Hearttalk/Heartspace Community

In S2E7 of HeARTtalk I spoke with writer, cinematographer, and producer, Stephanie Malson, about her pivot from corporate security to full-time creative work. The conversation is an intimate and candid look at the ebbs and flows that come with making such a huge transition and the significance of knowing your “why.”

HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and Podbean. Or click to listen here: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

In 2002, I left my corporate gig at Dun and Bradstreet to pursue…well, to pursue something. 😂 The Arts. Entrepreneurship. Writing. The perfect blend of all three? At the time, I believed that my leap of faith would be honored with automatic success and validation (🤷🏾‍♀️Hey, I was in my 20s!) What I’ve learned in the 20 years since that moment is that our notions of security shift and evolve as our lives change. And what we define as success also changes. The truth is, when you decide to pivot in your career or life, the true key to making sure it is “worth it” is to make sure you are doing it for YOU. Not for any false perceptions of fame and fortune. That’s why I loved, LOVED my conversation this week on the HeARTtalk podcast.

Stephanie Malson is a writer, cinematographer, and producer who I met when she led the Philly chapter of Ava Duverney’s ARRAY film marketing team. I’m also super excited to be working with her on some future film projects. Stephanie transitioned from corporate into full-time creative work back in 2018 and in our conversation she was very candid about the ebbs and flows of that journey. If you’re thinking about leaving that 9 to 5…this is a must listen. DROPS ON WEDNESDAY!

HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and Podbean. Don’t forget to subscribe and share.

When chaos swirls around us--in us--sometimes we need something, ANYTHING, to ground us. To help us return to ourselves. That's how gardening helps me. It slows the ticker tape in my head. The soil willingly and graciously holds my tears. That's why I'm so glad I got a chance to talk with Natasha C. Nicholes for this week's episode of Hearttalk Podcast with Tracey Michae'l. As a leader, speaker, and writer, Natasha is passionate about urban homesteading, agriculture, travel, and education. Everything she does is an act of defying expectations. Our conversation was such a blessing to me and I know it will be for you too.

S2E5 drops on Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe and share.

To stand before at least one other person and unveil yourself, to put fingers to keys or pen to paper and allow your heart to unravel on the page, is beyond powerful. In S2E4 of Hearttalk, Tracey Michae'l spoke with author, journalist, and public intellectual, Lori Tharps, about the power of telling our personal stories for personal and collective healing.

HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and Podbean. Or listen now at: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

When thinking about telling our personal stories--whether via memoir, essays, or oral storytelling--there are bound to be a myriad of questions that come up. What part of the story should I tell? How much of it should I tell? Who am I "speaking" to and why? Do I need to give the other people in my story a "heads up"? That's why, in this week's episode of Hearttalk Podcast with Tracey Michae'l, I'm so grateful for the amazing discussion I had with author, journalist, professor, and host of the podcast, My American MeltingPot, Lori Tharps. We chatted about what it means to tell our personal stories and how those stories can be a vessel for healing; for ourselves and others.

You know the routine...S2E4 drops on Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe and share.

HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and Podbean. Listen to previous episodes by clicking here: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

Hearttalk/Heartspace Community updated their business hours.

S2E3 of HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l is live and this is a powerful one. I got a chance to speak with author and communications expert Neysa Taylor about what it means to “process” grief and all the ways it can show up in our lives. Neysa’s husband, Chris, passed away from cancer in December.

The HeARTtalk podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and Podbean. You can also click here to listen: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

When I think about my own grief, the enormity of it at times, I consider what it has taught me. One of the things that comes up regularly is the fact that we all grieve differently. Too many of us think we have right to say what grief should look like in another person. We’re out here counting folks’ tears and checkin’ folks’ calendars. But the timeline of grief is not standardized. We all journey through it in our own ways. That’s why I was so grateful to chat with Neysa Taylor this week for Hearttalk Podcast with Tracey Michae'l.

Neysa is an author (NSB) and leader in the communications field with a career spanning nearly 20 years. She was married to Chris Taylor for more than 17 years until, after a long battle with cancer, Chris passed away in December. We talked about the ways grief has shown up for her and how she has chosen to help herself and her children navigate it. We also discussed how grief shapes us as we try to prepare for a world that’s different from the one we knew before our loss.

The episode drops Wednesday so don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss it.

HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and Podbean. Listen to previous episodes by clicking here: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

Yep, I’m so amped about season 2 of HeARTtalk that I’m dropping the first episode an hour early. Check out my conversation with Michelle Richard about what it means to find peace in the PIVOT.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, or by clicking here on Podbean: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/e/leaving-corporate-finding-peace-in-the-pivot/

Over the last two years, I’ve been on, what can only be called, an intense, spiritual journey. It has unearthed me, unraveled me, and freed me in the best ways possible. It ain’t been easy but from that journey, the seed of what has become heARTspace and heARTtalk was planted. This experience has been so revolutionary in my life, I honestly don’t even know what the future things I create will look like as a result. What I do know is that this PIVOT I feel pending is both scary and exhilarating. Which is why SEASON TWO of the HeARTtalk podcast opens with a great discussion I had with Michelle Richard. I’ve known Michelle for many years and she has always been accomplished and excellent. As an attorney and former C-suite corporate executive for a billion dollar company, the list of her accolades is long. But what happens when the concessions and compromises one has to make to reach that level of power and success become too much? Well…you pivot. And you do so with fierceness and grace. That’s what Michelle did and I’m grateful that she shares a bit of her sojourn with us.
Our first episode of the new season drops this Wednesday, May 6th, so please set your reminders and make sure you are subscribed to the podcast (Apple, Spotify, Google Play). This isn’t an episode you’ll want to miss!

I believe in prayer. I also believe in the power of . Both have carried and comforted, challenged and created me more than I can even begin to say. So this is my offering to you today, fellow humans. A for us all. For IG, link in bio.

There’s so much going on right now. So much uncertainty. Sorrow and frustration is seeping into our souls. As we sit with these emotions, we must remember to breathe. Breathing is how we live through it. COVID-19 is trying to steal our breath…physically for some, emotionally and spiritually for others. Let’s reclaim it. Our stories are not finished.

If you are struggling, wrestling, needing a moment, please take a beat and listen.

HeARTtalk is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, and other podcast platforms. You can also find this meditation on the Insight Timer meditation app later this week.



http://ow.ly/JqXr50yTnd0

How will they deal with the monster in the way of their destiny?
Thanks to The Write Practice for this prompt.

Catch up on our first season and check out our bonus "story time" and meditation content!

Been listening? Thank you so much. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share!

How will he/she/they leverage that fear?
Thanks to The Write Practice for the prompt inspiration.

Don't wear their story of you. Listen carefully. If there is truth there, value--even in critique--consider it fully, but otherwise don't hold on to false projections. Take the meat and spit out the bones.

Write it. Paint it. Draw it. Say it. Share it.

This season finale episode of HeARTtalk was…whew!…LIFE GIVING! TMLG had the pleasure of facilitating a roundtable discussion with Black women professors who share their stories on what it means to create space and be authentic in Academia. The conversation covered a myriad of topics including how and why being unapologetically black can be a struggle. How being an advocate for the marginalized in a way that isn’t denigrating to those groups is too often challenged in a way that doesn’t make sense. And of course, the ever-present bureaucracy that shows up in so many large organizations. It can be hard to fly with some of those weights but these women candidly speak to what it means to fly anyway.

HeARTtalk is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, and other podcast platforms.

CLICK HERE to listen: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

This season finale episode of HeARTtalk was…whew!…LIFE GIVING! I had the pleasure of facilitating a roundtable discussion with Black women professors who share their stories on what it means to create space and be authentic in Academia. The conversation covered a myriad of topics including how and why being unapologetically black can be a struggle. How being an advocate for the marginalized in a way that isn’t denigrating to those groups is too often challenged in a way that doesn’t make sense. And of course, the ever-present bureaucracy that shows up in so many large organizations. It can be hard to fly with some of those weights but these women candidly speak to what it means to fly anyway.

Thank you, Deb, Lucia, and Nakeiha for being open and willing to share your experiences!

HeARTtalk is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, and other podcast platforms.

CLICK HERE to listen: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com/

HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae'l Through interviews and riveting commentary, HeARTtalk will deep dive into the intersection of art and story and how creators heal themselves and others through their work....

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TMLG: “Oprah ain’t gonna read your book!”

CF: “Tyler ain’t looking for me!”

Whew! This conversation was so dope! If you are a creator of any kind, this is definitely a must listen!

It’s Wednesday and a new episode of HeARTtalk has dropped! This is the second to the last episode before the end of the first season and…whew…you don’t want to miss these last two!

In episode 9 of HeARTtalk, Tracey Michae’l chats with writer, director, and producer, Christina Faith. Christina is a dynamic filmmaker and educator who, along with her spouse, Allen Johnson, owns Creative Thought Media, a Philadelphia-based independent production company and artist collective. TMLG and Christina discuss the challenges of being a Christian storyteller who doesn’t tell “corny” stories; the role that a creator’s own personal healing journey can have on their work; and how to manage grind culture. Christina goes IN on the false validation that too many artists seek instead of investing in the development of their craft and a pipeline to reach their audience. A great conversation you don’t want to miss!

HeARTtalk is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, and other podcast platforms.

LISTEN HERE: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com

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It's Wednesday and your FAV podcast is back with another episode! Only two more until the end of this first season! 😱

This episode features a panel discussion held in May 2019 moderated by TMLG who also served as the editor and publisher of the powerful essay collection, S*x and the Church Girl. The conversation is a no holds barred, candid talk about the ways in which the Christian Church—particularly the Black Church—navigates the subject of s*x and s*xuality. (Please note that because of the room where this taped, there are some minor tech issues with sound--apologies!)

Participants include 4 of the 11 essayists: author, speaker, and minister, Candace Wilkins, scholar Dr. Felecia Commodore, writer Rainah Chambliss, and artist and family/behavioral health therapist, Cyndi Swinton-Jackson.

HeARTtalk is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, and other podcast platforms.

Click HERE to listen: https://hearttalkwithtracey.podbean.com

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This episode was difficult to produce. I sat with it for a minute before releasing. In episode 7 of HeARTtalk, I talk about the impact of racial trauma and violence on the physical bodies of Black and Brown people. I candidly share my own story of learning to return to my body through prayer/meditation, EMDR, and bodywork. This episode closes with a meditation for Black people navigating a world often bent on our dehumanization.

Listen via link in bio or here: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-irbtz-d281c4

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Wednesday = New HeARTtalk Podcast Episode! In this episode, Tracey Michae'l talks with writer, producer, and artistic theologian, Alexus Rhone, about the power of holding true to the enormity of our dreams and being willing to pivot in the name of writing a better story for our lives. Part of finding our authentic voices is understanding that one of the ways we heal is by removing the masks we’ve crafted. But we must trust ourselves enough to “lean into the wild.” This episode is the first of our Pivot Series.

HeARTtalk is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, and other podcast platforms.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-jeva7-d178c4

Hearttalk/Heartspace Community updated their website address.

What in the world is HeARTtalk and HeARTspace?

Well...I'm glad you asked. 😜

HeARTspace is a COMMUNITY where healing is the priority and art/storytelling is the method.

The HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae'l podcast serves this community by exploring the intersection of art & story. We talk to creators about how the healing process shows up in their work.

HeARTtalk is hosted by writer, educator, and creator, Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts. (Yep, that's her below!)

To learn more --

LISTEN TO THE TRAILER HERE: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-c4dqg-cb21d3

Visit TMLG online at http://www.hearttalkpodcast.com

Do we view parents as creators? In Episode 5, TMLG explores this concept with Angela Johnson Ayers. They discuss how parenting, and motherhood specifically, can be an act of creation, and how too often our own narratives impact the effectiveness of that important work. https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-k467j-d08716

The Creation of Better Humans (Parenting) and the Stories That Help Us Do It...or Not In this episode, TMLG talks with Angela Johnson Ayers about how parenting, and motherhood specifically, can be an act of creation, and how too often our own narratives impact the effectiveness of that important work. ABOUT OUR GUEST Angela Johnson Ayers is a wife, mother, author and consultant. With...

Episode 4 was an awesome talk with scholar, professor, and writer, Dr. Marcella McCoy-Deh, who recently took a giant leap of faith by accepting a year-long Fulbright Teaching Fellowship at the University of Ghana. Dr. McCoy-Deh shares her observations on how African American culture and West African culture intersect in the realm of art and storytelling, as well as, where Black people on both sides of the Atlantic have the opportunity to gain more understanding of the other’s lived realities. https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-nz53y-cfa670

Leaps of Faith: A Ghanadelphian Reflection In this episode, Tracey Michae’l talks with scholar, professor, and writer, Dr. Marcella McCoy-Deh, who recently took a giant leap of faith by accepting a year-long Fulbright Teaching Fellowship at the University of Ghana. Dr. McCoy-Deh shares her observations on how African American culture and W...

In Episode 3, Tracey Michae’l talks with speaker and holistic health educator, Adrienne Carwheel, about what it means to be equipped with the knowledge (generational info or otherwise) necessary for living authentically and creating our best work. The conversation examines the pervasiveness of resistance, shame, and guilt in preventing us from being open to our own paths to wellness. She shares her personal story about learning of her adoption and how that has been a kind of fuel for the work she does today. https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-p6ck8-ce67fd

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You In this episode, Tracey Michae’l talks with speaker and holistic health educator, Adrienne Carwheel, about what it means to be equipped with the knowledge (generational info or otherwise) necessary for living authentically and creating our best work. The conversation examines the pervasiveness of ...