Episodes

  • Art, Drugs, and Meditation With James Paterson

    Art, Drugs, and Meditation With James Paterson
    Jun 4 2024
    Content Warning: Drugs, meditation, and naked cleaning. Also, mention of mental health challenges, self-abuse, and suicidal ideation. It remains a blast of an episode!James Paterson has been contemplating the Universe since he was four years old when he would stay up all night listening to Jean-Michel Jarred’s new age synthesizer cassette on his Fischer Price tape deck. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, he showed great promise with computers, but as a teenager, he shifted his energy to drawing in an effort to impress the ladies. Today, James’s work dances around the intersection between drawing, animation, and code. James is fascinated in the points of resonance where these disciplines collide. Grounded in quirky and truly singular drawings, James’s art takes us on an immersive and mesmerizing journey, whether through prints, animation, virtual reality, or these peculiar and life-changing 3-D shapes. I was once the proud owner of an exquisite penis-like finger scroll and I was pleased about this, though alas, the piece did not fare well in my house fire. James is an avid meditator, and integrates meditation into his creative practice, which is as deep as they come and the realest deal I’ve ever seen. This episode was a massive treat and a must-listen for anyone with a quirky, creative, and fluctuating brain. Thank you, James, for this fun fab interview!!!James Paterson on This Is Your Strange and Beautiful LifeJames’s Morning Routine: He’s up at the ass crack, and you’re invited! To spread his love for meditation, James hosts a daily online sitting practice from 5 to 6 a.m. It’s not as austere as it sounds! Drop in anytime. It’s lurker and introvert-friendly. Come late, leave early, judgment free. James promises you don’t need to be a good meditator, and suggests that maybe there’s no such thing. Sit with James and Friends right here.Meditation and Creative Practice and Mental Health: For James, meditation has been instrumental in every aspect of his life. But as far as zealots go, he is palatable and gentle. In fact, he claims that meditation should probably come with a warning label on the bottle. Like it can blow your life apart, especially if you throw in psychedelics. More on that later. Can Meditation Help With Challenging Mind States? Sure, but in an acute mental health crisis, meditation may not be your thing, and it’s certainly not a cure. Doctors and therapists and collages and gardening, these are all great too. Erica loves collages. And library books. Three Buddhist Phrases to Describe James’s Awakening-Slash-That-Time-When-Meditation-and Psychedelics Blew Up His LifeGood in the beginning. Good in the middle. Good in the end.It’s best not to start, but if you do start, it’s best to finish.Once you get the message, hang up the phone. We dove pretty deep into drugs and meditation and awakening but James also had a lot to say about art and creativity. James is impressively disciplined about facing the blank page and perservering until you can’t criticize yourself because you forget that you’re a person trying to make a thing. The experts call this the flow state. And while James’ commitment and body of work appear dreamy and enviable, he assures me that he struggles with finishing things, and that he procrastinates, just like the best of us. These days, focus has become a little easier. And to make it even easier, James just set up a silent, body-doubling work container every day from 10AM to 3PM EST. Hit up a flow state with James right here at presstube.com/work/. What a hustler!Speaking of hustlers, James generously shared the goods on his brief career as a naked cleaner. I may have exerted some influence. Never has our cleaning segment involved so much nudity! Listen to the end so you don’t miss it!Connect With James PatersonInstagram: @presstubeWebsite: presstube.comDaily Sit: Zoom Link HereBody Doubling Container: presstube.com/work/If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Chill Creative Flow With Jeff Gandell, Are Men Okay? With Keith Serry, or Curiosity With Michelle Syba (Author of End Times).Do You Meditate? By Erica J. SchmidtFollow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places.Thank you so much for listening! To support this independent podcast, please consider purchasing a Lil and Bud dog greeting card at ericajschmidt.com/merch. You can also make a one-time donation here at The Donate Button. Feel free to get in touch for other sponsorship possibilities. My infinite thanks for all of this.More infinite thanks, as always, to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events, Episode 22) and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. And infinite thanks to you, my dear listeners! Stay tuned for ...
