How to Make Your Movie Without Hollywood | Manny Liotta

Could Your Art Cost You Your Relationship? | Michael Glover Smith on Hekla

In this episode of Is There More?, Megan A Tully sits down with filmmaker, author, and history of cinema professor Michael Glover Smith to talk about his new indie film Hekla, premiering in Los Angeles at Dances With Films this month! Get your tickets here: https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-hekla/ [https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-hekla/]What starts as a conversation about independent filmmaking becomes a much deeper exploration of art, relationships, divorce, creative identity, and the emotional cost of being an artist.Michael opens up about how Hekla was shaped by his own life — including his divorce, the death and rebirth of identity after a long relationship, and the question so many creative people quietly carry:Can you fully devote yourself to your art without losing the person you love?We talk about the making of Hekla, micro-budget filmmaking, directing actors, collaborating with Elizabeth Stam, giving up creative control, using pain in performance, and what happens when your personal life becomes the material for your work.Michael also shares behind-the-scenes stories he says he has never shared in another interview — including why he wasn’t present for the first two days of shooting, how the fantasy sequences were created, and how walking five miles a day influenced the opening of the film.This conversation is for filmmakers, actors, artists, writers, and anyone who has ever wondered whether their ambition, creativity, or inner world could cost them a relationship.Follow Michael Glover Smith:https://www.michaelgloversmith.com/ [https://www.michaelgloversmith.com/]Follow Megan A Tully / Is There More?:https://www.instagram.com/meganatully/ [https://www.instagram.com/meganatully/]

You Can't Avoid Your Pain Forever | Gianna Shamone

In this episode of Is There More?, I sit down with writer and storyteller Gianna Shamone for a deeply honest conversation about codependency, heartbreak, identity, healing, and finding yourself after losing yourself in love. Gianna grew up in Germany surrounded by a multicultural mix of languages, food, music, belief systems, and family dynamics that left her with a lifelong question: Where do I really come from? But that question eventually became something even deeper: Who am I when I’m not trying to become what someone else needs me to be? In this conversation, Gianna opens up about a four-year relationship with an artist she was also managing — a relationship that became deeply codependent as she found herself walking on eggshells, trying to save him, and slowly losing herself in the process. When the relationship ended after her partner experienced what she describes as a psychosis, it forced her into one of the most painful rock bottoms of her life. But that rock bottom became a turning point. After months of avoiding the grief, a physical injury forced Gianna to stop, feel, cry, journal, meditate, and finally face the heartbreak she had been running from. Through that healing process, she returned to writing, self-published her poetry book Finding Me, and began reclaiming her identity not as the helper, manager, or caretaker — but as the artist herself. This episode is for anyone who has ever confused codependency with love, lost themselves in a relationship, tried to save someone else at the expense of their own wellbeing, or felt called to return to their creativity after heartbreak. Gianna’s story is a reminder that sometimes the relationship that breaks you open is also the one that brings you back to yourself. Watch this episode if you’ve ever wondered: Is this love, or am I losing myself? Read Gianna's poetry book, Finding Me: https://a.co/d/0jhoOWYB [https://a.co/d/0jhoOWYB]

When Your Grief Awakens Your Gifts | Brie Rhiannon

In this episode of Is There More?, Megan sits down with psychic medium, astrologer, energy worker, and writer Brie Rhiannon to talk about psychic gifts, spiritual awakening, shadow work, higher self, grief, trauma healing, astrology, energy work, and learning how to become who you really are. Brie shares her journey from child actor to fashion merchandising, sustainability, solar sales, electrical engineering, mediumship, tarot, astrology, and spiritual entrepreneurship. After experiencing loss, trauma, mental health struggles, and a life-changing trip to Bali in 2019, Brie began developing her intuitive gifts and eventually became a guide for others doing deep shadow work and psychic development. This episode is for anyone interested in spirituality, psychic development, astrology, mediumship, shadow work, healing, higher self, self-discovery, trauma healing, energy work, and the deeper question: Is there more to who you really are? Guest: Brie Rhiannon Website: brierhiannon.com Socials: @brierhiannonRecommended Reading: Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza https://amzn.to/4tSdlvl [https://amzn.to/4tTGWEB] Heal the Witch Wound by Celeste Larsen https://amzn.to/4tTGWEB [https://amzn.to/4tTGWEB] Brie's Workbooks and Coaching: https://stan.store/brierhiannon [https://stan.store/brierhiannon] Subscribe to Is There More? with Megan A Tully for deep conversations about healing, creativity, relationships, identity, spirituality, mental health, and what it means to become fully yourself. #istheremore #istheremorepodcast #meganatully #megantully #soulwork #spiritualgifts #shadowwork

