Ink Speak with Maverick Malone

Maverick L. Malone

Ink Speak: A Podcast for Storytellers, Dreamers & Seekers Have you ever felt like there’s more to life than what you’re living? I did too, until I set fire to the life I thought I was supposed to have and chose myself instead. Once choice led to another and I crash landed here, to tell the story of the magic that happened along the way. I’m Maverick Malone (@mavmalone)—author, poet, and spoken word artist—and this podcast is a space for everyone. Most podcasts teach, interview, or perform, but this one just lives. It's a podcast you step into. Ink Speak is where personal storytelling meets poetry, magic, and the raw human experience. Each episode feels like sitting down together in real time. Sometimes I’m in my backyard, sometimes I’m traveling, sometimes I’m in the middle of something I don’t fully understand yet. But wherever I am, you’re right there with me. Every episode begins with a poem or spoken word piece that sets the tone, then unfolds into raw, unfiltered storytelling—about love, loss, transformation, spirituality, and the in-between moments most people don’t share. This is a space for thinking differently, seeing your life from a new angle, and feeling a little less alone while you do. Whether it's navigating change, learning to trust the unknown, finding magic in the mundane or actively creating it, Ink Speak reminds us what it means to be human: messy, poetic, and infinitely powerful. If you’ve ever wanted something that feels more like connection than content—welcome. Come sit for a while.

  1. 53. “Inevitable Magic” - SEASON 3 PREMIERE! // Why I Disappeared & the New Beginning We're In

    9 APR

    53. “Inevitable Magic” - SEASON 3 PREMIERE! // Why I Disappeared & the New Beginning We're In

    I ghosted social media for months, but I couldn't stay away forever. In this season 3 premiere, I’m sitting in my backyard with an iced coffee, talking to you the way I would like two friends catching up after months apart. This episode is a laundry list of so many things I haven't said. It's where I've been and what's happened in the in-between, in all its messy, unraveling, void glory. And yet through so many changes, shifts and endings, I found unexpected magic along the way. In this episode, we move through endings and beginnings together, both in my life and in the world around us. I talk about where I’ve been, what the “spiritual void” actually feels like, and why it’s not something to fear, but something that completely reshapes you. We get into perspective, hope, 2026 as the Age of Discernment, and why so many of us have felt unseen or out of place lately. I also share something I’ve been holding onto for years, including a first (cinematic!) glimpse into my third book, From August to Aquarius. This is not a polished episode. It's just me, sitting in my backyard, recording straight from my iPhone (clinking iced coffee & singing birds included). It’s real and raw, and these are my favorite kinds of episodes to record because of what I intend: to invite you into my world and to really connect. If you’ve been moving through change, feeling a little lost, or just missing a place where you can take a beat & breathe for a minute, this is the place, my friend. Welcome. Want to stay tuned to the Maviverse 211.8FM? Catch me on Substack at Mentally I'm Here or on Instagram (for now) - @mavmalone. If you're curious about preordering From August to Aquarius, you can do so here.

    55 min
  2. 52. Intermission: “The Art of Standing Still” – on the Attention Economy & Social Media Burnout

    30/12/2025

    52. Intermission: “The Art of Standing Still” – on the Attention Economy & Social Media Burnout

    I’m still on hiatus but this felt necessary. This intermission episode explores how social media and the attention economy have subtly trained us to equate metrics with meaning, output with worth, and visibility with existence, often without us realizing it. Over time, this conditioning leads to social media burnout, digital fatigue, and a constant pressure to perform. This is a think-piece episode and an invitation to slow down and examine why we create, why we post, and who benefits from our constant production and performance. We’ll question: Why we feel pressured to constantly create and performHow productivity became proof of relevanceWho actually profits from our attention and exhaustionAs we approach a tipping point in the attention economy and the emergence of a new paradigm, discernment, self-inquiry, and self-awareness are more important than ever. They’re how we protect our energy, reclaim our agency, and choose consciously rather than reactively. This episode invites you to reclaim your attention, step out of fear-based loops, and return to something more intentional, grounded, and human. If you’ve been feeling: Drained by social media but unsure whyTired of being marketed to at every turnPressure to stay visible just to stay relevantA quiet sense that something about all of this feels off…this episode is for you. You can check out the substack article I referenced here - "You are not your Output & You Don’t Owe Substack or Social Media Anything"

    32 min
  3. 50. “Top Down, Bottoms Up” - The Universe Knows Best: Dropping out of Colossal’s national contest, America’s Favorite Couple

    19/08/2025

    50. “Top Down, Bottoms Up” - The Universe Knows Best: Dropping out of Colossal’s national contest, America’s Favorite Couple

    For this milestone 50th episode (!!), I’m sharing why Jake and I chose to step away from the America’s Favorite Couple contest, even after making it to the quarterfinals. What looked like a “loss” turned out to be a bigger win: a chance to honor my integrity, align with who I’m becoming, and trust that the universe always knows best. In this episode, I: 💫 Reflect on the lessons behind our decision and why not every opportunity is meant to be pursued. 💫 Reframe rejection as redirection (and share how you can too). 💫 Read my poem “Top Down, Bottom’s Up”—a reminder to stand firmly in your power. 💫 Launch a new segment reclaiming the acronym AFC, now standing for Amplifying Fierce Community—and highlight Amanda Dzimianski’s stunning new poetry collection Something Hungry Just Woke Up. This conversation is all about integrity, alignment, and celebrating the unexpected wins hidden inside every “no.” If you'd like to dive deeper and read the full Substack article on my experience with Colossal's America's Favorite Couple contest, you can read that here: ⁠America’s Favorite Couple Contest: People’s Choice or Privileged Choice? ⁠ To purchase ⁠Amanda Dzimianski's⁠ book Something Hungry Just Woke Up, you can choose from the below retailer (and we suggest using Bookshop.org to support local bookstores): ⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠Barnes & Noble⁠⁠Amazon⁠ (womp womp.)

    44 min

About

Ink Speak: A Podcast for Storytellers, Dreamers & Seekers Have you ever felt like there’s more to life than what you’re living? I did too, until I set fire to the life I thought I was supposed to have and chose myself instead. Once choice led to another and I crash landed here, to tell the story of the magic that happened along the way. I’m Maverick Malone (@mavmalone)—author, poet, and spoken word artist—and this podcast is a space for everyone. Most podcasts teach, interview, or perform, but this one just lives. It's a podcast you step into. Ink Speak is where personal storytelling meets poetry, magic, and the raw human experience. Each episode feels like sitting down together in real time. Sometimes I’m in my backyard, sometimes I’m traveling, sometimes I’m in the middle of something I don’t fully understand yet. But wherever I am, you’re right there with me. Every episode begins with a poem or spoken word piece that sets the tone, then unfolds into raw, unfiltered storytelling—about love, loss, transformation, spirituality, and the in-between moments most people don’t share. This is a space for thinking differently, seeing your life from a new angle, and feeling a little less alone while you do. Whether it's navigating change, learning to trust the unknown, finding magic in the mundane or actively creating it, Ink Speak reminds us what it means to be human: messy, poetic, and infinitely powerful. If you’ve ever wanted something that feels more like connection than content—welcome. Come sit for a while.

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