Artist Recovery Podcast S2 Ep. 21 | From CNN to Fiction: John DeDakis on Writing, Grief & Healing

Artist Recovery Podcast S2 Ep. 27 | Dr. Rod Berger: The Narrative Edge of Authentic Storytelling

What does it take to interview Magic Johnson, Pope Francis, and refugees in camps across Africa with the same depth of curiosity? On the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Dr. Rod Berger, clinical psychologist, journalist, and author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment. This conversation revolves around the real roots of a storyteller's life and what it means to finally own your own story. Dr. Berger has conducted over 4,000 interviews for outlets including Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Los Angeles Magazine. He holds a BA in psychology from Michigan State University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Phillips Graduate University. He is a longtime guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University, a keynote speaker with over 350,000 social followers, and holds a television development deal with the Jim Henson Company. His subjects have included Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Sammy Hagar, United Nations officials, Pope Francis, and the Crown Princess of Sweden, plus refugee camps across Africa. Before the bylines, Rod was a serious, observant kid in Metro Detroit, raised by a German father who survived World War II and rarely spoke of it. That silence became the spark. Rod traces his curiosity to Sunday nights watching 60 Minutes, a childhood trip to Germany to meet a grandmother he could not speak to, and years spent studying adults instead of playing with peers his own age. What followed was a path through Columbia College Chicago, a psychology degree from Michigan State, clinical work on the streets of Watts and Compton, and a career built on asking questions most people are afraid to ask. THIS CONVERSATION REVOLVES AROUND: ~Growing up in a strict German immigrant household in Metro Detroit and how silence shaped a lifelong curiosity. ~A childhood trip to Germany at age nine and the grandmother he could not understand. ~Watching 60 Minutes as a boy and the early roots of a storytelling obsession. ~Competitive soccer and basketball, and how sports parented him when guidance was scarce. ~Public speaking to hundreds of students as a teenager and the mentor who pushed him onto the stage. ~Studying media at Columbia College Chicago before returning to Michigan State for psychology. ~Clinical training at King Drew Medical Center in Watts and Compton, sitting with people in crisis. ~The move from Los Angeles to Nashville and building a career around Vanderbilt University. ~Writing The Narrative Edge and its central question: if you are not in control of your own story, then who is. ~Why creatives need permission to be seen, not just their work.~Whether artificial intelligence is a disruptor or a tool for storytellers.~Why every story matters, including the ones that never traveled anywhere at all. WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS FOR CREATIVES:Rod's story is proof that the questions left unanswered in childhood often become the questions we spend a lifetime learning to ask. For every creative who has wondered if their story is worth telling, this conversation offers a clear answer. Your story matters, and if you do not own it, someone else will write it for you. Connect with Dr. Berger: Website: https://www.drrodberger.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodbergerpsyd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrodberger Youtube:  ⁨@drrodberger⁩ [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCYEfE5CjX7_9gjmKAZGQvFA] Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1 Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes #DrRodBerger #TheNarrativeEdge #AuthenticStorytelling #StorytellingPodcast #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #ClinicalPsychology #ForbesContributor #VanderbiltUniversity #KeynoteSpeaker #CreativeCoaching #FindYourVoice #PermissionToTellYourStory #PsychologyOfStorytelling #NarrativePsychology #Curiosity #Resilience #HumanConnection #MentalHealthJourney #MichiganPodcast #HeartCenteredCreatives #AuthorInterview #AIStorytelling #CreativeConfidence #PersonalGrowthPodcast #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC4DJzxAgjypfUeS-mNgi-Jg]  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457939/support] Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com [https://www.theartistrecovery.com] Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com [https://www,artrecroom.com] Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com [https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com] Connect: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theartrec] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/theartrec] X [https://www.x.com/TheArtistRec] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@theartrec] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwrightunltd]

Artist Recovery Podcast S2 Ep. 26: Deanna Scaldaferri on Reiki, Sensitivity & Healing the Soul