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Hot Dates and Frenching With Lou Laurence

    Hot Dates and Frenching With Lou Laurence
    May 21 2024
    Lou Laurence is a singer, songwriter, playwright, and siren. She left her home at the bottom of the ocean to become part of that world, our world, Montréal and across Canada, where she takes to the stage with her ukulele, spectacular hair and fashion sense. There she combines her musical and lyrical genius, bringing us clever and hilarious songs in her signature soulful voice. Her performances unite music, sketch comedy, and stand-up. In 2024, she produced the live game show Montreal’s Most Delicious Date, and her 60-minute solo show, Love, Sharks & Frenching: a hot date w/ Lou Laurence won Best Solo Show, Best Music Show, and was runner up for Best Show with Improv at Victoria Fringe Festival 2023. It’s a one-of-a-kind date with Lou Laurence that will have you frenching like a Montrealer. And you can see it, imminently at the 2024 Montreal Fringe Fest at Petit Campus June 7-16. We can’t wait! Don’t miss Lou’s show and don’t miss this episode!Lou Laurence’s LinksFollow Lou on Instagram @loulaurencemusic or else here on Facebook.Get yourself a ticket to Love, Sharks & Frenching: a hot date w/ Lou Laurence this June at the Montreal Fringe.Mixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Chill Creative Flow With Jeff Gandell, Why We’re Still Single With Mariam Khan or Stealing the Last Laugh With Francesca Esguerra.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places.Episode Notes: Singer, Songwriter, Playwright and Siren Lou Laurence on This Is Your Strange and Beautiful LifeDiscover how Lou got that dreamy voice. It turns out, she’s been singing her whole life. Though she longed to accompany her original songs with an instrument, learning a guitar felt overwhelming. “It has six strings and I only have four fingers.” A valid point. But Lou transcended this obstacle when she picked up the joy of life that is the ukulele. Serenading everyone in Parc Lafontaine, she mastered all the chords from House of the Rising Sun, and then some. Now she has her own custom-made acoustic-guitar-turned-baritone ukulele and it’s official—they’re in love! Lou shares some refreshing tips on creativity and how writing out loud comes out better than typing stuff out at a computer. But definitely carry a fancy notebook wherever you go! I was struck by Lou’s free and fluid creation process which sometimes involves singing off-the-cuff improv lyrics onstage. “You just have to trust that it’s in you,” she says. Gosh, if we could all have that trust. Lou also has an aspirational perspective on the small nonsense and surprising challenges of modern dating. Sounds like she’s killing it out there! And what a gift to be able to transform your mishaps in love into a spectacular Fringe Show. For our Listener Question, Lou and Erica console the lovely and earnest, Did I Fail the Kiss Test? And we wrap up with Lou’s morning, creative, and cleaning routines, plus a charming and terrifying improv ukulele segment during which Erica becomes very sweaty and Lou basically rewrites the podcast theme song. Thank you, Lou Laurence, what a blast!Listener Question From Did I Fail the Kiss Test? Dear Erica and Lou,I’m a 37-year-old woman and I’ve been out of the game for a while. Then I met this super hot dude at a show and we just went on a second date. All in all it went well. Except he kissed me towards the end and I was super awkward. I am so out of practice and he is so fucking cute and I did not think he would kiss me so I went into full-on dorky mode. He did everything right on his part. He sent the right signals and built up to it. But I feel like I missed my chance for a sexy and passionate beginning. Is it possible to recover from an awkward first kiss?Love, Did I Fail the Kiss Test? Thank you so much for listening! To support this independent podcast, please consider purchasing a Lil and Bud dog greeting card at ericajschmidt.com/merch. You can also make a one-time donation here at The Donate Button. Feel free to get in touch for other sponsorship possibilities. My infinite thanks for all of this.More infinite thanks, as always, to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events, Episode 22) and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. And infinite thanks to you, my dear listeners! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Are Men Okay? With Keith Serry

    Are Men Okay? With Keith Serry
    May 7 2024
