Take Your Time

Episode 002: Ara Katz, The Mentor

For our first interview of the season, I sat down with my mentor and friend, the brilliant and ever-wise Ara Katz. During our conversation, Ara reflected on many things: her return to New York after years living in LA, how experiencing grief as a teen shaped her worldview, and how she turned to creativity as a means of survival as a child. We explore neuroaesthetics and the impact of physical space, the importance of quiet, intuition, and trust in oneself, and why creatives must resist “contorting” for social media algorithms.  Tune in for a meditation on self-trust, the importance of non-attachment, and the lifelong work of becoming who you are. (0:00) Introducing Ara Katz, Co-Founder of Seed (01:37) Three Deep Breaths & "How Is Your Heart Today?" (04:11) Returning to New York & the Meaning of Home (09:49) How Dianna & Ara Met  (11:08) When Do We Really Become Who We Are? (13:20) Childhood, Early Trauma & Creativity as Survival (16:03) Grief, Solitude & Losing Her Mom at 15 (25:34) "She Didn't Always Follow the Recipe" — Her Mother's Last Gift (27:25) The Decision to Launch Crown Affair (30:26) The Miracle of the Human Body & Lifelong Wellness Philosophy (34:19) Disconnection from Nature & the Importance of Getting Quiet (41:37) Building a Brand Without Contorting for the Algorithm (45:25) Anxiety as a Signal You're Out of Alignment (58:04) Mary Oliver's "The Journey" Read Aloud (1:02:52) Take Your Time Questions Begin (1:05:15) Seed's Storytelling Legacy & the Times Square Billboard (1:12:02) When Does Time Stand Still? Reframing Our Relationship to Time Thank you for listening to Take Your Time. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-your-time/id1896516883], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3axzhup3xHnmKDN0RguMWO], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@diannacohen]  Follow along on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/takeyourtimeuniverse/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@takeyourtimeuniverse?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn6vIBqyKxzHf-ev6kzhHvc70HeKgBegrnvWdplqDZs5jJHsUnhvxjgqTsqtw_aem_df-oCg-9cbAbUdCh5I6kbQ]  Follow Dianna on Instagram: @diannacohen [https://www.instagram.com/diannacohen/] Subscribe to Take Your Time on Substack  [https://dianna.substack.com/] Find everything Take Your Time at takeyourtimeuniverse.com [http://takeyourtimeuniverse.com] Recommendations and resources from this episode: * Undimmed [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250385185/undimmed/] by Cecily Mak  * Seed   [https://seed.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo_2JSGUvUgh5n6JzI7RrPQRfSJylwNP7Tp-F1RV4D-Fuev3Jkk] * Mary Oliver Poem

Episode 001: Welcome to the Take Your Time Universe

For the very first episode of Take Your Time, I'm sharing my own story and the "why" behind this podcast. I reflect on growing up in a small town in South Florida, discovering art history in eighth grade, and how collecting images through magazines, art books, and Tumblr became my creative safe space. I talk about how Take Your Time became my personal mantra as I built Crown Affair, what it really means to slow down and reclaim your time, and why I believe that all of us are creative, we just have to get quiet enough to listen to ourselves. Tune in for a meditation on dreaming, consistency, and the seeds we plant long before we ever see the fruit. (01:05)  Why a podcast, and why now?  (02:00) Dianna's creative upbringing in South Florida  (03:10) Building Crown Affair & the power of mood boarding  (05:05) Dianna's unique relationships and what inspired the show  (06:10) The three deep breaths ritual  (06:55) The meaning behind "Take Your Time"  (07:44) Take Your Time Back Segment Thank you for listening to Take Your Time. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-your-time/id1896516883], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3axzhup3xHnmKDN0RguMWO], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@diannacohen]  Follow along on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/takeyourtimeuniverse/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@takeyourtimeuniverse?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn6vIBqyKxzHf-ev6kzhHvc70HeKgBegrnvWdplqDZs5jJHsUnhvxjgqTsqtw_aem_df-oCg-9cbAbUdCh5I6kbQ]  Follow Dianna on Instagram: @diannacohen [https://www.instagram.com/diannacohen/] Subscribe to Take Your Time on Substack  [https://dianna.substack.com/] Find everything Take Your Time at takeyourtimeuniverse.com [http://takeyourtimeuniverse.com] Check out Crown Affair at crownaffair.com [http://crownaffair.com]

Take Your Time

Welcome to Take Your Time, a podcast about creativity and intention hosted by Dianna Cohen.