Surviving The City Vicky Muñoz-Lepore and Key Soto

Have you ever chatted with someone who pushed you to consider what it means to go after your creative projects day in and day while staying true to yourself and your values? Is that even possible? And, what does it really look like to grow and evolve your craft with integrity especially in the comedy scene? In this episode, we hear from Gabe Pacheco, a thought-provoking storyteller, performer, podcaster and comic with over a decade of experience performing comedy all over the city and country.  
 
As you’ll come to understand through this conversation, Gabe has a strong sense of values and we often felt like we were chatting with a local philosopher.
 
Topics in this episode include:
The origins of Gabe’s podcast “Halal Cartels” with co-host Sameer Naseem What it means to be in his “third childhood” and on “the bleeding edge of progress” The importance of incorporating “grace” into your philosophy as a creative The hustle in comedy and how part of showing up consistently is surrounding yourself with others who aspire to be better How Gabe landed the gig co-hosting a weekly comedy show at Pete’s Candy Store Having an ideology before you start to put yourself out there and knowing the boundaries you won’t cross The emergence of transphobia on the comedy scene Why it’s important not to hold performers to their past selves and leaving space open for self-critique and growth Reflecting on mistakes Gabe has made on stage Willingness to abandon a fan base to speak your truth Understanding who the gatekeepers are and whether or not your message aligns with theirs as a metric for whether or not you should keep your day job Traversing anti-capitalist topics on stage with audiences outside of Brooklyn Why it’s important to build, invite and create your community vs waiting for your community to appear  Psychedelics and personal growth What he loves about living in the city and the connection to people How he hates the struggle required for so many to live and stay here What utopia of a living situation looks like and means to Gabe Why the movie Blade Runner helped shape his world view


Keep up with Gabe’s work here or by connecting with him on Instagram or Twitter. You can also follow his weekly comedy show on IG Funhouse Comedy. And finally, definitely check out his podcast Halal Cartels!

Listen to more Surviving The City podcast episodes by following this link. And don’t forget to connect with us on Instagram.

Have you ever sat with someone who made you feel like going after your creative dreams wasn’t “crazy”? Like a bigger life for you was more possible? How does a licensed psychotherapist and transformational life coach really get you to change your life and follow your big creative dreams? And what would someone like this say to the critical thinker in all of us that gawks at the idea of following our dreams when considering all of the real pain and oppression that exists in our world? In this episode, we hear from therapist, life coach and healer Cynthia Santiago-Borbón with over two decades of practice in the field. 
 
As you’ll come to understand through this conversation, Cynthia is not a pie in the sky ungrounded dreamer. No, her work is deeply rooted in anti-oppression, equity and liberation. 
 
Topics in this episode include:
How transformation happens with clients that Cynthia has worked with Sustaining long term change Shifting from “what’s wrong with you” to “what’s right with you” Tapping into your gifts and “purpose” and the clues along the way Understanding where choice is at play in our lives The power of the supportive morning routine Why self-work is essential to connecting to your joy Why connecting to your joy is important for creating the world we want to live in and not the privileged perspective we might think it is What brings Cynthia to healing work Putting manifestation in context and understanding both its power and limitations  
Keep up with Cynthia’s work here or by connecting with her on Instagram or Facebook. 
 
Listen to more Surviving The City podcast episodes by following this link. And connect with us on Instagram. 

Many of us clock in and clock out when it comes to working on our creative projects. However, in episode 27 Vicky and Key chat with Chiquita Brujita, a third generation Nuyorican bruja and magic maker, who embodies her art day in and day out as a performance artist. 
 
Chiquita’s life has led her down a path of performance and nurturing the souls of those around her. She uses dance and the energy of community to bring people together in a celebration of the once taboo culture of brujería.
 
In this episode, Chiquita shares her exciting but unplanned career path that features tarot readings, building altars in the club, and founding the Brooklyn Brujería Festival in 2018. You’ll also hear why you should consider letting life lead you, the power of manifestation, and using joy as medicine.
 
Tune in for a magical conversation on cultivating a life and community through your art!
 
Topics discussed in this episode:
 
Chiquita on having a multi-faceted career What being a performance artist means “Magic is fucking real” Fostering community Being a creative and working a 9-5 The evolution to the Brooklyn Brujería Festival Building altars and dance floors as sacred spaces  
Follow Chiquita Brujita on Instagram and check out her website for all this magic! http://www.chiquitabrujita.com
 
Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram.
 

Creative Projects & Non-Attachment 
Episode 26
 
What happens when your passion for a creative project turns into an obsession over the outcome? How can we practice non-attachment to our creative goals while still maintaining our drive and focus?
 
Luckily, this doesn’t mean giving up all your worldly possessions and moving to a cave off the grid. Despite the image it conjures, practicing non-attachment is a whole lot less New Age-y than you might think!
 
Today, on Surviving the City, we explore the practical side of non-attachment as it relates to goal setting in your creative projects and how you can benefit from finding fulfillment at every stage of your creative journey, instead of fixating on the outcomes of your creative endeavors.
 
Join us as we reflect on our own journeys of tying our self-worth to our artistic output, the identity crisis sparked in each of us, and some of the ways that we have learned to separate affirmation from achievement and allow our creative projects to nourish us rather than stress us out.
 
