BEYOND

srimati is one of my heroines and i do not use that word lightly. i look to her often as a model of how to live a courageous, honest, spirit-led life. it was a tremendous honor to have this conversation with her.srimati “has spent decades seeking the divine in all of her life experiences. living from a deep place of devotion, srimati is a living spiritual guide devoted to reminding others of their spiritual nature so that they too can experience the full presence of their existence.”srimati is the author of the best-selling cookbooks, this cheese is nuts!, the plantpower way; italia and the plantpower way. she is also host to her own internationally acclaimed podcast, for the life of me with over 1,000,000 downloads in just two years. she is the founder of srimu artisanal not cheese and the spiritual community, water tiger.“srimati is a mystic, mother, musician, artist, author and healer who is a powerful living example of how to love ourselves more so that we can live our unique design in full and expansive self-expression. when we live in this frequency, we bless all life around us.”some things we talk about: how to live from the heart instead of the mindliving as a sovereign beinghow srimati begins and ends each dayour most important role in lifehow to live all of life as a devotional journeya gorgeous guided meditation andour greatest superpowermay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.to listen to past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

nina lombardo is a woman devoted.it's in the way she speaks and the way she moves, in what she teaches and what she lives. it's in her body, her heart and her whole being.“nina is a yogic intimacy teacher and wisdom keeper of the sacred feminine arts. she supports women in embodying their most authentic spiritual and sexual expressions so they can experience the soul-ravishing unions they crave with life, with their lovers, and with the divine” through her online programs, her one-on-one client work and in person-retreats.all of her work is “informed through her unwavering devotion to her own inner practice” and her work in the world.you will hear her devotion when you listen. you will feel her devotion in your body. and her devotion will awaken yours.some things we talk aboutthe difference between romantic love and the love of the universeher journey into free, unbridled self expressiondevotion as the main driving force, as the anchorhow to meet the outer world while staying devoted to one's inner truthwhere physical desire meets spiritual desirehow we bring awareness into the body andthe marriage between discipline and surrendermay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.to listen to past episodes go here.to read my most intimate writings on living a sensual, body-based life go here.to receive weekly embodiment practices go here.  

i first met allana pratt over 13 years ago when i interviewed her for a summit i was hosting on pleasure and sensuality. i loved her candor, kindness and deep devotion to her work.allana is an intimacy expert, the podcast host of intimate conversations, and author of six books. she has interviewed whoopi goldberg and alanis morrisette, coached leeza gibbons on dancing with the stars and been featured on huffington post, people magazine, forbes, CBS, ABC, FOX, TLC, iHeartRadio, the GoodMenProject and more.“for the past 20 yrs, allana's brave willingness to heal her own heart and come home to herself makes her authentic, relatable and credible in her proven coaching programs and intimacy retreats. her wisdom, exuberance and raw transparency inspire the deep soul work required to create a solid intimate relationship with one's self first, which naturally attracts and enhances an ideal open-hearted partnership that lasts. she's a small town canadian girl living in rural wyoming who is honored to love the sh** out of humanity.”some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:creating an intimate relationship with the universehow to choose joy in the face of pain and sufferingthe portal back into the bodyhow allana healed herself after a very painful crisisthe first step to manifestingthe most potent vibration to send out to the universeyou can learn more about alana and her work at allanapratt.com and you can catch up on all past episodes at daphnecohn.com  

when i began reading radical wholeness by philip shepherd i cried. these words, this man. how did he put into words what was lining the insides of my soul? how did he know the answers to questions i'd held on to for years?philip teaches embodiment but “unlike the prevailing view of embodiment which involves sitting in the head and ‘listening to your body,' philip's approach helps you listen to the world through the body. what the body most deeply understands is that it belongs to the world. what the body most deeply feels is the present. when we join its intelligence, we discover companionship in the world rather than alienation; we recognize guidance where before we saw only obstacles; and we ground ourselves in the security of being, rather than seeking to build security for ourselves with symbols of external value. ultimately, it's about coming home to yourself.”philip is the author of three books, new self new, new world, radical wholeness and deep fitness. he is the creator of the embodied present process which he teaches online and in workshops around the world.philip is gently and powerfully shifting the way we are in the world. through practices and processes, he is teaching us how to be radically whole and live free.he is one of the most masterful teachers i've encountered and it is a great honor to share my conversation with him.some of the things we talk about how to fill your emptiness foreverthe center of stillness in the bodythe only real security in lifewhat lies at the core of our sufferinghow to know your purpose andan extremely powerful yet simple tool for coming into the body and the presentto learn more about philip go here.to catch up on past episodes of the BEYOND podcast go here.

i don't know how i found rachel rossitto but a handful of words on her website changed the way i understood myself in this world.i had to know more.rachel is a teacher, guide, mystic, and fairy of rose medicine. having devoted the last 16 years of her life to “studying temple arts, earth-based feminine wisdom, eastern spiritual philosophy and practice, plant medicine, energy healing, the way of tea, women's holistic health and masculine and feminine healing and integration,” rachel has cultivated a deep practice of alchemizing pain into beauty and igniting women's wisdom, creativity, sensuality, and power.she practices a new paradigm of leadership that holds both softness and strength, born of the body and the breath, connected to the earth, inspired by the rose. her truth arises from a life lived in devotion, expressed through love and offerings.this conversation with her continues to make ripples in my life. it has brought me a new morning practice and emboldened a new way of leading within me.some of the things we talk about are:leading in contrast to the culture – how to root in one's own truththe story of rachel's spiritual awakening following 40 days of meditationrachel's morning tea practicehow to become a magnetic being that radiates beautythe many facets and faces of the femininemay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.you can learn more about rachel at rachelrossitto.comyou can learn more about daphne and all find all past episodes at daphnecohn.com

