The On Purpose Podcast

With her acclaimed solo show, TITLE PENDING, Heather Tyson, an award-winning Solo Artist, recently took the stage at the prestigious Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest Stage in Sherman Oaks, CA on Saturday, February 17, 2024.  A month later, Heather showed up for her first podcast on Living on Purpose with Lynn Thompson to talk about her most recent performance of TITLE PENDING and the journey to get there. Coincidentally, the length of their conversation, an hour and a quarter, is the ideal length of her solo show. In 2023, Lynn and Heather met through Ann Randolph's online writing community, Your Story Matters: Unmute Yourself, and through a writing development workshop with Joshua and Adam, and Notes on Your Notes.
Here is the link to “Boxes,” the prologue segment from Heather's most recent live performance of TITLE PENDING.
Drive into the Drama of Betrayal and Resilience: TITLE PENDING unravels the gripping tale of Heather, a hardworking Midwestern girl whose life begins to crumble after a shocking betrayal. Amidst the backdrop of automotive training classes, she questions the very fabric of her beliefs, all while trying to keep her composure at her corporate job. As she hurtles toward an inevitable crash, questions arise: What happens when the GPS of life malfunctions? How do we find our way? Brace yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions and revelations! Buckle up for an unforgettable ride!
Accolades and Recognition:
Following a successful sold-out run at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival, and an Official Selection of the 2023 Binge Fringe Festival, TITLE PENDING was chosen as an Official Selection of the prestigious 2024 Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest. The show has garnered praise for its universal themes and Tyson's compelling writing and storytelling.
A Return to the Stage:
Heather Tyson, a graduate of Northwestern University’s theater program, is thrilled to be back on stage, writing and producing her own work. TITLE PENDING, and Tyson’s return to live performance, is a testament to her unwavering love of the theatre. Previous TV and film appearances include The Sopranos, Sex & the City, Days of Our Lives, and Military Husband.
Praise for TITLE PENDING: Wendy Hammers, Solo Artist, and CEO of Tasty Words Productions, raves about the show: “Heather Tyson’s radiant and oh-so-real performance is a reminder of everything we love in the theatre – truth, humor, and universal a-ha moments… A master class in solo storytelling, TITLE PENDING is not to be missed.”
Heather Tyson graduated from Northwestern University after David Schwimmer but before Meghan Markle. Post-graduation, she drove a U-Haul to NYC to pursue her dream of becoming a Broadway star. After hustling for years in the off-off-off Broadway theatre scene, she shifted gears to TV and film, where she wowed in the roles of a blink-and-you-miss-her prostitute on THE SOPRANOS and a slightly dim-witted sales consultant on SEX & THE CITY. She then drove another U-Haul across the country to LA, hoping to expand her artistic career. But life had other plans. Heather’s dreams stalled, and just like that, more than a decade passed. With TITLE PENDING, Heather is back in the driver’s seat, making a return to her first true love, the stage.

Eight years ago, Danell's husband, Patrick, went out for his morning bike ride and didn't come home. So much has happened since then for his wife, their two daughters, and their families, including, for Danell, a new career direction, new marriage, and becoming a published author. In this 45-minute conversation, Danell teNyenhuis Black and Living on Purpose host Lynn Thompson tour many aspects of Danell's journey that she shares in Suddenly: A Widow's Story of Unexpected Loss and Healing.
Leading us through details of her unexpected loss, the author expands the shock rippling through their large families into a depth of insight, memories, hope, and supportive guidance. I recommend this book for comfort and company through the loss of a spouse and holding steady as life continues in ways unimaginable before that moment. Big thanks for the author's courage in sharing her story!
Published by Ignite Press.

February discussion forum in the series, reviewing MAiD and otherwise preparing and caring for and considering physical death, with new and returning voices, edited to under two hours.
Note:
When the nine or so of us recorded this discussion, we had the impression that the expansion of MAiD was put on pause until March 2027. However, there was a Bill C-62 going through third reading in the Canadian Senate (after passing three readings in the House of Commons).
 
As of February 29, 2024, it appears that the expansion (to include those with a mental disorder as the sole underlying condition for application for MAiD) is, indeed, put on pause until March 17, 2027, with a review beforehand.
 
