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by Frank Bach

Tell us a little bit about yourself – what’s your story?

I am Kamra Sadia Hakim, a Black American transgender artist supported by Munsee Lenape land (Brooklyn). I am the author of Care Manual, musician behind Kamra, and CEO/Founder of Activation Residency. Virgo sun, Leo Rising, Cancer moon, Libra venus meaning, I get beautiful shit done in the deep, and look good while doing it. I was born to two Muslim teenagers in Wahpekute (Minneapolis) metropolis. I have been bold/shy, fake/real, and firm/soft my entire life. I got into the work of caring as a teenager relentlessly devoted to extracurriculars and excellence. I am governed by self respect, loving interrogation, laughing until my guts fall out, and leaving when it is time. My experience on earth is  about the depth of being alive. 

How did Activation Residency come to be?

Activation Residency is one of the first post-festival experiences. I spent my early 20’s deep in the culture of places like FORM Arcosanti, Bonnaroo, and Okeechobee. I was excited by the collective warmth, the relentless hum of live music, and what happens to the energy when we pull back status quo reality and bathe in the fringes of utopian gestures, even if only for a weekend. I was attending these festivals during the heightened rise of social justice activism, made festival organizers make public declarations of solidarity, and began to dream of an intimate space for artists struggling to find a sense of belonging. Activation Residency was born out of a desire to tackle the lack of creative opportunities available to working artists. Artists like Basit, Van Newman, Annika Hansteen-Izora, Julie Byrne, and Qween Jean frequent the residency.  

What led you into the world of wellness?

The desire to be the best lover I can be, acknowledging my disabilities, and discovering I can and do cause harm led me to wellness. As my relationships hardened and chronic pain worsened, I sought out reiki, past life regression, family constellation, massage, akashic records, consent and boundaries education, and codependency recovery. 

I no longer believe that our feelings belong solely to us. We are each other’s business and we ought to cultivate the capacity to be in our feelings together.

You’re based in Brooklyn. Have you always lived there?

I moved to Brooklyn from Shouguang the year Trump got elected. I had previously been working summers in Upstate, NY counseling at Odyssey Teen Camp and felt a connection to the land there. I then got a prestigious fellowship, and chose NYU as my graduate school home. A year into my program, I got a call from the FBI saying my fellowship was being revoked because of past due medical bills, traffic tickets, and psilocybin ingestion. This meant I lost my scholarship, got billed for the scholarship, took out loans to finish my program, and left NYU with a violent amount of student loan debt. 

I feel held by Brooklyn’s culture. Seeing Black people everyday makes me feel safer. I love being trans in New York. I hate street violence, police, social climbing, expensive rent, and sensory overload. I am in the process of transitioning to the Upstate, NY countryside.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My dog and I have our morning walk in the park and then eat breakfast side by side in my small but stylish Brooklyn kitchen. The afternoons are for making, which often ends up looking like me playing and fooling around in the living room. I take an afternoon nap, and then prepare for an evening outing with friends or go on a date. 😉  

What projects or work are you most proud of?

The ‘Hear My No’ official music video gently slaps, and my Deem Journal and Creative Independent interviews feel generative. 

How do you make space for creativity in your work?

I make space for creativity in my work by making all my work creative work. My recording studio is in my living room, so I get to make music whenever inspiration strikes. 

Can you talk about some of the common themes, symbols and meanings found in your work?

Common themes in my work are value-building, care-making, making not creating, play, dreamy pallets, nature, rivers and bodies of water, kingliness, gardens and farms, tenderness, the Universe, fire, earth matter, and language as a tool.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in lived experience, which I write about in Care Manual as informing life’s philosophy. Everything we need to navigate the world happens for us. It is about tuning in, brushing off the gems you find, and assigning meaning and value to them based on the kind of life you choose to live. 

How do you balance being an artist and making a living?

I take risks each day to live the life I want backdropped by the fragrance of being an artist and making a living. Requiring larger checks for commissions, securing a fiscal sponsor for Activation Residency, investing in my making, and prioritizing financial literacy are ways I balance art making and paying bills. 

Care Manual by Kamra Sadia Hakim

What’s been your most profound spiritual experience?

Ayahuasca ceremony was a birthing of sorts, and an invitation to process and excavate the generational harm living in my body.

What’s an opinion you used to have that you’ve changed your mind about?

I no longer believe that our feelings belong solely to us. We are each other’s business and we ought to cultivate the capacity to be in our feelings together.

What does the sun represent to you?

The sun represents a symbol of self worth.

If you could change one thing about the world we live in, what would that be?

This question makes me emotional. I would abolition prisons, defund police, and dismantle the money to freedom pipeline. 

Anything you want to promote or plug?

Buy the digital edition of Care Manual.

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This episode was recorded live at The Art of You book launch event in Austin TX on Feb 8th, and includes a conversation between authors James McCrae and Cory Allen about writing, the creative process, cultivating intuition, and the art of personal reinvention.

The Art of You embodies the message that creativity is the highest form of healing, which has been beyond true in my life and in many others. If you're looking for an alternative to the density of the typical spiritual path and to transmute your obstacles into your masterpieces, this book is for you.” – Sahara Rose, bestselling author

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The Art of You “Meet the Artist” interview series, hosted by James McCrae. Featuring special guest Lalah Delia, bestselling author of Vibrate Higher Daily.

Episode includes:
• The Art of You book reading
• Conversation with Lalah Delia and James McCrae about creativity, writing, spirituality, and ritual.
• Audience Q&A

The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity unlocks the secrets to the creative process, helping you cultivate your intuition, develop your craft, and turn your imagination into reality.

Get your copy and access the preorder bundle: https://linktr.ee/art.of.you

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Today I am speaking with Dr. Greg Kelly about cellular senescence or zombie cells. Cellular senescence is a hallmark of aging. Today we discuss ways we may be able to combat cellular senescence.

Dr. Gregory Kelly is a naturopathic physician (N.D.). He is the lead product formulator at Neurohacker Collective and the author of the book Shape Shift. He was the editor of the journal Alternative Medicine Review and has been an instructor at the University of Bridgeport in the College of Naturopathic Medicine, where he taught classes in Advanced Clinical Nutrition, Counseling Skills, and Doctor-Patient Relationships. Dr. Kelly has published numerous articles on various aspects of natural medicine and nutrition, contributed three chapters to the Textbook of Natural Medicine, and has more than 30 journal articles indexed on Pubmed. His areas of special interest and expertise include nootropics, anti-aging and regenerative medicine, weight management, and the chronobiology of performance and health.

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I have been sleeping on an Essentia organic mattress for years. It is the most comfortable, zero-toxin mattress I have ever slept on. Not only is it non-toxic, but this is a sleep performance mattress. Learn more about the toxins in a standard mattress and why your mattress is so impactful on your sleep.

SAVE $200 on an Essentia Mattress HERE! Use code KAYLA to save.

“My journey began after experiencing a family member’s battle with cancer, after being made aware of the toxins in everyday items we struggled to find a mattress that offered pressure relief and posture support without introducing toxins to the bedroom. I realized at that point how important this was not only for someone battling disease, but also healthy people.
That’s when Essentia was born, 18 years later and we’re more than just the world’s healthiest mattresses. Essentia has revolutionized sleep and how it impacts your environment. The frenzy of the bed-in-a-box has reached absurd heights today, yet nothing has changed as far as health and wellness of the products being offered. This is where Essentia stands alone, providing products made with natural and organic components and unparalleled quality without compromise.
People everywhere have realized the importance of healthy, natural choices during the 16 hours they’re awake. With sleep as the foundation of wellness, we’re determined to fill that same need for the eight hours they’re asleep.” 

Jack Dell’Accio – Essentia Founder & CEO

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Today I am having a super exciting conversation with Dr. Adeel Khan on gene and cell therapy including stem cells and follistatin and more. I am planning to visit Dr. Khan and experience these therapies for myself in the next few months and will be posting my experience and results.

About Dr. Khan

Dr. Adeel Khan, is a leading figure in the field of gene and cell therapies. Dr. Adeel Khan, who holds an M.D. and is a Canadian Board Certified Physician, specializes in regenerative and cellular medicine. 

He is also a recognized authority as a key opinion leader for The American College of Regenerative Medicine, the foremost advocate for best practices in North America. Notably, he co-founded Xalt, a fitness-technology company, and played a pivotal role in the development of their proprietary technologies. Additionally, he serves as the Chief Scientific Officer for Science & Humans, a virtual hormonal health company. 

Dr. Khan’s expertise extends globally, as he has treated world champion athletes, members of Royal Families, and celebrities in both Dubai and North America.

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Emma Zeck is one of my favorite artists and one of my best friends. A poet turned songwriter, Emma recently released her debut music EP. In this episode, recorded live at Emma's farmhouse in Wimberly, Texas, we discuss topics ranging from Emma's writing practice, her spiritual practices, the downside of psychedelics, and how to transmute your fear and trauma into art.

Emma's new EP
Emma's Instagram

Preorder my new book, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity 

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This episode is a special creativity class and workshop taught by James McCrae. The title of the class is Spontaneous Creativity: How to Attract the Creative Muse.

This presentation goes deep into the  nature of creativity, attempting to answer the question “Where do ideas come from?” 

Topics include:

• The yin and yang of the creative process

• How to cultivate intuition

• Why there are no such things as mistakes

• Stages of creative mastery

• The Zen concept of “beginner's mind”

• Storytime: Hilma af Klint

BONUS: Creative Playtime

• Three interactive exercises

Watch the presentation on YouTube

Join my upcoming writing class (Use code LUCKYDAY for 10% off)

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Today, we are discussing regenerative agriculture with the CEO and CO-Founder of Force of Nature. Force of Nature is one of my favorite companies for all of my meats. We discuss the current issues with farming, the state of our soil, why what your meat eats matters, and much more. SAVE 10% on Force of Nature Meats with Code KAYLA! (Shop Here!)

About Robby

Robert (Robby) Sansom is Co-Founder & CEO at Force of Nature, a regeneratively sourced meat company based in Austin, TX.

Robby’s roots run deep in the natural food community. Previously, as CFO/COO at EPIC, Robby spent much of the last decade studying regenerative agriculture at ranches all over the world. Through this education, Force of Nature was co-founded with the intention to accelerate the creation of a global regenerative supply network. Force of Nature works in partnership with land stewards, ranchers and farmers committed to creating a positive return on the planet. With Force of Nature, consumers now have the ability to invest in environmental regeneration by consuming meat that is good for the planet. 

Born and raised in Austin, TX, he received both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Texas. When he’s not building businesses aimed at saving the planet, Robby can be found on a trail, ocean, mountain or field, always making time to appreciate nature and explore his surroundings. Robby is also a land steward at ROAM Ranch where he owns regeneratively managed bison.

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Sophie is a writer and poet who blends spirituality, storytelling, and ecology to reimagine ancient myths for the modern world. She is the author of two books: The Flowering Wand, a collection of essays aimed at rewinding the sacred masculine, and her new book, The Madonna Secret, a historical novel about Mary Magdalene, which offers a retelling of the story of Christianity, that is perhaps more accurate than many other versions which have been distorted by various religious and political agendas.

Sophie is one of my favorite writers and one of the smartest people I know. And I hope you enjoy this episode.

Sophie's books
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