To learn how you can practice ‘passionate non-attachment’ to give you a better quality of life and a sense of peace as you pursue your creative goals, tune in today!
 
Topics discussed in this episode:
 
Why practicing non-attachment is less woo-woo than it seems Correlations between attachment, fixation, and social media The pitfalls of allowing your creative goals to define you How childhood goal-setting influences your creative identity as an adult The need to separate your self-worth from your creative output Creating a balance between feedback and validation How overcommitting can impact your mental and physical health The importance of grounding your goals in reality What it looks like to be nourished by your creative projects Navigating the tension between non-attachment and passion Finding fulfillment in each stage of your creative journey A visualization technique to help you practice non-attachment  
Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram.

In this episode of Surviving the City, we ask: how did a New Yorker and fifth-generation Curandera go on a mission to share the power of plant medicine, then go on to open up a modern-day apothecary, botánica, and community space?
 
Our guest is Lynsey Ayala, a spiritual herbalist, artist, and the owner of BreadxButta, a Brooklyn-based brand fusing wellness, art, and Sacred Earth Medicine education. 
 
As you’ll come to understand from today’s conversation, Lynsey’s work is deeply rooted in her Puerto Rican heritage and her upbringing in the Bronx. Having found her calling in decolonizing Sacred Earth Medicines, she uses a variety of modalities to ignite healing, including psychedelics and other medicinal plants.
 
Listen in as we break down what it means to Lynsey to decolonize this space, how she stays true to her mission to build and educate her community, while also facilitating personal growth, and how you can begin to cultivate a personal relationship with plant medicine.
 
Join us today as we learn about what it means to be a ‘healer’ using the power of community (with a side of plant medicine)!
 
Topics discussed in this episode:
What inspired Lynsey’s contemporary apothecary and community space Her personal connection with Sacred Earth Medicines Building a community around your art and business Translating word of mouth into a digital following Demystifying cannabis, one mom at a time! Maintaining community while also facilitating personal growth Using astrology to chart a course for your business What it means to decolonize Sacred Earth Medicine Tips for grounding yourself, even in the middle of the city How plants remind us of seasons in our own lives Moments of remembrance in Lynsey’s journey as a curandera Viewing psychedelics as portals to potential Understanding that some of these medicines are not for everybody Psychedelics as powerful creative tools The power of music to enhance creative energy Insight into cymatics and sound healing Ways in which art has had a tangible impact on Lynsey  
Keep up with Lynsey by checking out her website, connecting with her on Instagram, or following this link to access her events, online shop, free resources, and more!
 
Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram.
 

How did a successful, born-and-bred Brooklyn artist use manifestation to get her film featured on Showtime? 
 
For those of you who tend to be turned off by woo-woo topics like manifestation and visualizing your dream life, this episode is definitely for you! Tuning in today, you’ll hear from Sakinah Iman, an award-winning Caribbean-American filmmaker, singer-songwriter, actress, spoken word artist, and educator.
 
For over a decade, Sakinah has devoted her artistic abilities to creating art that engages audiences in sociopolitical change. As an independent singer-songwriter, Sakinah has showcased her original music at numerous venues in NYC.
 
Sakinah’s most popular single to date, ‘Waiting Tables’, climbed to number 35 on the Top 40 charts on Bandcamp, and one of her most recent film projects, He Wants to Know My Number, is currently available for streaming on the major television network, Showtime.
 
In this episode of Surviving the City, Sakinah shares some insight into the production and distribution of He Wants to Know My Number—a powerful, provocative, and entertaining spoken word piece that expresses her take on sex and promiscuity—and how she actively relinquished the narrative that she would never be able to make a decent living as an artist. 
 
We also take a look at the role that an abundance mindset plays in creating the life that you want to live in real-time, debunk some common misconceptions about manifestation, and unpack the Law of Attraction, plus so much more!
 
Regardless of your opinions on manifestation, we hope that this conversation will inspire you to be more, show up, and live up and love up on the life you want.
 
Topics discussed in this episode:
 
How Sakinah wrote, directed, produced, and starred in He Wants to Know My Number Shifting the limiting beliefs that tend to keep artists broke What Sakinah learned from the ‘pay to play’ film festival circuit A look at her upcoming film: Running Star How to use astrology in your creative process A candid account of self-imposed roadblocks on Sakinah’s journey  Defining manifestation and what it means to Sakinah Tips for activating a euphoric state of being rooted in abundance and love Using visualization to reprogram your subconscious How Sakinah manifested her dream job The importance of detaching from a desired outcome Debunking the misconception that manifestation is an infallible law How Law of Attraction works How your ego might be getting in your way The unexpected 90s television show that had a big impact on Sakinah  
You can connect with Sakinah and keep up with all of her projects by following this link.
 
Check out her short film, ​​He Wants to Know My Number, on ShowTime and watch the official trailer for Running Star on YouTube.
 
You can also stream ‘Waiting Tables’ and more on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music.
 
Resources mentioned:
Abraham-Hicks and the Law of Attraction
Joseph Rodrigues
 
Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram!