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This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life

This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life

Di: Erica J. Schmidt
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Welcome to This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life! In this podcast, writer Erica J. Schmidt talks to people who may—or may not—have had the chance to transform their lives into spectacular TED talks. Cherished guests include Erica’s beloved grandmother, talented fringe performers, and more fascinating folks from across generations and communities. Discover new takes on creativity, morning routines, art, mental health, eating disorder recovery, perfectionism, and healing, plus a loving advice column segment in almost every episode. Oh, and sometimes there are tiny singsongs!

About the host: Erica J. Schmidt is a writer, translator, storyteller, and recovering gifted child living in Montréal. She is currently querying a novel about that time she fell in love with her eleventh therapist. To learn more, check out Erica’s generously personal essays at ericajschmidt.com/blog

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Episodi
  • How My DORKY, Hot BF Quit Doomscrolling - 200-Page Book Club - Kukum by Michel Jean

    How My DORKY, Hot BF Quit Doomscrolling - 200-Page Book Club - Kukum by Michel Jean
    Sep 15 2026
    Our guest today claims he's winning the war against nighttime doomscrolling. If you also want to win this war, he has a simple rule: read seven pages a night. Promises include better sleep, deeper conversations with your dogs, a sexier vocabulary, and more.Introducing the 200-Page Book Club! If you’re one of those people who can’t remember the last time you’ve finished a book, there is hope!Step one: We’ll pick a book that is 200 pages or less.Step two: Read seven pages of this book every day.One month later: You have finished a book!And for our inaugural pick of the 200-Page Book Club, we have KUKUM by Michel Jean. It’s a novel set in rural, Indigenous Quebec more than 100 years ago, yet its themes feel surprisingly familiar in an era when Big Tech Companies are reshaping our work, our communities, and even our childhoods without asking for our input.Spoiler Alert: There are no spoilers, but you may not be surprised by certain historical events. And listen to the end for a listener questioner from Stressed and Enmeshed, our poster child for the helicopter-parented generation.Disclaimer: Erica and Jahon are non-Indigenous readers so there are some limitations to our perspective. To learn more and go deeper on topics we are not qualified to explore, please check out our list of resources.KUKUM by Michel Jean in English‍ ‍KUKUM de Michel Jean en français‍ ‍Our guest today is Jahon Mousavi-Torbati! Maybe you remember him from our riveting episode Unhinged Ways to Learn French in Quebec. He loves public transit, pineapples, and kobo e-readers. Listen to the show for more wildly exciting fun facts.Follow Jahon on Instagram: @jahonart Check out his Concept Art Drink and Draw: @conceptartdrinkanddraw Jahon’s website and Quebec fantasy illustration project: artstation.com Jahon on LinkedInInstagram: @erica.j.schmidtSubstack: @ericajschmidtWebsite: ericajschmidt.comThe Donate ButtonMore on KUKUM, the INNU Nation, and Residential SchoolsMichel Jean on Writing and the English Translations of His Novels Article: Quebec's residential school system started later than most in Canada — and also has history of abuse Article: Claude Boivin, survivor of Pointe-Bleu residential school, on finding peace Nametau innu: Memory and knowledge of Nitassinan: a website dedicated to the Innu nation in which elders pass on their skills and knowledge to younger generations.Other Books and ResourcesHistoire Populaire de l’amour au Québec T.1 : Avant 1760Erica’s essay called How to Start Reading AgainHow to Start Reading Again, Part TwoThe Anxious GenerationAtomic HabitsAdult Children of Emotionally Immature ParentsTime Stamps: Kukum by Michel Jean on the 200-Page Book Club00:00:00 How our guest today eliminated nighttime doomscrolling00:01:34 The big reveal! Introducing our guest, Jahon Mousavi-Torbati!00:02:10 This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life Theme Song. Lovebirds Erica and Jahon introduce each other the way they introduce new people on Love on the Spectrum, one of our favourite shows. 00:05:11 Jahon Mousavi-Torbati’s literary debut. 00:06:32 Jahon shares wisdom on the 200-Page Book Club. How to create the winning conditions to quit scrolling and start reading. 00:11:08 Jahon introduces the inaugural pick for the 200-Page Book Club. No Spoilers! The book is Kukum by Michel Jean. Please note that Erica and Jahon are non-indigenous readers and therefore there are some limitations to our perspectives. Please see links and resources in the show notes for deeper reading. 00:12:17 Kukum was written by Michel Jean, an Innu author. Fun fact about where the Innu lived compared to the Inuit. Difference between narrator Almanda’s settler Christian upbringing compared to the Innu way of life. Often Innu culture allowed for more freedom for women.00:14:32 Kukum begins with a love story. We loved the romantic vibes! Jahon tells us the surprising reasons why the book is relevant to our times.00:16:44 Jahon asks Erica about the writing style. Fictionalized memoir of Michel Jean’s grandmother’s life. Slow burn. Love the short chapters!00:19:23 Jahon talks about culture and language preservation.00:21:25 Transition from nomadic to sedentary lifestyle00:22:32 Jahon notes the differences in anxiety levels and childhoods for Almanda’s children and our own experience as children of the 90s.00:26:26 The benefits of connection to nature, jahon’s dream of making social media and phones in public except for designated areas. 00:30:32 Listener Question from Stressed and Enmeshed. Jahon recommends the book, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature People. Erica recommends the goal of financial independence. 00:40:57 Where to find and follow Jahon online Listener Question from Stressed and EnmeshedDear Erica and Jahon, My parents never let me do anything alone as a kid and now that I’m an adult, I have a really hard time trusting myself. I’m a 26-year-old woman and I only just moved into my own ...
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  • Creative Joy, Finding Flow, and How We Are and Are Not Like Elizabeth Gilbert

    Creative Joy, Finding Flow, and How We Are and Are Not Like Elizabeth Gilbert
    Jul 30 2026
    I practically invented my podcast for today’s guest. His name is William Burr. William incarnates how to follow your curiosity and creativity. He has had so many strange and beautiful lives along his journey. He is a trained journalist and has spent years working at Radio-Canada (The French side of CBC) reporting in FRENCH. This is incredibly impressive because William is not francophone. And no matter what his job is, he remains committed to writing, painting, dancing, singing, meditating, and staying aligned with his heart and deepest self. He wrote and performed in two smash-hit and entirely poignant plays at the Montréal Fringe Festival. During the pandemic, William made a courageous move from Montréal to Vancouver to study theology and become a minister for the Presbyterian church. I cannot think of anyone the Presbyterian church needs more than William Burr. And I could not more be more thrilled to welcome William to This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life. Make sure to listen to the end for a groundbreaking take on Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir, All the Way to the River, plus deep thoughts on sex and love addiction, and a half-bad ukulele segment for the ages. Infinite thanks, William Burr!Follow William BurrWilliam Burr on Instagram: @w_burrWilliam Burr’s website: williamburr.wordpress.com William Burr’s Substack: @williamburr2William Burr’s Brilliant Substack on Elizabeth Gilbert: After Eat Pray Love, the Love AddictionFollow Erica J. SchmidtErica on Instagram: @erica.j.schmidt YouTube: @ericajschmidt Substack: ericajschmidt.substack.com Website: ericajschmidt.com The Donate ButtonWill Burr Time Stamps00:00:00 Teaser: William Burr’s Healing Thoughts on Creativity, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Sex and Love Addiction, and the Painful Pleasure and Pleasurable Pain of Falling in Love00:01:38 The Erica Choir Theme Song + William Burr’s bio00:03:52 William Burr’s Creative Oranges/Origins: What did creativity look like as a child and how did you start to explore writing, painting, and creative projects? (Shout-out to Aunt Kelsey!)00:05:22 Why did William quit drawing and painting at age 15?00:08:45 How did Will decide to go to journalism school? How did this help his creativity?00:14:04 The Creative Spark. Does Will Burr relate to transforming his despair into creativity? How does he get his inspiration and drive to create? The despair of doing the dishes and how to move out of stasis and lethargy. How to release and express what’s inside of us.00:18:37 But how do you choose the right medium, vehicle, and containers for expression? (Erica’s great source of despair: I want to do something but I don’t know what and I don’t know what I CAN do.)00:19:39 How does William work within such a broad spectrum of vehicles and creative outlets? How does he fit it all in or decide what to focus on? (+ Elizabeth Gilbert’s theory that some of us are woodpeckers and dig one hole as our creative vehicle but a bunch of us are hummingbirds so we fly around pollinating the world.)00:22:35: William Burr’s spiritual calling and how he went from attending Buddhist meditation to going back to school to become a Presbyterian church minister.00:30:59 William Burr’s Routines. What is his morning routine? In case you haven’t read the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron 17 times, here is a more elaborate explanation of Morning Pages.Morning Pages: Write three stream-of-consciousness pages as soon as you wake up in the morning. Water and coffee are optional.Erica and William discuss the pros and cons of journalling and Morning Pages and The Artist’s Way. Erica is concerned that everything in her life is going to be the same forever. She really wants to be not obsessed with herself and that is not going so well. She knows that “where attention goes, energy flows,” but she also heard that “what you resist, persists” and she’s wondering which one is it.38:17 Does William Burr have a creative routine?00:42:02 Erica summarizes a writing workshop where she learned about the three categories of writing: Drafting, Revising, and Creative Play. But we only seem to value drafting and generating new material and maybe that is not fair. Will we ever not beat ourselves up for not writing enough.00:45:27 Does Will Burr have a cleaning routine? (No. Except for iPhone timers)00:48:27 Elizabeth Gilbert Fan Club: From Eat Pray Love to a new life thesis on Sex and Love Addiction. We believe in Liz’s love addiction, but do we trust her new thesis?01:05:15 Erica failed Man’s Search for Meaning but it’s not too late. Liz Gilbert gets an open invitation to This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life.01:07:56 Half-Bad Ukulele Segment: Someone Like You by Adele. Best.01:12:04 Wrap-up, Thank yous and where to find Erica and Will on the interwebs.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also love: How to Make an Album and Hundreds of Exquisite Paintings with Sandra TaylorHow to Be a Writer with Kyle StevensonMoments of ...
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  • How to Make an Album and Hundreds of Exquisite Paintings with Sandra Taylor