nadia is the author of three new york times bestselling memoirs, pastrix:the cranky, beautiful faith of a sinner and saint; accidental saints: finding god in all the wrong people, and more recently shameless: a sexual reformation. she is an ordained lutheran pastor and the founder of house for all sinners and saints in denver, colorado, a quirky congregation she served for over 10 years.nadia travels domestically and internationally as a speaker and has been featured on NPR's morning edition, on being with krista tippett, fresh air, CNN and in the washington post, bitch magazine, the new yorker and the atlantic. international media coverage includes BBC world service, the guardian and magazine features in germany, poland, and switzerland.some things we talk about:  having grace and compassion inside of the pain, the need to be seen as good, the amazingness and the limits of social media, making space for ambiguity, being a leader by going first and never doing it alone.*this episode is a rebroadcast from the art & activism series in 2020for all past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

when i think of daje, i think of power. wide-eyed, full-bodied power. the kind of power born of tension and tightness, emergence and transcendence. power that roots in the earth and spreads, like tendrils, through their poetry, song and space holding.daje is “a storyteller, flower essence practitioner, and space-holder for wild-hearted leaders and creative entrepreneurs. she supports creatives in coming home to their true nature and self-initiating themselves into dharmic creative flow while boldly sharing their medicine with the world.”daje is the founder of “brave school: an institute of dreaming,” creator of “wildboy apothecary” and author at “the story doula.”may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.some things we talk about: how to use creative courage to cultivate belongingessence liberation and how we create wholenessthe catalytic moment that led to daje's deep connection with spirit and self3 questions for creating a new relationship with moneyregenerative mysticism as a tool for awakeningfor all past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

in this episode i share my stories: the stories that make up my song. stories that defy logic, go beyond rational thinking, and yet were the exact experiences i needed to understand my place on this earth and my work in this world. this is my most personal solocast. i hope you enjoy it.  you can listen to all past episodes with beautiful, amazing folks like lisa congdon, valarie kaur, david whyte, rob bell, michael franti, laura horn, and many more at daphnecohn.com

in some way i am changed by every interview but then there are the ones that uproot my knowing and shift the soil below me. this is one of those interviews.mandy is a poet, peace advocate and public speaker. her list of accolades and accomplishments is long. in brief (but hardly complete), mandy is the author of two collections of poetry, glenn gould's chair and math, heaven, time, writer-in-residence at the philosophical research society, subject of a feature-length documentary, “peace piece: the immersive poems of mandy kahn,” and recipient of the 2018 shakespeare prize in poetry–other recipients include tom stoppard, ray bradbury and dana gioia.mandy has given readings around the world, collaborates to make works that combine poetry and classical music, and offers a free weekly online class on the nature of peace.mandy is a mystic and intuitive whose divine wisdom can truly change this world.some things we talked about:the world-altering power of peacemandy's health breakdown and how it led to surrender, god and a life of miraclesher earliest experiences as a mysticwhat it looks like to live a life led by intuitionhope as a holy elevatormandy's exact process for writing poetry and how she maintains her connection to creativitymay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.you can listen to past episodes at daphnecohn.com 

in this episode i talk about the hardest thing when crafting your own life, singing your own song: fear. as elizabeth gilbert says, "creativity is a path for the brave, but it is not a path for the fearless. bravery means doing something scary." i talk about the fear i live with every daythe truth of this journeyhow to let your life speakthe terror, and freedom, in being vulnerable andstaying close to the way we are madeyou can listen to previous episodes with amazing artists and makers at daphnecohn.com 

anna is an edge walker. dancing with the wild. beckoning towards the unknown. digging into the unchartered to open eyes, shift sands, and create new.  she is as wise as she is brave, as honest as she is strong. anna is a writer, creativity teacher and mother. she is the author of “the creative doer” and the founder of the creative doer community and ignite.anna writes “about writing, feminism, learning to say (holy) yes and (fuck) no, sisterhood, motherhood, and her quest to re-define the creative path.anna is a gift of a human and it is an honor to share her with you a second time on this podcast.may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.some things we talk about: the healing power of honesty and the vulnerability backlashgoing against the business advice to follow what's truehow to simplify, slow down and tune inprioritizing inner work in order to do the outer workdealing with fear and broadening your capacity for discomfortdoing the work that you are here to do no matter whatfor all past episodes go to daphnecohn.com

in this episode i explore one of the most powerful questions i know: how do you use your creativity to craft a life that is yours? i talk about moving from domesticated adult to wild animal, going beyond your personal belief system, learning the language of your body, how to use your body as a tracking system to bring you home and specific strategies for singing your own song. you can listen to previous episodes with amazing artists and makers at daphnecohn.com

i first met carrie when i interviewed her for the podcast several years ago. her story of pain, loss and rebirth captivated me. her colorful paintings of flowers and women delighted me. her success as an artist intrigued me.then we became friends and i fell in love with her passion for creativity, her devotion to the creative spirit and her wild, fierce questioning, soul. despite carrie's heat allergy, which can drain her physically and emotionally, carrie is all light, painting beauty into the world.carrie began painting after being diagnosed with a life-threatening heat allergy in 2009. “painting became a therapeutic practice and act of tenderness amidst the darkness. with time there was healing and the birth of my life as an artist.”today carrie is a full-time artist, art retreat facilitator at her hōm: house of miracles, in steilacoom, wa, and author of “the story of every flower,” “painted blossoms: creating expressive flowers with mixed media,” and the children's book, “a flower in her heart.” she licenses her art for stationary, home decor, clothing and other lifestyle products.may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art. SOME THINGS WE TALK ABOUT…what it means to be a devotee of creativityhow creativity awakens you to the most alive and empowered version of yourselftransforming your relationship to creativity from fear or doubt to trust, love and divine guidancewhat your art says about youhow destruction can be the most liberating part of the creative processmoney, charging for our work and success in artthe power of naming and using your creativity to create your worldlisten to all previous BEYOND episodes herejoin illumine herelearn about carrie here

welcome to my first solocast. in this episode i talk about one of my greatest loves: questions. i share about hearing a voice that changed my life, how to ask big questions, why questions matter and how they bring us freedom. you can join me and artists, writers, makers from around the world every day, monday through friday, for illumine: a free sacred creativity hour. you can learn more here.you can learn about emerge, an embodied writing series, here. or {within}: a community for artists and makers here. and listen to all past episodes here. thank you for listening.  

sometimes we have to go through the darkest nights to live into the lightest days.emma was recovering from two serious health diagnoses when covid hit. within a month she was divorced, had closed her art store, and moved back in with her parents.thus began a spiritual awakening that led to her getting sober, becoming a poet, finding buddhism and making art from the earth.emma is a “queer contemplative artist, poet, teacher and facilitator connecting deeply with words, textiles, slow stitching … passionate about sharing the transformative healing powers that our imaginations hold, the gifts of slowing way down and the power of vulnerability and sensitivity to change our lives and this world.”she is like a river that becomes an ocean: a gentle force, a quiet storm. emma thinks deep, asks big and reaches wide. she is a beautiful soul and i'm honored to be able to share her wisdom with you.some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:her story of getting divorced, moving home and getting soberhow her spiritual awakening radically transformed her artthe risk of vulnerability and how it changed her businesshow emma changed her selling from “feeding capitalism” to meditation in actionthe power of imagination as medicine for deep healingemma's art process of quiet contemplation, deep listening and sacred makingyou can learn more about emma hereyou can listen to past episodes and join us for illumine hour here

andrea is a wonder seeker.she looks for it in the easy moments – a kiss, friends gathered together, traveling to other countries. and she looks for it in the hard moments – beset by anxiety, in the midst of divorce, struggling to stay afloat.we talk about this – about turning towards the hard, making space for the all of it, in order to give wonder the breath and space to arise.wonder is a habit, a skill, just like eating well, exercising, meditation or any other tool you use to stay sane and find your equilibrium. just like with any habit, it helps to have specific ways of cultivating it. in wonder seeker, andrea's newest book, she offers 52 ways to discover wonder.andrea is an artist, author and “a big believer in the transformative power of creativity.” she's a photographer, author of an award-winning blog and several books including her latest one, “wonder seeker: 52 ways to wake up your creativity and find your joy,” teaches ecourses and retreats, and hosts the creative superheroes podcast.may this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.you can find the show notes to this episode and all other episodes over at daphnecohn.com

meggan is a feminist theologian. she writes about mary magdalene and the divine feminine. one could listen to this conversation and think, initially, that it is about religion, christianity and what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated theology.but it isn't.it's about soul work and having the courage to sit still and listen for what's true. it's about battling the doubts and fears to put into the world the voice you came here to speak. it's about making your thing no matter the forces against it. and being the lighthouse for others, the ones “made of the same fabric,” to find you.it's about bravery and heart, honesty and perseverance.some things we talk about: working through panic attacks and intense doubt to write the work meggan's here to writethe wisdom of the body and the power of living an embodied lifeknowing your worth while doing your soul workthe deep need for the divine femininedoing the hard work of going in to give to the world the truth of who we aremay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.you can listen to past episodes here

asia is a writer, teacher and medicine woman who runs her own online apothecary and offers courses on intuitive plant medicine, business as a spiritual journey and the pussy portal.  when asia was a teenager she became ill with a chronic pain condition, vulvodinia. allopathic doctors told her there was no cure. they told her she would be in constant pain for the rest of her life unless they removed the nerve endings in her vulva. from somewhere deep inside asia heard a resounding “no.”this was the beginning of asia coming to know the sound of her own voice and choosing to follow her own knowing.this knowing led her into the woods. and the woods led her home.some of the things we talk about in this conversation are: how asia healed vulvodynia and lyme disease. twice.asia's exact process for writing in co-creation with naturewhat to do when we feel like we don't belong. and how to find belonging. specific action steps to reignite your intuition and creativity through your pelvic bowl and the importance of reciprocity with the earth and simple ways to practice ityou can listen to past BEYOND podcast episodes here. 

