The Cosmic Nod

The amazing multi talented multidisciplinary artist/musician Yvette Young joins me for a long conversation about life & creativity. I feel so lucky to make friends like her through this podcast. You will love this one, strap in! FOR A BONUS HOUR WITH YVETTE (+ lots of other cool shit) JOIN OUR PATREON Her band Covet just announced tour dates for September go get them HERE. Follow Yvette On Instagram Follow Yvette On Twitter Follow Yvette On Youtube Like Yvette On Facebook Like Covet On Facebook Hear Early Releases & Secret Episodes on Patreon!  Join Now To Support The Pod and get a ton of extra stuff Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Daniel Shankin of Tam Integration stops by the Nod and we have a blast! Daniel ‘Sitaram Das' Shankin is the founder of Mt. Tam Psychedelic Integration, an organization serving individuals who are exploring their consciousness for transformational evolution within a supportive community. He offers one of one integration coaching, and his clients describe his work as as profound yet casual, both humorous and reverent. After a deep and intense awakening experience in 1998, Daniel dove deep into his yoga and meditation practice to stabilize his realization in his body and the world. He began teaching in 2002, and took over leadership of his neighborhood yoga studio in 2004. As a yoga and meditation teacher for over 20 years, Daniel has dedicated his life to the cultivation of clarity, resilience, and heart. He uses tools from a wide variety of traditions to help his clients to develop powerful personal practices for psychedelic preparation and integration. You can visit him at www.tamintegration.com. TICKETS for The Mt Tam Integration Jamboree :) Follow Daniel On Twitter Follow Daniel On Instagram Buy Daniel's Eco Friendly NFT    Hear Early Releases & Secret Episodes on Patreon!  Join Now To Support The Pod and get a ton of extra stuff Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Ashe & I discuss the bizarre experience of her musical career exploding in the middle of a global pandemic, her love of songwriting, staying mentally healthy as a public figure, the mind fuck of hit singles & so much more.  Ashe is a genuinely kind, unique spirit & an incredibly talented artist. I loved this chat. twitter.com/ashemusic instagram.com/ashemusic Hear Early Releases & Secret Episodes on Patreon!  Join Now To Support The Pod and get a ton of extra stuff Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

What would it sound and look like for people like Mark Zuckerberg, Brett Kavanaugh, ALex Jones or even Donald Trump to have a public reckoning of their own volition? Stephanie Lepp is an artist, podcaster and content producer who is not only asking that question but creating deep fake video art to portray it.  In late September we had a great conversation about her Deep Reckonings project, the concept of making room for people to change, the value of accountability & apologies in our polarized society and how art has the power to create the world we want to see. Follow Stephanie On Twitter Check Out The Deep Reckonings Website Subscribe to Stephanie's Podcast Reckonings Subscribe To Stephanie's Youtube Channel Infinite Lunchbox Hear Early Releases & Secret Episodes on Patreon!  Join Now To Support The Pod and get a ton of extra stuff Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Super stoked to share this amazing conversation with musician, producer and instagram meme lord Izzy Fontaine with you all! Izzy and I crossed paths many years ago when he was playing for a band called Happy Body Slow Brain and then later when he was playing with Taking Back Sunday. He is a self taught genius of a musician who has spent a ton of time learning how to interface with computers as a means of performance and composition. A few years back he moved to LA and fully transitioned out of being in his own bands and into being more of a gun for hire player when he landed a gig as Seal's music director/backing band. Since then he's gone on to work as a player, producer or music director with an eclectic group of artists ranging from Banks, Harry Hudson, Sam Sparro, The Night Game, Glass Jaw and others. I love talking with people like Izzy because he is a perfect example of someone making their own rules and blazing their own path.  We talk about shifting from a life on the road to being more studio bound, focusing on technology and how to interact with it creatively, memes and humor as a means of connection, healing trauma through therapy and self reflection, psychedelic experiences and more. There is a full hour long secret episode with Izzy on our Patreon!  Join Now To Support The Pod and get a ton of extra stuff Follow Izzy On Instagram Follow Izzy On Twitter A Spotify Playlist of Tracks Izzy has been a part of  Izzy On Splice Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

