With every new artistic endeavour, we can discover not only a new destination but also the path that led us there. But how to stay on the path, and what path should we take? As someone who has often struggled with these questions, I became increasingly interested in meditation as a means to helping with focus and intention. I found that as with most journeys, it helps to have a guide. 

So on this week's episode of Mind to Make, I speak with artist, musician, film-maker and now meditation & mindfulness instructor/counsellor Josh Reichmann about how our minds play such an important role in the process of art making. We discuss Josh's introduction into mindfulness, meditation, Buddhism and the various forms and meanings attached to those terms, as well as how they manifest themselves in us and others. We discuss addiction, suffering and finding meaning and compassion both for ourselves and others. We talk about how having a moral or ethical framework can and should be as important as what we are trying to say with our work. We speak about how mindfulness can be a first step to beginning a journey along the middle path of creation and discovery.

It should be noted that the concepts Josh and I discuss in the program are complex to say the least. Though we stray from our own conversational path on several occasions, I would attribute this to my own learning as an interviewer as well as to the depth and complexity of the subject matter. I hope to further explore this topic with Josh in a future episode to derive more clarity on the topic, and would invite listeners to put forth any questions they might have as a result of hearing this conversation. 

Josh very modestly had this to say of himself and his career thus far...

I wrote and recorded with Tangiers and released three records with that rock band and toured around and made music videos. I continued on to release five more solo records. Most were about telepathy and magic. My recent feature film was just completed and screened for Cannes and Lacarno film festivals considerations by Telefilm. It is featuring members of the Tibetan community and focuses on the bardos and self immolation and living in exile.

I graduated as a Contemplative Psychotherapist and counsel and teach mindfulness and meditation through the Tibetan Galugpa tradition of which I am a student. I teach meditation at a Tibetan temple.

I'm writing more film...and a new record.

You can get more information about Josh's counselling practice at www.joshreichmann.com

The song used in this episode, After Live is written and performed by Josh Reichmann, released on Hand Drawn Dracula

AIR DATE: APRIL 23th, 2018

On the 3rd episode of Mind To Make, I sit down with pretty and pun-y fashion designer and drag queen Buzz. I wanted to have Buzz on the show because since having been introduced to the world of drag, I’ve been astounded by the numerous disciplines it involves, from performance to design and how consistently creative the artists in that world have to be to compete. This is no different for Buzz. Buzz’s bio reads as follows…

Buzz is an emerging fashion thing who runs a label called ReBaie by Rebée. ReBaie was born in the mall (proverbially and otherwise), and currently converges at the fun n' funky intersection of tween-ness, me-ness and Venus. Buzz is on the bored of some stuff and never salts her driveway before she tastes it.

Though Buzz doesn’t spend as much time in that world these days, we discuss her secretive introduction to fashion and drag and the sometimes sticky relationship between familial expectations and the need to pursue art. 

We talk about how fashion changes your perceived role in society both internally and externally and what it means to put yourself into your art both literally and figuratively. We discuss breaking through societal norms and what it means to develop your brand means and how it can evolve over time. As you can discern from Buzz’s bio, the worlds of drag and fashion is are permeated by a strong sense of humour and self-deprecation and we talk about how that’s influenced Buzz’s work.

Finally, we talk about Buzz's perspective on being a millennial in the art world.