in the middle of my conversation with mariana, i broke down crying. i had to stop talking to gather myself, to find words again. it was, in part, in response to mariana's words. but it was also in response to mariana herself.mariana mae is an artist, visionary, founder of easy to breathe, unearth, and origen raíz, an “organization in alliance with Indigenous Nations of Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala, committed to amplifying the voice of cultural education, preservation and exchange.”mariana has been working with clay since she was six and teaching pottery since 2013. she also guides women through ceremonial workshops to heal and strengthen their ancient, authentic, voices.mariana's work “highlights our ancestral, emotional wounds as tools, being in right relationship with the natural world, expressing our voice through song and cultivating creativity in celebration of the story we are here on earth to tell.”mariana is a force of beauty, strength, and wisdom who is changing worlds by living true to her own.some things we talk about: her relationship to the spirit of clay and how it guides her lifechoosing the unknown to follow the heart and spiritthe decolonization and deconditioning of cultural programmingchoosing a more primitive lifepractical steps for slowing down and living your greater visionmay this conversation inspire you to go within: to the raw, wild, expanse of mystery that is 
your beating heart, vibrating body, pulsing life in order to go beyond to utter the sacred: your words, dance, painting, art.you can find more episodes at daphnecohn.comyou can learn more about mariana at easytobreathe.com

jess scheer is a business strategist who supports “indigenous leaders and earth keepers with a powerful vision for the world to bring their message to the masses.”in this conversation, jess speak about many things. about the unshakeable stability of the inner world and our connection to all things. how she began to experience a deep peace while following what she most longed for. but more than anything i was struck by our conversation around dreams: the ones of the day from which we create new worlds and the ones of the night that guide our life direction and intuitive action.we talk about: connecting to the invisible world where spirit lieshow to deepen the connection to your roots, deep peace and inner freedom.what to do when you are being called to go against everything you knowthe power of day dreams to create the world you want to live into how to tune into your night dreams as a source of spiritual guidance and intuitively-led actionyou can learn listen to past episodes of BEYOND podcast here.you can learn about jess here.you can join the dream world program here and receive 10% off with the code BEYOND10 at checkout

ashley river brant is a “multi-dimensional artist, writer, teacher and bridge between worlds.” she is a “spiritual alchemist with a vision of bringing more beauty to this planet […] a mystic sharing the teachings of the otherworlds, a channel for Mother Earth.”  her work is “about reconnecting you to your creative genius–the whole ecosystem of life swirling within you. guiding you home to your […] heart's longings, burning desires, powerful intuition, and truth.” she is the author of tending to the sacred: rituals to connect with earth, spirit and self. in this conversation we talk about the four pillars of ritual and how we use them to create our own lifebuilding courage to follow the inklings buried withinleaving what you know for what you most long to explorethe power of pleasure and the consequences of not prioritizing ithow to create your intention and get back into (or stay) living a creative lifeconnect with ashley river brant:ashleyriverbrant.com@ashleyriverbrant on instagramconnect with daphne cohn:{within} community for artists, makers & writersjoin my email list to know about upcoming events, workshops and podcast episodesread my writing tuesdays and fridays herefollow all things daphne and {within} on instagram: @within.community

julia cameron has been changing lives all over the world since the artist’s way first came out in 1992. millions of people write morning pages and take artist dates - two of julia’s most well-known tools for finding your creativity and living out your truth.  since then julia has gone on to author more than forty books, plays and works of poetry.  she is commonly referred to as "the godmother" or "high priestess" of creativity. the artist's way has been translated into forty languages and sold over five million copies to date. in today’s conversation, julia and I explore the ideas and tools from her latest book, the listening path: the creative art of attention.some things julia and I talk about:on learning to listen after getting soberthe difference between listening with one’s intellect and with one’s hearthow to be obedient to what you hearauthentic listeningand the power of listening to remember who you are.may it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.for more interviews with artists and makers go to daphnecohn.com/podcasts

there are so many ways we are taught to make art, to create a business, to live a life. laura horn shows us that the most powerful way to do any of those things is to do them as yourself: to make art that feels good, to build a business in alignment with your strengths and to live in deep acceptance of who you are.after many years of fighting herself, laura  embarked on the slow and steady path of acceptance. as trite as it sounds, it changed everything.today laura is an abstract painter with a thriving online art business. thousands of creatives have taken her art courses, 135,000 follow her on instagram, her weekly podcast, “the laura horn art podcast” is loved by many, and her watercolor originals are almost always sold out.all because laura decided that the only person she needed to be was herself and the only art she needed to make was her own.some things we talk about:losing her mom to cancer when laura was 21 and her resulting struggle with anxietytrusting in ALL the nudges from the universeletting what feels good be the driver behind every piece of art and every business decisionher path to self-acceptance and the power of honestythe best business and art advice ever

when I first discovered valarie kaur, I cried. I cried watching her six-minute video that went viral and garnered over 40 million views. I cried reading her book “see no stranger: a memoir  & manifesto of revolutionary love,” and I cried in our conversation as she shared her wisdom, heart, passion and love.valarie is a seasoned civil rights activist and celebrated prophetic voice “at the forefront of progressive change.” she leads the revolutionary love project to “reclaim love as a force for justice in america.” she is a lawyer, filmmaker, and innovator who has been a regular tv commentator on MSNBC and contributor to CNN, NPR, PBS, the Hill, Huffington Post, and the Washington Post. she is the daughter of Sikh farmer’s from California’s hearltand and the author of “see no stranger.”this conversation is one of my favorites from the series, “art, activism and the great unknown.” may it move you as much as it did me.some things we talk about: hearing her first racial slurthe revolutionary power of lovethe voice of the little critic and the power of the wise womangrief as a way to know each otherdeep listening as an act of freedomthe need to listen and share our storiesand the labor of the revolutionyou can hear more interviews with brave and experimental artists here.you can follow all things BEYOND and my personal writing on instagram here.