What happens when a sensitive soul stops hiding their gifts and starts using them to heal? This conversation goes very deep as Rich Wright sits down with Deanna Scaldaferri, a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist, Usui Holy Fire Reiki Master, and Intuitive Life Coach, and walks through her story from a childhood in suburban New York all the way to the sacred space of energy healing. Deanna is the founder of Healing Hands by Deanna, offering massage, Reiki, and transformational coaching that support the mind, body, and spirit as one connected system. As a survivor and advocate, she also facilitates narcissistic abuse recovery support groups and speaks publicly on healing, integrity, and reclaiming your power. This episode is for the creatives, the empaths, and the highly sensitive people who were told their feelings were too big, their tears too frequent, and their intuition too strange. Rich and Deanna share an uncanny number of parallel experiences, from being labeled "too sensitive" as kids to discovering that the gifts they once hid were always meant to be their superpowers. This conversation revolves around: ~How childhood sensitivity gets mislabeled as shyness, and why so many of us learn to dim our light early ~The connection between people pleasing, perfectionism, codependency, and narcissistic relationship patterns ~Why the body keeps the score, and how repressed emotion becomes physical pain ~What Reiki actually is, explained in the simplest, most beautiful way you will ever hear ~How energy gets stuck in the body and what energy healing does to restore natural flow ~The truth about Western and holistic medicine working in synergy rather than opposition ~Why healing is a process, not a quick fix or a Band-AidHow to recognize narcissistic abuse, the love bombing phase, and the slow erosion of your spirit ~The role of trust, faith, and divine timing when you follow a true soul calling ~Why creatives are doing the Creator's work, and how to reconnect to the gift you were born to share Deanna also shares her own pivotal awakening, the moment in a quiet spa that redirected her entire life from corporate finance into the healing arts, and how learning to deliver intuitive messages, even through fear, became central to her purpose. Rich opens up about a profound healing session exploring betrayal, a spiritual awakening delivered through a psychic medium, and the realization that the only thing we can truly control is how we respond. Whether you are navigating anxiety, recovering from a toxic relationship, searching for your purpose, or simply curious about energy healing for the first time, this episode offers comfort, clarity, and an invitation to shine brighter. Connect with Deanna: Website: https://www.healinghandsbydeanna.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/healinghandsbydeanna Insta: https://www.instagram.com/healinghandsbydeanna Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCw4Sv8POfGX8H6KJXnh4kJw Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1 Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistre... Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes #Reiki #EnergyHealing #ReikiMaster #HighlySensitivePerson #HSP #Empath #IntuitiveHealing #IntuitiveCoaching #NarcissisticAbuseRecovery #HealingJourney #SpiritualAwakening #MindBodySpirit #MassageTherapy #HolisticHealing #EnergyWork #Chakras #AnxietyRelief #TheBodyKeepsTheScore #TraumaHealing #PeoplePleasing #Codependency #DivineTiming #SoulCalling #LifePurpose #CreativeHealing #SensitiveSoul #EmotionalHealing #HolisticWellness #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #RichWright #DeannaScaldaferri #HealingHandsByDeanna #VirtualReiki #LifeForceEnergy #richwrightunlimited #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC4DJzxAgjypfUeS-mNgi-Jg] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457939/support] Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com [https://www.theartistrecovery.com] Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com [https://www,artrecroom.com] Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com [https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com] Connect: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theartrec] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/theartrec] X [https://www.x.com/TheArtistRec] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@theartrec] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwrightunltd]

Artist Recovery Podcast S2 Ep. 25: James Walters: Joyful Rebellion & Reinventing Your Creative Life

What happens when hard-earned success starts to feel empty?  This deeply honest conversation of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with accomplished wedding photographer turned storyteller James Walters to explore three-plus decades behind the camera, the slow unraveling that comes with life's hard resets, and the path back to joy, creativity, and authentic self-expression. James is the author of the memoir "Accessory to Marriage: Chronicles of Outrageousness from My Life as a Wedding Photographer," host of the Joyful Rebellion podcast, and a creative mentor helping others tell their stories through photography, video, and audio. A self-described INFP innovator, dad, and educator, James blends humor, southern roots, and deep introspection into a conversation every sensitive, heart-centered creative needs to hear. From a sleepy 1970s beach town in Wilmington, North Carolina to the windowless commercial studios of High Point, James shares how a kid who rode his bike everywhere and observed the world from the corner of the room became a master of light and story. He opens up about the moment a high school guidance counselor changed his life, why he learned to advocate for himself early, and how he discovered that the camera matters far less than the human relationships in front of it. This conversation goes far beyond photography. James and Rich dig into the cost of "robot mode," the trauma response many creatives recognize when life demands we hold it all together. James shares his journey through loss, the end of a marriage, a late ADD diagnosis at 40, and the systems he built to reclaim his life. Together they explore the courage it takes, especially for men, to sit down with a therapist and let the guard down. You will hear powerful, practical wisdom for creatives at every stage: Why saying no protects your creative journey, and why "no" feels scary for different reasons early and late in your career. ~How to problem-solve in impossible moments and turn a hard situation into something beautiful. ~Why work that captures people increases in value over time, while commercial work fades. ~How to ramp up complexity and challenge yourself so your craft keeps growing. ~The Steve Miller "greatest hits" lesson that reshaped how James thinks about creativity and meeting your audience where they are. This is a conversation about personal reinvention, self-discovery, and using art to author your own life. If you have ever done all the things you were told would make you happy and still felt empty, James offers a roadmap for the joyful rebellion that follows. Connect with James: Website: https://jameswalters.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-walters-57136326 Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes #JamesWalters #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #richwrightartist  #JoyfulRebellion #CreativeReinvention #WeddingPhotography #photographers  #CreativeBurnout #FindingJoy #PersonalReinvention #MentalHealthForCreatives #ADDDiagnosis #TherapyForMen #SayingNo #AuthenticExpression #HeartCenteredCreatives #SensitiveSoul #StorytellingThroughPhotography #CreativeMentor #INFP #LifeHardResets #RobotMode #CreativeJourney #PhotographyCareer #ObserverMindset #SelfAdvocacy #CommercialPhotography #Memoir #AccessoryToMarriage #ReclaimingCreativity #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC4DJzxAgjypfUeS-mNgi-Jg]  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457939/support] Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com [https://www.theartistrecovery.com] Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com [https://www,artrecroom.com] Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com [https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com] Connect: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theartrec] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/theartrec] X [https://www.x.com/TheArtistRec] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@theartrec] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwrightunltd]

Artist Recovery Podcast S2 Ep. 24: Courtney Barriger, Eco-Fashion Designer, Artist and Author

What happens when a homeschooled girl from suburban Florida follows the spark of creativity across continents, careers, and a complete reinvention of the fashion industry? This conversation of the Artist Recovery Podcast revolves around the life of Courtney Barriger, author, eco-fashion designer, filmmaker, and founder of the sustainable clothing label Holding Court. Courtney shares the full arc of her creative journey, from making weekend movies at her aunt and uncle's house as a kid, to being discovered at 16 for an MTV music video, to walking London Fashion Week and winning awards on the film festival circuit. Along the way she opens up about the lessons that shaped her: learning that finishing a project does not always bring the recognition you imagine, releasing the grip of ego, and discovering that you can do everything you love, just not all at the same time. This conversation goes deep into the heart of what it means to be a multi-passionate creative. Courtney and Rich explore the difference between chasing outcomes and honoring the experience of making art, the strange and humbling world of casting calls and reality television, and the moment a car accident and a long recovery led Courtney to commit fully to a life as an artist. We also dig into the work that ties it all together: sustainable fashion. Courtney explains how a reality show called America's It Girl, prizes that evaporated and all, ultimately pointed her toward a mission of healing the planet through ethical design. She breaks down the three pillars of Holding Court: information on sustainability, the sustainable clothing itself, and storytelling. That storytelling now includes Refashion Workshop, her book that is being used in design school curriculums, and The Royal Robe, an environmental fable for children that is being developed into an animated film. Courtney and Rich return to a theme close to every sensitive soul and heart-centered creative: Where do ideas come from? Courtney describes inspiration as something that falls from the sky, pieces of information clicking into place, and the artist's obligation to honor that fleeting spark before it disappears. They talk honestly about the darkness that can take root when creativity goes unexpressed, and the freedom that comes from finally putting your work out into the world. Connect with Coutney: Website: https://www.courtneybarriger.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-barriger-4764402a Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/courtneybarriger Connect with Rich: Artist Rich Wright’s WOW Essential Spirit Paintings: ⁠https://www.theartistrecovery.com/white-owl-wisdom-1 Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes #CourtneyBarriger #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #EcoFashion #SustainableFashion #EthicalFashion #HoldingCourt #RefashionWorkshop #TheRoyalRobe #CreativeJourney #MultiPassionate #ArtistInterview #FashionDesigner #AmericasItGirl #CreativePath #CreativeInspiration #ArtistMindset #SustainableClothing #HeartCenteredCreative #CreativeEntrepreneur #AuthorInterview #AnimatedFilm #FollowYourCreativity #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #beaguest #podmatchguest  ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC4DJzxAgjypfUeS-mNgi-Jg]  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457939/support] Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com [https://www.theartistrecovery.com] Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com [https://www,artrecroom.com] Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com [https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com] Connect: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theartrec] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/theartrec] X [https://www.x.com/TheArtistRec] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@theartrec] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwrightunltd]

