The Human Canvas Podcast

Effy Blue is a relationship coach specializing in non-monogamy and non-traditional unions. She works with people who are curious about, transitioning into, or have hit a roadblock within open or unconventional relationships. Her coaching philosophy, Relationship by Design, challenges society’s one-size-fits-all script for love and guides people to consciously co-create relationships they can thrive in — emotionally, relationally, and sexually. She helps individuals and partners move beyond inherited expectations to build connections rooted in clarity, consent, emotional fluency, and personal responsibility. With over a decade of experience, Effy has supported clients navigating jealousy, boundaries, attachment patterns, and the complexities of loving beyond convention. She is also the co-host of the Curious Fox podcast for those questioning the status quo in love and sex, and the on-screen relationship expert on Channel 4’s Open House in the UK. IG @coacheffyblue effyblue.com

Dr. Nitin Ron is an NYC-based pediatrician and neonatologist who completed his fellowship at Brown University. He is the former Assistant Director of the Neonatal ICU at NYP Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Ron is a prominent speaker with three TED/TEDx talks and features in The New York Times and NPR. He leads pioneering medical research in the Himalayas studying high-altitude sickness, meditation, and pranayam—the subject of his co-authored book, Pranayam. Recognized by NASA for his frontlines COVID-19 pandemic response, he has also hosted mindfulness workshops at institutions like Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn and the Open Center in Manhattan. On YouTube: - Nitin Ron: Saving babies with science and kindness - Meditation & Science, With a Story From the Newborn ICU & Mt. Everest | Nitin Ron | TEDxCornellTech YouTube Channel: Mindful Moments with Babydoc Ron, MD Book: Pranayam Breathing Techniques for Health, Healing and Tranquility

Michael has recently launched the Invincible Summer - a music/video project dedicated to songs of baseball + childhood he's written over the past 5+ years. It's a journey into history, family, the National Pastime and connection itself. Play ball! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Invincible_Summer_Music Website: https://www.invinciblesummermusic.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invincible_summer_music/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579508878326

Today’s guest is Anneliese Gryta. Anneliese is a dedicated public interest attorney and executive leader specializing in housing operations, economic development, and community revitalization. She earned her J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law and began her career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Over her career, she has held high-impact roles, including Chief of Staff at Lucas Metropolitan Housing and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Greater Toledo Community Foundation. An accomplished advocate for low-income communities, Gryta leverages her legal and administrative expertise to drive organizational excellence and expand access to affordable housing and economic resources. https://www.youtube.com/@HowAmericaWorksOfficial

Today’s guest is Brandi Hart. Brandi has been a professional musician since 2001, co-founding award-winning American roots trailblazers The Dixie Bee-Liners — an internationally touring string band that signed with Pinecastle Records, charted four bluegrass #1's, and earned Roots Music Association’s Bluegrass Artist of the Year. Hart’s original songwriting anchored the group’s four acclaimed albums (2005–2015). Brandi performs and teaches both privately and publicly. She additionally works as a voice and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatrical and film composer. Beyond concerts, Brandi brings music into classrooms, libraries, and museums, leading composition and creative coping workshops for both children and adults. Currently, she's booking fall/winter tour dates and recording her solo debut with her new band, Brandi Hart & Her Vital Organs.

Today’s guest is Jen Herrold. "Raised in a household of artists and mentors, I developed a creative foundation that led to the Interlochen Arts Academy and Indiana University. My practice has been shaped by time in New York City and travels through Mexico and the Costa Rican jungle—where I once branded a crocodile tour boat. Now based in Bloomington, my abstract work explores the tension between instability and structure. I utilize found materials to ask whether clarity can emerge through deliberate, though imperfect, practice. My paintings remain rooted in tradition yet fully alive to the beauty of experimentation." Personal website: www.jenniferherrold.com Social media Insta: @jenherrold www.facebook.com/jherrold

Today’s guest is Chris Baggott. Chris is a tech-entrepreneur-turned-regenerative-farmer and the founder of Tyner Pond Farm in Hancock County, Indiana. After co-founding software giants ExactTarget and Compendium, Chris pivoted from digital marketing to soil health in 2010. Today, he manages nearly 1,000 acres of pasture, focusing on 100% grass-fed beef and pastured pork. Driven by a mission of "food freedom," Chris is dedicated to restoring Indiana farmland and providing the local community with direct access to nutrient-dense, transparently raised food. https://tynerpondfarm.com/

Today’s guest is Jodee Smith. Jodee is the Executive Director and Founder of FARMWISE Indiana, a nonprofit organization focused on making Indiana grown and raised foods more accessible for all Hoosiers. She has worked for more than 13 years in the Indiana Food System to rebuild regional food supply chains and community access and incorporation of food from farms. Jodee grew up in Fort Wayne and knew the good taste of food from the garden and farmers and now tries to translate and share that with others. Jodee studied botany at the University of Montana and agriculture at the University of California, Davis. FARMWISE Indiana website: https://www.farmwiseindiana.org/

Today’s guest is Tyler Adams. Tyler has been a business leader in healthcare and media for 23 years, including five years as a mentor, executive coach, and workshop facilitator. In 2010, his youngest daughter suffered a catastrophic injury in Dallas, TX, inspiring him to create Our Claire’s Journal, a blog documenting their journey that gained a wide following. In 2015, Tyler and his family moved to Colorado, where he joined Children’s Hospital Colorado’s leadership team, combining personal and professional purposes. Trained by the Center for Courage and Renewal, he supports families facing hardship and began doctoral work in psychology in Fall 2025, focusing on loss, grief, and recovery. As part of his effort, he launched Goodpain Podcast with his co-host in mid-2025 as well. Goodpain is an invitation to reclaim the space for honest, candid conversations about our struggles, about not knowing, about the wisdom found simply in enduring. Like the ancient tribes, gathering around a fire to share hard-won wisdom, we'll talk about life's true intensities: the raw realities of parenting, the relentless demands of careers, the shattering impact of tragedy, the quiet burden of pain, and the unexpected moments of joy that flicker in between. Because whether your struggle was a sudden storm or a slow erosion, your story is meaningful, and in the stories we share, we hope you'll find echoes of your own. For more, please visit: https://airmedia.org/talent/tyler-adams https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/goodpain-podcast/id1816261745

Today’s guest is Allison Distler. Allison works professionally in private practice as an advanced Rolfer (structural integrationist), Astrologer, and Ancestral Lineage Healing Practitioner. She identifies as neurodivergent and an animist. Prior to her work as a Rolfer and Astrologer, she studied psychology and sociology at university and studied the Refined Hakomi Method in Ashland, OR with Ron Kurtz. She is certified by the Conscious Feminine Leadership Academy (Cincinnati, OH) as a group process/writing circle facilitator through Women Writing for (a) Change, Bloomington. She also initiated as a lay practitioner in the Soto Zen tradition taking precepts from Shohaku Okumura in 2010. She currently lives in south-central Indiana on the ancestral lands of the Shawness, Delaware, Potawatami, Miami (and other) people. She is down lineage from early colonial settlers of German, Scottish, and English descent as well as recently displaced people from Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland area). https://www.allisondistler.com

Today’s guest is Sherri Dugger. With nearly two decades of experience editing magazines and books, Sherri now puts her media and public relations experience to work in the agriculture field. Prior to joining Socially Responsible Agriculture Project as its executive director, Sherri served in executive director roles at Women, Food and Agriculture Network and Indiana Farmers Union. She also has served as a policy and communications consultant for American Grassfed Association, as a Midwest outreach consultant for Earthjustice, and as a rural affairs consultant for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). A supporter of local and regional food systems, environmental sustainability, humane animal agriculture, and diversified, regenerative farming, she frequently advocates for rural communities at the Indiana Statehouse and on Capitol Hill. She enjoys life on a small farm in Boggstown, Indiana, where she manages The Wheelwright, an event center, and an Indiana-focused non-profit, Dog Song Sanctuary. Learn more about Sherri's work at the links below: https://sraproject.org http://dogsongsanctuary.org/about

Today’s guest is Gary Gonya. Gary is the Director of GLAM Arts, a museum marketing consulting practice he launched in partnership with the Lafayette American agency in Detroit. His clients include the Studio Museum in Harlem, The Hermitage in Nashville, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio. GLAM Arts combines Gary’s experience in brand strategy and audience research along with his knowledge of museum leadership and operations. A working artist, Gary is a sculptor who primarily works with stone. https://www.lafayetteamerican.com/glam-arts

Today's guest is Kristi Trader. Kristi designs custom experiences for all ages with the intent of embodying kindness in ourselves, others, and our communities. She uses an integral approach including personality profiling, communication tools, storytelling, embodiment practices, and play. In her years of experience, she has facilitated personal & relational development, workplace engagement, and community building services to diverse industries including automotive, education, finance, government, healthcare, retail, spiritual, and technology. Kristi graduated summa cum laude from Concordia University with a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Administration. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University, and an Associate of Arts from North Central University. https://kristitrader.com/

Today's guest is sculptor Frank Young. Frank grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and graduated from University High School. He attended IU and studied sculpture in the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts and Elementary Art Education in the School of Education. Frank Received a BFA from IU where he was introduced to stone carving by Prof. Donald Sandstrom and Prof. Jean-Paul Darrieau. He received his MFA in Sculpture from the University of Oregon under Prof. Jan Zach. Frank returned to Bloomington to be Executive Director of the Bloomington Area Arts Council and oversaw the restoration of the 1915 Bloomington City Hall as the John Waldron Arts Center and subsequently the restoring of the Indiana Theater as the Buskirk Chumley Theater. Frank has been working in stone sculpture for the last 54 years. He has works in public places in Bloomington and on the Indiana University campus. Frank has been particularly interested in developing the stone carving classes for children. Frank says that “Teaching young people and seeing them engage in their creations in stone, and then see their faces shine as they discover what they can do, is simply joyful.” https://limestonesymposium.org/

Today's guest is Laura LaSuertmer, a writer, community organizer, and mental health professional based in Bloomington, Indiana. She is deeply involved in local social justice and creative initiatives, focusing on building inclusive spaces for personal and collective growth. Laura serves as the Assistant Creative Director and Outreach Coordinator for the Bloomington chapter of Women Writing for (a) Change. Since joining the staff in 2021, she has facilitated creative writing circles for diverse groups, including students at The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, clients at Stone Belt, and individuals incarcerated at the Monroe County Jail. Her essays and articles have appeared in publications such as *Limestone Post Magazine*, *About Place Journal*, *The Ryder Magazine*, and *Communities Magazine*. Her writing often explores themes of community, social justice, and land connection. She recently received her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, integrating therapeutic awareness and multicultural competencies into her community facilitation work. Laura is a co-founder of Common Home Farm, an interfaith, intentional farming community located north of Bloomington. The farm emphasizes radical hospitality and sustainable living. https://commonhomefarm.org/author/lauralasuertmer/

Today's guest is Ryan Stringer, a food competition judge certified by the World Food Championships and Kentuckiana BBQ Pitmasters, with 16 events under his belt, including judging at the WFC in Indianapolis. He’s cooked in professional kitchens, is a fearless home cook who dives into cuisines from Korean to Greek, and even forages and cooks with wild mushrooms. Ryan’s passion for food began in childhood, cooking side-by-side with his mom, and he brings that lifelong curiosity and love of flavor to every table he sits at.

Hailing originally from Portsmouth, England, Bart Smith is a seasoned corporate and political communications manager currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. From advising Mayors and Members of UK Parliament on their PR to polishing the corporate communications of CEOs, he's worked in the UK and US on a wide variety of work. A Politics and History major, in his spare time he loves nothing more than to search for ancient artifacts and medieval coins with his trusty metal detector across the fields and shores of England. Check out Bart's channel: / @metaldetectingwithbart

Robert Lester Folsom, Singer-Songwriter. You can discover more about Robert online by visiting: https://www.robertlesterfolsom.com/

Liza Cooper is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Love & Dating Coach based in New York.

Michael Litten is the host of the podcast Ride The Vibe, where he is known as "The Last DJ."

Chris Hennessy, is an award-winning filmmaker, author, and speaker.

Gary Mayer is a contemporary visual artist known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings and sculptures that oscillate between abstract and narrative figurative styles.