 we are born into a world heavy with shoulds, rights and wrongs. growing up in that world we forget that we have the power to change our world. we forget that just because people tell us what we should and shouldn’t do, we can imagine any way to be. and we can always choose our own way forward.elle luna is a designer, painter, writer, and author of “the crossroads of should and must” and co-author of “your story is your power” with susie herrick. she facilitates a global art movement, #The100DayProject, and has previously worked as a designer at IDEO and with teams on apps and websites, including Medium, Mailbox, and Uber.elle is here to remind us that who we are matters and that what we make is ours.some things we talk about: making real the thing you most long to see in the worldhow to transform your story from broken to beautifulthe role of imagining and curiosity in creating your lifethe phenomenon of the shadow artisthow to get to know your "shoulds" so they lead you to your "must" you can learn more about other brave and experimental artists here.and you can follow all things BEYOND and daphne cohn here. 

there are so many ways to be human. so many ways to look at what we have been given. so many ways to respond to a life. I turn to rob bell when I want to be a human filled with possibility, to look at what we have been given with joy, and to respond to life with wonder.rob is a master creator who talks, writes, and teaches you how to say the thing you’re dying to say and do the thing you’re dying to do. he is a speaker, podcaster and author of ten books including several new york times bestsellers and his most recent, “everything is spiritual.” his podcast – the robcast – was named by iTunes best of 2015. he’s been profiled in The New Yorker, toured with Oprah and in 2011, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.rob is one of my heroes. he takes the hard, he turns towards the pain, and transforms it into a beautiful gift for us all.some things we talk about: finding your joythe most brilliant response to fear. ever.  how to use your imagination to create the life you long to live the miracle of the universestepping into the mystery and dancing with the unknown 

in a time when covid physical distances us from one another, politics emotionally separates us, and an economy driven by individual success financially divides us, it can seem almost impossible to create what we most need to truly belong: community.mia birdsong, pathfinder, activist, storyteller and author of “How We Show Up: reclaiming family, friendship and community” has devoted her life to creating and cultivating community not just because it feels good but because we need it. we need it because we are human. because we are interdependent creatures who rely on one another to survive. we need it because it’s through shared wisdom and experience that we can save what is failing and create what we are imagining. and we need it because, as much as creativity is a solo act, it comes from our shared existence.mia has “a gift for making visible and leveraging the brilliance of everyday people so that our collective gifts reach larger spheres of influence, cultural and political change, and create wellbeing for everyone.”and in this conversation mia brings her experience as senior fellow of the Economic Security Project, founding co-director of Family Story, vice president of The Family Independence Initiative, speaker at conferences and universities around the country and her Ted talk (viewed over 1.7 million times), to show us how we can use community to chart a new path forward.some of what we talk about: the american dream, toxic individualism and the power of communitywhat we value and why we better change it. now. finding agency in spaciousness (and how to create more spaciousness in a busy life)looking to the marginalized for freedomand why you only have to do your partmay it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.  

morgan harper nichols offers her art daily to her 1.6+ million instagram followers, via her podcast and her book of poetry and art, “all along you were blooming” and through her many collaborations with companies like coach, adobe, live nation, aerie and more.in this conversation,  we talk about going from paycheck to paycheck to a business with employees, two books, multiple partnerships and a massive social media following, the role of intuition in her art and life, staying the course and how she keeps herself inspired, dealing with doubt, healing differences and how she defines success at this point in her career.you can listen to more conversations with brave and experimental artists and makers hereyou can follow the host, daphne cohn, on instagram

listening to david whyte reminds me of something I had long ago forgotten. his words, written and spoken, feel like a homecoming. there is permission within them to lose oneself in the questions and the listening. to simply arrive at what is here, waiting for me. for us.david calls this “the empty space beneath the breath where everything real emerges.”david is a poet and a philosopher. he is the author of nine books of poetry and four books of prose, including his two most recent books, the bell and the blackbird and consolations: the solace, nourishment and underlying meaning of everyday words.he is a speaker, teacher and writer. but more than anything, david is a man devoted to the mystery and expression of the soul. a man whose job in life is to “get it” and then to poetically, magically, beautifully, reveal it to us.some things we talk about: how to break the surface conversation and enter into the one that belongs only to yousense of humor as a spiritual disciplinethe role of the body in art and how to come into the traumatized parts from your pastwhat it means to be a “real artist”being visible and vulnerable in your work and lifelearn more about david, BEYOND, and other brave and experimental artists here: https://daphnecohn.com/

 in this conversation with self-help pioneer and author of, "why bother: discover the desire for what’s next," jennifer louden talks about claiming your agency and knowing your work matters, how to know when to stop bothering and move on to something else? what to do when you don’t know what your desires are, how to keep choosing yourself over and over again and how to be vulnerable in your work and then share it with the world.

there are those souls that are both soft and strong, wise and wide open. toko-pa is one of those souls.when toko-pa was just 15 she ran away from a violent, destructive home life and found herself having to navigate “the system.” the next decade was a hard one as she figured out, on her own, how to become an adult in a complicated, often uncaring world. this was the beginning of her search for belonging.this search has led her down many creative, beautiful paths and today she is the founder of dreamschool: weaving a living bridge to the otherworld as well as the author of the award-winning book belonging: remembering ourselves home. in toko-pa’s words, “in addition to tending dreams, my work focuses on restoring the feminine, reconciling paradox, elevating grief, and facilitating ritual.”join us as we explore a pathway home.some things we talk about: how to start down the path of belonging to yourself and the worldwhen she lost sight of her creativity and how she came back to itfinding your own values and  your own voiceher own creative process and how she gets to what is truewhen it’s time to commit and when it’s time to let go (and how to tell the difference)and cultivating a vision for your life in tune with your longingyou can learn more at daphnecohn.com or follow BEYOND on instagram @daphnecohn

