EP. 087 - Burn After Reflecting: A Mental Health Debrief

The crew is back—after a false start and a Kodak-to-pink background transformation—to bring sparks, shame, synchronicity, and solid chaos. Theo talks about quitting smoking with a fidgety flavored-air gadget called Füm and promotes his upcoming spooky Twitch radio stream, QWRK Radio. Kel gets deep into Andor season two, praising its emotional weight and time jumps, while Andy unexpectedly binges Cloudward, Ho!, the new steampunk D&D campaign from Dimension 20, after his downloads fail—introducing Magy to it on his third rewatch like a proud campaign dad.   This week marks Week Three of The Artist’s Way—Recovering a Sense of Power. Which means: anger, synchronicity, shame, and criticism. We discuss how powerful emotion can be harnessed rather than feared, how synchronicity starts creeping in when the universe knows you’re cooking something good, and how shame and criticism can either crush or shape your creative spirit. Everyone shares where they’re at with morning pages (spoiler: we’re all tired), artist dates (some corporate hellscapes, some musical healing), and the infamous “10 Tiny Things” list (some tinier than others).   In the campaign, the gang investigates the aftermath of a suspicious vat explosion, meets a green dragonborn foreman, uncovers a blackout-induced riot, and rolls nat 1s while trying to read technical reports. There’s drone sabotage, vat line theories, potion handouts, and a lot of workers whose shoes have been mysteriously tied together. 📓 Homework: Morning Pages – Keep writing. Let it be raw, repetitive, ridiculous—it’s all part of the process. Artist Date – Treat yourself to a solo, sacred slice of fun. Make it intentional. Make it weird. Synchronicities – Notice what clicks. What’s showing up in your life that feels “too aligned” to be random? 10 Tiny Things – Update your list of small joys, wishes, or acts of self-care. Pick one and follow through. 🧠 Week 3 Tasks – Recovering a Sense of Integrity Describe your childhood bedroom: Sketch it or write about it. What was your favorite thing in the room? List five traits you liked in yourself as a child: Tap into the version of you before self-censorship kicked in. List five childhood accomplishments: Big or small—what made you proud as a kid? Examine your current habits: What’s helping your creativity right now? What’s holding it back? Make a list of friends who nurture you. Call one of them. Check your inner compass: Are you feeling aligned or off-course? Pause and listen. List five people you admire. List five people you wish you had met (who are now deceased): What about them inspires you?

The gang returns from a two-week hiatus, caffeinated and creatively cautious, diving into Week Two of The Artist’s Way: Recovering a Sense of Identity. But first, sparks of inspiration! Andy rants about Seth Rogen in “The Studio,” Kel circles the finale of Andor like a Star Wars shark, and Theo gets gifted Alligator Bites Never Heal on vinyl and a fresh Switch 2 controller. There’s bath-time therapy, DC travel talk, and a brief but passionate Nintendo corner.   In our mental health portion, we unpack our recent experiences with morning pages—some of which now span 30-minute stream-of-consciousness audio journals while navigating traffic and existential dread. We vent about work stress, camera nerd joy, and trying not to judge ourselves when all we can write is the word “fuck” 70 times in a row. The group also shares their solo artist dates, from bubble baths to film marathons (Brazil still rules).   We dig deep into Julia Cameron’s warnings about Crazy Makers, Poisonous Playmates, and that nagging skepticism that creeps in just as our creativity begins to breathe. What do we do when success starts to show up and we suddenly want to run? What happens when the universe actually… responds?   Then, in our campaign, the gang stumbles into a sewer-based city of lizardfolk and fishy friends, grabs some beefy grub at DacaVille, and gears up for the next chapter of their world-shaking investigation. There’s healing, tail-friendly booths, and camera whistling. Truly the future is funky.   📓 Homework: Keep up those morning pages. Plan your next artist date. And remember: quantity is your job—quality is the universe’s. Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

Sparks fly this week as the gang dives into watercolor misadventures and a punk rock night to remember. Andy and Magy try their hand at painting pizza and wine at a windy CPK patio, while Theo takes his son to see The Damned live—chronicling the entire Dracula-goth madness on Instagram. Kel, in pursuit of rest, dreams of edits, storytelling through montage, and a perfect 6-hour nap without alarms.   In our mental health section, we begin Week One of The Artist’s Way—recovering our inner child artist. We talk negative self-talk, creative insecurity, and the messy beauty of being a bad artist (on purpose). The group shares their first experiences with morning pages (spoiler: some pages are just “fuck” over and over), attempts at artist dates, and the radical concept of being gentle with your creative self. There are affirmations. There is coffee. There is soul-searching.   Then, we return to the campaign, wrap up a major drone battle, investigate blown vats and virus-infected robots, and prep for our next mission—one that might involve jellies. As always, effective healing and even more effective music from our bardly friends.   📓 Homework: Try those morning pages. Book an artist date. And remember: bad art is still art, and your artist child deserves love too. Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

After a short break, the gang is back together for another week of Well Being. Theo, Andy, and Kel return with new sparks of inspiration—from cinematic deep dives to vinyl-fueled nostalgia and a camera-happy rave trip in Vegas. Kel recaps his mind-blowing first EDC experience and how it shattered some unexpected internal walls, leading to a powerful realization about creative and emotional expression.   In the mental health portion, the trio explores new material outside of their usual Shadow Workbook. This week’s theme digs deeper and requires more intentional preparation, setting the stage for a discussion that’s both vulnerable and energizing.   So grab your anamorphic lens, a Mission Impossible rewatch list, and your copy of Worlds on vinyl—it’s time to catch up with your favorite camera nerds and emotional explorers.   Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

Kel’s off getting therapeutic in the deserts of Vegas (read: partying at EDC), so Theo and Andy hold it down with this week’s Sparks of Inspiration—including the Superman trailer that finally brings the man of steel some emotional range, creative football schedule drops, and a comic book rabbit hole featuring All-Star Superman and Absolute Batman’s terrifying take on Mr. Freeze.   In place of shadow work, the duo dives into Burn After Writing prompts, asking hard-hitting questions like: what do I need vs. what do I want? What brings me comfort? What would I name myself if not Theo or Andy? And who gets brainwashed if we get a brainwashing machine? (Spoiler: Sony execs and billionaires, get ready.)   Then it’s back into the heat of battle as the gang continues their campaign, pushing through drone attacks, nearly losing Kel again, and trying to remember that yes—being a barbarian means you probably should be smashing things. Will Theo’s big drone-jump gamble pay off? Will Maggie’s rogue fists do any damage? Tune in to find out. Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

As one chapter closes, another opens—and this week, the Well Being gang reflects on the surprising finale of their long journey through the Shadow Work workbook. But first, Sparks of Inspiration include dreams of Andor, comic book binges, Thunderbolts (the movie, not the team from Mario Golf), and a chance run-in that sparks reconnection.   Then it’s time to explore joy—what it really means, where it hides, and how the chase for constant happiness can ironically make it harder to find. The trio reflects on retail therapy, hot baths, silly moments, finished edits, and the unachievable suddenly being achieved. It’s vulnerable, funny, and honestly kind of sweet.   In the campaign, things heat up as Kelliot teeters on the edge of death, only to be saved at the last second (shout out to healing word). Spiritual weapons fly, drones drop, and the party continues to barely survive the chaos. If Chapter 2 was training wheels, Chapter 3 is the bike ride into hell—and we’re pedaling fast. Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

The gang is back after a quick break and kicks things off with some solid Sparks of Inspiration—from a spooky good vampire movie with Michael B. Jordan (x2!) to a tech-fueled adventure through San Francisco. Andy shares his surprising dive into lawyer shows (with a strict Suits-to-Boston Legal ratio), and then it’s time to get a little uncomfortable. This week’s shadow work focuses on dealing with difficult people—whether it’s your boss, a random stranger, or that one person who always seems to get under your skin. As always, the team blends world-building with real talk about growth, projection, and how our reactions might say more about us than we realize. Let’s shine a little light on the shadow. Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

This week on Well Being, sparks fly with talk of gorillaz vinyls, Coachella dropouts, and WrestleMania hype—but the real magic comes in the form of a heart-to-heart with Lucia Rallo, founder of the Bushwick Community Darkroom in Brooklyn, NY. Lucia takes us through the genesis of her analog oasis, born from a literal closet and now pulsing with the energy of artists, creators, and seekers of community.   We explore the intersection of art, grief, and grassroots healing—from the emotional aftermath of personal loss to the beauty of building something bigger than ourselves. Lucia drops gems about the meditative power of darkrooms, the surprising economics of local communities, and why sometimes doing the small thing is the most revolutionary thing.   There’s no mental health segment this week because this whole conversation is a mental health segment. Stay for the real talk, the community feels, and the D&D campaign that rounds out the episode with flying daggers and fantasy chaos.   In this episode: 🎞️ How Lucia built a darkroom empire from a basement closet 🫂 Why micro-communities might just save democracy 🖤 Grief, resilience, and creating art as survival 🎲 Our gang finally gets into a real brawl in the campaign—and it gets messy   Links: 👉 Bushwick Community Darkroom Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

Welcome back to Well Being! This week, Andy returns from his mountain retreat, Theo’s riding high on Severance season 2, and Kel is…well, somewhere on assignment. In this episode, our dynamic duo dives into a brutally honest mental health check-in—with new therapists, old frustrations, overthinking spirals, and full-size hotel bed regrets.   Plus, we go deep with “Burn After Reading” prompts: who we’d bring back from the dead, what languages we wish we knew, and the biggest holes we’ve tried to fill (emotionally, not metaphorically). It’s real, it’s ridiculous, and it’s healing.   Then we jump back into the campaign—straight into chaos. Rollerblades off, hovercars on, drones attack, and Sholo rages like a true wildcard. Spiritual weapons get summoned. Sneak attacks go wrong. Negotiations are abandoned. And everyone starts doing the exact opposite of what they should be doing. It’s glorious.   🎲 Mental health meets mayhem. Therapy meets tactics. Chaos meets catharsis. Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod

This week on Well Being, Theo and Kel go full Val Kilmer appreciation mode, diving into the legacy of a legend—from Batman Forever to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. But it’s not just sparks of inspiration this time: the duo opens up in a raw and thoughtful mental health check-in. Theo shares insights from a recent therapy session, Kel talks about stepping into the world of therapy and navigating insurance nightmares, and together they explore what real change feels like after a year of shadow work.   Also covered: spooky coat-on-a-chair realizations, anxiety hand-under-the-bed metaphors, and why some medications feel like superpowers with trade-offs. Come for the movie talk, stay for the vulnerability. ✨ Theme by Affektiv https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dkwCQLY61JvqMmiiBvps3?si=N97bAnDqQkqcSSxVZA0C0Q https://soundcloud.com/affektiv Email us: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WellBeingpod