The Artist Within Podcast

Project Human Inc.
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Artist Within Podcast is a Project Human Inc. production hosted by founder Adela Hittell. The show explores creativity, storytelling, mental and emotional wellness, advocacy, faith, resilience, and the human experience of becoming. Launched in July 2024, T.A.W. began as a space to celebrate artists and creators using their stories, talents, and lived experiences to inspire others. Now in Season 2, the podcast expands into deeper conversations about self-care, community, identity, trauma-informed growth, creative healing, and peer-to-peer advocacy. Through solo reflections, guest interviews, Monthly Community Conversations, and PHInc. updates, The Artist Within invites listeners to define their own narrative, reconnect with themselves, and take practical steps toward healing, growth, and purpose. The Artist Within Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Project Human Inc. is a peer-to-peer advocacy organization. We are not medical professionals, and this podcast should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or dial 911 for immediate assistance.

  1. 6h ago

    Building Real Partnerships Through Hard Seasons

    Send us Fan Mail Some relationships feel good for a night out. The ones that change your life are the ones that can handle your worst day, your ugly truth, and the long road back to yourself. We’re talking about that kind of partnership, the kind built in private when nobody is clapping, and the kind that forces you to admit, “Hi, it’s me, I’m the problem,” so you can finally start healing instead of repeating the same cycle.  Our guest is Yolanda Curtis, a faith-centered creative and longtime partner in Project Human. She shares how a volatile young marriage, infidelity, and the pressure of becoming a mother exposed patterns she didn’t want to pass down. We get honest about what happens when you idolize another person, how boundaries protect love instead of killing it, and why “loyalty” can become a trap when it costs you your identity.  We also go practical: communication skills we were never taught, anger as a pause button, and how to validate feelings without letting emotions run your life. Yolanda talks about being neurodivergent, learning to rest without shame, and building simple systems that actually work when your brain wants chaos. We end with a reminder that hits hard and soft at the same time: you’re worth the effort, you’re worth the conversation, and you can change when no one’s watching.  If this resonates, subscribe, share this with one person who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. What’s one boundary or belief you’re choosing to rebuild this week? Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  2. Sep 29

    Stop Living in Yesterday’s Wreckage | Zach Phillips on Starting Again

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when the person everyone leans on needs someone to lean on? In this episode of The Artist Within, Adela sits down with Zach Phillips, a Jacksonville financial representative with Western & Southern Financial Group, for an honest conversation about rebuilding after divorce. Zach shares what it felt like to lose touch with himself, why asking for help was difficult, and how family, friends, and community helped him find joy again. Together, they talk about giving yourself grace, making room for a bad day without letting it become a bad week, and finding connection through the simple act of showing up for another human. The conversation also explores how fear can keep us from looking at our finances and asking questions about our future. If you’re in a season of change, Zach’s story is a reminder that you don’t have to figure out your whole life today. You can begin with tomorrow. Subscribe to the Artist Within, share this with someone who needs a reminder that help is closer than they think, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  3. Sep 8

    A Ten-Minute Brain Break Can Reset You

    Send us Fan Mail Your calendar is packed, your brain is loud, and the world keeps asking for more. So what does real self-care look like when you only have ten minutes and zero extra energy? We sit down with our Project Human community for a peer-to-peer conversation about “ceremonies of care” and why small, intentional rituals can be the difference between getting through the day and actually feeling like yourself again.  We share practical examples that are refreshingly ordinary: quiet coffee on the porch, a walk without tracking apps, a run that burns off stress, a jacuzzi bath with candles and music, skincare as a gift to your future self, or even a quick video game or nap as a true brain break. Along the way, we dig into what these rituals give us beneath the surface: nervous system regulation, a sensory reset, an outlet for frustration, and the kind of peace that makes you more patient, more grounded, and better at making decisions.  We also name the hard parts. Time pressure, family needs, productivity habits, phone noise, and limited resources can crowd out wellness routines. Guilt can be the biggest barrier of all, especially for people who have spent years being “the responsible one.” We talk about permission-based self-care: setting boundaries, saying no, asking for help, and making the appointments you keep putting off. Care does not have to be impressive, expensive, or long to be meaningful.  If you’ve been running on fumes, come take a breath with us, then pick one small act of care to try this week. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review with the ceremony of care that helps you most. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  4. Sep 1

