expressive arts therapist

As a leader, how are you leading yourself? In this episode, Rachelle talks with L.A. based creatives, Geminelle and Dominic Malone, an inspiring couple committed to impacting their community in powerful ways. They support black artists through Tunnel Vision Creative Agency and empower organizations to optimize wellness for their teams through their consulting firm, Arise Wellness.  Dom and Geminelle share how they embody their life purpose by getting committed to who they want to be in the world, being honest and accepting of who they are now, and putting self-worth above all in order to serve their vision and their community better. Listen for pearls of wisdom on how you can follow your intuition, pour from overflow rather than an empty cup, and bring teh fullness of who you truly are into your leadership. Stick around until the end for a taste of Geminelle's beautiful mantra music!

Resources:

Listen to Geminelle’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever else you stream music

Learn more about Geminelle at www.geminelle.com

Connect with Dominic and Geminelle and learn more about Arise Wellness at arise.energy

Follow Geminelle on Instagram

Follow Dominic on Instagram

Are you a heart-centered leader looking for more support in walking in alignment with your purpose and serving your community with overflow? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions to engage in a process of transformative wellness so they can serve their community with vitality and longevity. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

Have you been in stressed out workplace that makes attempts to address wellness, but doesn’t really get at the root causes of toxicity in your culture?

In this episode, Rachelle explains why stopgap measures like chair massages and staff yoga are not enough to create a true culture of thriving, and offers some steps leaders can take to achieve the organization’s mission and vision with vitality and longevity.

Using research data on workplace wellness and her own wealth of experience working with social impact organizations, Rachelle examines 5 toxic organizational traits that cause people to leave their jobs. Listen to learn how you can tend to these traits within your own organization and the costs of letting them go unaddressed. 

Resources:

The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves by Dr.Shawn Ginwright

“Why Every Leader Needs to Worry About Their Toxic Culture” MIT Sloan article

“The World’s $7.8 Trillion Workplace Problem” Gallup article by Ryan Pendell

Are you a heart-centered leader looking for more support in coping with or addressing issues of workplace wellness? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions to engage in a process of transformative wellness so they can serve their community with vitality and longevity. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here

How can we create spaces where people feel both safer and brave? In this episode, community alchemist Lana Jelenjev joins Rachelle to share how she puts healing at the core by cultivating "kapwa", a Tagalog word for shared humanity or shared inner selves. Grounding in her Filipino heritage, she combats the lack of collective healing in the Western world by "listening with a third ear" to herself and others.  She encourages us to choose stewardship over saviorship, and to build a self-care pactice with regular honest check ins, self-compassion, and "self-fullness"--that sweet spot between selfishness and selflessness.  Listen to learn how you can face your own shadows with curiosity and care, and foster a culture of collective healing for yourself, your family,  your organization, and community.

Resources:

Learn more about Lana and her work at www.lanajelenlev.com

Connect with Lana on LinkedIn

Are you a heart-centered leader looking for more support in fostering a sense of shared humanity in your community? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions to engage in a process of transformative wellness so they can serve their community with vitality and longevity. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here

Do you want to approach your work and passions with more presence, intuition and intention? In this episode, dance artist and breathwork teacher Alicia Peterson Baskel joins Rachelle to talk about the power of breathwork. Learn how working with the breath can help you shed the  layers of stress that block your well-being and connect with your creativity, so that you can show up fully to your life and work. Alicia and Rachelle share simple ways to build a breathwork practice and walk you through 3 key exercises you can use to calm down in intense moments or invigorate yourself when energy and focus are low. 

Resources:

Learn more about Alicia and her work here

Follow Alicia on Instagram @aliciapetersonbaskel

Listen to Alicia’s podcast ‘Inside the Creative Process’ wherever you listen to pocdasts

Find breathwork resources from David Elliott here

Check out 7 Practices of a Mindful Leader by Mark Lesser

Are you a heart-centered leader seeking ways to take care of yourself while staying aligned with your vision and purpose? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions impact lives sustainably by putting their own well-being first, so that they can lead with a full tank and build a culture of care that supports the flourishing of all stakeholders. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

What does creativity mean to you? Kuumba, the 6th Kwanzaa principle that has guided this week's guest throughout his life, encourages us to do as much as we can, at the highest quality in attempts to leave our community/world better and more beautiful than how we first encountered it.  In this episode, Gaidi Finnie, the Director of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA), tells the stories of how he's used his creativity for good since he joined the Civil Rights Movement as a teen.  Get inspired by the SDAAMFA's incredible projects honoring African American culture, as well as those killed by racism and police violence.  Listen for how this museum without walls is crossing boundaries through innovative digital approaches. Learn from Gaidi and Rachelle about facing the challenges of running a non-profit head on, the power of dreaming big, and doing what you can to leave your community more beautiful than you inherited it.

Resources:

Learn more about the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art here

Forever Balboa Park

Are you a heart-centered leader seeking ways beautify and improve the world around you? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions impact lives sustainably by putting their own well-being first, so that they can lead with a full tank and build a culture of care that supports the flourishing of all stakeholders. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here 

What’s next for The Artful Leader podcast? In this quick bonus episode, Rachelle shares a bit more about her story, the inspiration behind the show, and the amazing things lined up for season 3. 

Are you a heart-centered leader seeking ways to take care of yourself while pursuing your passion in the new year? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions impact lives sustainably by putting their own well-being first, so that they can lead with a full tank and build a culture of care that supports the flourishing of all stakeholders. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

In the spirit of giving this holiday season and of renewal as we go into 2023, Rachelle shares a 7 step guided meditation to help you transform your self-care practice. This meditation will help you pause and reflect on your wellbeing, tap into inspiration and stay grounded in your purpose, and put an effective self-care plan on paper to support you through the ups and downs of uncertain times. Listen to as many times as you need.

Click here to download the ‘7 Steps to a Transformative Self-Care Practice’ worksheet to accompany you throughout the guided meditation.

Are you a heart-centered leader seeking ways to take care of yourself while pursuing your passion in the new year? Rachelle helps leaders with big missions impact lives sustainably by putting their own well-being first, so that they can lead with a full tank and build a culture of care that supports the flourishing of all stakeholders. Book a free consultation here!  

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by subscribing, rating, reviewing, or donating the cost of a cup of coffee here 

Wondering when it’s time to seek professional help? Throughout this season, Rachelle has talked with leaders and artists who have benefitted from creative approaches to mental health care. In this episode, she sits down with Rachel Moore, a licensed marriage and family therapist in San Diego whose background as a performing artist and journalist led her to serve creative clients. She breaks down how the brain and trauma triggers work and how therapy can help rewire your nervous system for optimal functioning. Listen to learn about alternative therapeutic techniques like EMDR and brainspotting, and reasons why the unique relationship between therapist and client may be beneficial for you.

Resources: 

Listen to Rachel’s podcast, Beyond Artist’s Block, wherever you listen to podcasts

Are you looking for creative ways to tend to your mental health and well-being so that you can be the leader you’re called to be in the world?  Book a free consultation with Rachelle here! 

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

What if grief was a collaborative partner on a year-long project of healing? This is the question that Rachelle explores this week with Grief Guide Rev. Jenn Cormier. They discuss how grief, anxiety, and other mental struggles in our lives manifest as physical pain and ailments and how when we stop suppressing these feelings, then we can begin to heal and open up greater potential for creativity and new energy. Listen for 4 tips and practices to help you process and walk with grief so that you can begin to move from heaviness to lightness and from emptiness to connection. Jenn also leads a powerful 5 minute grounding practice that you can listen to over and over again to feel supported and connected to your body.

Resources:

“The Journey” poem by Mary Oliver

Join Rev. Jenn’s private Grief and Grace Facebook community

Listen to the Walk Through Grief with Grace podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music

Are you an artist looking for creative ways to tend to your mental health and well-being so that you can be the leader you’re called to be in the world?  Book a free consultation with Rachelle here! 

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

Artists: we want you to feel supported, heard, and loved! In this episode, Rachelle chats with Blanca Lucia Bergman,  the founder and CEO of Art Unites,  about the importance of providing mental health resources to artists. In response to political division and spikes in mental health issues during the pandemic, Blanca created Mental Wellness for Artists, a group that culminates resources in San Diego to help individual artists and organizations meet basic needs, cultivate community, and take a holistic approach to their mental health. Both individual and interpersonal approaches to self-care are so important, especially as we go into the holiday season, and Rachelle and Blanca are here to have an honest conversation about struggles and the steps we can take to address them.

Content Warning: at timestamp 13:08 there is a mention of suicidal ideation

Learn more about Art Unites

Follow @artunites on Instagram

Follow @mentalwellnessforartists on Instagram

Are you an artist looking for creative ways to tend to your mental health and well-being so that you can be the leader you’re called to be in the world?  Book a free consultation with Rachelle here!

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

Art can be a mighty tool if you find yourself struggling with mental health. After years of dealing with anxiety and depression, and taking a step back from her work with youth as a result, guest Luz Maria Clayton found an escape in drawing on illustration apps on her smartphone and tablet. When traditional mental health services were not always effective, she found that spending time creating was a powerful outlet for her feelings. Eventually her self-taught art skills and passion for sharing her work with others led to the opening of her own business. Her shop, Arte de Luz, a joint-venture with her mother, is a bright little spot located in the neighborhood where she grew up—a dense urban community known for its cultural diversity. Listen to Luz’s heartfelt story about how involvement in the arts can open up new opportunities for us to thrive when it feels like we've got nowhere left to go.

Connect with Luz and Arte de Luz

Are you an artist looking for creative ways to tend to your mental health and well-being so that you can be the leader you’re called to be in the world?  Book a free consultation with Rachelle here! 