    Keith Serry is a rockstar. Actually, he’s not a rockstar. But he’s a big fan of rockstars. He hosts the singular podcast, The Volume Knob where guests tell poignant and personal stories, each one featuring a song that saved their life. Beyond his podcast, he is an acclaimed storyteller who has graced many stages from Montréal’s Confabulation to­—maybe people have heard of the TV channel PBS? Keith was on that. A show called Stories from the Stage. Keith is a lawyer by trade, which means he gets lots of things done, even though he is also a husband and father—of two children and the laziest labradoodle in Montréal. But today, we are going to talk about Keith’s imminent show, The List: A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity, premiering June 8 at Montreal’s 2024 Fringe Festival. The List takes us on a hilarious and heartbreaking road trip that answers questions like, Why are men like this? Must all the role models be terrible? What’s going on? And, are men okay? Given these volatile times, these are racy topics. It got a little awkward, but I’m glad we went there. Keith Serry, thank you for this splendid episode. Keith Serry on This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life00:00 - Intro and Theme Song01:16 - Quick and very fun break. Please rate and review This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life. Please buy tickets to Keith’s Fringe show The List. 03:30 - Keith Serry’s long and impressive bio06:14 - Erica fails to resist the question, What’s it like being really tall? Keith humours and enlightens her.10:35 - The PR Crisis of Cis-White Men. Erica asks, are men okay and why should we care? Keith answers as tactfully as possible.22:12 - What is probiotic masculinity?25:20 - Despite mainly terrible role models, how did Keith Serry grow up to become a nice guy? Did Erica get that wrong? What are the pros and cons of being a nice guy? Keith feels uncomfortable speaking on behalf of nice guys but does his best. 36:38 - Erica remains committed to differentiating the assholes from the decent dudes out there. How does the looks lottery come into play? Can you be conventionally attractive and kind? Is a lack of confidence conducive to more empathy? Why do rich and famous people act a certain way and why do they get special treatment?40:50 Keith tells his law school students: The mere fact that you are here means that you are incredibly fortunate and that can co-exist with the fact that you hate what you’re doing and you don’t want to do it. 42:03 Erica: “Well, how frustrating to have a body. Is how I feel.”43:10 Keith’s shows’ press release mentions bad sex. So Erica asks, what sex is bad, why is it bad, and what’s happening out there?52:00 Listener Question from Who Made the Death Bed? It’s a classic, no-more-sex-after-kids scenario. A heartbreaking dry spell has two new parents continuously missing each other. Who is the asshole? Can anything be done? Keith and Erica can’t fix it. But we have thoughts. 1:07:03 Keith’s Morning Routine: He starts with a stream-of-consciousness journal and an espresso.1:09:15 Keith Serry and Vision Boards: He’s not a fan. Nor does he believe in manifesting. Erica beams at her own vision boards as he tells her this. Keith and Erica talk journalling and Keith elaborates on his creative routine. An essential ingredient: deadlines.1:19:03 Keith Serry’s Cleaning Routine: A strong-willed negotiation amongst family members, with a bunch of help from a lovely cleaner. Shout-out to Mary, and all the miraculous cleaners out there.1:21:01 Half-Bad Ukulele Segment: Space Oddity by David Bowie. I’d say in our top three. Thank you to Cynthia Lin for this splendid arrangement!Listen to the end for Keith’s closing advice!Keith Serry’s LinksKeith Serry on Instagram @volume_knobThe Volume Knob on FacebookThe Volume Knob WebsiteBuy tickets to Keith’s show!Mixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Default Adult Settings and Default Creative Settings with Paul de Tourreil. Or check out Erica’s limited edition First Date With Amir.Listener Question From Who Made the Death Bed?Dear Erica and Keith.I’m a 34-year-old man and my wife is 32. We have one kid who is now three. After our kid was born, my wife and I barely hugged or cuddled or kissed and we definitely did not have sex. I understood that she was touched out but when our child turned one I asked if she wanted to have a physical connection again. I hired a babysitter so that she could have a whole day to herself and we could have a date night. At some point I tried to cuddle her but she rejected me. She told me I would have to find some other way to get what I need. I didn’t have the energy to cheat so I bought a bunch of toys and started to ...