Documentary film clarifying the mandate of palliative care and hospice. The Story of Euthanasia.
Some links for reference from Art of Departure Eight:
Toni Gitles, author of 21 Mistakes Caregivers Make & How to Avoid Them
denise bertrand aka feather, author of Once Upon A Solar Time
Bobbi Rowntree, Born Medium
Danell teNyenhuis Black, author of Suddenly: A Widow’s Story of Unexpected Loss and Healing
Russell Brand commentary on MAiD starting at 31:05 minutes
Druthers Newspaper
The Maid Article
Earlier forums:
Art of Departure SevenArt of Departure SixArt of Departure FiveArt of Departure FourArt of Departure ThreeArt of Departure TwoArt of DepartureArt of Departure Sampler
Thanks for listening to the Art of Departure, a series on Living on Purpose (known as The On Purpose Podcast on Podbean).

MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) legislation is poised to expand on March 17, 2024, from those with a terminal illness or in chronic pain to include those with a mental disorder, further illuminating issues about quality of life and managing death. MAiD can provide relief for some and incite great unease for others.
Eighteen men and women gathered on Zoom with host Lynn Thompson for this (edited) 1.75 hour-long conversation, putting many ideas, insights, and perspectives on the table. And it was a ride of a call. Special guests joining the discussion, Jo-Anne Haun and Karen Hendrickson, Co-Founders of DDNI, Death Doula Network International, spoke about their experiences being death doulas and also addressed numerous myths about MAiD. 
A recent article on the topic of MAiD was referenced.
Update February 1, 2024 on a second pause on new MAiD legislation. Also scroll to end for video with True North's host Andrew Lawton for his intensive, insightful, and candid commentary on this issue.
More links to explore:
Art of Departure EightArt of Departure SixArt of Departure FiveArt of Departure FourArt of Departure ThreeArt of Departure TwoArt of DepartureArt of Departure Sampler
November intro for the Death Doulas, Jo-Anne and Karen
Thanks for listening to the Art of Departure, a series on Living on Purpose (known as The On Purpose Podcast on Podbean).
 

The December Art of Departure Six (group discussions on matters of before, during, and after death: life!) with Daniel, Bobbi, and host Lynn Thompson. Edited to an hour.
For Art of Departure Seven on Sunday, January 7, 2024, guest speakers, Jo-Anne Haun and Karen Hendrickson, Co-Founders of Death Doula Network International (DDNI) joined Lynn and about fifteen others. In late 2023, Jo-Anne and Karen joined Lynn for a half-hour introduction about the evolution of DDNI and their involvement with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), a conversation to be continued because new legislation is due in March 2024.
Links to earlier episodes in this series:
Art of Departure EightArt of Departure SevenArt of Departure FiveArt of Departure FourArt of Departure ThreeArt of Departure TwoArt of DepartureArt of Departure Sampler
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through The On Purpose Podcast (Living on Purpose).

The fourth section of Derian Tuitt's book is all about The Secrets: Thoughts (The Secret Sauce) and Detachment (The Paradox of Paradoxes). This episode is 25 minutes long. In February 2021, Lynn Thompson and Derian Tuitt met up on Zoom for the final of four conversations based on concepts in the book he wrote and they collaboratively edited in 2018, Life Success Hacks: How to Use Simple Action to Achieve Anything You Imagine.
Section One talk is episode 18 on Podbean.Highlights of #1
Section Two talk
Section Three talk
Derian B. Tuitt is a staunch proponent of taking action to achieve whatever you desire. His mantra is: “Your actions tell the real story. If you play it safe, you won’t have much of a life.” Derian advocates using natural laws to work for you, as well as using adversity as a catalyst that launches opportunity. Derian was inspired to write his book for his daughter, Debrina, and he is determined to make this world a better place for his granddaughter, Nadia.

Jo-Anne Haun and Karen Hendrickson are the Co-Founders of the Death Doula Network International (DDNI). Host Lynn Thompson became aware of them in Canada when she purchased The Death Deck after the Deck's co-creator Lisa Pahl was a guest on Art of Departure Three. Jo-Anne and Karen expressed interest in joining the discussion sometime. So, on November 28, in advance of their appearance on Art of Departure Seven set for Sunday, January 7, 2024, they recorded this half-hour introduction. They share about the evolution of DDNI and their involvement with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), a conversation to be continued because new legislation is due in March 2024.
Check out Art of Departure Five to learn more about this group discussion series on Living on Purpose.
More about the team: Jo-Anne and Karen are pragmatic and heart-centered Death Educators and facilitators, speakers and end-of-life doulas. With training in coaching, end-of-life, community death caring, grief, conflict resolution and communications, they have a passion for using the conversation around death as a pathway to growth and healing for individuals, communities, and the planet. Everything they do is designed to create an intimate, informative, and inspiring container for reflection and personal action.Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through The On Purpose Podcast (Living on Purpose).

Cory Endrulat and The End of Slavery Summit came into view for host Lynn Thompson in November 2022 because she knew Connie, one of many featured speakers. Now in November 2023, Cory has a new project, End of Slavery Summit 2, assembling one-minute videos in consideration of: “What is Most Important That People Must Know?”
A handful of people gathered online with Cory Endrulat on Friday, November 17 for a talk and discussion, filling up an hour and a quarter that included Laura spontaneously speaking her “one-minute” answer to the question!
Cory's Invite Announcement Summary:
"In 2022, we launched The End Of Slavery Summit which featured over 50 speakers including David Icke, Mark Passio, Derrick Broze, Larken Rose, HighImpactFlix and much more, alongside hundreds of resources.“From the summit, launched The Liberator 2 News project, jump-starting our collaborative action-focused newsletter with thousands of readers. This one-stop-hub allows anyone to send an article which will be turned into every format and for several platforms. It also features the 24/7 Truth In Music Radio, a networking page, activism section, the One Great Work Network livestream, documentaries, events and testimonies (for individuals sharing their personal stories).
“Now it is time for The Liberator 2 Showcase. In comparison to The End Of Slavery Summit, it is much easier for anyone to get involved within this project and it is projected to be more effective due to its format. This may be held annually. If you are a speaker or content creator or simply care about the truth, here's all you have to do: Send us a one-minute clip on this one question: What is most important that people must know? The video can be vertical or horizontal with any camera. Be creative! We encourage that you edit your clip, but this is optional because we are willing to edit for you.”
 
More to read and videos to view at Cory's website, including about slavery.
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through The On Purpose Podcast (Living on Purpose).
P.S. One of the questions from Cory's Freedom Brochure:
If stealing 100% of the product of someone's labor is slavery, at what percentage is it not slavery?

The November group discussion on matters of before, during, and after death (life!) with new and returning speakers. Edited to just over an hour and a half. Links to episodes in this series:
Art of Departure EightArt of Departure SevenArt of Departure SixArt of Departure FourArt of Departure ThreeArt of Departure TwoArt of DepartureArt of Departure Sampler
Host Lynn Thompson spontaneously scheduled Art of Departure Five for November 5 (four years since her dad completed his physical life) following her chat with a new friend, Laura JE Hamilton.
Lots of references and resources mentioned in this call. Here we go.
Thanks again for your presence on the Art of Departure Five, truly an honor to be together in the open, loving space of caring, sharing, and witnessing. As Rudi noted about why he showed up, "To hear stories about how people are dealing with their impending death and the deaths of their loved ones. Pick up some courage and some willingness to go a little deeper than the surface." We covered numerous topics, countries, and time zones! 
 
More from Laura JE Hamilton, author of Fully CommittedThe Sacred Sojourn of the SoulThe Justinian Deception with Romley Stewart
 
More from Stephanie who loves "sharing a quantum perspective. It's a game changer." 
At the Root of Everything, is Consciousness
The Mindfulness ProjectLebanon Peace ProjectThe Rife Machine
 
More from feather, author of Once Upon a Solar Time
https://www.air-feather.com/about
 
More from Toni, author of 21 Mistakes Caregivers Make & How to Avoid Them
https://www.heartofcaregiving.com/about/
 
More from Rudi:
https://www.rudiharst.com/
 
More from Bobbi:
http://bobbirowntreebornmedium.ca/
 
Suzanne referred to her Bahá'í Faith
and
Next Level Soul
Suzanne Giesmann
NDE Diary
 
Ev and Rudi referred to the tradition on November 2, Day of the Dead celebration, Día de Muertos
 
Referenced by Christina, Social Visionary Entrepreneur, Ordained Shamanic Priestess.
She interviewed:
Paul Elder Eyes of an Angel
(Paul was on Living on Purpose on CHLY)
https://www.paul-elder.com/
Dannion Brinkley, Saved by the Light
Betty Eadie Embraced by the Light
 
Referenced:
Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life
Bruce Lipton and epigenetics (Interview with Bruce on Living on Purpose)
Your Story Matters: Unmute Yourself with Ann Randolph > four-week session begins today, Nov 6 to Dec 1 (usually a month or so off between sessions)
The movie, The Secret (Living on Purpose episode with 100 quotes from The Secret)Past life regression, Dr. Brian WeissHAARP
 
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through The On Purpose Podcast (Living on Purpose).

A soundtrack for these last few years is a series of songs with videos by Brad Skistimas, the solo singer-songwriter known for over twenty years as Five Times August. When “God Help Us All” showed up again recently and tugged the heart of Lynn Thompson, your host, it was time to investigate. Who is this guy? She checked out his website and media links, learned about his musical career, watched interview videos, and found out he is married with three children. Five Times August released his album Silent War on November 1, 2022 on vinyl, cassette, and CD.
Here is a summary article from the hour long podcast that features acoustic versions of his performance of "Silent War" at Defeat the Mandates, his music video of "Jesus ... What Happened to Us?" and his collaborative video with footage from Oracle Films, "Fight For You."
Brad, welcome to Living on Purpose. How did you feel hearing your songs played in Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy in early 2022?
“The greatest thing about watching the Trucker Convoy was getting videos of people playing my songs there. The first person who arrived the night before the protests began parked outside the Parliament buildings and played my song, ‘Silent War.’ It was echoing across the street in the dark. That was really meaningful to me. When things became pretty lively, I was getting videos of people dancing to ‘I Will Not Be Leaving Quietly.’ That’s what I wanted out of that song. A song that people could take with them to these rallies and bang on a trash can and have a good time while making their point. It’s so rewarding to see that movement happening in Canada and for my songs to be part of it.”
Did you have a plan for your most recent album?
“I started releasing these songs as singles in January 2021 with ‘God Help Us All,’ the first in this series of what you would call protest songs. I didn’t consider myself a protest artist. I thought that would be my one song on the entire matter. But it resonated so well with people I felt I should keep going and using my platform in this way. It was therapeutic, too; I knew I wasn’t alone. I didn’t rush any of it. I just let each song come to me, delivered through me, I feel. Months passed before I released ‘Jesus ... What Happened to Us?’ in April that year. As each song came, the process happened over a couple of weeks, where I would write and record it. I recorded most of the songs in my bedroom with a couple of mics. I wanted to give people something honest and unpolished. After I recorded a song, I would make a video for it, however long that took, a week or two. The videos were an extension of what I wanted to say. There’s a whole video album to go along with the audio! The track listing of Silent War is in the order that I wrote and released each song, so the story of that era is told as you listen. I wrote it in real-time in front of the world. It’s been tremendous watching the support of the album, seeing people connect and resonate with those songs over the last couple of years.”  
What’s the story about the videos with your songs?
“I’ve partnered with Oracle Films on a few with their footage from rallies. We collaborated on the ‘I Will Not Be Leaving Quietly’ and ‘Fight for You’ videos. Otherwise, I’ve created and edited the other more animated videos, like ‘Sad Little Man,’ ‘This Just In,’ and ‘Gates Behind the Bars.’ I start with a loose idea, and eventually, it all comes together. I get nerdy frame by frame with many details no one will see the first time around. I’m glad people pick up on it. That’s the great reward, ‘Oh, did you see this? I have to watch that again.’ The work pays off.”
How have you and your family shifted with the change in your musical career?
“I’m very blessed that my family is supportive of what I do. Before the COVID era, I was making children’s music, family-based, character-building theme music about kindness and gratitude. I was doing a project called The Juicebox Jukebox, making the purest stuff I could put into the world, a complete 180 from being an angry protest artist or however you want to classify me. My kids were involved in helping make that music. All of a sudden, I wasn’t doing it anymore. I didn’t want my children to listen to this new group of songs. They’re just children. It’s a shame that we’re almost four years deep into this thing, and it’s been such a huge part of our kids’ lives, right? I was trying to keep that out of their minds. Then, little by little, the world crept in, like going to a park and it being closed. Questions kept happening, and then I was doing bigger events. When I performed at the Defeat the Mandates rally in January of 2022 in Washington, DC, my kids watched online and knew something bigger was happening with Daddy’s music. Then we explained more of what was happening in the world and why Daddy was singing the songs.”
What’s the story behind “Ain’t No Rock and Roll”?