    How to Make an Album and Hundreds of Exquisite Paintings with Sandra Taylor
    Jul 9 2026
    Sandra Taylor is a wildly talented painter, singer-songwriter, and pianist. Her watercolours bring us exquisite explorations of nature, (shout-out to the birds), and truly unique abstract designs. In 2024, Sandra launched her album “Life Beautiful Life,” which combines down-to-earth, whimsical lyrics with her soothing voice and impressive musicality. Sandra was also my first-year university roommate, back when we were almost as young and full of promise as we are now. It is such a gift to have kept in touch after all these years, and a true dream to have her on the show. Thank you, Sandra!(And please listen to the end for a beautifully special surprise!)Sandra Taylor on the interwebsFollow Sandra Taylor on Instagram: @sandrataylormusicBuy her album Life Beautiful Life on bandcamp: More on Sandra’s watercolours and music at sandrataylormusic.com*All excerpts from Life Beautiful Life were used with Sandra’s permission. Life Beautiful Life was produced by Chris Stringer and engineered by Darren McGill.Erica J. Schmidt on the InterwebsInstagram: @erica.j.schmidtSubstack: @ericajschmidtWebsite: ericajschmidt.comThe Donate ButtonIf you would like to be a beta reader for one of Erica’s two manuscripts, please get in touch! THANK YOU SO MUCH!Timestamps for Life Beautiful Life: Music, Watercolours, and Creativity with Sandra Taylor00:00:00 Theme song and Sandra Taylor’s bio01:52:11 How Erica and Sandra Taylor met (at the cool kids residence, Solin Hall, Mcgill University, 2003) Their moderate approach to cleaning routines lined up great. Erica was trying to make her boobs grow with 2% milk.00:04:30 How did Sandra’s creativity start? When did she start being creative? As a kid, Sandra loved running around outside, putting on plays with her siblings, and writing stories. But she also got really far in the Royal Conservatory of Music. Her Bach is lit!00:08:43 But did the Internet take over your life in grade eight or nine? What about MSN messenger and ICQ? Sandra doesn’t let her life revolve around a device. Erica does her best.00:12:32 Erica and Sandra are McGill dropout twins. Does Sandra have advice for people hoping to go to university and become an artist?00:18:47 Now Sandra is back at university finishing the music degree she started when we first met. How is that going?00:20:23 Special excerpt of Sandra’s music video LIFE BEAUTIFUL LIFE. Watch and listen to the whole thing here!00:21:27 How Sandra keeps the faith and how she keeps making things.00:24:14 It’s time for Sandra Taylor’s routines! Hurray! Starting with her morning routine.00:25:44 Erica and Sandra discuss yoga routines of yore.00:29:36 Sandra Taylor’s creative routine. “A lot of this stuff is just putting the hours in.”00:32:44 The value of setting a specific goal, like when she tried to work on her portrait skills.00:32:18 Special Bach Surprise. More where that came from here.00:37:45 Sandra Taylor’s Cleaning Routine00:41:17 Special excerpt of “Downhill Too Fast” from Sandra Taylor’s album, “Life, Beautiful Life.” Watch the whole video here!00:42:29 Listener Question from I.T. GUY. APPARENTLY.00:52:46 Sandra Taylor’s spectacular TED talk00:58:11 Where people can find Sandra Taylor online. The hyper-free links: https://www.instagram.com/sandrataylormusic/https://sandrataylormusic.com/shop-musichttps://sandrataylor.bandcamp.com/album/life-beautiful-life00:59:53 If you enjoyed this episode, you will also enjoy Hot Dates and Frenching withLou Laurenceand Singing for Bliss with Kathy Kennedy01:00:16 Wrap-up and Thank yous01:01:26 Modern Life by Sandra Taylor mixed with miscellaneous video clips. Listen to the entire album, Life Beautiful Life. Thank you for listening to this episode of This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life. LOVE YOU, BYE!
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