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We know what we want. We know when we want it. We think, at least. Every time we actually get serious about our dreams we find ourselves resisting every step towards actually fulfilling them. What gives? What is it about actually starting to see the success we have long craved coming to fruition that inspires us to self-sabotage?

In this episode of Nah-cademics, Brett and John try to get to the bottom of the brutal tendency to get in our own way and guard the doors of our own dreams. We look at the many subtle habits so many of us have developed to prevent ourselves from actually following the path we know we want to walk both when the going gets tough and (infuriatingly) when the going gets easier.

-What does self-sabotage look like? Do we always know when we're doing it, and is it something that can eventually be managed through enough awareness and perseverance?

-Is it accurate that humans are wired for comfort over happiness--even when that comfort/safety comes in the form of confining ourselves to relationships, routines, and lives that not only don't fulfill us but often make us miserable?

-Could it be said that spending time on an amateur podcast was, itself, a form of self-sabotage on the part of Brett and John who each have musical aspirations (allegedly)?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (well, except maybe that last one. Answer: probably, but it's at least a more entertaining form of sabotage than all of the other distraction we'd inevitably be using to not make music), it is but quibbling in the quicksand. However, if you find yourself constantly telling yourself that you know what steps to take towards a better life, but instead find yourself just pacing the unfulfilling circular pattern you know, this podcast is for you!

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

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In the early innings of yet another new year, compelled to take on fresh resolutions and (likely short-lived) self-improvement projects, it can be difficult not to get overwhelmed by the incessant pressure to always be working on oneself. Of course, it is both noble and worthwhile to be willing to grow and heal, but is it possible to go overboard? Is there such a thing as unhealthy self-care?

In Season 2 episode 3 of Nah-cademics, Brett and John reconvene to discuss the, sometimes neurotic, tendency to constantly be looking for areas of improvement and consuming self-help materials—be it literature, motivational speakers, or binging those online inspirational quotes in typewriter font printed over a bust of Marcus Aurelius or Mt. Everest… you know the ones.

-In an era of much needed destigmatization of and emphasis on self-reflection, mental health, and trauma exploration, is it possible to overidentify with one’s brokenness and perceived need to be “fixed?”

-How can one approach self-improvement in a healthy and compassionate manner, rather than simply approaching personal recovery with the same tendencies toward self-abandonment, imbalance, and overextension?

-Is the term self-hell the most clever and artistically significant contribution Brett and John will collectively make to the world?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (well, except maybe that last one. Answer: all signs point to yes, and Brett came up with it, so not looking good for the J man); it is but the blathering of the “broken.” However, if you find yourself burnt out trying to cure your perfectionism with more perfectionism, this podcast is for you.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us a text

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

Send us a text

As difficult as it is, some days, to bring oneself to be creative, it can seem almost impossible to envision a life in which creativity happens on a consistent basis. This can seem even more insurmountable if one finds that, on those rare days of creative output, it is more the result of a frenzied and exhausting overdrive than a balanced, peace-giving, and sustainable cruise control (yes, John recently watched the Cars movies).

Fortunately for you, having just returned from a (totally planned) multi-month hiatus, Brett and John could be seen as experts in inconsistency. Unfortunately for you, Brett and John aren’t experts in anything—though they do have some thoughts on what healthy and consistent creativity can look like… you know, in theory.

-Is it possible to develop a disciplined practice of creativity, and if so, can it be done without sacrificing the romanticized visions one has for artistic authenticity?

-By recalibrating our artistic purpose to prioritize joy and personal nourishment, can one override the internal pressures and critiques to more consistently create—without sacrificing what might be a legitimate dream of making a career out of art?

-For all the raving about Jarod K. Anderson in this episode, might Brett and John consider just recommending his podcast instead?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions (except maybe that last one, it’s called the Cryptonaturalist, and yes, you should check that out, but we tell ourselves Brett’s mom would be disappointed if we just stopped ours). This is but the consistent (?) chattering of chums. However, if you find yourself searching for an oasis of inspiration in an ever growing desert of inconsistency, this podcast is for you.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

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When was the last time we really loved what we were doing? Really loved the art that we set out, however long ago, to create and the art made by others? For some of us (!?!), maybe that was as recently as today, but for many of us, that love has been barricaded deep within us by years of life’s countless convoluting forces. Maybe it feels like it’s left us entirely.

Welcome back to Nah-Cademics! Following a totally planned—though interestingly timed—hiatus after season 2 episode 1, Brett and John are back to discuss whether or not that once winged love of creation in its most basic, recreational forms can be recovered.

-Is it normal for an artist to go through periods of wondering whether or not their creative path has reached a dead end? Is it possible to still forge ahead and rekindle their love for the mere process of creation after lengthy periods of feeling uninspired?

-Is it possible to discern and overcome the countless subtle voices that prevent us from simple acts of creativity in its purest, playful expressions?

-Since it’s apparent that Brett and John haven’t been busy, you know, accomplishing great feats, can we count on them to not take another five month hiatus?

As always, this podcast offers no definitive answers to these questions—except maybe that last one (Answer: Count on us at your own risk. Zelda ain’t gonna play itself, but we’ll do our best). It is but recreational rambling. However, if you see the clock ticking down on the game that you once loved, but feel like you’ve forgotten how to play, this podcast is for you!

Come, overthink with us!

PS) This episode was actually going to be a bit longer than this, but the computer decided to stop recording when even it got tired of hearing us talk. If you’d like to send it a thank you message, you can do so at nahcademics@gmail.com.

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

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Is it just us or has everything been feeling a little stagnant lately? As we find ourselves caught in the monotonous whirlpool of tending to responsibilities, making ends meet, and feeling just that much older every time we come up for air, it can start to feel like our lives have lost all momentum—and the longer we’re forced to cling to these empty routines, the harder it seems to grasp firmly the hope that used to buoy us towards our imagined futures.

Kicking off the much anticipated (we tell ourselves) Nah-Cademics Season 2, Brett and John return from their mundane meanderings to discuss that ever-lingering question of how one keeps creative hope alive in a world (and body) which only gets more exhausting by the day… hence why John keeps yawning. #methodpodcasting

— Is the joy one experiences through art a sufficient enough motivation to continue—especially when the financial realities of life are particularly pressing?

— As the old roadmaps for “success” are seeming less realistic, is there hope to be found in embracing the new opportunities modernity has to offer and celebrating momentum on a smaller scale?

— Now that Brett has discovered a newfound optimism, can John follow suit by simply living vicariously through his Latin American counterpart with whom he shares an Apple Music profile?

As always, Nah-cademics offers no definitive answers to any of these questions (well, except maybe that last one, the answer is: yes, yes, he can. The music slaps.)—it is honestly just a nourishing way to pass the time. However, if you find yourself feeling like the only one trapped on the tarmac to nowhere (and really hoping your guitar doesn’t end up in Guam again), this podcast is for you!

PS) Our sincere apologies to the artist Rodriguez for not being able to remember his name while recording. Latin John Dennis almost certainly would have, so add another point to his column.

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

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What is true artistic freedom? We’d all almost certainly argue that it looks something like having no boundaries or restrictions to one’s creative process or the time needed to perfect it. Maybe it means having the resources to rent a studio and pay musicians for months on end, or maybe it looks more like being able to create any convention-defying work you want without fear of rejection or financial consequence—ideally, not a podcast.

Regardless, we all have a tendency to romanticize the freedom which, in practice, is often both unrealistic and ineffective while resenting the limitations that, in reality, can actually be beneficial as they force us to rein in our perfectionism and discipline our process.

Note: The truth is, Brett and John were about to be late for a movie, so they made the topic on the benefits of limiting factors and hoped you’d think it was enlightened. It was not, but hey, at least you only have to listen to them ramble for half the time.

-What is it about creating “conventional” art that seems so repulsive, and in what ways has our deliberate striving to feel original prevented us from disciplined growth?

-How can daily, scheduled creative periods and deadlines aid in getting us out of cycles of inactivity and perfectionism?

-How does Brett and John’s limitation of endlessly overthinking how they’re being perceived benefit them in the creation of a podcast that is shorter than normal?

As always, Nah-cademics offers no definitive answers to these questions—well, except maybe that last one (answer: heh heh, it does not.)—it is but the, usually meandering, chatter of fools, but if you find yourself creating only excuses but never any art, this podcast is for you—and we’ll only be enabling your distraction for half the normal time.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions

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Why is it that no matter how vigorously we run the race of life, we always end up feeling like we’re falling behind? Whether we’re losing ground, time, or patience, why do we invariably get so bogged down by what we know to be but mundane detours in our quest for joy that we put on the back burner any of the activities that will actually bring us closer to our true goals?

In this episode, our favorite carping creatives, Brett and John, revel in their own Sisyphean struggles when it comes to actually, you know, creating and aim to find ways to not only extend ourselves some grace, but also better use the free time we do have to feel more fulfilled—such as, complaining about it on an amateur podcast on a biweekly basis.

-What is it about our creative endeavors that makes them so easy to put at the bottom of our to do lists when we’re constantly measuring ourselves most acutely by our progress in them?

-How can we view deadlines as a positive way of forcing our efforts and preventing ourselves from falling into the perfectionism trap?

-For two people so intent on not squandering energy or time in unproductive ways, how’s starting an amateur podcast working out?

As always, Nah-cademics offer no definitive answers to these questions—well except maybe that last one (answer: Well, no worse than anything else, but we do it so you don’t have to)—this is but the spinning of a hamster wheel. All the same, if you find yourself always behind in the things that matter most to you and needing something to listen to while stuck in traffic on an unfulfilling detour of life, this podcast is for you. Silence works too.

Come, overthink with us!

JohnDennisMusic.com
BrettRyanStewart.com
Wirebird Productions