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Funemployment With Erica J. Schmidt

    Funemployment With Erica J. Schmidt
    Apr 23 2024
    Today my guest is ME, and the topic is FUNEMPLOYMENT. How to believe deeply in yourself (and your worth and your life) when you don’t have a job or all that much to do. In my own, sort-of-short existence, I have become quite seasoned in the art (and struggle) of facing the blank slate of my day—the freedom, the possibility, and the angst. How to survive spiritually and financially without the built-in affirmation of someone giving me money for my time and my skills. How to create my own structure and wins. How to avoid melting down on the sidewalk as early as 9:07 a.m.If you’ve fallen off the job market, this episode is for you! But it’s also for anyone looking to examine their relationship with work and time. Part-time employees, freelancers, workaholics, we all have to navigate what our day looks like and the impact of our employment, or lack thereof. Precepts for Funemployment With Erica J. Schmidt1. This is not your last chance to solve your life. 2. Money stress is real stress, and stress is a liability. 3. Redeem your soul with cleaning.4. Lack of sleep will make everything seem impossible.5. Open yourself to new fun and learning.6. Daily Routines7. Make a list.8. Your Daily Routine plus one other thing is enough. 9. You need other humans to feel like you are a human.10. Your life is your job. I love you just the way you are. Half-bad Ukulele Segment: End of the Line by the Traveling Wilbury’s. I’m really not holding back these days with the uke “performances” and neither should you. Thank you to Vasko @UkuleleCheats for this super fun and relatively accessible (!) arrangement. Mixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places.To support this independent podcast, please consider purchasing a Lil and Bud dog greeting card at ericajschmidt.com/merch. You can also make a one-time donation here at The Donate Button. Feel free to get in touch for other sponsorship possibilities. My infinite thanks for all of this.More infinite thanks, as always, to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events, Episode 22) and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. And infinite thanks to you, my dear listeners! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Just For Laughs With Andrew Khoury

    Just For Laughs With Andrew Khoury
    Apr 2 2024
    Andrew Khoury is a rising star to look out for on the Montréal comedy scene. He comes to us from the hip and groovy suburbs of Nova Scotia. Since nailing his first stand-up set five going on six years ago, Andrew has channeled his anxiety into making people laugh—very hard. In the summer of 2023, he graced the Discovery Stage at Zoofest to great acclaim. Andrew is known for his fabulous legs and fashion sense, and for tackling taboo queer Arab themes with balls and hilarity. I saw Andrew live on Abby Stonehouse’s podcast and I knew I had to have him on the show. What a treat of an episode. Andrew Khoury on Stand-up Comedy, Anxiety, Queer Arab Taboos, Therapy, Dating, Love Stories, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Fitness, Skincare, and MoreAndrew’s First Stand-up Set: A throwback to his case for gay terrorism, how Andrew went from being the funny friend at the BBQ to killing it at stand-up, and how his comedy career has been growing ever since. Comedy and Anxiety: Andrew shares how stand-up helped him overcome his social anxiety and fear of leaving the house. Queer Arab Taboos: “This is my life,” says Andrew. And so it was only natural that he would find his stand-up niche dispelling stereotypes and biases to the tune of uproarious laughter.Racism, Fetishization, and the Jungle of Online Dating. Plus, how to stay funny once you’re in a relationship. Listener Question From Can’t He Be Gay Just For Me: A 21-year-old is hung up on a situationship with a non-committal, maybe pansexual, definitely homophobic, sort of friend. Erica: “No, he can’t be gay just for you.”Andrew: “Go out, spread your legs, and fly.”Andrew Khoury on Skincare, Cleaning, Creativity, and What the World Needs Now: Listen to the end so you don’t miss a thing. Half-Bad Ukulele Segment: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cindi Lauper. Sing loud and proud. That’s what we did. Thank you so much, Andrew! I had the best time!Follow Andrew on Instagram: @khourslightErica’s life coach: @jillianturekiAndrew’s Life Coach: Wendy Williams: @therealwendywilliamsMixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places. Other Montreal Comedians on This Is Your Strange and Beautiful LifeEp. 7: Dream Jobs With John CotrocoisEp. 11: Laughs for All With Abby StonehouseEp. 17: “Emily, We’re Sick.” Why We’re Still Single With Mariam KhanListener Question From Can’t He Be Gay Just for Me?Dear Erica and Andrew,I’m 21 and I’ve been friends with this guy for like 5 years. (He’s 21 too.) Throughout our friendship, I’ve always had an inkling that he was queer. He used to make comments like “if you were a girl I’d definitely date you,” so I knew something was up. Two years ago, I came out to him as gay and he came out to me as pansexual. A few months later we started flirting with each other and got into a situationship where we texted literally every second of the day. It was amazing until it got toxic. We both got overwhelmed and basically ghosted each other.Then, just last month, we started talking again as though we’d never stopped. The banter was VERY much there and it felt so natural. The only difference is that now, all our contact is in person instead of online. He admitted he’d been depressed ever since I left and he was still hung