Fog. Twilight. A near-empty movie theatre.This episode of FØDE starts as a dark, rainy drive through Vancouver Island and turns into a meditation on noticing—how cinema communicates through subtle choices, why obsession can be a form of devotion, and what happens when you finally stop apologizing for being extra.After watching Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair in theatres, I found myself sitting in the dark for four and a half hours, taking handwritten notes on cinematography, visual storytelling, restraint, and intention. Not as a critic—but as a maker paying attention.We talk about:Why fog, darkness, and twilight feel so cinematicWhat Kill Bill teaches about visual language and creative choicesTaking obsessive notes as a creative practiceBeing “extra” on purpose (shoes embroidered, face on merch, no shame)Letting go of the tightrope walk of other people’s expectationsThis isn’t a film review.It’s a reflection on creativity, authorship, and giving yourself permission to lean all the way in.If you’ve ever been told to dial it down—this one’s for you.

In this episode, I talk about self-worth, boundaries, and why you can’t do other people’s inner work for them.The core idea is simple: everyone has their own homework.Healing, shadow work, growth—none of it can be outsourced. I’m not here to help anyone cheat on the test, and I’m not interested in getting between people and their suffering. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is step back and let the lesson land.This is an unrehearsed, stream-of-consciousness drive about creativity, expansion vs. contraction, leaving victimhood behind, and learning to trust that even the uncomfortable stuff might be happening for us.https://www.instagram.com/fode.podcast#healingjourney #fødepodcast #queerpodcast #selfhealingcommunity

I start this episode talking about Heated Rivalry and end up talking about craft, storytelling, and that feeling of finally finding people who notice the same details you do.This isn’t really a review. It’s me thinking out loud about why certain stories work — the cinematography, the transitions, the restraint, the way flashbacks can feel smooth instead of jarring when they’re done right. I talk about inspiration, about watching people care deeply about nuance, and about how unexpected communities (including a hockey podcast, of all things) can make you feel less alone in your obsessions.This episode wanders on purpose. It’s unedited, unscripted, and very much mid-process.FØDE is a place to think in real time.Thanks for being here.Danni James 🎧📚 | Booktokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@dannijames.readsEmpty Netters Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@emptynetterspod#heatedrivalry #podcast #storytelling