“I love music. That’s my entire life. If I’m not writing it, I’m buying it. I grew up listening to protest music. ‘Ain’t No Rock and Roll’ is me coming to terms with my heroes not being heroes after all. Very few of them spoke up. We’ve heard Eric Clapton and Van Morrison from that generation say something. Two guys out of the entire generation? That’s a pretty pathetic number. I applaud them for doing so. But now we must go back and reevaluate our attention to pop culture and media and say, ‘Well, was it true?’ Even for my generation, we had the grunge era with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. That’s been the entire joke the last year: Rage Against the Machine is now Raging for the Machine. We should scrutinize these anti-establishment movements in the last 60 to 70 years of rock and roll and ask, ‘Where were you on this one?’ The song is saying, ‘Why didn’t you show up? Why are you doing a Pfizer commercial?’ Where are all the anti-establishment artists?”
Are you collaborating with other musicians and artists?
“I went to Austria last December and the UK in August for freedom-focused events. The Jam for Freedom in the UK was three days full of music with freedom-minded musicians and speakers who were there for you the last few years—the same thing with Austria. We’re so distant from each other but experienced the same thing, so it’s like we’ve known each other for years. We’ve found a new community. One of the great things about the artistic community is that we’re getting to know each other and collaborating. We’re all working toward a similar messaging goal for the world and our kids.”
What is that message?
“The overall message is that this is worth fighting for. You have to be willing to risk everything you’ve got, or else there won’t be anything to risk in the future. It’s our kids’ lives we’re talking about, not just ours. It dawned on me early in speaking out that this battle is for the rest of our lives. The mess created over only a three-year cycle has been detrimental. We’ll be cleaning it up for generations. So, you have to risk everything. And you must be willing to say ‘No’ the next time it comes around. Had we all done that the first time, we wouldn’t be in this deep. I maintain that underneath all this darkness is the best time to be alive. We have to fight for it. There’s a beautiful world with communities forming. A handful of goons behind the scenes are ruining it for the rest of us. But there are more of us than them.”
How does your family know about vaccine injury?
“I have three children, six, nine, and eleven. My wife and I have been part of the medical freedom movement since long before COVID. When our eldest son was a baby, he cried uncontrollably, and they never told us he was vaccine-injured. We went down that rabbit hole. After going through several doctors, one finally said, ‘Well, that’s from his early childhood shot.’ He still gets these migraines in his eye that wipe him out. In the last two years, when I hear stories of the vaccine-injured, they’re gut-punching, especially when a parent has lost a child. Pretending that nothing has happened, as if every single person who got that shot is okay, is evil. That’s what we’re up against.”
What gives you hope?
“Like I said, there are communities now, pockets of communities worldwide. People who wonder what’s wrong with the world need to know they’re not alone. They need to know these communities exist. It’s scary when you start speaking out. I’ve had this conversation with many musicians. When we started speaking out through our music, we knew we were going to lose friends. But I have much better friendships now. And I take such confidence in that and knowing there’s a worldwide community in place to support me in any situation. To me, that is the solution: we continue to get stronger.”
Do you have a vision for your recent album?
“I look at Silent War as the beginning of a trilogy. Now, we are in the battle. The other side is that victory I hold on to, and hopefully, there will be an album of victory songs at the end of all of this that we can celebrate with.”
What was your impression of Canada in January-February 2022?
“While I was admiring the Canadian protests, watching it happen in real-time as people were sharing their videos on social media, I was inspired to write ‘This Just In.’ Somebody needed to call out Justin Trudeau for running away because it was such a pathetic thing to do. The song is also to show my support for Canada. Some fans there made me an honorary Canadian citizen. I peeked into Canada many years ago when I attended a conference. Hopefully, at some point, I can get there to perform and meet those fans.”
 
Check out Bob Moran's artwork for the single of "Fight for You," and the preview of Bob's documentary with "Anti-Fascist Blues" by Five Times August. At first, Brad created twelve parody songs, including "We Didn't Spread the Virus" (Billy Joel Parody) 2020 and "I Will Learn (1,000 Things)" Parody of "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers.
Five Times August is the music created by Dallas, Texas-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Bradley James Skistimas, who admires the Druthers newspaper based in Canada.
Featured on The On Purpose Podcast (Living on Purpose) on Monday, October 23, 2023.