work, you can explore livwickedly.com as well as her profile on instagram @livwickedly

For more information about the Gene Keys, you can listen to episodes 115 and 117, my conversations with Elijah Parker, or visit genekeys.com

And check out Babe Philosophy, the podcast Liv hosts with best friend Meli Wolf, which is 'a podcast where questions matter more than answers, where liminal spaces are revered, and where magic is practical.'

In this episode, I talk about what surfing means to me. It's a challenge on many different levels. Most importantly, it is teaching me what the real challenge is, in my relationship to the ocean, control, and lessons still to learn.

Be sure to check out the book Nature of Surf Women @nature_of_surfwomen written by Ivana Bajic @ivanabajic with photography by Gabriela Tellez and audio recordings by Martyn Stewart. I also highly recommend the podcast of the same name.

And if you find yourself in LA and want to learn to surf, you can get in touch with Heather Alley of Soul Surf Sessions @soulsurfsessionsla

This is my first episode - and probably my first conversation ever - with an action actor (which is today's term for the profession I would've referred to as stuntman). Jon Schmidt fell into the work after time in the Peace Corps and then completing his MBA, when the job overseas that he had accepted fell through.

Jon explains how in the beginning of his career, he worried that saying no to a role might mean he'd never work again. I connected with that, though I work in a completely different field. Overpromising on performance is actually the greater risk; learning to undersell (or at least, promise from a realistic perspective) leads to trust, more opportunity, and a stronger network.

He also shares some of his insights into education, writing, and AI - again, points that fall close to home for me as a learning designer and writer.

And then in the final moments of our conversation, we talk about about the purpose in making yourself vulnerable, throwing yourself out into the world in front of others, and giving something your all. Are you striving for failure or for success?

I'll leave you with a question. What's your no-go fly zone? I don't know why, but that image really caught at my heart as a metaphor for discovering and accepting our limits, of any kind. Because it's doesn't always have to be about pushing beyond limits; sometimes, it's about working creatively within them.

You can follow Jon Schmidt on instagram @thejingleheimer and check out his past work on IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6869567/

Amy Horowitz is a freelance photographer based in New York City who takes portraits of young adults in and around Washington Square Park, looking for the softness under the shell and documenting today's generation in tumultuous times, in moments of connection. Here's the core message of her work - and I really like how she says it:

I was brought up in a different way...but people are how they are...we're all the same.

The message is deceptively simple of course. Her photographs, on the other hand, tell deep stories about people, identities, self-expression, and navigating turbulent times. Because life is messy sometimes.

You can learn more about Amy and her work at amyhorowitzphotography.com and on instagram @dont_smile_nyc.

And be sure to check out her book, which you can find by searching for "Walk in the Park? Amy Horowitz"

This is another one of those odd duck little episodes. I pulled a snippet out of my conversation with Tim Tamashiro where he walked me through the process of identifying my ikigai. I felt a bit awkward when I became the subject of our discussion, and that feeling encouraged me to look more closely at what we talked about.

So, there are two parts to this episode. First, Tim is helping me figure out my ikigai. And then the follow up is my reflection on where we landed and where I might go from there.

If you're curious, give this process a try. Exploring your ikigai is a way of articulating who you are and what matters to you most. Ask yourself these four questions: what do you love to do, what are you good at, what does the world need, and how do you want to be rewarded? If you want more detail on the process, you can watch Tim's TEDx talk about ikigai on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-PcJS2QaU .

And please note, the Canadian guitarist whose name I couldn't remember is Donna Grantis, who played with Prince in his band 3rdeyegirl.

Tim Tamashiro is a speaker, singer, radio and podcast host, and author of How To Ikigai, a book that helps people discover their ikigai, or life's purpose. His own ikigai is "to delight."

Tim talks about how mental health crises during the covid pandemic led him to therapy and Buddhist practice, the role of manifestation in his life, and his passion for ikigai which is a combination of four factors: what you love to do, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded for.

The ultimate goal is self-actualization and in the episode that will follow this one, Tim will walk me through the process of uncovering my own ikigai.

Tim has actually written two books about ikigai, How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose and Golden Ikigai: Unlock Japanese Secrets to a Life of Purpose and Joy After 50.

You can watch Tim's TEDx talk about ikigai on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-PcJS2QaU. He hosts Sufferless with a Part-time Monk, a mindfulness and mental wellness podcast that helps people navigate modern life with more peace and purpose, and you can also follow Tim on instagram @timtamashiro

In this episode, I talk about what it means to me to make choices about where to put my time and energy - and really trying to feel into those choices, as well as think logically about pros and cons, so I can open space in my life for doing what matters most to me.

Doug Breault is a Boston-based interdisciplinary artist who works with photography, painting, sculpture, and video. In addition to his art practice, he curates exhibitions at Gallery 263, teaches art students at Babson College and Bridgewater State University, and contributes articles to Boston Art Review, Lenscratch, the Harvard Art Museum, and the Bridgewater Review.

Doug talks about his evolution from creative writing to photography - which then began to intersect with other forms of art, how an interdisciplinary approach to art making allows the idea to come before the material, and the themes of loss and memory that run through his work.

You can learn more about Doug and his work through his website douglasbreault.com and on instagram @dug_bro

Having inadvertently introduced Barbara Steinhaus - Chair of the Department of Music at Brenau University - as a music therapist, she not only set me straight with gentleness, but then walked me through her career as singer and educator, the value of music for healing, and how visiting art museums improves our wellbeing.

I was taken by the four elements of singing in a healthcare setting that align with Barbara's life as a vocal artist: the intimacy of folk music, the transformational potential of the spiritual, classical vocal style, and a sense of meaning in song and lyrics that is particularly profound for her.

For more information about Barbara's work as an educator, you can look her up on the Brenau University website. And for details about the study she's leading with the High Museum of Art, check out https://www.brenau.edu/news/brenau-partners-with-high-museum-for-arts-and-health-research/ and https://high.org/press-release/high-museum-of-art-receives-80000-award-from-the-national-endowment-for-the-arts

This is the second half of my conversation with Elijah Parker. We touched on how we can use different forms of language such as music to express ourselves, entrainment and the physics of harmony, wounds and wonders, and the nature of vulnerability as honest self-inquiry. And I love the image of us being watery beings moving through seas of vibration.

Elijah is a Gene Keys Guide, Ambassador, and core member of the Gene Keys Publishing team. The Gene Keys offer a set of teachings to guide personal growth and development through contemplation, inquiry, gentleness, and patience.

Elijah facilitates both personal and group sessions with The Gene Keys for transformation in relationships, activating creative projects, and discovering the gifts inside life's challenges.

You can learn more about Elijah at fractaldoors.com and on instagram @fractaldoors And if you're interested in The Gene Keys, check out genekeys.com