Gratitude Blooming Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a world where tenderness takes the political stage and grace is nurtured enough to birth something beautiful. In today's heart-to-heart, we sit within the hard cracks and rubble of life, armed with a gentle energy, exploring how we can endure the world's heaviness without being swept away by it. Drawing inspiration from Bayo Akomolafe's call for a politics o...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered how the power of pause can lead to achieving more? Today, we're joined by Emily Lynn Wendell, who takes us on her personal journey of battling an autoimmune condition while simultaneously building a business. Despite the challenges, Emily's story is one of resilience and creativity. She likens her experiences to building wire sculptures one wire at...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to a journey of courageous self-expression, a voyage across the realms of identity, gratitude, and remembrance. How do you find your authentic courage? In today’s conversation, we explore this question, and so much more. What's more, we have a new segment – a heartfelt invitation around the beautiful questions that reside in our lives. Join us as we engage with you, o...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to reframe fear and the unknown as fertile ground for creativity and change? Our illuminating conversation aims to inspire you to do just that. We explore the "J-curve", a trajectory of change that involves embracing failure and loss, while co-creating a future outside traditional conventions. The dance between fear and creativity forms the heart of this episode. W...

Send us Fan Mail There is more to reciprocity than giving back. Our guest, Christine Liboon, a PhD student in Education, is here to take us on a deep exploration of her findings. She shares her fascinating research around the Filipino concept of 'utang na loob', which she and her colleagues are redefining as a gift rather than a debt. We also explore the symbolism of currency as not mere...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like life's pace is too fast? Ever wish you could just press the 'pause' button and breathe? Well, you're not alone. Join us with yoga instructor, Susie Lee, about the power of slowing down, leaning into uncertainty, and finding balance amidst chaos. Susie shares her personal journey with discovering the Gratitude Blooming card deck, which she now use...

Send us Fan Mail How can a simple pause unlock the magic of co-creation and our collective superpowers? Join us as we explore the intentions behind Arlene's latest pop-up art exhibit, "The Forgiveness Reflection Booth", and how pausing to connect with found objects in nature can bring comfort, kindness, joy and wonder to our everyday lives. We also focus on the theme of self-care as...

Send us Fan Mail What if you held the power to direct the energy of democracy through your personal feelings and actions?  We promise to illuminate this connection as we explore the intersection of art, empathy, and democracy in this live recording at The Democracy Center with director Jim Herr. The journey delves into creating space to pause and reflect on non-attachment, gratitude, and mindfulne...

Send us Fan Mail Ever pondered the intricate dance of empathy and democracy? Well, that's precisely what we set out to explore with our esteemed guests, Sofia Alvarez and Jim Herr, from the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Through this collaborative project, we created three reflection booths, inviting people to pause in a public square. Together, we navigated the terrain of...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever considered how gratitude can be a social adhesive, bringing us together to co-create the world we envision? Join us, as we leap into a profound conversation and art installation centered on democracy and empathy with the Japanese American National Museum and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. The partners of Gratitude Blooming open up about our jo...

Send us Fan Mail Ever sailed the tumultuous river of life transition, armed with nothing but hope and gratitude? Welcome to the journey of our guest, Charlie Koch, who transforms his life's transitions into opportunities of growth and awakening. Through his weekly family meetings, Charlie discovered the power of Gratitude Blooming, a practice that not only helped him navigate through life&apo...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could harness the power of sound and nature to experience true coherence in your life? Join us as we celebrate the release of our new album, The Garden of Joy, and discuss our unique collaboration with the Japanese American National Museum and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. We share our journey from spring to summer, exploring adaptive leadershi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when we shift our focus? Join us on this experimental journey as we kick off season three of the Gratitude Blooming podcast with artist Arlene Kim Suda, and embark on a new adventure that might even lead to a retreat with fellow Gratitude Blooming guests! In this heartfelt and inspiring conversation, we draw both the Azalea card, representing hope, and  the Agapanthus...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, we delve into the wild card represented by the sweet pea with Iris Podschun (they/them), a somatic coach. Iris, whose name itself holds significance, shares their early memories and their journey of self-discovery as a queer individual, challenging societal binaries and embracing a path of authenticity. Drawing from their experiences in community organizing i...

Send us Fan Mail Join us in this captivating episode of Gratitude Blooming as we delve into the theme of Wholeness with the remarkable Lorrie Adams. In this conversation grounded by the vibrant Forsythia, Lorrie takes us on a journey of self-discovery and healing, sharing her profound insights and experiences. Her Shamans Cave Maker community also crafted the Gratitude Blooming wooden card deck ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, urban artist and poet SJ Hazim shares his insights on the theme of Simplicity card #18, represented by the humble daisies. He sees the flowers are rooting for him. He speaks about his journey towards creativity and empowerment through the urban arts, and how he uses his talents and expertise to make a positive impact in the world. SJ believes that INSPIRATION is a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Stacey Street, the COO of Richmond Community Foundation, to talk about the power of love, compassion, and courage. Stacey shares her journey of discovering her true source of power within herself, and how she came to see the innate goodness in all beings. We discuss the importance of narrative change and new stories, and how we can all take steps...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of our podcast, we are joined by Liz Childs Kelly, the author of the book "Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of The Sacred Feminine." Liz shares with us her journey of co-creating the world she wants to live in by trusting in flow, trust, and faith, rather than following a rigid ten-step formula. Liz tells us about how inspiration struck her on...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk to Ain Bailey, the founder of New Seneca Village, as she shares her insights on the Gratitude Blooming card #17, Humility , represented by two connected violets. Ain shares how nature is her first community and how important it is to be in relationship to land for land's sake. She feels the unwavering presence of nature, from the big sky to trees, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with love researcher, relationship coach and matchmaker Soniyah Singh to explore the Gratitude Blooming card #39 Grace, represented by a rose. Soniyah shares her journey of discovering her passion for helping people become the love they want, and how she believes that healing and attracting the right kind of love starts from within.  We discuss the cou...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Ariel Loh, the composer and producer behind Window Seat, to discuss his newest album, The Garden of Healing. This album is a collaboration with Gratitude Blooming and was inspired by the themes and art from our beautiful card deck. We discuss the 10 themes of the album, which range from Forgiveness to Patience, and how each piece of music reflects...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we sit down with Adam Rosendahl, the founder and CEO of Late Nite Art, to explore the theme of Celebration through the metaphor of a bouquet of flowers. Adam reflects on his journey into facilitation and art, including a transformative experience of being blessed as a baby by a monk who noticed that he had "the hands of an artist". Adam also discusses the powe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we have a captivating conversation with Jim Herr on the theme of curiosity. Jim discusses the importance of self-reflection, looking behind the curtain we create, and questioning who we are. He shares his personal journey of self-discovery and how he overcame the fear of being an imposter or not being good enough. Jim highlights the significance of recognizing our...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are joined by Emily Golding, Executive Director of Amplifier, a nonprofit design lab that builds art and media experiments to amplify the most important movements of our times. Together, we explore the Gratitude Blooming theme of Choice, represented by the spring rose.  Emily shares her journey of embodying choice, teaching the joy of choice, and leaning into h...

Send us Fan Mail How do you handle "life mountains?" In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Georgina Miranda, a mountaineer, athlete, social entrepreneur, and explorer. Georgina shares her journey and how it led her to discover the power of mindset and inner strength. She discusses the challenges she faced, including climbing Mt. Everest and the implosion of a previous business vent...