up on our toxic relationship. Another time I was showing him a novel of mine and as I put my hand down on the table he put his hand on mine and left it there. I was a literal puddle after this. It all seemed like paradise.But lately he has started to say some very degrading things towards the LGBTQ+ community whilst STILL flirting with me. On top of that I just found out from a mutual friend of ours that he identifies as cis-het now. I am flabberghasted, purely because he had soo many opportunities to tell me this but he never did and he still flirts with me to this day. I should have seen this coming once he started saying the homophobic shit. But I still have feelings for him and he still flirts with me and my minds just scrambled right now. Could he really be cis-het?? Do I have to stop talking to him? What do you think I should do??Love, Can’t He Be Gay for Just For Me?Thank you as always to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events, Episode 22) and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. Thank you so much for listening! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review. This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life is ...
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Discovering Autism With Maha Abdelhak Calvalcanti

    Discovering Autism With Maha Abdelhak Calvalcanti
    Mar 19 2024
    Maha Abdelhak Calvalcanti discovered autism while falling in love with her unique and effervescent, autistic son, Zane. It was a joy to hear her share about the vast and fascinating world that opened up with Zane’s diagnosis. We talked about the latest in autism and disability, language and advocacy, technology and augmentative alternative communication, and the voices, gifts and wisdom of autistic people, speaking or otherwise. Maha offers wisdom of her own to our heartbroken listener My Kid Needs a Friend. And we wrap up with a charming and valiant ukulele attempt of This Game Called Life. Maha Abdelhak Cavalcanti is a sought-after leader when it comes to autism, disability, and opening the corporate world to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her work as an HR strategist, she witnesses first-hand the talent that is often disregarded in favour of the non-disabled, male-dominant status quo. It is Maha’s mission to change this. She is a fearless advocate, pushing for policy change to empower women, people with disabilities, and other minorities. These days, Maha sits on the advisory board of ISAAC Canada, the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, otherwise known as AAC, which we are going to learn about imminently. And among her countless prestigious roles, Maha is the most adored mother of Zane, a delightful, non-speaking, autistic eight-year-old, who inspires her in everything she does. Follow Maha on LinkedIn.Plugs and ResourcesCheck out Lucas’ Letters, a splendid pen pal club for kids who need a friend.Book by autistic teenager Naomi Higashida: The Reason I Jump ISAAC, the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative CommunicationAnd if you enjoyed this episode, you will also enjoy Ep. 8: Awkward and Grateful With Kristin Govers and Ep.9: The Big Heart Journey with Taes LeavittHalf-bad Ukulele Segment: This Game Called Life by Leftover CutiesMixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places. Listener Question From “My Kid Needs a Friend”Dear Erica and Maha,As I was putting my 9-year-old to bed last night, he told me that no one at school will talk to him or play with him.My son is on the autism spectrum, and very socially awkward. He does well with his cousins and even the younger neighbor kids like him, but kids his own age are starting to reject him. I knew this was coming. I tried to prepare for it. I’ve talked to him about bullying and have made sure he knows who to turn to when kids do mean things.But as of right now the kids aren’t doing mean things, at least not in my son’s eyes. They aren’t teasing or physically hurting him. And honestly, I think this is basically how he’s been treated in years past, he just didn’t care. He used to prefer doing things on his own and would never seek out friends. But now he has decided he wants friends. He wants to tell them all about the insane amount of knowledge he has about the US presidents, The Beatles, and anything space related. But the kids at school don’t care about those things.I’ve tried to tell him that friendships are two-way streets and he needs to be open to things that other kids like as well so that he can get to know them. He doesn’t get it. He wants someone to share his interests, and for the other kids to understand him.I don’t know how to help him. He told me he’s going to tell his teacher tomorrow, which may be a good thing. Maybe she can give him some pointers. My heart just breaks for him. But I don’t know how to help. All I could do was just hold him while he cried and try to comfort him.He’ll be in middle school before I know it and I’m worried that he’s going to feel more and more excluded. How can I help him to build at least some sort of social life?Love, My Kid Needs a FriendThank you as always to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events, Episode 22) and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. Thank you so much for listening! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review. This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life is brought to you by Lil and Bud dog cards, purchasable at ericajschmidt.com/merch. If you would like to sponsor the podcast, I would love to plug your product, service, or project as long as it doesn’t harm any people or their bodies. Please get in touch via my website or Instagram.