Artist Recovery Podcast S2 Ep. 23 | Scott Wells: Marked by the Ouija, Rosa Parks & Healing in Nature

What happens when a Ouija board becomes a doorway you never meant to open? Best-selling thriller and horror author Scott Wells joins Rich Wright on the Artist Recovery Podcast to share the true, spine-chilling experience behind his book "Marked by the Ouija," a story so haunting it includes a death threat that came true exactly two years later, to the date. But this conversation goes far deeper than the paranormal. Scott opens up about growing up Mormon in small-town Idaho, the internalized shame of hiding who he was, and the years of inner turmoil that eventually led to homelessness, living out of a white Geo Metro with everything he owned in the trunk. He shares the pivotal moments and people who pulled him back: a brother who tossed him a book, a teacher who told him he only got "two bad days a year," and an unforgettable friendship with Rosa Parks during his mission in Detroit, complete with chased-down ice cream trucks and a kindness he still carries today. Rich and Scott explore the threads that connect creativity, spirituality, and survival. They talk about the soul staying the same even as the shell changes, incarnation and the eternal nature of consciousness, and why nature is one of the most powerful tools for mental clarity, healing, and reclaiming your sense of self. Scott also reveals the chilling true story behind his upcoming novel "Phantom Ranch," a real-life encounter in the Grand Canyon with a man he later recognized at a murder trial. This is a conversation about not judging a book by its cover, about facing fear by understanding it, and about how our hardest experiences can become the very thing that helps someone else feel less alone. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE: The true story behind "Marked by the Ouija" and the threat that came true ~Growing up Mormon, internalized homophobia, and the long road to self-acceptance ~An extraordinary friendship with Rosa Parks in Detroit ~Surviving homelessness and the book that changed everything ~Incarnation, the soul, and connecting with loved ones on the other side ~The chilling real events behind the upcoming novel "Phantom Ranch" ~Why nature is medicine for mental clarity, anxiety, and creative burnout ~How storytelling creates safe spaces for healing paranormal and personal trauma Connect with Scott: Website: https://www.scottwellsauthor.com Insta: https://www.instagram.com/explorelife_outside Youtube:  @explorelifeoutside7138 [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCnjmIVRz2boDWxfjh2S2pSg] Join Podmatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery Dyslexia Classes: https://www.skool.com/dyslexia-classes #ArtistRecoveryPodcast #ScottWells #MarkedByTheOuija #OuijaBoard #ParanormalStories #TrueParanormal #RealGhostStory #PhantomRanch #RobertDurst #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #RosaParks #ComingOut #LGBTQStories #OvercomingHomelessness #MagicOfThinkingBig #MentalHealth #CreativeBurnout #HealingInNature #Grounding #NatureTherapy #Spirituality #Reincarnation #LifeAfterDeath #ThrillerAuthor #HorrorAuthor #Storytelling #SelfAcceptance #PersonalGrowth #SoulForward #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #beaguest #podmatchguest  @PodMatch_com [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC4DJzxAgjypfUeS-mNgi-Jg] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2457939/support] Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com [https://www.theartistrecovery.com] Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com [https://www,artrecroom.com] Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com [https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com] Connect: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theartrec] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/theartrec] X [https://www.x.com/TheArtistRec] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@theartrec] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwrightunltd]