Entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and founder of Serapex, Philipp explains that our existential fears of life and fear of death are our primary drivers. He helps people uncover the deeper meaning and purpose that underlie their fears, so they can reframe those fears and determine the best ways to work through them.

Through his experience in design, branding, and strategy as well as study of existential psychology, Philipp developed insights that are meaningful to a broad audience, including his conviction that the real art is the act of becoming the artist - someone who creates - rather than whatever is created, which is just a by-product of the process.

To quote from Philipp's latest post on substack (18 Sep 2026):

Don't panic. Hold the line. Create the multi-layered art that is locked up in your soul right now.

Learn more about Philipp and his work by exploring serapex.com - and there is a link to the archteype quiz on the home page. You can also check out his writing on substack @philipp

Photographer and wild horse advocate Carol Walker talks about how she first started in photography and what led her to capturing images of families - the stallions, mares, and foals living in the wild in Wyoming.

Carol's passion and commitment to raising awareness of the precarious plight of wild horses today come through not just her words, but the images she captures of horses as individuals, from Blue Zeus and Picasso to Washakie and Thor.

Have a look through her photos on livingimagescarolwalker.com and on instagram @wild_hoofbeats to learn more about her work and the challenges facing wild horses today.

Entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and founder of Serapex, Philipp Kiesele explains that our existential fears of life and fear of death are our primary drivers. He helps people uncover the deeper meaning and purpose that underlie their fears, so they can reframe those fears and determine the best ways to work through them.

Through his experience in design, branding, and strategy as well as study of existential psychology, Philipp developed insights that are meaningful to a broad audience, including his conviction that the real art is the act of becoming the artist - someone who creates - rather than whatever is created, which is just a by-product of the process.

To quote from Philipp's latest post on Substack (18 Sep 2026):

Don't panic. Hold the line. Create the multi-layered art that is locked up in your soul right now.

Learn more about Philipp and his work by exploring serapex.com - and there is a link to the archteype quiz on the home page. You can also check out his writing on Substack @philipp

David Deane Haskell is a musician as well as the author of several books, including Wounded Angels and The Solarian Deep.

We talk about how drumming led him to writing a personal memoir about trauma and inner child healing, essays capturing daily slices of life, and speculative science fiction.

Ulimately he sees all the pieces he creates as opportunities to communicate with others in a meaningful way - to be heard and understood, and also to hear and understand how others react to what he shares.

David shares his experiences of vulnerability, both as a person and an artist, with great openness and self-awareness.

You can learn more about his work at daviddeanehaskell.com and on instagram @daviddeanehaskell

Ivana Bajic is a multimedia producer drawn to stories where nature, emotion, and human transformation intersect. Through surfing, she discovered the ocean not just as a place, but as a force of healing, grounding, and deep connection among women.

Author of Nature of Surf Women, creator of the podcast Nature of Surf Women - Waves of Women, and curator of surf and wellness retreats, Ivana is currently working on a documentary about surf therapy and the healing power of the ocean.

Among my favourite parts of our conversation was talking about the tremendous value of caring and community.

Learn more about Ivana and her broad scope of work on instagram @ivanabajic and @nature_of_surfwomen and online at natureofsurfwomen.com

Mark Connor is a boxing trainer and writer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Hearing Mark read from his book, 'It's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad),' reminded me how precious it is to have the opportunity to listen to a writer read their words aloud.

As Mark says, 'God breaks my nose; I'll break his nose.' In other words, fight for what feels right.

And the idea that once your feet hit the ground, you have to keep the momentum going, whether it's running, writing, painting, playing music, however you want to express yourself - that speaks to me. We always have to start by getting the momentum going, by becoming the kind of person who does what we value most.

You can learn more about Mark on instagram @writingboxer and online at boxersandwritersmagazine.com. His book - It's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad)' - is available on Amazon.

I've called at least one other episode in this podcast an odd duck. I think this may be a much even odder duck. The theme is ruminations I guess on the fifth birthday of the Vulnerability in life and art podcast.

Colin Douglas lives in Las Vegas, a data analyst by training and a philosopher by nature. He's driven by ideas and a great curiosity about how people choose to live their lives in the general pursuit of happiness, or better yet, enduring peace, fulfillment, or purpose. Working a full-time job, he finds the time to share his insights and invites others to engage in the conversation.

Colin shares a great line: 'Thoughts disentangle themselves through the lips and the fingertips' (commonly attributed to Dawson Trotman). That's how I feel about this podcast.

Be sure to check out Colin's writing on substack @personalpeace

"Books transform and shape us," says Winnipeg-based book artist Debra Frances. What makes a book a book? And how are we shaped by what we experience through books?

Inspired after making a book to showcase her daughter's artwork, Debra now creates stunning pieces from natural materials like milkweed seedpods and driftwood, as well as her own handmade papers and dyes.

She teaches bookbinding classes and also leads a one-week retreat every summer on Malcolm Island, British Columbia (for which I'm on the list in August 2027 :-) And the project where she collaborated with a climate scientist to create a book to represent key aspects of the work, centering on storytelling, was fascinating to me.

Learn more about Debra and her work on instagram @debra_frances and online at debrafrances.com

Based in Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario, Bryn Gladding is a commercial photographer who works with developers, researchers, inventors, artists, and manufacturers, alongside pursuing his own personal projects. I found his insights and reflections into his personal projects in particular, from the perspective of his own vulnerability, very moving.

Bryn is as passionate about nurturing connections with people as making photographs of and for them. He embraces the opportunities that come with new technologies as they emerge, and at the same time he looks forward to a resurgence in our general appreciation and valuing of art and artists, maybe even especially handcrafted or at least human-directed work.

Check out Bryn's work on instagram @bryngladding as well as online at bryngladdingphotography.com

Photograph © Bryn Gladding Photography Sculpture "Stratford War Memorial" Walter Seymour Allward (1919-1922)