in this episode of the ten-part series, "who we might become," joy researcher, jesh de rox, explains what is joy, why it’s so important to creativity, and how to connect to ithow to respond to sadness and pain with a creative spiritthe path to greatnessand how we let go of what doesn’t serve us anymore in order to make what doesyou can learn more about jesh and download the remaining seven episodes of this series over at daphnecohn.comyou can check out "within studio": a community with hands-on art workshops, live q & a's with well known artists, makers, and activists, open studios and monthly check-ins at daphnecohn.comwithin studio is currently pay-what-you-can in response to covid-19 and all the financial uncertainty during this time. and you can follow the BEYOND podcast over at instagram @daphnecohn 

join joy researcher, jesh de rox, and I for part 2 of our ten-part mini-series “who we might become.” in this episode we explore how to see differently, create your own language and change the culture with your creativity. some things we talk about: the seed of all creativitythe three stages of the creative processthe gift of enough and not enoughwhat it takes to become an artist who will actually produce change in the larger culturewhy joy matters so muchand how to start breaking the rules and creating something new.you can learn more about jesh and previous podcast guests over at daphnecohn.comyou can check out the pay-what-you-can "within studio" membership community at withincommunity.com. there are monthly live q & a's with artists and makers, bi-monthly creativity check-ins and weekly open studios. it's a chance to gather, make, love, laugh, play, and make some more. and you can follow the BEYOND podcast over at instagram @daphnecohn

jesh de rox, at heart, is an explorer. a man who has spent much of his life asking the big questions; the ones that help make sense of who we are and why we’re here. over the years, traveling the planet, immersing himself in experiences and conversations that test the boundaries of commonly accepted ideology and culture, jesh has become a very successful creative entrepreneur, thought leader, and business coach.through his journey, jesh learned to shape and grow his businesses based on principles of joy and personal growth. his work has been featured in Vogue, Huffington Post, Elle, and Range Finder, to name a few, and he has an international client list that includes celebrities and world-class performers in many fields.in this ten-part mini series, "who we might become," we dive deep into ALL things creative: permission and courage, social media and sharing, rejection and criticism, discovery and greatness, and ultimately, who we might become.these are big topics and we go pretty deep with a lot of them. we visit, and revisit, many of them over the ten episodes (which I will be sharing weekly) so if at first some of it feels too deep or too vast, give it time. let it wash over you and slowly integrate into your being. 

marlee grace is a writer, a dancer, an artist, and a “shape maker.”she has books on social media addiction and  “how to not always be working.” she teaches and does creative advising. she has a podcast and a project called CENTER, “an experiment unfolding in space and time.”she lives in a patriarchal, cisnormative, heterosexual-driven culture as a queer female artist constantly blurring the lines of the known and the unknown. she is not afraid to be many things and she is not afraid to share her truth in all of it.here are marlee's thoughts on spinning out and getting calm, sharing truth, grappling with doubt and living in joy, and using all of it to find your own “right size.”some things we talk about:how she stays present and manages anxiety, obsessive thinkingon being honest about who you are even when that means losing those who follow youhow quitting drinking has informed her workher daily “marlee maintenance” planmaking what’s most important to who you are

with the world falling into chaos, it always lightens my heart to find artists and women like elaine. elaine is a rebel of the highest cause: rising up against the worst parts of a capitalist economy to bring about a more sustainable, peaceful life for all.elaine’s studio, inner fields, is founded on the principles of deep ecology and buddhism. inner fields has two key wings: on one side are elaine’s prints, pigment drawings and works on paper; on the other side are her hosted listening and drawing communal events.in all that she does, elaine brings sincerity, intention, awareness and love. as life seems to be getting busier, anxiety levels are rising and loneliness is at an all-time high, elaine is helping ease the pain and suffering of others through the use of natural materials, art that awakens, and “ephemeral art projects” that create community, connection, and change.some things we talk about: creating a sustainable art business in an unsustainable economyusing creativity to craft your own path and create your own way forwardart making that supports the world, the planet and the people on itthe philosophies that govern everything: her art, her work, and her lifedealing with doubt and fear as you step into all that you desireto listen to more brave and experimental artists head on over to the creativity habit  and you can follow the creativity habit on instagram @daphnecohn

laurie wagner is an expert on telling the truth. it’s the way she writes, teaches, and lives.there was a time early on in laurie’s success when the success began taking precedence over the truth. what the market wanted became more important than what her heart wanted. so she quit.she left the public writing world behind – the world of book deals and magazine articles – to find her own words. she turned to teaching as a way of making money while writing privately to discover what really mattered.in laurie’s words: “as my other friends who were in journalism got more deeply into writing the kinds of stories their editors were giving them I was going off trail and writing the kinds of stories that meant something to me and that’s where I found myself.”today laurie teaches wild writing through weekly workshops in her home and online. she takes people on writing retreats around the world and she teaches people how to be teachers of wild writing. she is the author of seven books and her work has appeared in numerous publications including salon, glamour, the huffington post, and the san francisco chronicle.she is a coach a teacher and a writer. but above all she is “tender truth serum in human form.”some things we talk about:how to get from “stuck” to “unstuck”sage advice on creating your brandhow being authentic in your art changes your life (and vice versa)when and how you invite your reader/viewer inabandoning success in search of her personal truthyou can learn more about laurie at 27powers.orgyou can explore more brave and experimental artists and makers at the creativity habit 

