Ep. 121 - Heatwaves, Hunches, and the Art of Actually Listening

About this episode

The episode explores creativity, mental health, and personal experiences through a chaotic yet reflective lens.

This week, the trio is BACK together—and you already know that means sparks are flying. We kick things off with inspiration from Resident Evil 9, throwbacks to Pokémon Red, and a surprisingly deep dive into the current state of movies (plus a little Pedro Pascal appreciation along the way). But things really heat up when Kel recounts a festival experience that goes from vibey to full-on survival mode—think heat exhaustion, mushroom miscalculations, and laying under a tree questioning reality. Day two? Redemption arc. From there, we dive into mental health and creativity, exploring two powerful ideas from Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: What happens when you try the opposite of your artistic instincts? And are you really listening, or just waiting to respond? The conversation gets real as we unpack: The struggle between process vs. product Rediscovering the joy of creating instead of chasing the result Nostalgia for the DIY filmmaking days at the Fox Theater And that elusive creative spark you can’t force—but can learn to notice This episode is part reflection, part chaos, and part creative reset button. If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or just too focused on the end result……

People in this episode

Host: Kel

Topics covered

• mental health
• creativity
• artistic instincts
• nostalgia
• survival experiences
• process vs. product

Keywords

• heatwaves
• creativity
• mental health
• artistic process
• nostalgia
• survival
• DIY filmmaking

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Creative Act, Resident Evil 9, Pokémon Red

Places: Fox Theater

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