Painting Your Path

Welcome back to the Painting Your Path™ podcast. I’m your host, Clarissa Castillo‑Ramsey. Today you’re getting a special behind‑the‑scenes peek at something very close to my heart: The Becoming Experience. If you’ve ever felt like life is moving way too fast, like you’re juggling all the roles and still wondering where you fit into the picture, this episode is for you. I’m joined by two incredible...

What if the thing you’re holding back is the very thing that could create connection? In this episode of Painting Your Path , I reflect on a recent art fair experience that reminded me of something we often forget: visibility isn’t about seeking attention. It’s about allowing ourselves to be seen. Whether it’s a creative project, a dream you’ve been postponing, a conversation you’ve been avoiding,...

What if wellbeing wasn’t only about what we consume—but also about what we practice? In this solo episode of Painting Your Path™, I explore the growing movement of Social Prescribing and why activities like movement, creativity, and community are becoming recognized as powerful tools for supporting mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Drawing from my own experiences navigating grief, spasmod...

We’re halfway through the year. Maybe you’re exactly where you hoped you’d be. Or maybe life happened. In this solo episode, Clarissa shares a candid reflection on feeling a bit disconnected from parts of her work, the pull of family and community responsibilities, and what she’s learning about finding her way back without judgment or hustle. If you’ve been feeling stuck, distracted, or like you’v...

We’re almost halfway through the year. So…how’s it going? For real. Good? Great? Not quite where you want to be yet? In this solo episode, I’m reflecting on the space between what we imagined for ourselves at the beginning of the year, and what life is actually teaching us now. This conversation is about purpose, creativity, resiliency, redirection, and learning how to listen without abandoning yo...

What happens when you keep postponing yourself? In this solo episode, I’m talking about perfectionism, fear, overthinking, waiting for the “right time,” and the quiet ways people abandon what matters most to them. This conversation is for anyone who knows there’s something inside of them asking to be expressed… creatively or otherwise. Because maybe the issue isn’t that you don’t know what you wan...

In this episode of Painting Your Path , I reflect on a question many of us quietly carry — When did I stop knowing what I want?  While I was in Texas, I found myself sitting with this more deeply, thinking about how women are often taught to be polite, accommodating, and small, and how that conditioning can pull us away from our own desires, creative voice, and sense of self. I share my own journe...

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll start soon”… this episode is for you. I found myself saying those exact words again recently. Not in a big, dramatic way—but in the quiet, everyday kind of way that keeps things just far enough out of reach. In this solo episode, I share an unexpected moment from a simple scribble art exercise that made me realize what was really underneath my resistance to st...

In this episode, I sit down with Alexander AD: artist, designer, photographer, chef, and filmmaker whose work in Altadena has quietly shaped how the community remembers and reimagines life after the fires. We explore: Alexander’s journey from corporate VP to full-time creative How growing up with strict expectations led him back to art The role of resilience, curiosity, and intention in his work H...

In this episode, I’m doing something a little uncomfortable… I’m speaking anyway. Lately, my spasmodic dysphonia has been giving me trouble and I also can’t let it get me down… If you’ve ever felt like you needed to “fix” something about yourself before you could fully show up: your voice, your confidence, your clarity, this conversation is for you. Today also happens to be World Voice Day, and I’...

In this episode of Painting Your Path™ I sit down with Courage: actor, activist, and community organizer to explore what it means to find home, rebuild after devastation, and keep showing up for your community. Courage shares how an unexpected Facebook ad, a cross-town bus ride, and a deep sense of grief led them from downtown LA to Altadena, where they discovered the kind of small-town community...

This episode is a real-time check-in. Not the polished version. The honest one. As we close out the first quarter of the year and step into spring, it’s a natural moment to pause and ask: Am I actually doing the things that matter to me? In this solo episode, I’m reflecting on: what I followed through on—and what I didn’t how easy it is to disconnect from the things that bring us back to ourselves...