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Quirky Events With Sherwin Tjia

    Quirky Events With Sherwin Tjia
    Mar 5 2024
    Sherwin Tjia is Montreal’s most original and magnificent artist, writer, poet, graphic novelist, Canada workshop leader, walk-a-holic, and quirky event planner. Since 2001, Sherwin has published nine books including the acclaimed graphic novels The Hipless Boy and Plummet, plus a trilogy of choose-your-own-adventure novels written from the perspective of a cat. Sherwin is the beloved founder of Sherwin’s Quirky Events, in which he hosts life-changing, one-of-a-kind evenings such as Strip Spelling Bee and Queer and Mixed Slow Dance. He is also famous for his hilarious and entertaining walk reports which you can read on his Joe Catman Facebook Page. And finally, Sherwin is my creative and technical advisor and most cherished friend. I couldn’t wait to have him on the podcast!Discover the quirky human behind the quirky events in this generous, jam-packed interview. Content Warning: Strip Spelling Bees, naked descriptions, and Sherwin uses the words butyraceous and oolidge in a sentence. Follow Sherwin on Facebook, and Instagram @inconsolablecat, join the group, Sherwin’s Quirky Events, and join his Patreon for exclusive, unpublished works, a VIP podcast, and more!Sherwin Tjia, Episode Breakdown0:00 Intro Song0:52 Quick and very fun break (Please follow the pod and leave a kind review!)1:27 Sherwin’s Bio and Introduction5:51 What is a Strip Spelling Bee? 15:01 “The words are as hard as Sherwin’s cock.” But Sherwin will help by using the word in a sentence. Hear Sherwin’s hints for butyraceous and oolidge. Not recommended for young ears! 26:00 What is Slow Dance? Memories of this beloved event, past and present, plus a sneak peak into the life of a quirky event planner.37:49 Sherwin’s career as a medical illustrator, his first event ever, and how he made the transition to working as a full-time artist.45:53 The downsides of a 9-5 and how art and sports are on opposite poles.48:03 Sherwin’s early days as an event planner and weird events that didn’t quite pan out. For example, Dollar Dare Night and Speed Spooning. Sadly, most of us missed our chance to sniff a stranger’s butt for $1. 58:03 How Sherwin became a walk-a-holic.1:06:07 How Sherwin’s nearly viral Facebook walking updates were born.1:15:36 Sherwin’s soothing and generous view of the afterlife. (Loving shout-out to Andy Weir’s Short Story, The Egg)1:27:10 Sherwin’s morning routine and bonkers sleeping schedule1:39:10 Half-Bad Ukulele Segment: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2. Loving shout-out to UkeBreak for the lovely arrangement.Mixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places. Thank you as always to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events), and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. Thank you so much for listening! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review. This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life is brought to you by Lil and Bud dog cards, purchasable at ericajschmidt.com/merch. If you would like to sponsor the podcast, I would love to plug your product, service, or project as long as it doesn’t harm any people or their bodies. Please get in touch via my website or Instagram.