This soloish episode is a tribute to my best buddy Jimi who we unfortunately had to say goodbye to on 11/6.  -Sarah reads something beautiful  -I play a big chunk of the recent Creature Cast (podcast I do with my band for Patreon) in which we discuss grief & loss in general, how I am coping with the death of Jimi and the role of empathy/expression in the process - I discuss a bit about our experience with in home euthanasia  -I send a dedication to Jimi into the airwaves Thank you for listening. If you liked the Creature Cast segment you can hear more by supporting Circa Survive on Patreon.  For early episodes, secret episodes, bonus content and a shit ton more  Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Greg and Dana Newkirk (Hellier, Planet Weird, The Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult) come get strange with me on the Nod. (Recorded In January ) Knowing my penchant for the mystical, synchronistic and highly strange, my friend Chad Hall recommended that I watch the Paranormal docuseries Hellier in late 2019.  (available for free on youtube and amazon prime video)  This is how I came to Greg & Dana's work and within 1 episode of the show that I knew I wanted to talk to them. What begins as an earnest effort to investigate a strange man's claim of being overrun by extra terrestrial like goblins (yes seriously) turns into an entirely different kind of adventure and one that luckily for us all is captured on film and masterfully edited by director Karl Pffeiffer.  I was mesmerized throughout all 15 episodes and continue to think about it's inherent mysteries even to this day.  Beyond Hellier, Greg & Dana run their own traveling (as of now not so traveling) museum of paranormal/occult objects and curate stories and various projects under their production company Planet Weird.  More than anything else, their DIY ethos and punk rock attitudes resonate deeply for and after following both of them on twitter now for a while I can say pretty confidently that they are good people with endlessly curious minds & pure intentions.  They were also the first people I tried my "Deep Impact" bonus segment with so if you want an 20 min bonus with Greg & Dana talking about the books, albums, films, experiences that influenced them the most head on over to Patreon and become a supporter. You'll get all episodes early, secret episodes, bouns segements and lots more.  Follow Dana On Twitter Follow Dana On Instagram Follow Greg On Twitter Follow Greg On Instagram WATCH HELLIER Support The Para Museum On Patreon!  Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Artist, Comedian and Rainbow Brainskull Podcaster Ramin Nazer and I attempted to do a live call in show and got Zoom-Bombed by Nazis. We then moved the party over to instagram live for an epic 3.5 hour chat about everything and nothing. There was game of thrones scotch, bong hits, conspiracy theory, trivia and lots of laughs.  This is a preview. For the full 3.5 hr episode join The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! There is a ton of other bonus content over there including videos, secret episodes, extras and more.  Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Rania Woodard is the singer/founder of the amazing Jacksonville based psych pop duo LANNDS. We met via twitter back in June and struck up a friendship after discovering we were fans of each other's work.  We had a nice phone chat in July and then decided to record the next one for The Cosmic Nod. We talk about her life growing up in Memphis, her musical journey & evolution, the weird poetry of the serendipitous universe, her viral tweet : "normalize people of color in alternative/indie music.", progress in social justice & collective consciousness, using your platform for good, the influence of microdosing & psychedelics on her songwriting and more.  I can't recommend the music of LANNDS enough! They have 2 new singles out now, ninety four & o.o.w plus an amazing back catalog including multiple excellent EPs & singles. I know you're gonna love em too! PreSave Their Upcoming EP Lotus  Watch The Brand New Video For ninety-four Go to LANNDS website Follow LANNDS on Instagram Follow Rania On Instagram Follow LANNDS on Twitter LANNDS on Spotify Like LANNDS on Facebook LANNDS on Youtube For early episodes, secret episodes, bonus content and a shit ton more  Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Esao Andrews is a great friend of mine, one of my all time favorite artists and responsible for every Circa Survive album cover to date. Beyond his massive fine art career as an oil painter he has painted murals all over the world, done 30+ covers for the Vertigo Comic Book series "House Of Mystery", as well as dozens of designs for skateboard companies Deathwish & Baker.  Esao is one of the most soft spoken and humble people that I know.  While talking about himself for a couple of hours is probably not at the top of his favorite things to do, this conversation was an absolute joy and I think you will be able to tell by the end how much fun we were having.   We get into his journey from art school to happenstance illustrator to fine artist, how our paths crossed in collaboration, tons of wonderful stories involving his craft, some ghost stories and a lot more.  This was recorded October 28th, 2019.  One of the strangest and spookiest things that I have ever encountered in my creative work occurred during the recording & editing of this podcast.  It happens and I detail it in an overdub. The overdub then expands upon the mystery. It begins around the 1:08:00 mark.  Follow Esao On Instagram Like Esao On Facebook Check Out Esao's Work & More At His Website For early episodes, secret episodes, bonus content and a shit ton more  Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

One of my favorite artists, Lauren Napolitano joins the Nod this week! Lauren works in a multitude of mediums on a multitude of surfaces.  Whether it's a drawing on paper or object, a mural on a wall or a tattoo on someone's skin ;  everything Lauren makes is beautiful, unique & full of its' own inborn magic.  This conversation took place back in November of 2019. While this seems like a lifetime ago in current events, this episode is deeply relevant especially those who find themselves called to the artist's path.  We touch on everything from the challenges of nomadic muralist life, cultivation of style, working with at risk youth, creating the mural festival POW WOW Nepal,  leveraging one's art to make a positive impact on communities, the benefit of therapy, Lauren's experiences with Peyote and other psychedelic medicines and a lot more.  Lauren's Bio fro her website :  "My work is about celebrating the handmade and the imperfections that come along with it.  I am incredibly influenced by my mother's Mexican heritage and I lean heavily on these ancestors as I create and gather inspiration.  Much of what I create falls between the themes of being surrounded/supported or the symbiotic energy/movement between every living organism. Earth and sky, life and death, love and sorrow, I explore these connections through invented pattern and symbology in order to find balance, growth and healing." Lauren has a beautiful brand new print available now in her shop! Follow Lauren On Instagram Follow POW! WOW! Nepal On Instagram Check Out Lauren's Work On Her Website For early episodes, secret episodes, bonus content and a shit ton more  Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