this is world-renowned photographer, brooke shaden's, second time on the creativity habit podcast. in this conversation brooke shares how she built an entire career, and life, basing every decision on this one question: will this bring me, and others, maximum fulfillment? and she means EVERY decision.in this conversation we talk about:how to trust your voice above anyone else’ssaying, and making, what’s important (and how it can change your ENTIRE career)how to practice braverythe importance of aligning with your money mindset and sharing your art as a businessmay it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.for more episodes check out: the creativity habit

when things were hard for anna as a child, and they often were, she disappeared into writing and reading. she left behind what was hard for a world that was hers. a world where she had power, voice, and words. a world where she made up the rules and created what she wanted.that world was her salvation.eventually anna turned that world into her livelihood. today anna is a writer, an editor and a creative entrepreneur. she teaches writing to women who want to share their stories and live fully self-expressed lives. her first book, “the creative doer: a brave woman’s guide from dreaming to doing”  is for “female creators, activists, and magic makers.” there is so much in this conversation. if you want to connect to your power and share your truth, this interview is for you.some things we talk about: the trial and error of sharing vulnerablyhow to create safe spaces within the fear (so that you can do what you need to do despite being scared)honoring your natural rhythm and creative cyclegetting back into your body (even when it doesn’t feel safe) and creating from your heart instead of your headstriving and what to do when it’s running (and ruining) your creative work

when jen was eight her father died. the last words she said to him were “I hate you.” those words would haunt her well into adulthood as she found herself dropping out of NYU as an english major, working as a waitress for 14 years while “pursuing” acting and dead-end relationships, and falling deeper into depression.the day she began taking anti-depressants was the day she began finding her way home.she became a yoga teacher and started writing what was true. sharing all of what it means to be human: the messy, the hard, the beautiful, the magical. no shame. no apologies. just “real fucking life.”today jen is the national bestselling author of "On Being Human: a memoir of waking up, living real, and listening hard." she leads sold-out yoga-related movement and writing retreats around the world, and is the founder of the online magazine The Manifest-Station. jen has been featured on Good Morning America, New York magazine, Health magazine, CBS news, and more. she has a massive online following and is loved the world over for her raw and real telling of what it means to be human.some things we talk about:how jen rebuilt her entire life from depressed and unhappy to wildly successful and happier (most of the time) how much to share, how to bear witness, and how to just be on making the thing that is true to you and designing a life, and business, around who you are on busting through shame, giving yourself a fucking medal, and being free 

we all get thrown off course. sometimes it’s the teacher who told us we weren’t any good. or the school that rejected our application. or the job we didn’t get. or the launch where no one bought. it’s different for everyone but everyone has some version of this story. for araki it was when she was 16 and, after having devoted a childhood to making art, to loving art, she didn’t have the grades for art school. so she stopped. for ten years she didn’t make any art. she studied international business, traveled the world for exchange programs and internships, and worked for start ups and big companies. until depression hit. until her eyes began to hurt and she had trouble focusing and she was tired more than she wasn’t. until the day she heard a voice, loud and clear, in the middle of a park that said to her, “go back to what you loved when you were younger.” so she did. for the last six years araki has devoted her life to her art. just as she did when she was younger. araki is an illustrator and a reiki healer. she no longer works for big corporations in international business, she makes art. and she lives art. choosing to follow whatever is next on this creative journey – despite the uncertainty and the doubt, this is her path. and it is what she loves. some things we talk about: leaving art for ten years at 16 to pursue something “more practical” how depression changed her life and the message that started it all signs of burnout the power of wabi-sabi to create what is true how to pursue what you love despite the fear, doubt, and uncertainty of it all

painter and writer, lindsay king, is devoted to love: self-love, unconditional love, and spreading love. it's her art, her business, and her purpose. in her own words, my “intention is to create meaningful work that carries the energy of love and healing. Asking to be a clear conduit for messages of love to move into the paint and fibers of the paper itself.” these are hard times. no matter your political beliefs, your nationality, or your place in life, we all are facing big challenges. to choose love in the midst of all of this is one of the bravest, boldest, acts I know. lLindsay is unapologetic in her devotion to love. It is her mission, the source of her creativity, and in every piece of art she offers the world.  it was an honor to talk with a woman of so much courage. may we all love a little deeper and a little wider because of her. some of the things we talk about: her practices for working with, and shifting out of, the hard emotions to be able to make art from love honoring the voice within creative block vs. an emotional block – and how to respond to each  dealing with fear and anxiety around money and the financial ups and downs of being an entrepreneur sharing your work and trusting your own creations may it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

It’s hard enough to feel worthy and good about oneself just being a human in a big, uncertain world. But for Kaylani, it was even harder. Born to a black father and a Filipino mother, Kaylani never felt like she belonged. She was bullied in school and at home. The messages she received about her worth and inherent goodness were twisted and cruel. And yet, somehow, Kaylani found her way through art and an incredible inner strength. With the help of mentors, teachers, and her mom, Kaylani is now an illustrator whose clients include Chronicle Books, Cicada Magazine, and DEFY. Her work has been recognized by Society of Illustrators, The Huffington Post, and BBC. In this conversation Kaylani talks honestly and compassionately about a difficult upbringing, a mental breakdown, and her rising up. Some things we talk about: how she got her first children’s book manuscript being bullied and having a mental breakdown in college what it means to be honest about who you are and what you make the difference between real inclusivity in art vs. tokenization and how art saved her life May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

Catherine Just started using drugs and alcohol when she was 13. By 18 she was addicted to crystal meth. Then one day, in the throes of addiction, she heard a voice. It said, “There’s more to this life than what you’re living.” Something in Catherine woke up and she got sober. She "checked herself into art school" where she immersed herself in discovery through photography. Today Catherine, 32 years sober, uses photography to help others return to their essence. Using a 4x5 large format film camera, Catherine captures, in a single image, “the breath, heartbeat, dreams, wishes, and desires” of her subject. Her photography has been published on the cover of National Geographic Magazine, inside O Magazine, Photo District News Magazine and shown in galleries in the US and France.  In this conversation some of things we talk about: being addicted to meth at 16 and getting sober at 18  the power of photography to capture everything: the seen and unseen, the known and unknown how art helped her settle into herself and find her way into the world diving into the unknown as a business strategy and how to use future writing as a tool to create the life you desire May it inspire you to make your thing and change your world.

Lisa Hsieh was a clothing designer before she was a mom. She made clothes that looked good on thin people, slit maxi skirts and crop tops, clothes that were crisp, clean, and sharp —conditioned by the fashion industry that she had worked in for a decade. Then she became a mama and everything changed. It was time to let go of all that had come before and leap into something she’d never done: designing and launching a sustainable clothing line for women that wasn’t about making clothes that defined who a person is but rather clothes that allow the person to be who they already are. In this conversation some of things we talk about her struggles, and successes, as a mama, a wife, and an entrepreneur, launching, and growing, a business from nothing, sustainable fashion vs. fast fashion, what Taiwan and the States taught her about humility, confidence, and how to be a business owner and making money: the truth behind what it takes to create a successful business.

Brooke Shaden has clarity. She knows why she’s making. And that why pervades everything. The why is her legacy, her message, her brand. Brooke’s why is to inspire creativity in others. When you have that kind of clarity you don’t worry about changing creative direction or trying out a new medium. You don’t concern yourself with those who rail against your making or criticize your style. Her why is bigger than her art. It’s bigger than her audience. It’s her north star. In this conversation we talk about 3 steps to finding your why, your legacy, and your message, the #1 thing that stops people from moving forward in their personal and professional life, becoming a trailblazer and finding true liberation, and how to never run out of ideas or inspiration. Brooke is a photographer whose work has been shown in galleries around the world, featured in, and on the cover of, dozens of magazines and books, winner of the international photographer of the year in 2016, named best of photography in 2015, one of Shutter Magazine's 10 most influential photographers, and is the founder of Light Space: a photography school for survivors of human trafficking in India and Thailand. 

Jesh de Rox is, at heart, an explorer. He's spent his life asking the big questions: the ones that help make sense of who we are and why we're here. And he's built several very successful businesses in photography, thought leadership, and business coaching, around the same two things: joy and personal growth. Jesh's work has been featured in Vogue, Huffington Post, Elle, and Range Finder, to name a few, and has an international client list that includes celebrities and world-class performers in many fields. Some things we talk about: how to overcome the biggest hurdles to creating and living a meaningful life the most unusual (and powerful) business building (and life) advice you’ll ever get what you must know to create what is most honestly yours why what we see on Instagram is not what we want to imitate in art or life

Satsuki Shibuya is a painter, poet, and spiritual guide. She is also the first repeat guest on The Creativity Habit Podcast. In this second conversation, we dive into the heart and mind of this spiritual thinker. We talk about love and purpose, flow and discipline, creativity and truth. It’s both profoundly spiritual and very practical. Some things we talk about: how to keep putting your most honest, creative self out into the world Satsuki’s four-step creative process for hatching and launching any project simple ways to know you’re moving in the right direction (and on the path of your purpose) how to balance going with the flow with the practical aspects of building a business Satsuki's work has appeared on book covers, in Kinfolk, on the set of Marie Kondo’s Netflix series, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, in galleries and private collections. But Satsuki’s true contribution is that she changes the world not because of what she does but because of who she is. Enjoy.

Hall Newbegin is a "hippie entrepreneur" who went from making soap out of his basement to running a multi-million dollar business selling sustainably harvested products including perfume, incense, candles, and soap. Hall brought the places he loved to people who cared through products he made. Some things we talk about finding the courage to wander off the known path in order to find your own path finding your one thing, digging deep, and making it your everything starting from nothing, losing almost everything, and ending with a multi-million dollar business following your nose, and always, always staying true to your soul

Loveis Wise was a junior in college when she got her first art commission with Refinery 29 and a senior when she became the second black women in the history of The New Yorker Magazine to design its cover. Loveis grew up poor and no one in her family thought you could make any money making art but Loveis knew what she wanted and she want for it. Today Loveis has more work than time.Her illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker Magazine, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, NPR, and TED to name a few. She’s only one year out of college but she’s already an in-demand full-time artist who found her way out of poverty doing what she loves. Some things we talk about: how to change your inner voice to help heal what’s not working feeling like an imposter and doing it anyway using art to navigate her way out of childhood trauma and depression what she did in college to launch her career before she’d even graduated and how to speak your dreams into existence to create the life you long for

Michelle Gardella is an internationally recognized photographer who hustled her way out of poverty to become one of the top 30 photographers in the world by Rangefinder Magazine and one of the top ten photographers in the US by Professional Photographers of America. Today Michelle is a truth-teller who uses her camera and her words to ferret out the false and showcase the real through her River Story Sessions and her writing. She has launched two successful Kickstarter campaigns, self-published her book River Story, and is currently working on her memoir. Some things we talk about: how to rise above a life of poverty and abuse to become one of the top 30 photographers in the world photography as a truth-telling tool (coming out from behind the lens) how your brokenness leads right into your beauty launching her first, and second, successful Kickstarter campaign and playing the game of social media as only a truth-teller can