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    1 hr and 45 mins
  • I Felt the End Before It Came With Daniel Allen Cox

    I Felt the End Before It Came With Daniel Allen Cox
    Feb 20 2024
    Daniel Allen Cox is a prolific and beloved Montreal-based author. He has written and published one novella, and four highly acclaimed novels. Daniel’s memoir-in-essays “I Felt the End Before It Came” dives into what it’s like to be raised and manipulated to reject yourself, or reject the only world you’ve ever known. Daniel grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness in the suburbs of Montreal. As he writes, “I spent eighteen years in a group that taught me to hate myself.” You cannot be queer and a Jehovah’s Witness—it’s one or the other.” Daniel was a stellar guest, with hot and generous takes on Jehovah’s Witnesses, cults, language, ESL, writing, rejection letters, getting published, sobriety, apartment fires, the LGBTQIAS+ community, creative routines, and more. For your chance to win a free hardcopy of I Felt the End Before It Came, check out these Facebook and Instagram posts. Contest ends Thursday, February 29.Follow @danielallencox on Instagram and check out his website at danielallencox.netLoving shout-outs to @dansavage and the It Gets Getter ProjectDaniel Allen Cox, Episode Breakdown0:00 Intro and Theme Song1:05 Very fun break re free book giveaway2:53 Daniel’s bio4:09 Intro to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Beyond their persistent canvassing skills, who are these people, really?4:58 First two pages of I Felt the End Before It Came7:25 The internal experience of being a Jehovah’s Witness: Do they feel special and like they are better than everyone else? 13:47 The discrepancies in how JW rules are interpreted16:49 No Blood Transfusions Allowed: JW’s medical belief and their view of death27:46 Being a queer JW teenager and the process of disfellowship40:28 The importance of language in cults. Daniel goes to Poland to teach ESL and eventually binge-write his first novella46:59 Is writing about your experience cathartic and therapeutic? Is writing ever cathartis and therapeutic? 53:09 Writing, rejection letters, and getting published53:42 Daniel’s stint with alcohol and how he approaches sobriety and why he doesn’t necessarily call the process “recovery”1:07:26 Erica and Daniel bond over their respective apartment fires1:14:37 Listener question from Young Transgender Atheist Caught in End Times1:24:14 Daniel’s morning and creative routines1:35:13 If Daniel would change one thing about the world1:38:07 Half-bad Ukulele Segment: Torn by Nathalie UmbruliaMixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places. Listener Question from Young Transgender Atheist in End Times Dear Erica and Daniel,I live in the Bible Belt, and my parents have raised me fundamentalist since birth. Following God’s advice to “go forth and multiply,” they keep having kids and I am the oldest of nine siblings. My parents regularly pray while screaming. They think they can cure sick people by putting their hands on them, speak in tongues, the works. They hate all people of other faiths, and anyone even ASSOCIATED with the LGBTQIA2S+ community. They think being gay or different is a disease, caused by the devil, and that homosexuality can be "cured".They do not know I am an atheist, nor that I feel like I was born into the wrong gender.My father was extremely upset when I didn't want to take up sports. He’s always asking why I can’t be more masculine like other boys my age. I have felt like I should have been born a girl my entire life, in that I cannot remember a time when I did not feel this way. If I told my parents, I have no idea what they would do. Maybe they’d disown me, maybe something else, I don't know. I am too afraid to find out, given how I have seen them act towards people different from them. I am not happy here.I tried wearing a simple pink bracelet, just to remind myself of who I really am without it being too obvious. My dad took it away from me, saying "It makes you look like a fag." My dad grew up Jewish and after finding Christianity, stopped talking to his parents when he could not convert them. I don’t know how long I can continue living in this bible-thumping family pretending I am someone I am not. But the dangers of telling the truth are so real. What is your advice for surviving this horrible situation? Please let me know what you think. Love, Young Transgender Atheist caught in End Times.Thank you as always to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events), and my dearly departed aunt Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. Thank you so much for listening! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could ...
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    1 hr and 45 mins