The episode so many have been waiting for is here! My longtime bandmate and dear friend of over 20 years, musician/vocal extraordinaire Anthony Green joins the Nod for the first time.  Anthony is a force of nature. It is an extreme understatement to say I have never met anyone like him.  He is one of the most adored and gifted lyricists/vocalists on the planet as well one of the most interesting thinkers when it comes to creativity, intuition, spirituality, and the human condition.  You may know his work within our band Circa Survive, his solo music or a slew of other projects/collaborations most notably Saosin and The Sounds Of Animals Fighting. This conversation took place on April 8th and we were in the first month of dealing with the fall out of our tour being canceled due to Covid-19.  We talk about that a bit and then go down the rabbit hole of memories and reflections.  I'm lucky enough to have had hundreds of conversations like this with him over the years, this was just the first time we recorded it.  Hopefully there will be plenty more. In fact if you like this episode I would recommend joining the Circa Survive Patreon because we do 2 podcasts a month plus a zillion other cool things.  Check Out Anthony's New Live Album Follow Anthony On Instagram Follow Anthony On Twitter Follow Anthony On Twitch For an extra 25 mins with Anthony and I, lots of early episodes, bonus content and merch goodies : Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

ATTENTION : Join artist,comedian and podcaster Ramin Nazer and I, this Thursday 9/24 for a LIVE CALL IN SHOW on ZOOM. Starts at 7pm PT / 10pm ET. bit.ly/templeofzoom A wonderful new psychedelic friend , the lovely Jasmine Virdi of Synergetic Press and Cosmic Sister joins the Nod this week. Jasmine is a writer, editor, proofreader and educator who raises awareness about the benefits and risks of sacred plant medicines and encourages people to make informed choices about their therapeutic potential and transformational capacities. By sharing the socio-historical context in which these substances emerged, Jasmine hopes to help people integrate them into their lives in a safe and meaningful way while protecting indigenous ethnobotanical practices and their environments. Since 2018 she has been a writer, editor and social media coordinator for the fiercely independent Synergetic Press where her passions for ecology, ethnobotany and psychoactive substances converge.  She has published articles for Psychedelics Today, Chacruna.Net, Lucid News, Entheonation and OPEN foundation.  She recently spoke at Psyched2020 as well as Earthdance Vision 2020.  For reference we recorded this back in late March. Jasmine does PR for a really cool literary publishing company called Synergetic Press and had sent me an email about having a few of their authors on as guests.  They put out a lot of books about psychedelics and mindfullness and in general seem very passionate and righteous in their artistic quest.  While this sounded cool, I had stumbled upon some of Jasmine's own writing and videos and was more interested in having her on the show first.  I genuinely enjoy seeking out people who haven't told their stories yet and while I would love to have some of said Synergetic authors on in the future I'm so happy that I was able to have Jasmine on as even since we had this talk her profile as a writer and educator has exploded.  Jasmine and I talk about her journey as a traveler, student and writer in the world of plant medicine.  We discuss our early impressions of the COVID world (this was in late March) and share various experiences with psychedelics and community.  Follow Jasmine On Instagram Read Her Most Recent Piece On Peyote For Psychedelics Today For a bonus interview with Jasmine & I, lots of early episodes, bonus content and merch goodies : Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Michael Garfield is a multi-media artist, musician, podcaster, futurist, former paleontologist and all around brilliant human. I have been a huge fan of Michael's work for a while specifically his ultra-inspiring, mind bending podcast Future Fossils so I was delighted to have our paths cross via many mutual friends and of course some delightful synchronicity.   This conversation occurred literally a full year ago, last September, a very different time in the world but I think the topics we touch are as potent as ever.  We dove SUPER deep and given this was our first conversation using voices and eyeballs there is that familiar vibration that I often talk about occuring, the "friendship being born" energy.   Since this was a decidedly "co-broadcast" we sort of interview each other to some degree but the convo is so free flowing I don't think it even qualifies as an interview for either of us.  We talk about touring vs being at home modes, working in different mediums & the scorn that can come along with it, tripping indoors vs outdoors, being in relationship as an obsessive artist type, Michael's first dance with fatherhood, therapy, the multiplicity of self, "real job" stable life, synchronicity generators and so much more.    I hope you dig it.   In related news, Michael and I are presenting a talk together for The Annual Psilocybin Summit this sunday, September 20th (5 day event 17th-21st) The lineup for this thing is stacked to the gils with amazing folks like Paul Stammets, Francoise Bourzat, Bia Labate, Ayanna Iyi, Dennis Mckenna and a bajillion more.    Our talk's theme is "Psilocybin, Synchronicity & High Strangeness : A dive into these phenomena and the process of using curiosity & creativity in order to integrate challenging psilocybin experiences." (3:30 pm PT on Sunday)    Support Michael On Patreon Michael's Art Website Michael's Fantastic Music The Future Fossils Podcast The Future Fossils FB Community Follow Michael On Twitter Follow Michael On Instagram Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

