Mind Over Matcha

🍵 Let's talk about a recurring challenge I face as a creative: perfection paralysis. Recently rewatching the film Adaptation helped me articulate how my designer brain constantly pushes me to envision projects in their most grandiose, high-production forms, making it super hard to actually start or finish anything. So, I’m adapting. I'm testing out a more sustainable, lower-production approach so...

This is a conversation over tea about healing through creativity, breaking free from the habits that keep us on autopilot, and uncovering the most authentic version of ourselves. In this episode of Mind Over Matcha , we dive into how music helps my friend Sydneé Bethel, an abstract painter, enter her flow state. She shares how music becomes a bridge between the inner world and the art. And we shar...

“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind, there are few.” That's a quote from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Zen master Shunryu Suzuki. And it's the reason I've invited my friend Daniel Hayes to this conversation over tea, sitting 8,200 feet up in the mountains outside of Denver, Colorado. Daniel Hayes spent most of his adult life doing work that di...

If you’re looking for a good 5-minute breathing exercise to calm anxiety, improve focus, or just come back to yourself, try my personal technique. This mindful breathing practice is something I use regularly to shift my energy before doing important things. It’s great for beginners, requires no mediation experience, and works surprisingly fast. I guide you through the full thing in a yoga nidra st...

“Be yourself.” It’s advice we’ve all heard—but rarely unpack. What does it actually mean to be yourself? And how do you practice it in a world that constantly pulls you away from your core? In this video, I explore what it means to be authentic—not as a curated personality or a brand, but as an evolving human navigating creativity, relationships, and growth. Drawing from two decades as a multidisc...

What if the secret to breaking through creative blocks wasn’t pushing harder, but listening more deeply? In this tea talk, I get deep with collage artist Dakarai Akil, whose work combines vintage photography with bold, surreal compositions and motion. His style is often called Afro-surrealism and I can see the past, present, and future of Black culture is alive in his work. And lately, so does he—...

If you’ve ever wanted to start journaling — or come back to it with fresh energy — this video will give you a gentle nudge and some helpful tools. In this episode of Mind Over Matcha, I share why journaling has been such a grounding practice in my life — not just during the tough times, but also when things feel totally fine. This isn’t about “dear diary” vibes. It’s about creating space to hear y...

What does it  really  mean to get a second chance at life? Is survival a blessing… or a burden? Darro is a music artist and activist who survived a life-threatening brain tumor and emerged forever changed. In this intimate tea talk, we explore what art, life, and purpose mean in the aftermath of a near-death experience. If you've ever felt the urgency to live more deeply—or the exhaustion that com...

Change is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. We cling to identities, relationships, and ideas, hoping to hold onto something permanent—only to realize that everything is constantly transforming. In this episode of  Mind Over Matcha , I step into nature to observe its effortless cycles of birth, death, and renewal. Trees shed their leaves without resistance. Rivers carve new paths without...

Death is life’s final transition, yet most of us spend our lives avoiding it. But what if embracing death could teach us how to live more fully? In this episode of  Mind Over Matcha , I sit down with death doula Erika Lim over tea, to explore what she has learned from guiding people through their final moments. We discuss what it means to die well and how preparing for death can shape the way we l...

I’ve always been obsessed with creating spaces—from murals and art installations to digital worlds and an entire fictional universe for my old band Ming & Ping. But lately, I’ve been drawn to a different kind of space—one built on intention and presence rather than physical materials. So what does this have to do with tea? ✨ Welcome to Mind Over Matcha. A space where my guests and I share eve...

What if a simple conversation over tea could change the way you see the world? Coming soon as a Youtube show and podcast, Mind Over Matcha is a space for everyday epiphanies—tiny droplets of wisdom that could change how you see the world. Hosted by artist and storyteller Bao Vo, this show blends curiosity, wisdom, and the meditative ritual of tea to explore the unconventional ideas, passions, and...