Mostly Whelmed

Rylan Oz is a 23-year old producer and rapper from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He's a prolific artist who's released two albums and sixteen music videos since 2019 and eight singles this year. He puts on a high octane, energetic live show and is not afraid to use his voice to speak up for issues in his community. Today I talked to Rylan about his creative process, how he became a rapper, and his personal battles overcoming substance abuse growing up. Songs used: Rylan Oz - Before Sleep Rylan Oz - Ballad of Space

Bianca Romero is a lifelong learner, teacher, writer, and activist. She has been teaching secondary school for five years in Albuquerque, New Mexico at ACES Technical Charter School. Bianca is a firm believer in giving students agency over their education as a means of raising enthusiastic, lifelong learners. Today I had the opportunity to sit down with Bianca in her classroom to talk about her unique and progressive teaching philosophy while navigating state and federal level educational standards.

Angelique C. Paull is a seasoned costume design specialist in the film industry and business owner, whose company Welld Workwear produces a novel and innovative one-piece jumpsuit called the 1Z. It's designed, sourced, and manufactured in the United States. You can find out more about her company at wearewelld.com or give her brand a follow @wearewelld on IG or FB. Today I talked to Angelique about working as a costume designer, functional fashion, and ecstatic dance as it relates to the practice of tantra.

Estevan Muñoz is a prolific writer, actor, rapper, director & editor from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who currently resides in Portland, Oregon. He releases music under the moniker Chaz Matador, and is constantly on the grind for new creative opportunities. You can find his work at estevanmunoz.com and follow him on Instagram at estevan.etc. Today I talked to Estevan about his creative process, his thoughts on acting and performance, and his spiritual mission as an artist. Estevan was my first remote guest on the show, and it was an absolute pleasure speaking with him. Songs used: Chaz Matador - "Treetop Resort" Chaz Matador & Hadrian Shmadrian - "Abracadabra" Chaz Matador - "Bone Cage"

Scotty Leonard is a 27 year old underground filmmaker and artist. He has a passion for DIY projects such as zines, websites, and leaving his thoughts around the neighborhood for others to find in the form of lil yellow tags. You can view his work at lilyellowtags.com. If you're in the Albuquerque area, his latest film “The Space Between Dreams” is showing at the Guild Cinema on April 15 at 10:30 pm. Today I talked to Scotty about his filmmaking process, hypnosis, and his thoughts on his love, faith, and the virtue of doing unto others what you would have done unto to yourself.

Andy Herman is first and foremost a sinner who has been saved through the grace of Jesus Christ. Andy is currently in seminary, studying for a Master of Divinity so he can be ordained as a pastor in his church. He works as an American history teacher at a local Christian school. Today Andy and I delved deep into many theological issues surrounding Reformed Christianity, including the nature of sin, faith, and God, Christian meditation and mysticism, overindulgence vs. asceticism, and a brief overview of the canonization of the gospels.

Tisha is a Karuna and Usui Reikimaster that has been studying metaphysics the last 3 years. She owns a small business in downtown Albuquerque called Flow and Glow Reiki where she practices energy and sound healing, and sells flower essences which she produces herself. If you're interested in any of her services, you can contact Tisha via her website flowandglowreiki.com, or directly at her Instagram. Today I talked to Tisha about a large variety of metaphysical topics, including the thought forms of flowers, the wisdom of the rocks, and the various states of human consciousness from shame and guilt to love and enlightenment.

David Hatley is a freelance web designer, with a keen interest in math, physics, and philosophy. If you need a website, you can reach out to him at davidhatleydesign.com. Today I talked to David about the power of eye contact, the importance of mind-body connection, the thought loops we find ourselves in, and rewriting past memories to create new future outcomes.

Willajay is an artist of many forms. She's a painter, embroiderer, songwriter, poet, film photographer, actress, and psychic healer. Willa's a compassionate and creative spirit, always on the search for new and interesting ways of looking at life. Today Willajay and I enjoyed a rather stream-of-consciousness conversation about a whole bunch of things, including her alter-Clown-ego Pansy Pandowdy, her experiences reading palms, faces, and feet, and the power of meditation. Songs used: Willajay - Her!

Dakota is a mysterious, magical, ever-morpheus, trans-everything individual. Everything about her is in constant flux – her eclectic fashion sense, her opinions, and her very identity itself – but underneath it all lies a very cool, calm personality with a great enthusiasm for life. Today I talked to Dakota about her recent art projects, rock climbing, gender expression as a form of creativity, and her views on polyamory.

Lilian Andrea is a 25 year old Mexican immigrant, musician, and starving artist. She has lived in many places, held many different beliefs, and been to many worlds. In her own words, she's a “spunky lil' ball of surprises”. Today I talked to Lilian about her experiences growing up, her spiritual journey from Christianity to what she calls her “woo woo beliefs”, and her thoughts on ghosts, demons, and fate itself.

Austin Torrez is a musician, substitute teacher, and magic man from Albuquerque. He's released music under various monikers, including Kidd Psycho, Goblin Bones, and most recently, gothphase. Today I talked to Austin about the recent fire which burned his Grandmother's home and much of his musical equipment, how he's been rebuilding and recovering since then, and his thoughts on the particular issues surrounding substitute teaching in the age of COVID. Songs used: gothphase - Gwobble Gwook Kidd Psycho - Caleb's Song gothphase - Dat Uh Uh gothphase - Monsterhouse gothphase - Xaxty gothphase - Ectoplast

Odaliz Zilado is a nonbinary creative, seamstress, explorer of self expression and life enthusiast. They are a refreshingly honest and compassionate human soul, with a lot of big ideas swirling about their head. Today I talked to Odaliz about sewing clothing together from various reclaimed garments, their journey navigating obsessive compulsive disorder, and the importance of radically accepting one's inner weirdness.

Phil Romero is a lot of things. He's worked as a shoe salesman, a construction worker, pizza thrower, freestyle rapper, poet, t-shirt designer, National Guardsman, and stand up comic. In his own words, interpersonal connection is what he does best. He's a mover and a shaker, and someone who brings great joy to everyone he meets. Today I talked to Phil about his various jobs, his experiences training in the National Guard, and navigating society's level of pain tolerance as an aspiring stand up comedian.

Nate Smith is a multidimensional being. In this dimension, he's a young practicing hindu whose guru is the hugging saint, known to many as Amma. He's a Sanskrit scholar that maintains an ayurvedic clinic here in Albuquerque, and currently studies the pakhawaj drum under Phil Hollenbeck, a student of Ravi Shankar. Today I talked to Nate about what it means to have an ecstatic heart, spiritism as a form of creativity, and spirituality as an uphill trek into the darkness.

Matthew Stanasolovich is an independent writer and director whose films often explore the lives of troubled youths struggling with issues such as depression, narcissism, and drug addiction, as they travel around various ghost towns and ramshackle bungalows throughout New Mexico. At his website yellowpadpictures.com you can watch in full all the films he's released so far, which include: The General Specific Shanty Town Dukeland The Holy Ghost Today I talked to Matt about his journey as a filmmaker, his thoughts on obsessive compulsive disorder, and how he would direct “The Hulk”.

Andrés Carson Brown is an independent songwriter and musician, a graduate student earning his degree in Community and Regional Planning, and a spiritual seeker, in his own words, on the search for the endless song. His first full-length album was released last year, and is titled The Turbulence, available to listen on all streaming platforms. Today Andrés talked to me about his faith, his musical process, his desire to build a country, and his feminine alter-ego Delilah. Songs used from The Turbulence: For Taos, Psalm 121, Return To, Patience Is a Lifetime