In my first solo pod I give a bit of an update / rant about a plethora of things. Infinite Love. Please help areas affected by Wildfires if you can. Donate funds, time and or volunteer. OREGON CALIFORNIA  WASHINGTON   Black Lives Matter. Especially Black Trans Lives.  Black Trans Advocacy Coalition   Wear a Mask! Give a Mask!  Help Indigenous Communities Effected By COVID-19 Seeding Sovereignty   THANK YOU. 

One of my new favorite artists and people M.K. Komins joins me on the Nod!   A multi-medium'd magician of an artist, M.K. is a bright, curious and friendly soul with a huge heart & and razor sharp mind. We get into so much good shit on this episode.  One of the many joys of doing this podcast is meeting new people and making new friends but there is just something so incredible about documenting the very first time you talk to someone and having it be such a barn burner of a conversation.    The themes range from caretaker self-care during a crisis, imposter syndrome, addiction & recovery, the challenges & blessings of life as an artist, the healing harmonious power of empathy and soooooo much more.      Check out her Designer Con instagram takeover today (May 28th from 2pm-4pm PST) Follow M.K on instagram! Go to her website!  We were both recently in a show together for Arch Enemy Arts of Philadelphia, check out her amazing piece which is also available for purchase

The amazing artist Richey Beckett joins me on the Nod!   For those who don't know, Richey is one of the most well known and respected illustrators alive at the moment.  He's made posters for some of the biggest bands, movies and shows in the world as well as some of the coolest! Converge, Mastodon, Metallica, The Grateful Dead, Game Of Thrones, Lord Of The Rings... You get the picture.   This episode is deeply ironic in that when we first discussed doing it a few months back, Richey was in the middle of some big big changes.  As you'll hear him explain in detail, he was basically living a life of artistic isolation for the last 5 years and was about to go completely nomadic indefinitely shifting to pop ups, residencies and gallery tours.   And while that doesn't seem to be in the cards anytime soon this chat is a wonderful window into the mind of a constantly evolving artist.     We talk about COVID-19 some but mostly we talk a lot about the life of an artist and the importance of change, challenge and improvisation.  We recorded this in the middle of March just as everything really started to kick off.   It was deeply therapeutic to have a long conversation right at the beginning of this wild time that is still currently unfolding.  I hope it gives you a similar light hearted escape that it gave to me.  Please check out Richey's work at his website  Follow Richey on Instagram! For lots of early episodes, bonus content and merch goodies : Support The Cosmic Nod on Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Guitarist, Songwriter, Producer and buddy of mine Steve Choi ( Rx Bandits, The Sound Of Animals FIghting , Peaced Out, J Moon ) comes to the Nod for the first time. We had a lovely virtual morning hang a few weeks into our mutual quarantines.  We each drank a cup of coffee, smoked a joint and let the conversation take us where it wanted to go.   We talk about the madness we are witnessing right now with COVID-19 and how we are both dealing with it.  We talk in depth about our struggles and triumphs with creativity, ego and inner peace.  There's some tour reminiscing and some questions answered from those who submitted in the patreon discord... There are some serious gems of wisdom dropped in this episode as well as some real genuine conversational catharsis that I hope you all enjoy.    Check out all of Steve's projects and follow him on social media! Steve On Instagram Steve On Twitter  RxBandits Peaced Out  The Sounds Of Animals Fighting  Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

