Meditations with Ryan Zlomek

From Punk Rock to Inkwells with Cartoonist Nate Powell

Ryan is joined by Nate Powell, the National Book Award winning cartoonist known for illustrating the March trilogy in collaboration with congressman John Lewis and writer Andrew Ayden. March was released in three volumes and documents John Lewis's experience growing up and his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It's an astonishing work that put Nate Powell on the map as being a master of comics and adaptation.

In this conversation, Ryan and Nate talk about Nate's experience in the punk and hardcore scene in the 1990s and early 2000s with his band the Soophie Nun Squad. They talk about different ways to build community, the antics of young punk bands, and the way in which Nate's experience in music inspired work on his new graphic novel Fall Through. Additionally, they talk process, elements of his life that made it into his fictional works, and his next project, an adaptation of the text Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen.

For more information on Nate Powell, you can find him online at https://www.seemybrotherdance.org/ as well as on Instagram at @seemybrotherdance.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Music As A Lifestyle with Mighty Mighty Bosstones Guitarist Lawrence Katz

It's time to turn things up to 11 as Ryan chats with Lawrence Katz, guitarist for the famed ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Lawrence joined the Bosstones in the year 2000 and has not only been their guitarist and songwriter, but he also worked behind the scenes as an audio engineer for several of their releases. In this conversation, Lawrence opens up about his experience joining the music industry in the 1990s, joining the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and experiencing tour life, transitioning to running his own recording studio, working on other projects like Whole Damn Mess and Foxworth Hall, and lastly, he shares his willingness to work with musicians hoping to gain perspective on the business. It's an insightful chat full of tour stories and musical enthusiasm. 

If you want to hear more from Lawrence Katz, you can find him on instagram at @lawrence_k_katz.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Connecting Arts and Commerce with Creative Business Advisor Julie Sellers

In this episode, Ryan sits down with Julie Sellers, the owner of Ellevated Outcomes in East Nashville, TN. Julie is a Creative Business Advisor that works with small businesses to help them develop more sustainable and scalable practices. Julie and her team have helped countless companies become "automated and unemotional" about their finances so that they can focus on providing superior products and services.

During the conversation, Julie talks about discovering a passion for marketing in college, working and learning in England, France, and the US, developing a sustainable employee bases, the perks and challenges of owning a company, and some personal financial practices she uses with her family. It's an engaging chat about career growth and the different ways the skills you pick up along the way can be applied in avenues that interest you most. 

For more information on Julie Sellers you can visit the Ellevated Outcomes website at https://ellevatedoutcomes.com/ or find them on instagram @ellevatedoutcomes. 

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

History On The Page with Journalist Bill Lascher

This week Ryan chats with west coast-based writer Bill Lascher. Bill is the author of Eve of a Hundred Midnights and The Golden Fortress, both of which explore tense historic moments with his insightful language and deep research. In this conversation they chat about Bill’s family and their history in legal writing, discovering a passion for crafting language, the modern era of journalism and the different avenues to get your writing out to the world. Additionally, Bill talks about his new book A Danger Shared which chronicles the impact of World War 2 on the continent of Asia. It’s a great chat exploring the craft of the research and what it takes to be a writer in the modern age.

For more information on Bill Lascher you can visit his website www.lascheratlarge.com or find him on X at @BillLascher and Instagram at @LascherAtLarge.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Embracing The Charitable Mindset with the Project Pinball Charity Founder Daniel Spolar

To celebrate the episode release on Valentine's Day, Ryan spends time talking with Daniel Spolar, the founder of the charity Project Pinball, to talk about showing love in your community. Project Pinball works hard to put pinball machines in children's hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and other places where patients will be in need of amusement and something to take their minds off medical trauma. Daniel talks about the history of his professional life as a contractor, discovering different therapeutic uses for pinball machines, the birth of the Project Pinball charity, and the way in which community support is vital for the longterm sustainability of charitable work. It's a great conversation looking behind-the-scenes at the world of 501(c)(3) charity organizations and the way in which an entrepreneurial mindset can help creatives identify new methods to help those in need.

For more information on Project Pinball, you can visit www.projectpinball.org, or follow them on Facebook or X @ProjectPinball.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

From Sweets to Songs with Vegan Baker & DJ Jenny Johnson

Following his stomach to Rochester, NY, Ryan chats with Jenny Johnson, a renowned vegan baker. Jenny is the former dessert chef at Owl House restaurant, owner of Pudgy Girl Bakery and Misfit Donuts, and now is on to her new as a DJ for the WAYO radio station. In this conversation, Jenny talks about learning to maneuver the kitchen with her grandmother, lessons in creativity with her father, her background in photography, and her journey as one of Rochester's top vegan creatives. She talks about the research and development process of creating vegan sweets, working with a limited ingredient palette, and the joy of collaborating with others in her city. This is an episode full of insight into the creative culinary process and the importance of always innovating.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

The Relevance of Film with Pro8mm Business Owner Phil Vigeant

Heading to the west coast, Ryan interviews Phil Vigeant, the owner of Pro8mm, a company that handles all elements of the Super 8 film production process. Super 8 film was developed by Kodak in the 1960s and is considered the first completely accessible home video format. Since 1982, Phil has owned Pro8mm (formally Super8 Sound), a company that sells, processes, and scans film as well as offers camera purchase and repair. Phil's spirit for collaboration and invention clearly comes through in this interview and he talks about his background in business, regularly evaluating for growth areas at his company, the excitement of the 1980s Super 8 music video boom, and the modern landscape for film shooting in everything from the amateur to professional markets. This is an amazing conversation about the limitless things one can do when they are so wholly devoted to an artistic medium just as Phil is to Super 8. 

For more information on Phil's work at Pro8mm, find them online at https://www.pro8mm.com/, as well as on Instagram and Facebook at @Pro8mm.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.

Neurodiversity, ADHD, & Creativity with Artist Kyla Yager

In this episode Ryan connects with ADHD Intuitive Artist Kyla Yager, a practicing creative working in Toronto in Ontario, Canada. After being diagnosed with ADHD, Kyla has spent her career developing artwork that showcases her mental procedures on canvases of all kinds. Her work makes the viewer feel seen, recognized, and even adds a tactile elements which encourages interaction and play. In this conversation, Kayla talks about growing up in New Orleans, the way in which her brain functions for administrative and creative tasks, strategies for people with ADHD, and the importance of collaboration in the artistic space. 

If you're interested in learning more about Kyla's work, you can find her at https://www.kylayagerartwork.com/, as well as @Artby.KylaY on Instagram and @KylaYagerArtwork on TikTok.

For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Instagram and Facebook or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.