Mother Nature & us - Becca Samson

The Call of the Frame | Claire Evans

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440813/fan_mail/new] A city can look familiar and still be disappearing in real time. We sit down with Claire Evans, a Fresno-based photographer who shoots film and builds living archives of the Central Valley by stepping into backyards, kitchens, skate parks, and neighborhoods that don’t always get the investment or attention they deserve. We talk about Fresno as an agriculture-centered place with deep cultural diversity, and how urban sprawl can quietly push older communities to the margins. Claire reflects on why documenting what already exists matters, from stories tied to historic areas like Japantown to everyday scenes that become priceless once they’re gone. She also shares the personal side of documentary photography: how walking first pulled her toward a camera, why asking for a portrait never stops being scary, and how trust changes when you photograph people you actually know. You’ll hear unforgettable moments from her work, including photographing her friend Kiwi in traditional Hmong clothing while she plays guitar, plus a visit to a Punjabi family farm where animals, memorabilia, and hospitality shaped the story. We also get into film photography workflow, why patience is part of the art, and why Claire feels most responsible documenting her own “turf” in the Central Valley. If you care about community storytelling, local history, and photography as advocacy, this conversation will leave you seeing your hometown differently. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find these Fresno and Central Valley stories. www.inkofsingh.com

From Latvian forests to a Creative Force- Lauma Slinke

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440813/fan_mail/new] The Mountain in Us is a heartfelt podcast about the paths that shape us, the passions that carry us, and the quiet moments that help us find our purpose. Hosted by Taran Singh, each episode invites listeners into honest, soul-stirring conversations with artists, makers, and creatives whose stories reveal the beauty of growth, vulnerability, and becoming. In this episode, Taran speaks with Lauma, a deeply expressive artist from Latvia whose life is rooted in nature, craftsmanship, and creative truth. She shares memories of childhood summers, the stillness of forests, the tenderness of family, and the way the natural world continues to guide her art and spirit. From discovering her creative path later in life to learning through ceramics, travel, and transformation, Lauma opens her heart about what it means to create with feeling, trust uncertainty, and embrace the unfolding of life. If you’ve ever felt stuck, doubtful, or too perfectionist to begin, her pottery lessons land hard: clay teaches beginner’s mind, failure, and letting go of control when the kiln decides the outcome. Listen, share this with a creative friend, and leave a review. What part of your life is asking you to create with less control and more courage? www.inkofsingh.com

Mochi, My Poodle darling & a powerhouse of Love- Kiara Caban

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440813/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Mountain in Us, host Taran Singh sits down with Kiara and her lovable companion, Mochi, for a warm and candid conversation about life, identity, and the companions who help shape our journeys. Kiara opens up about her Puerto Rican roots, her connection to home, and the deeper meaning woven through music, culture, and everyday experience. The conversation also dives into the story of Mochi — how he came into the picture amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, how he adjusted to city life, and how his playful personality, big energy, and endless affection brought a new rhythm and joy to Taran’s world. From snowy adventures to sock-stealing mischief, Mochi steals the spotlight in the most charming way possible. Along the way, the episode explores what pets teach us about patience, presence, resilience, and unconditional love. Equal parts funny, heartfelt, and reflective, this is a conversation about companionship in all its forms and the little moments that make life feel fuller. www.inkofsingh.com

The Mountain in Us- Beyond the Name & Up Close with Taran Singh

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440813/fan_mail/new] In this special episode, guest interviewer Diana flips the script, interviewing host Taran Singh to learn more about the person behind The Mountain in Us podcast and the poetry book Time and Knots. Growing up in the Himalayan mountains shaped how Taran sees the world, and he explains why he named his podcast after them: "The mountain is a place where we go through ups and downs. There is obscurity of vision, there is the thrill of life. There are so many emotions that one can tie up to a mountain that is so relevant to our lives." For his podcast, Taran looks for everyday people willing to share their real stories—the messy parts included—not just the highlight reel of their successes. Taran opens up about how he writes poetry, sharing that his best ideas come from spending time in his garden and talking with different people. He reads a beautiful poem, "Lotus Lungs," from his upcoming book, Lotus Hue, which is coming out in spring 2026. When Diana asks about creative blocks, Taran keeps it real: "I don't force myself to write that much. If something comes to me, I would probably scribble it on a note. Things will come out when they need to come out." He also admits that early in his writing journey, he worried a lot about whether his work was good enough, but he's learned to be more patient with himself. The conversation wraps up with Taran sharing what matters most to him—helping people slow down and reconnect with themselves in our noisy, fast-paced world. He wants readers to feel less affected by all the chaos around them by getting more in tune with who they really are. His advice? Focus on getting to know yourself better: "We are the secret ingredient to our own recipe. We can't change the world, but we can change our own frequency of tuning." Whether through his poetry or his podcast, Taran's message is simple: take a breath, look inward, and remember that everyone's journey is unique. www.inkofsingh.com

Mother Nature & us - Becca Samson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440813/fan_mail/new] In this heartfelt conversation, Becca Samsson reflects on how her California upbringing shaped her lifelong connection to nature and her career in sustainability. Growing up in Southern California, she developed an intimate relationship with the Pacific Ocean and the natural landscape, and all her favorite childhood memories took place outdoors. As Becca shares, "All of my memories with my siblings and my family are in California nature," from making sand angels on Santa Barbara beaches to hiking in the foothills with her mother. This early connection was reinforced by her grandmother, who taught her to conserve water while shampooing her hair, and her twin sister, who pointed out exhaust residue on leaves when they were just ten years old. These formative experiences instilled in her a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility toward the natural world. Now living in the Netherlands and raising her son, Roman, Becca has observed fascinating cultural differences in how people relate to nature and sustainability. While California's wild landscapes—from deserts to mountains to national parks—fostered her environmental awareness, the Netherlands presents a more controlled relationship with nature, shaped by centuries of water management and land reclamation. Becca intentionally creates opportunities for Roman to build his own intimate connection with nature, taking him to parks every Friday where he gently touches flowers and plays with rocks and dirt. She explains that "children that had more intimate memories with nature or more intimate experiences with nature as young children grew up with more sensitivity and environmental responsibility as they get older." The family's car-free lifestyle, relying entirely on bicycles even in the rain, ensures that Roman experiences the elements daily, which Becca believes builds character and maintains that essential connection to the natural world. In her sustainability work, Becca has learned to bridge the gap between environmental values and business realities. While she wishes "saving the world was a good enough business case," she's found that positioning sustainability as a value proposition for companies is essential. Recently shifting her focus from carbon emissions to nature-based solutions, she's excited about this new direction because everyone has intimate memories of nature, unlike carbon, which remains abstract and inaccessible to most people. Drawing on her Jewish upbringing and the concept of Tikkun Olam—fixing the world—Becca believes that caring for the climate is fundamentally about recognizing that "this is our home and I want to take good care of it, not just for me, but also for everyone I know and also everyone that I don't know." Her advice is simple but profound: find small ways to connect with nature, whether that's stopping to observe a brilliant red autumn leaf for five seconds or walking in the rain without an umbrella, because "if we build a meaningful relationship with nature, we won't let it go to hell." www.inkofsingh.com