    Tonya Jackson on Vitiligo, Faith, and Moving Beyond the Mask

    Send us Fan Mail For years, Tonya Jackson felt as though two versions of her existed: the confident leader who continued showing up—and the woman underneath who felt ugly, avoided mirrors, and wanted to disappear. After a traumatic birth experience and an unexpected reaction to medication, Tonya began developing vitiligo, an autoimmune condition that causes the skin to lose pigment. When the changes reached her face, being visible became one of her greatest emotional challenges. Then she walked into a Zumba class. No one questioned her skin. No one treated her differently. They simply welcomed her into the movement. That experience did not instantly erase her insecurity, but it awakened the part of Tonya that was still willing to live, move, and be seen. Eventually, the woman who was afraid of people looking at her became “The Dance Doctor”—an instructor creating spaces where other humans could reconnect with their bodies, confidence, and joy. In this powerful Season Two conversation, Adela sits down with Tonya to explore her life as a military child, U.S. Navy veteran, pharmacist, educator, mother, fiancée, health coach, vitiligo advocate, and movement leader. Together, they reflect on: Growing up in a military family and later choosing to serveBecoming a pharmacist and leader in the U.S. NavyThe birth experience that preceded the onset of her vitiligoLiving behind what Tonya describes as “a mask that I wore—but couldn’t wear”Walking into her first Zumba class despite her fear of being seenHow movement helped reconcile the two versions of herselfCreating DRX Fitness and prescribing dance for total well-beingFaith, gratitude, family, and finding purpose in difficult experiencesAcknowledging when we need help and finding the courage to askTonya’s story reminds us that healing does not always begin when fear disappears. Sometimes it begins the moment we decide to enter the room while fear is still present. Follow Tonya Jackson, The Dance Doctor: Instagram: @dancedoctor.drx Facebook: Dance Doctor Tonya Jackson Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share this with someone who needs a lift, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  5. Aug 25

    The Empathic Mirror: Turning Sensitivity into Story and Resilience with Claire Louise Huder

    Send us Fan Mail A dream can break, a plan can evaporate, and you still have to wake up and decide who you are. That is the heartbeat of this conversation with returning guest Claire Louise Huder, an actor, writer, director, producer, and founder of Cinder Pictures LLC. We talk about resilience as something you build through real responsibility, real setbacks, and the choice to keep coming back. Claire shares what changed since her earlier appearances: a stronger foundation, a clearer identity in Florida’s film community, and more trust in her own voice. We also get specific about the creative process and why it mirrors mental health. Claire walks through the hard parts of independent filmmaking, from a first production where the location fell through to the different challenges of pre-production, production, and post-production. We connect those lessons to everyday emotional health: planning, communicating clearly, taking constructive feedback, and staying accountable when your excitement or frustration spikes. If you care about personal growth, creative entrepreneurship, filmmaking, or healing through art, you will hear how those worlds reinforce each other. Then we go deeper into empathy, sensitivity, and boundaries. What does it mean when someone tells you “you make people feel” and why does that scare them? How do you protect your limited energy, stop giving without reciprocity, and set non-negotiables that keep you stable? We close with Runway To Resilience, our butterfly-themed fashion fundraiser supporting suicide prevention and community healing, plus how to grab tickets and use the model discount code. Subscribe, share this with someone building their own resilience, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  6. Aug 18

    Meg Pettus: Life Is Too Dang Short To Match Your Socks

    Send us Fan Mail Fashion can be a mirror, a mask, or a lifeline. We’re taking the lifeline route, and we’re inviting you into the story behind Runway to Resilience, our September 19 fashion and art fundraiser for Project Human in Jacksonville. The whole point is simple and hard at the same time: celebrate resilience without pretending the hard parts never happened, and use art to bridge the gaps where humans need it most. Designer and metal vocalist Meg Pettus, the self-trained force behind Manic Quarantine Designs, joins us to talk about how quarantine mania pushed her to pick up a needle, upcycle thrifted clothes, and build real skills that helped her regulate intense emotional seasons. We also go deeper than sewing machines and fabric. Meg shares what it took to navigate an abusive upbringing, homelessness, and the long process of reconnecting with her dad, plus what healthy support and boundaries look like when you are actively breaking cycles. We get into plus-size fashion, why women’s sizing is still wildly inconsistent, and how fast fashion fuels textile waste and body shame at the same time. Meg explains her conviction that the fashion industry should treat the human body like a human body, not a number, and she previews her runway piece built from thrifted materials with a garden fountain and butterfly-inspired vision. If you believe art can be a form of mental health care and community care, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a little grace, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  7. Aug 11

    Kali Farnsworth: If It’s Going to Hurt Anyway, Let It Hurt Doing Something I Love

    Send us Fan Mail Pain can steal more than movement. It can steal your plan, your confidence, and the version of you that felt unstoppable. Today we sit down with Kali Farnsworth, a 16-year-old athlete and early college student, to talk about what happens when chronic knee pain and repeated sports injuries force you to rethink everything you thought your future would look like. Kali shares her real timeline: tearing her MCL at 11, living on crutches, pushing through physical therapy, and later facing a torn meniscus that led to surgery and a long recovery. We get honest about the parts people don’t always see: the anger, the embarrassment of breaking down in public, the mental battle of returning to cheer as a flyer, and the exhaustion of being told “you look fine” when you’re not. If you’ve ever searched for answers around teen sports injury recovery, hypermobility, or invisible pain, you’ll hear language for what you’ve been carrying. What makes this conversation hit is her perspective on resilience. Kali doesn’t deny the risk or the fear, but she refuses to let pain be the only author of her life. We also talk about the power of a support system, from best friends who show up in the hallway to family and faith community that adjusts so she can still lead. By the end, we land on a simple truth: labels don’t get to name you, you do. If this helped you, subscribe to Artists Within, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

  8. Jul 30

    You Can Choose How You Wear Your Identities

    Send us Fan Mail This month's Community Conversation explores the identities we carry throughout life—the parent, caregiver, leader, survivor, peacemaker, employee, friend, and countless others. Together, we reflect on how these "hats" shape our thoughts, responsibilities, and relationships, while asking an important question: At what point do the roles we wear stop serving us? Through honest stories and thoughtful discussion, we examine the beliefs attached to our identities, the expectations we place on ourselves, and the freedom that comes from recognizing we are more than any single role we play. This conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and remember that while life may hand us many hats, we still have the power to choose how we wear them—and whether they still belong in our story. Support the show Listen, follow, subscribe, and share! Join us in spreading the message of creativity and empowerment. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more inspiring content.  Website: https://www.phinc-ing.org/taw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/projecthumanincphinc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taw_theartistwithin_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552201342590 Disclaimer: “The Artist Within Podcast” is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not medical professionals, and the content should not be considered medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Artist Within Podcast is a Project Human Inc. production hosted by founder Adela Hittell. The show explores creativity, storytelling, mental and emotional wellness, advocacy, faith, resilience, and the human experience of becoming. Launched in July 2024, T.A.W. began as a space to celebrate artists and creators using their stories, talents, and lived experiences to inspire others. Now in Season 2, the podcast expands into deeper conversations about self-care, community, identity, trauma-informed growth, creative healing, and peer-to-peer advocacy. Through solo reflections, guest interviews, Monthly Community Conversations, and PHInc. updates, The Artist Within invites listeners to define their own narrative, reconnect with themselves, and take practical steps toward healing, growth, and purpose. The Artist Within Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Project Human Inc. is a peer-to-peer advocacy organization. We are not medical professionals, and this podcast should not be considered medical advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or dial 911 for immediate assistance.

Information

  • Creator
    Project Human Inc.
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Project Human Inc. (PHInc.)
  • Show Website
    The Artist Within Podcast