Drag THINGING!, Belonging, and Honoring Your Anger With CYRO

Original Air Date: November 9, 2020

Honor your anger. Honor your pain.

CYRO’s words resonated deeply with me – like a bell used to awaken your spirit.

This isn’t just an interview.

It’s an awakening. It’s a residence. It’s a healing.

I am so grateful that CYRO took the time to sit down and share their passionate and powerful wisdom with all of us.

Leah Kirby, also known as CYRO, creates theatre that incites change and incorporates non-western techniques in order to explore social, economic, and political issues through a non-traditional format. 

They are an activist, theatre maker, actor, writer, and drag thing named CYRO. 

CYRO is a Queer, Non-Binary, DRAG THING! 

They bring strength, beauty, and awareness to the stage with acts like 'Run Rabbit', exploring the struggles of gang induction and violence within black communities, and 'I am not your', a piece that delves into black masculinity within a non-binary body and shows the beauty it can exude by stripping back the facade. 

They use spoken word, movement, composition, Lip syncing, and storytelling within their work to incite change through artistic calls to action.

I am telling you: this interview is everything you have been looking for in a THE Celebration episode.

Do yourself a favor. 

Hit play.

You can learn more about Cyro through their website, or you can follow them on Instagram.

tomearl.me/cy

Listen to "Drag THINGING!, Belonging, and Honoring Your Anger With CYRO" on Spreaker.

Let’s Talk About Burnout

Original Aired Date: June 26, 2022

Let’s talk about burnout. 

We’ve all sung this song before. 

Whether it was out front leading the tune, 

Joining in the chorus,

Or subconsciously humming it to ourselves as we pick up the broom.

We can’t sweep away the exhaustion, 

The depletion of energy. 

The jagged, gnawing feeling, 

That we are nearing our candle’s end. 

For too long burnout has seemed that necessary friend

You must deal with if you want to achieve. 

If you want to be the best at ______. 

Fill in that blank with whatever extrinsic achievement we are 

Chasing, 

Hoping it will finally show everyone we are enough. 

But we can out hustle our worthiness. 

Or we’ll find ourselves buried in a hole of our own making. 

We need to redefine what it means to be winning. 

To recognize that perfectionism

And burnout often goes hand in hand. 

Where is the balance? 

Where is the rest? 

What are the flags, 

Warning signs, 

And hints 

That can suggest when we’ve gone too far. 

On this week’s episode, 

Let’s talk openly about burnout. 

Together, let’s explore ways

We can invite more balance into our lives. 

Not just when it gets so bad it can’t be ignored.

But as a practice. 

A commitment. 

A path.

That leads us back home to ourselves. 

Listen to "Let’s Talk About Burnout" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Creativity Is: Passionate, Laughter & Difficult Conversations with Intisar Seraaj and Mitch Del Monico.

Where there is laughter, creativity also exists. 

Creativity is more than just the art on your wall. It’s also what we tap into as we maneuver difficult conversations. 

So then what is Passion? → Creativity’s best friend. 

...And that’s just the tip of the iceberg according to this week’s guests: Intisar Seraaj and Mitch Del Monico! These phenomenal return guests get super deep each time they’re with us. 

In this episode, Intisar and Mitch continue helping us by exploring the question: “What does it mean to be a Creative?”

Get ready to explore your unique creativity. 

In 6 words or less, Intisar describes herself as: “Confident. Creative. Passionate. Loving. Loyal. Trustworthy.”

You can learn more about Intisar here.

In 6 words or less, Mitch describes himself as: “Laughter gets me through it.”

You can learn more about Mitch here.

Listen to "Creativity Is: Passionate, Laughter & Difficult Conversations" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Compassion, Curiosity & Deep Meaning With Fiona Harvey and Tasneem Noor

Where are you going deeper in your life?

What’s a journey you are willing to take through all of life’s ups and downs? 

This episode kicks off a new series that sets out to explore these very questions. 

Each month I’ll be sharing with you two people who will give us a peek into what depth looks in their lives. 

And most importantly...what fuels that drive for them.

This week I introduce you to Tasneem Noor and Fiona Harvey. 

Both Tasneem and Fiona are moved by their meaningful and personal missions they are sharing with the world, and now you.

In 6 words or less, Tasneem describes herself as: “Sincere. Curious. Compassionate. Spiritual. Adaptive. Authentic.”

In 6 words or less, Fiona describes herself as: “Compassionate. Empathetic. Driven. Joyful. Humorous. Intentional.”

On this week’s episode,  they each explore how compassion and curiosity are important values to take with you on any journey of depth. 

Are you ready for this deep dive?

Let’s do it. 

 Learn more about Tasneem here.

 Learn more about Fiona here.

Listen to "Compassion, Curiosity & Deep Meaning With Fiona Harvey and Tasneem Noor" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Let’s Talk About Burnout

Let’s talk about burnout. 

We’ve all sung this song before. 

Whether it was out front leading the tune, 

Joining in the chorus,

Or subconsciously humming it to ourselves as we pick up the broom.

We can’t sweep away the exhaustion, 

The depletion of energy. 

The jagged, gnawing feeling, 

That we are nearing our candle’s end. 

For too long burnout has seemed that necessary friend

You must deal with if you want to achieve. 

If you want to be the best at ______. 

Fill in that blank with whatever extrinsic achievement we are 

Chasing, 

Hoping it will finally show everyone we are enough. 

But we can out hustle our worthiness. 

Or we’ll find ourselves buried in a hole of our own making. 

We need to redefine what it means to be winning. 

To recognize that perfectionism

And burnout often goes hand in hand. 

Where is the balance? 

Where is the rest? 

What are the flags, 

Warning signs, 

And hints 

That can suggest when we’ve gone too far. 

On this week’s episode, 

Let’s talk openly about burnout. 

Together, let’s explore ways

We can invite more balance into our lives. 

Not just when it gets so bad it can’t be ignored.

But as a practice. 

A commitment. 

A path.

That leads us back home to ourselves. 

Listen to "Let’s Talk About Burnout" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Creativity is: Complicated, Poetic and History-Telling with Lloyd Wilkey and Liz Prisley

We are all creatives

Each day we are engaging in creative work. 

In our thinking, unique way of approaching our life, and in what we are building. 

But what does it mean to be a creative? 

This episode kicks off a series that will be exploring this very question. 

Each month I’ll share with you two people who dive into what creativity means to them. 

Our guests this week are Liz Prisley and  Lloyd Wilkey. 

Both are brilliant creatives and I am blessed to count them as good friends. 

In 6 words or less, Liz describes herself as: “Passionate. Intersectional. Feminist. Poet. Leader. Educational.”

In 6 words or less, Lloyd describes himself as: “It’s Complicated.”

On this week’s episode, Liz and Lloyd explore how creativity can be complicated, history-telling, and poetic. 

And of course so much more. 

Get ready to dive into your unique creativity. 

You can learn more about Liz here.

You can learn more about Lloyd here.

Listen to "We are all creatives: Liz Prisley and Lloyd Wilkey" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Drag THINGING!, Belonging, and Honoring Your Anger With CYRO

Honor your anger. Honor your pain.

CYRO’s words resonated deeply with me – like a bell used to awaken your spirit.

This isn’t just an interview.

It’s an awakening. It’s a residence. It’s a healing.

I am so grateful that CYRO took the time to sit down and share their passionate and powerful wisdom with all of us.

Leah Kirby, also known as CYRO, creates theatre that incites change and incorporates non-western techniques in order to explore social, economic, and political issues through a non-traditional format. 

They are an activist, theatre maker, actor, writer and drag thing named CYRO. 

CYRO is a Queer, Non-Binary, DRAG THING! 

They bring strength, beauty and awareness to the stage with acts like 'Run Rabbit', exploring the struggles of gang induction and violence within black communities, and 'I am not your', a piece that delves into black masculinity within a non-binary body and shows the beauty it can exude by stripping back the facade. 

They use spoken word, movement, composition, Lip syncing and storytelling within their work to incite change through artistic calls to action.

I am telling you: this interview is everything you have been looking for in a THE Celebration episode.

Do yourself a favor. 

Hit play.

You can learn more about Cyro through their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @cyrodragthing

Listen to "Drag THINGING!, Belonging, and Honoring Your Anger With CYRO" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

DIY Judaism, Passover, and Love With Andrea Hodos

This week, my guest is the awesome facilitator Andrea Hodos. In Andrea’s own words, we talk about “Jewish things” – what Judaism means to her and how it came to inform her life. We talked about her specialty, which is creating meaning and building empathy by putting things (and people!) in relation to one another, and also about Passover (specifically, what it means to her and her family)!

Andrea Hodos is the director of Moving Torah, a method for using movement, writing, and theater to explore Jewish text and Jewish story. Through her work in Moving Torah, Andrea developed a Jewish/Muslim women's performance project called "Sinai & Sunna: Women Covering, Uncovering and Recovering." She is also the Program Co-Director of NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change. Andrea and her husband, Aryeh Cohen, are among founding members of the Shtibl minyan, a DIY Jewish spiritual community in Los Angeles.

Listen to "DIY Judaism, Passover, and Love With Andrea Hodos" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.