First I talk little bit about the state of the world and my current feelings about it all.... Then I give a little overview of what this special segment is all about.   Many people probably don't know that The Cosmic Nod podcast began as some earnestly recorded conversations with friends and peers about their ayahuasca experiences as I prepared for my very first this past August.    Enter The Ungoogleable Michaelangelo.  A brilliant thinker, artist, musician, actor, podcaster, writer, and many other -ers that I became a fan of through podcasts like Future Fossils, The Rainbow Brainskull Podcast and Expanding Mind.   I gathered through his various pod appearances that he might have some tales/wisdom to share on the topic of Ayahuasca and decided to reach out to him via the rectangular digital interface we had become friendly through.  I spoke to him a few days before I left for the Peruvian amazon.   As you'll hear at the time of this recording I was still brainstorming on a name for the project, I hadn't fully committed to the idea of a regular podcast yet and beyond trying to get some perspective on what I was headed into, I didn't even really know what I was going to do with the very conversation we were recording.   I'm loosely and generically calling this series Ayahuasca Dialogues which is just going to be a mini-series I present through The Cosmic Nod.  If that sounds confusing don't worry it really isn't.  I spoke to roughly a dozen people that I knew or was introduced to seeking their thoughts, advice and stories about the Ayahuasca experience and that's all there is to it.  It is an extremely limited pool of people and extremely lacking in the diversity I would normally seek but this was not an attempt to add anything significant to the lexicon of Ayahuasca, just a quickly inspired personal project of exploration that occured over 7 days before my excursion.  Regardless of all these journalistic shortcomings I find the conversations extremely fascinating, informative and enjoyable.     My own ayahuasca experiences which occurred subsequently are well documented on my dear friend and interdimensional travel companion Michael Phillip's podcast, Third Eye Drops.  If you are interested in that, check out the first of a four episode saga.     I could excitedly listen to Michaelagelo talk about pretty much anything for endless hours.  If you took the energy of Terrence Mckenna, Michael WInslow, Salvador Dali and Robin Williams and put it through a blender it would probably taste a lot like him but yet it would still be missing the deeply unique thing that he is beneath his memetic masks.    He recently released a short companion piece to this episode (along with is own riffs on the pandemic) on his podcast 'Self Portraits as Other People' a few days ago and you should check it out!    At the tail of this episode I included the audio from Michaelangelo's 2014 appearance on a series called The Ayahuasca Monologues ( which I later drew some inspo from name wise ) .  He had shared it with me prior to our talk and I refer to it a few times early in the convo.  You can watch the video of the performance on youtube.     I highly encourage you to seek out his works of all medium through his website  and his instagram.     Check out his incredible podcast Self Portraits As Other People.    And of course you can also support him over on Patreon!       Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Steven Bradshaw creates insanely detailed drawings that reach into the darkest corners of my mind... He has one of the most beautiful & powerful singing voices I've ever heard & lends that voice to a plethora of talented (even Grammy winning) ensembles like The Crossing, Room Full Of Teeth, Variant Six and more... He is also my cousin!   As Steve points out at the end of the chat, we don't have these gushing conversations all that often but when we do they wind up having a huge impression on my consciousness. Steve and I have had some of my very favorite personal exchanges over the years and this was no exception.   We talked about the strange and sometimes scary journey of trust that being an independent multi hyphenate entails, living simply in exchange for freedom,  why Steve thinks I have a healthy outlook on things (LOL), how he balances music and visual art and the differences between how they affect his life, the way that our perception changes of media over time both as fans and creators, and a whole lot more.  This is a really amazing chat for anyone on the creative path. Lots of gems.   The groups that Steve performs and collaborates with most frequently :  https://www.crossingchoir.org/ https://www.roomfulofteeth.org/ https://www.variantsix.com/aboutv6   Follow him! Steven On Instagram   Steven's Website   Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Swoon has been one of my heros for almost 20 years now... I first found her work when I was living in and spending a lot of time in NYC and the surrounding areas from 2000-2002. Known initially for her prolific wheat paste prints that were plastered all over the city and then quickly transitioning into a well known gallery artist who specialized in public installation works.She collected a group of friends and collaborators, built these amazing rafts out of garbage and found objects and literally sailed all over the world, bringing art and performances and creative communion everywhere they went. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swoon_(artist)#Swimming_Cities_of_Serenissima,_2009She went to Haiti after the earthquakes and helped villages learn a method of building structures that not only could they live in but would withstand further environmental destruction.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swoon_(artist)#Konbit_ShelterShe has constantly pushed the envelope with her unique blend of whimsical folk fairy tale imagery, expressive portraiture and hands on humanitarian applications.  Most recently she has begun to tell her own story as a survivor of trauma & her journey of healing it through psychedelic therapy and art.  I couldn't be more proud and excited to share this conversation with you.TRIGGER WARNING : We go in depth about drug addiction, physical neglect/abuse of adults and of children, and things of this nature.  It is by no means a dark conversation, it is full of hope, light and inspiration but I felt like a warning was necessary. We also talk a lot about the power of the subconscious and its connection to art making.I recommend watching her incredible talk at Horizons before or directly after this episode.  Just in case, I have attached the full audio of it to the end of the episode.  We reference it quite a few times as it was the impetus of this conversation occuring in the first place.  It is so powerful and it's a testament to why I am equally passionate about the healing power of art and the need to destigmatize psychedelics. Follow and learn more about Swoon! Swoon's Website follow Swoon On Instagram follow Swoon On Twitter Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Kenny and I go way way back to our days as little punks trying to figure out how to make this music thing our lives.  We both did just that! Over the years our paths have continued to criss and cross and I couldn't be happier that they do.  You may know Kenny from his various projects Vacationer, The Starting Line and or Person L. This chat was so lovely and even know we are totally buds, I am such a big fan of his music that I was a bit giddy to pick his brain here about his creative journey. Enjoyyyyyyyyy it! photo by : Matt Schwartz ( @shehitpause )   Quick note : This interview took place in September and we talk very briefly about his beloved dog Waldo who was going through a bit of a mysterious health problem at the time and sadly Waldo passed away about a few weeks later from cancer.  So RIP Waldo this one's for you. Happy Graduation, You are so loved and you did such a wonderful job here buddy. Hope you're running amuck skateboarding in the afterlife.     follow Kenny   Vactioner Website   Kenny on instagram   Kenny on twitter   Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon!   Donate To The Show   Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.   Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram   Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter   Follow Colin on Instagram   Check out Colin's Art Store

Courtney Coles & Erica Lauren are both incredible artists and community organizers that I spoke with back in late September...    They are the founders of To The Front ,  A traveling art show that showcases women and non-binary creatives in the music industry. We had such a great chat about community, creativity, imposter syndrome, invisible fans, punk rock, DIY ethics and so much more. Follow them both!   Courtney on Instagram   Courtney on Twitter   Erica on Instagram   Erica on Twitter   To The Front on Twitter   To The Front on Instagram   To The Front Website   Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Sequence 2 continues with the amazing Kevin Tong!  Kevin is one of the most sought after and well known illustrators out there. He does everything from gig posters for bands, super detailed experimental infographics to boutique posters for films and TV series as well as cover art for novels and comics.   If you are a Circa fan, you may have come across Kevin's work while watching the show New Girl as the poster he did for the LA date of our 2010 tour makes an appearance in just about every episode of the show. Kevin even tells an amazing (and hilarious) story about that very poster.   He tells us all about his journey from traditional 9-5 design gig to becoming the self made king of poster illustration that he's become, his early use of psychedelics, how he mixes fine art technique with traditional illustration, the WTF moment of getting asked by Netflix & The Jim Henson Company to design a poster for the new Dark Crystal series and more.  follow Kevin !   Follow Kevin on instagram   Follow Kevin on twitter   Kevin's Website   One of My Fav Process Videos From Kevin is his poster for the film Watchmen which I reference in our talk   Here is his Process Video for the Circa Poster we discuss as well.   Here is the awesome Nasa site that Kevin recommends you check out too!   Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

First Episode from Sequence 2 is the wonderful artist Bronwyn Lorelei !  You'll come for her world of psychedelically exploding heads, droopy flowers, hybrid creatures and bodily functions but you'll stay for the powerful, honest and vulnerable ways that she connects with her ideas.      She is so incredibly fun to talk to.  We had a very raw convo about the realities of creative life and being a full time artist.  TW: we also talk about politics, depression/anxiety, intrusive thoughts, poverty, and religion... (I promise it's actually quite light hearted and fun but just wanted to give a heads up)   Follow her on instagram Check her website out here and her patreon here  !  Enjoy! Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

My dear friend Michael Phillip joins me for a philosophical tango. He is the host of the endlessly inspiring Third Eye Drops podcast, a writer and public speaker.  He is also the godfather of The Cosmic Nod as he was the one that suggested the name to me after we danced with the spirits of ayahuasca and infinity together! We talk about the monomyth archetype AKA The hero's journey, the conundrum of the mystery, the duality of western life, the importance of discomfort, reasons to be hopeful, saving our sytem versus destroying it and starting over, righteous anger, repressed rage and blackouts (my first real fist fight as a kid), Santa was a shaman, and the dark matter of consciousness.  As if to summon the magnetic pull of fate, Michael placed a copy of his future book into the Imaginal Time Capsule. Follow Michael!  thirdeyedrops.com on twitter @THIRDEYEDROPS on instagram @third_eye_drops Join The Cosmic Nod's brand new Patreon! Donate To The Show  Would you please take a minute to give the show a rating and review on apple podcasts? Pretty Please? I love you.  Follow The Cosmic Nod on Instagram Follow The Cosmic Nod on Twitter Follow Colin on Instagram  Check out Colin's Art Store

Drug Journalist Michelle Janikian and I have our vey first conversation! We discuss her new book "Your Psilocybin Mushroom Companion : An Informative Easy To Use Guide To Understanding Magic Mushrooms." ( Available Everywhere Now ) Topics Touched include psychedelic journalism, wreckless younger selves, cannabis, looking in the mirror on mushrooms, drugs vs medicine, antidepressants, the aftermath of Michael Pollan's How To Change Your Mind, living the dream , taking drugs like an adult, Michelle's experience at a Psilocybin Mushroom retreat in Mexico, overcoming imposter syndrome and more!  In the longest intro of the show's short history I tell the tale of my first Psilocybin experience which happened over 17 years ago! Michelle Janikian is a journalist focused on drug policy, trends, and education. Coming from the legal cannabis industry where she's helped to shift the plant's image from “destroyer of youth” to legitimate medicine and acceptable pastime, her interests naturally led her to the healing powers of psychedelics. She writes a column for Playboy about psychedelics and cannabis, was a staff writer for the cannabis publication Herb, and has also contributed to High Times, Rolling Stone and Teen Vogue. Michelle studied writing and psychology at Sarah Lawrence College before traveling extensively in Latin America and eventually settling down in southern Mexico. Go to Michelle's website to read her work and learn more about her! follow Michelle @michelle.janikian (Instagram)                                            @m00shian (twitter)                                            michellejanikian.com

Sophia is an ultra kind new friend and a wealth of information on plants, medicine and amazonian shamanism.  Topics touched : cultural whiplash, collaborations, her new book "When Plants Dream" , life in the amazon , sustainability &  ayahuasca tourism, critique vs cynicism, new rituals, romanticizing all things old, finding a connection to the land, walking barefoot, facing your own end level bosses and leveling up, why we should leave the shire, becoming the medicine vs becoming an evangelist, and how personal transformation = global transformation. Sophia places a mysterious seed into the Cosmic Time Capsule.  Sophia Rokhlin is an author, speaker and nonprofit organizer from New York City. She holds a BA in anthropology and religious studies from The New School and a MSc in Ecological Economics from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). She is a Program Coordinator at The Chaikuni Institute and currently directs the sustainable ayahuasca cultivation program at The Temple of the Way of Light, a traditional plant medicine retreat center in the Peruvian Amazon. She is the co-author of When Plants Dream: Ayahuasca, Amazonian Shamanism and the Global Psychedelic Renaissance (Watkins, 2019) on the global spread of ayahuasca. She has worked with several psychedelic harm-reduction programs including KosmiCare, and serves as an advisor on the Ayahuasca Community Committee for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is currently based in Peru. Follow Sophia www.sophiarokhlin.com @sophiarokhlin (twitter) @sophiarokhlin (instagram) 

Surprise double episode drop!  My friend Shane Mauss and I have a zany conversation about "the biz" (aka show business). The impetus to release this episode along with Sophia Rokhlin's (EP 08) is because they are on tour together RIGHT NOW doing a cool show called "Head Talks". All the info on that will be clear once you listen to these episodes and or go to Shane's website .  Topics touched : leaving gear in venues, living on the road, being single, Shane's prog comedy shows Stand Up Science & Head Talks, regular jobs vs the never ending uncertainty of art life, my first con job, Magic Mushroom retreats, Life feeling meaningless, what Late Night spots feel like for a comedian these days, thinking in tweets and grams, running out of pink himalayan sea salt, DIY ethics, why an assistant is probably better than a manager or agent, why Sophia Rocks-lin and Shane puts a case of psilocybin into the Cosmic Time Capsule!        Originally from Wisconsin, Shane moved to Boston in 2014 to pursue his childhood dreams of being a comedian.  He is now an award-winning stand-up comedian who has done many TV sets including five appearances on Conan, multiple appearances on Comedy Central and a variety of other shows.  You may know him best from his recent appearances on podcasts like Pete Holmes ‘You Made It Weird', Duncan Trussell's Family Hour, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Marc Maron's WTF.         Midway through his career, this former factory worker who skipped college for comedy followed his natural curiosities and started the science podcast ‘Here We Are' where each week he travels to interview a different scientist about their work and the meanings of life.  In 2019 he started touring with his live show ‘Stand Up Science' which combines two comedians and two scientists on the same stage for a night that is equal parts aha and haha.  Due to the success of this tour, he has decided to add a psychedelic version of the show and ‘Head Talks' was born.        He is a psychedelic advocate and explorer whose 111-city comedy tour about psychedelics ‘A Good Trip' was the inspiration for the documentary ‘Psychonautics: A Comic's Exploration of Psychedelics'.  Available now on Amazon Prime & iTunes, the documentary combines perspectives of some of the top researchers with Shane's personal journey in a fun, enlightening, and somewhat turbulent adventure. He has even been a guest facilitator at several legal psilocybin retreats run by MycoMeditations in Jamaica.  follow Shane www.shanemauss.com @shanecomedy ( twitter) @shanemausscomedy ( instagram )   

Matt Saincome and I talk about the history of The Hard Times, a satirical news site for punk, metal and hardcore scenes. We get into the nitty gritty about the new Hard Times Book (out now) , the struggles of modern journalism, his new payment service for writers and how punk rock & comedy overlap. 12341234 - > GO Matt Saincome is the co-founder and CEO of Hard Times and OutVoice. He's the former music editor of SF Weekly And has written for Rolling Stone, Vice, and SF Weekly. He played in the straight edge hardcore band Zero Progress.  @mattsaincome (twitter & instagram) @REALpunknews (twitter)  @hardtimesnews (instagram)  thehardtimes.net outvoice.com    

 The incredible painter Jillian Evelyn and I have our very first conversation! We talk about navigating the creative process, the labyrinth that is a fine art career, doing murals, steady paying jobs vs the feast or famine life, and the strange role that time plays in the life of a creator. My dogs interrupt the podcast yet again, this time with some wonderful shreeks and howls.  Jillian Evelyn's paintings combine the contorted female figure with graphic shapes and a limited color palette. Her work explores the struggle of womanhood and the anxiety that arises from societal expectations.  Jillian studied illustration at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. After graduating, she worked as a footwear designer for several years before moving to California to pursue her career as a full time painter. Jillian lives in Los Angeles with her pug Olie. follow her on instagram @jillian_evelyn all other info at jillian evelyn.com

Taryn Southern is one inspiring human being! We talk about her new documentary I AM HUMAN, the balance of work and life, about up sides and down sides of technology and social media, and lastly Taryn's recent experience battling breast cancer.  As one of the first creators on YouTube and more than 750 million views across her online videos, Taryn has spent the last decade at the intersection of tech and storytelling. In 2018, Taryn released the first album composed with AI, wrote and directed an award winning immersive VR series for Google, and released the world's first blockchain-token enabling artists to share royalties with fans. Her directorial debut, I AM HUMAN, a documentary following three humans with brain computer interfaces, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in the spring of 2019 and will be released in the spring of 2020.    - LINKS -  www.tarynsouthern.com www.iamhumanfilm.com - to sign up for our email newsletter www.instagram.com/tarynsouthern or www.twitter.com/tarynsouthern - to stay in touch w me!

Edgar Fabián Frías is one of my favorite people to follow on instagram. Their digital spells and interdimensional art is a constant source of joy and inspiration for me and many others. This was the first time we ever spoke and I was so thrilled to be introduced to this magical, kind and brilliant being of light. I'm convinced that we all need more Edgar in our lives. Please make sure you check out Edgar's work especially the video pieces which are heavily referred to in this episode. Go to edgarfabianfrias.org for everything you need! We talk about Edgar's journey in art, psychology and magic. Their indigineous ancestry and awakening experiences. The intersection of political resistance and expression. Plant Medicine both macro and micro doses... And the human birthright that is play and community. Edgar Fabián Frías, MA MFT is a nonbinary, queer, indigenous (Wixárika) and Latinx interdisciplinary artist, curator, educator, and psychotherapist. Their work traverses academic, social, historical, and relational planes, building bridges and weaving webs. Their practice is amorphous and expansive, rooted in multivalent forms of connection and in the magic that emerges from it. Born in East Los Angeles, Frías earned dual BA degrees in Psychology and Studio art from the University of California, Riverside and completed an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Consequently, Frías' work is often collaborative and engages with the intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of consciousness and the continuing effects of colonial and patriarchal structures on the health and resiliency of marginalized communities. Their work has been shown at Angel's Gate Cultural Center, Vincent Price Art Museum, Human Resources, Machine Project, SOMArts, ESMoA, Recess Gallery, Pieter Performance Space, and PAM Residencies. Frías is currently participating in the Tulsa Art Fellowship.   links:www.edgarfabianfrias.org https://linktr.ee/edgarfabianfrias @edgarfabianfrias on instagram

During a visit to Portland, Sarah was my first in-person pod. We sat on my living room couch with my two dogs and cats and chatted about the glory and horrors of being a creative, doing client work, mystical adventures and universal creativity. Sarah Zucker is a writer and multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. Her work merges the gorgeous and grotesque through humor, psychedelia, mysticism, and the interplay of cutting edge + obsolete technologies. She works across mediums, specializing in mixing digital and analog video techniques and the use of VHS. Her GIF art has been viewed over 3.5 billion times. She incorporates elements of performance, drawing, painting and collage into her interdimensional rainbow visions. Through Fancy Nothing, she produces curatorial projects and VHS Glitch Art Apparel. She runs YoMeryl, an art + animation studio, with partner Bronwyn Lundberg. She writes short-form comedy, television/feature scripts and Arts + Culture articles. She was a finalist for the 2016 and 2017 Women in Film / The Black List Episodic Lab. She has written + directed several short-form comedy series for Super Deluxe.  She became a Jeopardy! Champion on September 27th, 2013. Clients and Publications include: Super Deluxe, NowThis, The City of West Hollywood, The Brooklyn Museum, AMC, MTV, Universal Music Group, Tumblr Creatrs, Into, HuffPost, Book + Film Globe, The Center for Disease Control, Electric Objects and more. She co-produced Prism Pipe, a monthly visual music event, at pehrspace in Los Angeles from 2014-2016.  She holds a BA in Theater/Creative Writing for the Media from Northwestern, and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU.   follow her @thesarahshow on instagram and twitter and @fancy_nothing

Ramin Nazer is Episode 1. Wow, Yay, The Cosmic Nod has been born! We talk about all kinds of stuff and he makes me laugh A LOT. If you made a drinking game out of me laughing in this episode, you would DIE. So don't do that. My dogs interrupt us. We talk about legacy, awkwardly running into friends at Trader Joes, the dissonance between our true selves and how we THINK we are perceived and lots more. Ramin Nazer is an artist and comedian based in Los Angeles. He is the author of After You Die, Cave Paintings for Future People, and Infinite Elephants. He was named one of the New Faces of Comedy at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal and has performed stand-up on the The Late Late Show on CBS. His debut album You Were Good Too is available for streaming everywhere along with his weekly podcast Rainbow Brainskull on the Mind Pod Network. To learn more about Ramin, visit www.raminnazer.com.  follow him on twitter and instagram at @raminnazer