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

What does our shared future look like? How do we thrive as a community? These are questions that guest Regina Nixon asks as the Executive Director of the Phoenix Conservatory of Music. She joins Rachelle to discuss what Transformative Leadership looks like and the importance of building and fostering something that will sustain beyond yourself. Regina also shares her holistic vision for expanding a model steeped in student voice and shared power throughout the organization, how diversity and inclusion are crucial to the arts and education, and how she and PCM have shifted in this digital age to become curators of the instruction available to students. 

Learn more about the Phoenix Conservatory of Music

If, like Regina, you are looking for ways to get out of burnout, lead with wellness in mind, and build a culture of community care in your organization, book a free consultation with Rachelle here! 

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here 

In so many fields that offer care to and support to marginalized communities, practitioners and leaders can find themselves burned out. The field of Creative Youth Development is no exception. The good news is that Rachelle and her collaborators at the Center for CYD are working together to foster a culture of wellness in our field. In this second part of a mini-series on CYD, Matt D’Arrigo and Katie Lorge Murawka share how the Clare Rose Foundation and their new Center for CYD is doing impactful work as a small, family foundation to offer support and build capacity for practitioners and organizations while creating a container for the growth and development of the field of CYD as a whole. Listen for profound insights from three experienced CYD professionals who are committed to impacting young lives in our communities sustainably by centering equity, building healthy workplace cultures, reimagining philanthropy and getting at the root causes of toxic stress for those providing these crucial services.

Resources:

Learn more about The Clare Rose Foundation and the Center for CYD.

Learn about the San Diego CYD Network the Center supports.

Find Rachelle and her work here

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

Creative Youth Development: a unique approach that uses the arts and mentorship as a platform to connect with young people, instill hope, and empower them to reach their full potential. In this first part of a mini-series on CYD, Rachelle sits down with guests Matt D’Arrigo and Katie Lorge Murawka from the Clare Rose Center for CYD to break down three key components of the field, what distinguishes it from other arts education approaches, and why it matters–especially right now. If you’re interested in how the arts can engage, heal, and inspire youth and their communities, listen for how this is being done here in San Diego through a range of creative and holistic services that meet students right where they are.

Resources:

Learn more about The Clare Rose Foundation

A Reason to Survive (ARTS)

transcenDANCE

A Step Beyond

The AjA Project

Agency 515

San Diego High Steppers

David’s Harp Foundation

San Diego Creative Youth Development Network

Read Decisive and Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World by Darius Graham

Find Rachelle and her work here

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

In our first episode recorded LIVE and In Person, Rachelle talks with Skyler Sullivan, Director of Education & Outreach at Diversionary Theatre, the third-oldest LGBTQ+ theatre in the United States. Skyler shares his journey from a closeted, bullied kid to a Teaching Artist who works to uplift marginalized and queer voices in San Diego and across the U.S. He works with Diversionary to bring a wide range of arts-based programs to the community, ranging from school-aged youth, to college students, to local senior citizens. Rachelle and Skyler break down what it really means to meet your students where they are and how Skyler’s work and approaches have evolved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent social justice uprisings. Listen to the end for some fun tid-bits about Skyler’s other work in therapeutic clowning.

Resources:

Learn more about New Victory Theatre - https://www.newvictory.org/

Learn more about and support Healthy Humor - https://www.healthyhumorinc.org/

Learn more about and support The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp - https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/

Find Rachelle and her work here

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here  

Who says math and the arts can’t go together? In this episode, Julie Kendig of RISE Research & Evaluation shares how data can be a powerful tool for healing, equity, and transformation. Julie is a data weaver, translator, and midwife between the soulful work of art and creativity and the quantitative or tangible aspects of the work. She emphasizes the importance of using data as a diagnostic rather than a weapon as well as how crucial it is to raise important questions about data sovereignty. Listen to learn important considerations for leaders surrounding data collection approaches and methodologies, and how data can have a meaningful impact even in the arts. 

Resources:

Find Julie and her work with RISE Research & Evaluation here - https://www.riseresearch.io/

Learn more about Khalil Bleux and his work with Agency 515: The Social Education Theater - https://aart.agency515.org/about-agency515

Learn more about the work being done by the education department of San Francisco Jazz- https://www.sfjazz.org/education/

Learn more about the work on joy happening at Chapter 510 in Oakland, CA - https://www.chapter510.org/

Find Rachelle and her work here

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here

Not just art-making, but co-creating with others is especially powerful and transformational. In this episode, marriage and family therapist, art therapist, and illustrator Dr.Berenice Badillio shares about the ability of co-creation to make you feel less alone, heal inter-generational trauma, and help leave a legacy. Listen for her wisdom on leadership and the magic of experimenting, listening and making mistakes. Be inspired by her girl gang of women artists, Xoque.

Find Berenice and her work here 

Follow Berenice on Instagram @bbadillos

Follow the Xoque women’s art collective on Instagram @xoque_artinmotion

Find Rachelle and her work here

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here

Podcast production by Caitlin Epstein

Find Kathrin and her work with Artsbased Solutions here 

Find Rachelle and her work here

Enjoying the podcast? Support us by donating the cost of a cup of coffee here