The Secret to Overcoming Conflict in Relationships | Jennie Juechter

In this episode of Is There More?, I sit down with relationship coach Jennie Juechter to talk about the secret to overcoming relationship conflict, codependency, people-pleasing, and the patterns that keep us stuck in the same fights over and over again.Is there more?What this conversation really became was something deeper: a conversation about what happens when the thing that triggers us in someone else is actually trying to lead us back to ourselves.Jennie said something in this episode that I can’t stop thinking about:“A trigger is an arrow back to you.”We talked about relationship challenges, conflict, resentment, shame, self-abandonment, overdrinking, codependency, and what it really means to take your power back in love. Jennie shares how she went from a toxic push-pull relationship dynamic and drinking multiple nights a week to rebuilding her life, her marriage, and her sense of self from the inside out.This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered:Why do I keep having the same fight in my relationship?Why do I lose myself in love?How do I stop people-pleasing?How do I heal codependency?How do I stop blaming my partner and start understanding my own triggers?What I loved about this conversation is that it doesn’t stay on the surface. It gets into the real work of relationships: emotional responsibility, communication, accountability, conflict resolution, nervous system patterns, childhood wounds, and the courage it takes to love someone without abandoning yourself.If you’re navigating relationship conflict, codependency, people-pleasing, resentment, emotional triggers, or toxic relationship patterns, this conversation will help you see your relationships — and yourself — in a new way.Watch now to learn how to discover your power, understand your triggers, and start overcoming relationship challenges from the inside out.Subscribe to Is There More? for conversations about healing, relationships, mental health, creativity, identity, and what it means to become who you really are. #Relationships #RelationshipAdvice #Codependency #PeoplePleasing #SelfAbandonment #RelationshipConflict #EmotionalHealing #MentalHealth #HealingJourney #IsThereMore #JennieJuechter #Triggers #ToxicRelationshipPatterns #PersonalGrowth #CommunicationSkills

Art to Challenge Oppression and Open Minds | Da'Shaunae Marisa

What happens when people are taught not to fully be themselves?In this episode of Is There More?, I sit down with artist and filmmaker Da'Shaunae to talk about her documentary-in-progress, Does My Hair Offend? — a project exploring Black women, hair, self-expression, oppression, racism, professionalism, and safety.But this conversation goes deeper than hair. We talk about what happens when people learn to shrink, shape, or hide parts of themselves just to survive. We explore the power of art, film, and storytelling to interrupt oppressive systems, open people’s minds, and create real change.Da'Shaunae shares the heart behind her documentary, how her mother’s experience shaped her perspective, and why this project is about more than appearance— it’s about identity, truth, self-expression, and freedom.If you’ve ever felt the tension between **who you are and who the world seems to want you to be, this episode is for you. And if you’ve ever wanted to better understand how bias, prejudice, and systemic oppression affect everyday life, this conversation may open something in you too.In this episode, we discuss:- Da'Shaunae’s documentary Does My Hair Offend?- Black women and hair discrimination- The politics of professionalism and appearance- Oppression, racism, and self-expression- How trauma and systems shape identity- The power of storytelling to create change- Art as a tool for truth, healing, and cultural transformationFollow for more conversations at the intersection of creativity, mental health, identity, healing, and transformation.