Spring is here. It’s the perfect time for renewal and planting seeds for the year. But nothing changes or grows unless you do something about it. In this episode, I’m talking about what renewal actually requires (hint: it’s not waiting for the perfect time), and why so many of us stay stuck even when we feel the pull to move. If you’ve been circling an idea, second-guessing yourself, or telling yo...

In this episode of Painting Your Path™, I sit down with Nadia Paredes: art therapist, former president of the American Art Therapy Association, immigrant, mom, and community mental health leader with Project HOPE.   After losing her son’s school in the Eaton fire, Nadia’s personal and professional worlds collided, leading her back into disaster mental health and community care. She shares how art,...

Spring is starting to show up here in Southern California. Little hints - hotter temps, longer evenings, small buds appearing on branches that looked completely bare just weeks ago. It always reminds me of something important: nature doesn’t wait for perfect conditions before it begins again. In this episode, I share a reflection on rebuilding, not just in our communities, but within ourselves. Af...

This Season 5 episode of Painting Your Path™ continues our focus on the Eaton and Palisades fire survivors and the grassroots communities and organizations that have held us through it. Today, I’m joined by Kelly Etter — retired dancer, singer, actress, former Rockette, longtime Altadena resident, Eaton fire survivor, and Pilates + nervous system mentor. In this conversation, we explore: What it r...

“Not ready.” I hear it all the time. This week, I’m unpacking what we really mean when we say that, especially when it comes to creative work, big ideas, and becoming the next version of ourselves. We’re talking about time, energy, hope… and the quiet ways fear disguises itself as responsibility. This episode is honest. Grounded. And maybe a little uncomfortable. If you’ve been waiting for clarity...

This week on Painting Your Path, I sit down with the incredible Ellen Stern Kutza—someone whose journey through creativity, healing, and community support will move and inspire you. Ellen is not only a certified biofeedback specialist, but also a lifelong artist with a huge heart for giving back. We dive into what it means to turn personal and community challenges into powerful acts of service and...

Driving home today, I kept thinking about something I heard in a meditation: What if we spend too much of our lives getting ready to become who we’re meant to be? Getting ready to feel confident. Getting ready to have more time. Getting ready to feel certain. In this episode, I’m unpacking what actually creates change — and why it’s rarely about your environment. I share: A real client story about...

There’s something extraordinary about sitting down with fellow artists who have walked through fire (sometimes literally) and emerged with new light to share. In this heartfelt episode, I’m joined by Marike, painter and founder of Altadena Candle Company. We dive into creativity as a source of healing, our shared love for community, and how it feels to rebuild life, one brushstroke or candle at a...

This season of Painting Your Path™ begins with a pause. Before sharing conversations with survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires (and the organizations supporting healing and recovery) I’m opening Season 5 with a solo reflection. This episode is not about resolutions or reinvention. It’s about gentler rhythms. About honoring what you’ve carried. About arriving—without rushing who you’re becomi...

Dr. Tasha Golden, behavioral scientist and former singer-songwriter, bridges the gap between knowing that creativity heals and making it happen in practice. In our conversation, she reveals her collaborative “Arts on Prescription” field guide that gives healthcare providers and art and wellness practitioners actionable steps to integrate arts into treatment—not just theory, but practical implement...

What if your path wasn’t something you figured out…but something you remembered? In this heart-centered conversation, I sit down with Jewel Veitch for a soulful exploration of purpose, intuition, and what it really means to co-create your life—rather than force it. Jewel shares reflections from her own journey—from a traditional career path to a more intuitive, purpose-led way of living and workin...

What happens when the life you carefully built no longer fits who you’re becoming? In this tender and deeply honest conversation, I’m joined by Patti Hanrath, a Life Reset Coach who works with women in midlife standing at a crossroads—successful on paper, but quietly asking, Is this really it? Together, we explore the moments that change us. The ones that crack things open. The ones that invite us...

This isn’t another episode about doing more or optimizing your morning routine. It’s about getting real — with yourself. As we wrap up the year, I share a more personal episode: 3 powerful reasons why I do the work I do — and how each one might reflect something you’re feeling too. This episode is for the recovering people pleasers, the late bloomers, the creatives who’ve been told they’re “too mu...